Spatial patterns of Hyalomma marginatum-borne pathogens in the Occitanie region (France), a focus on the intriguing dynamics of Rickettsia aeschlimannii.

Hyalomma marginatum is an invasive tick species recently established in mainland southern France. This tick is known to host a diverse range of human and animal pathogens. While information about the dynamics of these pathogens is crucial to assess disease risk and develop effective monitoring strategies, few data on the spatial dynamics of these pathogens are currently available. We collected ticks in 27 sites in the Occitanie region to characterize spatial patterns of H. marginatum-borne pathogens. Several pathogens have been detected: Theileria equi (9.2%), Theileria orientalis (0.2%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (1.6%), Anaplasma marginale (0.8%), and Rickettsia aeschlimannii (87.3%). Interestingly, we found a spatial clustered distribution for the pathogen R. aeschlimannii between two geographically isolated areas with infection rates and bacterial loads significantly lower in Hérault/Gard departments (infection rate 78.6% in average) compared to Aude/Pyrénées-Orientales departments (infection rate 92.3% in average). At a smaller scale, R. aeschlimannii infection rates varied from one site to another, ranging from 29% to 100%. Overall, such high infection rates (87.3% on average) and the effective maternal transmission of R. aeschlimannii might suggest a role as a tick symbiont in H. marginatum. Further studies are thus needed to understand both the status and the role of R. aeschlimannii in H. marginatum ticks.IMPORTANCETicks are obligatory hematophagous arthropods that transmit pathogens of medical and veterinary importance. Pathogen infections cause serious health issues in humans and considerable economic loss in domestic animals. Information about the presence of pathogens in ticks and their dynamics is crucial to assess disease risk for public and animal health. Analyzing tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected in 27 sites in the Occitanie region, our results highlight clear spatial patterns in the Hyalomma marginatum-borne pathogen distribution and strengthen the postulate that it is essential to develop effective monitoring strategies and consider the spatial scale to better characterize the circulation of tick-borne pathogens.

Development of microsatellite markers for the soft tick Ornithodoros phacochoerus.

BACKGROUND: Soft ticks of the genus Ornithodoros are responsible for the maintenance and transmission of the African swine fever (ASF) virus in the sylvatic and domestic viral cycles in Southern Africa. They are also the main vectors of the Borrelia species causing relapsing fevers. Currently, no genetic markers are available for Afrotropical Ornithodoros ticks. As ASF spreads globally, such markers are needed to assess the role of ticks in the emergence of new outbreaks. The aim of this study is to design microsatellite markers that could be used for ticks of the Ornithodoros moubata complex, particularly Ornithodoros phacochoerus, to assess population structure and tick movements in ASF endemic areas. METHODS: A total of 151 markers were designed using the O. moubata and O. porcinus genomes after elimination of repeated sequences in the genomes. All designed markers were tested on O. phacochoerus and O. porcinus DNA to select the best markers. RESULTS: A total of 24 microsatellite markers were genotyped on two populations of O. phacochoerus and on individuals from four other Ornithodoros species. Nineteen markers were selected to be as robust as possible for population genetic studies on O. phacochoerus. CONCLUSIONS: The microsatellite markers developed here represent the first genetic tool to study nidicolous populations of O. phacochoerus.

An Updated Review of Ornithodoros Ticks as Reservoirs of African Swine Fever in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.

This updated review provides an overview of the available information on Ornithodoros ticks as reservoirs and biological vectors of the ASF virus in Africa and Indian Ocean islands in order to update the current knowledge in this field, inclusive of an overview of available methods to investigate the presence of ticks in the natural environment and in domestic pig premises. In addition, it highlights the major areas of research that require attention in order to guide future investigations and fill knowledge gaps. The available information suggests that current knowledge is clearly insufficient to develop risk-based control and prevention strategies, which should be based on a sound understanding of genotype distribution and the potential for spillover from the source population. Studies on tick biology in the natural and domestic cycle, including genetics and systematics, represent another important knowledge gap. Considering the rapidly changing dynamics affecting the African continent (demographic growth, agricultural expansion, habitat transformation), anthropogenic factors influencing tick population distribution and ASF virus (ASFV) evolution in Africa are anticipated and have been recorded in southern Africa. This dynamic context, together with the current global trends of ASFV dissemination, highlights the need to prioritize further investigation on the acarological aspects linked with ASF ecology and evolution.

Distribution of invasive versus native whitefly species and their pyrethroid knock-down resistance allele in a context of interspecific hybridization.

The invasion success of a species in an agrosystem is greatly influenced by environmental factors such as the use of insecticides, by the intrinsic evolutionary capabilities of the species, and also by interactions with resident species. On the island of La Réunion, the successive invasions of MEAM1 and MED whitefly species over the last 20 years have not only led an increased use of insecticides, but have also challenged the resident IO species. To trace the evolution of the 3 species, and the distribution of the kdr mutation (resistance to pyrethroid) in the para-type voltage-gated sodium channel, we genotyped 41 populations (using neutral nuclear markers) and look at the prevalence of the kdr allele. MEAM1 was predominantly present in agrosystems showing quasi fixation of the resistant kdr allele whereas IO was mainly in natural environments and did not have any resistant allele. Hybridization between the two former species was detected in low frequency but has not led to introgression of resistant alleles in the resident species so far. MED showed a limited distribution in agrosystems but all individuals displayed a resistant allele. These highly contrasting patterns of distribution and resistant mutations between invasive and resident whitefly species are further discussed.

Additive genetic variance for traits least related to fitness increases with environmental stress in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria.

Under environmental stress, previously hidden additive genetic variation can be unmasked and exposed to selection. The amount of hidden variation is expected to be higher for life history traits, which strongly correlate to individual fitness, than for morphological traits, in which fitness effects are more ambiguous. However, no consensual pattern has been recovered yet, and this idea is still debated in the literature. Here, we hypothesize that the classical categorization of traits (i.e., life history and morphology) may fail to capture their proximity to fitness. In the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, a model organism for the study of insect polyphenism, we quantified changes in additive genetic variation elicited by lifetime thermal stress for ten traits, in which evolutionary significance is known. Irrespective of their category, traits under strong stabilizing selection showed genetic invariance with environmental stress, while traits more loosely associated with fitness showed a marked increase in additive genetic variation in the stressful environment. Furthermore, traits involved in adaptive phenotypic plasticity (growth compensation) showed either no change in additive genetic variance or a change of moderate magnitude across thermal environments. We interpret this mitigated response of plastic traits in the context of integrated evolution to adjust the entire phenotype in heterogeneous environments (i.e., adaptiveness of initial plasticity, compromise of phenotypic compensation with stress, and shared developmental pathway). Altogether, our results indicate, in agreement with theoretical expectations, that environmental stress can increase available additive genetic variance in some desert locust traits, but those closely linked to fitness are largely unaffected. Our study also highlights the importance of assessing the proximity to fitness of a trait on a case-by-case basis and in an ecologically relevant context, as well as considering the processes of canalization and plasticity, involved in the control of phenotypic variation.

Insecticide resistance and fitness cost in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) invasive and resident species in La Réunion Island.

BACKGROUND: Global and intensive use of insecticides has led to the emergence and rapid evolution of resistance in the major pest Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). In La Réunion, an island of the South West Indian Ocean, three whitefly species coexist, two of which are predominant, the indigenous Indian Ocean (IO) and the invasive Middle East Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) species. To assess the resistance level of both of these species to acetamiprid and pymetrozine, whitefly populations were sampled at 15 collection sites located all over the island in agroecosystems and natural areas, and tested using leaf-dip bioassays. We also investigated the potential cost of resistance to acetamiprid by measuring six fitness-related traits for MEAM1 populations that displayed different resistance levels. RESULTS: IO was mainly found in natural areas and was susceptible to both acetamiprid and pymetrozine. MEAM1 populations displayed evidence of high resistance to pymetrozine, whereas resistance to acetamiprid was more variable. No fitness-related costs were associated with this resistance in MEAM1 populations. CONCLUSION: This is the first assessment of the susceptibility to insecticides for B. tabaci IO species. For the time being, no resistance to the tested insecticides has evolved in this species despite (i) its presence in agroecosystems and their surroundings, and (ii) its close proximity to, and possible hybridization with, the MEAM1 species. In contrast, with continuous selection pressure of insecticide treatments and in the absence of fitness cost to resistance, the invasive exotic species MEAM1 will continue to threaten agriculture in La Réunion. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Exploring the relationship between tychoparthenogenesis and inbreeding depression in the Desert Locust, Schistocerca gregaria.

Tychoparthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction in which a small proportion of unfertilized eggs can hatch spontaneously, could be an intermediate evolutionary link in the transition from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction. The lower fitness of tychoparthenogenetic offspring could be due to either developmental constraints or to inbreeding depression in more homozygous individuals. We tested the hypothesis that in populations where inbreeding depression has been purged, tychoparthenogenesis may be less costly. To assess this hypothesis, we compared the impact of inbreeding and parthenogenetic treatments on eight life-history traits (five measuring inbreeding depression and three measuring inbreeding avoidance) in four laboratory populations of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, with contrasted demographic histories. Overall, we found no clear relationship between the population history (illustrated by the levels of genetic diversity or inbreeding) and inbreeding depression, or between inbreeding depression and parthenogenetic capacity. First, there was a general lack of inbreeding depression in every population, except in two populations for two traits. This pattern could not be explained by the purging of inbreeding load in the studied populations. Second, we observed large differences between populations in their capacity to reproduce through tychoparthenogenesis. Only the oldest laboratory population successfully produced parthenogenetic offspring. However, the level of inbreeding depression did not explain the differences in parthenogenetic success between all studied populations. Differences in development constraints may arise driven by random and selective processes between populations.

Extra Molting and Selection on Nymphal Growth in the Desert Locust.

In insects, extra-molting has been viewed as a compensatory mechanism for nymphal growth that contributes to optimize body weight for successful reproduction. However, little is known on the capacity of extra-molting to evolve in natural populations, which limits our understanding of how selection acts on nymphal growth. We used a multi-generational pedigree, individual monitoring and quantitative genetics models to investigate the evolution of extra-molting and its impact on nymphal growth in a solitarious population of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Growth compensation via extra-molting was observed for 46% of the females, whose adult weight exceeded by 4% that of other females, at a cost of a 22% longer development time. We found a null heritability for body weight threshold only, and the highest and a strongly female-biased heritability for extra molting. Our genetic estimates show that (1) directional selection can act on growth rate, development time and extra-molting to optimize body weight threshold, the target of stabilizing selection, (2) extra-molting can evolve in natural populations, and (3) a genetic conflict, due to sexually antagonistic selection on extra-molting, might prevent its fixation. Finally, we discuss how antagonistic selection between solitarious and gregarious environments and/or genetic correlations between growth and phase traits might also impact the evolution of extra-molting in locusts.

Homologous sex chromosomes in three deeply divergent anuran species.

Comparative genomic studies are revealing that, in sharp contrast with the strong stability found in birds and mammals, sex determination mechanisms are surprisingly labile in cold-blooded vertebrates, with frequent transitions between different pairs of sex chromosomes. It was recently suggested that, in context of this high turnover, some chromosome pairs might be more likely than others to be co-opted as sex chromosomes. Empirical support, however, is still very limited. Here we show that sex-linked markers from three highly divergent groups of anurans map to Xenopus tropicalis scaffold 1, a large part of which is homologous to the avian sex chromosome. Accordingly, the bird sex determination gene DMRT1, known to play a key role in sex differentiation across many animal lineages, is sex linked in all three groups. Our data provide strong support for the idea that some chromosome pairs are more likely than others to be co-opted as sex chromosomes because they harbor key genes from the sex determination pathway.

Testing the influence of family structure and outbreeding depression on heterozygosity-fitness correlations in small populations.

Theory predicts that positive heterozygosity-fitness correlations (HFCs) arise as a consequence of inbreeding, which is often assumed to have a strong impact in small, fragmented populations. Yet according to empirical data, HFC in such populations seem highly variable and unpredictable. We here discuss two overlooked phenomena that may contribute to this variation. First, in a small population, each generation may consist of a few families. This generates random correlations between particular alleles and fitness (AFCs, allele-fitness correlations) and results in too liberal tests for HFC. Second, in some contexts, small populations receiving immigrants may be more impacted by outbreeding depression than by inbreeding depression, resulting in negative rather than positive HFC. We investigated these processes through a case study in tadpole cohorts of Pelodytes punctatus living in small ponds. We provide evidence for a strong family structure and significant AFC in this system, as well as an example of negative HFC. By simulations, we show that this negative HFC cannot be a spurious effect of family structure, and therefore reflects outbreeding depression in the studied population. Our example suggests that a detailed examination of AFC and HFC patterns can provide valuable insights into the internal genetic structure and sources of fitness variation in small populations.

Phenotypic plasticity allows the Mediterranean parsley frog Pelodytes punctatus to exploit two temporal niches under continuous gene flow.

Environmental changes, such as climate change, lead to the opening of new niches. In such situations, species that adapt to new niches can survive and/or expand their ranges. However, gene flow can hamper genetic adaptation to new environments. Alternatively, recent models have highlighted the importance of phenotypic plasticity in tracking environmental change. Here, we investigate whether phenotypic plasticity or genetic evolution (or both) allows an amphibian species to exploit two divergent climatic niches. In the Mediterranean region, the parsley frog Pelodytes punctatus breeds both in spring, as do most other species, and in autumn, a temporal niche not exploited by most other species, but which may become increasingly important with global warming. Conditions of development are dramatically different between the two seasons and deeply impact tadpole life-history traits. To determine whether these temporal niches are exploited by two genetically differentiated subpopulations, or whether the bimodal phenology arises in a panmictic population displaying plastic life-history traits, we use two complementary approaches. We measure both molecular genetic differentiation and quantitative-trait differentiation between spring and autumn cohorts, using microsatellites and common garden experiments, respectively. Seasonal cohorts were not genetically differentiated and differences in tadpole life history between cohorts were not maintained in laboratory conditions. We conclude that phenotypic plasticity, rather than genetic adaptation, allows Parsley frog to exploit two contrasting temporal niches.

An investigation of metabolic prioritization in the European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax.

We investigated the ability of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) to respond simultaneously to the metabolic demands of specific dynamic action (SDA) and aerobic exercise and how this was influenced by moderate hypoxia (50% air saturation). At 3 h after feeding in normoxia at 20 degrees C, SDA raised the instantaneous oxygen uptake (Mo(2)) of sea bass by 47% +/- 18% (mean +/- SEM, N = 7) above their standard metabolic rate (SMR) when fasted. This metabolic load was sustained throughout an incremental exercise protocol until fatigue, with a 14% +/- 3% increase in their maximum aerobic metabolic rate (MMR) relative to their fasted rate. Their incremental critical swimming speed (U(crit)) did not differ between fasted and fed states. Thus, in normoxia, the bass were able to meet the combined oxygen demands of SDA and aerobic exercise. In hypoxia, the sea bass suffered a significant decline in MMR and U(crit) relative to their normoxic performance. The SDA response was similar to normoxia (84% +/- 24% above fasted SMR at 3 h after feeding), but although this load was sustained at low swimming speeds, it gradually disappeared as swimming speed increased. As a result, the hypoxic sea bass exhibited no difference in their fasted versus fed MMR. Hypoxic U(crit) did not, however, differ between fasted and fed states, indicating that the sea bass deferred their SDA to maintain exercise performance. The results demonstrate that, in normoxia, the sea bass possesses excess cardiorespiratory capacity beyond that required for maximal aerobic exercise. The excess capacity is lost when oxygen availability is limited in hypoxia, and, under these conditions, the sea bass prioritize exercise performance. Thus, environmental conditions (oxygen availability) had a significant effect on patterns of oxygen allocation in sea bass and revealed intrinsic prioritization among conflicting metabolic demands.

Development of eight microsatellite markers in the parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus).

We characterized eight microsatellite loci to study spatial and temporal population structure of Pelodytes punctatus, a European anuran that has a peculiar breeding pattern among amphibians. The eight loci proved to be highly polymorphic with the number of alleles per locus ranging from two to 15 within two populations. Cross-amplification indicates that those markers may be also useful for closely related species from the same family.

Immunocytochemical localization of glucose 6-phosphatase and cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in gluconeogenic tissues reveals unsuspected metabolic zonation.

Immunohistochemical analysis was used to define the precise cell-specific localization of Glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc6Pase) and cytosolic form of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C) in the digestive system (liver, small intestine and pancreas) and the kidney. Co-expression of Glc6Pase and PEPCK-C was shown to take place in hepatocytes, in proximal tubules of the cortex kidney and at the top of the villi of the small intestine suggesting that these tissues are all able to perform complete gluconeogenesis. On the other hand, intrahepatic bile ducts, collecting tubes of the nephron and the urinary epithelium in the calices of the kidney, as well as the crypts of the small intestine, express Glc6Pase without significant levels of PEPCK-C. In such cases, the function of Glc6Pase could be related to the transepithelial transport of glucose characteristic of these tissues, rather than to the neoformation of glucose. Lastly, PEPCK-C expression in the absence of Glc6Pase was noted in both the exocrine pancreas and the endocrine islets of Langerhans. Possible roles of PEPCK-C in exocrine pancreas might be the provision of gluconeogenic intermediates for further conversion into glucose in the liver, whereas PEPCK-C would be instrumental in pyruvate cycling, which has been suggested to play a regulatory role in insulin secretion by the beta-cells of the islets.