Data from: Insect-microbe-fungus interplay in citrus agro-ecosystems: Cuticular symbionts mediate Diaphorina citri resistance to Beauveria bassiana
Data files
Dec 22, 2025 version files 39.41 KB
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Diaphorina_citri_microbe_data.zip
35.28 KB
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README.md
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Abstract
Microbial symbionts are critical in insect ecology, notably for mediating host–pathogen interactions that influence pest population dynamics in agro-ecosystems. The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), a key vector of Huanglongbing, depends on such microbial associations; however, how its cuticular microbiota responds to fungal infection remains unclear. This study examined changes in the cuticular bacterial community of D. citri following Beauveria bassiana infection and identified protective symbionts that alter host susceptibility. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, we detected significant shifts in bacterial diversity and composition on the psyllid cuticle after fungal exposure. From the cuticle, we isolated two bacterial strains, Bacillus albus (CQC‑1) and Shouchella miscanthi (CQC‑32), which showed strong antifungal activity, inhibiting B. bassiana spore germination by 94.53 % and 73.50 %, respectively. In bioassays, these strains increased psyllid survival under fungal challenge to 71.3 % and 65.2 %, compared with 16.4 % in controls. Our results highlight the functional role of cuticular bacteria in host–pathogen interactions and suggest their potential use in sustainable management of D. citri. These findings further clarify how cuticular microbial communities respond to entomopathogenic fungi and modulate insect defense, with implications for microbial ecology and integrated pest management in citrus agro-ecosystems.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2bvq83c4m
Description of the data and file structure
Data for Figure 1A: Alpha-diversity indices (Chao1, Simpson, Shannon) of D. citri cuticular microbiota after B. bassiana infection. The values represent the measured diversity indices, with significance levels (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) marked.
Data for Figure 1B: Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) data based on Bray-Curtis distances. The values are the coordinates of each sample in the PCoA plot.
Data for Figure 1C: Venn diagram data of bacterial genera at different infection times (0 h, 36 h). The numbers represent the number of exclusive and shared genera.
Data for Figure 1D: Relative abundances of bacteria at the phylum level (Pseudomonadota, Bacillota, Actinomycetota, etc.).
Data for Figure 1E: Relative abundances of bacteria at the genus level (Acetobacteraceae, Staphylococcus, Mammaliicoccus, etc.).
Data for Figure 2: 16S rRNA gene amplification and phylogenetic tree data. The sequences of CQC-1 (PV628155) and CQC-32 (PV628310) are included, with 99 % identity information to Bacillus albus and Shouchella miscanthi.
Data for Figure 3: Antifungal activity data of bacterial fermentation broth. The values include the inhibition rate of B. bassiana growth.
Data for Figure 4: Microscopic observation data of B. bassiana mycelium. The values are spore germination rates and mycelium lengths (control vs. treated groups).
Data for Figure 5: Survival rate data of D. citri after B. bassiana infection. The values are survival rates (%) of different groups (Control, CQC-1+Bb, CQC-32+Bb, Bb) at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days post-infection.
Data for Fig S2: Growth curves of Bacillus albus and Shouchella miscanthi (n = 5).
Files and variables
File: Diaphorina_citri_microbe_data.zip
Description:
Figure 1A: Chao1: Microbial richness index; Simpson: Microbial evenness index; Shannon: Comprehensive diversity index; Control group: D. citri without B. bassiana infection; Infected group: D. citri infected with B. bassiana.
Figure 1D: Phylum name: Bacterial phylum (Pseudomonadota, Bacillota, Actinomycetota); Relative abundance: Proportion of each phylum in the total microbiota (%).
Figure 1E: Genus name: Bacterial genus (Acetobacteraceae, Staphylococcus, etc.); Relative abundance: Proportion of each genus in the total microbiota (%).
Figure 4E: Spore germination rate: Percentage of germinated B. bassiana spores (%); Mock control: LB medium without bacterial treatment; CQC-1 treatment: B. bassiana treated with B. albus fermentation broth; CQC-32 treatment: B. bassiana treated with S. miscanthi fermentation broth.
Figure 4F: Mycelium length: Length of B. bassiana mycelium (μm); Groups are the same as Figure 4E.
Figure 5: Survival rate: Percentage of surviving D. citri (%); Control: Surface-sterilized D. citri without bacterial or fungal exposure; CQC-1+Bb: Surface-sterilized D. citri pretreated with B. albus, then infected with B. bassiana; CQC-32+Bb: Surface-sterilized D. citri pretreated with S. miscanthi, then infected with B. bassiana; Bb: Surface-sterilized D. citri directly infected with B. bassiana.
Figure S2：Growth curves of Bacillus albus and Shouchella miscanthi (n = 5).
Code/software
QIIME2 (v2022.11): Used for processing 16S rRNA sequencing data (filtering, merging, OTU clustering).
MEGA 6.0: Used for constructing Neighbor-Joining phylogenetic tree with 1,000 bootstrap replicates.
R software (v4.3.1): Used for statistical analysis (t-tests, PERMANOVA, log-rank test) and plotting (ggplot2 package).https://magic-plus.novogene.com/#/: Used for data visualization (if applicable in your study).
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- NCBI GenBank under accession numbers PV628155 (Bacillus albus CQC-1) and PV628310 (Shouchella miscanthi CQC-32).