Nutritional Interactions in Insect-Microbial Symbioses: Aphids and Their Symbiotic BacteriaBuchnera

Abstract

Most aphids possess intracellular bacteria of the genus Buchnera. The bacteria are transmitted vertically via the aphid ovary, and the association is obligate for both partners: Bacteria-free aphids grow poorly and produce few or no offspring, and Buchnera are both unknown apart from aphids and apparently unculturable. The symbiosis has a nutritional basis. Specifically, bacterial provisioning of essential amino acids has been demonstrated. Nitrogen recycling, however, is not quantitatively important to the nutrition of aphid species studied, and there is strong evidence against bacterial involvement in the lipid and sterol nutrition of aphids. Buchnera have been implicated in various non-nutritional functions. Of these, just one has strong experimental support: promotion of aphid transmission of circulative viruses. It is argued that strong parallels may exist between the nutritional interactions (including the underlying mechanisms) in the aphid-Buchnera association and other insect symbioses with intracellular microorganisms.

Integrating nutrition and immunology: A new frontier

“…Obligate or primary symbionts (i.e., intracellular mutualists) are verticallytransmitted between hosts and are essential for host survival in resource-limited environments (see for instance (Douglas, 1998)). Such obligate mutualistic relationships are typically ancient and neither of the partners can survive in the absence of the other.…”

Intra-Individual Coexistence of a Wolbachia Strain Required for Host Oogenesis With Two Strains Inducing Cytoplasmic Incompatibility in the Wasp Asobara Tabida

“…Many animal species depend on symbiotic microorganisms for essential functions such as nutrition, locomotion, reproduction, or defense against predators or pathogens (Buchner 1965;Margulis and Fester 1991;Douglas 1994). However, even though the role of the symbiont in these host functions is well characterized in certain cases (Douglas 1998), the nature and the diversity of the evolutionary mechanisms by which the host has become dependent on symbiont to survive or reproduce remains poorly understood.…”

“…However, even though the role of the symbiont in these host functions is well characterized in certain cases (Douglas 1998), the nature and the diversity of the evolutionary mechanisms by which the host has become dependent on symbiont to survive or reproduce remains poorly understood. In this regard, the study of the interactions between symbiotic Wolbachia bacteria and their numerous invertebrate hosts appears quite promising.…”

Integrated Metabonomic−Proteomic Analysis of an Insect−Bacterial Symbiotic System

“…53 The impact of antibiotic treatment on the amino acid profile of aphids has been interpreted previously as limitation of aphid protein synthesis by the shortfall of essential amino acids derived from B. aphidicola, with the accumulation of nonessential amino acids, which are not limiting. 18 It has also been argued that nonessential amino acids are selectively degraded in antibiotic-treated aphids, generating ammonia; and the increased ammonia load is alleviated by its condensation with glutamate to form glutamine, via the enzyme glutamine synthetase. Previous supportive evidence comes from the elevated glutamine concentration in the honeydew and glutamine synthetase activity in tissues of antibiotic-treated aphids.…”