BioModels record MODEL1806250003 is a multi-compartment metabolic model of the spittlebug Philaenus spumarius and its bacterial endosymbionts Sulcia and Sodalis.
Taxonomy
| Taxon | Ontology ID | Functional Roles | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philaenus spumarius | NCBITaxon:36667 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
CROSS_FEEDER
|
N/A |
| Sulcia — ontology label: Candidatus Karelsulcia | NCBITaxon:336809 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
|
N/A |
| Sodalis | NCBITaxon:84565 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
|
N/A |
Ecological Interactions
The graph shows only explicitly linked interaction participants. Community members without an asserted participant link are omitted; membership alone does not imply an interaction.
Sulcia Essential Amino Acid Provisioning
MUTUALISMCOMPUTATIONAL - the spittlebug model predicts Sulcia export of 7 essential amino acids and reciprocal host nutrient supply. Across the three modeled insects, Sulcia EAA output accounts for 66-80% of host-derived nitrogen input. This is nitrogen-weighted transport-flux accounting, not an elemental-nitrogen concentration or a host-specific measured percentage. MUTUALISM denotes modeled reciprocal nutrition, not experimentally traced transfer.
Source Taxon: Sulcia
Target Taxon: Philaenus spumarius
Metabolites: L-leucine (CHEBI:15603 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech), L-isoleucine (CHEBI:17191 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech)
Evidence
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PMID:30254121 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"Sulcia and Hodgkinia with genomes of ≤0.3 Mb are calculated to recycle ∼30 to 80% of host-derived nitrogen to essential amino acids returned to the host"
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PMID:30254121 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"Our simulations reveal extensive bidirectional flux of multiple metabolites between each symbiont and the host"
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PMID:30254121 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"For Sulcia, EAA output was equivalent to 66 to 80% of host-derived N"
Sodalis Metabolic Complementarity
MUTUALISMCOMPUTATIONAL - Sodalis exports histidine, methionine, tryptophan and threonine; threonine overlaps Sulcia output, while synthesized arginine/lysine were not exported. Its predicted EAA return corresponds to 15% of host-derived nitrogen input, not the entire pooled abstract range. The model predicts reciprocal host support and two exclusively exchanged symbiont intermediates. Near metabolic segregation is not a universal absence of exchange; direct host regulatory control remains a PARTIAL interpretation.
Source Taxon: Sodalis
Target Taxon: Philaenus spumarius
Evidence
-
PMID:30254121 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"Baumannia and Sodalis with genomes of ≥0.6 Mb recycle 10 to 15% of host nitrogen"
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PMID:30254121 - PARTIAL (COMPUTATIONAL)"near-complete metabolic segregation (i.e., near absence of metabolic cross-feeding) between the two symbionts, a likely mode of host control over symbiont metabolism"
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PMID:30254121 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"15% for Sodalis"
Host-Mediated Complementary Endosymbiont Metabolism
MUTUALISMCOMPUTATIONAL - Sulcia and Sodalis provide complementary nutrition to the spittlebug host while receiving host metabolites. The model contains two exclusively exchanged symbiont intermediates. PARTIAL - this organization motivates host-control hypotheses but does not demonstrate regulatory mediation or complete exclusion of bacterial cross-feeding. The partner nodes are components of this summary, not independently demonstrated upstream causal events.
Biological Processes:
- biological process involved in interspecies interaction between organisms (GO:0044419 · PathwayMech)
Evidence
-
PMID:30254121 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"Our simulations reveal extensive bidirectional flux of multiple metabolites between each symbiont and the host"
-
PMID:30254121 - PARTIAL (COMPUTATIONAL)"near-complete metabolic segregation (i.e., near absence of metabolic cross-feeding) between the two symbionts, a likely mode of host control over symbiont metabolism"
Associated Datasets
| Dataset | Type | Repository | Accession |
|---|---|---|---|
|
BioModels model file
Multi-compartment SBML model for spittlebug symbiosis. |
OTHER | OTHER | Philaenus_iNA761.xml |
|
Primary publication
Study on the cost of metabolic interactions in insect-bacterial symbioses. |
OTHER | OTHER | PMID:30254121 |
Knowledge gaps & discussions (1)
KNOWLEDGE_GAP OPEN Do measured partner fluxes and host regulatory perturbations confirm the modeled nutritional organization?
Models assume equal symbiont biomass, amino-acid-free external medium and no energetic transport costs. The maintenance-cost analysis disables bacterial biomass production while retaining nutrient reactions; it is not in-vivo symbiont removal. Full main text/Table 1/captions read, but figure images, supplemental tables and model files were not inspected or rerun. No new metabolite-specific nodes or arrows are added.
Attaches to: ecological_interactions#Sulcia Essential Amino Acid Provisioning, ecological_interactions#Sodalis Metabolic Complementarity, ecological_interactions#Host-Mediated Complementary Endosymbiont Metabolism
External Resources
| Name | Repository | Resource ID |
|---|---|---|
|
BioModels entry
Spittlebug symbiosis metabolic model. |
BIOMODELS | MODEL1806250003 |
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