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Gut bacteria induce oviposition preference through ovipositor recognition in fruit fly
Muyang He1, Huimin Chen1, Xiaorui Yang1
1Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
Communications Biology
|September 15, 2022
Summary
Gut bacteria can actively attract insects like the fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis using specific chemical signals. This discovery reveals a novel mechanism for insect-associated bacteria transmission.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Entomology
- Chemical Ecology
Background:
- Gut bacteria are crucial for insect development and survival.
- Understanding insect-microbe interactions, including transmission routes, is vital.
- The active attraction of insects by their gut bacteria remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the chemical communication between the fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis and its gut bacterium Citrobacter sp. (CF-BD).
- To elucidate the mechanisms by which gut bacteria might actively attract their insect hosts.
- To identify the recognition pathways involved in this host-microbe interaction.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of chemical interactions between Bactrocera dorsalis and Citrobacter sp. (CF-BD).
- Investigation of vertical transmission of CF-BD via host oviposition.
- Identification of volatile compounds produced by CF-BD and their effect on B. dorsalis egg-laying behavior.
- Examination of olfactory gene expression in B. dorsalis ovipositors.
Main Results:
- Citrobacter sp. (CF-BD) influences the reproductive development of Bactrocera dorsalis.
- CF-BD is vertically transmitted from parent to offspring through host oviposition.
- CF-BD produces 3-hexenyl acetate (3-HA), which attracts B. dorsalis to lay eggs in host fruits.
- B. dorsalis possesses olfactory genes in its ovipositors that recognize 3-HA, facilitating direct detection of CF-BD.
Conclusions:
- Gut bacteria can actively recruit their insect hosts through chemical signaling.
- The production of 3-HA by Citrobacter sp. is a key mechanism for attracting Bactrocera dorsalis.
- Bactrocera dorsalis uses specific olfactory cues in its ovipositor to recognize and interact with its gut bacterium, revealing a novel transmission strategy.
