Evolution of xylophagy in longhorned beetles: Diversity, evolutionary history and functional characterization of plant cell wall degrading enzymes in beetles of the family Cerambycidae

长角甲虫食木进化：天牛科甲虫植物细胞壁降解酶的多样性、进化历史和功能特征

• 批准号: 386747961
• 负责人: Dr. Yannick Pauchet
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Abteilung Entomologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2016-12-31 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/386747961?language=en
• 关键词: Evolution; xylophagy; longhorned; beetles; Diversity

The charismatic longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are part of the most diverse group of wood-feeding (xylophagous) animals on Earth. Larvae of these beetles have evolved to thrive on a highly challenging and sub-optimal environment - wood material - where they have to cope with the structural polysaccharides of the plant cell wall which make the bulk of their food. Earlier research indicated that cerambycid beetle larvae break down cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectins themselves by producing plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs), independent of symbionts. Yet, the corresponding genes and the way they evolved remain elusive in this group of beetles. By combining gene discovery by sequencing beetle midgut transcriptome using RNA-Seq, to phylogenetic analyses and rapid screening of enzymatic activity by expressing the corresponding cDNAs in heterologous expression systems, this project aims to identify and characterize the genes encoding PCWDEs and to determine their evolutionary history in Cerambycidae. This research will provide information on how host plants and feeding behavior have shaped the composition of these gene families during the evolution of Cerambycidae; and on how PCWDEs contributed to build and maintain the biodiversity of this family of beetles. This project also opens the exciting possibility that screening the gut transcriptome of longhorned beetles represents an alternative to microorganisms for the discovery of new and better PCWDEs for use in industrial biotechnology, in particular for the improvement of biofuel production from plant biomass.

有魅力的长角甲虫（鞘翅目：天牛科）是地球上最多样化的食木动物群体的一部分。这些甲虫的幼虫已经进化到在一个极具挑战性和次优的环境中茁壮成长-木材材料-在那里它们必须应对植物细胞壁的结构多糖，而植物细胞壁是它们的大部分食物。早期的研究表明，天牛甲虫幼虫通过产生植物细胞壁降解酶（PCWDEs）来分解纤维素、半纤维素和果胶，而不依赖于共生体。然而，在这群甲虫中，相应的基因及其进化方式仍然是难以捉摸的。本项目将结合利用RNA-Seq测序甲虫中肠转录组的基因发现、系统发育分析和在异源表达系统中表达相应cdna的快速筛选酶活性，鉴定和表征天牛科PCWDEs的编码基因，并确定其进化史。本研究将提供在天牛科进化过程中，寄主植物和摄食行为如何影响这些基因家族组成的信息；以及PCWDEs如何为建立和维持这一甲虫家族的生物多样性做出贡献。该项目还开启了一种令人兴奋的可能性，即筛选长角甲虫的肠道转录组代表了一种替代微生物的方法，用于发现新的和更好的pcwde，用于工业生物技术，特别是用于改善从植物生物质中生产生物燃料。

项目成果

Analyzing the Substrate Specificity of a Class of Long‐Horned‐Beetle‐Derived Xylanases by Using Synthetic Arabinoxylan Oligo‐ and Polysaccharides

• DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900687
• 发表时间: 2019-12
• 期刊: Chembiochem
• 影响因子: 3.2
• 作者: Y. Pauchet;Colin Ruprecht;F. Pfrengle

Larvae of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera; Cerambycidae) have evolved a diverse and phylogenetically conserved array of plant cell wall degrading enzymes

• DOI: 10.1111/syen.12488
• 发表时间: 2021-05
• 期刊: Systematic Entomology
• 影响因子: 4.8
• 作者: Na Ra Shin;Seunggwan Shin;Yu Okamura;Roy Kirsch;V. Lombard;P. Švácha;O. Denux;S. Augustin;B. Henrissat;D. Mckenna;Y. Pauchet