Global Metabolomics of Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Explore Metabolic Adaptation to Fresh Water in Insects
Aquatic insects are well-adapted to freshwater environments, but metabolic mechanisms of such adaptations, particularly to primary environmental factors (e.g., hypoxia, water pressure, dark light, and abundant microbes), are poorly known. Most firefly species (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) are terrestrial...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | Insects |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/9/823 |
| _version_ | 1797486812539650048 |
|---|---|
| author | Linyu Yang Zishun Zhao Dan Luo Mingzhong Liang Qilin Zhang |
| author_facet | Linyu Yang Zishun Zhao Dan Luo Mingzhong Liang Qilin Zhang |
| author_sort | Linyu Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aquatic insects are well-adapted to freshwater environments, but metabolic mechanisms of such adaptations, particularly to primary environmental factors (e.g., hypoxia, water pressure, dark light, and abundant microbes), are poorly known. Most firefly species (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) are terrestrial, but the larvae of a few species are aquatic. We generated 24 global metabolomic profiles of larvae and adults of <i>Aquatica leii</i> (freshwater) and <i>Lychnuris praetexta</i> (terrestrial) to identify freshwater adaptation-related metabolites (AARMs). We identified 110 differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) in <i>A. leii</i> (adults vs. aquatic larvae) and 183 DAMs in <i>L. praetexta</i> (adults vs. terrestrial larvae). Furthermore, 100 DAMs specific to aquatic <i>A. leii</i> larvae were screened as AARMs via interspecific comparisons (<i>A. leii</i> vs. <i>L. praetexta</i>), which were primarily involved in antioxidant activity, immune response, energy production and metabolism, and chitin biosynthesis. They were assigned to six categories/superclasses (e.g., lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids and derivatives, and organoheterocyclic compound). Finally, ten metabolic pathways shared between KEGG terms specific to aquatic fireflies and enriched by AARMs were screened as aquatic adaptation-related pathways (AARPs). These AARPs were primarily involved in energy metabolism, xenobiotic biodegradation, protection of oxidative/immune damage, oxidative stress response, and sense function (e.g., glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, and taste transduction), and certain aspects of morphology (e.g., steroid hormone biosynthesis). These results provide evidence suggesting that abundance changes in metabolomes contribute to freshwater adaptation of fireflies. The metabolites identified here may be vital targets for future work to determine the mechanism of freshwater adaptation in insects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:38:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a1d14474881448eb2cfad2b1ca5ff64 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:38:54Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a1d14474881448eb2cfad2b1ca5ff642023-11-23T16:55:20ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502022-09-0113982310.3390/insects13090823Global Metabolomics of Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Explore Metabolic Adaptation to Fresh Water in InsectsLinyu Yang0Zishun Zhao1Dan Luo2Mingzhong Liang3Qilin Zhang4Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, ChinaFaculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, ChinaFaculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster in the Beibu Gulf, Ocean College, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535011, ChinaFaculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, ChinaAquatic insects are well-adapted to freshwater environments, but metabolic mechanisms of such adaptations, particularly to primary environmental factors (e.g., hypoxia, water pressure, dark light, and abundant microbes), are poorly known. Most firefly species (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) are terrestrial, but the larvae of a few species are aquatic. We generated 24 global metabolomic profiles of larvae and adults of <i>Aquatica leii</i> (freshwater) and <i>Lychnuris praetexta</i> (terrestrial) to identify freshwater adaptation-related metabolites (AARMs). We identified 110 differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) in <i>A. leii</i> (adults vs. aquatic larvae) and 183 DAMs in <i>L. praetexta</i> (adults vs. terrestrial larvae). Furthermore, 100 DAMs specific to aquatic <i>A. leii</i> larvae were screened as AARMs via interspecific comparisons (<i>A. leii</i> vs. <i>L. praetexta</i>), which were primarily involved in antioxidant activity, immune response, energy production and metabolism, and chitin biosynthesis. They were assigned to six categories/superclasses (e.g., lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids and derivatives, and organoheterocyclic compound). Finally, ten metabolic pathways shared between KEGG terms specific to aquatic fireflies and enriched by AARMs were screened as aquatic adaptation-related pathways (AARPs). These AARPs were primarily involved in energy metabolism, xenobiotic biodegradation, protection of oxidative/immune damage, oxidative stress response, and sense function (e.g., glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, and taste transduction), and certain aspects of morphology (e.g., steroid hormone biosynthesis). These results provide evidence suggesting that abundance changes in metabolomes contribute to freshwater adaptation of fireflies. The metabolites identified here may be vital targets for future work to determine the mechanism of freshwater adaptation in insects.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/9/823aquatic fireflymetabolic profilefresh watermetabolic adaptation |
| spellingShingle | Linyu Yang Zishun Zhao Dan Luo Mingzhong Liang Qilin Zhang Global Metabolomics of Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Explore Metabolic Adaptation to Fresh Water in Insects Insects aquatic firefly metabolic profile fresh water metabolic adaptation |
| title | Global Metabolomics of Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Explore Metabolic Adaptation to Fresh Water in Insects |
| title_full | Global Metabolomics of Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Explore Metabolic Adaptation to Fresh Water in Insects |
| title_fullStr | Global Metabolomics of Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Explore Metabolic Adaptation to Fresh Water in Insects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Global Metabolomics of Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Explore Metabolic Adaptation to Fresh Water in Insects |
| title_short | Global Metabolomics of Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Explore Metabolic Adaptation to Fresh Water in Insects |
| title_sort | global metabolomics of fireflies coleoptera lampyridae explore metabolic adaptation to fresh water in insects |
| topic | aquatic firefly metabolic profile fresh water metabolic adaptation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/9/823 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT linyuyang globalmetabolomicsoffirefliescoleopteralampyridaeexploremetabolicadaptationtofreshwaterininsects AT zishunzhao globalmetabolomicsoffirefliescoleopteralampyridaeexploremetabolicadaptationtofreshwaterininsects AT danluo globalmetabolomicsoffirefliescoleopteralampyridaeexploremetabolicadaptationtofreshwaterininsects AT mingzhongliang globalmetabolomicsoffirefliescoleopteralampyridaeexploremetabolicadaptationtofreshwaterininsects AT qilinzhang globalmetabolomicsoffirefliescoleopteralampyridaeexploremetabolicadaptationtofreshwaterininsects |