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Nutritional Profile and Ecological Interactions of Yeast Symbionts Associated with North American Spruce Beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis)

  • Invertebrate Microbiology
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Abstract

To better understand functional ecology of bark beetle-microbial symbioses, we characterized yeast associates of North American spruce beetle (Dendroctous rufipennis Kirby) across populations. Seven yeast species were detected; Wickerhamomyces canadensis (Wickerham) Kurtzman et al. (Sachharomycetales: Saccharomycetaceae) was the most common (74% of isolates) and found in all populations. Isolates of W. canadensis were subsequently tested for competitive interactions with symbiotic (Leptographium abietinum, = Grosmannia abietina) and pathogenic (Beauvaria bassiana) filamentous fungi, and isolates were nutritionally profiled (protein and P content). Exposure to yeast headspace emissions had isolate-dependent effects on colony growth of symbiotic and pathogenic fungi; most isolates of W. canadensis slightly inhibited growth rates of symbiotic (L. abietinum, mean effect: − 4%) and entomopathogenic (B. bassiana, mean effect: − 6%) fungi. However, overall variation was high (range: − 35.4 to + 88.6%) and some yeasts enhanced growth of filamentous fungi whereas others were consistently inhibitory. The volatile 2-phenylethanol was produced by W. canadensis and synthetic 2-phenylethanol reduced growth rates of both L. abietinum and B. bassiana by 36% on average. Mean protein and P content of Wickerhamomyces canadensis cultures were 0.8% and 7.2%, respectively, but isolates varied in nutritional content and protein content was similar to that of host tree phloem. We conclude that W. canadensis is a primary yeast symbiont of D. rufipennis in the Rocky Mountains and emits volatiles that can affect growth of associated microbes. Wickerhamomyces canadensis isolates vary substantially in limiting nutrients (protein and P), but concentrations are less than reported for the symbiotic filamentous fungus L. abietinum.

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Data Availability

Data will be made available for research purposes upon reasonable request to the authors.

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Acknowledgements

We express our gratitude to the technicians that contributed to this project including Nathaniel Comai, Fione Horne, and Kristen Otto. We are also grateful to Danielle Malesky (USFS) and Sky Stephens (USFS), who assisted in locating beetle activity and collecting beetles.

Funding

This work was partially supported by funding from NSF Award #2046109 to TS Davis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest & Rangeland Stewardship, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA

    Thomas S. Davis

  2. Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA

    Thomas S. Davis & Jane E. Stewart

  3. Agricultural Biology, College of Agricultural Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA

    Jane E. Stewart

  4. Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Health and Human Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA

    Caitlin Clark & Charlene Van Buiten

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  1. Thomas S. Davis
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  4. Charlene Van Buiten
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Contributions

TSD and JES designed the study. TSD collected isolates and performed interaction experiments. JES performed genetic identification of isolates. CVB and CC performed the nutritional analyses. TSD, JES, and CVB analyzed the data. TSD wrote the first draft of the manuscript and all authors contributed to editing the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Thomas S. Davis.

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Davis, T.S., Stewart, J.E., Clark, C. et al. Nutritional Profile and Ecological Interactions of Yeast Symbionts Associated with North American Spruce Beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis). Microb Ecol 86, 1268–1280 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-022-02158-7

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