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The Role of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Microbes in Insect-Host Plants Interactions

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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Pest and Disease Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 September 2023) | Viewed by 6607

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Letian Xu

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
Interests: microbial ecology; insect immunity; gut microbiota; multi-tropic interaction; leaf beetles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Zhanghong Shi

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: homeostasis and immunity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jacob D. Wickham

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Guest Editor

Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, 33 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow, Russia
Interests: biotic interaction; pheromones; multi-trophic interaction; invasive species

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants in agriculture/forestry systems face biotic or abiotic challenges constantly, among which insect pests are by far the most devastating eukaryotic organisms globally, in a number of species, in biomass and in damage. Over the last few decades, a series of studies have shown that the success of insect pests has depended in part on their myriad ecological and physiological relationships with their associated microorganisms. Meanwhile, numerous studies revealed detrimental effects of pathogenic microbes on host insects, many of which have the potential to be explored as a next-generation control agent against pests to protect plants. These microbes, such as bacteria, viruses, yeasts and fungi, co-exist with insects in their body, thriving in insects’ intestinal tracks, surface, specialized body structures or constantly acquired from their surroundings. Despite tremendous efforts to identify ecological roles of the microbiota, there are still a number of questions which need to be answered in this research field considering the great abundance and diversity of both pests and microbes. Emerging technologies, including omics, have revolutionized the field of microbial ecology, which is also being developed with the potential to transform our knowledge of multi-trophic interactions among pests, microbes and host plants. This proposed research topic will provide an up-to-date overview of innovative and informative research studies to highlight this emerging theme in the context of interactions among pests, associated microbes and host plants, with a special focus on symbiotic and entomopathogenic microbe-mediated interactions between pests and host plants. To cover this broad thematic field comprehensively, we welcome original research articles, reviews and opinions and commentaries.

Dr. Letian Xu
Dr. Zhanghong Shi
Dr. Jacob D. Wickham
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

microbiome
symbiotic microbe
entomopathogen
insect pest
insect-plant interaction
multi-tropic interaction

Related Special Issue

The Role of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Microbes in Insect-Host Plants Interactions—2nd Edition in Agronomy

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diversity Analysis and Biocontrol Potential of Cultivatable Terrestrial Bacterial Streptomyces in Southern China

by Lifeng Zhou, Fan Pei, Wangling Pu, Chuang Zhang, Fei Chen, Yuechen Hu, Jie Chen, Haiping Lin and Xudong Zhou

Agronomy 2023, 13(10), 2500; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13102500 - 28 Sep 2023

Viewed by 914

Abstract

Streptomyces are filamentous bacteria that are extensively present in soil, play an important role in carbon cycling, and produce a large number of highly valuable secondary metabolites. In this study, total number of 411 isolates of Streptomyces were collected from ecologically similar habitats from 13 provinces in Southern China. They were clustered into 96 operational taxonomic units including eight potentially new species based on their 16S rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic analysis disclosed that the isolates with similar geographical distributions clustered together. Beta diversity of Streptomyces showed it manifests in a latitudinal diversity gradient (R² = 0.3828, p = 0.0113). The beta diversity did not change significantly with geographic distance, and this could be due to the large longitudinal and relatively smaller latitudinal sampling range, as the phylogenetic clustering of regions with higher annual average temperature was analyzed with the nearest taxon index (R = −0.23, p = 0.045). Result of the Streptomyces biogeography evaluation shows the diversity of the genus is controlled by many of the same processes. Bioassay results disclosed that there were 27 isolates strongly antagonistic to plant pathogenic fungi and 71 isolates with strong nematocidal activity against pine wood nematode. Our results provide significant insights into the diversity and biocontrol potential of cultivatable Streptomyces in Southern China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Microbes in Insect-Host Plants Interactions)

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27 pages, 4050 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Identification and Phylogenetic Diversity of Native Entomopathogenic Nematodes, and Their Bacterial Endosymbionts, Isolated from Banana and Plantain Crops in Western Colombia

by Jorge Mario Londoño-Caicedo, Miguel Uribe-Londoño, María Angélica Buitrago-Bitar, Andrés J. Cortés and Jaime Eduardo Muñoz-Flórez

Agronomy 2023, 13(5), 1373; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13051373 - 14 May 2023

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Abstract

With the increasing negative impacts on worldwide food production caused by pests, the recovery of native entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) is relevant, since they are adapted to local environments, entomofauna, and significant virulence. Therefore, the present study was designed to recover and understand the phylogenetic diversity of EPNs and their associated bacterial endosymbionts, from banana and plantain crops, as alternatives for the control of weevil species. An extensive sampling of western Colombia covered 325 ha, yielding the recovery of three EPNs’ isolates (0.49% of the samples). The molecular characterization included four mitochondrial and nuclear loci, which, after merging with the sequences of 48 species, confirmed the presence of Steinernema carpocapsae, the first report of S. costaricense in South America, and monophyly in most of the Steinernema clades. The tree topologies were consistent for the nuclear loci but not for mitochondrial, probably due to the high nucleotide substitution rate, deficit in the number of species available for these loci, and incomplete lineage sorting. The endosymbiotic bacteria associated with S. carpocapsae were identified as Xenorhabdus nematophila. However, the S. costaricense bacterial symbiont presented a genetic similarity to X. koppenhoeferi and X. khoisanae, which are still uncertain in their classification. The identification of S. costaricense in South America indicates the wide range distribution of this species in the Americas and its ability to persist in different soil types. For the first time, EPN isolation and phylogenetic characterization are directed to plantain and banana crops. Leveraging EPNs’ diversity promises novel applications for crop protection, while the genetic resources from the bacterial endosymbionts may provide metabolites with a wide spectrum of uses, either for agricultural or medicinal purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Microbes in Insect-Host Plants Interactions)

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12 pages, 3871 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hyphantria cunea (Drury) Showed a Stronger Oviposition Preference for Native Plants after Invading the Subtropical Region of China

by Zikun Li, Hao Yin, Yue Li, Yiping Wang, Wenxian Yu, Bojie Feng and Shouke Zhang

Agronomy 2023, 13(5), 1360; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13051360 - 12 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1007

Abstract

Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) is an invasive alien species that is widely distributed in northern China. H. cunea now occurs for the first time in the subtropical areas of China. Despite the importance of identifying oviposition host plants to control the spread of H. cunea, it is not clear whether H. cunea has a new oviposition preference for plant hosts in the new habitat after invading the subtropical region. At the same time, whether the presence of new plant volatiles of new hosts in new habitats influences the oviposition host preference of H. cunea has not been studied. In this study, we investigated the oviposition host plant preferences of H. cunea in the subtropical region of China. In the presence of multiple potential host plants, we found, for the first time, that H. cunea preferred Carya illinoinensis, Morus alba, and Carya cathayensis for oviposition. Through the effects on plant volatiles and on the oviposition, ten volatile compounds with significant differences in relative abundance between five plants with different fitness levels were significantly correlated with the oviposition preference of females. Cis-Hex-3-en-1-ol, (E)-3-Hexen-1-ol, cis-3-Hexenyl acetate 1, and 3-Pentadiene,4-methyl, had a significant positive correlation with the adult oviposition preference. Our results provide an important research basis for the study of green prevention and control strategies of subtropical H. cunea in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Microbes in Insect-Host Plants Interactions)

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13 pages, 2468 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diet Induced Variation in Gut Microbiota Is Linked to the Growth Performance of an Agricultural Pest Chilo suppressalis

by Peipei Zhu, Beshoy Mamdouh, Mahmoud Magdy, Jingnan Chen, Weihua Ma and Letian Xu

Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020304 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1228

Abstract

Chilo suppressalis is a major global host-specific pest of rice and water oat crops, having caused severe yield damage and great economic loss. The pest occasionally feeds on other plants, preventing them from completing a full life cycle. Dietary differences may shape the gut microbiota of the pest and may further influence its performance. In order to test this hypothesis, an assembly of the gut bacterial community of C. suppressalis larvae reared on rice, water oat, corn, and an artificial diet were investigated using an amplicon-based next-generation sequencing approach. The larval body size and feeding rate on each diet type were analyzed in parallel. We found that the size and feeding rate of C. suppressalis varied among the different dietary regimes, as a low feeding rate was found for rice and corn diets, whereas rice-fed larvae had the biggest body size and corn-fed larvae had the lowest body size. Further high-throughput sequencing results showed that the artificial-diet-fed larvae had the lowest bacterial diversity among all the samples, and the corn-fed larvae presented the most diversified microbial community. Further analysis revealed that the bacterial genera Enterococcus, Sphingobacterium, Klebsiella, Gluconobacter, Serratia, and Lactococcus possessed high abundance in C. suppressalis larvae, and the varied abundances contributed to the differences in community structure. The microbial function classification suggested that metabolic function categories significantly increased while the larvae were feeding on their preferred diet (rice and water oat) and decreased when on an artificial diet. This study expands our understanding of the microbe–insect interaction of C. suppressalis larvae in response to changes in diet, and is an essential step towards the future development of potential microbial-based pest management strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Microbes in Insect-Host Plants Interactions)

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12 pages, 1378 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptome Analysis of Dauer Moulting of a Plant Parasitic Nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus Promoted by Pine Volatile β-Pinene

by Wei Zhang, Yongxia Li, Zhenkai Liu, Dongzhen Li, Xiaojian Wen, Yuqian Feng, Xuan Wang and Xingyao Zhang

Agronomy 2022, 12(9), 2114; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092114 - 06 Sep 2022

Viewed by 1245

Abstract

Pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a pine-parasitic nematode, poses a serious threat to pine trees globally, causing pine wilt disease. When dispersal-stage juvenile 4 (dauer, J_IV, a durable stage) of B. xylophilus enters the new pine, it transforms into a propagative adult (dauer moulting) and reproduces quickly. Our previous studies have found that pine-volatile β-pinene promotes dauer moulting of B. xylophilus; however, this mechanism is not clear. Here, this study is attempting to unravel the molecular process underlying dauer moulting of B. xylophilus through signal chemical tests and transcriptome analysis. The results showed that β-pinene could promote dauer moulting of B. xylophilus, while other common dauer moulting signals, such as dafachronic acid (DA), part of the TGF/insulin signal pathway, were inoperative. Moreover, the J_IV soaked in 1% β-pinene for only 6 h could transform into adults at a significant rate. Therefore, the transcriptomes of J_IV soaked in 1% β-pinene for 6 h were sequenced. It was found that 15,556 genes were expressed; however, only 156 genes were expressed differentially and enriched in the metabolism of xenobiotics, peroxisome, fatty acid metabolism, and carbon metabolism, indicating that energy metabolism was active at the early stage of dauer moulting. With a stricter parameter, the number of differential genes fell to 19, including 4 sterol hydroxylase, 5 dehydrogenase, 2 glucuronosyltransferase, 5 nuclear-related factor, 1 calcium-binding protein, 1 nitrogen metabolic regulation protein, and 1 cystathionine gamma-lyase. These results indicated that dauer moulting of B. xylophilus into adults might not be regulated by the TGF-β/insulin signal pathway but by another new signal pathway related to the 19 differential genes which need more exploration. Our results contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind dauer moulting and may be useful in reducing pine wilt disease by suppressing this moulting to cut the life cycle of B. xylophilus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Microbes in Insect-Host Plants Interactions)

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