Insect microbe interactions
Microbes are important component of multicellular life. In insects, the microbial associations are widespread and contribute to the physiology, behaviour and ecology. My early works investigated microbial community structure, specificity and functions in fruit flies (Ceratitis capitata and Bactrocera oleae) and avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi). Ongoing research is focused more on mechanistic basis of insect-microbial interactions.
Role of microbes in adaptive evolution of reproductive fitness in Drosophila (2022 onwards)
Ovarioles are egg-producing subunits of insect ovaries. The number of ovarioles in the ovaries largely determines female reproductive capacity in Drosophila. Recent studies have shown that ovariole number correlates with ecological niche. We study how gut and breeding niche associated microbiomes regulate adaptive ovariole number variation in Drosophila.
Gut microbiomes and host specialization in Drosophila sechellia (2022 onwards)
In recent years, it has become evident that plant- or insect-associated microorganisms, through their effects on plant defenses and nutrient utilization, confer success to the insect host in otherwise inaccessible nutritional niches. We study how different niche-specific microorganisms contribute to the host specialization in D. sechellia, a dietary specialist endemic to the Seychelles Islands.
Fruit flies and their gut microbiome (2017-2022)
The true fruit flies cause major losses of agricultural fruits and vegetables. Their gut microbiomes contribute to nutrient acquisition and are associated with the fly’s development. Series of hypothesis driven research on true fruit flies reveal that 1) Adaptive expansion and contraction of Ceratitis capitata microbiome are related to ontogeny and host range; 2. Maternally transmitted and environmental bacteria affects foraging behaviour of Ceratitis capitata larvae; 3. The Ceratitis capitata gut microbiome is susceptible to bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus; 4. Symbiotic bacteria affect oviposition behavior in Bactrocera oleae.
Gut microbiomes of Philornis downsi from the Galapagos Islands (2017-2022)
An accidentally introduced nest parasite Philornis downsi poses significant extinction threats to land birds (including the iconic Darwin’s finches) in the Galápagos Islands. Gut bacterial community across the life-stages of laboratory-reared P. downsi in comparison to field-collected individuals reveal that shifting microbiomes complement life stage transitions and diet of the bird parasite. Ongoing studies look into precise functional importance of those microbes.
Publications….
Jose, P.A., Yuval, B., & Jurkevitch, E., 2022. Maternal and host effects mediate the adaptive expansion and contraction of the microbiome during ontogeny in a holometabolous, polyphagous insect. Functional Ecology, 37: 929-946. [Wiley]
Sivakala, K.K., Jose, P.A., Shamir, M., Wong, A.C-N., Jurkevitch, E., & Yuval, B., 2022. Foraging behaviour of medfly larvae is affected by maternally transmitted and environmental bacteria. Animal Behaviour, 183: 169-176. [ScienceDirect]
Jose, P.A., Ben-Yosef, M., Lahuatte, P., Causton, C.E., Heimpel, G.E., Jurkevitch, E., & Yuval, B., 2021. Shifting microbiomes complement life stage transitions and diet of the bird parasite Philornis downsi from the Galapagos Islands. Environmental Microbiology, 23: 5014-5029. [PubMed]
Sivakala, K.K., Jose, P.A., O. Matan, C. Zohar-Perez, A. Nussinovitch, & E. Jurkevitch., (2021). In vivo predation and modification of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) gut microbiome by the bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 131: 2971-2980. [PubMed]
Yuval, B., Lahuatte, P., Jose, P.A., Causton, C.E., Jurkevitch, E., Kouloussis, N., & Ben-Yosef, M., 2019. Behavioral responses of the invasive Fly Philornis downsi to stimuli from bacteria and yeast in the laboratory and the field in the Galapagos Islands. Insects, 10: 431. [PubMed]
Jose, P. A.*, Ben-Yosef, M., Jurkevitch, E., & Yuval, B., 2019. Symbiotic bacteria affect oviposition behavior in the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae. Journal of Insect Physiology, 117: 103917. [PubMed]