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Differences in microbiome composition and transcriptome profiles between male and female Paederus fuscipes harbouring
Xuhao Song1,2,3, Tingbang Yang1,2, Chuang Zhou3,4
1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China.
Abstract:
Pederin, a group of antitumor compounds, is produced by an endosymbiotic bacterium of Paederus fuscipes. Pederin content differed between male and female P. fuscipes, but the reason why these differences are maintained remains unexplored. Here, the pederin-producing bacteria (PPB) infection rate in P. fuscipes was investigated. Furthermore, we assessed the microbiota structure differences in male and female P. fuscipes harbouring PPB and sequenced the transcriptome of both sexes to shed light on genes of interest. Of the 625 analysed beetles (275 females, 350 males), 96.36% of females and 31.14% of males were positive for PPB infection. PPB accounted for 54.36%-82.70% of the bacterial population in females but showed a much lower abundance in males (0.92%-3.87%). Reproductive organs possessed the highest PPB abundance compared with other parts of females, but no such relationships existed in males. Moreover, we provide the first transcriptome analysis of male and female P. fuscipes harbouring PPB and identified 8893 differentially expressed unigenes. Our results indicated that the pederin content difference between males and females might be caused by the PPB density difference in hosts. The biosequence data would be helpful for illustrating the mechanism that regulates PPB density in P. fuscipes.
Insights
Female Paederus fuscipes beetles harbor significantly higher densities of pederin-producing bacteria (PPB) than males. This bacterial density difference likely explains the varying pederin compound levels observed between sexes.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Chemical Ecology
- Entomology
Background:
- Pederin, an antitumor compound, is produced by endosymbiotic bacteria in Paederus fuscipes beetles.
- Pederin levels differ between male and female beetles, but the underlying reasons are unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate pederin-producing bacteria (PPB) infection rates in male and female P. fuscipes.
- Analyze microbiota structure and gene expression differences in relation to PPB presence.
- Elucidate the mechanism behind sex-specific pederin content variations.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed PPB infection rates in 625 P. fuscipes beetles (275 females, 350 males).
- Assessed microbiota structure and PPB abundance in different beetle tissues.
- Performed transcriptome sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes.
Main Results:
- High PPB infection rates observed in females (96.36%) compared to males (31.14%).
- PPB constituted a major portion of the female bacterial population (54.36%-82.70%) but was minimal in males (0.92%-3.87%).
- Highest PPB abundance in female reproductive organs; no such pattern in males.
- Identified 8893 differentially expressed unigenes between sexes.
Conclusions:
- Sex-specific differences in PPB density are the likely cause for varying pederin content in P. fuscipes.
- The generated biosequence data offers insights into the regulation of PPB density in these beetles.
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