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Insect Molecular Biology Aug 2015Phylogenomics, the integration of phylogenetics with genome data, has emerged as a powerful approach to study the evolution and systematics of species. Recently, several... (Review)
Review
Phylogenomics, the integration of phylogenetics with genome data, has emerged as a powerful approach to study the evolution and systematics of species. Recently, several studies employing phylogenomic tools have provided better insights into insect evolution. Next-generation sequencing methods are now increasingly used by entomologists to generate genomic and transcript sequences of various insect species and strains. These data provide opportunities for comparative genomics and large-scale multigene phylogenies of diverse lineages of insects. Phy-logenomic investigations help us to better understand systematic and evolutionary relationships of insect species that play important roles as herbivores, predators, detritivores, pollinators and disease vectors. It is important that we critically assess the prospects and limitations of phylogenomic methods. In this review, I describe the current status, outline the major challenges and remark on potential future applications of phylogenomic tools in studying insect systematics and evolution.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Genome, Insect; Genomics; Insecta; Phylogeny
PubMed: 25963452
DOI: 10.1111/imb.12174 -
Current Biology : CB Dec 2017Adria LeBoeuf introduces trophallaxis, the exchange of fluids between animals.
Adria LeBoeuf introduces trophallaxis, the exchange of fluids between animals.
Topics: Animals; Diet; Feeding Behavior; Insecta; Social Behavior
PubMed: 29257957
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.047 -
Current Biology : CB Oct 2015It goes without saying that insects epitomize diversity, and with over a million documented species they stand out as one of the most remarkable lineages in the...
It goes without saying that insects epitomize diversity, and with over a million documented species they stand out as one of the most remarkable lineages in the 3.5-billion-year history of life on earth (Figure 1). This reality is passé to even the layperson and is taken for granted in the same way none of us think much of our breathing as we go about our day, and yet insects are just as vital to our existence. Insects are simultaneously familiar and foreign to us, and while a small fraction are beloved or reviled, most are simply ignored. These inexorable evolutionary overachievers outnumber us all, their segmented body plan is remarkably labile, they combine a capacity for high rates of speciation with low levels of natural extinction, and their history of successes eclipses those of the more familiar ages of dinosaurs and mammals alike. It is their evolution - persisting over vast expanses of geological time and inextricably implicated in the diversification of other lineages - that stands as one of the most expansive subjects in biology.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Flight, Animal; Fossils; Insecta; Phylogeny
PubMed: 26439349
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.07.059 -
Current Issues in Molecular Biology 2020Members of the family are small RNA viruses containing a monopartite positive-sense RNA genome. Dicistroviruses mainly infect arthropods, causing diseases that impact...
Members of the family are small RNA viruses containing a monopartite positive-sense RNA genome. Dicistroviruses mainly infect arthropods, causing diseases that impact agriculture and the economy. In this chapter, we provide an overview of current and past research on dicistroviruses including the viral life cycle, viral translational control mechanisms, virus structure, and the use of dicistrovirus infection in as a model to identify insect antiviral responses. We then delve into how research on dicistrovirus mechanisms has yielded insights into ribosome dynamics, RNA structure/function and insect innate immunity signaling. Finally, we highlight the diseases caused by dicistroviruses, their impacts on agriculture including the shrimp and honey bee industries, and the potential use of dicistroviruses as biopesticides. Although knowledge of the mechanisms underlying dicistrovirus virus-host interactions is limited, the establishment of the first infectious clone should accelerate the discovery of new mechanistic insights into dicistrovirus infections and pathogenesis.
Topics: Animal Diseases; Animals; Dicistroviridae; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; Genome, Viral; Genomics; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Insect Control; Insect Viruses; Insecta; Phylogeny; RNA Viruses; Virion; Virus Replication
PubMed: 31167957
DOI: 10.21775/cimb.034.083 -
Current Opinion in Insect Science Feb 2021Modifications to DNA and core histones influence chromatin organization and expression of the genome. DNA methylation plays a significant role in the regulation of... (Review)
Review
Modifications to DNA and core histones influence chromatin organization and expression of the genome. DNA methylation plays a significant role in the regulation of multiple biological processes that regulate behavior and caste differentiation in social insects. Histone modifications play significant roles in the regulation of development and reproduction in other insects. Genes coding for acetyltransferases, deacetylases, methyltransferases, and demethylases that modify core histones have been identified in genomes of multiple insects. Studies on the function and mechanisms of action of some of these enzymes uncovered their contribution to post-embryonic development. The results from studies on epigenetic modifiers could help in the identification of inhibitors of epigenetic modifiers that could be developed to control pests and disease vectors.
Topics: Animals; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; Genome, Insect; Histones; Insecta
PubMed: 33068783
DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.09.011 -
Current Biology : CB May 2019Jakub Prokop and Michael Engel introduce palaeodictyopterids, a very diverse extinct lineage of insects.
Jakub Prokop and Michael Engel introduce palaeodictyopterids, a very diverse extinct lineage of insects.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Fossils; Insecta
PubMed: 31063717
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.02.056 -
Current Biology : CB Apr 2011
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Insecta; Reproduction
PubMed: 21514504
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.02.038 -
Current Issues in Molecular Biology 2020The insect virome is composed of a myriad of viruses. Both field populations and laboratory colonies of insects harbour diverse viruses, including viruses that infect... (Review)
Review
The insect virome is composed of a myriad of viruses. Both field populations and laboratory colonies of insects harbour diverse viruses, including viruses that infect the insect itself, viruses of microbes associated with the insect, and viruses associated with ingested materials. Metagenomics analysis for identification of virus-derived sequences has allowed for new appreciation of the extent and diversity of the insect virome. The complex interactions between insect viruses and host antiviral immune pathways (RNA interference and apoptosis), and between viruses and other members of the microbiome (e.g. ) are becoming apparent. In this chapter, an overview of the diversity of viruses in insects and recent virus discovery research for specific insects and insect-derived cell lines is provided. The opportunities and challenges associated with the insect virome, including the potential impacts of viruses on both research and insect management programs are also addressed.
Topics: Animals; Biodiversity; Genome, Viral; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Insect Viruses; Insecta; Invertebrates; Metagenomics; Microbiota
PubMed: 31167953
DOI: 10.21775/cimb.034.001 -
Current Biology : CB Aug 2007Social insect colonies have evolved collective immune defences against parasites. These 'social immune systems' result from the cooperation of the individual group... (Review)
Review
Social insect colonies have evolved collective immune defences against parasites. These 'social immune systems' result from the cooperation of the individual group members to combat the increased risk of disease transmission that arises from sociality and group living. In this review we illustrate the pathways that parasites can take to infect a social insect colony and use these pathways as a framework to predict colony defence mechanisms and present the existing evidence. We find that the collective defences can be both prophylactic and activated on demand and consist of behavioural, physiological and organisational adaptations of the colony that prevent parasite entrance, establishment and spread. We discuss the regulation of collective immunity, which requires complex integration of information about both the parasites and the internal status of the insect colony. Our review concludes with an examination of the evolution of social immunity, which is based on the consequences of selection at both the individual and the colony level.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Biological Evolution; Host-Parasite Interactions; Insecta; Parasites; Social Behavior
PubMed: 17714663
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2007.06.008 -
Current Biology : CB Jun 2009
Topics: Animals; Eye; Flight, Animal; Insecta; Ocular Physiological Phenomena; Vision, Ocular
PubMed: 19515345
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.03.034