The genomic and cellular basis of biosynthetic innovation in rove beetles

Kitchen, Sheila A.; Naragon, Thomas H.; Brückner, Adrian; Ladinsky, Mark S.; Quinodoz, Sofia A.; Badroos, Jean M.; Viliunas, Joani W.; Kishi, Yuriko; Wagner, Julian M.; Miller, David R.; Yousefelahiyeh, Mina; Antoshechkin, Igor A.; Eldredge, K. Taro; Pirro, Stacy; Guttman, Mitchell; Davis, Steven R.; Aardema, Matthew L.; Parker, Joseph

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.012

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 183 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…2G; Video S7; Video S8). Conversely, Sceptobius did not groom a free-living rove beetle, Dalotia 113 (Aleocharinae: Athetini) (Fig. 2G), CHCs of which are dissimilar to those of L. occidentale (Fig.…”

Section: Sensory Control Of Myrmecophile Host Recognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For identification and profiling of chemical compounds from insect species used in this study, we used gas chromatography mass spectrometry methods described previously in Brückner et al (2021) 114 and Kitchen et al (2024) 113 . Specimens were freeze killed at -80˚C and stored at -20˚C until extraction.…”

Section: Identification Of Chemical Compounds and Analysis Of Chc Pro...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Enforced specificity of an animal symbiosis

Wagner,

Wong,

Millar

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Insect diversification has been catalyzed by widespread specialization on novel hosts - a process underlying exceptional radiations of phytophagous beetles, lepidopterans, parasitoid wasps, and inordinate lineages of symbionts, predators and other trophic specialists. The strict fidelity of many such interspecies associations is posited to hinge on sensory tuning to host-derived cues, a model supported by studies of neural function in host-specific model species. Here, we investigated the sensory basis of symbiotic interactions between a myrmecophile rove beetle and its single, natural host ant species. We show that host cues trigger analogous behaviors in both ant and symbiont. Cuticular hydrocarbons - the ant's nestmate recognition pheromones - elicit partner recognition by the beetle and execution of ant grooming behavior, integrating the beetle into the colony via chemical mimicry. The beetle also follows host trail pheromones, permitting inter-colony dispersal. Remarkably, the rove beetle also performs its symbiotic behaviors with ant species separated by ~95 million years, and shows minimal preference for its natural host over non-host ants. Experimentally validated agent-based modeling supports a scenario in which specificity is enforced by physiological constraints on symbiont dispersal, and negative fitness interactions with alternative hosts, rather than via sensory tuning. Enforced specificity may be a pervasive mechanism of host range restriction of specialists embedded within host niches. Chance realization of latent compatibilities with alternative hosts may facilitate host switching, enabling deep-time persistence of obligately symbiotic lineages.

show abstract

Section: Sensory Control Of Myrmecophile Host Recognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Identification Of Chemical Compounds and Analysis Of Chc Pro...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Enforced specificity of an animal symbiosis

Wagner,

Wong,

Millar

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Microbial bases of herbivory in beetles

García-Lozano,

Salem

2024

Trends in Microbiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Simple protocol for combined extraction of exocrine secretions and RNA in small arthropods

Fröhlich,

Bodner,

Raspotnig

et al. 2024

Biology Methods and Protocols

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The integration of data from multiple sources and analytical techniques to obtain novel insights and answer challenging questions is a hallmark of modern science. In arthropods, exocrine secretions may act as pheromones, defensive substances, antibiotics, as well as surface protectants, and as such they play a crucial role in ecology and evolution. Exocrine chemical compounds are frequently characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Technological advances of recent years now allow us to routinely characterize the total gene complement transcribed in a particular biological tissue, often in the context of experimental treatment, via RNAseq. We here introduce a novel methodological approach to successfully characterize exocrine secretions and full transcriptomes of one and the same individual of oribatid mites. We found that chemical extraction prior to RNA extraction had only minor effects on the total RNA integrity. De novo transcriptomes obtained from such combined extractions were of comparable quality to those assembled for samples that were subject to RNA extraction only, indicating that combined chemical/RNA extraction is perfectly suitable for phylotranscriptomic studies. However, in depth analysis of RNA expression analysis indicate, that chemical extraction prior to RNAseq may affect transcript degradation rates, similar to the effects reported in previous studies comparing RNA-extraction protocols. With this pilot study we demonstrate that profiling chemical secretions and RNA expression levels from the same individual is methodologically feasible, paving the way for future research to understand the genes and pathways underlying the syntheses of biogenic chemical compounds. Our approach should be applicable broadly to most arachnids, insects and other arthropods.

show abstract

The genomic and cellular basis of biosynthetic innovation in rove beetles

Cited by 4 publications

References 183 publications

Enforced specificity of an animal symbiosis

Enforced specificity of an animal symbiosis

Microbial bases of herbivory in beetles

Simple protocol for combined extraction of exocrine secretions and RNA in small arthropods

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About