The unique dioxygenases of phytophagous spider mites: new enzyme players in plant-herbivore interactions?

Informazioni relative al progetto

DOGMITE

ID dell’accordo di sovvenzione: 658795

DOI

10.3030/658795

Progetto chiuso

Data della firma CE 23 Aprile 2015

Data di avvio 1 Settembre 2015

Data di completamento 31 Agosto 2017

Finanziato da

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Costo totale

€ 165 598,80

Contributo UE

€ 165 598,80

Coordinato da

UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DOGMITE (The unique dioxygenases of phytophagous spider mites: new enzyme players in plant-herbivore interactions?)

Periodo di rendicontazione: 2015-09-01 al 2017-08-31

Sintesi del contesto e degli obiettivi generali del progetto

Detoxification of poisonous xenobiotics in animals is typically performed by multi-gene enzyme families. Within arthropods, only insect genomes have been studied in detail where these detoxification families are well characterized. We recently uncovered a new enzyme family in the genome of a non-insect arthropod, the extremely polyphagous plant-feeding spider mite Tetranychus urticae. Phylogenetic analysis showed that this proliferated family was acquired through horizontal gene transfer from a fungal donor. The fungal homologues are known to code for secreted intradiol ring-cleavage dioxygenases that cleave a particular set of complex aromatic structures, commonly found in pesticides and toxic plant metabolites. It is our hypothesis that the acquisition and proliferation of this novel family in plant-feeding spider mites provides a selective advantage by detoxifying both natural and synthetic xenobiotics. This newly discovered genetic repertoire of spider mites is of huge interest for the bioremediation of man-made aromatic environmental pollutants such as PCBs and pesticides. By means of this multi-disciplinary project, we aim to study its precise role in mite (xenobiotic) metabolism and expect to open up avenues to new and exciting biotechnological applications that will extend well beyond agriculture.

Lavoro eseguito dall’inizio del progetto fino alla fine del periodo coperto dalla relazione e principali risultati finora ottenuti

In a first set of experiments, we quantified and timed the transcriptional responses of five dioxygenase genes to different plants and artificial diets. These experiments significantly advanced our knowledge of which specific toxic plant metabolites and nutritive factors induce dioxygenase gene-expression in spider mites. The role of the laterally acquired dioxygenases in mite physiology was further investigated by functionally expressing five intradiol ring-cleavage dioxygenase genes in a range of biological systems. These were: E. coli, insect cells (Sf9 and Hi5), Arabidopsis (Agrobacterium-mediated flower dipping) and Drosophila melanogaster (UAS-GAL4). Cutting-edge differential metabolomics will now identify the substrates and reaction products.

Progressi oltre lo stato dell’arte e potenziale impatto previsto (incluso l’impatto socioeconomico e le implicazioni sociali più ampie del progetto fino ad ora)

As the dioygenase genes seem to be associated with the xenobiotic metabolism of mite pests, pest management strategies benefit from the elucidation of their precise biological role. In addition, this project gives more insight into how horizontal gene transfer shapes eukaryotic evolution and is of interest within the broader societal debate of genetic modification.

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