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Michael R. Strand - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Copidosoma floridanum hymenoptera encyrtidae rapidly alters production of soldier embryos in response to competition
Annals of The Entomological Society of America, 2017Co-Authors: Margaret Smith, Andrew Shirley, Michael R. StrandAbstract:: Most social insects are free living and produce castes that develop in response to extrinsic environmental cues. Caste-forming polyembryonic insects, in contrast, are all endoparasitoids that form social groups inside the bodies of host insects. The best studied polyembryonic wasp is Copidosoma floridanum (Ashmead), which produces ∼3,000 clonal offspring that develop into two castes named reproductive and soldier larvae. Caste determination in this species is mediated by whether or not embryos inherit primary germ cells (PGCs). Prior results showed that C. floridanum increases the proportion of female soldier larvae it produces per host in response to other parasitoids like Microplitis demolitor. Here we show that caste ratio shifts occur through increased formation of embryos lacking PGCs. Our results further indicated that increased soldier production was a specific response to multiparasitism elicited by the chorion of M. demolitor eggs.
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Higher aggression towards closer relatives by soldier larvae in a polyembryonic wasp.
Biology Letters, 2014Co-Authors: Johanna Dunn, Derek W. Dunn, Michael R. Strand, Ian C.w. HardyAbstract:In the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma floridanum, females commonly lay one male and one female egg in a lepidopteran host. Both sexes proliferate clonally within the growing host larva. Distinct lar...
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Phenotypically plastic traits regulate caste formation and soldier function in polyembryonic wasps
Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 2010Co-Authors: Margaret Snoke Smith, Ian Milton, Michael R. StrandAbstract:Polyembryonic encyrtid wasps are parasitoids that have evolved a clonal form of embryogenesis and a caste system where some progeny become reproducing wasps whereas others develop into a sterile soldier caste. Theory based on the biology of Copidosoma floridanum predicts that the primary role of soldier larvae is to mediate conflict over sex ratio, which also favours female-biased soldier production. Other data, however, suggest that female-biased soldier production reflects a developmental constraint. Here, we assessed whether female-biased soldier function by polyembryonic wasps reflects sex-specific adaptation or constraint by conducting comparative studies with Copidosoma bakeri, a species that produces clutch sizes similar to C. floridanum yet rarely produces broods associated with sex ratio conflict. Our results indicate that the oviposition behaviour of adults, development of progeny and function of soldier larvae differ greatly between C. bakeri and C. floridanum. These findings indicate that caste formation and soldier function in polyembryonic encyrtid wasps are regulated by phenotypically plastic traits. Our results further suggest that the primary function of the soldier caste in some species is defence of host resources from competitors whereas in others it is the resolution of sex ratio conflict.
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male soldier caste larvae are non aggressive in the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma floridanum
Biology Letters, 2007Co-Authors: David Giron, Jeffrey A Harvey, Jena Anne Johnson, Michael R. StrandAbstract:Polyembryonic wasps are the only parasitoids in which sociality has evolved. Theory implicates both competition and sex ratio manipulation in the evolution of a sterile soldier caste. However, investment in soldiers by males and females is predicted to differ depending upon how offspring are allocated to hosts and the mating system. Here, we compared male and female soldiers in the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma floridanum. We found that male and female soldiers are morphologically identical. Unlike females, however, male soldiers were non-aggressive towards all competitors. We discuss these results in relation to theory and polyembryonic wasp biology.
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costs and consequences of superparasitism in the polyembryonic parasitoid Copidosoma koehleri hymenoptera encyrtidae
Ecological Entomology, 2006Co-Authors: Tamar Keasar, Michael R. Strand, Shimon Steinberg, David Giron, Michal Segoli, Amos Bouskila, Roi Barak, Ally R HarariAbstract:1. Polyembryonic wasps provide dramatic examples of intra-specific developmental conflict. In these parasitoids, each egg proliferates into a clonal lineage of genetically identical larvae. If more than one egg is laid in a host (superparasitism), individuals of different clones may compete for food resources. 2. In the polyembryonic encyrtid Copidosoma koehleri, one larva per clone can differentiate into a sterile soldier. It is shown that soldiers are always females, and that they attack intra-specific competitors. 3. Research hypotheses were that (a) clones that develop in superparasitised hosts suffer heavier mortality than clones that develop in singly parasitised hosts, and (b) female clones cause higher mortality to their competitors than male clones, hence larval survival is lower in superparasitised hosts that contain females than in male-only broods. 4. The potential frequency of superparasitism in C. koehleri was manipulated by varying parasitoid-host ratios and exposure durations. 5. As parasitoid densities and exposure durations increased, the frequency of superparasitism rose, brood sizes increased, but the number of hosts that completed development was reduced. The number of offspring per parasitoid female decreased with increasing parasitoid-host ratios. Offspring size and longevity were inversely correlated with brood size. As superparasitism rates increased, fewer all-male broods were produced. Male-female broods were female-biased, suggesting selective killing of males by female soldiers. All-female broods were significantly smaller than all-male broods at high parasitoid densities only, possibly reflecting aggression among soldiers of competing clones. 6. The results support the working hypotheses, and suggest that female larvae outcompete males in superparasitised hosts.
Tamar Keasar - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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State-dependent host acceptance in the parasitoid Copidosoma koehleri: the effect of intervals between host encounters
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2015Co-Authors: Miriam Kishinevsky, Tamar KeasarAbstract:Choosing suitable hosts is an important component of parasitoid fitness. Many parasitoids reject already-parasitized hosts. In some species, females reject hosts in which they had recently oviposited, but accept these hosts minutes or hours later. Parasitoids were suggested to mark hosts with repellent pheromones at oviposition and to accept them again after the mark fades. We tested a complementary hypothesis, stating that parasitoids’ host acceptance thresholds decrease with time since their previous oviposition because of a change in internal state, independent of the hosts’ deterrent marking. We scored the acceptance of hosts (eggs of the moth Phthorimaea operculella , Gelechiidae) by Copidosoma koehleri (Encyrtidae) parasitoids in single-choice experiments. Acceptance of self-parasitized (low-quality) hosts increased with time since the wasps’ previous host encounter. The wasps accepted two non-parasitized (high-quality) hosts within a 5-s presentation interval, indicating that they are physiologically able to oviposit twice in quick succession. Parasitized hosts, presented after varying time intervals to conspecifics with uniform host encounter experience, were accepted at similar frequencies. However, as predicted by the working hypothesis, increasing the time elapsed since the wasps’ last oviposition significantly enhanced the acceptance rates of hosts that had been parasitized by conspecifics 2 min earlier. Learning of host-associated cues during oviposition may enable wasps to identify and reject parasitized hosts, while fading of this association from their short-term memory during periods with no host encounters could trigger acceptance of parasitized hosts. State-dependent host acceptance may adaptively allow wasps to avoid self-superparasitism and to adjust conspecific superparasitism rates to foraging conditions.
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host choice decisions in the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma koehleri hymenoptera encyrtidae
Physiological Entomology, 2010Co-Authors: Michal Segoli, Tamar Keasar, Amos Bouskila, Ally R HarariAbstract:Female parasitoids often reject hosts of poor quality, where the survival and fitness of their offspring are expected to be low. In polyembryonic parasitoid wasps, a clone of genetically identical embryos develops from one egg in a host. In the wasp Copidosoma koehleri, each female clone produces one soldier larva that attacks competing clones inside the host. Aggression by soldiers is directed usually towards unrelated clones. Accordingly, it may be predicted that females will prefer nonparasitized over parasitized hosts, especially if the latter have been parasitized previously by a mated unrelated female, as a result of the reduced chances of survival for their offspring inside these hosts. In accordance with these predictions, females prefer nonparasitized hosts over self-parasitized hosts when they are presented simultaneously. By contrast to the predictions, females prefer hosts parasitized by an unrelated conspecific over nonparasitized hosts when presented simultaneously. Females do not distinguish hosts parasitized by conspecifics from self-parasitized hosts when presented simultaneously. They reject self-parasitized hosts significantly more often than hosts parasitized by conspecifics when each host type is presented alone. Females faced with two previously parasitized hosts are not affected in their choice by the mating status (i.e. virgin or mated) of the previous parasitizing females. The combined results suggest that females are limited in their ability to assess the risk that their offspring will be attacked by a soldier, or that this risk is balanced by the relative advantages of ovipositing in a host parasitized by conspecifics. A possible advantage may be increased out-breeding opportunities for the emerging offspring.
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Host Handling Time in a Polyembryonic Wasp is Affected both by Previous Experience and by Host State (Parasitized or Not)
Journal of Insect Behavior, 2009Co-Authors: Michal Segoli, Amos Bouskila, Ally R Harari, Tamar KeasarAbstract:Foraging behavior for hosts in parasitoids resembles that of predators with respect to finding, evaluating and manipulating of the prey. Host handling time may depend on the life history of the parasitoid and can be affected by oviposition experience. Additionally, handling time can be affected by host aggregation, species, size and state (parasitized or not). We studied handling times in the egg-larval parasitoid wasp Copidosoma koehleri. We allowed naïve female wasps to oviposit into three consecutive unparasitized hosts, and measured time until oviposition, and the duration of ovipositor insertion. We recorded the same data for naïve females ovipositing into already parasitized hosts. We found that both previous experience by females and previous parasitism of hosts reduced handling time. The results suggest that host handling durations reflect the interplay between host state and parasitoid internal state.
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developmental patterns in the polyembryonic parasitoid wasp Copidosoma koehleri
Arthropod Structure & Development, 2009Co-Authors: Michal Segoli, Amos Bouskila, Ally R Harari, Tamar KeasarAbstract:Polyembryony is a unique mode of development in which multiple genetically identical embryos develop from a single egg. In some polyembryonic species a proportion of the embryos develop into soldier larvae, which attack competitors in the host. We studied the development of the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma koehleri in its host Phthorimaea opercullela. We dissected hosts parasitized by either virgin or mated female wasps at 2 day intervals from hatching to the final instars. We documented host mass and head width, the number and size of developing wasps and the presence of a soldier larva. Additionally, we kept a sample of parasitized hosts until emergence of wasps and measured the head width of emerging adults. We characterized wasp development in relation to host development. One half of the broods produced by mated wasps contained one soldier larva throughout development. This suggests that in C. koehleri each female brood produces a single soldier larva, and that the soldier probably survives and grows gradually during host development. Additionally, we found that female broods were larger than male broods during development and also upon emergence. Accordingly, body size was larger for males during development as well as upon emergence. These findings may extend the existing knowledge on polyembryonic development in general, and serve as a baseline for further experiments.
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evaluation of the parasitoid Copidosoma koehleri for biological control of the potato tuber moth phthorimaea operculella in israeli potato fields
Biocontrol Science and Technology, 2008Co-Authors: Tamar Keasar, Shimon SteinbergAbstract:Abstract The potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a major agricultural pest of solaneceous crops in warm countries worldwide. The encyrtid polyembryonic parasitoid Copidosoma koehleri (Blanchard) has been successfully introduced for biological control of the moth in potato fields in South Africa and Australia; however, augmentative releases of the parasitoid in trial plots and in commercial potato fields in Israel did not reduce pest populations or infestation levels more than chemical treatment. Copidosoma koehleri accounted for 4–5% of parasitism on tuber moth caterpillars, while most parasitism was due to local species of larval parasitoids. The abundance and composition of local parasitoids did not differ between C. koehleri release plots and conventionally treated control plots. These findings can be interpreted as failure of the introduced parasitoids to survive and locate their hosts, or as mortality of C. koehleri within hosts in the field. Sentinel host...
Adi Sadeh - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the parasitoid Copidosoma koehleri provides limited control of the potato tuber moth phthorimaea operculella in stored potatoes
Biological Control, 2007Co-Authors: Tamar Keasar, Adi SadehAbstract:Abstract The potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) is a major pest of potatoes in the field, and of tubers stored under ambient temperatures post-harvest. The encyrtid parasitoid Copidosoma koehleri (Blanchard) effectively controls the pest in the field in some countries. We tested whether C. koehleri can also reduce tuber moth populations in storage. Tubers stored indoors and outdoors in Israel, under controlled initial tuber moth infestation levels, received 1–2 releases of adult parasitoids during an eight-week storage period. Tubers were repeatedly sampled for infestation, and reared out until adult insect emergence. In the indoor storage experiment, parasitoid populations increased and tuber moth populations were significantly reduced. Nevertheless, tuber infestation reached 100% in C. koehleri-treated tubers and in untreated controls. In potatoes stored in heaps outdoors, parasitized hosts were rarely recovered, and infestation levels of parasitoid-treated heaps did not differ from untreated controls. We discuss possible reasons for C. koehleri’s limited efficiency as a biological control agent.
Emilio Guerrieri - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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New records, descriptions and notes on Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Iran.
Zootaxa, 2018Co-Authors: Emilio Guerrieri, Hassan GhahariAbstract:New additions to the Iranian fauna are reported. Three new species of Encyrtidae, Anagyrus osmoi sp. nov., Metaphycus prengoi sp. nov., and Microterys obricoi sp. nov., are described. Three new records, Anagyrus saccharicola Timberlake, 1932, Copidosoma filicorne (Dalman, 1820) and Paranathrix acanthococci (Myartseva, 1977) and one note are reported.
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preliminary phylogeny of the genus Copidosoma hymenoptera encyrtidae polyembryonic parasitoids of lepidoptera
Systematic Entomology, 2014Co-Authors: Fang Yu, Fuqiang Chen, Lihong Tu, Emilio Guerrieri, Yanzhou ZhangAbstract:The genus Copidosoma (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae) is a diverse group of polyembryonic parasitoids of Lepidoptera, including species that have the potential to control agricultural and forestry pests. Moreover, some species of Copidosoma display polyembryony. Despite their economic and scientific importance, little is known about the phylogeny of Copidosoma and its relations to other groups of Encyrtidae. Here we infer the phylogenetic relationships of this genus from nucleotide sequences of two nuclear (18S and 28S) and one mitochondrial (COI) genes. Forty-four species of Copidosoma and three species of Copidosomopsis plus two outgroup species are included in Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analyses. Copidosomopsis syn. n. is proposed as a junior synonym of Copidosoma based on phylogenetic analysis results. Each of nine identical clades, resulting from both analyses, is proposed as informal species group: cervius group (cervius, chalconotum and serricorne), recovered as the basal lineage of Copidosoma; nacoleiae group (nacoleaie, meridionalis and an undescribed species, formerly belonging to the genus Copidosomopsis); boucheanum group (boucheanum, terebrator, peticus, phaloniae, ancharus, tibiale and sosares); noyesi group (noyesi and probably undescribed related species); albipes group (albipes and coimbatorense); varicorne group (including varicorne and subalbicorne in one subclade, and aretas and fuscisquama in the other); thebe group (thebe and probably undescribed related species); exiguum group (exiguum and probably undescribed related species); floridanum group (floridanum, primulum, transversum, truncatellum and agrotis). Host associations of the genus and host specificity of recognized groups are discussed. The current work offers a foundation for a comprehensive phylogeny of Copidosoma and the possibility to reconstruct cophylogeny between Copidosoma and their lepidopteran hosts.
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the norwegian species of Copidosoma ratzeburg hymenoptera chalcidoidea encyrtidae
Zootaxa, 2013Co-Authors: George Japoshvili, Lars Ove Hansen, Emilio GuerrieriAbstract:The species of Copidosoma Ratzeburg (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) are reviewed for Norway. Sixteen species are recognized, of which one, Copidosoma longicaudata sp. nov. , is newly described, illustrated and compared with closely related species. Seven species represent new distribution records for Norway— C. aithyia (Walker), C. genale (Thomson), C. herbaceum Mercet, C. primulum (Mercet), C. radnense Erdős, C. thebe (Walker) and C. truncatellum (Dalman). An illustrated dichotomous key for the identification of both sexes of Norwegian Copidosoma is presented.
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a revision of european Copidosoma ratzeburg hymenoptera chalcidoidea encyrtidae some corrections and a description of Copidosoma tremblayi sp nov
Systematic Entomology, 2006Co-Authors: Emilio Guerrieri, John S NoyesAbstract:. One invalid lectotype designation proposed in a recent revision of European species of Copidosoma is validated (Encyrtus geniculatus Dalman) and four incorrectly cited designations are corrected (C. peninsulare Mercet, E. filicornis Dalman, E. flagellaris Dalman, E. machaeras Walker). One species, C. tremblayi, is described as new.
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revision of the european species of Copidosoma ratzeburg hymenoptera encyrtidae parasitoids of caterpillars lepidoptera
Systematic Entomology, 2005Co-Authors: Emilio Guerrieri, John S NoyesAbstract:. The genus Copidosoma includes species that have the potential to be used as biocontrol agents of lepidopteran pests. Regardless of their importance and the high number of species described from Europe, this is the first time that a complete revision at European level has been conducted. Fifty-six European species of Copidosoma are revised. Seven species are described as new, i.e. athepi (France), charon (France), firli (Czech Republic), ortyx (Portugal), shawi (Netherlands), zolta (Spain), zdeneki (Spain). Thirty-nine new specific synonymies are proposed, i.e. alexandri (of sosares), batorligetensis (of varicorne), bohemicum (of terebrator), brevicaudae (of peticus), buyssoni (of peticus), clavellatus (of varicorne), claviger (of thebe), crassicorne (of radnense), cultriformis (of boucheanum), flavomaculatus (of peticus), fulvipes (of thebe), geniculatus (of filicorne), giganteum (of terebrator), glandiferellae (of filicorne), hartmanni (of sosares), hilare (of boucheanum), hydramon (of aithyia), incertum (of peticus), innocuellae (of albipes), intermedius (of floridanum), jamansaiense (of peticus), kisilkumense (of peticus), kriechbaumeri (of aithyia), lembolovicum (of aretas), machaeras (of babas), matritense (of dius), moldavicus (of cervius), montanum (of filicorne), montanum minor (of herbaceum), nanellae (of ancharus), nanus (of primulum), obscurus (of primulum), phalaenarum (of aithyia), phithra (of chalconotum), prasinum (of arenarium), salicinus (of aithyia), savsdargi (of iracundum), triangularis (of peticus), woronieckae (of peticus), and one new combination (heliothis (Liao) from Litomastix). Lectotypes are designated for eight species (buyssoni, didius, kriechbaumeri, machaeras, mitreus, nanellae, telesto, tibiale). A dichotomous key is provided to facilitate the identification of females and males. Each species is further characterized by a description, and figures and notes are provided on their known distribution and hosts. An overview of the biology of the genus is given in addition to a host–parasitoid index for all known European species.
Kikuo Iwabuchi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Polyembryony in Encyrtid Parasitoids
Polyembryonic Insects, 2020Co-Authors: Kikuo IwabuchiAbstract:The phenomenon of polyembryony in insects was first recognized by Marchal (1898) in the chalcidoid family Encyrtidae. This large family of small, solitary egg–larval endoparasitoids includes 460 genera, two of which exhibit polyembryony: Ageniaspis and Copidosoma (Ivanova-Kasas 1972).
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analysis of molecular mechanism for acceleration of polyembryony using gene functional annotation pipeline in Copidosoma floridanum
BMC Genomics, 2020Co-Authors: Takuma Sakamoto, Maaya Nishiko, Hidemasa Bono, Hiroko Tabunoki, Jin Yoshimura, Takeru Nakazato, Kikuo IwabuchiAbstract:Polyembryony is defined as the formation of several embryos from a single egg. This phenomenon can occur in humans, armadillo, and some endoparasitoid insects. However, the mechanism underlying polyembryogenesis in animals remains to be elucidated. The polyembryonic parasitoid wasp Copidosoma floridanum oviposits its egg into an egg of the host insect; eventually, over 2000 individuals will arise from one egg. Previously, we reported that polyembryogenesis is enhanced when the juvenile hormone (JH) added to the culture medium in the embryo culture. Hence, in the present study, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis to investigate the molecular mechanisms controlling polyembryogenesis of C. floridanum. Functional annotation of genes is not fully available for C.floridanum; however, whole genome assembly has been archived. Hence, we constructed a pipeline for gene functional annotation in C. floridanum and performed molecular network analysis. We analyzed differentially expressed genes between control and JH-treated molura after 48 h of culture, then used the tblastx program to assign whole C. floridanum transcripts to human gene. We obtained 11,117 transcripts in the JH treatment group and identified 217 differentially expressed genes compared with the control group. As a result, 76% of C. floridanum transcripts were assigned to human genes. Gene enrichment analysis revealed genes associated with platelet degranulation, fatty acid biosynthesis, cell morphogenesis in the differentiation and integrin signaling pathways were fluctuated following JH treatment. Furthermore, Cytoscape analysis revealed a molecular interaction that was possibly associated with polyembryogenesis . We have constructed a pipeline for gene functional annotation of C. floridanum, and identified transcripts with high similarity to human genes during early embryo developmental. Additionally, this study reveals new molecular interactions associated with polyembryogenesis; these interactions could indicate the molecular mechanisms underlying polyembryony. Our results highlight the potential utility of molecular interaction analysis in human twins.
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Analysis of molecular mechanism for acceleration of polyembryony using gene functional annotation pipeline in Copidosoma floridanum
2020Co-Authors: Takuma Sakamoto, Maaya Nishiko, Hidemasa Bono, Hiroko Tabunoki, Jin Yoshimura, Takeru Nakazato, Kikuo IwabuchiAbstract:Abstract Background: Polyembryony is defined as the formation of several embryos from a single egg. This phenomenon can occur in humans, armadillo, and some endoparasitoid insects. However, the mechanism underlying polyembryogenesis in animals remains to be elucidated. The polyembryonic parasitoid wasp Copidosoma floridanum oviposits its egg into an egg of the host insect; eventually, over 2,000 individuals will arise from one egg. Previously, we reported that polyembryogenesis is enhanced when the juvenile hormone (JH) added to the culture medium in the embryo culture. Hence, in the present study, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis to investigate the molecular mechanisms controlling polyembryogenesis of C. floridanum . Functional annotation of genes is not fully available for C.floridanum ; however, whole genome assembly has been archived. Hence, we constructed a pipeline for gene functional annotation in C. floridanum and performed molecular network analysis. We analyzed differentially expressed genes between control and JH-treated molura after 48 h of culture, then used the tblastx program to assign whole C. floridanum transcripts to human gene. Results: We obtained 11,117 transcripts in the JH treatment group and identified 217 differentially expressed genes compared with the control group. As a result, 76% of C. floridanum transcripts were assigned to human genes. Gene enrichment analysis revealed genes associated with platelet degranulation, fatty acid biosynthesis, cell morphogenesis in the differentiation and integrin signaling pathways were fluctuated following JH treatment. Furthermore, Cytoscape analysis revealed a molecular interaction that was possibly associated with polyembryogenesis . Conclusions: We have constructed a pipeline for gene functional annotation of C. floridanum , and identified transcripts with high similarity to human genes during early embryo developmental. Additionally, this study reveals new molecular interactions associated with polyembryogenesis; these interactions could indicate the molecular mechanisms underlying polyembryony. Our results highlight the potential utility of molecular interaction analysis in human twins.
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Analysis of molecular mechanism for acceleration of polyembryony using gene functional annotation pipeline in Copidosoma floridanum
2019Co-Authors: Takuma Sakamoto, Maaya Nishiko, Hidemasa Bono, Hiroko Tabunoki, Jin Yoshimura, Takeru Nakazato, Kikuo IwabuchiAbstract:Abstract Background: Polyembryony is defined as the formation of several embryos from a single egg. This phenomenon can occur in humans, armadillo, and some endoparasitoid insects. However, the mechanism underlying polyembryogenesis in animals remains to be elucidated. The polyembryonic parasitoid wasp Copidosoma floridanum oviposits its egg into an egg of the host insect; eventually, over 2,000 individuals will arise from one egg. Previously, we reported that polyembryogenesis is enhanced when the juvenile hormone (JH) added to the culture medium in the embryo culture. Hence, in the present study, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis to investigate the molecular mechanisms controlling polyembryogenesis of C. floridanum . Functional gene annotation is not available for C. floridanum because whole-genome sequencing has not been achieved. Hence, we constructed a pipeline for gene functional annotation in C. floridanum and performed molecular network analysis. We analyzed differentially expressed genes between control and JH-treated molura after 48 h of culture, then used the tblastx program to assign whole C. floridanum transcripts to human gene. Results: We obtained 11,117 transcripts in the JH treatment group and identified 217 differentially expressed genes compared with the control group. As a result, 76% of C. floridanum transcripts were assigned to human genes. Gene enrichment analysis revealed genes associated with platelet degranulation and fatty acid biosynthesis to be upregulated, while cell morphogenesis in the differentiation and integrin signaling pathways were suppressed following JH treatment. Furthermore, Cytoscape analysis revealed a molecular interaction that was possibly associated with polyembryogenesis . Conclusions: We have constructed a pipeline for gene functional annotation of C. floridanum , and identified transcripts with high homology to human genes during early embryo developmental. Additionally, this study reveals new molecular interactions associated with polyembryogenesis; these interactions could indicate the molecular mechanisms underlying polyembryony. Our results highlight the potential utility of molecular interaction analysis in human twins.
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Analysis of molecular mechanism for acceleration of polyembryony using gene functional annotation pipeline in Copidosoma floridanum
2019Co-Authors: Takuma Sakamoto, Maaya Nishiko, Hidemasa Bono, Hiroko Tabunoki, Jin Yoshimura, Takeru Nakazato, Kikuo IwabuchiAbstract:Abstract Background: Polyembryony, when several embryos are clonally produced from a single egg, is found in humans, armadillo, and some endoparasitoid insects. Thus, although polyembryony is conserved through insects to mammals, the polyembryogenesis progress remains obscure in these animals. The polyembryonic parasitoid wasp Copidosoma floridanum oviposits its egg into the host insect egg, and, eventually, >2000 individuals occur from one egg. We reported previously that polyembryogenesis was enhanced by juvenile hormone (JH) treatment under the culture condition. Hence, we performed RNA-Seq analysis to elucidate the molecular mechanisms in controlling polyembryogenesis using C. floridanum. Nevertheless, C. floridanum genes do not have a functional gene annotation because of partial whole-genome sequence elucidation. Hence, we constructed a gene functional annotation pipeline for C. floridanum and performed a molecular network analysis in C. floridanum. Results: We extracted fluctuated genes from control and JH treatment molura after 48-h culture to assess molecular mechanisms in polyembryogenesis. Consequently, we obtained 11,117 transcripts and 217 differentially expressed genes in the JH treatment group compared with the control group. Whereas, we used the blastp program to assign whole C. floridanum transcripts to human gene. Remarkably, 76% of C. floridanum transcripts were assigned to human genes. Moreover, we determined platelet degranulation and fatty acid biosynthetic process, suppressing cell morphogenesis involved in the differentiation and integrin signaling pathway by the gene enrichment analysis in the JH treatment group compared with the control group. Furthermore, we noted that molecular interaction possibly associated with polyembryogenesis using Cytoscape. Conclusions: In this study, we constructed C. floridanum gene functional annotation pipeline and C. floridanum transcripts shared with homology to human genes during early embryo developmental stage. Additionally, this study establishes new molecular interactions associated with polyembryogenesis; these molecules could elucidate molecular mechanism in polyembryony, suggesting a possibility of using the molecular interaction in twinning of humans.