Effect of gene expression, phylogeny and interacting organisms during host-plant shift

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25430194
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Conservation of biological resources
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Tuda Midori 九州大学, 農学研究院, 准教授 (20294910)
• Research Collaborator: TANI Soichiro ; IWASE Shun-ichiro ; MORI Kazuki
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 植食性昆虫 / 寄主転換 / 遺伝子発現 / 共生菌 / 寄生蜂 / 群集

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Genetic distance between original and new host plants was correlated not with weight difference of herbivorous insects when using these plants but with the number of differentially expressed gene regions. Since the genetic distance was correlated with canavanine concentration in the plants, this amino acid might inhibit insect development.
Utilization probability of a new host plant was different between geographic populations of herbivore A and was correlated with bacterial diversity in A. In herbivore C, its fitness did not decrease by using a new host plant when C was infected with symbiotic bacteria. Therefore, bacterial diversity serves to promote host-plant shift in herbivorous insects.
The fitness of a parasitic wasp was lower when parasitizing C infected by symbiotic bacteria than when parasitizing an uninfected C, indicating infection increased the herbivore’s fitness. These results suggest that symbiotic bacteria increases herbivores’ fitness through interacting species.

Free Research Field

生態学