Microbial symbionts, including bacteria, fungi and viruses, can have a profound impact on the behavior, ecology and evolution of arthropods, as they can affect the food-plant compatibility(1, 2), reproduction(3) and health of their host.
By investigating the microbiome of arthropods (4), the host specificity of parasites (5), effects of infections on host sexual behaviors and chemical communication channels, as well as the molecular-physiological mechanisms underlying these interactions, we aim to understand how host–microbe interactions affect arthropod population dynamics, community structure and evolution.
Scientists involved in this research
Hans Breeuwer
Merijn Kant
Emily Burdfield-Steel
Ferry Hagen
Gerard Oostermeijer
Astrid Groot
Marjolein Bruijning
Thomas Blankers
Anja Spang
Publications
- The Evolutionary Importance of Intraspecific Variation in Sexual Communication Across Sensory Modalities.
Astrid T. Groot, Thomas Blankers, Wouter Halfwerk, Emily Burdfield Steel. Annual Review of Entomology 2024 69:1. 10.1146/annurev-ento-030223-111608
- How healthy is your mate? Sex-specific consequences of parasite infections in the moth Helicoverpa armigera
Gao, K., van Wijk, M., Dang, Q. T. D., Heckel, D. G., Zalucki, M. P., & Groot, A. T. (2021). Animal behaviour, 178, 105-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.06.005
- Parasite-host specificity: A cross-infection study of the parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha.
Gao K, Muijderman D, Nichols S, Heckel DG, Wang P, Zalucki MP, Groot AT. 2020. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2020.107328
- Parasite-host specificity: A cross-infection study of the parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha.
Gao, K., Muijderman, D., Nichols, S., Heckel, D. G., Wang, P., Zalucki, M. P., & Groot, A. T. (2020). Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 170, [107328]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2020.107328
- Independent effects of a herbivore’s bacterial symbionts on its performance and induced plant defences
Staudacher H, Schimmel BCJ, Lamers MM, Wybouw N, Groot AT, Kant MR. 2017. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 18: 182 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18010182
- Variability of bacterial communities in the moth Heliothis virescens indicates transient association with the host
Staudacher H, Kaltenpoth M, Breeuwer JAJ, Menken SBJ, Heckel DG, Groot AT. 2016. Plos One 11, e0154514. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154514
- Immune modulation enables a specialist insect to benefit from antibacterial properties
Barthel A, Vogel H, Pauchet Y, Pauls G, Kunert G, Groot AT, Boland W, Heckel DG, Heidel-Fischer HM. 2016.. Nature Communications 7: 12530. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12530
- The endosymbionts Wolbachia and Cardinium and their effects in three populations of the predatory mite Neoseiulus paspalivorus
Sourassou NF, Hanna R, Breeuwer JAJ, Negloh K, de Moraes GJ, Sabelis MW. 2014. . Experimental and Applied Acarology, 64(2), 207-221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-014-9820-0
Related work
Funded by de Nederlandse Wetenschap Agenda
NWA.1418.20.026: The impact of material delivery from space, atmospheric conditions, and symbiotic interactions on evolution towards life’s diversity
– subproject “The effect of host-microbiome interactions on micro- and macro-evolution”