Host tree unsuitability recognized by pine shoot beetles in flight

Summary In spring, the landing rate of flying European pine shoot beetles,Tomicus piniperda L., on injured Scots pine diminishes as colonization continues. This is due to olfactory cues that indicate progressive host degradation. Verbenone was shown to play a role in the beetle's recognition of this unsuitability of a formerly suitable host, since the compound was increasingly released from colonized tree sections as they aged, but not from uninfested sections. Also, the release of verbenone at natural rates in the forest inhibited the attraction of beetles to host monoterpenes.     

Chemical ecology of bark beetles

Summary The purview of chemical ecology and the recent criticisms of improper application of theory to bark beetle phenomena is briefly discussed. Seven levels of research in chemical ecology are presented as well as their relationship to research on bark beetles. The biology and chemical ecology of several pest bark beetles from North America and Europe are discussed in regard to host tree selection theories of random landing on trees or attraction to semiochemicals. The diversity and similarities of pheromone components among species are presented in relation to their biosynthesis from host tree precursors and in relation to the ecological implications of de novo or precursor syntheses. Individual variation in biosynthesis of, response to, and release of pheromones is discussed. Olfactory perception of semiochemicals at both the electrophysiological and behavioral levels is presented. Orientation to semiochemicals during walking and flying is discussed with reference to the significance of dose-response curves for determining a compound's functionality in short- or long-range communication. The regulation of attack density, termination of the aggregation, mechanisms of attack spacing, and recognition of host suitability are presented in the context of an individual's avoidance of intra- and interspecific competition. Finally, a brief summary of topics where our understanding of the chemical ecology of bark beetles and their associates is poorly known is presented.     

The long and winding road: virulence effector proteins of plant pathogenic bacteria

Plant pathogenic bacteria inject about 30 virulence effector proteins into the host cell using a specialized secretion apparatus. Bacteria which are unable to do this elicit host immunity and cannot grow inside living plant tissue. Thus, the primary function of the effectors is to suppress host immunity. The identity of individual effectors within each complement varies even between closely related bacterial strains, and effectors themselves act redundantly and are apparently interchangeable. Many effectors are known to target components of plant defense pathways, but it is difficult to study their role in molecular terms. For some of them, there is controversy about their mode of action. We propose that effectors act promiscuously by targeting host molecules with low specificity and affinity.     

Are elicitins cryptograms in plant-Oomycete communications?

Stimulation of plant natural defenses is an important challenge in phytoprotection prospects. In that context, elicitins, which are small proteins secreted by Phytophthora and Pythium species, have been shown to induce a hypersensitive-like reaction in tobacco plants. Moreover, these plants become resistant to their pathogens, and thus this interaction constitutes an excellent model to investigate the signaling pathways leading to plant resistance. However, most plants are not reactive to elicitins, although they possess the functional signaling pathways involved in tobacco responses to elicitin. The understanding of factors involved in this reactivity is needed to develop agronomic applications. In this review, it is proposed that elicitins could interact with regulating cell wall proteins before they reach the plasma membrane. Consequently, the plant reactivity or nonreactivity status could result from the equilibrium reached during this interaction. The possibility of overexpressing the elicitins directly from genomic DNA in Pichia pastoris allows site-directed mutagenesis experiments and structure/function studies. The recent discovery of the sterol carrier activity of elicitins brings a new insight on their molecular activity. This constitutes a crucial property, since the formation of a sterol-elicitin complex is required to trigger the biological responses of tobacco cells and plants. Only the elicitins loaded with a sterol are able to bind to their plasmalemma receptor, which is assumed to be an allosteric calcium channel. Moreover, Phytophthora and Pythium do not synthesize the sterols required for their growth and their fructification, and elicitins may act as shuttles trapping the sterols from the host plants. Sequence analysis of elicitin genes from several Phytophthora species sheds unexpected light on the phylogenetic relationships among the genus, and suggests that the expression of elicitins is under tight regulatory control. Finally, general involvement of these lipid transfer proteins in the biology of Pythiaceae, and in plant defense responses, is discussed. A possible scheme for the coevolution between Phytophthora and tobacco plants is approached.     

Evolution of exocrine chemical defense in leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Summary In this review we speculate on possible scenarios for the evolution of the very high diversity in chemical compounds liberated by exocrine glands of adults Chrysomelidae. Shift in host plant affinities and subsequent adaptation of the beetles to the plant toxins strongly influence the nature of the beetles' chemical defense.     

Are host plants important in pheromone-mediated mating systems of lepidoptera?

Summary The role of host plants in the synthesis and release of lepidopteran sex pheromones is examined. Females synthesise pheromones de novo and pheromone quality is not markedly influenced by larval food sources. However, host plants may have a significant effect on different physiological and behavioural parameters associated with pheromone production. Males in some species of Nymphalidae and Arctiidae use secondary plant compounds, such as pyrrolizidine alkaloids, as a pheromone precursor. In such cases these plant compounds serve an additional role, such as protection against predation, and may reflect potential male reproductive investment. In the one instance where the effect of larval host plants on the de novo synthesis of a male sex pheromone was examined, larval nutrition did not alter either the quality or quantity of the hairpencil contents.     

Approaches to identify and characterize microProteins and their potential uses in biotechnology

MicroProteins are small proteins that contain a single protein domain and are related to larger, often multi-domain proteins. At the molecular level, microProteins act by interfering with the formation of higher order protein complexes. In the past years, several microProteins have been identified in plants and animals that strongly influence biological processes. Due to their ability to act as dominant regulators in a targeted manner, microProteins have a high potential for biotechnological use. In this review, we present different ways in which microProteins are generated and we elaborate on techniques used to identify and characterize them. Finally, we give an outlook on possible applications in biotechnology.     

Microbiome–health interactions in older people

Alterations in the composition and function of the gut microbiome have been implicated in a range of conditions and diseases. Culture-dependent and culture-independent studies both showed that older people harbour a gut microbiome that differs in composition from that of younger adults. Detailed analyses have identified discrete microbiota subtypes that characterize intermediates between a high diversity microbiota found in healthy community-dwelling subjects and a low diversity microbiota typical for elderly living in long-term residential care. There are also alterations in the microbiome composition associated with biological age, independent of health status. Even after adjusting for confounding factors such as age and medication, trends in microbiota composition correlate with gradients in clinical metadata particularly frailty and inflammatory status. There are few known mechanisms by which these associations might be causative rather than consequential, and this is a subject of intensive research. The strongest candidate effectors are microbial metabolites that could impact host energy balance, act as signalling molecules to modulate host metabolism or inflammation, and potentially also impact on the gut–brain axis.     

Conversion of phenylalanine to toluene and 2-phenylethanol by the pine engraverIps pini (Say) (Coleoptera,Scolytidae)

Summary The pine engraver,Ips pini (Say), was found to produce toluene and 2-phenylethanol when boring into fresh pine logs. The hypotheses that phenylalanine is a precursor of these compounds and that beetles without their symbiotic microorganisms can perform these conversions were confirmed by treating wild and axencially-reared males and females topically with L-phenyl-d₅-alanine. Extracts of these beetles invariably contained deuterio-toluene, and extracts of males contained deuterio-2-phenylethanol as well.     

Timing is everything: the regulation of type III secretion

Type Three Secretion Systems (T3SSs) are essential virulence determinants of many Gram-negative bacteria. The T3SS is an injection device that can transfer bacterial virulence proteins directly into host cells. The apparatus is made up of a basal body that spans both bacterial membranes and an extracellular needle that possesses a channel that is thought to act as a conduit for protein secretion. Contact with a host-cell membrane triggers the insertion of a pore into the target membrane, and effectors are translocated through this pore into the host cell. To assemble a functional T3SS, specific substrates must be targeted to the apparatus in the correct order. Recently, there have been many developments in our structural and functional understanding of the proteins involved in the regulation of secretion. Here we review the current understanding of protein components of the system thought to be involved in switching between different stages of secretion.     

Host recognition by toxigenic plant pathogens

Certain fungal pathogens release host-selective (or host-specific) toxins (HST) as a host recognition factor during spore germination at the infection site on plants. Prior to penetration of the pathogen into its host, the released toxin specifically binds to a putative receptor on the host cells and initiates signaling mechanisms leading to pleiotropic effects on cells. Of these, the crucial one negates the general and inducible defense reactions of the cells. This is accomplished by a signal from the HST, which is transduced through a path way at or near the step of plasma membrane modulation, which is directly or indirectly triggered by the HST. This mechanism operates even though the toxin may affect mitochondria or chloroplasts as the primary target organelle. The fungal spore is able to penetrate the so-called 'narcotized cell' and completes the initial colonization of the host. The host recognition process may take place without necessitating host cell death, even in the case of perthophytic parasites. At the molecular level, HST-mediated recognition of the host by a pathogen requires strict stereochemical precision like a lock and key.     

Influence of host plant and larval diet on ovarian productivity inAcrolepiopsis assectella Z. (Lepidoptera: Acrolepiidae)

Summary Females ofAcrolepiopsis assectella, reared on a semi-synthetic diet and laying on artificial substrates, do not respond to external stimuli by increasing ovarian production. When returned to the natural host (Allium porrum) for only one generation, ovarian production again rises and reaches the same level as in wild females, but its variability is strongly reduced. We conclude that selection under artificial conditions eliminates individuals which strictly depend on host plants for stimulation of larval nutrition and of reproduction.     

The influence of different host plants on some biological aspects ofHeliothis armigera (Hub.)

Summary The suitability of 6 different plants as natural food forHeliothis armigera was tested. The different biological aspects ofH. armigera were taken in consideration. Kidney bean pods and cotton plant leaves were the most successful host plants tested as they increased the pupal weight and the reproductive potential of the resulting moths, followed by lettuce, which decreased the larval duration remarkably.     

Epithelial antimicrobial peptides: innate local host response elements

Multicellular organisms have to survive in an environment laden with numerous microorganisms, which represent a potential hazard to life. Different strategies have been developed to ward off infections by preventing microorganisms from entering surfaces and by preventing the attack of microorganisms that have already entered the epithelia. Therefore, it is not surprising that epithelia are equipped with various antimicrobial substances that act rapidly to kill a broad range of microorganisms. This review summarizes our present knowledge about epithelial peptide antibiotics produced in plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates including humans. There is now strong evidence that in addition to constitutively secreted peptide antibiotics, others are induced upon contact with microorganisms or by proinflammatory cytokines. beta-Defensins represent one family of vertebrate antimicrobial peptides, members of which are inducible and have recently been identified in humans. The defensin-characteristic local expression pattern may indicate that specialized surfaces express a characteristic surface antimicrobial peptide pattern that might define the characteristic microflora as well as the density of microorganisms present on the surface.     

Possible origin of zeaxanthin in the marine sponge,Reniera japonica

As part of a study to clarify the origins of biologically active substances in marine sponges, the carotenoids produced by two species of marine bacteria,Flexibacter sp. strain number DK30213 and DK30223, associated with the marine sponge,Reniera japonica, were investigated. Both bacteria were found to produce zeaxanthin [(3R, 3R)-dihydroxy-,-carotene] which is widely distributed in marine organisms. This carotenoid was also detected in the host sponge, suggesting the transport of zeaxanthin from the microorganisms to the host. As zeaxanthin plays the role of a quencher and scavenger for active species of oxygen, it is presumed that the sponge accumulates the bacterial product as a defense substance against the active oxygen species produced under irradiation by strong sunlight. It is thought that the bacteria are symbionts of the host sponge and act by obtaining the solid substrate and medium needed for settlement and growth from the host, and by producing and transmitting the biologically active substance to the host. Zeaxanthin-producing bacteria are also considered to have potential for practical uses by the aquacultural, pharmaceutical and food industries.     

Zur Nahrungsaufnahme vonMegoura viciae Buckt., einer phloemsaugenden Aphide (Homoptera,Rhynchota)

Summary Problems connected with the food uptake of the aphidMegoura viciae Buckt., sucking in the phloem ofVicia faba, are studied by means of radioactive phosphate.Outside the phloem there is no intake of food by the stylets of the aphid. They are able to reach the phloem earliest 7 min after the beginning of the puncture. But only 3 h later all aphids have reached the phloem. The variability in time taken to reach the phloem is very high. The aphids seem not to be able to aim at the phloem, presumable this process is more or less incidentally. In plants, which do not belong to the host plants ofMegoura viciae, the aphid also pierces the phloem. Perhaps the aphids first in the phloem find out their host plant. The course of the ingestion of food is studied in relation to the time of sucking and shown in a diagram.     

Evolutionary and ecological implications of cardenolide sequestration in the monarch butterfly

Summary Monarch butterflies sequester cardenolides from their larval host plants in the milkweed genusAsclepias for use in defense against predation. Of 108Asclepias species in North America, monarchs are known to feed as larvae on 27. Research on 11 of these has shown that monarchs sequester cardenolides most effectively, to an asymptote of approximately 350 g/0.1 g dry butterfly, from plants with intermediate cardenolide contents rather than from those with very high or very low cardenolide contents. SinceAsclepias host plant species are distributed widely in space and time across the continent, monarchs exploit them by migration between breeding and overwintering areas. After overwintering in central Mexico, spring migrants east of the Rocky Mountains exploit three predominantAsclepias species in the southern USA that have moderately high cardenolide contents. Monarchs sequester cardenolides very effectively from these species. First generation butterflies are thus well protected against predators and continue the migration north. Across the northern USA and southern Canada most summer breeding occurs on a fourthAsclepias species and in autumn most of these monarchs migrate back to Mexican overwintering sites. The ecological implications of this cycle of cardenolide sequestration for the evolution of monarch migration are discussed.     

Sterol composition of three species of sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) and their dietary plant material

Three species of sawflies, along with their particular host plants, were examined for neutral sterols. Cholesterol was the predominant sterol in the sawfliesDolerus nitens (56.6%) andAneugmenus flavipes (73.0%), with lesser amounts of sitosterol, campesterol and desmosterol.Xiphydria maculata, however, contained unusually high levels (74.9%) of 7-dehydrocholesterol. Based on the sterol composition of their individual host plants, which contained primarily 28- and 29-carbon sterols, it is likely that all three sawfly species are capable of dealkylation of phytosterols.     

Host recognition by toxigenic plant pathogens

Certain fungal pathogens release host-selective (or host-specific) toxins (HST) as a host recognition factor during spore germination at the infection site on plants. Prior to penetration of the pathogen into its host, the released toxin specifically binds to a putative receptor on the host cells and initiates signaling mechanisms leading to pleiotropic effects on cells. Of these, the crucial one negates the general and inducible defense reactions of the cells. This is accomplished by a signal from the HSt, which is transduced through a path way at or near the step of plasma membrane modulation, which is directly or indirectly triggered by the HST. This mechanism operates even though the toxin may affect mitochondria or chloroplasts as the primary target organelle. The fungal spore is able to penetrate the so-called narcotized cell and completes the initial colonization of the host. The host recognition process may take place without necessitating host cell death, even in the case of perthophytic parasites. At the molecular level, HST-mediated recognition of the host by a pathogen requires strict stereochemical precision like a lock and key.     

The male pheromone of the old house borerHylotrupes bajulus (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): Identification and female response

We report here the identification of the long-range, male-produced sex pheromone of the Old house borerHylotrupes bajulus. Chemical analysis of hexane extracts obtained by surface extraction from dissected prothoracic glands and from headspace samples of the two sexes, revealed male-specific compounds: (3R)-3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, 2-hydroxy-3-hexanone, the diastereomeric diols (2R, 3R)-2,3-hexanediol and (2S, 3R)-2,3-hexanediol, 2,3-hexanedione, as well as 1-butanol.In wind tunnel bioassays we tested the influence of these male-specific compounds from the prothoracal glands on the behaviour of unmated and mated females. Specific behavioural sequences of the tested females (activity, running behaviour, searching, cleaning, flying, extension of ovipositor) were recorded. Unmated females were attracted by male beetles, headspace extracts of males, synthetic blends of the major pheromone compounds as well as by the components (3R)-3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, and the diastereomeric diols. Hexane, female beetles and 2,3-hexanedione did not attract unmated females. The reactions of mated females to male beetles and headspace samples did not differ significantly from those of the controls.The results of the bioassays show that the two-stage premating behaviour is initiated by emission of a long-range sex pheromone from the male prothoracal glands, which functions as an activator, attractant, and possibly aphrodisiac for unmated females.