Structure of the visual system of the two-spotted spider-mite, Tetranychus urticae

BackgroundThe ABC (ATP-binding cassette) gene superfamily is widespread across all living species. The majority of ABC genes encode ABC transporters, which are membrane-spanning proteins capable of transferring substrates across biological membranes by hydrolyzing ATP. Although ABC transporters have often been associated with resistance to drugs and toxic compounds, within the Arthropoda ABC gene families have only been characterized in detail in several insects and a crustacean. In this study, we report a genome-wide survey and expression analysis of the ABC gene superfamily in the spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, a chelicerate ~ 450 million years diverged from other Arthropod lineages. T. urticae is a major agricultural pest, and is among of the most polyphagous arthropod herbivores known. The species resists a staggering array of toxic plant secondary metabolites, and has developed resistance to all major classes of pesticides in use for its control.ResultsWe identified 103 ABC genes in the T. urticae genome, the highest number discovered in a metazoan species to date. Within the T. urticae ABC gene set, all members of the eight currently described subfamilies (A to H) were detected. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the high number of ABC genes in T. urticae is due primarily to lineage-specific expansions of ABC genes within the ABCC, ABCG and ABCH subfamilies. In particular, the ABCC subfamily harbors the highest number of T. urticae ABC genes (39). In a comparative genomic analysis, we found clear orthologous relationships between a subset of T. urticae ABC proteins and ABC proteins in both vertebrates and invertebrates known to be involved in fundamental cellular processes. These included members of the ABCB-half transporters, and the ABCD, ABCE and ABCF families. Furthermore, one-to-one orthologues could be distinguished between T. urticae proteins and human ABCC10, ABCG5 and ABCG8, the Drosophila melanogaster sulfonylurea receptor and ecdysone-regulated transporter E23. Finally, expression profiling revealed that ABC genes in the ABCC, ABCG ABCH subfamilies were differentially expressed in multi-pesticide resistant mite strains and/or in mites transferred to challenging (toxic) host plants.ConclusionsIn this study we present the first comprehensive analysis of ABC genes in a polyphagous arthropod herbivore. We demonstrate that the broad plant host range and high levels of pesticide resistance in T. urticae are associated with lineage-specific expansions of ABC genes, many of which respond transcriptionally to xenobiotic exposure. This ABC catalogue will serve as a basis for future biochemical and toxicological studies. Obtaining functional evidence that these ABC subfamilies contribute to xenobiotic tolerance should be the priority of future research.

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“…pulex and D . melanogaster , no compound eyes and only four simple eyes (ocelli) [100]. Although no T .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A burst of ABC genes in the genome of the polyphagous spider mite Tetranychus urticae

et al. 2013

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“…This difference and the lack of preference for VIS during diapause suggest that T. urticae has at least two types of photoreceptors. This mite has adjacent pairs of anterior and posterior eyes, on each side of the propodosoma (McEnroe, 1969;Mills, 1974), and both sets of eyes act as photoreceptors (Suski and Naegele, 1963b). McEnroe and Dronka (McEnroe and Dronka, 1969) suggested that the anterior eyes have photoreceptors for UV and VIS but the posterior eyes have photoreceptors only for UV.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photo-orientation regulates seasonal habitat selection in the two-spotted spider miteTetranychus urticae

Suzuki

Kojima

Takeda

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYNon-diapausing spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) live on the undersurface of host leaves during summer, but diapausing mites overwinter in dark hibernacula. The light environments of these habitats differ: visible radiation (VIS) but not ultraviolet radiation (UV) reaches the undersurface of leaves, but neither enters dark hibernacula. Thus, mites of either seasonal form could locate their preferred habitat by photo-orientation responses to UV and VIS. To investigate this possibility, we analysed the mitesʼ locomotion behaviour on a virtual field with a programmed chequered pattern of light and dark patches in a micro-locomotion compensator. Both non-diapausing and diapausing mites moved away from UV-illuminated patches into dark patches. Nondiapausing mites moved towards VIS-illuminated patches, whereas diapausing mites did not show a preference. Our results show that non-diapausing mites avoid UV and are attracted to VIS, suggesting that this can guide them beneath a leaf. Diapausing mites simply avoid UV. The lack of a preference for VIS during diapause could be due to changes in carotenoid metabolism, which also involve orange pigmentation of diapausing mites. We consider that a diapause-mediated switch of the response to VIS, together with regular avoidance of UV, plays a key role in the seasonal change of habitat selection in this species. This seasonal polyphenism involves alterations in not only reproductive state and pigmentation, but also in photospectral responses.

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“…In other arthropods, males often use visual cues besides chemical cues to find appropriate females as in the rock shrimp, Rhynchocinetes typus and the vine bud moth, Theresimima ampellophaga (Díaz and Thiel 2004;Toshova et al 2013). As eyes of spider mites are primitive and not for forming images but perceive 1969;Mills 1974), spider mites are often thought to rely on chemical and tactile cues much more than visual cues to survive (e.g., Sato et al 2003). However, there is a report that more males approached yellow stimuli sources than non-yellow sources in T. urticae (Royalty et al 1993a).…”

Section: Sex Pheromones and Male Mate Preferencementioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive interference and sensitivity to female pheromones in males and females of two herbivorous mite species

Sato

Alba

2020

Exp Appl Acarol

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Competitive interaction between sister species can be affected by reproductive interference (RI) depending on the ability of males to discriminate conspecific from heterospecific mates. We study such interactions in Tetranychus evansi and T. urticae. These spider mites co-occur on solanaceous plants in Southern Europe, and cause important yield losses in tomato crops. Previous studies using Spanish populations found that T. evansi outcompetes T. urticae, and that this is due to unidirectional RI of T. evansi males with T. urticae females. The unidirectional RI is attributed to differences in male mate preference for conspecific females between the two species. Also, differences in the propensity of interspecific web sharing in females plays a role. To investigate proximate mechanisms of this RI, here we study the role of female pheromones on male mate preference and female web sharing. We extracted pheromones from females of the two species, and investigated if males and females were arrested by the pheromone extractions in various concentrations. We observed that T. urticae males were more sensitive to the pheromone extractions and able to discriminate conspecific from heterospecific ones. Tetranychus evansi males, on the other hand, were less sensitive. Females from both species were arrested by conspecific pheromone extraction in lower concentrations. In conclusion, heterospecific mating by T. evansi males, which results in RI, can be explained by their lack of discrimination between female pheromones of the two species. Differences in the propensity of interspecific web sharing in females might not be explained by the pheromones that we investigated.

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Structure of the visual system of the two-spotted spider-mite, Tetranychus urticae

Cited by 19 publications

References 4 publications

A burst of ABC genes in the genome of the polyphagous spider mite Tetranychus urticae

A burst of ABC genes in the genome of the polyphagous spider mite Tetranychus urticae

Photo-orientation regulates seasonal habitat selection in the two-spotted spider miteTetranychus urticae

Reproductive interference and sensitivity to female pheromones in males and females of two herbivorous mite species

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