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Fricke LC, Lindsey ARI. Examining Wolbachia-Induced Parthenogenesis in Hymenoptera. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2739:55-68. [PMID: 38006545 PMCID: PMC11216367 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3553-7_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
The maternally transmitted reproductive manipulator Wolbachia can impact sex ratios of its arthropod host by different mechanisms, ultimately promoting the spread of infection across a population. One of these reproductive phenotypes, parthenogenesis induction (PI), is characterized by the asexual production of female offspring, which in many cases results in an entirely female population. Cases of Wolbachia-mediated PI are most common in the order Hymenoptera, specifically in parasitoid wasps. The complex sex determination pathways of hymenopterans, their diverse life histories, the multiple cytogenetic mechanisms of PI, and the lack of males make functional studies of parthenogenesis induction challenging. Here, we describe the mechanisms of PI, outline methods to recognize and cure PI-Wolbachia infection, and note possible complications when working with PI-Wolbachia strains and their parthenogenetic hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Fricke
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
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2
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Martins M, César CS, Cogni R. The effects of temperature on prevalence of facultative insect heritable symbionts across spatial and seasonal scales. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1321341. [PMID: 38143870 PMCID: PMC10741647 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1321341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Facultative inheritable endosymbionts are common and diverse in insects and are often found at intermediate frequencies in insect host populations. The literature assessing the relationship between environment and facultative endosymbiont frequency in natural host populations points to temperature as a major component shaping the interaction. However, a synthesis describing its patterns and mechanistic basis is lacking. This mini-review aims to bridge this gap by, following an evolutionary model, hypothesizing that temperature increases endosymbiont frequencies by modulating key phenotypes mediating the interaction. Field studies mainly present positive correlations between temperature and endosymbiont frequency at spatial and seasonal scales; and unexpectedly, temperature is predominantly negatively correlated with the key phenotypes. Higher temperatures generally reduce the efficiency of maternal transmission, reproductive parasitism, endosymbiont influence on host fitness and the ability to protect against natural enemies. From the endosymbiont perspective alone, higher temperatures reduce titer and both high and low temperatures modulate their ability to promote host physiological acclimation and behavior. It is necessary to promote research programs that integrate field and laboratory approaches to pinpoint which processes are responsible for the temperature correlated patterns of endosymbiont prevalence in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rodrigo Cogni
- Department of Ecology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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3
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Lue CH, Buffington ML, Scheffer S, Lewis M, Elliott TA, Lindsey ARI, Driskell A, Jandova A, Kimura MT, Carton Y, Kula RR, Schlenke TA, Mateos M, Govind S, Varaldi J, Guerrieri E, Giorgini M, Wang X, Hoelmer K, Daane KM, Abram PK, Pardikes NA, Brown JJ, Thierry M, Poirié M, Goldstein P, Miller SE, Tracey WD, Davis JS, Jiggins FM, Wertheim B, Lewis OT, Leips J, Staniczenko PPA, Hrcek J. DROP: Molecular voucher database for identification of Drosophila parasitoids. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 21:2437-2454. [PMID: 34051038 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Molecular identification is increasingly used to speed up biodiversity surveys and laboratory experiments. However, many groups of organisms cannot be reliably identified using standard databases such as GenBank or BOLD due to lack of sequenced voucher specimens identified by experts. Sometimes a large number of sequences are available, but with too many errors to allow identification. Here, we address this problem for parasitoids of Drosophila by introducing a curated open-access molecular reference database, DROP (Drosophila parasitoids). Identifying Drosophila parasitoids is challenging and poses a major impediment to realize the full potential of this model system in studies ranging from molecular mechanisms to food webs, and in biological control of Drosophila suzukii. In DROP, genetic data are linked to voucher specimens and, where possible, the voucher specimens are identified by taxonomists and vetted through direct comparison with primary type material. To initiate DROP, we curated 154 laboratory strains, 856 vouchers, 554 DNA sequences, 16 genomes, 14 transcriptomes, and six proteomes drawn from a total of 183 operational taxonomic units (OTUs): 114 described Drosophila parasitoid species and 69 provisional species. We found species richness of Drosophila parasitoids to be heavily underestimated and provide an updated taxonomic catalogue for the community. DROP offers accurate molecular identification and improves cross-referencing between individual studies that we hope will catalyse research on this diverse and fascinating model system. Our effort should also serve as an example for researchers facing similar molecular identification problems in other groups of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hua Lue
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Matthew L Buffington
- Systematic Entomology Laboratory, ARS/USDA c/o Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Sonja Scheffer
- Systematic Entomology Laboratory, ARS/USDA c/o Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Matthew Lewis
- Systematic Entomology Laboratory, ARS/USDA c/o Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Tyler A Elliott
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Amy Driskell
- Laboratories of Analytical Biology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Anna Jandova
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Yves Carton
- "Évolution, Génomes, Comportement, Écologie", CNRS et Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France
| | - Robert R Kula
- Systematic Entomology Laboratory, ARS/USDA c/o Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Todd A Schlenke
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Mariana Mateos
- Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Shubha Govind
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julien Varaldi
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Emilio Guerrieri
- CNR-Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (CNR-IPSP), National Research Council of Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Massimo Giorgini
- CNR-Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (CNR-IPSP), National Research Council of Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Xingeng Wang
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Services, Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Kim Hoelmer
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Services, Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Kent M Daane
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Paul K Abram
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agassiz Research and Development Centre, Agassiz, BC, Canada
| | - Nicholas A Pardikes
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Joel J Brown
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, Czech Republic
| | - Melanie Thierry
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, Czech Republic
| | - Marylène Poirié
- INRAE, CNRS. and Evolution and Specificity of Multitrophic Interactions (ESIM) Sophia Agrobiotech Institute, Université "Côte d'Azur", Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Paul Goldstein
- Systematic Entomology Laboratory, ARS/USDA c/o Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Scott E Miller
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - W Daniel Tracey
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Jeremy S Davis
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Biology Department, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Bregje Wertheim
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Owen T Lewis
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jeff Leips
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Phillip P A Staniczenko
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Jan Hrcek
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, Czech Republic
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4
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Ma WJ, Pannebakker BA, Li X, Geuverink E, Anvar SY, Veltsos P, Schwander T, van de Zande L, Beukeboom LW. A single QTL with large effect is associated with female functional virginity in an asexual parasitoid wasp. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1979-1992. [PMID: 33638236 PMCID: PMC8252104 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
During the transition from sexual to asexual reproduction, a suite of reproduction-related sexual traits become superfluous, and may be selected against if costly. Female functional virginity refers to asexual females resisting to mate or not fertilizing eggs after mating. These traits appear to be among the first that evolve during transitions from sexual to asexual reproduction. The genetic basis of female functional virginity remains elusive. Previously, we reported that female functional virginity segregates as expected for a single recessive locus in the asexual parasitoid wasp Asobara japonica. Here, we investigate the genetic basis of this trait by quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and candidate gene analyses. Consistent with the segregation of phenotypes, we found a single QTL of large effect, spanning over 4.23 Mb and comprising at least 131 protein-coding genes, of which 15 featured sex-biased expression in the related sexual species Asobara tabida. Two of the 15 sex-biased genes were previously identified to differ between related sexual and asexual population/species: CD151 antigen and nuclear pore complex protein Nup50. A third gene, hormone receptor 4, is involved in steroid hormone mediated mating behaviour. Overall, our results are consistent with a single locus, or a cluster of closely linked loci, underlying rapid evolution of female functional virginity in the transition to asexuality. Once this variant, causing rejection to mate, has swept through a population, the flanking region does not get smaller owing to lack of recombination in asexuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Juan Ma
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Bart A Pannebakker
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Xuan Li
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Elzemiek Geuverink
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Seyed Yahya Anvar
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Paris Veltsos
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Louis van de Zande
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Leo W Beukeboom
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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5
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Ma WJ, Schwander T. Patterns and mechanisms in instances of endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:868-888. [PMID: 28299861 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Female-producing parthenogenesis can be induced by endosymbionts that increase their transmission by manipulating host reproduction. Our literature survey indicates that such endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis is known or suspected in 124 host species from seven different arthropod taxa, with Wolbachia as the most frequent endosymbiont (in 56-75% of host species). Most host species (81%, 100 out of 124) are characterized by haplo-diploid sex determination, but a strong ascertainment bias likely underestimates the frequency of endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis in hosts with other sex determination systems. In at least one taxon, hymenopterans, endosymbionts are a significant driver of transitions from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction, with one-third of lineages being parthenogenetic as a consequence of endosymbiont infection. Endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis appears to facilitate the maintenance of reproductive polymorphism: at least 50% of species comprise both sexual (uninfected) and parthenogenetic (infected) strains. These strains feature distribution differences similar to the ones documented for lineages with genetically determined parthenogenesis, with endosymbiont-induced parthenogens occurring at higher latitudes than their sexual relatives. Finally, although gamete duplication is often considered as the main mechanism for endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis, it underlies parthenogenesis in only half of the host species studied thus far. We point out caveats in the methods used to test for endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis and suggest specific approaches that allow for firm conclusions about the involvement of endosymbionts in the origin of parthenogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- W-J Ma
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - T Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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6
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Schuler H, Köppler K, Daxböck-Horvath S, Rasool B, Krumböck S, Schwarz D, Hoffmeister TS, Schlick-Steiner BC, Steiner FM, Telschow A, Stauffer C, Arthofer W, Riegler M. The hitchhiker's guide to Europe: the infection dynamics of an ongoing Wolbachia invasion and mitochondrial selective sweep in Rhagoletis cerasi. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:1595-609. [PMID: 26846713 PMCID: PMC4950298 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia is a maternally inherited and ubiquitous endosymbiont of insects. It can hijack host reproduction by manipulations such as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) to enhance vertical transmission. Horizontal transmission of Wolbachia can also result in the colonization of new mitochondrial lineages. In this study, we present a 15‐year‐long survey of Wolbachia in the cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi across Europe and the spatiotemporal distribution of two prevalent strains, wCer1 and wCer2, and associated mitochondrial haplotypes in Germany. Across most of Europe, populations consisted of either 100% singly (wCer1) infected individuals with haplotype HT1, or 100% doubly (wCer1&2) infected individuals with haplotype HT2, differentiated only by a single nucleotide polymorphism. In central Germany, singly infected populations were surrounded by transitional populations, consisting of both singly and doubly infected individuals, sandwiched between populations fixed for wCer1&2. Populations with fixed infection status showed perfect association of infection and mitochondria, suggesting a recent CI‐driven selective sweep of wCer2 linked with HT2. Spatial analysis revealed a range expansion for wCer2 and a large transition zone in which wCer2 splashes appeared to coalesce into doubly infected populations. Unexpectedly, the transition zone contained a large proportion (22%) of wCer1&2 individuals with HT1, suggesting frequent intraspecific horizontal transmission. However, this horizontal transmission did not break the strict association between infection types and haplotypes in populations outside the transition zone, suggesting that this horizontally acquired Wolbachia infection may be transient. Our study provides new insights into the rarely studied Wolbachia invasion dynamics in field populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Schuler
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Hasenauerstr. 38, 1190, Vienna, Austria.,Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Universitätsplatz 1, 39100, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy.,Department of Biological Sciences, Galvin Life Sciences Building, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Kirsten Köppler
- Center for Agricultural Technology Augustenberg, Nesslerstr. 23-31, 76227, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Sabine Daxböck-Horvath
- Department of Crop Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Peter-Jordan-Str. 82, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bilal Rasool
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Hasenauerstr. 38, 1190, Vienna, Austria.,Government College University, Allama Iqbal Road, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Susanne Krumböck
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Hasenauerstr. 38, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dietmar Schwarz
- Department of Biology, Western Washington University, 510 High Street, MS 9160, Bellingham, WA, 98225, USA
| | - Thomas S Hoffmeister
- Institute of Ecology, Faculty Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. NW2, B4040, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Florian M Steiner
- Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Arndt Telschow
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfalian Wilhelms-University Münster, Hüfferstr. 1, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Christian Stauffer
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Hasenauerstr. 38, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Arthofer
- Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Markus Riegler
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
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7
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Furihata S, Hirata M, Matsumoto H, Hayakawa Y. Bacteria Endosymbiont, Wolbachia, Promotes Parasitism of Parasitoid Wasp Asobara japonica. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0140914. [PMID: 26492411 PMCID: PMC4619603 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is the most widespread endosymbiotic bacterium that manipulates reproduction of its arthropod hosts to enhance its own spread throughout host populations. Infection with Wolbachia causes complete parthenogenetic reproduction in many Hymenoptera, producing only female offspring. The mechanism of such reproductive manipulation by Wolbachia has been extensively studied. However, the effects of Wolbachia symbiosis on behavioral traits of the hosts are scarcely investigated. The parasitoid wasp Asobara japonica is an ideal insect to investigate this because symbiotic and aposymbiotic strains are available: Wolbachia-infected Tokyo (TK) and noninfected Iriomote (IR) strains originally collected on the main island and southwest islands of Japan, respectively. We compared the oviposition behaviors of the two strains and found that TK strain females parasitized Drosophila melanogaster larvae more actively than the IR strain, especially during the first two days after eclosion. Removing Wolbachia from the TK strain wasps by treatment with tetracycline or rifampicin decreased their parasitism activity to the level of the IR strain. Morphological and behavioral analyses of both strain wasps showed that Wolbachia endosymbionts do not affect development of the host female reproductive tract and eggs, but do enhance host-searching ability of female wasps. These results suggest the possibility that Wolbachia endosymbionts may promote their diffusion and persistence in the host A. japonica population not only at least partly by parthenogenesis but also by enhancement of oviposition frequency of the host females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Furihata
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Makiko Hirata
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Matsumoto
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Yoichi Hayakawa
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga, Japan
- * E-mail:
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8
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Nugnes F, Gebiola M, Monti MM, Gualtieri L, Giorgini M, Wang J, Bernardo U. Genetic Diversity of the Invasive Gall Wasp Leptocybe invasa (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and of its Rickettsia Endosymbiont, and Associated Sex-Ratio Differences. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124660. [PMID: 25970681 PMCID: PMC4430503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The blue-gum chalcid Leptocybe invasa Fisher & LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a gall wasp pest of Eucalyptus species, likely native to Australia. Over the past 15 years it has invaded 39 countries on all continents where eucalypts are grown. The worldwide invasion of the blue gum chalcid was attributed to a single thelytokous morphospecies formally described in 2004. Subsequently, however, males have been recorded in several countries and the sex ratio of field populations has been found to be highly variable in different areas. In order to find an explanation for such sex ratio differences, populations of L. invasa from a broad geographical area were screened for the symbionts currently known as reproductive manipulators, and both wasps and symbionts were genetically characterized using multiple genes. Molecular analyses suggested that L. invasa is in fact a complex of two cryptic species involved in the rapid and efficient spread of the wasp, the first recovered from the Mediterranean region and South America, the latter from China. All screened specimens were infected by endosymbiotic bacteria belonging to the genus Rickettsia. Two closely related Rickettsia strains were found, each infecting one of the two putative cryptic species of L. invasa and associated with different average sex ratios. Rickettsia were found to be localized in the female reproductive tissues and transovarially transmitted, suggesting a possible role of Rickettsia as the causal agent of thelytokous parthenogenesis in L. invasa. Implications for the variation of sex ratio and for the management of L. invasa are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Nugnes
- Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Marco Gebiola
- Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Portici (NA), Italy
- Department of Entomology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, the United States of America
| | - Maurilia Maria Monti
- Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Liberata Gualtieri
- Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Massimo Giorgini
- Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Jianguo Wang
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Umberto Bernardo
- Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Portici (NA), Italy
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9
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Ma WJ, Pannebakker BA, van de Zande L, Schwander T, Wertheim B, Beukeboom LW. Diploid males support a two-step mechanism of endosymbiont-induced thelytoky in a parasitoid wasp. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:84. [PMID: 25963738 PMCID: PMC4456809 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0370-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Haplodiploidy, where females develop from diploid, fertilized eggs and males from haploid, unfertilized eggs, is abundant in some insect lineages. Some species in these lineages reproduce by thelytoky that is caused by infection with endosymbionts: infected females lay haploid eggs that undergo diploidization and develop into females, while males are very rare or absent. It is generally assumed that in thelytokous wasps, endosymbionts merely diploidize the unfertilized eggs, which would then trigger female development. Results We found that females in the parasitoid wasp Asobara japonica infected with thelytoky-inducing Wolbachia produce 0.7–1.2 % male offspring. Seven to 39 % of these males are diploid, indicating that diploidization and female development can be uncoupled in A. japonica. Wolbachia titer in adults was correlated with their ploidy and sex: diploids carried much higher Wolbachia titers than haploids, and diploid females carried more Wolbachia than diploid males. Data from introgression lines indicated that the development of diploid individuals into males instead of females is not caused by malfunction-mutations in the host genome but that diploid males are most likely produced when the endosymbiont fails to activate the female sex determination pathway. Our data therefore support a two-step mechanism by which endosymbionts induce thelytoky in A. japonica: diploidization of the unfertilized egg is followed by feminization, whereby each step correlates with a threshold of endosymbiont titer during wasp development. Conclusions Our new model of endosymbiont-induced thelytoky overthrows the view that certain sex determination mechanisms constrain the evolution of endosymbiont-induced thelytoky in hymenopteran insects. Endosymbionts can cause parthenogenesis through feminization, even in groups in which endosymbiont-diploidized eggs would develop into males following the hosts’ sex determination mechanism. In addition, our model broadens our understanding of the mechanisms by which endosymbionts induce thelytoky to enhance their transmission to the next generation. Importantly, it also provides a novel window to study the yet-poorly known haplodiploid sex determination mechanisms in haplodiploid insects. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0370-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Juan Ma
- Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. .,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Bart A Pannebakker
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Louis van de Zande
- Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. .,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Bregje Wertheim
- Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Leo W Beukeboom
- Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Genetics of decayed sexual traits in a parasitoid wasp with endosymbiont-induced asexuality. Heredity (Edinb) 2014; 113:424-31. [PMID: 24781809 PMCID: PMC4220718 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2014.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Revised: 03/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Trait decay may occur when selective pressures shift, owing to changes in environment or life style, rendering formerly adaptive traits non-functional or even maladaptive. It remains largely unknown if such decay would stem from multiple mutations with small effects or rather involve few loci with major phenotypic effects. Here, we investigate the decay of female sexual traits, and the genetic causes thereof, in a transition from haplodiploid sexual reproduction to endosymbiont-induced asexual reproduction in the parasitoid wasp Asobara japonica. We take advantage of the fact that asexual females cured of their endosymbionts produce sons instead of daughters, and that these sons can be crossed with sexual females. By combining behavioral experiments with crosses designed to introgress alleles from the asexual into the sexual genome, we found that sexual attractiveness, mating, egg fertilization and plastic adjustment of offspring sex ratio (in response to variation in local mate competition) are decayed in asexual A. japonica females. Furthermore, introgression experiments revealed that the propensity for cured asexual females to produce only sons (because of decayed sexual attractiveness, mating behavior and/or egg fertilization) is likely caused by recessive genetic effects at a single locus. Recessive effects were also found to cause decay of plastic sex-ratio adjustment under variable levels of local mate competition. Our results suggest that few recessive mutations drive decay of female sexual traits, at least in asexual species deriving from haplodiploid sexual ancestors.
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11
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van der Kooi CJ, Schwander T. Evolution of asexuality via different mechanisms in grass thrips (thysanoptera: Aptinothrips). Evolution 2014; 68:1883-93. [PMID: 24627993 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Asexual lineages can derive from sexual ancestors via different mechanisms and at variable rates, which affects the diversity of the asexual population and thereby its ecological success. We investigated the variation and evolution of reproductive systems in Aptinothrips, a genus of grass thrips comprising four species. Extensive population surveys and breeding experiments indicated sexual reproduction in A. elegans, asexuality in A. stylifer and A. karnyi, and both sexual and asexual lineages in A. rufus. Asexuality in A. stylifer and A. rufus coincides with a worldwide distribution, with sexual A. rufus lineages confined to a limited area. Inference of molecular phylogenies and antibiotic treatment revealed different causes of asexuality in different species. Asexuality in A. stylifer and A. karnyi has most likely genetic causes, while it is induced by endosymbionts in A. rufus. Endosymbiont-community characterization revealed presence of Wolbachia, and lack of other bacteria known to manipulate host reproduction. However, only 69% asexual A. rufus females are Wolbachia-infected, indicating that either an undescribed endosymbiont causes asexuality in this species or that Wolbachia was lost in several lineages that remained asexual. These results open new perspectives for studies on the maintenance of mixed sexual and asexual reproduction in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper J van der Kooi
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, NL-9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
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12
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van der Kooi CJ, Schwander T. On the fate of sexual traits under asexuality. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2014; 89:805-19. [PMID: 24443922 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Revised: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Environmental shifts and life-history changes may result in formerly adaptive traits becoming non-functional or maladaptive. In the absence of pleiotropy and other constraints, such traits may decay as a consequence of neutral mutation accumulation or selective processes, highlighting the importance of natural selection for adaptations. A suite of traits are expected to lose their adaptive function in asexual organisms derived from sexual ancestors, and the many independent transitions to asexuality allow for comparative studies of parallel trait maintenance versus decay. In addition, because certain traits, notably male-specific traits, are usually not exposed to selection under asexuality, their decay would have to occur as a consequence of drift. Selective processes could drive the decay of traits associated with costs, which may be the case for the majority of sexual traits expressed in females. We review the fate of male and female sexual traits in 93 animal lineages characterized by asexual reproduction, covering a broad taxon range including molluscs, arachnids, diplopods, crustaceans and eleven different hexapod orders. Many asexual lineages are still able occasionally to produce males. These asexually produced males are often largely or even fully functional, revealing that major developmental pathways can remain quiescent and functional over extended time periods. By contrast, for asexual females, there is a parallel and rapid decay of sexual traits, especially of traits related to mate attraction and location, as expected given the considerable costs often associated with the expression of these traits. The level of decay of female sexual traits, in addition to asexual females being unable to fertilize their eggs, would severely impede reversals to sexual reproduction, even in recently derived asexual lineages. More generally, the parallel maintenance versus decay of different trait types across diverse asexual lineages suggests that neutral traits display little or no decay even after extended periods under relaxed selection, while extensive decay for selected traits occurs extremely quickly. These patterns also highlight that adaptations can fix rapidly in natural populations of asexual organisms, in spite of their mode of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper J van der Kooi
- Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, 9700CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
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13
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Reumer BM, van Alphen JJM, Kraaijeveld K. Population genetics ofWolbachia-infected, parthenogenetic and uninfected, sexual populations ofTetrastichus coeruleus(Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Mol Ecol 2013; 22:4433-44. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2011] [Revised: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara M. Reumer
- Section Animal Ecology; Institute of Biology Leiden; Leiden University; P.O. Box 9505 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Jacques J. M. van Alphen
- Section Animal Ecology; Institute of Biology Leiden; Leiden University; P.O. Box 9505 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands
- IBED; University of Amsterdam; P.O. Box 94248 1090 GE Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Ken Kraaijeveld
- Section Animal Ecology; Institute of Biology Leiden; Leiden University; P.O. Box 9505 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics; Leiden University Medical Center; S4-P, P.O. Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
- Department of Bioinformatics; University of Applied Sciences Leiden; Zernikedreef 11 2333 CK Leiden The Netherlands
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14
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Belokobylskij SA, Loni A, Lucchi A, Bernardo U. First records of the genera Histeromerus Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Histeromerinae) and Ecclitura Kokujev (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae) in Italy. Zookeys 2013:29-40. [PMID: 23805048 PMCID: PMC3690961 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.310.5136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Braconid genera Histeromerus Wesmael, 1838 from subfamily Histeromerinae and Ecclitura Kokujev, 1902 from subfamily Euphorinae are recorded in the fauna of Italy for the first time. The discussions about taxonomic position, morphological characters and composition of these genera as well as the redescriptions of the genus and species of Ecclitura primoris Kokujev are given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey A Belokobylskij
- Zoological Institute Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia; Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, Warszawa 00-679, Poland
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