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1
López-San Juan, Mireya Paloma. "Endosymbionts associated with Diaphorina citri, vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus." Revista Chapingo Serie Horticultura 27, no. 1 (January 2021): 43–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.5154/r.rchsh.2019.12.022.
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iaphorina citri is considered the most dangerous citrus pest because it transmits Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the causal agent of Huanglongbing (HLB). Like other hemiptera insects, D. citri has developed mutualistic interactions with prokaryotic organisms known as endosymbionts. This symbiosis can be obligatory, when the interaction occurs with a primary endosymbiont, or facultative, when it is a secondary endosymbiont. Symbiosis is essential for various physiological functions, but some endosymbionts can adversely affect the psyllid's abilities. D. citri is associated with a great diversity of endosymbionts, with Candidatus Carsonella ruddii, Candidatus Profftella armatura, Candidatus Wolbachia spp. and Candidatus Liberibacter spp standing out. The aim o symbiotic relationship, prokaryotes, Candidatus Wolbachia, transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus.
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Kondo, Natsuko, Masakazu Shimada, and Takema Fukatsu. "Infection density of Wolbachia endosymbiont affected by co-infection and host genotype." Biology Letters 1, no. 4 (July 13, 2005): 488–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2005.0340.
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Infection density is among the most important factors for understanding the biological effects of Wolbachia and other endosymbionts on their hosts. To gain insight into the mechanisms of infection density regulation, we investigated the adzuki bean beetles Callosobruchus chinensis and their Wolbachia endosymbionts. Double-infected, single-infected and uninfected host strains with controlled nuclear genetic backgrounds were generated by introgression, and infection densities in these strains were evaluated by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique. Our study revealed previously unknown aspects of Wolbachia density regulation: (i) the identification of intra-specific host genotypes that affect Wolbachia density differently and (ii) the suppression of Wolbachia density by co-infecting Wolbachia strains. These findings shed new light on symbiont–symbiont and host–symbiont interactions in the Wolbachia –insect endosymbiosis and strongly suggest that Wolbachia density is determined through a complex interaction between host genotype, symbiont genotype and other factors.
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Richardson, Kelly M., Perran A. Ross, Brandon S. Cooper, William R. Conner, Tom Schmidt, and Ary A. Hoffmann. "A male-killing Wolbachia endosymbiont is concealed by another endosymbiont and a nuclear suppressor." PLOS Biology 21, no. 3 (March 22, 2023): e3001879. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001879.
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Bacteria that live inside the cells of insect hosts (endosymbionts) can alter the reproduction of their hosts, including the killing of male offspring (male killing, MK). MK has only been described in a few insects, but this may reflect challenges in detecting MK rather than its rarity. Here, we identify MK Wolbachia at a low frequency (around 4%) in natural populations of Drosophila pseudotakahashii. MK Wolbachia had a stable density and maternal transmission during laboratory culture, but the MK phenotype which manifested mainly at the larval stage was lost rapidly. MK Wolbachia occurred alongside a second Wolbachia strain expressing a different reproductive manipulation, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). A genomic analysis highlighted Wolbachia regions diverged between the 2 strains involving 17 genes, and homologs of the wmk and cif genes implicated in MK and CI were identified in the Wolbachia assembly. Doubly infected males induced CI with uninfected females but not females singly infected with CI-causing Wolbachia. A rapidly spreading dominant nuclear suppressor genetic element affecting MK was identified through backcrossing and subsequent analysis with ddRAD SNPs of the D. pseudotakahashii genome. These findings highlight the complexity of nuclear and microbial components affecting MK endosymbiont detection and dynamics in populations and the challenges of making connections between endosymbionts and the host phenotypes affected by them.
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Kusmintarsih, Endang Srimurni, and Trisnowati Budi Ambarningrum. "Molecular characterization and phylogeny of Wolbachia pipientis in mosquitoes." Proceeding ICMA-SURE 2, no. 1 (January 30, 2023): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.20884/2.procicma.2023.2.1.7837.
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Wolbachia is an intracellular, maternally inherited bacteria that infect a wide variety of arthropods, including several mosquito such as Aedes albopictus, Armigerus, Culex, and Manzonia. However, until now there have been no reports of the existence of endosymbionts from several genera of mosquitoes from Indonesia. Therefore, we screen Wolbachia on several mosquito genera. The aim of the study was to determine the spreading of Wolbachia endosymbiont in mosquitoes from Indonesia. Mosquitoes were taken from various breeding and resting places, the captured mosquitoes were identified, the PCR product was carried out by gel electrophoresis. Visualization of amplicon bands under ultraviolet light. The result showed that the mosquitoes (Manzonia, Aedes albopictus, and Armigerus) tested were positive for the Wolbachia endosymbiont. Analysis phylogeny shows, that Wolbachia in three genus mosquitoes consists of two clades where the first clade consists of Wolbachia from Aedes albopictus and Manzonia, and the second clade consists of Wolbachia from Armigerus and other Wolbachia from some insects as outgroups. Subsequently, the phylogenetic trees based on the wsp revealed that Wolbachia from Aedes samples 1, 2, and Manzonia include monophyletic while Wolbachia from Armigerus is paraphyletic. Wolbachia from Armigerus close to Wolbachia from Tetranychus urticae.
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Cardoso, Anabela, and Jesús Gómez-Zurita. "Food Resource Sharing of Alder Leaf Beetle Specialists (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) as Potential Insect–Plant Interface for Horizontal Transmission of Endosymbionts." Environmental Entomology 49, no. 6 (September 16, 2020): 1402–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa111.
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Abstract Recent studies suggest that endosymbionts of herbivore insects can be horizontally transferred to other herbivores feeding on the same host plants, whereby the plant acts as an intermediate stage in the chain of transmission. If this mechanism operates, it is also expected that insect communities sharing the same host plant will have higher chances to share their endosymbionts. In this study, we use a high-throughput 16S rRNA metabarcoding approach to investigate the presence, diversity, and potential sharing of endosymbionts in several species of leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of a local community specialized on an alder diet in North America. Rickettsia and Wolbachia were predominant in the sample, with strong evidence for each species having their own dominant infection, of either or both types of bacteria. However, all species shared a much lower proportion of a particular Wolbachia type, compatible with the same strain dominant in one of the species of leaf beetles. Crucially, the same 16S rRNA haplotype of Wolbachia was found on alder leaf extracts. The combined evidence and the absence of this strain in a syntopic species of leaf beetle feeding on a different host plant support the hypothesis that at least the initial stages of the mechanism that would allow horizontal transmission of endosymbionts across species feeding on the same plant is possible. The accessibility and characteristics of endosymbiont associations of this system make it suitable for deeper analyses of their diversity and transmission in natural conditions.
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Koçak, Erhan, and Hüseyin Ünal. "Küçük Kırma Biti Cryptolestes ferrugineus (L.) Popülasyonlarında Endosimbiyont Mikroorganizmaların Belirlenmesi." Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology 7, sp2 (December 21, 2019): 93. http://dx.doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v7isp2.93-96.3153.
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Bacterias are the most important members of insect microbial flora. These microorganisms create important food for insects, contribute to nutrient digestion, synthesize useful vitamins and enzymes, bind nitrogen, provide resistance to insecticides, produce pheromones and contribute to insect life in order to compete with insect pathogens; also there are pathogenic bacteria which kill, pacify and control them. More effective, new and environmentally-conscious methods are required to control the pests. First of all, after determining the endosymbiont bacteria composition of pest insects in our country, new control strategies can be made possible to do experiments by considering the characteristics of these bacteria species. Therefore, 10 populations of C. ferrugineus were collected from cereal storages in Adana, Konya, Izmir, Samsun, and Istanbul provinces in order to investigate the presence of secondary endosymbionts in Cryptolestes ferrugineus. Presence of Wolbachia, Rickettsia and Spiroplasma as endosymbiont microorganisms have been determined by applying synthetic primers and PCR method for the first time in our country. Totally, there were 10 populations and three of them have Wolbachia, six of them have Rickettsia and one of them has Spiroplasma. Seven of the total population in Turkey (%70) were found to be infected with at least one endosymbiont. This study is also the first study in the world that show that C. ferrugineus is infected with endosymbionts Wolbachia, Rickettsia and Spiroplasma.
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Kikuchi, Yoshitomo, and Takema Fukatsu. "Diversity of Wolbachia Endosymbionts in Heteropteran Bugs." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 69, no. 10 (October 2003): 6082–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.69.10.6082-6090.2003.
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ABSTRACT An extensive survey of Wolbachia endosymbionts in Japanese terrestrial heteropteran bugs was performed by PCR detection with universal primers for wsp and ftsZ genes of Wolbachia, cloning of the PCR products, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of infecting Wolbachia types, and molecular phylogenetic characterization of all the detected Wolbachia strains. Of 134 heteropteran species from 19 families examined, Wolbachia infection was detected in 47 species from 13 families. From the 47 species, 59 Wolbachia strains were identified. Of the 59 strains, 16 and 43 were assigned to A group and B group in the Wolbachia phylogeny, respectively. The 47 species of Wolbachia-infected bugs were classified into 8 species with A infection, 28 species with B infection, 2 species with AA infection, 3 species with AB infection, 5 species with BB infection, and 1 species with ABB infection. Molecular phylogenetic analysis showed little congruence between Wolbachia phylogeny and host systematics, suggesting frequent horizontal transfers of Wolbachia in the evolutionary course of the Heteroptera. The phylogenetic analysis also revealed several novel lineages of Wolbachia. Based on statistical analyses of the multiple infections, we propose a hypothetical view that, in the heteropteran bugs, interactions between coinfecting Wolbachia strains are generally not intense and that Wolbachia coinfections have been established through a stochastic process probably depending on occasional horizontal transfers.
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Wasala, Sulochana K., Cedar Hesse, Catherine L. Wram, Dana K. Howe, Inga A. Zasada, and Dee R. Denver. "Unraveling Microbial Endosymbiosis Dynamics in Plant-Parasitic Nematodes with a Genome Skimming Strategy." Applied Microbiology 3, no. 4 (October 20, 2023): 1229–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol3040085.
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Bacterial endosymbionts, in genera Wolbachia and Cardinium, infect various arthropods and some nematode groups. Manipulating these microbial symbionts presents a promising biocontrol strategy for managing disease-causing parasites. However, the diversity of Wolbachia and Cardinium in nematodes remains unclear. This study employed a genome skimming strategy to uncover their occurrence in plant-parasitic nematodes, analyzing 52 populations of 12 species. A metagenome analysis revealed varying endosymbiont genome content, leading to the categorization of strong, weak, and no evidence for endosymbiont genomes. Strong evidence for Wolbachia was found in five populations, and for Cardinium in one population, suggesting a limited occurrence. Strong Wolbachia evidence was noted in Pratylenchus penetrans and Radopholus similis from North/South America and Africa. Heterodera glycines from North America showed strong Cardinium evidence. Weak genomic evidence for Wolbachia was observed in Globodera pallida, Meloidogyne incognita, Rotylenchus reniformis, Pratylechus coffeae, Pratylenchus neglectus, and Pratylenchus thornei; for Cardinium was found in G. pallida, R. reniformis and P. neglectus; 27/52 populations exhibited no endosymbiont evidence. Wolbachia and Cardinium presence varied within nematode species, suggesting non-obligate mutualism. Wolbachia and Cardinium genomes differed among nematode species, indicating potential species-specific functionality. This study advances knowledge of plant-parasitic nematode–bacteria symbiosis, providing insights for downstream eco-friendly biocontrol strategies.
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Duarte, Elves H., Ana Carvalho, Sergio López-Madrigal, João Costa, and Luís Teixeira. "Forward genetics in Wolbachia: Regulation of Wolbachia proliferation by the amplification and deletion of an addictive genomic island." PLOS Genetics 17, no. 6 (June 18, 2021): e1009612. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1009612.
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Wolbachia is one of the smost prevalent bacterial endosymbionts, infecting approximately 40% of terrestrial arthropod species. Wolbachia is often a reproductive parasite but can also provide fitness benefits to its host, as, for example, protection against viral pathogens. This protective effect is currently being applied to fight arboviruses transmission by releasing Wolbachia-transinfected mosquitoes. Titre regulation is a crucial aspect of Wolbachia biology. Higher titres can lead to stronger phenotypes and fidelity of transmission but can have a higher cost to the host. Since Wolbachia is maternally transmitted, its fitness depends on host fitness, and, therefore, its cost to the host may be under selection. Understanding how Wolbachia titres are regulated and other aspects of Wolbachia biology has been hampered by the lack of genetic tools. Here we developed a forward genetic screen to identify new Wolbachia over-proliferative mutant variants. We characterized in detail two new mutants, wMelPop2 and wMelOctoless, and show that the amplification or loss of the Octomom genomic region lead to over-proliferation. These results confirm previous data and expand on the complex role of this genomic region in the control of Wolbachia proliferation. Both new mutants shorten the host lifespan and increase antiviral protection. Moreover, we show that Wolbachia proliferation rate in Drosophila melanogaster depends on the interaction between Octomom copy number, the host developmental stage, and temperature. Our analysis also suggests that the life shortening and antiviral protection phenotypes of Wolbachia are dependent on different, but related, properties of the endosymbiont; the rate of proliferation and the titres near the time of infection, respectively. We also demonstrate the feasibility of a novel and unbiased experimental approach to study Wolbachia biology, which could be further adapted to characterize other genetically intractable bacterial endosymbionts.
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Bordenstein, Sarah R., and Seth R. Bordenstein. "Widespread phages of endosymbionts: Phage WO genomics and the proposed taxonomic classification of Symbioviridae." PLOS Genetics 18, no. 6 (June 6, 2022): e1010227. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010227.
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Wolbachia are the most common obligate, intracellular bacteria in animals. They exist worldwide in arthropod and nematode hosts in which they commonly act as reproductive parasites or mutualists, respectively. Bacteriophage WO, the largest of Wolbachia’s mobile elements, includes reproductive parasitism genes, serves as a hotspot for genetic divergence and genomic rearrangement of the bacterial chromosome, and uniquely encodes a Eukaryotic Association Module with eukaryotic-like genes and an ensemble of putative host interaction genes. Despite WO’s relevance to genome evolution, selfish genetics, and symbiotic applications, relatively little is known about its origin, host range, diversification, and taxonomic classification. Here we analyze the most comprehensive set of 150 Wolbachia and phage WO assemblies to provide a framework for discretely organizing and naming integrated phage WO genomes. We demonstrate that WO is principally in arthropod Wolbachia with relatives in diverse endosymbionts and metagenomes, organized into four variants related by gene synteny, often oriented opposite the putative origin of replication in the Wolbachia chromosome, and the large serine recombinase is an ideal typing tool to distinguish the four variants. We identify a novel, putative lytic cassette and WO’s association with a conserved eleven gene island, termed Undecim Cluster, that is enriched with virulence-like genes. Finally, we evaluate WO-like Islands in the Wolbachia genome and discuss a new model in which Octomom, a notable WO-like Island, arose from a split with WO. Together, these findings establish the first comprehensive Linnaean taxonomic classification of endosymbiont phages, including non-Wolbachia phages from aquatic environments, that includes a new family and two new genera to capture the collective relatedness of these viruses.
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Bordenstein, Sarah R., and Seth R. Bordenstein. "Widespread phages of endosymbionts: Phage WO genomics and the proposed taxonomic classification of Symbioviridae." PLOS Genetics 18, no. 6 (June 6, 2022): e1010227. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010227.
Full textAbstract:
Wolbachia are the most common obligate, intracellular bacteria in animals. They exist worldwide in arthropod and nematode hosts in which they commonly act as reproductive parasites or mutualists, respectively. Bacteriophage WO, the largest of Wolbachia’s mobile elements, includes reproductive parasitism genes, serves as a hotspot for genetic divergence and genomic rearrangement of the bacterial chromosome, and uniquely encodes a Eukaryotic Association Module with eukaryotic-like genes and an ensemble of putative host interaction genes. Despite WO’s relevance to genome evolution, selfish genetics, and symbiotic applications, relatively little is known about its origin, host range, diversification, and taxonomic classification. Here we analyze the most comprehensive set of 150 Wolbachia and phage WO assemblies to provide a framework for discretely organizing and naming integrated phage WO genomes. We demonstrate that WO is principally in arthropod Wolbachia with relatives in diverse endosymbionts and metagenomes, organized into four variants related by gene synteny, often oriented opposite the putative origin of replication in the Wolbachia chromosome, and the large serine recombinase is an ideal typing tool to distinguish the four variants. We identify a novel, putative lytic cassette and WO’s association with a conserved eleven gene island, termed Undecim Cluster, that is enriched with virulence-like genes. Finally, we evaluate WO-like Islands in the Wolbachia genome and discuss a new model in which Octomom, a notable WO-like Island, arose from a split with WO. Together, these findings establish the first comprehensive Linnaean taxonomic classification of endosymbiont phages, including non-Wolbachia phages from aquatic environments, that includes a new family and two new genera to capture the collective relatedness of these viruses.
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Rossitto De Marchi, Bruno, and Hugh A. Smith. "Bacterial Endosymbiont Diversity among Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Populations in Florida." Insects 11, no. 3 (March 11, 2020): 179. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects11030179.
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The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a pest of many economically important agricultural crops and a vector of plant viruses. Bemisia tabaci harbors facultative endosymbiont species that have been implicated in pest status, including tolerance to insecticides, virus transmission efficiency and tolerance to high-temperatures. The facultative endosymbionts reported in B. tabaci include Arsenophonus, Hamiltonella, Wolbachia, Cardinium, Fritschea and Rickettsia. We collected whitefly populations from weed and crop hosts in south Florida and identified the whitefly species as well as the facultative endosymbionts present in these populations by molecular analysis. In addition, a phylogenetic analysis of whiteflies and their endosymbionts was performed. The only facultative endosymbionts found among the B. tabaci populations collected in Florida were Hamiltonella and Rickettsia. The phylogenetic analysis revealed the low genetic diversity of whiteflies and their endosymbionts. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree clustered Rickettsia from Florida in the R1 genetic group. The results will aid to understand the role of the bacterial endosymbionts in the whitefly host.
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Chung, Matthew, Preston J. Basting, Rayanna S. Patkus, Alexandra Grote, Ashley N. Luck, Elodie Ghedin, Barton E. Slatko, et al. "A Meta-Analysis of Wolbachia Transcriptomics Reveals a Stage-Specific Wolbachia Transcriptional Response Shared Across Different Hosts." G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics 10, no. 9 (September 1, 2020): 3243–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1534/g3.120.401534.
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Abstract Wolbachia is a genus containing obligate, intracellular endosymbionts with arthropod and nematode hosts. Numerous studies have identified differentially expressed transcripts in Wolbachia endosymbionts that potentially inform the biological interplay between these endosymbionts and their hosts, albeit with discordant results. Here, we re-analyze previously published Wolbachia RNA-Seq transcriptomics data sets using a single workflow consisting of the most up-to-date algorithms and techniques, with the aim of identifying trends or patterns in the pan-Wolbachia transcriptional response. We find that data from one of the early studies in filarial nematodes did not allow for robust conclusions about Wolbachia differential expression with these methods, suggesting the original interpretations should be reconsidered. Across datasets analyzed with this unified workflow, there is a general lack of global gene regulation with the exception of a weak transcriptional response resulting in the upregulation of ribosomal proteins in early larval stages. This weak response is observed across diverse Wolbachia strains from both nematode and insect hosts suggesting a potential pan-Wolbachia transcriptional response during host development that diverged more than 700 million years ago.
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Kaundal, P., K. G. Padwal, S. Premkumari, S. Chakravarty, and C. P. Srivastava. "Identification of bacterial endosymbionts in rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) populations of North India." Journal of Environmental Biology 45, no. 1 (January 2, 2024): 47–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.22438/jeb/45/1/mrn-5183.
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Aim: The present study was undertaken to screen the most commonly occurring endosymbionts in S. oryzae populations from varied geographical regions of North India. Methodology: The six most common endosymbionts (Wolbachia, Arsenophonus, Spiroplasma, Rickettsia, Cardinium and Hamiltonella) were screened in 15 different populations of S. oryzae, representing five different agro-climatic zones of India. For this, the samples of S. oryzae were collected and identified using taxonomic keys and through PCR amplification of the COI gene followed by Sanger sequencing and comparison of obtained sequences with the NCBI database. Thereafter, the screening of endosymbionts was performed using 16S rRNA gene-specific primers for the respective endosymbionts. Results: The results showed the presence of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma in all 15 populations with infection rates of 100 and 85 per cent, respectively. Arsenophonus was detected in only 12 populations with 60 per cent infection rate. Concurrent infections of Wolbachia, Arsenophonus and Spiroplasma within the same individuals of S. oryzae were also detected. However, no infections of Cardinium, Rickettsia and Hamiltonella were found. Interpretation: Thus, it can be inferred that Wolbachia, Spiroplasma and Arsenophonus are the most common endosymbionts which can be exploited for the development of better management strategies against S. oryzae. Key words: 16S rRNA, Co-infection, Endosymbionts, Rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae
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Choubdar, Nayyereh, Fateh Karimian, Mona Koosha, Jalil Nejati, Razieh Shabani Kordshouli, Amrollah Azarm, and Mohammad Ali Oshaghi. "Wolbachia infection in native populations of Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana." PLOS ONE 18, no. 4 (April 20, 2023): e0284704. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284704.
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Cockroaches are significant pests worldwide, being important in medical, veterinary, and public health fields. Control of cockroaches is difficult because they have robust reproductive ability and high adaptability and are resistant to many insecticides. Wolbachia is an endosymbiont bacterium that infects the reproductive organs of approximately 70% of insect species and has become a promising biological agent for controlling insect pests. However, limited data on the presence or strain typing of Wolbachia in cockroaches are available. PCR amplification and sequencing of the wsp and gltA genes were used to study the presence, prevalence and molecular typing of Wolbachia in two main cockroach species, Blattella germanica (German cockroach) and Periplaneta americana (American cockroach), from different geographical locations of Iran. The Wolbachia endosymbiont was found only in 20.6% of German cockroaches while it was absent in American cockroach samples. Blast search and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Wolbachia strain found in the German cockroach belongs to Wolbachia supergroup F. Further studies should investigate the symbiotic role of Wolbachia in cockroaches and determine whether lack of Wolbachia infection may increase this insect’s ability to tolerate or acquire various pathogens. Results of our study provide a foundation for continued work on interactions between cockroaches, bacterial endosymbionts, and pathogens.
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Schiefer, Andrea, Marc P. Hübner, Anna Krome, Christine Lämmer, Alexandra Ehrens, Tilman Aden, Marianne Koschel, et al. "Corallopyronin A for short-course anti-wolbachial, macrofilaricidal treatment of filarial infections." PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 14, no. 12 (December 7, 2020): e0008930. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008930.
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Current efforts to eliminate the neglected tropical diseases onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis, caused by the filarial nematodes Onchocerca volvulus and Wuchereria bancrofti or Brugia spp., respectively, are hampered by lack of a short-course macrofilaricidal–adult-worm killing–treatment. Anti-wolbachial antibiotics, e.g. doxycycline, target the essential Wolbachia endosymbionts of filariae and are a safe prototype adult-worm-sterilizing and macrofilaricidal regimen, in contrast to standard treatments with ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine, which mainly target the microfilariae. However, treatment regimens of 4–5 weeks necessary for doxycycline and contraindications limit its use. Therefore, we tested the preclinical anti-Wolbachia drug candidate Corallopyronin A (CorA) for in vivo efficacy during initial and chronic filarial infections in the Litomosoides sigmodontis rodent model. CorA treatment for 14 days beginning immediately after infection cleared >90% of Wolbachia endosymbionts from filariae and prevented development into adult worms. CorA treatment of patently infected microfilaremic gerbils for 14 days with 30 mg/kg twice a day (BID) achieved a sustained reduction of >99% of Wolbachia endosymbionts from adult filariae and microfilariae, followed by complete inhibition of filarial embryogenesis resulting in clearance of microfilariae. Combined treatment of CorA and albendazole, a drug currently co-administered during mass drug administrations and previously shown to enhance efficacy of anti-Wolbachia drugs, achieved microfilarial clearance after 7 days of treatment at a lower BID dose of 10 mg/kg CorA, a Human Equivalent Dose of 1.4 mg/kg. Importantly, this combination led to a significant reduction in the adult worm burden, which has not yet been published with other anti-Wolbachia candidates tested in this model. In summary, CorA is a preclinical candidate for filariasis, which significantly reduces treatment times required to achieve sustained Wolbachia depletion, clearance of microfilariae, and inhibition of embryogenesis. In combination with albendazole, CorA is robustly macrofilaricidal after 7 days of treatment and fulfills the Target Product Profile for a macrofilaricidal drug.
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Joshi, Anuradha Sameer. "Detecting Natural Wolbachia Infection and Supergroup Identification of Metochus uniguttatus in North India." Research in Biotechnology and Environmental Science 2, no. 4 (December 25, 2022): 75–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.58803/rbes.v2i4.34.
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Introduction: Insect endosymbionts have a crucial evolutionary and ecological role. Insects, particularly arthropods, have evolved to tolerate a wide range of endosymbionts that provide them with external biochemical, genetic, and reproductive capacities that improve their fitness. Wolbachia is a widely prevalent bacterial endosymbiont that is gaining popularity in insect research due to its utility in pest and vector management. Although India has a diverse insect population, little research has been undertaken on insect-microbe interactions. Therefore, This study aimed to ascertain the spread of Wolbachia in a randomly sampled set of insects, identify any novel Wolbachia infections, and determine the Wolbachia infection’s supergroup. Materials and methods: Field capture of insects was carried out manually with netting and gloves, and the insects were immediately stored in absolute ethanol to immobilize them. Phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol was the method used to extract the insect DNA. Insect species identification was carried out via the CO1 mitochondrial gene using PCR amplification. PCR was utilized to identify the presence of Wolbachia, and 16S Wspec DNA was amplified to confirm its presence. The Sanger method was used to sequence the amplified CO1 and the positive samples for Wspec. Using NCBI blast, the sequences of the infected insects were compared with the database sequences. The obtained FASTAs were then aligned using Sequencher 5.4.6, and the chromatograms were examined to ensure contig quality and similarity. Results: Among the 21 insects screened, one was found weakly positive (Playpleura octoguttata) and two were strongly positive (Metochus uniguttatus and Velarifictorus micado) with Wolbachia, which represented an infection rate of 14.29%. Although the individual infection rate in this limited sample size falls at the lower end compared to extensive surveys reporting rates between 20% and 76%. This study indicated the dissemination of Wolbachia in randomly screened insects. Moreover, this is one of the first records of Metochus uniguttatus being infected with Wolbachia in North India. Conclusion: This study represents an initial exploration of insects not previously considered hosts of the Wolbachia endosymbiont. The results could be useful for future studies on insect biocontrol and pest management.
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Tanaka, Kohjiro, Seiichi Furukawa, Naruo Nikoh, Tetsuhiko Sasaki, and Takema Fukatsu. "Complete WO Phage Sequences Reveal Their Dynamic Evolutionary Trajectories and Putative Functional Elements Required for Integration into the Wolbachia Genome." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 75, no. 17 (July 10, 2009): 5676–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.01172-09.
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ABSTRACT Wolbachia endosymbionts are ubiquitously found in diverse insects including many medical and hygienic pests, causing a variety of reproductive phenotypes, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, and thereby efficiently spreading in host insect populations. Recently, Wolbachia-mediated approaches to pest control and management have been proposed, but the application of these approaches has been hindered by the lack of genetic transformation techniques for symbiotic bacteria. Here, we report the genome and structure of active bacteriophages from a Wolbachia endosymbiont. From the Wolbachia strain wCauB infecting the moth Ephestia kuehniella two closely related WO prophages, WOcauB2 of 43,016 bp with 47 open reading frames (ORFs) and WOcauB3 of 45,078 bp with 46 ORFs, were characterized. In each of the prophage genomes, an integrase gene and an attachment site core sequence were identified, which are putatively involved in integration and excision of the mobile genetic elements. The 3′ region of the prophages encoded genes with sequence motifs related to bacterial virulence and protein-protein interactions, which might represent effector molecules that affect cellular processes and functions of their host bacterium and/or insect. Database searches and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the prophage genes have experienced dynamic evolutionary trajectories. Genes similar to the prophage genes were found across divergent bacterial phyla, highlighting the active and mobile nature of the genetic elements. We suggest that the active WO prophage genomes and their constituent sequence elements would provide a clue to development of a genetic transformation vector for Wolbachia endosymbionts.
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Reese, Corey, Leland C. Graber, Manuela O. Ramalho, and Corrie S. Moreau. "The Diversity of Wolbachia across the Turtle Ants (Formicidae: Cephalotes spp.)." Biology 13, no. 2 (February 13, 2024): 121. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biology13020121.
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Wolbachia is a widespread and well-known bacterium that can induce a wide range of changes within its host. Ants specifically harbor a great deal of Wolbachia diversity and are useful systems to study endosymbiosis. The turtle ants (Cephalotes) are a widespread group of tropical ants that rely on gut microbes to support their herbivorous diet for their survival, yet little is known of the extent of this diversity. Therefore, studying their endosymbionts and categorizing the diversity of bacteria within Cephalotes hosts could help to delimit species and identify new strains and can help lead to a further understanding of how the microbiome leads to survival and speciation in the wild. In our study, 116 individual samples were initially tested for positive infection with the wsp gene. Of the initial 116 samples, 9 samples were infected with only one strain of Wolbachia, and 7 were able to be used successfully for multilocus sequence typing (MLST). We used the new MLST data to infer a phylogeny with other Formicidae samples from the MLST online database to identify new Wolbachia strains and related genes, of which only one came back as an exact match. The 18 Wolbachia-positive samples ranged across 15 different species and 7 different countries, which we further test for species identity and geographic correlation. This study is the first comprehensive look into the diversity of Wolbachia in the turtle ants, providing insight into how endosymbionts are oriented in widespread species and providing a strong foundation for further research in host-microbe interactions.
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Gorham, Christopher H., Q. Q. Fang, and Lance A. Durden. "WOLBACHIA ENDOSYMBIONTS IN FLEAS (SIPHONAPTERA)." Journal of Parasitology 89, no. 2 (April 2003): 283–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1645/0022-3395(2003)089[0283:weifs]2.0.co;2.
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Karimi, S., H. Izadi, M. Askari Seyahooei, A. Bagheri, and P. Khodaygan. "Variation in bacterial endosymbionts associated with the date palm hopper,Ommatissus lybicuspopulations." Bulletin of Entomological Research 108, no. 2 (August 15, 2017): 271–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485317000633.
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AbstractThe date palm hopper,Ommatissus lybicus, is a key pest of the date palm, which is expected to be comprised of many allopatric populations. The current study was carried out to determine bacterial endosymbiont diversity in the different populations of this pest. Ten date palm hopper populations were collected from the main date palm growing regions in Iran and an additional four samples from Pakistan, Oman, Egypt and Tunisia for detection of primary and secondary endosymbionts using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with their specific primers. The PCR products were directly sequenced and edited using SeqMan software. The consensus sequences were subjected to a BLAST similarity search. The results revealed the presence of ‘CandidatusSulcia muelleri’ (primary endosymbiont) andWolbachia,ArsenophonusandEnterobacter(secondary endosymbionts) in all populations. This assay failed to detect ‘CandidatusNasuia deltocephalinicola’ andSerratiain these populations. ‘Ca. S. muelleri’ exhibited a 100% infection frequency in populations andWolbachia,ArsenophonusandEnterobacterdemonstrated 100, 93.04 and 97.39% infection frequencies, respectively. The infection rate ofArsenophonusandEnterobacterranged from 75 to 100% and 62.5 to 100%, respectively, in different populations of the insect. The results demonstrated multiple infections by ‘Ca. Sulcia muelleri’,Wolbachia,ArsenophonusandEnterobacterin the populations and may suggest significant roles for these endosymbionts on date palm hopper population fitness. This study provides an insight to endosymbiont variation in the date palm hopper populations; however, further investigation is needed to examine how these endosymbionts may affect host fitness.
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Brown, Amanda M. V. "Endosymbionts of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes." Annual Review of Phytopathology 56, no. 1 (August 25, 2018): 225–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-phyto-080417-045824.
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Some of the most agriculturally important plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) harbor endosymbionts. Extensive work in other systems has shown that endosymbionts can have major effects on host virulence and biology. This review highlights the discovery, development, and diversity of PPN endosymbionts, incorporating inferences from genomic data. Cardinium, reported from five PPN hosts to date, is characterized by its presence in the esophageal glands and other tissues, with a discontinuous distribution across populations, and genomic data suggestive of horizontal gene exchange. Xiphinematobacter occurs in at least 27 species of dagger nematode in the ovaries and gut epithelial cells, where genomic data suggest it may serve in nutritional supplementation. Wolbachia, reported in just three PPNs, appears to have an ancient history in the Pratylenchidae and displays broad tissue distribution and genomic features intermediate between parasitic and reproductive groups. Finally, a model is described that integrates these insights to explain patterns of endosymbiont replacement.
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Narita, Satoko, Daisuke Kageyama, Masashi Nomura, and Takema Fukatsu. "Unexpected Mechanism of Symbiont-Induced Reversal of Insect Sex: Feminizing Wolbachia Continuously Acts on the Butterfly Eurema hecabe during Larval Development." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 73, no. 13 (May 11, 2007): 4332–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.00145-07.
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ABSTRACT When the butterfly Eurema hecabe is infected with two different strains (wHecCI2 and wHecFem2) of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia, genetic males are transformed into functional females, resulting in production of all-female broods. In an attempt to understand how and when the Wolbachia endosymbiont feminizes genetically male insects, larval insects were fed an antibiotic-containing diet beginning at different developmental stages until pupation. When the adult insects emerged, strikingly, many of them exhibited sexually intermediate traits in their wings, reproductive organs, and genitalia. The expression of intersexual phenotypes was strong in the insects treated from first instar, moderate in the insects treated from third instar, and weak in the insects treated from fourth instar. The insects treated from early larval instar grew and pupated normally but frequently failed to emerge and died in the pupal case. The dead insects in the pupal case contained lower densities of the feminizing Wolbachia endosymbiont than the successfully emerged insects, although none of them were completely cured of the symbiont infection. These results suggest the following: (i) the antibiotic treatment suppressed the population of feminizing Wolbachia endosymbionts; (ii) the suppression probably resulted in attenuated feminizing activity of the symbiont, leading to expression of intersexual host traits; (iii) many of the insects suffered pupal mortality, possibly due to either intersexual defects or Wolbachia-mediated addiction; and hence (iv) the feminizing Wolbachia endosymbiont continuously acts on the host insects during larval development for expression of female phenotypes under a male genotype. Our finding may prompt reconsideration of the notion that Wolbachia-induced reproductive manipulations are already complete before the early embryonic stage and provide insights into the mechanism underlying the symbiont-induced reversal of insect sex.
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Harris, Harriet L., and Henk R. Braig. "Sperm chromatin remodelling and Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in Drosophila." Biochemistry and Cell Biology 81, no. 3 (June 1, 2003): 229–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/o03-053.
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Wolbachia pipientis is an obligate bacterial endosymbiont, which has successfully invaded approximately 20% of all insect species by manipulating their normal developmental patterns. Wolbachia-induced phenotypes include parthenogenesis, male killing, and, most notably, cytoplasmic incompatibility. In the future these phenotypes might be useful in controlling or modifying insect populations but this will depend on our understanding of the basic molecular processes underlying insect fertilization and development. Wolbachia-infected Drosophila simulans express high levels of cytoplasmic incompatibility in which the sperm nucleus is modified and does not form a normal male pronucleus when fertilizing eggs from uninfected females. The sperm modification is somehow rescued in eggs infected with the same strain of Wolbachia. Thus, D. simulans has become an excellent model organism for investigating the manner in which endosymbionts can alter reproductive programs in insect hosts. This paper reviews the current knowledge of Drosophila early development and particularly sperm function. Developmental mutations in Drosophila that are known to affect sperm function will also be discussed.Key words: sperm chromatin, fertilization, Drosophila, Wolbachia, cytoplasmic incompatibility.
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Katlav, Alihan, Duong T. Nguyen, Jennifer L. Morrow, Robert N. Spooner-Hart, and Markus Riegler. "Endosymbionts moderate constrained sex allocation in a haplodiploid thrips species in a temperature-sensitive way." Heredity 128, no. 3 (February 3, 2022): 169–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41437-022-00505-5.
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AbstractMaternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts that affect host fitness are common in nature. Some endosymbionts colonise host populations by reproductive manipulations (such as cytoplasmic incompatibility; CI) that increase the reproductive fitness of infected over uninfected females. Theory predicts that CI-inducing endosymbionts in haplodiploid hosts may also influence sex allocation, including in compatible crosses, however, empirical evidence for this is scarce. We examined the role of two common CI-inducing endosymbionts, Cardinium and Wolbachia, in the sex allocation of Pezothrips kellyanus, a haplodiploid thrips species with a split sex ratio. In this species, irrespective of infection status, some mated females are constrained to produce extremely male-biased broods, whereas other females produce extremely female-biased broods. We analysed brood sex ratio of females mated with males of the same infection status at two temperatures. We found that at 20 °C the frequency of constrained sex allocation in coinfected pairs was reduced by 27% when compared to uninfected pairs. However, at 25 °C the constrained sex allocation frequency increased and became similar between coinfected and uninfected pairs, resulting in more male-biased population sex ratios at the higher temperature. This temperature-dependent pattern occurred without changes in endosymbiont densities and compatibility. Our findings indicate that endosymbionts affect sex ratios of haplodiploid hosts beyond the commonly recognised reproductive manipulations by causing female-biased sex allocation in a temperature-dependent fashion. This may contribute to a higher transmission efficiency of CI-inducing endosymbionts and is consistent with previous models that predict that CI by itself is less efficient in driving endosymbiont invasions in haplodiploid hosts.
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Corpuz, Renée L., M. Renee Bellinger, Anne Veillet, Karl N. Magnacca, and Donald K. Price. "The Transmission Patterns of the Endosymbiont Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae Adaptive Radiation." Genes 14, no. 8 (July 27, 2023): 1545. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes14081545.
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The evolution of endosymbionts and their hosts can lead to highly dynamic interactions with varying fitness effects for both the endosymbiont and host species. Wolbachia, a ubiquitous endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on host fitness. We documented the occurrence and patterns of transmission of Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae and examined the potential contributions of Wolbachia to the rapid diversification of their hosts. Screens for Wolbachia infections across a minimum of 140 species of Hawaiian Drosophila and Scaptomyza revealed species-level infections of 20.0%, and across all 399 samples, a general infection rate of 10.3%. Among the 44 Wolbachia strains we identified using a modified Wolbachia multi-locus strain typing scheme, 30 (68.18%) belonged to supergroup B, five (11.36%) belonged to supergroup A, and nine (20.45%) had alleles with conflicting supergroup assignments. Co-phylogenetic reconciliation analysis indicated that Wolbachia strain diversity within their endemic Hawaiian Drosophilidae hosts can be explained by vertical (e.g., co-speciation) and horizontal (e.g., host switch) modes of transmission. Results from stochastic character trait mapping suggest that horizontal transmission is associated with the preferred oviposition substrate of the host, but not the host’s plant family or island of occurrence. For Hawaiian Drosophilid species of conservation concern, with 13 species listed as endangered and 1 listed as threatened, knowledge of Wolbachia strain types, infection status, and potential for superinfection could assist with conservation breeding programs designed to bolster population sizes, especially when wild populations are supplemented with laboratory-reared, translocated individuals. Future research aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanisms of Wolbachia transmission in nature, their impact on the host, and their role in host species formation may shed light on the influence of Wolbachia as an evolutionary driver, especially in Hawaiian ecosystems.
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Cooper, W. Rodney, David R. Horton, Kylie Swisher-Grimm, Karol Krey, and Mark R. Wildung. "Bacterial Endosymbionts of Bactericera maculipennis and Three Mitochondrial Haplotypes of B. cockerelli (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae)." Environmental Entomology 51, no. 1 (December 3, 2021): 94–107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvab133.
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Abstract Insects harbor bacterial endosymbionts that provide their hosts with nutritional benefit or with protection against natural enemies, plant defenses, insecticides, or abiotic stresses. We used directed sequencing of 16S rDNA to identify and compare endosymbionts of Bactericera maculipennis (Crawford) and the western, central, and northwestern haplotypes of B. cockerelli (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae). Both species are native to North America, are known to harbor the plant pathogen ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ and develop on shared host plants within the Convolvulaceae. The Old-World species Heterotrioza chenopodii (Reuter) (Psylloidea: Triozidae), now found in North America, was included as an outgroup. 16S sequencing confirmed that both Bactericera species harbor ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ and revealed that both species harbor unique strains of Wolbachia and Sodalis. However, the presence of Wolbachia and Sodalis varied among haplotypes of B. cockerelli. The central and western haplotypes harbored the same strains of Wolbachia, which was confirmed by Sanger sequencing of the wsp and ftsZ genes. Wolbachia was also detected in very low abundance from the northwestern haplotype by high-throughput sequencing of 16S but was not detected from this haplotype by PCR screening. The northwestern and central haplotypes also harbored Sodalis, which was not detected in the western haplotype. Heterotrioza chenopodii harbored an entirely different community of potential endosymbionts compared with the Bactericera spp. that included Rickettsia and an unidentified bacterium in the Enterobacteriaceae. Results of this study provide a foundation for further research on the interactions between psyllids and their bacterial endosymbionts.
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Chao, Li-Lian, and Chien-Ming Shih. "First Detection and Genetic Identification of Wolbachia Endosymbiont in Field-Caught Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes Collected from Southern Taiwan." Microorganisms 11, no. 8 (July 27, 2023): 1911. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11081911.
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The prevalence and genetic character of Wolbachia endosymbionts in field-collected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were examined for the first time in Taiwan. A total of 665 Ae. aegypti were screened for Wolbachia infection using a PCR assay targeting the Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene. In general, the prevalence of Wolbachia infection was detected in 3.3% Ae. aegypti specimens (2.0% female and 5.2% male). Group-specific Wolbachia infection was detected with an infection rate of 1.8%, 0.8% and 0.8% in groups A, B and A&B, respectively. Genetic analysis demonstrated that all Wolbachia strains from Taiwan were phylogenetically affiliated with Wolbachia belonging to the supergroups A and B, with high sequence similarities of 99.4–100% and 99.2–100%, respectively. Phylogenetic relationships can be easily distinguished by maximum likelihood (ML) analysis and were congruent with the unweighted pair group with the arithmetic mean (UPGMA) method. The intra- and inter-group analysis of genetic distance (GD) values revealed a lower level within the Taiwan strains (GD < 0.006 for group A and GD < 0.008 for group B) and a higher level (GD > 0.498 for group A and GD > 0.286 for group B) as compared with other Wolbachia strains. Our results describe the first detection and molecular identification of Wolbachia endosymbiont in field-caught Ae. aegypti mosquitoes collected from Taiwan, and showed a low Wolbachia infection rate belonging to supergroups A and B in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes.
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Slatko, Barton E., Ashley N. Luck, Stephen L. Dobson, and Jeremy M. Foster. "Wolbachia endosymbionts and human disease control." Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 195, no. 2 (July 2014): 88–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molbiopara.2014.07.004.
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Mee, Peter T., Andrew R. Weeks, Peter J. Walker, Ary A. Hoffmann, and Jean-Bernard Duchemin. "Detection of Low-Level Cardinium and Wolbachia Infections in Culicoides." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 81, no. 18 (July 6, 2015): 6177–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.01239-15.
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ABSTRACTBacterial endosymbionts have been identified as potentially useful biological control agents for a range of invertebrate vectors of disease. Previous studies ofCulicoides(Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species using conventional PCR assays have provided evidence ofWolbachia(1/33) andCardinium(8/33) infections. Here, we screened 20 species ofCulicoidesforWolbachiaandCardinium, utilizing a combination of conventional PCR and more sensitive quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays. Low levels ofCardiniumDNA were detected in females of all but one of theCulicoidesspecies screened, and low levels ofWolbachiawere detected in females of 9 of the 20Culicoidesspecies. Sequence analysis based on partial 16S rRNA gene andgyrBsequences identified “CandidatusCardinium hertigii” from group C, which has previously been identified inCulicoidesfrom Japan, Israel, and the United Kingdom.Wolbachiastrains detected in this study showed 98 to 99% sequence identity toWolbachiapreviously detected fromCulicoidesbased on the 16S rRNA gene, whereas a strain with a novelwspsequence was identified inCulicoidesnarrabeenensis. Cardiniumisolates grouped to geographical regions independent of the hostCulicoidesspecies, suggesting possible geographical barriers toCardiniummovement. Screening also identifiedAsaiabacteria inCulicoides. These findings point to a diversity of low-level endosymbiont infections inCulicoides, providing candidates for further characterization and highlighting the widespread occurrence of these endosymbionts in this insect group.
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Jin, Chaoyang, Xiaoxia Ren, and Jason L. Rasgon. "The Virulent Wolbachia Strain wMelPop Efficiently Establishes Somatic Infections in the Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 75, no. 10 (March 27, 2009): 3373–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.00207-09.
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ABSTRACT Wolbachia pipientis bacteria are maternally inherited endosymbionts that are of interest to control the Anopheles mosquito vectors of malaria. Wolbachia does not infect Anopheles mosquitoes in nature, although cultured Anopheles cells can be infected. Here, we show that the virulent Wolbachia strain wMelPop can survive and replicate when injected into female Anopheles gambiae adults, but the somatic infections established are avirulent. These in vivo data suggest that stable Wolbachia infections of Anopheles may be possible.
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Laidoudi, Younes, Jean-Lou Marié, Djamel Tahir, Stéphanie Watier-Grillot, Oleg Mediannikov, and Bernard Davoust. "Detection of Canine Vector-Borne Filariasis and Their Wolbachia Endosymbionts in French Guiana." Microorganisms 8, no. 5 (May 21, 2020): 770. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8050770.
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In French Guiana, canine heartworm disease is well known, but the diversity of filarial parasites of dogs remains largely unknown. A total of 98 canine blood samples from Cayenne and Kourou were assessed by a blood wet mount preparation, heartworm antigen test and molecular exploration of filarioid and Wolbachia DNAs, followed by a multiplex species-specific qPCR’s identification and a subsequent sequencing analysis. Thereafter, a phylogeny based on maximum likelihood was carried out to facilitate specific identification. Five dogs were microfilaremic. Heartworm antigens were detected in 15 (15.3%) dogs. Of these, six (6.1%) were considered as occult infections as neither microfilariae nor Dirofilaria immitis DNA were detected. The 11 (11.2%) D. immitis isolates corresponded to a low virulent strain. Six of the D. immitis isolates were positive for Wolbachia endosymbionts of D. immitis belonging to the clade C DNA. Acanthocheilonema reconditum DNA was detected in 3 (3.1%) samples. Of these latter, one was found co-infected with the Brugia sp. genotype and the DNA of the clade D of the Wolbachia endosymbiont of Brugia species. This latter was also detected in two filarioid DNA-free samples. Finally, two samples were positive for Cercopithifilaria bainae genotype, which is distinct from those identified in Europe. The present study highlights the urgent need to implement chemoprophylaxis associated with anti-Wolbachia drugs to control these potential zoonoses.
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CASIRAGHI, M., T. J. C. ANDERSON, C. BANDI, C. BAZZOCCHI, and C. GENCHI. "A phylogenetic analysis of filarial nematodes: comparison with the phylogeny of Wolbachia endosymbionts." Parasitology 122, no. 1 (January 2001): 93–103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182000007149.
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Infection with the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia is widespread in filarial nematodes. Previous studies have suggested concordance between the phylogeny of Wolbachia with that of their nematode hosts. However, there is only one published molecular phylogenetic study of filarial species, based on the 5S rRNA gene spacer. The phylogeny proposed by this study is partially incongruent with previous classifications of filarial nematodes, based on morphological characters. Furthermore, both traditional classifications and molecular phylogenies are, in part, inconsistent with the phylogeny of Wolbachia. Here we report mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences for 11 species of filaria and for another spirurid nematode which was included as an outgroup. In addition, 16S rRNA, wsp and ftsZ gene sequences were generated for the Wolbachia of several filarial species, in order to complete the available data sets and further resolve the phylogeny of Wolbachia in nematodes. We used these data to evaluate whether nematode and Wolbachia phylogenies are concordant. Some of the possible phylogenetic reconstructions based on COI gene were congruent with the phylogeny of Wolbachia and supported the grouping of the rodent filaria Litomosoides sigmodontis with the lymphatic filariae (i.e. Brugia spp. and Wuchereria spp.) and the sister group relationship of Dirofilaria spp. and Onchocerca spp. However, the placement of the Wolbachia-free filaria Acanthocheilonema viteae is ambiguous and dependent on the phylogenetic methods used.
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Goto, Shunsuke, Hisashi Anbutsu, and Takema Fukatsu. "Asymmetrical Interactions between Wolbachia and Spiroplasma Endosymbionts Coexisting in the Same Insect Host." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 72, no. 7 (July 2006): 4805–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.00416-06.
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ABSTRACT We investigated the interactions between the endosymbionts Wolbachia pipientis strain wMel and Spiroplasma sp. strain NSRO coinfecting the host insect Drosophila melanogaster. By making use of antibiotic therapy, temperature stress, and hemolymph microinjection, we established the following strains in the same host genetic background: the SW strain, infected with both Spiroplasma and Wolbachia; the S strain, infected with Spiroplasma only; and the W strain, infected with Wolbachia only. The infection dynamics of the symbionts in these strains were monitored by quantitative PCR during host development. The infection densities of Spiroplasma exhibited no significant differences between the SW and S strains throughout the developmental course. In contrast, the infection densities of Wolbachia were significantly lower in the SW strain than in the W strain at the pupal and young adult stages. These results indicated that the interactions between the coinfecting symbionts were asymmetrical, i.e., Spiroplasma organisms negatively affected the population of Wolbachia organisms, while Wolbachia organisms did not influence the population of Spiroplasma organisms. In the host body, the symbionts exhibited their own tissue tropisms: among the tissues examined, Spiroplasma was the most abundant in the ovaries, while Wolbachia showed the highest density in Malpighian tubules. Strikingly, basically no Wolbachia organisms were detected in hemolymph, the principal location of Spiroplasma. These results suggest that different host tissues act as distinct microhabitats for the symbionts and that the lytic process in host metamorphosis might be involved in the asymmetrical interactions between the coinfecting symbionts.
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Almeida, R. P., and R. Stouthamer. "Phylogeny of the Trichogramma endosymbiont Wolbachia, an alpha-proteobacteria (Rickettsiae)." Brazilian Journal of Biology 78, no. 3 (November 9, 2017): 421–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.166671.
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Abstract Wolbachia (Hertig) endosymbionts are extensively studied in a wide range of organisms and are known to be transmitted through the egg cytoplasm to the offsping. Wolbachia may cause several types of reproductive modifications in arthropods. In Trichogramma species, parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia bacteria allow females wasps to produce daughters from unfertilized eggs and these bacteria are present in at least 9% of all Trichogramma species. Phylogenetic studies have led to the subdivision of the Wolbachia clade in five supergroups (A, B, C, D and E) and Wolbachia from Trichogramma belong to supergroup B. Here, using the wsp gene, four groups of Wolbachia that infect Trichogramma species were distinguished and the addition of a new group “Ato” was suggested due to the addition of Wolbachia from Trichogramma atopovirilia (Oatman and Platner). Specific primers were designed and tested for the “Ato” group. Seventy-five percent of all evaluated Wolbachia strains from Trichogramma fell within “Sib” group.
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Salzberg, Steven L., Daniela Puiu, Daniel D. Sommer, Vish Nene, and Norman H. Lee. "Genome Sequence of the Wolbachia Endosymbiont of Culex quinquefasciatus JHB." Journal of Bacteriology 191, no. 5 (December 29, 2008): 1725. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jb.01731-08.
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ABSTRACT Wolbachia species are endosymbionts of a wide range of invertebrates, including mosquitoes, fruit flies, and nematodes. The wPip strains can cause cytoplasmic incompatibility in some strains of the Culex mosquito. Here we describe the genome sequence of a Wolbachia strain that was discovered in the whole-genome sequencing data for the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus strain JHB.
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Beckmann, John F., Kelley Van Vaerenberghe, Daniel E. Akwa, and Brandon S. Cooper. "A single mutation weakens symbiont-induced reproductive manipulation through reductions in deubiquitylation efficiency." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, no. 39 (September 21, 2021): e2113271118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2113271118.
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Animals interact with microbes that affect their performance and fitness, including endosymbionts that reside inside their cells. Maternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria are the most common known endosymbionts, in large part because of their manipulation of host reproduction. For example, many Wolbachia cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) that reduces host embryonic viability when Wolbachia-modified sperm fertilize uninfected eggs. Operons termed cifs control CI, and a single factor (cifA) rescues it, providing Wolbachia-infected females a fitness advantage. Despite CI’s prevalence in nature, theory indicates that natural selection does not act to maintain CI, which varies widely in strength. Here, we investigate the genetic and functional basis of CI-strength variation observed among sister Wolbachia that infect Drosophila melanogaster subgroup hosts. We cloned, Sanger sequenced, and expressed cif repertoires from weak CI–causing wYak in Drosophila yakuba, revealing mutations suspected to weaken CI relative to model wMel in D. melanogaster. A single valine-to-leucine mutation within the deubiquitylating (DUB) domain of the wYak cifB homolog (cidB) ablates a CI-like phenotype in yeast. The same mutation reduces both DUB efficiency in vitro and transgenic CI strength in the fly, each by about twofold. Our results map hypomorphic transgenic CI to reduced DUB activity and indicate that deubiquitylation is central to CI induction in cid systems. We also characterize effects of other genetic variation distinguishing wMel-like cifs. Importantly, CI strength determines Wolbachia prevalence in natural systems and directly influences the efficacy of Wolbachia biocontrol strategies in transinfected mosquito systems. These approaches rely on strong CI to reduce human disease.
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Leclercq, Sébastien, Julien Thézé, Mohamed Amine Chebbi, Isabelle Giraud, Bouziane Moumen, Lise Ernenwein, Pierre Grève, Clément Gilbert, and Richard Cordaux. "Birth of a W sex chromosome by horizontal transfer of Wolbachia bacterial symbiont genome." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113, no. 52 (December 6, 2016): 15036–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1608979113.
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Sex determination is a fundamental developmental pathway governing male and female differentiation, with profound implications for morphology, reproductive strategies, and behavior. In animals, sex differences between males and females are generally determined by genetic factors carried by sex chromosomes. Sex chromosomes are remarkably variable in origin and can differ even between closely related species, indicating that transitions occur frequently and independently in different groups of organisms. The evolutionary causes underlying sex chromosome turnover are poorly understood, however. Here we provide evidence indicating that Wolbachia bacterial endosymbionts triggered the evolution of new sex chromosomes in the common pillbug Armadillidium vulgare. We identified a 3-Mb insert of a feminizing Wolbachia genome that was recently transferred into the pillbug nuclear genome. The Wolbachia insert shows perfect linkage to the female sex, occurs in a male genetic background (i.e., lacking the ancestral W female sex chromosome), and is hemizygous. Our results support the conclusion that the Wolbachia insert is now acting as a female sex-determining region in pillbugs, and that the chromosome carrying the insert is a new W sex chromosome. Thus, bacteria-to-animal horizontal genome transfer represents a remarkable mechanism underpinning the birth of sex chromosomes. We conclude that sex ratio distorters, such as Wolbachia endosymbionts, can be powerful agents of evolutionary transitions in sex determination systems in animals.
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Suh, Eunho, David R. Mercer, Yuqing Fu, and Stephen L. Dobson. "Pathogenicity of Life-Shortening Wolbachia in Aedes albopictus after Transfer from Drosophila melanogaster." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 75, no. 24 (October 9, 2009): 7783–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.01331-09.
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ABSTRACT Maternally inherited Wolbachia bacteria have evolved mechanisms to manipulate the reproduction of their invertebrate hosts, promoting infection spread. A high fitness cost to the host is maladaptive for obligate endosymbionts, and prior studies show rapid selection of new Wolbachia associations toward commensal or mutualistic symbioses. Here, wMelPop Wolbachia is transferred from Drosophila melanogaster into the mosquito Aedes albopictus. Characterization of the resulting strain provides an extreme example of Wolbachia as a pathogen. In addition to reduced longevity and fecundity, abnormally high Wolbachia density is associated with embryonic mortality that masks the typical pattern of cytoplasmic incompatibility. The results are consistent with earlier reports that show unpredictable shifts in the Wolbachia phenotype after interspecific transfer, which can complicate proposed strategies to modify the age structure of medically important vector populations.
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Du, Sujie, Fuyu Ye, Qijing Wang, Yongxuan Liang, Weijie Wan, Jianyang Guo, and Wanxue Liu. "Multiple Data Demonstrate That Bacteria Regulating Reproduction Could Be Not the Cause for the Thelytoky of Diglyphus wani (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)." Insects 13, no. 1 (December 22, 2021): 9. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects13010009.
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In Hymenoptera parasitoids, the reproductive mode is arrhenotoky, while a few species reproduce by thelytoky. The thelytoky of Hymenoptera parasitoids is generally genetically determined by the parasitoids themselves or induced by bacteria, including Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Rickettsia. Diglyphus wani (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a recently reported thelytokous species is a main parasitoid attacking agromyzid leafminers. To assess whether endosymbionts induce thelytoky in D. wani, we performed universal PCR detection and sequenced the V3-V4 region of 16S ribosomal RNA gene. In addition, bacteria were removed through high-temperature and antibiotic treatments, and the localized bacteria were detected using FISH. Based on general PCR detection, Wolbachia, Cardinium, Rickettsia, Arsenophonus, Spiroplasma, and Microsporidia were absent in laboratory and field individuals of thelytokous D. wani. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the dominant endosymbionts in thelytokous D. wani were not reproductive manipulators. High-temperature and antibiotic treatment for five consecutive generations cannot reverse the thelytokous pattern of D. wani, and no male offspring were produced. Moreover, no bacterial spots were found in the ovaries of D. wani. Thus, it is considered that the thelytoky of D. wani does not result in the presence of endosymbionts. This species is thus the second reported eulophid parasitoid whose thelytoky appears not to be associated with endosymbionts.
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Makhov, Ilia A., Yelizaveta Y. U. Gorodilova, and Vladimir A. Lukhtanov. "Sympatric occurrence of deeply diverged mitochondrial DNA lineages in Siberian geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae): cryptic speciation, mitochondrial introgression, secondary admixture or effect of Wolbachia?" Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 134, no. 2 (July 3, 2021): 342–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blab089.
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Abstract The divergent sympatric mitochondrial lineages within traditionally recognized species present a challenge regularly faced by taxonomists and evolutionary biologists. We encountered this problem when studying the Siberian geometrid moths, Alcis deversata and Thalera chlorosaria. Within each of these species we found two deeply diverged mitochondrial lineages that demonstrated a level of genetic differentiation exceeding the standard interspecific DNA barcode threshold. Using analyses of nuclear genes, morphology, ecological preferences and Wolbachia endosymbionts, we tested five hypotheses that might explain the mitochondrial pattern observed: cryptic speciation, ancestral polymorphism, interspecific mitochondrial introgression, secondary admixture of allopatrically evolved populations and an effect of intracellular Wolbachia endosymbionts. We demonstrate that in A. deversata and Th. chlorosaria the mitochondrial differences are not correlated with differences in nuclear genes, morphology, ecology and Wolbachia infection status, thus not supporting the hypothesis of cryptic species and an effect of Wolbachia. Mitochondrial introgression can lead to a situation in which one species has both its own mitochondrial lineage and the lineage obtained from another species. We found this situation in the species pair Alcis repandata and Alcis extinctaria. We conclude that the mitochondrial heterogeneity in A. deversata and Th. chlorosaria is most likely to be attributable to the secondary admixture of allopatrically evolved populations.
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Chebbah, Dahlia, Omar Hamarsheh, Denis Sereno, Nohal Elissa, Sophie Brun, Julie Jan, Arezki Izri, and Mohammad Akhoundi. "Molecular characterization and genetic diversity of Wolbachia endosymbionts in bed bugs (Hemiptera; Cimicidae) collected in Paris." PLOS ONE 18, no. 9 (September 28, 2023): e0292229. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292229.
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Purpose This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of Wolbachia in field-caught bed bug species in Paris areas. Methods The bed bug specimens were captured from various infested localities in Paris and surrounding cities. They belonged to diverse life stages, including egg, nymph, and adult. They were then identified using morphological and molecular approaches. Furthermore, Wolbachia was detected, and its genetic diversity was investigated by conventional PCR of 16S-rRNA and Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) genes. Results A total of 256 bed bug specimens belonging to various life stages [adult (183 specimens), nymph (48), and egg (25)] were captured from seven private apartments, five social apartments, three houses, two immigrant residences, and one retirement home situated in 10 districts of Paris and 8 surrounding cities. They were identified as Cimex lectularius (237 specimens) and C. hemipterus (19) using morphological and molecular approaches. The presence and diversity of Wolbachia were ascertained by targeting 16S-rRNA and wsp genes. Based on molecular analysis, 182 and 148 out of 256 processed specimens were positive by amplifying 16S-rRNA and wsp fragments, respectively. The inferred phylogenetic analysis with 16S-rRNA and wsp sequences displayed monophyletic Wolbachia strains clustering each one in three populations. The median-joining network, including the Wolbachia 16S-rRNA and wsp sequences of C. lectularius and C. hemipterous specimens, indicated a significant genetic differentiation among these populations in Paris areas which was consent with Neighbor-Joining analyses. A phylogenetic analysis of our heterogenic Wolbachia sequences with those reported from other arthropod species confirmed their belonging to supergroup F. Moreover, no difference between Wolbachia sequences from eggs, nymphs, and adults belonging to the same clade and between Wolbachia sequences of C. lectularius and C. hemipterus were observed after sequence alignment. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between multiple geographical locations (or accomodation type) where bed bugs were collected and the genetic diversity of Wolbachia. Conclusions We highlight a significant heterogeneity within Wolbachia symbionts detected in C. lectularius and C. hemipterus. No correlation between Wolbachia species and bed bug species (C. lectularius versus C. hemipterus), physiological stages (egg, nymph, and adult), and sampling location was recorded in this study.
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Johanowicz, Denise L., and Marjorie A. Hoy. "The Manipulation of Arthropod Reproduction by Wolbachia Endosymbionts." Florida Entomologist 81, no. 3 (September 1998): 310. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3495921.
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Šochová, Eva, Filip Husník, Eva Nováková, Ali Halajian, and Václav Hypša. "Arsenophonus and Sodalis replacements shape evolution of symbiosis in louse flies." PeerJ 5 (December 11, 2017): e4099. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4099.
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Symbiotic interactions between insects and bacteria are ubiquitous and form a continuum from loose facultative symbiosis to greatly intimate and stable obligate symbiosis. In blood-sucking insects living exclusively on vertebrate blood, obligate endosymbionts are essential for hosts and hypothesized to supplement B-vitamins and cofactors missing from their blood diet. The role and distribution of facultative endosymbionts and their evolutionary significance as seeds of obligate symbioses are much less understood. Here, using phylogenetic approaches, we focus on the Hippoboscidae phylogeny as well as the stability and dynamics of obligate symbioses within this bloodsucking group. In particular, we demonstrate a new potentially obligate lineage of Sodalis co-evolving with the Olfersini subclade of Hippoboscidae. We also show several likely facultative Sodalis lineages closely related to Sodalis praecaptivus (HS strain) and suggest repeated acquisition of novel symbionts from the environment. Similar to Sodalis, Arsenophonus endosymbionts also form both obligate endosymbiotic lineages co-evolving with their hosts (Ornithomyini and Ornithoica groups) as well as possibly facultative infections incongruent with the Hippoboscidae phylogeny. Finally, we reveal substantial diversity of Wolbachia strains detected in Hippoboscidae samples falling into three supergroups: A, B, and the most common F. Altogether, our results prove the associations between Hippoboscoidea and their symbiotic bacteria to undergo surprisingly dynamic, yet selective, evolutionary processes strongly shaped by repeated endosymbiont replacements. Interestingly, obligate symbionts only originate from two endosymbiont genera, Arsenophonus and Sodalis, suggesting that the host is either highly selective about its future obligate symbionts or that these two lineages are the most competitive when establishing symbioses in louse flies.
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Romanov, D. A., I. A. Zakharov, and E. V. Shaikevich. "Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, and Rickettsia symbiotic bacteria in aphids (Aphidoidea)." Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding 24, no. 6 (October 28, 2020): 673–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.18699/vj20.661.
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Aphids are a diverse family of crop pests. Aphids formed a complex relationship with intracellular bacteria. Depending on the region of study, the species composition of both aphids and their facultative endosymbionts varies. The aim of the work was to determine the occurrence and genetic diversity of Wolbachia, Spiroplasma and Rickettsia symbionts in aphids collected in 2018–2019 in Moscow. For these purposes, 578 aphids from 32 collection sites were tested by PCR using specific primers. At least 21 species of aphids from 14 genera and four families were identified by barcoding method, of which 11 species were infected with endosymbionts. Rickettsia was found in six species, Wolbachia in two species, Spiroplasma in one species. The presence of Rickettsia in Impatientinum asiaticum, Myzus cerasi, Hyalopterus pruni, Eucallipterus tiliae, Chaitophorus tremulae and Wolbachia in Aphis pomi and C. tremulae has been described for the first time. A double infection with Rickettsia and Spiroplasma was detected in a half of pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) individuals. For the first time was found that six species of aphids are infected with Rickettsia that are genetically different from previously known. It was first discovered that A. pomi is infected with two Wolbachia strains, one of which belongs to supergroup B and is genetically close to Wolbachia from C. tremulae. The second Wolbachia strain from A. pomi belongs to the supergroup M, recently described in aphid species. Spiroplasma, which we observed in A. pisum, is genetically close to male killing Spiroplasma from aphids, ladybirds and moths. Both maternal inheritance and horizontal transmission are the pathways for the distribution of facultative endosymbiotic bacteria in aphids.
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Tomaz, Juarez Pires, João Vitor Liachi Cobianchi, Luíza Sales Lima, Luciano Mendes de Oliveira, Adriano Thibes Hoshino, and Humberto Godoy Androcioli. "Whitefly distribution and interaction with endosymbionts in the state of Paraná." Semina: Ciências Agrárias 44, no. 5 (November 6, 2023): 1661–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2023v44n5p1661.
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Whiteflies comprise a complex of cryptic species that are genetically distinct but morphologically indistinguishable. Among them, Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Tvap) are the most prominent species causing agricultural damage. In Brazil, three B. tabaci species have been identified: New World (NW), Middle East-Asia Minor (MEAM1), and Mediterranean (MED). Whiteflies establish symbiotic associations with endosymbiotic bacteria, conferring adaptive advantages to the insects. The objective of this study was to identify whitefly species in municipalities of the state of Paraná and investigate their interactions with endosymbiotic bacteria. Insects were collected in 14 municipalities across different edaphoclimatic regions of Paraná, either in agricultural crops or on weeds. Molecular analyses, based on previously published PCR-based methods, were used to identify the insects and their respective endosymbionts. The results revealed that B. tabaci MEAM1, MED, NW, and Tvap accounted for 39.8%, 27.0%, 6.3%, and 23.7% of the collected specimens, respectively. These insects exhibited interactions with endosymbiont genera such as Portiera, Arsenophonus, Rickettsia, Hamiltonella, and Wolbachia, either in isolation or through co-infection. In some instances, interactions with up to five endosymbionts were observed in specific locations. The occurrence of Tvap in open fields and the prevalence of MED, particularly in the southeast of the state, where temperatures are milder, along with their interactions with endosymbionts providing adaptive advantages to the insects, raise significant phytosanitary concerns for the agricultural security of Paraná.
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Ponton, Fleur, Kenneth Wilson, Andrew Holmes, David Raubenheimer, Katie L. Robinson, and Stephen J. Simpson. "Macronutrients mediate the functional relationship between Drosophila and Wolbachia." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282, no. 1800 (February 7, 2015): 20142029. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2029.
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Wolbachia are maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts that naturally infect a diverse array of arthropods. They are primarily known for their manipulation of host reproductive biology, and recently, infections with Wolbachia have been proposed as a new strategy for controlling insect vectors and subsequent human-transmissible diseases. Yet, Wolbachia abundance has been shown to vary greatly between individuals and the magnitude of the effects of infection on host life-history traits and protection against infection is correlated to within-host Wolbachia abundance. It is therefore essential to better understand the factors that modulate Wolbachia abundance and effects on host fitness. Nutrition is known to be one of the most important mediators of host–symbiont interactions. Here, we used nutritional geometry to quantify the role of macronutrients on insect– Wolbachia relationships in Drosophila melanogaster . Our results show fundamental interactions between diet composition, host diet selection, Wolbachia abundance and effects on host lifespan and fecundity. The results and methods described here open a new avenue in the study of insect– Wolbachia relationships and are of general interest to numerous research disciplines, ranging from nutrition and life-history theory to public health.
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Lv, Ning, Jing Peng, Zi-Qi He, Qin Wen, Zheng-Qin Su, Shaukat Ali, Chang-Zhong Liu, and Bao-Li Qiu. "The Dynamic Distribution of Wolbachia and Rickettsia in AsiaII1 Bemisia tabaci." Insects 14, no. 4 (April 21, 2023): 401. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects14040401.
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Wolbachia and Rickettsia are bacterial endosymbionts that can induce a number of reproductive abnormalities in their arthropod hosts. We screened and established the co-infection of Wolbachia and Rickettsia in Bemisia tabaci and compared the spatial and temporal distribution of Wolbachia and Rickettsia in eggs (3–120 h after spawning), nymphs, and adults of B. tabaci by qPCR quantification and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The results show that the titer of Wolbachia and Rickettsia in the 3–120 h old eggs showed a “w” patterned fluctuation, while the titers of Wolbachia and Rickettsia had a “descending–ascending descending–ascending” change process. The titers of Rickettsia and Wolbachia nymphal and the adult life stages of Asia II1 B. tabaci generally increased with the development of whiteflies. However, the location of Wolbachia and Rickettsia in the egg changed from egg stalk to egg base, and then from egg base to egg posterior, and finally back to the middle of the egg. These results will provide basic information on the quantity and localization of Wolbachia and Rickettsia within different life stages of B. tabaci. These findings help to understand the dynamics of the vertical transmission of symbiotic bacteria.
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Puli, Gislaine, Andrielli P. Maria, Bianca L. Zimmermann, Sandro Santos, and Marlise L. Bartholomei-Santos. "No evidence for Wolbachia infection (Alphaproteobacteria: Rickettsiales) in the threatened freshwater crustacean AeglaLeach, 1820 (Decapoda: Anomura: Aeglidae)." Journal of Crustacean Biology 40, no. 1 (September 26, 2019): 141–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jcbiol/ruz073.
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Abstract Wolbachia bacteria (Alphaproteobacteria, Rickettsiales) are worldwide endosymbionts infecting arthropods and nematodes, which, among other effects, interfere with reproduction and the mitochondrial DNA polymorphism of their hosts. Among crustaceans, the bacteria have been mainly found in isopods, but its complete range of hosts is still unknown. We investigated the presence of Wolbachia in 10 species of AeglaLeach, 1820, a freshwater anomuran endemic to southern South America. We found no evidence for the presence of the bacteria, ensuring the reliability of studies employing mitochondrial DNA as molecular markers in aeglids.
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Dittmar, Katharina, and Michael F. Whiting. "NEW WOLBACHIA ENDOSYMBIONTS FROM NEARCTIC AND NEOTROPICAL FLEAS (SIPHONAPTERA)." Journal of Parasitology 90, no. 5 (October 2004): 953–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1645/ge-186r.
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