Predictable patterns of trait mismatches between interacting plants and insects

Background  

There are few predictions about the directionality or extent of morphological trait (mis)matches between interacting organisms. We review and analyse studies on morphological trait complementarity (e.g. floral tube length versus insect mouthpart length) at the population and species level.     

论昆虫与植物的相互作用和进化的关系

昆虫与植物是陆地生物群落中最为重要的组成部分,二者间的相互作用是多方面的,其中最为重要的是昆虫选择植物作为食物和生长场所、昆虫为植物传授花粉两方面。该文集中讨论这两方面的相互作用有哪些因素与进化有密切的关系。植食性昆虫根据其寄主植物范围,通常分为专食性（寄主范围窄）和广食性（寄主范围广）。从生态关系来看,广食性的取食行为比专食性的更为有利,但实际情况却与此相反,统观植食性昆虫的取食行为,有向专食性演化更为普遍的倾向。专食性发展有利于提高昆虫对寄主植物的选择效率,还可缓和天敌作用所造成的压力。根据昆虫与植物相互作用的特点,目前已提出很多昆虫与植物的进化理论,包括成对的协同进化、弥散的协同进化、群落的协同进化以及顺序进化。在昆虫对寄主植物的选择中,以植物对昆虫的影响较昆虫对植物的影响更为重要,称为顺序进化是适宜的;昆虫为被子植物传授花粉造成互惠共生,其中的进化关系应称为协同进化。     

虫瘿多样性及其与寄主植物和环境间关系

虫瘿是自然界极常见的生物现象,凝聚着昆虫与植物间显著、复杂而密切的协同关系。本文主要阐述了致瘿昆虫的主要类群及其在植物上的致瘿部位、虫瘿外部形态、虫瘿发育过程、虫瘿内部结构、虫瘿寄主植物多样性以及虫瘿空间分布规律等,探讨了致瘿昆虫和寄主植物间相互关系,以及影响虫瘿空间分布的环境因素等。最后对目前虫瘿生物学存在的问题及以后的研究方向进行了讨论,以期为有害虫瘿的控制和有益虫瘿的开发与利用,以及致瘿昆虫与寄主植物间协同演化关系、致瘿昆虫的致瘿机理等研究奠定一定的理论基础。     

植物与植食性昆虫化学互作研究进展

植物与植食性昆虫之间存在着复杂的化学相互作用。一方面,当遭受植食性昆虫为害时,植物能识别植食性昆虫相关分子模式,触发早期信号事件和激素信号转导途径,并由此引起转录组与代谢组重组、直接和间接防御化合物含量升高,最后提高对植食性昆虫的抗性。另一方面,植食性昆虫也能识别植物的防御反应,并能通过分泌效应子、选贮、解毒以及降低敏感性等反防御措施抑制或适应植物的化学防御。深入剖析植物与植食性昆虫的化学互作,不仅可在理论上丰富对昆虫与植物互作关系的理解,而且可在实践上为作物害虫防控新技术的开发提供重要的理论与技术指导。     

植物与植食性昆虫的分子互作:基础与应用

植物与植食性昆虫之间存在着复杂的分子互作.首先,植食性昆虫会利用自身的嗅觉和味觉化学感觉系统,通过对植物挥发性和非挥发性信息化合物的编码与解析,结合对植物颜色、形状等物理信息的感觉与编码,定位及确定寄主植物.其次,植物可以通过位于细胞膜的受体识别植食性昆虫相关模式分子和损伤相关模式分子,启动由早期信号事件和植物激素信号...     

Metabolome analysis and metabolic simulation

For many decades microorganisms have been used for industrial purposes; traditional fermentations such as brewing and production of food additives, aroma molecules, organic acids and pharmaceutical-like antibiotics or recombinant proteins are instances of the industrial microorganism utilization. Therefore, microorganism modeling and simulation have been required for engineering purposes, because of demands for design, optimization and quality control of large-scale fermentation plants. Modeling has recently become more highly developed, aided by the deciphering of microorganism genomes, the completion of metabolic databases, the development of analytical methodologies and improvements in the performance of computers. This paper reviews past and recent metabolic simulation of microorganisms, and also discusses the metabolome analytical techniques and the construction of large-scale microorganism models which are now being developed in our group.This revised version was published online in June 2005. The previous version did not contain colour images.     

植物与植食性昆虫防御与反防御的三个层次

在植物与植食性昆虫长期的进化过程中,双方形成了一系列的防御与反防御策略。本文将这些策略归为3个层次:第一层次起始于植物对植食性昆虫相关分子模式的识别,并由此激活植食性昆虫分子模式相关的免疫反应。这种免疫反应对于不能产生效应子的植食性昆虫种群是有效的;第二层次是一些植食性昆虫种群可以通过释放特异性效应子抑制植物产生的植食性昆虫分子模式相关的免疫反应,从而在植物上正常生长与繁衍;第三层次是一些植物基因型可以通过特异抗性基因识别植食性昆虫的效应子,进而激活效应子诱导的免疫反应,表现出特异的抗虫性。深入揭示植物与植食性昆虫间的这种分子互作机制,不仅在理论上有助于理解昆虫与植物的协同进化机制,而且在实践上可为作物抗性品种的培育提供重要的技术指导。     

The effects of herbivore-induced plant volatiles on interactions between plants and flower-visiting insects

Plants are faced with a trade-off between on the one hand growth, development and reproduction and on the other hand defence against environmental stresses. Yet, research on insect-plant interactions has addressed plant-pollinator interactions and plant-attacker interactions separately. Plants have evolved a high diversity of constitutive and induced responses to attack, including the systemic emission of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs). The effect of HIPVs on the behaviour of carnivorous insects has received ample attention for leaf-feeding (folivorous) species and their parasitoids and predators. Here, we review whether and to what extent HIPVs affect the interaction of plants in the flowering stage with mutualistic and antagonistic insects. Whereas the role of flower volatiles in the interactions between plants and insect pollinators has received increased attention over the last decade, studies addressing both HIPVs and pollinator behaviour are rare, despite the fact that in a number of plant species herbivory is known to affect flower traits, including size, nectar secretion and composition. In addition, folivory and florivory can also result in significant changes in flower volatile emission and in most systems investigated, pollinator visitation decreased, although exceptions have been found. Negative effects of HIPVs on pollinator visitation rates likely exert negative selection pressure on HIPV emission. The systemic nature of herbivore-induced plant responses and the behavioural responses of antagonistic and mutualistic insects, requires the study of volatile emission of entire plants in the flowering stage. We conclude that approaches to integrate the study of plant defences and pollination are essential to advance plant biology, in particular in the context of the trade-off between defence and growth/reproduction.     

虫瘿—昆虫与植物互作的奇特产物

虫瘿是昆虫刺激产生的植物不正常组织。造瘿昆虫几乎能在高等植物的所有类群中产生形态各异的虫瘿,甚至能在同一种植物上形成多种形态不一的虫瘿。虫瘿形成的机制仍不清楚,普遍认为是昆虫控制了虫瘿的形成,但植物细胞也参与了虫瘿形成的调控。为了探索这一神秘的领域,科学家们已经对昆虫的刺激物以及植物的反应作了大量的研究,未来工作的难点将是如何把二者联系起来。     

虫瘿与其生物群落及寄主植物间的关系

虫瘿是自然界极其常见的生物现象,是植物与昆虫互作的奇特产物。本文对虫瘿生物群落多样性、虫瘿与其生物群落的关系以及虫瘿与寄主植物的关系进行概述,探讨了致瘿昆虫在虫瘿形成中的作用、植物化学对致瘿昆虫产卵交配行为的影响以及植物激素在虫瘿形成中的作用,最后对虫瘿今后的研究方向进行了讨论,为虫瘿的致瘿生物学及其瘿内生物相互关系的进一步研究奠定基础。     

Hosts as habitats: faunal similarity of phytophagous insects between host plants

1. Published lists on the phytophages recorded on 86 cabbage plant species (Brassicaceae) and 30 thistle species (Cynaroideae) were used to investigate patterns in the faunal similarity of phytophages. This was done by calculating the Jaccard index and a standardised index of similarity between pairs of host species using presence/absence data. 2. The faunal similarity measured as Jaccard indices indicated that pairs of cabbage hosts share on average 36% of phytophagous species whereas pairs of thistle hosts share only 10%. 3. The faunal similarity between two host species increased with the taxonomic affinity of hosts. This increase was more pronounced in thistles than in cabbage plants. 4. Irrespective of the taxonomic affinity of hosts, in the cabbage plants the faunal similarity of endophages was lower than in ectophages. In contrast, in the thistles faunal similarity differed only between endophages and ectophages for hosts of the same genera. 5. Differences in the patterns of faunal similarity between the two host taxa may be due to idiosyncratic characteristics of the plant taxa, e.g. the unique chemical properties of the cabbage plants and the resource‐rich flower heads of thistles.     

昆虫与寄主植物营养关系的DNA分子追踪

农田生态系统中昆虫与寄主植物的食物营养关系错综复杂,利用田间直接观察法、肠道内含物形态学分析、同位素标记等方法都难于全面解析,常造成营养关系的缺失。近年来,DNA分子追踪技术迅速发展,利用一段较短的DNA序列能有效鉴别植食性昆虫取食寄主植物的种类,为这一领域研究提供了新方法。本文全面介绍了3种DNA分子追踪技术——诊断PCR技术、克隆测序技术和下一代测序技术(next generation sequencing,NGS)。其中诊断PCR技术包括单一PCR技术和多重PCR技术,适用于目标昆虫与已知寄主植物之间的营养关系分析;克隆测序技术能够在寄主植物种类未知的前提下,解析目标昆虫完整的寄主植物种类信息;下一代测序技术实现了短时间内对混合样品的测序,加之昆虫与植物DNA条形码序列数据库大量扩增,有效地提高寄主植物的鉴别能力。诊断PCR技术和克隆测序技术已在追踪地下害虫的取食行为、植食性昆虫取食范围及其在寄主植物间的转移与选择习性等方面被广泛应用,且进展明显。综合考虑各种技术的优缺点,本文提出将DNA分子追踪技术与同位素标记等其他方法相结合的研究策略,以便系统解析农田生态系统中昆虫与寄主植物之间的营养关系。     

芥子油苷在十字花科植物与昆虫相互关系中的作用

芥子油苷(glucosinolate, GS)是十字花科植物重要的次生代谢物,对调节十字花科植物与昆虫间的关系起着重要作用.由于GS及其代谢产物具有一定的毒性,因此它是十字花科植物抵御广食性植食昆虫攻击的有力手段.而寡食十字花科植物的昆虫由于具备多种GS应对机制,因此可通过GS这一十字花科植物特有的次生代谢物进行寄主选择.被植食性昆虫摄入的GS不仅可以影响天敌的生长发育,而且还对天敌有一定的驱避作用.而虫害后十字花科植物释放的GS代谢产物又可作为天敌的寄主选择信息.本文结合该领域的一些最新研究成果,从GS对植食性昆虫的毒性、寡食性害虫的寄主选择、植食性昆虫对GS的适应机制、虫害对GS-黒芥子酶系统的诱导,以及GS对天敌的影响等方面对GS如何影响植物与昆虫间的相互关系进行了综述,并就今后该领域的研究方向、研究方法提出建议.     

Peroxisomal protein import is conserved between yeast, plants, insects and mammals.

We have previously demonstrated that firefly luciferase can be imported into peroxisomes of both insect and mammalian cells. To determine whether the process of protein transport into the peroxisome is functionally similar in more widely divergent eukaryotes, the cDNA encoding firefly luciferase was expressed in both yeast and plant cells. Luciferase was translocated into peroxisomes in each type of organism. Experiments were also performed to determine whether a yeast peroxisomal protein could be transported to peroxisomes in mammalian cells. We observed that a C-terminal segment of the yeast (Candida boidinii) peroxisomal protein PMP20 could act as a peroxisomal targeting signal in mammalian cells. These results suggest that at least one mechanism of protein translocation into peroxisomes has been conserved throughout eukaryotic evolution.     

Phytoplasmas: bacteria that manipulate plants and insects

TAXONOMY: Superkingdom Prokaryota; Kingdom Monera; Domain Bacteria; Phylum Firmicutes (low-G+C, Gram-positive eubacteria); Class Mollicutes; Candidatus (Ca.) genus Phytoplasma. HOST RANGE: Ca. Phytoplasma comprises approximately 30 distinct clades based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses of approximately 200 phytoplasmas. Phytoplasmas are mostly dependent on insect transmission for their spread and survival. The phytoplasma life cycle involves replication in insects and plants. They infect the insect but are phloem-limited in plants. Members of Ca. Phytoplasma asteris (16SrI group phytoplasmas) are found in 80 monocot and dicot plant species in most parts of the world. Experimentally, they can be transmitted by approximately 30, frequently polyphagous insect species, to 200 diverse plant species. DISEASE SYMPTOMS: In plants, phytoplasmas induce symptoms that suggest interference with plant development. Typical symptoms include: witches' broom (clustering of branches) of developing tissues; phyllody (retrograde metamorphosis of the floral organs to the condition of leaves); virescence (green coloration of non-green flower parts); bolting (growth of elongated stalks); formation of bunchy fibrous secondary roots; reddening of leaves and stems; generalized yellowing, decline and stunting of plants; and phloem necrosis. Phytoplasmas can be pathogenic to some insect hosts, but generally do not negatively affect the fitness of their major insect vector(s). In fact, phytoplasmas can increase fecundity and survival of insect vectors, and may influence flight behaviour and plant host preference of their insect hosts. DISEASE CONTROL: The most common practices are the spraying of various insecticides to control insect vectors, and removal of symptomatic plants. Phytoplasma-resistant cultivars are not available for the vast majority of affected crops.     

Climate-driven diversity dynamics in plants and plant-feeding insects

The origin of species-rich insect-plant food webs has traditionally been explained by diversifying antagonistic coevolution between plant defences and herbivore counter-defences. However, recent studies combining paleoclimatic reconstructions with time-calibrated phylogenies suggest that variation in global climate determines the distribution, abundance and diversity of plant clades and, hence, indirectly influences the balance between speciation and extinction in associated herbivore groups. Extant insect communities tend to be richest on common plant species that have many close relatives. This could be explained either by climate-driven diffuse cospeciation between plants and insects, or by elevated speciation and reduced extinction in herbivore lineages associated with expanding host taxa (resources). Progress in paleovegetation reconstructions in combination with the rapidly increasing availability of fossil-calibrated phylogenies provide means to discern between these alternative hypotheses. In particular, the 'Diffuse cospeciation' scenario predicts closely matching main diversification periods in plants and in the insects that feed upon them, while the 'Resource abundance-dependent diversification' hypothesis predicts that both positive and negative responses of insect diversity are lagged in relation to host-plant availability. The dramatic Cenozoic changes in global climate provide multiple possibilities for studying the mechanisms by which climatic shifts may drive diversity dynamics in plants and insect herbivores.     

Stoichiometry and food-chain dynamics

Traditional models of chemostat systems looking at interactions between predator, prey and nutrients have used only a single currency, such as energy or nitrogen. In reality, growth of autotrophs and heterotrophs may be limited by various elements, e.g. carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous or iron. In this study we develop a dynamic energy budget model chemostat which has both carbon and nitrogen as currencies, and examine how the dual availability of these elements affects the growth of phytoplankton, trophic transfer to zooplankton, and the resulting stability of the chemostat ecosystem. Both species have two reserve pools to obtain a larger metabolic flexibility with respect to changing external environments. Mineral nitrogen and carbon form the base of the food chain, and they are supplied at a constant rate. In addition, the biota in the chemostat recycle nutrients by means of respiration and excretion, and organic detritus is recycled at a fixed rate. We use numerical bifurcation analysis to assess the model's dynamic behavior. In the model, phytoplankton is nitrogen limited, and nitrogen enrichment can lead to oscillations and multiple stable states. Moreover, we found that recycling has a destabilizing effect on the food chain due to the increased repletion of mineral nutrients. We found that both carbon and nitrogen enrichment stimulate zooplankton growth. Therefore, we conclude that the concept of single-element limitation may not be applicable in an ecosystem context.