Diversity, ecology and biotechnological potential of the symbiotic bacteriofauna associated with insects

• Grant number: 11/50877-0
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Luis Cônsoli
• Grantee: Fernando Luis Cônsoli
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Celso Omoto ; Luiz Alberto Beraldo de Moraes ; Marcelo Brocchi
• Associated scholarship(s): 13/23155-0 - Diversity, ecology and biotechnological potential of the symbiotic bacteriofauna associated with insects, BP.PD

Abstract

Insects are well known organisms by their abundance and correspond to more than half of the biological diversity in Earth. The species richness and the diversity of modes of life of insects are a result of a series of adaptations during their evolutionary history, but the diversification in their life histories were quite influenced by their association with symbiotic microorganism. Insect symbionts allowed insects to 1) exploit unsuitable or low quality nutritional resources (cellulose, hairs, keratin), 2) recycle nitrogen, 3) degrade defensive plant secondary compounds, and yet 4) to provide protection to insects against pathogens and entomophages. The diversity of relationships insects and symbionts established indicate an insect harbors a rich microbiota. The diversity of microbes and the different roles they may play points to the existence of key bioecological processes of insects, such as development, growth, nutrition, immune defense, host utilization, among other, that may all be influenced by their associated micro biota. Therefore, given the large number of interactions among insects and their symbionts, the micro biota associated with insects represents an almost untapped source of bioactive molecules for biotechnological exploitation in Agriculture and Medicine, as also indicated in our initial research. In this project, we propose to investigate the diversity of bacteria associated with different species of insects, establish several ecological aspects of their interactions with their insect hosts and to search molecules (enzymes, antibiotics, insecticides) for biotechnological exploitation. Enzymes are expected to serve in the 1) hydrolysis of lignocellulose for ethanol production or 2) in the degradaton of pesticides for bioremediation programs. Antibiotics will be sought against several antibiotic-resistant pathogens to human, while molecules with have insectice activity will have insect pests as a target. (AU)

Scientific publications

(17)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SCOPEL, WANESSA; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Culturable symbionts associated with the reproductive and digestive tissues of the Neotropical brown stinkbug Euschistus heros. ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENERAL AND MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, v. 111, n. 12, p. 2413-2424, DEC 2018. (11/50877-0)

FREITAS GOMES, ANA FLAVIA; OMOTO, CELSO; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Gut bacteria of field-collected larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda undergo selection and are more diverse and active in metabolizing multiple insecticides than laboratory-selected resistant strains. JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE, v. 93, n. 2, JAN 2020. (17/50455-5, 11/50877-0)

GUIDOLIN, A. S.; CONSOLI, F. L.. Diversity of the Most Commonly Reported Facultative Symbionts in Two Closely-Related Aphids with Different Host Ranges. Neotropical Entomology, v. 47, n. 4, p. 440-446, AUG 2018. (12/04287-0, 11/50877-0)

ZUCCHI, TIAGO D.; ALMEIDA, LUIS G.; MORAES, LUIZ A. B.; CONSOLI, FERNANDO L.. Albocycline, the main bioactive compound from Propionicimonas sp ENT-18 against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS, v. 52, p. 264-268, JAN 2014. (11/14333-6, 11/50877-0)

CANOVAS MARTINEZ, ANA FLAVIA; DE ALMEIDA, LUIS GUSTAVO; BERALDO MORAES, LUIZ ALBERTO; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Tapping the biotechnological potential of insect microbial symbionts: new insecticidal porphyrins. BMC Microbiology, v. 17, JUN 27 2017. (11/50877-0, 14/21584-3)

A. S. GUIDOLIN; F. L. CÔNSOLI. Custo adaptativo induzido por Spiroplasma em Aphis citricidus em duas plantas hospedeiras. Brazilian Journal of Biology, v. 80, n. 2, p. 311-318, 2019-07-04. (11/50877-0, 12/04287-0)

GOMES, ANA FLAVIA FREITAS; DE ALMEIDA, LUIS GUSTAVO; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Comparative Genomics of Pesticide-Degrading Enterococcus Symbionts of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Leads to the Identification of Two New Species and the Reappraisal of Insect-Associated Enterococcus Species. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY, v. N/A, p. 23-pg., 2023-07-11. (10/13714-3, 18/21155-6, 11/50877-0)

CANOVAS MARTINEZ, ANA FLAVIA; DE ALMEIDA, LUIS GUSTAVO; BERALDO MORAES, LUIZ ALBERTO; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Microbial Diversity and Chemical Multiplicity of Culturable, Taxonomically Similar Bacterial Symbionts of the Leaf-Cutting Ant Acromyrmex coronatus. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY, v. 77, n. 4, p. 1067-1081, MAY 2019. (14/21584-3, 11/50877-0)

GUIDOLIN, ALINE SARTORI; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Symbiont Diversity of Aphis (Toxoptera) citricidus (Hemiptera: Aphididae) as Influenced by Host Plants. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY, v. 73, n. 1, p. 201-210, JAN 2017. (12/04287-0, 11/50877-0)

DE ALMEIDA, LUIS GUSTAVO; BERALDO DE MORAES, LUIZ ALBERTO; TRIGO, JOSE ROBERTO; OMOTO, CELSO; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. The gut microbiota of insecticide-resistant insects houses insecticide-degrading bacteria: A potential source for biotechnological exploitation. PLoS One, v. 12, n. 3, MAR 30 2017. (10/13714-3, 11/50877-0)

ALDA DOSSI, FABIO CLEISTO; DA SILVA, EDNEY PEREIRA; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Shifting the Balance: Heat Stress Challenges the Symbiotic Interactions of the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera, Liviidae). BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN, v. 235, n. 3, p. 195-203, DEC 2018. (11/50877-0)

ALDA DOSSI, FABIO CLEISTO; DA SILVA, EDNEY PEREIRA; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Population Dynamics and Growth Rates of Endosymbionts During Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera, Liviidae) Ontogeny. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY, v. 68, n. 4, p. 881-889, NOV 2014. (11/50877-0)

GUIDOLIN, ALINE SARTORI; CATALDI, THAIS REGIANI; LABATE, CARLOS ALBERTO; FRANCIS, FREDERIC; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Spiroplasma affects host aphid proteomics feeding on two nutritional resources. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 8, FEB 6 2018. (12/04287-0, 14/12067-5, 11/50877-0)

ROSSI, GUILHERME DUARTE; ZUCCHI, TIAGO DOMINGUES; GUIDOLIN, ALINE SARTORI; PERUCHI, ALINE; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Chitin-degrading enzymes from an actinomycete ectosymbiont of Acromyrmex subterraneus brunneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). ANNALS OF MICROBIOLOGY, v. 65, n. 1, p. 565-574, MAR 2015. (11/50877-0, 11/14333-6, 10/13675-8, 12/04287-0)

DE OLIVEIRA, NATHALIA CAVICHIOLLI; CONSOLI, FERNANDO LUIS. Dysbiosis of the larval gut microbiota of Spodoptera frugiperda strains feeding on different host plants. SYMBIOSIS, v. N/A, p. 15-pg., 2023-02-06. (11/50877-0, 17/24377-7)

OLIVEIRA, NATHALIA C.; PHELAN, LARRY; LABATE, CARLOS A.; CONSOLI, FERNANDO L.. Non-targeted metabolomics reveals differences in the gut metabolic profile of the fall armyworm strains when feeding different food sources. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY, v. 139, p. 9-pg., 2022-05-23. (11/50877-0, 17/24377-7)

OLIVEIRA, NATHALIA C.; RODRIGUES, PEDRO A. P.; CONSOLI, FERNANDO L.. Host-Adapted Strains of Spodoptera frugiperda Hold and Share a Core Microbial Community Across the Western Hemisphere. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY, v. N/A, p. 12-pg., 2022-04-15. (11/50877-0, 17/24377-7)