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Valles SM, Zhao C, Rivers AR, Iwata RL, Oi DH, Cha DH, Collignon RM, Cox NA, Morton GJ, Calcaterra LA. RNA virus discoveries in the electric ant, Wasmannia auropunctata. Virus Genes 2023; 59:276-289. [PMID: 36729322 PMCID: PMC10025213 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-023-01969-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite being one of the most destructive invasive species of ants, only two natural enemies are known currently for Wasmannia auropunctata, commonly known as the electric ant or little fire ant. Because viruses can be effective biological control agents against many insect pests, including ants, a metagenomics/next-generation sequencing approach was used to facilitate discovery of virus sequences from the transcriptomes of W. auropunctata. Five new and complete positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus genomes, and one new negative sense, single-stranded RNA virus genome were identified, sequenced, and characterized from W. auropunctata collected in Argentina by this approach, including a dicistrovirus (Electric ant dicistrovirus), two polycipiviruses (Electric ant polycipivirus 1; Electric ant polycipivirus 2), a solinvivirus (Electric ant solinvivirus), a divergent genome with similarity to an unclassified group in the Picornavirales (Electric ant virus 1), and a rhabdovirus (Electric ant rhabdovirus). An additional virus genome was detected that is likely Solenopsis invicta virus 10 (MH727527). The virus genome sequences were absent from the transcriptomes of W. auropunctata collected in the USA (Hawaii and Florida). Additional limited field surveys corroborated the absence of these viruses in regions where the electric ant is invasive (the USA and Australia). The replicative genome strand of four of the viruses (Electric ant polycipivirus 2, Electric ant solinvivirus, Electric ant virus 1, and Solenopsis invicta virus 10 (in the electric ant) was detected in Argentinean-collected W. auropunctata indicating that the ant is a host for these viruses. These are the first virus discoveries to be made from W. auropunctata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Valles
- Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Chaoyang Zhao
- Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Adam R Rivers
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ryo L Iwata
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David H Oi
- Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dong H Cha
- Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, 64 Nowelo St, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - R Max Collignon
- Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, 64 Nowelo St, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - Nastassja A Cox
- National Electric Ant Eradication Program, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Biosecurity Queensland, 21-23 Redden Street, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
| | - Gary J Morton
- National Electric Ant Eradication Program, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Biosecurity Queensland, 21-23 Redden Street, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
| | - Luis A Calcaterra
- Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas, Bolívar 1559, B1686EFA, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Díez-Vives C, Koutsouveli V, Conejero M, Riesgo A. Global patterns in symbiont selection and transmission strategies in sponges. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1015592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sponges host dense and diverse communities of microbes (known as the microbiome) beneficial for the host nutrition and defense. Symbionts in turn receive shelter and metabolites from the sponge host, making their relationship beneficial for both partners. Given that sponge-microbes associations are fundamental for the survival of both, especially the sponge, such relationship is maintained through their life and even passed on to the future generations. In many organisms, the microbiome has profound effects on the development of the host, but the influence of the microbiome on the reproductive and developmental pathways of the sponges are less understood. In sponges, microbes are passed on to oocytes, sperm, embryos, and larvae (known as vertical transmission), using a variety of methods that include direct uptake from the mesohyl through phagocytosis by oocytes to indirect transmission to the oocyte by nurse cells. Such microbes can remain in the reproductive elements untouched, for transfer to offspring, or can be digested to make the yolky nutrient reserves of oocytes and larvae. When and how those decisions are made are fundamentally unanswered questions in sponge reproduction. Here we review the diversity of vertical transmission modes existent in the entire phylum Porifera through detailed imaging using electron microscopy, available metabarcoding data from reproductive elements, and macroevolutionary patterns associated to phylogenetic constraints. Additionally, we examine the fidelity of this vertical transmission and possible reasons for the observed variability in some developmental stages. Our current understanding in marine sponges, however, is that the adult microbial community is established by a combination of both vertical and horizontal (acquisition from the surrounding environment in each new generation) transmission processes, although the extent in which each mode shapes the adult microbiome still remains to be determined. We also assessed the fundamental role of filtration, the cellular structures for acquiring external microbes, and the role of the host immune system, that ultimately shapes the stable communities of prokaryotes observed in adult sponges.
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Queffelec J, Postma A, Allison JD, Slippers B. Remnants of horizontal transfers of Wolbachia genes in a Wolbachia-free woodwasp. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:36. [PMID: 35346038 PMCID: PMC8962096 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01995-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia is a bacterial endosymbiont of many arthropod and nematode species. Due to its capacity to alter host biology, Wolbachia plays an important role in arthropod and nematode ecology and evolution. Sirex noctilio is a woodwasp causing economic loss in pine plantations of the Southern Hemisphere. An investigation into the genome of this wasp revealed the presence of Wolbachia sequences. Due to the potential impact of Wolbachia on the populations of this wasp, as well as its potential use as a biological control agent against invasive insects, this discovery warranted investigation.
Results In this study we first investigated the presence of Wolbachia in S. noctilio and demonstrated that South African populations of the wasp are unlikely to be infected. We then screened the full genome of S. noctilio and found 12 Wolbachia pseudogenes. Most of these genes constitute building blocks of various transposable elements originating from the Wolbachia genome. Finally, we demonstrate that these genes are distributed in all South African populations of the wasp.
Conclusions Our results provide evidence that S. noctilio might be compatible with a Wolbachia infection and that the bacteria could potentially be used in the future to regulate invasive populations of the wasp. Understanding the mechanisms that led to a loss of Wolbachia infection in S. noctilio could indicate which host species or host population should be sampled to find a Wolbachia strain that could be used as a biological control against S. noctilio. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-01995-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joséphine Queffelec
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Lunnon Road, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa. .,Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Alisa Postma
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Lunnon Road, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.,Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jeremy D Allison
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Lunnon Road, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.,Great Lakes Forestry Center, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Sault St Marie, Canada.,Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Bernard Slippers
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Lunnon Road, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.,Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Deng J, Assandri G, Chauhan P, Futahashi R, Galimberti A, Hansson B, Lancaster LT, Takahashi Y, Svensson EI, Duplouy A. Wolbachia-driven selective sweep in a range expanding insect species. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:181. [PMID: 34563127 PMCID: PMC8466699 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01906-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Evolutionary processes can cause strong spatial genetic signatures, such as local loss of genetic diversity, or conflicting histories from mitochondrial versus nuclear markers. Investigating these genetic patterns is important, as they may reveal obscured processes and players. The maternally inherited bacterium Wolbachia is among the most widespread symbionts in insects. Wolbachia typically spreads within host species by conferring direct fitness benefits, and/or by manipulating its host reproduction to favour infected over uninfected females. Under sufficient selective advantage, the mitochondrial haplotype associated with the favoured maternally-inherited symbiotic strains will spread (i.e. hitchhike), resulting in low mitochondrial genetic variation across the host species range. Method The common bluetail damselfly (Ischnura elegans: van der Linden, 1820) has recently emerged as a model organism for genetics and genomic signatures of range expansion during climate change. Although there is accumulating data on the consequences of such expansion on the genetics of I. elegans, no study has screened for Wolbachia in the damselfly genus Ischnura. Here, we present the biogeographic variation in Wolbachia prevalence and penetrance across Europe and Japan (including samples from 17 populations), and from close relatives in the Mediterranean area (i.e. I. genei: Rambur, 1842; and I. saharensis: Aguesse, 1958). Results Our data reveal (a) multiple Wolbachia-strains, (b) potential transfer of the symbiont through hybridization, (c) higher infection rates at higher latitudes, and (d) reduced mitochondrial diversity in the north-west populations, indicative of hitchhiking associated with the selective sweep of the most common strain. We found low mitochondrial haplotype diversity in the Wolbachia-infected north-western European populations (Sweden, Scotland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy) of I. elegans, and, conversely, higher mitochondrial diversity in populations with low penetrance of Wolbachia (Ukraine, Greece, Montenegro and Cyprus). The timing of the selective sweep associated with infected lineages was estimated between 20,000 and 44,000 years before present, which is consistent with the end of the last glacial period about 20,000 years. Conclusions Our findings provide an example of how endosymbiont infections can shape spatial variation in their host evolutionary genetics during postglacial expansion. These results also challenge population genetic studies that do not consider the prevalence of symbionts in many insects, which we show can impact geographic patterns of mitochondrial genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junchen Deng
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.,Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Giacomo Assandri
- Area per l'Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPA), Via Ca' Fornacetta 9, 40064, Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
| | - Pallavi Chauhan
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ryo Futahashi
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advance Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Trukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan
| | - Andrea Galimberti
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Lesley T Lancaster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Yuma Takahashi
- Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Erik I Svensson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anne Duplouy
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden. .,Insect Symbiosis Ecology and Evolution Lab, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, The University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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5
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Lee CC, Lin CY, Tseng SP, Matsuura K, Yang CCS. Ongoing Coevolution of Wolbachia and a Widespread Invasive Ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1569. [PMID: 33053771 PMCID: PMC7601630 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8101569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
While Wolbachia are commonly found among arthropods, intraspecific infection rates can vary substantially across the geographic populations. Here we report nearly 100% prevalence of Wolbachia in the global populations of the yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes. To understand coevolutionary history between Wolbachia and A. gracilipes, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Wolbachia from the ant across 12 geographical regions and compared the phylogeny of SNP-based Wolbachia to patterns of the ant's mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation. Our results revealed a strong concordance between phylogenies of Wolbachia and host mtDNA, providing immediate evidence of co-divergence. Among eight identified SNP loci separating the genetic clusters of Wolbachia, seven loci are located in potential protein-coding genes, three of which being non-synonymous SNPs that may influence gene functions. We found a Wolbachia hypothetical protein gene with signature of positive selection. These findings jointly allow us to characterize Wolbachia-ant coevolution and also raise a question about mechanism(s) underlying maintenance of high prevalence of Wolbachia during the colonization of this invasive ant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Chi Lee
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan;
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan;
| | - Chun-Yi Lin
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan;
| | - Shu-Ping Tseng
- Department of Entomology, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA;
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan;
| | - Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan;
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402204, Taiwan
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6
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Noh P, Oh S, Park S, Kwon T, Kim Y, Choe JC, Jeong G. Association between host wing morphology polymorphism and Wolbachia infection in Vollenhovia emeryi (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae). Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8827-8837. [PMID: 32884660 PMCID: PMC7452775 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many eusocial insects, including ants, show complex colony structures, distributions, and reproductive strategies. In the ant Vollenhovia emeryi Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae), queens and males are produced clonally, while sterile workers arise sexually, unlike other ant species and Hymenopteran insects in general. Furthermore, there is a wing length polymorphism in the queen caste. Despite its evolutionary remarkable traits, little is known about the population structure of this ant species, which may provide insight into its unique reproductive mode and polymorphic traits. We performed in-depth analyses of ant populations from Korea, Japan, and North America using three mitochondrial genes (COI, COII, and Cytb). The long-winged (L) morph is predominant in Korean populations, and the short-winged (S) morph is very rare. Interestingly, all L morphs were infected with Wolbachia, while all Korean S morphs lacked Wolbachia, demonstrating a association between a symbiont and a phenotypic trait. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the S morph is derived from the L morph. We propose that the S morph is associated with potential resistance to Wolbachia infection and that Wolbachia infection does not influence clonal reproduction (as is the case in other ant species).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pureum Noh
- Division of EcoScienceEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
- Present address:
Herbal Medicine Resources Research CenterKorea Institute of Oriental MedicineNajuKorea
| | - Seung‐Yoon Oh
- School of Biological SciencesSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Soyeon Park
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
- Interdisciplinary Program of EcoCreativeThe Graduate SchoolEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Taesung Kwon
- Division of Forest EcologyKorea Forest Research InstituteSeoulKorea
| | - Yonghwan Kim
- Department of PhysicsKonkuk UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Jae Chun Choe
- Division of EcoScienceEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
| | - Gilsang Jeong
- Division of EcoScienceEwha Womans UniversitySeoulKorea
- National Institute of EcologySeochun‐gunKorea
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Singh R, Linksvayer TA. Wolbachia-infected ant colonies have increased reproductive investment and an accelerated life cycle. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb220079. [PMID: 32253286 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.220079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia is a widespread genus of maternally transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria that often manipulates the reproductive strategy and life history of its hosts to favor its own transmission. Wolbachia-mediated phenotypic effects are well characterized in solitary hosts, but effects in social hosts are unclear. The invasive pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis, shows natural variation in Wolbachia infection between colonies and can be readily bred under laboratory conditions. We previously showed that Wolbachia-infected pharaoh ant colonies had more queen-biased sex ratios than uninfected colonies, which is expected to favor the spread of maternally transmitted Wolbachia Here, we further characterize the effects of Wolbachia on the short- and longer-term reproductive and life history traits of pharaoh ant colonies. First, we characterized the reproductive differences between naturally infected and uninfected colonies at three discrete time points and found that infected colonies had higher reproductive investment (i.e. infected colonies produced more new queens), particularly when existing colony queens were 3 months old. Next, we compared the long-term growth and reproduction dynamics of infected and uninfected colonies across their whole life cycle. Infected colonies had increased colony-level growth and early colony reproduction, resulting in a shorter colony life cycle, when compared with uninfected colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohini Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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8
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Kaczmarczyk-Ziemba A, Zagaja M, Wagner GK, Pietrykowska-Tudruj E, Staniec B. First Insight into Microbiome Profiles of Myrmecophilous Beetles and Their Host, Red Wood Ant Formica polyctena (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)-A Case Study. INSECTS 2020; 11:E134. [PMID: 32092972 PMCID: PMC7073670 DOI: 10.3390/insects11020134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Formica polyctena belongs to the red wood ant species group. Its nests provide a stable, food rich, and temperature and humidity controlled environment, utilized by a wide range of species, called myrmecophiles. Here, we used the high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene on the Illumina platform for identification of the microbiome profiles of six selected myrmecophilous beetles (Dendrophilus pygmaeus, Leptacinus formicetorum, Monotoma angusticollis, Myrmechixenus subterraneus, Ptenidium formicetorum and Thiasophila angulata) and their host F. polyctena. Analyzed bacterial communities consisted of a total of 23 phyla, among which Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes were the most abundant. Two known endosymbionts-Wolbachia and Rickettsia-were found in the analyzed microbiome profiles and Wolbachia was dominant in bacterial communities associated with F. polyctena, M. subterraneus, L. formicetorum and P. formicetorum (>90% of reads). In turn, M. angusticollis was co-infected with both Wolbachia and Rickettsia, while in the microbiome of T. angulata, the dominance of Rickettsia has been observed. The relationships among the microbiome profiles were complex, and no relative abundance pattern common to all myrmecophilous beetles tested was observed. However, some subtle, species-specific patterns have been observed for bacterial communities associated with D. pygmaeus, M. angusticollis, and T. angulata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Kaczmarczyk-Ziemba
- Department of Genetics and Biosystematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Mirosław Zagaja
- Isobolographic Analysis Laboratory, Institute of Rural Health, Jaczewskiego 2, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Grzegorz K. Wagner
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (G.K.W.); (E.P.-T.); (B.S.)
| | - Ewa Pietrykowska-Tudruj
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (G.K.W.); (E.P.-T.); (B.S.)
| | - Bernard Staniec
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (G.K.W.); (E.P.-T.); (B.S.)
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Romero Picazo D, Dagan T, Ansorge R, Petersen JM, Dubilier N, Kupczok A. Horizontally transmitted symbiont populations in deep-sea mussels are genetically isolated. THE ISME JOURNAL 2019; 13:2954-2968. [PMID: 31395952 PMCID: PMC6863903 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0475-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotes are habitats for bacterial organisms where the host colonization and dispersal among individual hosts have consequences for the bacterial ecology and evolution. Vertical symbiont transmission leads to geographic isolation of the microbial population and consequently to genetic isolation of microbiotas from individual hosts. In contrast, the extent of geographic and genetic isolation of horizontally transmitted microbiota is poorly characterized. Here we show that chemosynthetic symbionts of individual Bathymodiolus brooksi mussels constitute genetically isolated subpopulations. The reconstruction of core genome-wide strains from high-resolution metagenomes revealed distinct phylogenetic clades. Nucleotide diversity and strain composition vary along the mussel life span and individual hosts show a high degree of genetic isolation. Our results suggest that the uptake of environmental bacteria is a restricted process in B. brooksi, where self-infection of the gill tissue results in serial founder effects during symbiont evolution. We conclude that bacterial colonization dynamics over the host life cycle is thus an important determinant of population structure and genome evolution of horizontally transmitted symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devani Romero Picazo
- Genomic Microbiology Group, Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Tal Dagan
- Genomic Microbiology Group, Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Rebecca Ansorge
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Jillian M Petersen
- Division of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Nicole Dubilier
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Anne Kupczok
- Genomic Microbiology Group, Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany.
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Manfredini F, Arbetman M, Toth AL. A Potential Role for Phenotypic Plasticity in Invasions and Declines of Social Insects. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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11
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Dincă V, Lee KM, Vila R, Mutanen M. The conundrum of species delimitation: a genomic perspective on a mitogenetically super-variable butterfly. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191311. [PMID: 31530141 PMCID: PMC6784721 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Palaearctic butterfly Melitaea didyma stands out as one of the most striking cases of intraspecific genetic differentiation detected in Lepidoptera: 11 partially sympatric mitochondrial lineages have been reported, displaying levels of divergence of up to 7.4%. To better understand the evolutionary processes underlying the diversity observed in mtDNA, we compared mtDNA and genome-wide SNP data using double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) results from 93 specimens of M. didyma ranging from Morocco to eastern Kazakhstan. We found that, between ddRADseq and mtDNA results, there is a match only in populations that probably remained allopatric for long periods of time. Other mtDNA lineages may have resulted from introgression events and were probably affected by Wolbachia infection. The five main ddRADseq clades supported by STRUCTURE were parapatric or allopatric and showed high pairwise FST values, but some were also estimated to display various levels of gene flow. Melitaea didyma represents one of the first cases of deep mtDNA splits among European butterflies assessed by a genome-wide DNA analysis and reveals that the interpretation of patterns remains challenging even when a high amount of genomic data is available. These findings actualize the ongoing debate of species delimitation in allopatry, an issue probably of relevance to a significant proportion of global biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vlad Dincă
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Kyung Min Lee
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Roger Vila
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marko Mutanen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
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Tseng SP, Wetterer JK, Suarez AV, Lee CY, Yoshimura T, Shoemaker D, Yang CCS. Genetic Diversity and Wolbachia Infection Patterns in a Globally Distributed Invasive Ant. Front Genet 2019; 10:838. [PMID: 31608104 PMCID: PMC6758599 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the phylogeographic history of an invasive species may facilitate reconstructing the history and routes of its invasion. The longhorn crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis, is a ubiquitous agricultural and household pest throughout much of the tropics and subtropics, but little is known about the history of its spread. Here, we examine worldwide genetic variation in P. longicornis and its associated Wolbachia bacterial symbionts. Analyses of mtDNA sequences of 248 P. longicornis workers (one per colony) from 13 geographic regions reveal two highly diverged mtDNA clades that co-occur in most of the geographic regions. These two mtDNA clades are associated with different Wolbachia infection patterns, but are not congruent with patterns of nDNA (microsatellite) variation. Multilocus sequence typing reveals two distinct Wolbachia strains in P. longicornis, namely, wLonA and wLonF. The evolutionary histories of these two strains differ; wLonA appears to be primarily transmitted maternally, and patterns of mtDNA and nDNA variation and wLonA infection status are consistent with a relatively recent Wolbachia-induced selective sweep. In contrast, the observed patterns of mtDNA variation and wLonF infections suggest frequent horizontal transfer and losses of wLonF infections. The lack of nDNA structure among sampled geographic regions coupled with the finding that numerous mtDNA haplotypes are shared among regions implies that inadvertent long-distance movement through human commerce is common in P. longicornis and has shaped the genetic structure of this invasive ant worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Ping Tseng
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - James K Wetterer
- Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Andrew V Suarez
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior and Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Chow-Yang Lee
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Tsuyoshi Yoshimura
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - DeWayne Shoemaker
- Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
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13
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Widespread hybridization among native and invasive species of Operophtera moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in Europe and North America. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02054-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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14
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Zélé F, Santos I, Olivieri I, Weill M, Duron O, Magalhães S. Endosymbiont diversity and prevalence in herbivorous spider mite populations in South-Western Europe. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:4830074. [PMID: 29390142 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial endosymbionts are known as important players of the evolutionary ecology of their hosts. However, their distribution, prevalence and diversity are still largely unexplored. To this aim, we investigated infections by the most common bacterial reproductive manipulators in herbivorous spider mites of South-Western Europe. Across 16 populations belonging to three Tetranychus species, Wolbachia was the most prevalent (ca. 61%), followed by Cardinium (12%-15%), while only few individuals were infected by Rickettsia (0.9%-3%), and none carried Arsenophonus or Spiroplasma. These endosymbionts are here reported for the first time in Tetranychus evansi and Tetranychus ludeni, and showed variable infection frequencies between and within species, with several cases of coinfections. Moreover, Cardinium was more prevalent in Wolbachia-infected individuals, which suggests facilitation between these symbionts. Finally, sequence comparisons revealed no variation of the Wolbachia wsp and Rickettsia gtlA genes, but some diversity of the Cardinium 16S rRNA, both between and within populations of the three mite species. Some of the Cardinium sequences identified belonged to distantly-related clades, and the lack of association between these sequences and spider mite mitotypes suggests repeated host switching of Cardinium. Overall, our results reveal a complex community of symbionts in this system, opening the path for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flore Zélé
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edificio C2, Piso-3, Campo Grande, 1749016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Santos
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edificio C2, Piso-3, Campo Grande, 1749016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Isabelle Olivieri
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution (CNRS-Université de Montpellier-IRD-EPHE), 34095 Montpellier, CEDEX 5, France
| | - Mylène Weill
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution (CNRS-Université de Montpellier-IRD-EPHE), 34095 Montpellier, CEDEX 5, France
| | - Olivier Duron
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (CNRS-Université de Montpellier-IRD), Centre de Recherche IRD, 911 Avenue Agropolis, 34394 Montpellier, France
| | - Sara Magalhães
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edificio C2, Piso-3, Campo Grande, 1749016 Lisbon, Portugal
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15
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Tolley SJA, Nonacs P, Sapountzis P. Wolbachia Horizontal Transmission Events in Ants: What Do We Know and What Can We Learn? Front Microbiol 2019; 10:296. [PMID: 30894837 PMCID: PMC6414450 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
While strict vertical transmission insures the durability of intracellular symbioses, phylogenetic incongruences between hosts and endosymbionts suggest horizontal transmission must also occur. These horizontal acquisitions can have important implications for the biology of the host. Wolbachia is one of the most ecologically successful prokaryotes in arthropods, infecting an estimated 50–70% of all insect species. Much of this success is likely due to the fact that, in arthropods, Wolbachia is notorious for manipulating host reproduction to favor transmission through the female germline. However, its natural potential for horizontal transmission remains poorly understood. Here we evaluate the fundamental prerequisites for successful horizontal transfer, including necessary environmental conditions, genetic potential of bacterial strains, and means of mediating transfers. Furthermore, we revisit the relatedness of Wolbachia strains infecting the Panamanian leaf-cutting ant, Acromyrmex echinatior, and its inquiline social parasite, Acromyrmex insinuator, and compare our results to a study published more than 15 years ago by Van Borm et al. (2003). The results of this pilot study prompt us to reevaluate previous notions that obligate social parasitism reliably facilitates horizontal transfer and suggest that not all Wolbachia strains associated with ants have the same genetic potential for horizontal transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J A Tolley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Peter Nonacs
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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16
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Lester PJ, Sébastien A, Suarez AV, Barbieri RF, Gruber MAM. Symbiotic bacterial communities in ants are modified by invasion pathway bottlenecks and alter host behavior. Ecology 2018; 98:861-874. [PMID: 28039867 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Biological invasions are a threat to global biodiversity and provide unique opportunities to study ecological processes. Population bottlenecks are a common feature of biological invasions and the severity of these bottlenecks is likely to be compounded as an invasive species spreads from initial invasion sites to additional locations. Despite extensive work on the genetic consequences of bottlenecks, we know little about how they influence microbial communities of the invaders themselves. Due to serial bottlenecks, invasive species may lose microbial symbionts including pathogenic taxa (the enemy release hypothesis) and/or may accumulate natural enemies with increasing time after invasion (the pathogen accumulation and invasive decline hypothesis). We tested these alternate hypotheses by surveying bacterial communities of Argentine ants (Linepithema humile). We found evidence for serial symbiont bottlenecks: the bacterial community richness declined over the invasion pathway from Argentina to New Zealand. The abundance of some genera, such as Lactobacillus, also significantly declined over the invasion pathway. Argentine ants from populations in the United States shared the most genera with ants from their native range in Argentina, while New Zealand shared the least (120 vs. 57, respectively). Nine genera were present in all sites around the globe possibly indicating a core group of obligate microbes. In accordance with the pathogen accumulation and invasive decline hypothesis, Argentine ants acquired genera unique to each specific invaded country. The United States had the most unique genera, though even within New Zealand these ants acquired symbionts. In addition to our biogeographic sampling, we administered antibiotics to Argentine ants to determine if changes in the micro-symbiont community could influence behavior and survival in interspecific interactions. Treatment with the antibiotics spectinomycin and kanamycin only slightly increased Argentine ant interspecific aggression, but this increase significantly decreased survival in interspecific interactions. The survival of the native ant species also decreased when the symbiotic microbial community within Argentine ants was modified by antibiotics. Our work offers support for both the enemy release hypothesis and that invasive species accumulate novel microbial taxa within their invaded range. These changes appear likely to influence invader behavior and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Lester
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Alexandra Sébastien
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Andrew V Suarez
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Rafael F Barbieri
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Monica A M Gruber
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
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17
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Mukhacheva TA, Kovalev SY. Bacteria of the Family 'Candidatus Midichloriaceae' in Sympatric Zones of Ixodes Ticks: Genetic Evidence for Vertical Transmission. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2017; 74:185-193. [PMID: 28091705 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-0932-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Ixodes ticks transmit infectious agents and also harbor their own parasites and symbionts. The presumptive endosymbiont of Ixodes ricinus, 'Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii', has a unique ability to invade mitochondria within tick ovarian cells and is transovarially transmitted with 100% efficiency. A closely related bacterium, provisionally named Montezuma (now 'Candidatus Lariskella arthropodarum'), was isolated from the Ixodes persulcatus ticks and human blood in 2004 as well as from Ixodes pavlovskyi in 2015. These microorganisms belong to the family 'Candidatus Midichloriaceae fam. nov.' and were detected not only in tick salivary glands, but also in animal blood. Nevertheless, the relative importance of vertical and horizontal routes for their transmission or maintenance in natural tick populations remains unclear. We analyzed the prevalence of L. arthropodarum and M. mitochondrii in two sympatric zones, where I. persulcatus/I. ricinus and I. persulcatus/I. pavlovskyi cohabit and produce interspecific hybrids. A specificity of the associations of L. arthropodarum with I. persulcatus (100%) and M. mitochondrii with I. ricinus (96.2%) was observed in the sympatric zone in Estonia, possibly showing poor contribution of the horizontal route to the overall prevalence of endosymbionts. L. arthropodarum was observed probably multiplying in I. pavlovskyi and also subjected to transovarial transmission, but much less efficiently compared to I. persulcatus. We revealed two new genetic variants of the rrl-rrf intergenic spacer of L. arthropodarum isolated from I. pavlovskyi ticks that possibly could indicate an ongoing process of adaptation of the microorganism to a new host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana A Mukhacheva
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Department of Biology, Ural Federal University, Lenin Avenue 51, Yekaterinburg, 620000, Russia
| | - Sergey Y Kovalev
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Department of Biology, Ural Federal University, Lenin Avenue 51, Yekaterinburg, 620000, Russia.
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18
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Nguyen DT, Morrow JL, Spooner-Hart RN, Riegler M. Independent cytoplasmic incompatibility induced byCardiniumandWolbachiamaintains endosymbiont coinfections in haplodiploid thrips populations. Evolution 2017; 71:995-1008. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Duong T. Nguyen
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
| | - Jennifer L. Morrow
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
| | - Robert N. Spooner-Hart
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
- School of Science and Health; Western Sydney University; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
| | - Markus Riegler
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
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19
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Hu Y, Holway DA, Łukasik P, Chau L, Kay AD, LeBrun EG, Miller KA, Sanders JG, Suarez AV, Russell JA. By their own devices: invasive Argentine ants have shifted diet without clear aid from symbiotic microbes. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:1608-1630. [PMID: 28026894 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The functions and compositions of symbiotic bacterial communities often correlate with host ecology. Yet cause-effect relationships and the order of symbiont vs. host change remain unclear in the face of ancient symbioses and conserved host ecology. Several groups of ants exemplify this challenge, as their low-nitrogen diets and specialized symbioses appear conserved and ancient. To address whether nitrogen-provisioning symbionts might be important in the early stages of ant trophic shifts, we studied bacteria from the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile - an invasive species that has transitioned towards greater consumption of sugar-rich, nitrogen-poor foods in parts of its introduced range. Bacteria were present at low densities in most L. humile workers, and among those yielding quality 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data, we found just three symbionts to be common and dominant. Two, a Lactobacillus and an Acetobacteraceae species, were shared between native and introduced populations. The other, a Rickettsia, was found only in two introduced supercolonies. Across an eight-year period of trophic reduction in one introduced population, we found no change in symbionts, arguing against a relationship between natural dietary change and microbiome composition. Overall, our findings thus argue against major changes in symbiotic bacteria in association with the invasion and trophic shift of L. humile. In addition, genome content from close relatives of the identified symbionts suggests that just one can synthesize most essential amino acids; this bacterium was only modestly abundant in introduced populations, providing little support for a major role of nitrogen-provisioning symbioses in Argentine ant's dietary shift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Hu
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - David A Holway
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Piotr Łukasik
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Linh Chau
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Adam D Kay
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, 55105, USA
| | - Edward G LeBrun
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78703, USA
| | - Katie A Miller
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, 55105, USA
| | - Jon G Sanders
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Andrew V Suarez
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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20
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Johannesen J. Tracing the history and ecological context of Wolbachia double infection in a specialist host ( Urophora cardui)-parasitoid ( Eurytoma serratulae) system. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:986-996. [PMID: 28168034 PMCID: PMC5288247 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia is the most widespread bacteria in insects, yet the ecology of novel acquisitions in natural host populations is poorly understood. Using temporal data separated by 12 years, I tested the hypothesis that immigration of a parasitoid wasp led to transmission of its Wolbachia strain to its dipteran host, resulting in double‐strain infection, and I used geographic and community surveys to explore the history of transmission in fly and parasitoid. Double infection in the fly host was present before immigration of the parasitoid. Equal prevalence of double infection in males and females, constant prevalence before and after immigration in two regions, and increase in one region of immigration indicate little if no competition between strains. Double infection was present throughout the fly's distribution range, but proportions varied highly (0–0.71, mean = 0.26). Two fly‐specific MLST strains, observed in Eastern and Western Europe, respectively, differed at hcpA only. Flies with either fly‐strain could be double infected with the parasitoid's strain. The geographic distribution of double infection implies that it is older than the fly host's extent distribution range and that different proportions of double infection are caused by demographic fluctuations in the fly. The geographic data in combination with community surveys of infections and strains further suggest that the parasitoid strain was the fly's ancestral strain that was transmitted to the parasitoid, that is, the reverse transmission route as first hypothesized. Based on these findings together with a comparison of oviposition strategies of other hosts harboring related Wolbachia strains, I hypothesize that trans‐infection during an insect host's puparial metamorphosis might be important in promoting horizontal transmission among diverse holometabolic taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jes Johannesen
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Zoological Institute University of Mainz Mainz Germany
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21
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22
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Schuler H, Kern P, Arthofer W, Vogt H, Fischer M, Stauffer C, Riegler M. Wolbachia in Parasitoids Attacking Native European and Introduced Eastern Cherry Fruit Flies in Europe. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 45:1424-1431. [PMID: 28028089 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvw137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The eastern cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae), is an economically important pest of cherries in North America. In 1983 it was first reported in Europe where it shares its ecological niche with the native European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi L. (Diptera: Tephritidae). Their coexistence in Europe led to the recent horizontal transmission of the Wolbachia strain wCer1 from R. cerasi to R. cingulata Horizontal Wolbachia transmission is mediated by either sharing of ecological niches or by interacting species such as parasitoids. Here we describe for the first time that two braconid wasps, Psyttalia rhagoleticola Sachtleben (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Utetes magnus Fischer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), naturally parasitizing R. cerasi, use the invasive R. cingulata in Europe as a new host. In contrast, no parasitoids that parasitize R. cingulata in its native American range were detected in the introduced European range. Diagnostic Wolbachia PCR screening and sequence analyses demonstrated that all P. rhagoleticola individuals were infected with the newly described Wolbachia strain wRha while all U. magnus individuals were uninfected. wRha is different from wCer1 but had an Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene sequence that was identical to wCer2 of R. cerasi and wCin2 of R. cingulata. However, multi locus sequence typing revealed differences in all loci between wRha and the tephritid's strains. The horizontal transmission of wCer1 between the two tephritid species did not result in fixed heritable infections in the parasitoids. However, the parasitoids may have acted as a transient wCer1 vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Schuler
- Institute of Forest Entomology, Forest Pathology and Forest Protection, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Hasenauerstrasse 38, 1190 Vienna, Austria (; )
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Universitätsplatz 5, 39100 Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Galvin Life Sciences Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Peter Kern
- Institute of Forest Entomology, Forest Pathology and Forest Protection, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Hasenauerstrasse 38, 1190 Vienna, Austria (; )
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia (; )
| | - Wolfgang Arthofer
- Molecular Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Heidrun Vogt
- Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Schwabenheimerstrasse 101, 69221 Dossenheim, Germany
| | - Maximilian Fischer
- 2nd Zoological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1014 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Stauffer
- Institute of Forest Entomology, Forest Pathology and Forest Protection, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Hasenauerstrasse 38, 1190 Vienna, Austria (; )
| | - Markus Riegler
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia (; )
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23
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Weinert LA, Araujo-Jnr EV, Ahmed MZ, Welch JJ. The incidence of bacterial endosymbionts in terrestrial arthropods. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150249. [PMID: 25904667 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 283] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular endosymbiotic bacteria are found in many terrestrial arthropods and have a profound influence on host biology. A basic question about these symbionts is why they infect the hosts that they do, but estimating symbiont incidence (the proportion of potential host species that are actually infected) is complicated by dynamic or low prevalence infections. We develop a maximum-likelihood approach to estimating incidence, and testing hypotheses about its variation. We apply our method to a database of screens for bacterial symbionts, containing more than 3600 distinct arthropod species and more than 150 000 individual arthropods. After accounting for sampling bias, we estimate that 52% (CIs: 48-57) of arthropod species are infected with Wolbachia, 24% (CIs: 20-42) with Rickettsia and 13% (CIs: 13-55) with Cardinium. We then show that these differences stem from the significantly reduced incidence of Rickettsia and Cardinium in most hexapod orders, which might be explained by evolutionary differences in the arthropod immune response. Finally, we test the prediction that symbiont incidence should be higher in speciose host clades. But while some groups do show a trend for more infection in species-rich families, the correlations are generally weak and inconsistent. These results argue against a major role for parasitic symbionts in driving arthropod diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Weinert
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eli V Araujo-Jnr
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
| | - Muhammad Z Ahmed
- University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Tropical Research and Education Center, 18905 SW 280th Street, Homestead, FL 33031, USA
| | - John J Welch
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
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24
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Nguyen DT, Spooner-Hart RN, Riegler M. Loss of Wolbachia but not Cardinium in the invasive range of the Australian thrips species, Pezothrips kellyanus. Biol Invasions 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-015-1002-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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25
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Gebiola M, White JA, Cass BN, Kozuch A, Harris LR, Kelly SE, Karimi J, Giorgini M, Perlman SJ, Hunter MS. Cryptic diversity, reproductive isolation and cytoplasmic incompatibility in a classic biological control success story. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Gebiola
- Department of Entomology; The University of Arizona; 410 Forbes Building Tucson AZ 85721 USA
- CNR - Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante; UOS di Portici; Via Università 133 80055 Portici (NA) Italy
| | - Jennifer A. White
- Department of Entomology; S225 Agricultural Sciences Center North; University of Kentucky; Lexington KY 40546 USA
| | - Bodil N. Cass
- Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Entomology and Insect Science; The University of Arizona; 410 Forbes Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Amaranta Kozuch
- Department of Entomology; The University of Arizona; 410 Forbes Building Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Leanne R. Harris
- Department of Biology; University of Victoria; Victoria; British Columbia V8P 5C2 Canada
| | - Suzanne E. Kelly
- Department of Entomology; The University of Arizona; 410 Forbes Building Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Javad Karimi
- Department of Plant Protection; Ferdowsi University of Mashad; Mashhad Iran
| | - Massimo Giorgini
- CNR - Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante; UOS di Portici; Via Università 133 80055 Portici (NA) Italy
| | - Steve J. Perlman
- Department of Biology; University of Victoria; Victoria; British Columbia V8P 5C2 Canada
| | - Martha S. Hunter
- Department of Entomology; The University of Arizona; 410 Forbes Building Tucson AZ 85721 USA
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26
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A novel intracellular mutualistic bacterium in the invasive ant Cardiocondyla obscurior. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 10:376-88. [PMID: 26172209 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of eukaryotic organisms is often strongly influenced by microbial symbionts that confer novel traits to their hosts. Here we describe the intracellular Enterobacteriaceae symbiont of the invasive ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, 'Candidatus Westeberhardia cardiocondylae'. Upon metamorphosis, Westeberhardia is found in gut-associated bacteriomes that deteriorate following eclosion. Only queens maintain Westeberhardia in the ovarian nurse cells from where the symbionts are transmitted to late-stage oocytes during nurse cell depletion. Functional analyses of the streamlined genome of Westeberhardia (533 kb, 23.41% GC content) indicate that neither vitamins nor essential amino acids are provided for the host. However, the genome encodes for an almost complete shikimate pathway leading to 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, which could be converted into tyrosine by the host. Taken together with increasing titers of Westeberhardia during pupal stage, this suggests a contribution of Westeberhardia to cuticle formation. Despite a widespread occurrence of Westeberhardia across host populations, one ant lineage was found to be naturally symbiont-free, pointing to the loss of an otherwise prevalent endosymbiont. This study yields insights into a novel intracellular mutualist that could play a role in the invasive success of C. obscurior.
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Schuler H, Bertheau C, Egan SP, Feder JL, Riegler M, Schlick-Steiner BC, Steiner FM, Johannesen J, Kern P, Tuba K, Lakatos F, Köppler K, Arthofer W, Stauffer C. Evidence for a recent horizontal transmission and spatial spread ofWolbachiafrom endemicRhagoletis cerasi(Diptera: Tephritidae) to invasiveRhagoletis cingulatain Europe. Mol Ecol 2013; 22:4101-11. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2012] [Revised: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Schuler
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences; Institute of Forest Entomology; Forest Pathology and Forest Protection; Boku; University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Hasenauerstr, 38 1190 Vienna Austria
| | - Coralie Bertheau
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences; Institute of Forest Entomology; Forest Pathology and Forest Protection; Boku; University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Hasenauerstr, 38 1190 Vienna Austria
| | - Scott P. Egan
- Department of Biological Sciences; Galvin Life Sciences Building; University of Notre Dame; Notre Dame IN 46556 USA
| | - Jeffrey L. Feder
- Department of Biological Sciences; Galvin Life Sciences Building; University of Notre Dame; Notre Dame IN 46556 USA
| | - Markus Riegler
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; University of Western Sydney; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
| | - Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner
- Institute of Ecology; Molecular Ecology Group; University of Innsbruck; Technikerstr. 25 6020 Innsbruck Austria
| | - Florian M. Steiner
- Institute of Ecology; Molecular Ecology Group; University of Innsbruck; Technikerstr. 25 6020 Innsbruck Austria
| | - Jes Johannesen
- Zoological Institute; Department of Ecology; University of Mainz; Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 13 55128 Mainz Germany
| | - Peter Kern
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences; Institute of Forest Entomology; Forest Pathology and Forest Protection; Boku; University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Hasenauerstr, 38 1190 Vienna Austria
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; University of Western Sydney; Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
| | - Katalin Tuba
- Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection; University of West-Hungary; Bajcsy-Zs. u. 4 9400 Sopron Hungary
| | - Ferenc Lakatos
- Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection; University of West-Hungary; Bajcsy-Zs. u. 4 9400 Sopron Hungary
| | - Kirsten Köppler
- Center for Agricultural Technology Augustenberg; Nesslerstr. 23-31 76227 Karlsruhe Germany
| | - Wolfgang Arthofer
- Institute of Ecology; Molecular Ecology Group; University of Innsbruck; Technikerstr. 25 6020 Innsbruck Austria
| | - Christian Stauffer
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences; Institute of Forest Entomology; Forest Pathology and Forest Protection; Boku; University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Hasenauerstr, 38 1190 Vienna Austria
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Distribution of endosymbiotic reproductive manipulators reflects invasion process and not reproductive system polymorphism in the little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata. PLoS One 2013; 8:e58467. [PMID: 23505512 PMCID: PMC3594316 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2012] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Endosymbiotic reproductive manipulators may have drastic effects on the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of their hosts. The prevalence of these endosymbionts reflects both their ability to manipulate their hosts and the history of the host populations. The little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata displays a polymorphism in both its reproductive system (sexual versus clonal populations) and the invasive status of its populations (associated to a habitat shift). We first screened for the presence of a diverse array of reproductive parasites in sexual and clonal populations of W. auropunctata, as a means to investigate the role of endosymbionts in reproductive phenotypes. Wolbachia was the only symbiont found and we then focused on its worldwide distribution and diversity in natural populations of W. auropunctata. Using a multilocus scheme, we further characterized the Wolbachia strains present in these populations. We found that almost all the native sexual populations and only a few clonal populations are infected by Wolbachia. The presence of similar Wolbachia strains in both sexual and clonal populations indicates that they are probably not the cause of the reproductive system polymorphism. The observed pattern seems rather associated to the invasion process of W. auropunctata. In particular, the observed loss of Wolbachia in clonal populations, that recurrently emerged from sexual populations, likely resulted from natural heat treatment and/or relaxed selection during the shift in habitat associated to the invasion process.
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Ugelvig LV, Cremer S. Effects of social immunity and unicoloniality on host-parasite interactions in invasive insect societies. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Line V. Ugelvig
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria); Am Campus 1, A-3400 Klosterneuburg Austria
| | - Sylvia Cremer
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria); Am Campus 1, A-3400 Klosterneuburg Austria
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Andersen SB, Boye M, Nash DR, Boomsma JJ. Dynamic Wolbachia prevalence in Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants: potential for a nutritional symbiosis. J Evol Biol 2012; 25:1340-50. [PMID: 22530696 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02521.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia are renowned as reproductive parasites, but their phenotypic effects in eusocial insects are not well understood. We used a combination of qrt-PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization and laser scanning confocal microscopy to evaluate the dynamics of Wolbachia infections in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex octospinosus across developmental stages of sterile workers. We confirm that workers are infected with one or two widespread wsp genotypes of Wolbachia, show that colony prevalence is always 100% and characterize two rare recombinant genotypes. One dominant genotype is always present and most abundant, whereas another only proliferates in adult workers of some colonies and is barely detectable in larvae and pupae. An explanation may be that Wolbachia genotypes compete for host resources in immature stages while adult tissues provide substantially more niche space. Tissue-specific prevalence of the two genotypes differs, with the rarer genotype being over-represented in the adult foregut and thorax muscles. Both genotypes occur extracellularly in the foregut, suggesting an unknown mutualistic function in worker ant nutrition. Both genotypes are also abundant in the faecal fluid of the ants, suggesting that they may have extended functional phenotypes in the fungus garden that the ants manure with their own faeces.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Andersen
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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SHREVE SCOTTM, MOCKFORD EDWARDL, JOHNSON KEVINP. Elevated genetic diversity of mitochondrial genes in asexual populations of Bark Lice (‘Psocoptera’: Echmepteryx hageni). Mol Ecol 2011; 20:4433-51. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05298.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Bouwma AM, Shoemaker D. Wolbachia wSinvictaA infections in natural populations of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta: testing for phenotypic effects. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2011; 11:11. [PMID: 21526927 PMCID: PMC3281330 DOI: 10.1673/031.011.0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2009] [Accepted: 02/12/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that commonly infect many arthropods and some nematodes. In arthropods, these maternally transmitted bacteria often induce a variety of phenotypic effects to enhance their own spread within host populations. Wolbachia phenotypic effects generally either provide benefits to infected host females (cytoplasmic incompatibility, positive fitness effects) or bias host sex ratio in favor of females (male-killing, parthenogenesis, feminization), all of which increase the relative production of infected females in host populations. Wolbachia surveys have found infections to be exceedingly common in ants, but little is known at this juncture as to what phenotypic effects, if any, they induce in this group. Previous studies have demonstrated that individuals from native populations of the invasive fire ant Solenopsis invicta commonly harbor one or more of three Wolbachia variants. One of the variants, wSinvictaA, typically occurs at low prevalence in S. invicta populations, appears to have been transmitted horizontally into S. invicta three or more times, and has been lost repeatedly from host lineages over time. In order to determine the phenotypic effects and likely population dynamics of wSinvictaA infections in these ants, brood production patterns of newly mated fire ant queens were studied during simulated claustral founding and measured wSinvictaA transmission fidelity within mature single-queen families. No clear evidence was found for Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility, significant fitness effects, or male-killing. Maternal transmission was perfect to both virgin queens and males. Possible mechanisms for how this variant could be maintained in host populations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Bouwma
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Bldg. 970 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL
32611, USA
- USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - DeWayne Shoemaker
- USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
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Patot S, Martinez J, Allemand R, Gandon S, Varaldi J, Fleury F. Prevalence of a virus inducing behavioural manipulation near species range border. Mol Ecol 2010; 19:2995-3007. [PMID: 20565576 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04686.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The densities of conspecific individuals may vary through space, especially at the edge of species range. This variation in density is predicted to influence the diffusion of species-specific horizontally transmitted symbionts. However, to date there is very little data on how parasite prevalence varies around the border of a host species. Using a molecular epidemiology approach, we studied the prevalence of a vertically and horizontally transmitted virus at the edge of the geographic range of its insect host, the Drosophila parasitoid wasp Leptopilina boulardi. L. boulardi is a Mediterranean parasitoid species showing a recent range expansion to the north (in France). The LbFV virus manipulates the behaviour of females, increasing their tendency to lay additional eggs in already parasitized Drosophila larvae (superparasitism). This is beneficial for the virus because it allows the virus to be horizontally transferred during superparasitism. We show that LbFV prevalence is very high in central populations, intermediate in marginal populations and almost absent from newly established peripheral populations of L. boulardi. We failed to detect any influence of temperature and diapause on viral transmission efficiency but we observed a clear relationship between prevalence and parasitoid density, and between parasitoid density and the occurrence of superparasitism, as predicted by our epidemiological model. Viral strains were all efficient at inducing the behavioural manipulation and viral gene sequencing revealed very low sequence variation. We conclude that the prevalence reached by the virus critically depends on density-dependent factors, i.e. superparasitism, underlying the selective pressures acting on the virus to manipulate the behaviour of the parasitoid.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Patot
- Université de Lyon; F-69000, Lyon, France.
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Yang CC, Yu YC, Valles SM, Oi DH, Chen YC, Shoemaker D, Wu WJ, Shih CJ. Loss of microbial (pathogen) infections associated with recent invasions of the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta. Biol Invasions 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-010-9724-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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35
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Vogel V, Pedersen JS, Giraud T, Krieger MJB, Keller L. The worldwide expansion of the Argentine ant. DIVERS DISTRIB 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2009.00630.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Klasson L, Kambris Z, Cook PE, Walker T, Sinkins SP. Horizontal gene transfer between Wolbachia and the mosquito Aedes aegypti. BMC Genomics 2009; 10:33. [PMID: 19154594 PMCID: PMC2647948 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2008] [Accepted: 01/20/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The evolutionary importance of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from Wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria to their eukaryotic hosts is a topic of considerable interest and debate. Recent transfers of genome fragments from Wolbachia into insect chromosomes have been reported, but it has been argued that these fragments may be on an evolutionary trajectory to degradation and loss. RESULTS We have discovered a case of HGT, involving two adjacent genes, between the genomes of Wolbachia and the currently Wolbachia-uninfected mosquito Aedes aegypti, an important human disease vector. The lower level of sequence identity between Wolbachia and insect, the transcription of all the genes involved, and the fact that we have identified homologs of the two genes in another Aedes species (Ae. mascarensis), suggest that these genes are being expressed after an extended evolutionary period since horizontal transfer, and therefore that the transfer has functional significance. The association of these genes with Wolbachia prophage regions also provides a mechanism for the transfer. CONCLUSION The data support the argument that HGT between Wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria and their hosts has produced evolutionary innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Klasson
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Vogel V, Pedersen JS, d'Ettorre P, Lehmann L, Keller L. Dynamics and genetic structure of Argentine ant supercolonies in their native range. Evolution 2009; 63:1627-39. [PMID: 19154388 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00628.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Some introduced ant populations have an extraordinary social organization, called unicoloniality, whereby individuals mix freely within large supercolonies. We investigated whether this mode of social organization also exists in native populations of the Argentine ant Linepithema humile. Behavioral analyses revealed the presence of 11 supercolonies (width 1 to 515 m) over a 3-km transect. As in the introduced range, there was always strong aggression between but never within supercolonies. The genetic data were in perfect agreement with the behavioral tests, all nests being assigned to identical supercolonies with the different methods. There was strong genetic differentiation between supercolonies but no genetic differentiation among nests within supercolonies. We never found more than a single mitochondrial haplotype per supercolony, further supporting the view that supercolonies are closed breeding units. Genetic and chemical distances between supercolonies were positively correlated, but there were no other significant associations between geographic, genetic, chemical, and behavioral distances. A comparison of supercolonies sampled in 1999 and 2005 revealed a very high turnover, with about one-third of the supercolonies being replaced yearly. This dynamic is likely to involve strong competition between supercolonies and thus act as a potent selective force maintaining unicoloniality over evolutionary time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Vogel
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Abstract
It is unclear why some species become successful invaders whilst others fail, and whether invasive success depends on pre-adaptations already present in the native range or on characters evolving de-novo after introduction. Ants are among the worst invasive pests, with Lasius neglectus and its rapid spread through Europe and Asia as the most recent example of a pest ant that may become a global problem. Here, we present the first integrated study on behavior, morphology, population genetics, chemical recognition and parasite load of L. neglectus and its non-invasive sister species L. turcicus. We find that L. neglectus expresses the same supercolonial syndrome as other invasive ants, a social system that is characterized by mating without dispersal and large networks of cooperating nests rather than smaller mutually hostile colonies. We conclude that the invasive success of L. neglectus relies on a combination of parasite-release following introduction and pre-adaptations in mating system, body-size, queen number and recognition efficiency that evolved long before introduction. Our results challenge the notion that supercolonial organization is an inevitable consequence of low genetic variation for chemical recognition cues in small invasive founder populations. We infer that low variation and limited volatility in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles already existed in the native range in combination with low dispersal and a highly viscous population structure. Human transport to relatively disturbed urban areas thus became the decisive factor to induce parasite release, a well established general promoter of invasiveness in non-social animals and plants, but understudied in invasive social insects.
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Fernando de Souza R, Daivison Silva Ramalho J, Santina de Castro Morini M, Wolff JLC, Araújo RC, Mascara D. Identification and characterization of Wolbachia in Solenopsis saevissima fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in southeastern Brazil. Curr Microbiol 2008; 58:189-94. [PMID: 18979132 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-008-9301-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2008] [Revised: 09/18/2008] [Accepted: 09/26/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The genus Solenopsis appears to have evolved and radiated very rapidly in South America and then spread throughout the rest of the continent. As part of the expansion process, distribution patterns and different degrees of geographic isolation among populations of S. saevissima can be observed. We have investigated the presence of Wolbachia in 52 colonies and 1623 individuals in southeastern Brazil. Detection of Wolbachia infection was based on amplification of the 16S rRNA and wsp genes by polymerase chain reactions. Wolbachia was found in only one of the four locations investigated and it was observed that the populations were polymorphic for infection. The infection level observed increased during the period of screening. In particular, double infection (16SWA and B) increased from 44% in 2005 to 90% in 2006. The A-group of Wolbachia from the wsp sequences was determined by sequencing. However, two variant wsp sequences were detected in Wolbachia present in these populations. The alignment of our sequences with those deposited in GenBank indicated significant differences in relation to homologous sequences. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using parsimony, and confidence intervals were estimated by bootstrapping. Then the divergence of the Wolbachia of S. saevissima in the populations studied with other variants allowed us to verify that wSS1 and dwSS2 formed a distinct clade within the A-group (>75%). These results can be useful in studies on the dynamics of ant populations.
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Suarez AV, Holway DA, Tsutsui ND. Genetics and behavior of a colonizing species: the invasive Argentine ant. Am Nat 2008; 172 Suppl 1:S72-84. [PMID: 18554146 DOI: 10.1086/588638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Baker and Stebbins's 1965 book The Genetics of Colonizing Species aimed to draw together scientists from a variety of disciplines to provide a conceptual framework for the study of species introductions. A goal of their volume was to examine how studies on biological invasions could be used to provide insight into basic research questions as well as to develop practical strategies for control. In this article, we attempt to follow the goals of Baker and Stebbins by reviewing work on the genetics and behavior of a widespread colonizing species, the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile). Specifically, we examine the evolutionary changes that have taken place as a result of this species being introduced into new environments and synthesize recent research on Argentine ants from the perspective of population genetics, recognition systems, and the mechanisms that may underlie their ecological success.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Suarez
- Department of Animal Biology and Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
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41
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Viljakainen L, Reuter M, Pamilo P. Wolbachia transmission dynamics in Formica wood ants. BMC Evol Biol 2008; 8:55. [PMID: 18291041 PMCID: PMC2277377 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2007] [Accepted: 02/21/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of Wolbachia endosymbionts in shaping the mitochondrial diversity of their arthropod host depends on the effects they have on host reproduction and on the mode of transmission of the bacteria. We have compared the sequence diversity of wsp (Wolbachia surface protein gene) and the host mtDNA in a group of Formica ant species that have diverged approximately 0.5 million years ago (MYA). The aim was to study the relationship of Wolbachia and its ant hosts in terms of vertical and horizontal transmission of the bacteria. RESULTS All studied ant species were doubly infected with two Wolbachia strains (wFex1 and wFex4) all over their geographical distribution area in Eurasia. The most common haplotypes of these strains were identical with strains previously described from a more distantly related Formica ant, with an estimated divergence time of 3.5 - 4 MYA. Some strain haplotypes were associated to the same or closely related mtDNA haplotypes as expected under vertical transmission. However, in several cases the wsp haplotypes coexisted with distant mtDNA haplotypes, a pattern which is more compatible with horizontal transmission of the bacteria. CONCLUSION Two lines of evidence suggest that the sharing of Wolbachia strains by all F. rufa species is rather due to horizontal than vertical transmission. First, the fact that endosymbiont strains identical to those of F. rufa ants have been found in another species that diverged 3.5-4 MYA strongly suggests that horizontal transfer can and does occur between Formica ants. Second, the frequent sharing of identical Wolbachia strains by distant mitochondrial lineages within the F. rufa group further shows that horizontal transmission has occurred repeatedly. Nevertheless, our dataset also provides some evidence for longer-term persistence of infection, indicating that Wolbachia infection within this host clade has been shaped by both horizontal and vertical transmission of symbionts. The fact that all the ants were infected irrespective of the family structure of their societies gives no support to the proposed hypotheses that the spreading of Wolbachia in ants might be associated to the types of their societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumi Viljakainen
- Department of Biology, PO Box 3000, 90014 University of Oulu, Finland.
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Snyder WE, Evans EW. Ecological Effects of Invasive Arthropod Generalist Predators. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2006. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.37.091305.110107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 265] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Arthropod generalist predators (AGP) are widespread and abundant in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They feed upon herbivores, detritivores, and predators, and also on plant material and detritus. In turn, AGP serve as prey for larger predators. Several prominent AGP have become invasive when moved by humans beyond their native range. With complex trophic roles, AGP have diverse effects on other species in their introduced ranges. The invaders displace similar native species, primarily through competition, intraguild predation, transmission of disease, and escape from predation and/or parasites. Invasive AGP often reach higher densities and/or biomass than the native predators they replace, sometimes strengthening herbivore regulation when invasive AGP feed on key herbivores, but sometimes weakening herbivore suppression when they eat key predators. The complexity and unpredictability of ecological effects of invasive AGP underscores the high risk of adverse consequences of intentional introductions of these species (e.g., for biological control or aquaculture).
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Affiliation(s)
- William E. Snyder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164
| | - Edward W. Evans
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322
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Bouwma AM, Ahrens ME, DeHeer CJ, DeWayne Shoemaker D. Distribution and prevalence of Wolbachia in introduced populations of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2006; 15:89-93. [PMID: 16469072 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2006.00614.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that induce phenotypic effects in many arthropod hosts to enhance their own transmission within host populations. Wolbachia commonly infect the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, in native South American populations. A previous study failed to detect Wolbachia in fire ants from the introduced range in the USA. We conducted an extensive study of individuals collected from 1157 nests from 10 widespread geographical populations in the USA. Wolbachia were detected in ants from two nearby populations in southern Mississippi, with different variants (wsp gene sequences) infecting ants from colonies of the multiple-queen (polygyne) vs. single-queen (monogyne) social forms. The parsimonious explanation for the presence of Wolbachia in introduced S. invicta is that there have been one or more recent introductions of Wolbachia-infected fire ants into the southern USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Bouwma
- Department of Entomology, University Wisconsin-Madison, 53706, USA.
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45
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Pedersen JS, Krieger MJB, Vogel V, Giraud T, Keller L. NATIVE SUPERCOLONIES OF UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS IN THE INVASIVE ARGENTINE ANT. Evolution 2006. [DOI: 10.1554/05-365.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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46
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Zientz E, Feldhaar H, Stoll S, Gross R. Insights into the microbial world associated with ants. Arch Microbiol 2005; 184:199-206. [PMID: 16205909 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-005-0041-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2005] [Revised: 08/25/2005] [Accepted: 08/29/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Insects are among the most successful animals of the world in terms of species richness as well as abundance. Their biomass exceeds that of mammals by far. Among insects, ants are of particular interest not only because of their enormous ecological role in many terrestrial ecosystems, but also because they have developed an impressive behavioural repertoire. In fact, a key feature of the evolutionary success of ants is their ability to form complex societies with division of labour among individuals in a colony belonging to different castes such as workers and soldiers. In addition to these complex social interactions of ants, they have shown an extraordinary capacity to build up close associations with other organisms such as other insects, plants, fungi and bacteria. In the present review we attempt to provide an overview of the various symbiotic interactions that ants have developed with microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Zientz
- Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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