3 research outputs found
Unique features of a global human ectoparasite identified through sequencing of the bed bug genome
The bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has re-established itself as a ubiquitous
human ectoparasite throughout much of the world during the past two decades.
This global resurgence is likely linked to increased international travel and
commerce in addition to widespread insecticide resistance. Analyses of the C.
lectularius sequenced genome (650 Mb) and 14,220 predicted protein-coding
genes provide a comprehensive representation of genes that are linked to
traumatic insemination, a reduced chemosensory repertoire of genes related to
obligate hematophagy, host–symbiont interactions, and several mechanisms of
insecticide resistance. In addition, we document the presence of multiple
putative lateral gene transfer events. Genome sequencing and annotation
establish a solid foundation for future research on mechanisms of insecticide
resistance, human–bed bug and symbiont–bed bug associations, and unique
features of bed bug biology that contribute to the unprecedented success of C.
lectularius as a human ectoparasite
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The genome of the water strider Gerris buenoi reveals expansions of gene repertoires associated with adaptations to life on the water
Background: Having conquered water surfaces worldwide, the semi-aquatic bugs occupy ponds, streams, lakes, mangroves, and even open oceans. The diversity of this group has inspired a range of scientific studies from ecology and evolution to developmental genetics and hydrodynamics of fluid locomotion. However, the lack of a representative water strider genome hinders our ability to more thoroughly investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the processes of adaptation and diversification within this group.
Results: Here we report the sequencing and manual annotation of the Gerris buenoi (G. buenoi) genome; the first water strider genome to be sequenced thus far. The size of the G. buenoi genome is approximately 1,000Mb, and this sequencing effort has recovered 20,949 predicted protein-coding genes. Manual annotation uncovered a number of local (tandem and proximal) gene duplications and expansions of gene families known for their importance in a variety of processes associated with morphological and physiological adaptations to a water surface lifestyle. These expansions may affect key processes associated with growth, vision, desiccation resistance, detoxification, olfaction and epigenetic regulation. Strikingly, the G. buenoi genome contains three insulin receptors, suggesting key changes in the rewiring and function of the insulin pathway. Other genomic changes affecting with opsin genes may be associated with wavelength sensitivity shifts in opsins, which is likely to be key in facilitating specific adaptations in vision for diverse water habitats.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that local gene duplications might have played an important role during the evolution of water striders. Along with these findings, the sequencing of the G. buenoi genome now provides us the opportunity to pursue exciting research opportunities to further understand the genomic underpinnings of traits associated with the extreme body plan and life history of water striders
Using Nutritional Geometry to Explore How Social Insects Navigate Nutritional Landscapes
Insects face many cognitive challenges as they navigate nutritional landscapes that comprise their foraging environments with potential food items. The emerging field of nutritional geometry (NG) can help visualize these challenges, as well as the foraging solutions exhibited by insects. Social insect species must also make these decisions while integrating social information (e.g., provisioning kin) and/or offsetting nutrients provisioned to, or received from unrelated mutualists. In this review, we extend the logic of NG to make predictions about how cognitive challenges ramify across these social dimensions. Focusing on ants, we outline NG predictions in terms of fundamental and realized nutritional niches, considering when ants interact with related nestmates and unrelated bacterial, fungal, plant, and insect mutualists. The nutritional landscape framework we propose provides new avenues for hypothesis testing and for integrating cognition research with broader eco-evolutionary principles