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1.
STAR Protoc ; 1(2): 100080, 2020 09 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33111114

ABSTRACT

Deciphering cell cycle phases of polyphenic tissues is an important challenge in understanding the cellular mechanism of polymorphism. We use flow cytometry to analyze cell cycle phases of short wings and long wings of the brown planthopper. This provides information on the arresting cell cycle phases in different wing forms. The protocol could be applied to analysis of the cell cycle phases of other polyphenic insects and in different polyphenic tissues after modification. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Lin et al. (2020).


Subject(s)
Cell Cycle/physiology , Flow Cytometry/methods , Hemiptera/cytology , Adaptation, Physiological/genetics , Animals , Cell Cycle/genetics , Cell Division/physiology , Insecta , Wings, Animal/metabolism
2.
BMC Genomics ; 20(1): 507, 2019 Jun 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31215403

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) are phloem sap-sucking pests that because of their broad host range and ability to transmit viruses damage crop plants worldwide. B. tabaci are now known to be a complex of cryptic species that differ from each other in many characteristics such as mode of interaction with viruses, invasiveness, and resistance to insecticides. Asia II 1 is an indigenous species found on the Indian sub-continent and south-east Asia while the species named as Middle East Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), likely originated from the Middle-East and has spread worldwide in recent decades. The purpose of this study is to find genomic differences between these two species. RESULTS: Sequencing of the nuclear genome of Asia II 1 with Illumina HiSeq and MiSeq generated 198.90 million reads that covers 88% of the reference genome. The sequence comparison with MEAM1 identified 2,327,972 SNPs and 202,479 INDELs. In Total, 1294 genes were detected with high impact variants. The functional analysis revealed that some of the genes are involved in virus transmission including 4 genes in Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) transmission, 96 in Tomato crinivirus (ToCV) transmission, and 14 genes in insecticide resistance. CONCLUSIONS: These genetic differences between Asia II 1 and MEAM1 may underlie the major biological differences between the two species such as virus transmission, insecticide resistance, and range of host plants. The present study provides new genomic data and information resources for Asia II 1 that will not only contribute to the species delimitation of whitefly, but also help in conceiving future research studies to develop more targeted management strategies against whitefly.


Subject(s)
Genes, Insect/genetics , Genetic Variation , Hemiptera/physiology , Hemiptera/virology , Plant Viruses/physiology , Whole Genome Sequencing , Animals , Cell Nucleus/genetics , Gene Ontology , Genomics , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/genetics , Insecticide Resistance/genetics , Species Specificity
3.
J Morphol ; 280(7): 1046-1060, 2019 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31087679

ABSTRACT

Certain families of plant-feeding insects in the order Hemiptera (infraorder Pentatomomorpha) have established symbiotic relationships with microbes that inhabit specific pouches (caeca) of their midgut epithelium. The placement of these caeca in a well-delineated region at the most posterior end of the midgut bordering the hindgut is conserved in these families; in situ the convoluted midgut is predictably folded so that this caecal region lies adjacent to the anterior-most region of the midgut. Depending on the hemipteran family, caeca vary in their number and configuration at a given anterior-posterior location. At the host-microbe interface, epithelial plasma membranes of midgut epithelial cells interact with nonself antigens of microbial surfaces. In the different hemipteran species examined, a continuum of interactions is observed between microbes and host membranes. Bacteria can exist as free living cells within the midgut lumen without contacting host membranes while other host cells physically interact extensively with microbial surfaces by extending numerous processes that interdigitate with microbes; and, in many instances, processes completely envelope the microbes. The host cells can embrace the foreign microbes, completely enveloping each with a single host membrane or sometimes enveloping each with the two additional host membranes of a phagosome.


Subject(s)
Cell Membrane/microbiology , Digestive System/cytology , Digestive System/microbiology , Epithelial Cells/cytology , Epithelial Cells/microbiology , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/microbiology , Animals , Cell Communication , Species Specificity
4.
Methods Mol Biol ; 1875: 307-317, 2019.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30362013

ABSTRACT

To visualize phytoplasmas at early stages of vector infection, an immunofluorescence assay was developed. The chapter provides experimental details on dissection of salivary glands, incubation of the dissected organs with phytoplasma suspension, fixation, embedding, sectioning, labeling, and final visualization with confocal microscopy. All the procedure will be described for the leafhopper Euscelidius variegatus, natural vector of "Candidatus phytoplasma asteris" and laboratory vector of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma.


Subject(s)
Hemiptera/cytology , Phytoplasma/pathogenicity , Salivary Glands/cytology , Animals , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Hemiptera/microbiology , Insect Vectors/cytology , Insect Vectors/microbiology , Salivary Glands/microbiology , Tissue Embedding , Tissue Fixation
5.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 115(50): E11691-E11700, 2018 12 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30463949

ABSTRACT

Plant sap-feeding insects (Hemiptera) rely on bacterial symbionts for nutrition absent in their diets. These bacteria experience extreme genome reduction and require genetic resources from their hosts, particularly for basic cellular processes other than nutrition synthesis. The host-derived mechanisms that complete these processes have remained poorly understood. It is also unclear how hosts meet the distinct needs of multiple bacterial partners with differentially degraded genomes. To address these questions, we investigated the cell-specific gene-expression patterns in the symbiotic organs of the aster leafhopper (ALF), Macrosteles quadrilineatus (Cicadellidae). ALF harbors two intracellular symbionts that have two of the smallest known bacterial genomes: Nasuia (112 kb) and Sulcia (190 kb). Symbionts are segregated into distinct host cell types (bacteriocytes) and vary widely in their basic cellular capabilities. ALF differentially expresses thousands of genes between the bacteriocyte types to meet the functional needs of each symbiont, including the provisioning of metabolites and support of cellular processes. For example, the host highly expresses genes in the bacteriocytes that likely complement gene losses in nucleic acid synthesis, DNA repair mechanisms, transcription, and translation. Such genes are required to function in the bacterial cytosol. Many host genes comprising these support mechanisms are derived from the evolution of novel functional traits via horizontally transferred genes, reassigned mitochondrial support genes, and gene duplications with bacteriocyte-specific expression. Comparison across other hemipteran lineages reveals that hosts generally support the incomplete symbiont cellular processes, but the origins of these support mechanisms are generally specific to the host-symbiont system.


Subject(s)
Bacteria/genetics , Evolution, Molecular , Genome, Bacterial , Hemiptera/microbiology , Host Microbial Interactions/genetics , Symbiosis/genetics , Animals , Bacterial Physiological Phenomena , Bacteroidetes/genetics , Bacteroidetes/physiology , Betaproteobacteria/genetics , Betaproteobacteria/physiology , Gene Duplication , Gene Transfer, Horizontal , Genome, Insect , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/genetics , Host Microbial Interactions/physiology , Symbiosis/physiology , Transcriptome
6.
Virol J ; 15(1): 72, 2018 04 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29678167

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In China, the rice pathogen Rice yellow stunt virus (RYSV), a member of the genus Nucleorhabdovirus in the family Rhabdoviridae, was a severe threat to rice production during the1960s and1970s. Fundamental aspects of the biology of this virus such as protein localization and formation of the RYSV viroplasm during infection of insect vector cells are largely unexplored. The specific role(s) of the structural proteins nucleoprotein (N) and phosphoprotein (P) in the assembly of the viroplasm during RYSV infection in insect vector is also unclear. METHODS: In present study, we used continuous leafhopper cell culture, immunocytochemical techniques, and transmission electron microscopy to investigate the subcellular distributions of N and P during RYSV infection. Both GST pull-down assay and yeast two-hybrid assay were used to assess the in vitro interaction of N and P. The dsRNA interference assay was performed to study the functional roles of N and P in the assembly of RYSV viroplasm. RESULTS: Here we demonstrated that N and P colocalized in the nucleus of RYSV-infected Nephotettix cincticeps cell and formed viroplasm-like structures (VpLSs). The transiently expressed N and P are sufficient to form VpLSs in the Sf9 cells. In addition, the interactions of N/P, N/N and P/P were confirmed in vitro. More interestingly, the accumulation of RYSV was significantly reduced when the transcription of N gene or P gene was knocked down by dsRNA treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our results suggest that N and P are the main viral factors responsible for the formation of viroplasm in RYSV-infected insect cells. Early during RYSV infection in the insect vector, N and P interacted with each other in the nucleus to form viroplasm-like structures, which are essential for the infection of RYSV.


Subject(s)
Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/virology , Insect Vectors/cytology , Insect Vectors/virology , Oryza/virology , Plant Viruses/physiology , Rhabdoviridae/metabolism , Animals , Cells, Cultured , China , Gene Knockdown Techniques , Hemiptera/ultrastructure , Insect Vectors/ultrastructure , Two-Hybrid System Techniques , Viral Structural Proteins/metabolism , Virus Replication
7.
Environ Microbiol Rep ; 9(6): 706-716, 2017 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28585771

ABSTRACT

Temperature affects the persistence of diverse symbionts of insects. Our previous study indicates that the whitefly symbionts confined within bacteriocytes or scattered throughout the body cavity outside bacteriocytes may have differential thermal sensitivity. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we report that following continuous heat stress, Portiera and Hamiltonella were almost completely depleted in two species of Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) of the Bemisia tabaci whitefly cryptic species complex. Meanwhile, proliferation of bacteriocytes was severely inhibited and approximately 50% of the nymphs had lost one of the two bacteriomes. While cell size of bacteriocytes was increased, cell number was severely decreased leading to reduction of total volume of bacteriocytes. Moreover, bacteriocyte organelles and associated symbionts were lysed, and huge amount of electron-dense inclusions accumulated. Eventually, Portiera and Hamiltonella failed to be transmitted to the next generation. In contrast, Rickettsia could be detected although at a reduced level, and successfully transmitted to eggs. The results suggest that the thermal sensitivity of bacteriocytes may limit thermal tolerance and vertical transmission of the associated symbionts, and consequently different patterns of distribution of symbionts may affect their capacity to tolerate unfavourable temperatures and persistence in the host.


Subject(s)
Bacterial Physiological Phenomena , Gammaproteobacteria/physiology , Hemiptera/microbiology , Hot Temperature , Intracellular Space/microbiology , Stress, Physiological , Animals , Female , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/physiology , In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence , Male , Microscopy, Electron, Transmission , Nymph/microbiology , Ovum/microbiology , Symbiosis
8.
Protoplasma ; 254(6): 2263-2271, 2017 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28478487

ABSTRACT

In meiosis I, homologous chromosomes combine to form bivalents, which align on the metaphase plate. Homologous chromosomes then separate in anaphase I. Univalent sex chromosomes, on the other hand, are unable to segregate in the same way as homologous chromosomes of bivalents due to their lack of a homologous pairing partner in meiosis I. Here, we studied univalent segregation in a Hemipteran insect: the spittlebug Philaenus spumarius. We determined the chromosome number and sex determination mechanism in our population of P. spumarius and showed that, in male meiosis I, there is a univalent X chromosome. We discovered that the univalent X chromosome in primary spermatocytes forms an amphitelic attachment to the spindle and aligns on the metaphase plate with the autosomes. Interestingly, the X chromosome remains at spindle midzone long after the autosomes have separated. In late anaphase I, the X chromosome initiates movement towards one spindle pole. This movement appears to be correlated with a loss of microtubule connections between the kinetochore of one chromatid and its associated spindle pole.


Subject(s)
Chromosomes, Insect/genetics , Hemiptera/genetics , X Chromosome/genetics , Animals , Cells, Cultured , Chromosome Segregation , Chromosomes, Insect/physiology , Hemiptera/cytology , Male , Meiosis , Spermatocytes/physiology , Spermatocytes/ultrastructure , X Chromosome/physiology
9.
Micron ; 99: 49-55, 2017 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28431332

ABSTRACT

In this study, by using light and electron microscopy, we describe the sperm morphology of the leafhopper Diaphorina citri, a serious pest of citrus throughout the world. In this species the sperm measures 538.49±8.75µm in length, and as observed in psylloids, the sperm, when manipulated, opens into two filaments, one of which is attached to the nuclear base and the other becomes free. Along the flagellum, and only of it, there are lateral projections, about 2µm in length. Furthermore, at the end of the flagellum three appendages, with approximately 7µm in length, are observed. The head region is formed by the nucleus with compact chromatin, and, parallel to it, a structure of median electron density that extends about 25µm in length ahead of the nuclear tip. The flagellum consists of an axoneme with a 9+9+2 microtubule arrangement, two mitochondrial derivatives, and two accessory bodies each with two regions of different electron density. The presence of lateral projections is a characteristic observed in other Sternorrhyncha. As seen previously, the sperm opening in two filaments, when manipulated, was observed only in Psylloidea, and the presence of the three appendices at the end of the flagellum distinguishes D. citri from the other Psylloidea species studied.


Subject(s)
Hemiptera/anatomy & histology , Spermatozoa/cytology , Spermatozoa/ultrastructure , Animals , Cell Nucleus/ultrastructure , Flagella/ultrastructure , Hemiptera/classification , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/ultrastructure , Male , Microscopy/methods , Microscopy, Electron/methods , Mitochondria/ultrastructure
10.
In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim ; 53(5): 421-429, 2017 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28455813

ABSTRACT

Prostaglandins (PGs) are oxygenated metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA) and two other C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids that serve as biochemical signals mediating physiological functions. We reported that PGs influence protein expression in insect cell lines, which prompted the question: do PGs influence cell proliferation or viability in insect cell lines? Here, we report on the outcomes of experiments designed to address the question in cell lines from three insect orders: Hemiptera (squash bug, Anasa tristis, BCIRL-AtE-CLG15A), Coleoptera (red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, BCIRL-TcA-CLG1), and Lepidoptera (tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens, BCIRL-HvAM1). Treating the insect cell lines with PGA1, PGA2, or PGD2 led to dose-dependent reductions in cell numbers. All three cell lines were sensitive to PGA1 and PGA2 (IC50s = 9.9 to 26.9 µM) and were less sensitive to PGD2 (IC50s = 31.6 to 104.7 µM). PG treatments also led to cell death at higher concentrations, as seen in mammalian cell lines. PGE1, PGE2, and PGF2α treatments did not influence AtE-CLG15A or HvAM1 cell numbers at lower concentrations, but led to dose-related reductions in TcA-CLG1 cells at higher concentrations. Similar treatments with pharmaceutical inhibitors of PG biosynthesis also led to reduced cell numbers: MAFP (inhibits phospholipase A2), indomethacin (inhibits PG biosynthesis), and esculetin (inhibits lipoxygenase). Because these pharmaceuticals are used to relieve inflammation and other medical issues in human medicine, they are not toxic to animal cells. We infer PGs are necessary in optimal quantities for ongoing homeostatic functions in established cell lines; in quantities outside the optimal concentrations, PGs are deleterious.


Subject(s)
Arachidonic Acid/pharmacology , Cell Line/cytology , Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/pharmacology , Prostaglandins/pharmacology , Animals , Cell Line/drug effects , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/drug effects , Indomethacin/pharmacology , Lepidoptera/cytology , Prostaglandins/metabolism
11.
In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim ; 53(5): 417-420, 2017 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28205141

ABSTRACT

The squash bug, Anasa tristis, is a pest of cucurbits that exerts direct damage on crops and is a vector of plant pathogens. We established cell lines from this insect to serve as tools for basic biology, including virology and immunology, as well as applied studies, such as insecticide development programs. We initiated 15 cell cultures, using nine media or combinations of media. The media yielding the best results were a modification of Kimura's medium and a combination of two commercially available cell culture media (EX-CELL 420 and L15). We designated the two cell lines as BCIRL-AtE-CLG11 and BCIRL-AtE-CLG15. From the AtE-CLG15 line, we isolated two sub-lines, A and B. Of these, the most consistently replicating line was AtE-CLG15A. We determined the doubling time of this line (190 h) and its mean cell diameter (14.5 ± 0.7 µm). We characterized the AtE-CLG15A line using DAF-PCR. The BCIRL-AtE-CLG15A cell line is now available for researchers world-wide.


Subject(s)
Cell Line/cytology , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/drug effects , Insecticides/pharmacology , Animals , Cell Line/drug effects , Cucurbita/parasitology , Hemiptera/pathogenicity , Seasons
12.
Sci Rep ; 6: 33418, 2016 09 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27630042

ABSTRACT

Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) is a phloem-limited, gram-negative, fastidious bacterium that is associated with the development of citrus greening disease, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB). CLas is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Diaphorina citri, in a circulative manner. Two major barriers to transmission within the insect are the midgut and the salivary glands. We performed a thorough microscopic analysis within the insect midgut following exposure to CLas-infected citrus trees. We observed changes in nuclear architecture, including pyknosis and karyorrhexis as well as changes to the actin cytoskeleton in CLas-exposed midgut cells. Further analyses showed that the changes are likely due to the activation of programmed cell death as assessed by Annexin V staining and DNA fragmentation assays. These results suggest that exposure to CLas-infected trees induces apoptotic responses in the psyllid midgut that should be further investigated. Understanding the adaptive significance of the apoptotic response has the potential to create new approaches for controlling HLB.


Subject(s)
Citrus/parasitology , Digestive System/microbiology , Digestive System/pathology , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/microbiology , Rhizobiaceae/physiology , Actin Cytoskeleton/metabolism , Animals , Annexin A5/metabolism , Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/immunology , Cell Death , Cell Nucleus/metabolism , DNA/metabolism , Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Epithelial Cells/pathology , In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence , Rhizobiaceae/immunology
13.
Arthropod Struct Dev ; 45(4): 389-98, 2016 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27140505

ABSTRACT

The development and organization of the ovaries of ten species from four Psylloidea families (Psyllidae, Triozidae, Aphalaridae and Liviidae) have been investigated. The ovaries of the last larval stage (i.e. fifth instar) of all examined species are filled with numerous clusters of cystocytes which undergo synchronous incomplete mitotic division. Cystocytes of the given cluster are arranged into a rosette with polyfusome in the centre. These clusters are associated with single somatic cells. At the end of the fifth instar, the clusters begin to separate from each other, forming spherical ovarioles which are surrounded by a single layer of somatic cells. In the ovarioles of very young females all cystocytes enter the prophase of meiosis and differentiate shortly thereafter into oocytes and trophocytes (nurse cells). Meanwhile, somatic cells differentiate into cells of the inner epithelial sheath surrounding the trophocytes and into the prefollicular cells that encompass the oocytes. During this final differentiation, the trophocytes lose their cell membranes and become syncytial. Oocytes remain cellular and most of them (termed arrested oocytes) do not grow. In the ovarioles of older females, one oocyte encompassed by its follicle cells starts growing, still connected to the syncytial tropharium by a nutritive cord. After the short phase of previtellogenesis alone, the oocyte enters its vitellogenic the growth phase in the vitellarium. At that time, the second oocyte may enter the vitellarium and start its previtellogenic growth. In the light of the obtained results, the phylogeny of psyllids, as well as phylogenetic relationships between taxa of Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha are discussed.


Subject(s)
Hemiptera/growth & development , Animals , Female , Hemiptera/classification , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/ultrastructure , Larva/cytology , Larva/growth & development , Larva/ultrastructure , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning , Microscopy, Electron, Transmission , Nymph/cytology , Nymph/growth & development , Nymph/ultrastructure , Oocytes/cytology , Oocytes/growth & development , Oocytes/ultrastructure , Ovary/cytology , Ovary/ultrastructure , Phylogeny
14.
Micron ; 83: 1-10, 2016 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26826802

ABSTRACT

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 species complex has invaded several parts of the world in the past 30 years and replaced native whitefly populations in the invaded regions, including certain areas of China. One of the possible reasons for the invasion is that MEAM1 whiteflies are more fecund than native species. However, the factors that affect the reproduction of the B. tabaci cryptic species are not clearly known. The regulation of oogenesis is thought to be one of the essential processes for egg formation and ovary development and could affect its population dynamics. In this study, the ovariole structure and oogenesis of the MEAM1 species complex was examined using light and transmission electron microscopy. Telotrophic ovarioles were observed in the MEAM1 species complex. Each ovariole had two well defined regions: the tropharium and the vitellarium. The tropharium always had more than ten trophocytes. The development of a single oocyte in the vitellarium has four phases: oocyte formation, previtellogenesis, vitellogenesis and choriogenesis. Two arrested oocytes, follicular cells and uncompleted oocytes were separated from the tropharium by microtubule and microfilaments. Early previtellogenesis oocytes absorbed nutrients and endosymbiont bacteria through a nutritive cord. However, the vitellogenesis of oocytes transmitted Vg through both the nutritive cord and the space between follicular cells. Each mature oocyte with deposited yolk proteins had only one bacteriocyte and was surrounded by a single layer of follicular cells. The oogenesis in the B. tabaci MEAM1 species complex concluded with the differentiation of oocytes, the transport of yolk and endosymbionts as well as the development and maturation of oocytes. This result provides important information that further defines the regulation of oogenesis in the B. tabaci complex.


Subject(s)
Hemiptera , Oogenesis , Animals , Cell Differentiation , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/ultrastructure , Oocytes/cytology , Oocytes/ultrastructure
15.
Phytopathology ; 105(5): 608-20, 2015 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26020829

ABSTRACT

Xylella fastidiosa is unique among insect-transmitted plant pathogens because it is propagative but noncirculative, adhering to and multiplying on the cuticular lining of the anterior foregut. Any inoculation mechanism for X. fastidiosa must explain how bacterial cells exit the vector's stylets via the food canal and directly enter the plant. A combined egestion-salivation mechanism has been proposed to explain these unique features. Egestion is the putative outward flow of fluid from the foregut via hypothesized bidirectional pumping of the cibarium. The present study traced green fluorescent protein-expressing X. fastidiosa or fluorescent nanoparticles acquired from artificial diets by glassy-winged sharpshooters, Homalodisca vitripennis, as they were egested into simultaneously secreted saliva. X. fastidiosa or nanoparticles were shown to mix with gelling saliva to form fluorescent deposits and salivary sheaths on artificial diets, providing the first direct, conclusive evidence of egestion by any hemipteran insect. Therefore, the present results strongly support an egestion-salivation mechanism of X. fastidiosa inoculation. Results also support that a column of fluid is transiently held in the foregut without being swallowed. Evidence also supports (but does not definitively prove) that bacteria were suspended in the column of fluid during the vector's transit from diet to diet, and were egested with the held fluid. Thus, we hypothesize that sharpshooters could be true "flying syringes," especially when inoculation occurs very soon after uptake of bacteria, suggesting the new paradigm of a nonpersistent X. fastidiosa transmission mechanism.


Subject(s)
Hemiptera/microbiology , Insect Vectors/microbiology , Plant Diseases/microbiology , Xylella/physiology , Animals , Hemiptera/cytology , Insect Vectors/cytology , Plant Diseases/statistics & numerical data , Salivation
16.
BMC Evol Biol ; 15: 52, 2015 Mar 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25887093

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mutualistic obligate endosymbioses shape the evolution of endosymbiont genomes, but their impact on host genomes remains unclear. Insects of the sub-order Sternorrhyncha (Hemiptera) depend on bacterial endosymbionts for essential amino acids present at low abundances in their phloem-based diet. This obligate dependency has been proposed to explain why multiple amino acid transporter genes are maintained in the genomes of the insect hosts. We implemented phylogenetic comparative methods to test whether amino acid transporters have proliferated in sternorrhynchan genomes at rates grater than expected by chance. RESULTS: By applying a series of methods to reconcile gene and species trees, inferring the size of gene families in ancestral lineages, and simulating the null process of birth and death in multi-gene families, we uncovered a 10-fold increase in duplication rate in the AAAP family of amino acid transporters within Sternorrhyncha. This gene family expansion was unmatched in other closely related clades lacking endosymbionts that provide essential amino acids. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the influence of obligate endosymbioses on host genome evolution by both inferring significant expansions of gene families involved in symbiotic interactions, and discovering increases in the rate of duplication associated with multiple emergences of obligate symbiosis in Sternorrhyncha.


Subject(s)
Amino Acid Transport Systems/genetics , Hemiptera/classification , Hemiptera/genetics , Insect Proteins/genetics , Algorithms , Amino Acid Transport Systems/metabolism , Animals , Biological Evolution , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/physiology , Insect Proteins/metabolism , Phylogeny , Symbiosis
17.
J Vis Exp ; (91): 51953, 2014 Sep 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25285687

ABSTRACT

The glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) is a highly vagile and polyphagous insect found throughout the southwestern United States. These insects are the predominant vectors of Xylella fastidiosa (X. fastidiosa), a xylem-limited bacterium that is the causal agent of Pierce's disease (PD) of grapevine. Pierce's disease is economically damaging; thus, H. vitripennis have become a target for pathogen management strategies. A dicistrovirus identified as Homalodisca coagulata virus-01 (HoCV-01) has been associated with an increased mortality in H. vitripennis populations. Because a host cell is required for HoCV-01 replication, cell culture provides a uniform environment for targeted replication that is logistically and economically valuable for biopesticide production. In this study, a system for large-scale propagation of H. vitripennis cells via tissue culture was developed, providing a viral replication mechanism. HoCV-01 was extracted from whole body insects and used to inoculate cultured H. vitripennis cells at varying levels. The culture medium was removed every 24 hr for 168 hr, RNA extracted and analyzed with qRT-PCR. Cells were stained with trypan blue and counted to quantify cell survivability using light microscopy. Whole virus particles were extracted up to 96 hr after infection, which was the time point determined to be before total cell culture collapse occurred. Cells were also subjected to fluorescent staining and viewed using confocal microscopy to investigate viral activity on F-actin attachment and nuclei integrity. The conclusion of this study is that H. vitripennis cells are capable of being cultured and used for mass production of HoCV-01 at a suitable level to allow production of a biopesticide.


Subject(s)
Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/virology , Insect Viruses/growth & development , Animals , Insect Viruses/chemistry , Insect Viruses/genetics , Polymerase Chain Reaction , RNA, Viral/analysis
18.
Cell ; 158(6): 1270-1280, 2014 Sep 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25175626

ABSTRACT

Mutualisms that become evolutionarily stable give rise to organismal interdependencies. Some insects have developed intracellular associations with communities of bacteria, where the interdependencies are manifest in patterns of complementary gene loss and retention among members of the symbiosis. Here, using comparative genomics and microscopy, we show that a three-member symbiotic community has become a four-way assemblage through a novel bacterial lineage-splitting event. In some but not all cicada species of the genus Tettigades, the endosymbiont Candidatus Hodgkinia cicadicola has split into two new cytologically distinct but metabolically interdependent species. Although these new bacterial genomes are partitioned into discrete cell types, the intergenome patterns of gene loss and retention are almost perfectly complementary. These results defy easy classification: they show genomic patterns consistent with those observed after both speciation and whole-genome duplication. We suggest that our results highlight the potential power of nonadaptive forces in shaping organismal complexity.


Subject(s)
Alphaproteobacteria/classification , Alphaproteobacteria/genetics , Genome, Bacterial , Hemiptera/microbiology , Alphaproteobacteria/isolation & purification , Alphaproteobacteria/physiology , Animals , Evolution, Molecular , Hemiptera/cytology , Hemiptera/physiology , Molecular Sequence Data , Pseudogenes , Symbiosis
19.
Arthropod Struct Dev ; 43(3): 243-53, 2014 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24576412

ABSTRACT

The ultra- and microstructure of the female reproductive system of Matsucoccus matsumurae was studied using light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that the female reproductive system of M. matsumurae is composed of a pair of ovaries, a common oviduct, a pair of lateral oviducts, a spermatheca and two pairs of accessory glands. Each ovary is composed of approximately 50 telotrophic ovarioles that are devoid of terminal filaments. Each ovariole is subdivided into an apical tropharium, a vitellarium and a short pedicel connected to a lateral oviduct. The tropharium contains 8-10 trophocytes and two early previtellogenic oocytes termed arrested oocytes. The trophocytes degenerate after egg maturation, and the arrested oocytes are capable of further development. The vitellarium contains 3-6 oocytes of different developmental stages: previtellogenesis, vitellogenesis and choriogenesis. The surface of the vitellarium is rough and composed of a pattern of polygonal reticular formations with a center protuberance. The oocyte possesses numerous yolk spheres and lipid droplets, and is surrounded by a mono-layered follicular epithelium that becomes binucleate at the beginning of vitellogenesis. Accessory nuclei are observed in the peripheral ooplasm during vitellogenesis.


Subject(s)
Hemiptera/ultrastructure , Animals , China , Female , Hemiptera/cytology , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning , Microscopy, Electron, Transmission , Ovary/cytology , Ovary/ultrastructure , Oviducts/cytology , Oviducts/ultrastructure
20.
Phytopathology ; 104(8): 897-904, 2014 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24502202

ABSTRACT

Numerous virus pathogens are transmitted by specific arthropod vectors. Understanding the mechanism of transmission is a critical step in the epidemiology of plant viruses and is crucial for the development of effective disease control strategies. In this study, we describe the localization and distribution of Wheat dwarf virus (WDV), an economically important and widespread single-stranded DNA virus, in its leafhopper vector, Psammotettix alienus. The results suggest that WDV not only can move to the salivary glands from the anterior and middle midgut via the hemocoel but also can pass directly through the sheath of the filter chamber and be readily transmitted to healthy wheat plants within 5 min of an acquisition access period on infected plants. When a bacterial-expressed recombinant capsid protein (CP) was incubated with the internal organs of leafhoppers, CP-immunoreactive antigens were found at the anterior and middle midgut. Furthermore, when leafhoppers were fed with an antiserum raised against the CP, the accumulation of WDV in the gut cells, hemocoel, and salivary glands was significantly reduced. These data provide evidence that transmission of WDV is determined by a CP-mediated virion-vector retention mechanism.


Subject(s)
Geminiviridae/physiology , Hemiptera/virology , Insect Vectors/virology , Plant Diseases/virology , Triticum/virology , Animals , Capsid Proteins/genetics , Capsid Proteins/metabolism , Hemiptera/cytology , Insect Vectors/cytology , Nymph , Recombinant Proteins , Time Factors
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