Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech-Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Centre for Molecular and Functional Ecology, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.
Arch Insect Biochem Physiol. 2024 Oct;117(2):e22154. doi: 10.1002/arch.22154.
The English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, is a significant agricultural pest affecting wheat, barley, and oats. In Chile, the most prevalent and persistent clone (superclone) of S. avenae harbors the facultative endosymbiont bacterium Regiella insecticola. To determine the role of this bacterium in the reproductive success of this superclone, the presence of R. insecticola was manipulated to assess its impact on (1) the reproductive performance of this clone on two host plant species (wheat and barley), (2) the production of winged morphs, (3) changes in the insects' proteomic profiles, and (4) the root/shoot ratio of plant. It was found that the reproductive performance of this S. avenae superclone varied across host plants, depending on the presence of the facultative bacterial endosymbiont. Aphids infected with R. insecticola showed higher reproductive success on wheat, while the opposite effect was observed on barley. Aphid biomass was greater when infected with R. insecticola, particularly on barley. Additionally, aphids harboring R. insecticola exhibited a higher proportion of winged individuals on both host plants. Protein regulation in aphids on wheat was lower compared to those on barley. A higher root/shoot biomass ratio was observed in wheat plants compared to barley when infested by R. insecticola-infected aphid. Thus, R. insecticola significantly influences the reproductive performance and proteomic profile of a S. avenae superclone, with these effects shaped by the host plant. This suggests that the interaction between the host plant and the facultative endosymbiont contributes to the ecological success of this superclone.
麦长管蚜（Sitobion avenae）是一种重要的农业害虫，会影响小麦、大麦和燕麦的生长。在智利，最普遍和持久的麦长管蚜克隆（超级克隆）携带兼性内共生菌雷吉氏菌（Regiella insecticola）。为了确定这种共生菌在这个超级克隆生殖成功中的作用，人为操纵 R. insecticola 的存在，以评估其对（1）这个克隆在两种宿主植物（小麦和大麦）上的生殖表现、（2）有翅型个体的产生、（3）昆虫蛋白质组谱的变化、和（4）植物的根/茎比的影响。研究发现，这个麦长管蚜超级克隆的生殖表现因宿主植物的不同而有所变化，这取决于兼性细菌内共生体的存在。感染 R. insecticola 的蚜虫在小麦上表现出更高的生殖成功率，而在大麦上则出现相反的效果。感染 R. insecticola 的蚜虫的生物量更大，特别是在大麦上。此外，携带 R. insecticola 的蚜虫在两种宿主植物上表现出更高比例的有翅个体。与在大麦上相比，感染 R. insecticola 的蚜虫在小麦上的蛋白质调节较低。与感染 R. insecticola 的蚜虫相比，感染 R. insecticola 的小麦植株的根/茎生物量比更高。因此，R. insecticola 显著影响了 S. avenae 超级克隆的生殖表现和蛋白质组谱，而这些影响是由宿主植物塑造的。这表明宿主植物和兼性内共生体之间的相互作用有助于这个超级克隆的生态成功。
