Animals can avoid predation by masquerading as objects that are not food to their predators. Alder moth Acronicta alni larvae go through an impressive ontogenetic change from masquerade to highly conspicuous appearanc...Animals can avoid predation by masquerading as objects that are not food to their predators. Alder moth Acronicta alni larvae go through an impressive ontogenetic change from masquerade to highly conspicuous appearance： early larval stages resemble bird droppings but in the last instar the larval coloration changes into striking yellow-and-black stripes. We hypothe- sized that such a change may be driven by differential predation favoring dissimilar anti-predator strategies in different life stages We show with a series of laboratory assays that larvae are distasteful to birds regardless of their developmental stage, suggesting that ontogenetic color change is not driven by the differential chemical defense. Birds showed higher variance in hesitation to- ward conspicuous prey; some individuals hesitated long time before attacking whereas all birds attacked instantly masqueraded prey. We also found that the activity level of the larvae increased with age, which fits to the fact that larvae need to move from foliage to pupation sites. In the field by using artificial larvae resembling the two life-history stages we found predation risk to vary during the season： In early summer larger yellow-and-black larvae were attacked most, whereas later in the summer small ＇bird-dropping-larvae＇ suffered the highest predation. We conclude that the ontogenetic switch from masquerading to aposema- tism is adaptive most likely because actively moving prey cannot mimic immotile objects and thus, aposematism during the ac- tive and vulnerable period when larvae are searching for pupation sites becomes beneficial展开更多
Predators efficiently learn to avoid one type of warning signal rather than several, making colour polymorphisms un- expected. Aposematic wood tiger moth males Parasemia plantaginis have either white or yellow hindwin...Predators efficiently learn to avoid one type of warning signal rather than several, making colour polymorphisms un- expected. Aposematic wood tiger moth males Parasemia plantaginis have either white or yellow hindwing coloration across Eu- rope. Previous studies indicate that yellow males are better defended from predators, while white males have a positively frequency-dependent mating advantage. However, the potential frequency-dependent behavioural differences in flight between the morphs, as well as the role of male-male interactions in inducing flying activity, have not been previously considered. We ran an outdoor cage experiment where proportions of both male morphs were manipulated to test whether flying activity was frequency- dependent and differed between morphs. The white morph was significantly more active than the yellow one across all treatments, and sustained activity for longer. Overall activity for both morphs was considerably lower in the yellow-biased environment, suggesting that higher proportions of yellow males in a population may lead to overall reduced flying activity. The activity of the yellow morph also followed a steeper, narrower curve than that of the white morph during peak female calling activity. We sug- gest that white males, with their presumably less costly defences, have more resources to invest in flight for predator escape and finding mates. Yellow males, which are better protected but less sexually selected, may instead compensate their lower flight ac- tivity by ＇flying smart＇ during the peak female-calling periods. Thus, both morphs may be able to behaviourally balance the trade-off between warning signal selection and sexual selection. Our results emphasize the greater need to investigate animal behaviour and colour polymorphisms in natural or semi-natural environments [Current Zoology 61 （4）： 765-772, 2015].展开更多
Inclusive fitness benefits depend on recognizing the right individuals to interact with. Social insect nests protect themselves from non-kin intruders through nestmate recognition based on chemical cues. The recogniti...Inclusive fitness benefits depend on recognizing the right individuals to interact with. Social insect nests protect themselves from non-kin intruders through nestmate recognition based on chemical cues. The recognition cues on adult individu- als are from a mixture of genetic and environmental sources, but the ontogeny and use of recognition cues on eggs has not been previously assessed. We studied recognition by workers of eggs that were either nestmates or non-nestmates, and the ontogeny of recognition cues on eggs in the ant Formica fusca, a species with precise egg recognition abilities. Workers were able to dis- criminate among freshly laid eggs with no nest derived cues on them, and the egg surface chemicals varied among nests in these eggs, suggesting that queen derived cues are used in nestmate recognition. The results are discussed in the light of their implica- tions on deceptive social parasite strategies and within colony conflicts展开更多
Sexual deception involves the mimicry of another species＇ sexual signals in order to exploit behavioural routines linked to those signals. Known sexually deceptive systems use visual, acoustic or olfactory mimicry to...Sexual deception involves the mimicry of another species＇ sexual signals in order to exploit behavioural routines linked to those signals. Known sexually deceptive systems use visual, acoustic or olfactory mimicry to exploit insects for preda- tion, cleptoparasitism and pollination. It is predicted that where sexual deception inflicts a cost on the receiver, a coevolutionary arms race could result in the evolution of discriminating receivers and increasingly refined mimicry. We constructed a conceptual model to understand the importance of trade-offs in the coevolution of sexually deceptive mimic and receiver. Four components examined were： the cost of mimicry, the cost to receiver for being fooled, the density of mimics and the relative magnitude of a mimicry-independent component of fitness. The model predicts that the exploitation of non-discriminating receivers by accurate signal mimicry will evolve as an evolutionary stable strategy under a wide range of the parameter space explored. This is due to the difficulty in minimising the costs of being fooled without incurring the cost of falsely rejecting real mating opportunities. In the model, the evolution of deception is impeded when mimicry imposes substantial costs for both sides of the arms race. Olfac- tory signals that are potentially cheap to produce are therefore likely to be more vulnerable to exploitation than expensive visual ornaments展开更多
Elicitins are microbe-associated molecular patterns produced by oomycetes to elicit plant defense.It is still unclear whether elicitins derived from non-pathogenic oomycetes can be used as bioactive molecules for dise...Elicitins are microbe-associated molecular patterns produced by oomycetes to elicit plant defense.It is still unclear whether elicitins derived from non-pathogenic oomycetes can be used as bioactive molecules for disease control.Here,for the first time we identify and characterize an elicitin named PpEli2 from the soil-borne oomycete Pythium periplocum,which is a non-pathogenic mycoparasite colonizing the root ecosystem of diverse plant species.Perceived by a novel cell surface receptor-like protein,REli,that is conserved in various plants(e.g.tomato,pepper,soybean),PpEli2 can induce hypersensitive response cell death and an immunity response in Nicotiana benthamiana.Meanwhile,PpEli2 enhances the interaction between REli and its co-receptor BAK1.The receptor-dependent immune response triggered by PpEli2 is able to protect various plant species against Phytophthora and fungal infections.Collectively,our work reveals the potential agricultural application of non-pathogenic elicitins and their receptors in conferring broad-spectrum resistance for plant protection.展开更多
1 A Brief History of Deception The conceptual roots of deception began to sprout at the dawn of zoology, when Aristotle （350 CE） discussed his observations of the ＇deceitful＇ reproductive tactics of cuckoos and p...1 A Brief History of Deception The conceptual roots of deception began to sprout at the dawn of zoology, when Aristotle （350 CE） discussed his observations of the ＇deceitful＇ reproductive tactics of cuckoos and partridges in his classic work The History of Animals. However, the scientific origins of deception were cemented in Descartes＇ （1641） Meditations on First Philosophy, in which he reasoned： All that I have, up to this moment, accepted as possessed of the highest truth and certainty, I received either from or through the senses.展开更多
Fifteen subspecies of the wood tiger moth, Arctia plantaginis (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), have been recorded in the Northern Hemisphere. An analysis of crude pheromone extracts by GC equipped with an electroan...Fifteen subspecies of the wood tiger moth, Arctia plantaginis (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), have been recorded in the Northern Hemisphere. An analysis of crude pheromone extracts by GC equipped with an electroantennographic (EAG) detector showed four EAG-active components (Comps. I–IV) that were commonly involved in the pheromone glands of two subspecies inhabiting Japan and Finland. Comp. I is a major component (>75%) and the others are minor components (3% - 15%). Their mass spectra, measured by GC/MS, revealed the chemical structures of C21 unsaturated hydrocarbons as follows: 3,6,9-triene for Comp. I, 4,6,9-triene for Comp. II, 1,3,6,9-tetraene for Comp. III, and 2,4,6,9-tetraene for Comp. IV. Comps. I and III are known Type II pheromone compounds, and their retention times coincide with those of the authentic standards with all Z configurations. As a next step, the extract was analyzed by GC/FT-IR to determine the configuration of Comps. II and IV. Their IR spectra showed two characteristic C-H bending absorptions around 990 and 945 cm-1 due to the conjugated dienyl moieties;thus, Z and E configurations were assigned to the double bonds at the 2- and 4-positions, respectively. Their Z double bonds at the 6- and 9-positions are indicated by no absorptions around 970 cm-1, due to the isolated double bonds with E configurations. Finally, the structures of Comps. II and IV were confirmed by synthesis using a double Wittig reaction. The synthetic (4E,6Z,9Z)-4,6,9-triene and (2Z,4E,6Z,9Z)-2,4,6,9-tetraene showed strong EAG activity, and their chemical data coincided well with those of the natural Comps. II and IV, indicating the correctness of the structure determination by GC/FT-IR analysis and its usefulness for Type II pheromone compounds.展开更多
Earthworms are critical for supporting soil health and microbial diversity and simultaneously maintaining a highly diverse gut microbiome.The earthworm is predominantly vulnerable to physical disturbance,yet how chang...Earthworms are critical for supporting soil health and microbial diversity and simultaneously maintaining a highly diverse gut microbiome.The earthworm is predominantly vulnerable to physical disturbance,yet how changes in earthworm diversity influence the richness and ecological network of soil-gut microbiomes in response to anthropogenic disturbance is virtually unknown.Here,we investigated the richness of earthworms,and their connection with the diversity of the soil-gut microbiome using a large-scale survey covering paired agricultural and natural sites.Our results showed that earthworm diversity was positively correlated with soil and gut bacterial diversity across sites.However,the connection between soil bacterial and earthworm diversity is lost in agricultural ecosystems.We further show that earthworm richness supported greater modularity in microbial networks,being both positively correlated with the richness of earthworm gut bacteria in both land-use types.Together,we provided the first empirical evidence that agricultural practices can break the fundamental links between soil bacterial and earthworm diversity,and further identify an unreported consistent connection between the diversity of earthworms and the modularity of microbial networks in natural and managed ecosystems.These findings emphasize the primary roles of earthworms in supporting soil biodiversity and point to the wider contributions of the soil animal-microbe interactions in preserving the whole soil biodiversity in anthropogenically disturbed ecosystems.展开更多
Pattern-triggered immunity(PTI)and effector-triggered immunity(ETI)are required for host defense against pathogens.Although PTI and ETI are intimately connected,the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive.In th...Pattern-triggered immunity(PTI)and effector-triggered immunity(ETI)are required for host defense against pathogens.Although PTI and ETI are intimately connected,the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive.In this study,we demonstrate that flg22 priming attenuates Pseudomonas syringae pv.tomato DC3000(Pst)AvrRpt2-induced hypersensitive cell death,resistance,and biomass reduction in Arabidopsis.Mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPKs)are key signaling regulators of PTI and ETI.The absence of MPK3 and MPK6 significantly reduces pre-PTI-mediated ETI suppression(PES).We found that MPK3/MPK6 interact with and phosphorylate the downstream transcription factor WRKY18,which regulates the expression of AP2C1 and PP2C5,two genes encoding protein phosphatases.Furthermore,we observed that the PTI-suppressed ETI-triggered cell death,MAPK activation,and growth retardation are significantly attenuated in wrky18/40/60 and ap2c1 pp2c5 mutants.Taken together,our results suggest that the MPK3/MPK6-WRKYs-PP2Cs module underlies PES and is essential for the maintenance of plant fitness during ETI.展开更多
To remain competitive,proteobacteria use various contact-dependent weapon systems to defend against microbial com-petitors.The bacterial-killing type IV secretion system(T4SS)is one such powerful weapon.It commonly co...To remain competitive,proteobacteria use various contact-dependent weapon systems to defend against microbial com-petitors.The bacterial-killing type IV secretion system(T4SS)is one such powerful weapon.It commonly controls the killing/competition between species by secreting the lethal T4SS effector(T4E)proteins carrying conserved XVIPCD domains into competing cells.In this study,we sought knowledge to understand whether the bacterial-killing T4SS-producing bacteria encode T4E-like proteins and further explore their biological functions.To achieve this,we designed a T4E-guided approach to discover T4E-like proteins that are designated as atypical T4Es.Initially,this approach required scientists to perform simple BlastP search to identify T4E homologs that lack the XVIPCD domain in the genomes of T4SS-producing bacteria.These homologous genes were then screened in Escherichia coli to identify antibacterial candidates(atypical T4Es)and their neighboring detoxification proteins,followed by testing their gene cotranscription and validating their physical interactions.Using this approach,we did discover two atypical T4E proteins from the plant-beneficial Lysobacter enzymogenes and the phytopathogen Xanthomonas citri.We also provided substantial evidence to show that the atypical T4E protein Le1637-mediated bacterial defense in interspecies interactions between L.enzymogenes and its competitors.Therefore,the newly designed T4E-guided approach holds promise for detecting functional atypical T4E proteins in bacterial cells.展开更多
The role that the environment plays in vector-borne parasite infection is one of the central factors for understanding disease dynamics.We assessed how Neotropical bird foraging strata and habitat preferences determin...The role that the environment plays in vector-borne parasite infection is one of the central factors for understanding disease dynamics.We assessed how Neotropical bird foraging strata and habitat preferences determine infection by parasites of the genera Haemoproteus,Plasmodium,Leucocytozoon,and Trypanosoma and filarioids,and tested for phylogenetic signal in these host-parasite associations.We performed extensive searches of the scientific literature and created a database of hemoparasite surveys.We collected data on host body mass,foraging strata,habitat preference,and migratory status,and tested if host ecological traits predict each hemoparasite occurrence and prevalence using a phylogenetic Bayesian framework.Species of Plasmodium tend to infect birds from tropical forests while birds from altitudinal environments are likely to be infected by species of Leucocytozoon.The probability of a bird being infected by filarioid or Trypanosoma is higher in lowland forests.Bird species that occur in anthropic environments and dry habitats of tropical latitudes are more susceptible to infection by species of Haemoproteus.Host foraging strata is also influential and bird species that forage in the mid-high and canopy strata are more prone to infection by species of Haemoproteus and filarioids.We also identified phylogenetic signal for host-parasite associations with the probability of infection of Neotropical birds by any hemoparasite being more similar among more closely related species.We provided a useful framework to identify environments that correlate with hemoparasite infection,which is also helpful for detecting areas with potential suitability for hemoparasite infection due to land conversion and climate change.展开更多
Breeding of disease-resistant and high-yield crops is essential to meet the increasing food demand of the global population.However,the breeding of such crops remains a significant challenge for scientists and breeder...Breeding of disease-resistant and high-yield crops is essential to meet the increasing food demand of the global population.However,the breeding of such crops remains a significant challenge for scientists and breeders.Two recent discoveries may help to overcome this challenge:the discovery of a novel molecular framework to fine-tune disease resistance and yields that includes epigenetic regulation of antagonistic immune receptors,and the discovery of a Ca^(2+)sensor-mediated immune repression network that enables the transfer of subspecies-specific and broad-spectrum disease resistance.These breakthroughs provide a promising roadmap for the future breeding of disease resistant crops.展开更多
Correction to:Stress Biol 1,21(2021)https://doi.org/10.1007/s44154-021-00023-0 Following publication of this article(Wang&Dong,2021),it is reported that this article contained two errors.1.The name of the 2nd auth...Correction to:Stress Biol 1,21(2021)https://doi.org/10.1007/s44154-021-00023-0 Following publication of this article(Wang&Dong,2021),it is reported that this article contained two errors.1.The name of the 2nd author should be‘Suomeng Dong’and this has been reflected in this Correction;2.The reference‘Hout B et al.,2014’and its corresponding citation should be removed.展开更多
Plant root-nodule symbiosis(RNS)with mutualistic nitrogen-fixing bacteria is restricted to a single clade of angiosperms,the Nitrogen-Fixing Nodulation Clade(NFNC),and is best understood in the legume family.Nodulatin...Plant root-nodule symbiosis(RNS)with mutualistic nitrogen-fixing bacteria is restricted to a single clade of angiosperms,the Nitrogen-Fixing Nodulation Clade(NFNC),and is best understood in the legume family.Nodulating species share many commonalities,explained either by divergence from a common ancestor over 100 million years ago or by convergence following independent origins over that same time period.Regardless,comparative analyses of diverse nodulation syndromes can provide insights into constraints on nodulation—what must be acquired or cannot be lost for a functional symbiosis—and the latitude for Plant Communications Genomic landscape of nodulation variation in the symbiosis.However,much remains to be learned about nodulation,especially outside of legumes.Here,we employed a large-scale phylogenomic analysis across 88 species,complemented by 151 RNA-seq libraries,to elucidate the evolution of RNS.Our phylogenomic analyses further emphasize the uniqueness of the transcription factor NIN as a master regulator of nodulation and identify key muta-tions that affect its function across the NFNC.Comparative transcriptomic assessment revealed nodule-specific upregulated genes across diverse nodulating plants,while also identifying nodule-specific and nitrogen-response genes.Approximately 70%of symbiosis-related genes are highly conserved in the four representative species,whereas defense-related and host-range restriction genes tend to be lineage specific.Our study also identified over 900000 conserved non-coding elements(CNEs),over 300000 of which are unique to sampled NFNC species.NFNC-specific CNEs are enriched with the active H3K9ac mark and are correlated with accessible chromatin regions,thus representing a pool of candidate regula-tory elements for genes involved in RNS.Collectively,our results provide novel insights into the evolution of nodulation and lay a foundation for engineering of RNS traits in agriculturally important crops.展开更多
文摘Animals can avoid predation by masquerading as objects that are not food to their predators. Alder moth Acronicta alni larvae go through an impressive ontogenetic change from masquerade to highly conspicuous appearance： early larval stages resemble bird droppings but in the last instar the larval coloration changes into striking yellow-and-black stripes. We hypothe- sized that such a change may be driven by differential predation favoring dissimilar anti-predator strategies in different life stages We show with a series of laboratory assays that larvae are distasteful to birds regardless of their developmental stage, suggesting that ontogenetic color change is not driven by the differential chemical defense. Birds showed higher variance in hesitation to- ward conspicuous prey; some individuals hesitated long time before attacking whereas all birds attacked instantly masqueraded prey. We also found that the activity level of the larvae increased with age, which fits to the fact that larvae need to move from foliage to pupation sites. In the field by using artificial larvae resembling the two life-history stages we found predation risk to vary during the season： In early summer larger yellow-and-black larvae were attacked most, whereas later in the summer small ＇bird-dropping-larvae＇ suffered the highest predation. We conclude that the ontogenetic switch from masquerading to aposema- tism is adaptive most likely because actively moving prey cannot mimic immotile objects and thus, aposematism during the ac- tive and vulnerable period when larvae are searching for pupation sites becomes beneficial
文摘Predators efficiently learn to avoid one type of warning signal rather than several, making colour polymorphisms un- expected. Aposematic wood tiger moth males Parasemia plantaginis have either white or yellow hindwing coloration across Eu- rope. Previous studies indicate that yellow males are better defended from predators, while white males have a positively frequency-dependent mating advantage. However, the potential frequency-dependent behavioural differences in flight between the morphs, as well as the role of male-male interactions in inducing flying activity, have not been previously considered. We ran an outdoor cage experiment where proportions of both male morphs were manipulated to test whether flying activity was frequency- dependent and differed between morphs. The white morph was significantly more active than the yellow one across all treatments, and sustained activity for longer. Overall activity for both morphs was considerably lower in the yellow-biased environment, suggesting that higher proportions of yellow males in a population may lead to overall reduced flying activity. The activity of the yellow morph also followed a steeper, narrower curve than that of the white morph during peak female calling activity. We sug- gest that white males, with their presumably less costly defences, have more resources to invest in flight for predator escape and finding mates. Yellow males, which are better protected but less sexually selected, may instead compensate their lower flight ac- tivity by ＇flying smart＇ during the peak female-calling periods. Thus, both morphs may be able to behaviourally balance the trade-off between warning signal selection and sexual selection. Our results emphasize the greater need to investigate animal behaviour and colour polymorphisms in natural or semi-natural environments [Current Zoology 61 （4）： 765-772, 2015].
文摘Inclusive fitness benefits depend on recognizing the right individuals to interact with. Social insect nests protect themselves from non-kin intruders through nestmate recognition based on chemical cues. The recognition cues on adult individu- als are from a mixture of genetic and environmental sources, but the ontogeny and use of recognition cues on eggs has not been previously assessed. We studied recognition by workers of eggs that were either nestmates or non-nestmates, and the ontogeny of recognition cues on eggs in the ant Formica fusca, a species with precise egg recognition abilities. Workers were able to dis- criminate among freshly laid eggs with no nest derived cues on them, and the egg surface chemicals varied among nests in these eggs, suggesting that queen derived cues are used in nestmate recognition. The results are discussed in the light of their implica- tions on deceptive social parasite strategies and within colony conflicts
文摘Sexual deception involves the mimicry of another species＇ sexual signals in order to exploit behavioural routines linked to those signals. Known sexually deceptive systems use visual, acoustic or olfactory mimicry to exploit insects for preda- tion, cleptoparasitism and pollination. It is predicted that where sexual deception inflicts a cost on the receiver, a coevolutionary arms race could result in the evolution of discriminating receivers and increasingly refined mimicry. We constructed a conceptual model to understand the importance of trade-offs in the coevolution of sexually deceptive mimic and receiver. Four components examined were： the cost of mimicry, the cost to receiver for being fooled, the density of mimics and the relative magnitude of a mimicry-independent component of fitness. The model predicts that the exploitation of non-discriminating receivers by accurate signal mimicry will evolve as an evolutionary stable strategy under a wide range of the parameter space explored. This is due to the difficulty in minimising the costs of being fooled without incurring the cost of falsely rejecting real mating opportunities. In the model, the evolution of deception is impeded when mimicry imposes substantial costs for both sides of the arms race. Olfac- tory signals that are potentially cheap to produce are therefore likely to be more vulnerable to exploitation than expensive visual ornaments
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32272495,31801715,31721004)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20220147).
文摘Elicitins are microbe-associated molecular patterns produced by oomycetes to elicit plant defense.It is still unclear whether elicitins derived from non-pathogenic oomycetes can be used as bioactive molecules for disease control.Here,for the first time we identify and characterize an elicitin named PpEli2 from the soil-borne oomycete Pythium periplocum,which is a non-pathogenic mycoparasite colonizing the root ecosystem of diverse plant species.Perceived by a novel cell surface receptor-like protein,REli,that is conserved in various plants(e.g.tomato,pepper,soybean),PpEli2 can induce hypersensitive response cell death and an immunity response in Nicotiana benthamiana.Meanwhile,PpEli2 enhances the interaction between REli and its co-receptor BAK1.The receptor-dependent immune response triggered by PpEli2 is able to protect various plant species against Phytophthora and fungal infections.Collectively,our work reveals the potential agricultural application of non-pathogenic elicitins and their receptors in conferring broad-spectrum resistance for plant protection.
文摘1 A Brief History of Deception The conceptual roots of deception began to sprout at the dawn of zoology, when Aristotle （350 CE） discussed his observations of the ＇deceitful＇ reproductive tactics of cuckoos and partridges in his classic work The History of Animals. However, the scientific origins of deception were cemented in Descartes＇ （1641） Meditations on First Philosophy, in which he reasoned： All that I have, up to this moment, accepted as possessed of the highest truth and certainty, I received either from or through the senses.
文摘Fifteen subspecies of the wood tiger moth, Arctia plantaginis (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), have been recorded in the Northern Hemisphere. An analysis of crude pheromone extracts by GC equipped with an electroantennographic (EAG) detector showed four EAG-active components (Comps. I–IV) that were commonly involved in the pheromone glands of two subspecies inhabiting Japan and Finland. Comp. I is a major component (>75%) and the others are minor components (3% - 15%). Their mass spectra, measured by GC/MS, revealed the chemical structures of C21 unsaturated hydrocarbons as follows: 3,6,9-triene for Comp. I, 4,6,9-triene for Comp. II, 1,3,6,9-tetraene for Comp. III, and 2,4,6,9-tetraene for Comp. IV. Comps. I and III are known Type II pheromone compounds, and their retention times coincide with those of the authentic standards with all Z configurations. As a next step, the extract was analyzed by GC/FT-IR to determine the configuration of Comps. II and IV. Their IR spectra showed two characteristic C-H bending absorptions around 990 and 945 cm-1 due to the conjugated dienyl moieties;thus, Z and E configurations were assigned to the double bonds at the 2- and 4-positions, respectively. Their Z double bonds at the 6- and 9-positions are indicated by no absorptions around 970 cm-1, due to the isolated double bonds with E configurations. Finally, the structures of Comps. II and IV were confirmed by synthesis using a double Wittig reaction. The synthetic (4E,6Z,9Z)-4,6,9-triene and (2Z,4E,6Z,9Z)-2,4,6,9-tetraene showed strong EAG activity, and their chemical data coincided well with those of the natural Comps. II and IV, indicating the correctness of the structure determination by GC/FT-IR analysis and its usefulness for Type II pheromone compounds.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41907034 and 42177286)the Fundamental Resources Investigation Program of China(2018FY100300).
文摘Earthworms are critical for supporting soil health and microbial diversity and simultaneously maintaining a highly diverse gut microbiome.The earthworm is predominantly vulnerable to physical disturbance,yet how changes in earthworm diversity influence the richness and ecological network of soil-gut microbiomes in response to anthropogenic disturbance is virtually unknown.Here,we investigated the richness of earthworms,and their connection with the diversity of the soil-gut microbiome using a large-scale survey covering paired agricultural and natural sites.Our results showed that earthworm diversity was positively correlated with soil and gut bacterial diversity across sites.However,the connection between soil bacterial and earthworm diversity is lost in agricultural ecosystems.We further show that earthworm richness supported greater modularity in microbial networks,being both positively correlated with the richness of earthworm gut bacteria in both land-use types.Together,we provided the first empirical evidence that agricultural practices can break the fundamental links between soil bacterial and earthworm diversity,and further identify an unreported consistent connection between the diversity of earthworms and the modularity of microbial networks in natural and managed ecosystems.These findings emphasize the primary roles of earthworms in supporting soil biodiversity and point to the wider contributions of the soil animal-microbe interactions in preserving the whole soil biodiversity in anthropogenically disturbed ecosystems.
基金supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Project(2022YFE0198100)National Natural Science Foundation of China(32172420)+2 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(SBK20220085)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(KYXK202009,ZJ21195012)the Startup Fund for Distinguished Scholars from Nanjing Agricultural University(to Y.W.).
文摘Pattern-triggered immunity(PTI)and effector-triggered immunity(ETI)are required for host defense against pathogens.Although PTI and ETI are intimately connected,the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive.In this study,we demonstrate that flg22 priming attenuates Pseudomonas syringae pv.tomato DC3000(Pst)AvrRpt2-induced hypersensitive cell death,resistance,and biomass reduction in Arabidopsis.Mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPKs)are key signaling regulators of PTI and ETI.The absence of MPK3 and MPK6 significantly reduces pre-PTI-mediated ETI suppression(PES).We found that MPK3/MPK6 interact with and phosphorylate the downstream transcription factor WRKY18,which regulates the expression of AP2C1 and PP2C5,two genes encoding protein phosphatases.Furthermore,we observed that the PTI-suppressed ETI-triggered cell death,MAPK activation,and growth retardation are significantly attenuated in wrky18/40/60 and ap2c1 pp2c5 mutants.Taken together,our results suggest that the MPK3/MPK6-WRKYs-PP2Cs module underlies PES and is essential for the maintenance of plant fitness during ETI.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U22A20486,32072470 to G.Q.)the Natural Key Research and Development Program(2022YFD1400200 to G.Q.)+1 种基金Science and Technology project of Shanxi Branch of China National Tobacco Corporation(KJ‐2022‐04)the Jiangsu University advantage discipline construction project(80900246 to X.S.)。
文摘To remain competitive,proteobacteria use various contact-dependent weapon systems to defend against microbial com-petitors.The bacterial-killing type IV secretion system(T4SS)is one such powerful weapon.It commonly controls the killing/competition between species by secreting the lethal T4SS effector(T4E)proteins carrying conserved XVIPCD domains into competing cells.In this study,we sought knowledge to understand whether the bacterial-killing T4SS-producing bacteria encode T4E-like proteins and further explore their biological functions.To achieve this,we designed a T4E-guided approach to discover T4E-like proteins that are designated as atypical T4Es.Initially,this approach required scientists to perform simple BlastP search to identify T4E homologs that lack the XVIPCD domain in the genomes of T4SS-producing bacteria.These homologous genes were then screened in Escherichia coli to identify antibacterial candidates(atypical T4Es)and their neighboring detoxification proteins,followed by testing their gene cotranscription and validating their physical interactions.Using this approach,we did discover two atypical T4E proteins from the plant-beneficial Lysobacter enzymogenes and the phytopathogen Xanthomonas citri.We also provided substantial evidence to show that the atypical T4E protein Le1637-mediated bacterial defense in interspecies interactions between L.enzymogenes and its competitors.Therefore,the newly designed T4E-guided approach holds promise for detecting functional atypical T4E proteins in bacterial cells.
文摘The role that the environment plays in vector-borne parasite infection is one of the central factors for understanding disease dynamics.We assessed how Neotropical bird foraging strata and habitat preferences determine infection by parasites of the genera Haemoproteus,Plasmodium,Leucocytozoon,and Trypanosoma and filarioids,and tested for phylogenetic signal in these host-parasite associations.We performed extensive searches of the scientific literature and created a database of hemoparasite surveys.We collected data on host body mass,foraging strata,habitat preference,and migratory status,and tested if host ecological traits predict each hemoparasite occurrence and prevalence using a phylogenetic Bayesian framework.Species of Plasmodium tend to infect birds from tropical forests while birds from altitudinal environments are likely to be infected by species of Leucocytozoon.The probability of a bird being infected by filarioid or Trypanosoma is higher in lowland forests.Bird species that occur in anthropic environments and dry habitats of tropical latitudes are more susceptible to infection by species of Haemoproteus.Host foraging strata is also influential and bird species that forage in the mid-high and canopy strata are more prone to infection by species of Haemoproteus and filarioids.We also identified phylogenetic signal for host-parasite associations with the probability of infection of Neotropical birds by any hemoparasite being more similar among more closely related species.We provided a useful framework to identify environments that correlate with hemoparasite infection,which is also helpful for detecting areas with potential suitability for hemoparasite infection due to land conversion and climate change.
基金supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32172420)and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(KYXK202009ZJ21195012).S.D.received support from National Natural Science Foundation of China(31721004).
文摘Breeding of disease-resistant and high-yield crops is essential to meet the increasing food demand of the global population.However,the breeding of such crops remains a significant challenge for scientists and breeders.Two recent discoveries may help to overcome this challenge:the discovery of a novel molecular framework to fine-tune disease resistance and yields that includes epigenetic regulation of antagonistic immune receptors,and the discovery of a Ca^(2+)sensor-mediated immune repression network that enables the transfer of subspecies-specific and broad-spectrum disease resistance.These breakthroughs provide a promising roadmap for the future breeding of disease resistant crops.
文摘Correction to:Stress Biol 1,21(2021)https://doi.org/10.1007/s44154-021-00023-0 Following publication of this article(Wang&Dong,2021),it is reported that this article contained two errors.1.The name of the 2nd author should be‘Suomeng Dong’and this has been reflected in this Correction;2.The reference‘Hout B et al.,2014’and its corresponding citation should be removed.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32022006)the Program for Guangdong"ZhuJiang"Innovation Teams (2019ZT08N628)+6 种基金the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (ASTIP) (CAAS-XTCX2016001)the special funds for science technology innovation and industrial development of Shenzhen Dapeng New District (PT202101-01)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32070250)the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2020A1515011030)the open research project of"Cross-Cooperative Team"of the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species,Kunming Institute of Botany,Chinese Academy of Sciencessupported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2022A1515110240)support was provided by IRD and the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (Project SESAM,2010 BLAN 170801).
文摘Plant root-nodule symbiosis(RNS)with mutualistic nitrogen-fixing bacteria is restricted to a single clade of angiosperms,the Nitrogen-Fixing Nodulation Clade(NFNC),and is best understood in the legume family.Nodulating species share many commonalities,explained either by divergence from a common ancestor over 100 million years ago or by convergence following independent origins over that same time period.Regardless,comparative analyses of diverse nodulation syndromes can provide insights into constraints on nodulation—what must be acquired or cannot be lost for a functional symbiosis—and the latitude for Plant Communications Genomic landscape of nodulation variation in the symbiosis.However,much remains to be learned about nodulation,especially outside of legumes.Here,we employed a large-scale phylogenomic analysis across 88 species,complemented by 151 RNA-seq libraries,to elucidate the evolution of RNS.Our phylogenomic analyses further emphasize the uniqueness of the transcription factor NIN as a master regulator of nodulation and identify key muta-tions that affect its function across the NFNC.Comparative transcriptomic assessment revealed nodule-specific upregulated genes across diverse nodulating plants,while also identifying nodule-specific and nitrogen-response genes.Approximately 70%of symbiosis-related genes are highly conserved in the four representative species,whereas defense-related and host-range restriction genes tend to be lineage specific.Our study also identified over 900000 conserved non-coding elements(CNEs),over 300000 of which are unique to sampled NFNC species.NFNC-specific CNEs are enriched with the active H3K9ac mark and are correlated with accessible chromatin regions,thus representing a pool of candidate regula-tory elements for genes involved in RNS.Collectively,our results provide novel insights into the evolution of nodulation and lay a foundation for engineering of RNS traits in agriculturally important crops.
