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Arai H, Ueda M, Hirano T, Akizuki N, Lin S, Hanh DK, Widada J, Rohman MS, Nakai M, Kunimi Y, Vang LV, Wijonarko A, Inoue MN. Conserved infections and reproductive phenotypes of Wolbachia symbionts in Asian tortrix moths. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2024; 16:e13219. [PMID: 38070178 PMCID: PMC10866051 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Wolbachia is a ubiquitous endosymbiotic bacterium that manipulates insect reproduction. A notable feature of Wolbachia is male killing (MK), whereby sons of infected females are killed during development; however, the evolutionary processes by which Wolbachia acquired the MK ability remain unclear. The tea tortrix moth Homona magnanima (Tortricidae) harbours three non-MK Wolbachia strains (wHm-a, wHm-b and wHm-c) and an MK strain wHm-t. Although wHm-t and wHm-c are closely related, only wHm-t has an MK-associated prophage region. To understand the evolutionary processes underlying the emergence of MK wHm-t, we examined Wolbachia infections and phenotypes in 62 tortricid species collected from 39 localities across Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia. PCR assays detected wHm-c relatives in 51 species and triple infection of wHm-a, wHm-b and wHm-c in 31 species. Apart from Taiwanese H. magnanima, no species exhibited the MK phenotype and were positive for the wHm-t-specific prophage. While wHm-t infection was dominant in Taiwanese H. magnanima, wHm-a, wHm-b and wHm-c were dominant in Japanese H. magnanima populations. These results suggest that wHm-a, wHm-b and wHm-c strains descended from a common ancestor with repeated infection loss and that wHm-t evolved from the wHm-c acquiring MK ability in allopatric populations of H. magnanima.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Arai
- United Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyoJapan
| | - Masatoshi Ueda
- United Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyoJapan
| | - Tatsuya Hirano
- United Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyoJapan
| | - Naoya Akizuki
- United Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyoJapan
| | - Shiou‐Ruei Lin
- Crop Environment SectionTea and Beverage Research Station, Ministry of AgricultureTaoyuan CityTaiwan
| | | | - Jaka Widada
- Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of AgricultureUniversitas Gadjah MadaYogyakartaIndonesia
| | - Muhammad Saifur Rohman
- Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of AgricultureUniversitas Gadjah MadaYogyakartaIndonesia
| | - Madoka Nakai
- United Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyoJapan
| | - Yasuhisa Kunimi
- United Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyoJapan
| | - Le Van Vang
- College of AgricultureCan Tho UniversityCan Tho CityVietnam
| | - Arman Wijonarko
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of AgricultureUniversitas Gadjah MadaYogyakartaIndonesia
| | - Maki N. Inoue
- United Graduate School of Agricultural ScienceTokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyoJapan
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Caputo B, Moretti R, Virgillito C, Manica M, Lampazzi E, Lombardi G, Serini P, Pichler V, Beebe NW, Della Torre A, Calvitti M. A bacterium against the tiger: further evidence of the potential of noninundative releases of males with manipulated Wolbachia infection in reducing fertility of Aedes albopictus field populations in Italy. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:3167-3176. [PMID: 37022600 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Incompatible insect technique (IIT) is a population suppression approach based on the release of males with manipulated Wolbachia infection inducing egg inviability in wild females. We here present results of multiple field releases of incompatible ARwP males carried out in 2019 in a 2.7-ha green area within urban Rome (Italy) to assess the effect on Aedes albopictus egg viability. Data are compared with results obtained in 2018, when the approach was tested for the first time in Europe. RESULTS An average of 4674 ARwP males were released weekly for 7 weeks, resulting in a mean ARwP:wild male ratio of 1.1:1 (versus 0.7:1 in 2018). Egg-viability dynamics in ovitraps significantly varied between treated and control sites, with an estimated overall reduction of 35% (versus 15% in 2018). The estimated proportion of females classified as mated with ARwP males was 41.8% and the viability rate of eggs laid by these females (9.5%) was on average significantly lower than that of females only mated with wild males (87.8%); however, high variability in fertility was observed. Values of ARwP male competitiveness were 0.36 and 0.73 based on the overall viability rate of eggs in ovitraps and on female fertility, respectively; thus, well above the conventional 0.2 threshold for an effective suppressive impact in the field. CONCLUSIONS Results further support the potential of IIT as a tool to contribute to Ae. albopictus control in the urban context, stressing the need for larger field trials to evaluate the cost-efficacy of the approach in temperate regions. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Riccardo Moretti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Virgillito
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Elena Lampazzi
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Lombardi
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Paola Serini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Verena Pichler
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Nigel W Beebe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, & CSIRO, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Alessandra Della Torre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Calvitti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
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Sadanandane C, Gunasekaran K, Panneer D, Subbarao SK, Rahi M, Vijayakumar B, Athithan V, Sakthivel A, Dinesh S, Jambulingam P. Studies on the fitness characteristics of wMel- and wAlbB-introgressed Aedes aegypti (Pud) lines in comparison with wMel- and wAlbB-transinfected Aedes aegypti (Aus) and wild-type Aedes aegypti (Pud) lines. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:947857. [PMID: 35992676 PMCID: PMC9389317 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.947857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia, an intracellular maternally transmitted endosymbiont, has been shown to interfere with the replication of dengue virus in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The Wolbachia-transinfected Ae. aegypti has been currently released in many countries to test its effectiveness in preventing the transmission of dengue virus. ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre in collaboration with World Mosquito Program Monash University, Australia, has generated two new Wolbachia-introgressed Ae. aegypti Puducherry (Pud) lines via backcrossing Ae. aegypti females of Australian (Aus) strains, infected with wMel and wAlbB Wolbachia with wild-type Ae. aegypti Puducherry (Pud) males. Wolbachia infections are known to induce a fitness cost and confer benefit on the host mosquito populations that will influence spread of the Wolbachia into native wild mosquito populations during the field release. Hence, the induced fitness cost or benefit/advantage in the two newly generated Ae. aegypti (Pud) lines was assessed in the laboratory in comparison with the wild-type Ae. aegypti (Pud) strain. In addition, maternal transmission (MT) efficiency, induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), and insecticide resistance status of the two (Pud) lines were determined to assess the likely frequency of wMel and wAlbB infections in the native wild population after field invasion. The study shows that wMel and wAlbB infections did not induce any fitness cost on the two newly generated (Pud) lines. Rather, in terms of wing length, fecundity, egg hatch rate, and adult survival, the Wolbachia introgression conferred fitness benefits on the (Pud) lines compared to uninfected Wolbachia free wild Ae. aegypti population. wMel and wAlbB exhibited a high maternal transmission (99–100%) and induced nearly complete (98–100%) cytoplasmic incompatibility. Both the (Pud) lines were resistant to deltamethrin, malathion, DDT, and temephos, and the level of resistance was almost the same between the two lines as in the wild type. Overall, the stable association of wMel and wAlbB established with Ae. aegypti and the reproductive advantages of the (Pud) lines encourage a pilot release in the field for population replacement potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candasamy Sadanandane
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Medical Complex, Puducherry, India
- *Correspondence: Candasamy Sadanandane,
| | | | - Devaraju Panneer
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Medical Complex, Puducherry, India
| | - Sarala K. Subbarao
- Indian Council of Medical Research, Ramalingaswami Bhawan, New Delhi, India
| | - Manju Rahi
- Indian Council of Medical Research, Ramalingaswami Bhawan, New Delhi, India
- Manju Rahi,
| | | | - Velan Athithan
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Medical Complex, Puducherry, India
| | | | - Sundaram Dinesh
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Medical Complex, Puducherry, India
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Lafuente E, Lürig MD, Rövekamp M, Matthews B, Buser C, Vorburger C, Räsänen K. Building on 150 Years of Knowledge: The Freshwater Isopod Asellus aquaticus as an Integrative Eco-Evolutionary Model System. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.748212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Interactions between organisms and their environments are central to how biological diversity arises and how natural populations and ecosystems respond to environmental change. These interactions involve processes by which phenotypes are affected by or respond to external conditions (e.g., via phenotypic plasticity or natural selection) as well as processes by which organisms reciprocally interact with the environment (e.g., via eco-evolutionary feedbacks). Organism-environment interactions can be highly dynamic and operate on different hierarchical levels, from genes and phenotypes to populations, communities, and ecosystems. Therefore, the study of organism-environment interactions requires integrative approaches and model systems that are suitable for studies across different hierarchical levels. Here, we introduce the freshwater isopod Asellus aquaticus, a keystone species and an emerging invertebrate model system, as a prime candidate to address fundamental questions in ecology and evolution, and the interfaces therein. We review relevant fields of research that have used A. aquaticus and draft a set of specific scientific questions that can be answered using this species. Specifically, we propose that studies on A. aquaticus can help understanding (i) the influence of host-microbiome interactions on organismal and ecosystem function, (ii) the relevance of biotic interactions in ecosystem processes, and (iii) how ecological conditions and evolutionary forces facilitate phenotypic diversification.
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Ross PA. Designing effective Wolbachia release programs for mosquito and arbovirus control. Acta Trop 2021; 222:106045. [PMID: 34273308 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes carrying endosymbiotic bacteria called Wolbachia are being released in mosquito and arbovirus control programs around the world through two main approaches: population suppression and population replacement. Open field releases of Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes have achieved over 95% population suppression by reducing the fertility of wild mosquito populations. The replacement of populations with Wolbachia-infected females is self-sustaining and can greatly reduce local dengue transmission by reducing the vector competence of mosquito populations. Despite many successful interventions, significant questions and challenges lie ahead. Wolbachia, viruses and their mosquito hosts can evolve, leading to uncertainty around the long-term effectiveness of a given Wolbachia strain, while few ecological impacts of Wolbachia releases have been explored. Wolbachia strains are diverse and the choice of strain to release should be made carefully, taking environmental conditions and the release objective into account. Mosquito quality control, thoughtful community awareness programs and long-term monitoring of populations are essential for all types of Wolbachia intervention. Releases of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes show great promise, but existing control measures remain an important way to reduce the burden of mosquito-borne disease.
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Leitner M, Bishop C, Asgari S. Transcriptional Response of Wolbachia to Dengue Virus Infection in Cells of the Mosquito Aedes aegypti. mSphere 2021; 6:e0043321. [PMID: 34190587 PMCID: PMC8265661 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00433-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti transmits one of the most significant mosquito-borne viruses, dengue virus (DENV). The absence of effective vaccines and clinical treatments and the emergence of insecticide resistance in A. aegypti necessitate novel vector control strategies. A new approach uses the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis to reduce the spread of arboviruses. However, the Wolbachia-mediated antiviral mechanism is not well understood. To shed light on this mechanism, we investigated an unexplored aspect of Wolbachia-virus-mosquito interaction. We used RNA sequencing to examine the transcriptional response of Wolbachia to DENV infection in A. aegypti Aag2 cells transinfected with the wAlbB strain of Wolbachia. Our results suggest that genes encoding an endoribonuclease (RNase HI), a regulator of sigma 70-dependent gene transcription (6S RNA), essential cellular, transmembrane, and stress response functions and primary type I and IV secretion systems were upregulated, while a number of transport and binding proteins of Wolbachia, ribosome structure, and elongation factor-associated genes were downregulated due to DENV infection. Furthermore, bacterial retrotransposon, transposable, and phage-related elements were found among the up- and downregulated genes. We show that Wolbachia elicits a transcriptional response to virus infection and identify differentially expressed Wolbachia genes mostly at the early stages of virus infection. These findings highlight Wolbachia's ability to alter its gene expression in response to DENV infection of the host cell. IMPORTANCE Aedes aegypti is a vector of several pathogenic viruses, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses, which are of importance to human health. Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacterium currently used in transinfected mosquitoes to suppress replication and transmission of dengue viruses. However, the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated virus inhibition is not fully understood. While several studies have shown mosquitoes' transcriptional responses to dengue virus infection, none have investigated these responses in Wolbachia, which may provide clues to the inhibition mechanism. Our results suggest changes in the expression of a number of functionally important Wolbachia genes upon dengue virus infection, including those involved in stress responses, providing insights into the endosymbiont's reaction to virus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Leitner
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Cameron Bishop
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sassan Asgari
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Moo-Llanes DA, López-Ordóñez T, Torres-Monzón JA, Mosso-González C, Casas-Martínez M, Samy AM. Assessing the Potential Distributions of the Invasive Mosquito Vector Aedes albopictus and Its Natural Wolbachia Infections in México. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12020143. [PMID: 33562305 PMCID: PMC7914640 DOI: 10.3390/insects12020143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is currently the most invasive vector species, with a widespread global distribution. Aedes albopictus is the potential vector of diverse arboviruses, including Zika and dengue. This study updated the ecological niche model of Ae. albopictus and inferred the potential distribution of natural Wolbachia infections in Ae. albopictus in México. The ecological niche models were constructed based on diverse model settings to better estimate the potential distributions and uncertainty indices of both Ae. albopictus and its natural Wolbachia infections in México. The distribution of Ae. albopictus covered the states across Northern México, the Gulf of México, the Pacific Coast of México, Central México, and the southeast of México. The ecological niche model of the natural Wolbachia infections in Ae. albopictus populations anticipated the occurrence of natural Wolbachia infections in the southeast of México, the Chiapas border with Guatemala, and Veracruz. These results can be used to prioritize vector surveillance and control programs in México for strategic and future decision-making; however, it is still necessary to establish active surveillance programs to assess model predictions based on the independent sampling of Ae. albopictus from different invasion zones in México. Finally, vector surveillance should also screen the natural Wolbachia infections in Ae. albopictus to validate Wolbachia predictions across México, particularly in the southeast of México.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Moo-Llanes
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública (CRISP), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Tapachula, Chiapas 30700, Mexico; (D.A.M.-L.); (T.L.-O.); (J.A.T.-M.); (C.M.-G.)
| | - Teresa López-Ordóñez
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública (CRISP), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Tapachula, Chiapas 30700, Mexico; (D.A.M.-L.); (T.L.-O.); (J.A.T.-M.); (C.M.-G.)
| | - Jorge A. Torres-Monzón
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública (CRISP), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Tapachula, Chiapas 30700, Mexico; (D.A.M.-L.); (T.L.-O.); (J.A.T.-M.); (C.M.-G.)
| | - Clemente Mosso-González
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública (CRISP), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Tapachula, Chiapas 30700, Mexico; (D.A.M.-L.); (T.L.-O.); (J.A.T.-M.); (C.M.-G.)
| | - Mauricio Casas-Martínez
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública (CRISP), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Tapachula, Chiapas 30700, Mexico; (D.A.M.-L.); (T.L.-O.); (J.A.T.-M.); (C.M.-G.)
- Correspondence: (M.C.-M.); (A.M.S.)
| | - Abdallah M. Samy
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt
- Correspondence: (M.C.-M.); (A.M.S.)
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Bishop C, Asgari S. Altered gene expression profile of Wolbachia pipientis wAlbB strain following transinfection from its native host Aedes albopictus to Aedes aegypti cells. Mol Microbiol 2021; 115:1229-1243. [PMID: 33325576 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular bacterial symbiont prevalent among arthropods and nematodes. To survive and reproduce, Wolbachia interacts with and modifies host subcellular structures, while sensing and responding to changes within the cellular environment. In mutualistic associations, Wolbachia may provision the host with metabolites, or help to maintain the chemical homeostasis of the host cell. Some strains can rapidly invade insect populations by manipulating host reproductive biology, while also preventing viral replication, allowing their use in vector control of arthropod-borne viruses. The Aedes albopictus-derived strain wAlbB is promising in this regard. When transinfected into the Yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, wAlbB reaches high frequencies within wild populations, and strongly inhibits viral transmission. Despite its obvious potential, much is still unknown about the molecular interactions between Wolbachia and host that enable its use in vector control. Furthermore, most Wolbachia transinfection research to date has focused on host effects. In the current study, we used a cell line model to explore the effect of transinfection of wAlbB from Ae. albopictus to Ae. aegypti. Using RNA sequencing, we show that several genes associated with host-symbiont interactions were downregulated by transinfection, with the greatest downregulation exhibited by prophage-associated genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron Bishop
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Sassan Asgari
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Stable Introduction of Plant-Virus-Inhibiting Wolbachia into Planthoppers for Rice Protection. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4837-4845.e5. [PMID: 33035486 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Progress has been made in developing the maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia as a tool for protecting humans from mosquito-borne diseases. In contrast, Wolbachia-based approaches have not yet been developed for the protection of plants from insect pests and their associated diseases, with a major challenge being the establishment of artificial Wolbachia infections expressing desired characteristics in the hemipterans that transmit the majority of plant viruses. Here, we report stable introduction of Wolbachia into the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, the most destructive rice pest that annually destroys millions of hectares of staple crops. The Wolbachia strain wStri from the small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus, was transferred to this new host, where it showed high levels of cytoplasmic incompatibility, enabling rapid invasion of laboratory populations. Furthermore, wStri inhibited infection and transmission of Rice ragged stunt virus and mitigated virus-induced symptoms in rice plants, opening up the development of Wolbachia-based strategies against major agricultural pests and their transmitted pathogens. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Huang EYY, Wong AYP, Lee IHT, Qu Z, Yip HY, Leung CW, Yin SM, Hui JHL. Infection patterns of dengue, Zika and endosymbiont Wolbachia in the mosquito Aedes albopictus in Hong Kong. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:361. [PMID: 32690078 PMCID: PMC7372788 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04231-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mosquito Aedes albopictus is a vector of dengue and Zika viruses. Insecticide-resistant mosquito populations have evolved in recent decades, suggesting that new control strategies are needed. Hong Kong has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate, which favours the spread of mosquitoes. However, baseline information on the composition and dynamics of the occurrence of endosymbiont Wolbachia in local Ae. albopictus is lacking, hindering the development of scientifically-informed control measures. This study identifies the presence and absence of dengue and Zika viruses, and Wolbachia infection in Aedes albopictus in Hong Kong. METHODS Oviposition traps were set at 57 areas in Hong Kong, and both immature and adult mosquitoes were collected on a monthly basis between April 2018 and April 2019 as the study sample. Each individual mosquito in this sample was processed and screened for the presence of the dengue and Zika viruses and the endosymbionts Wolbachia wAlbA and wAlbB with PCR. RESULTS Totals of 967 and 984 mosquitoes were tested respectively for the presence of dengue and Zika viruses, and no trace of either infection was found in these samples. The presence of wAlbA and wAlbB was also tested in 1582 individuals. Over 80% of these individuals were found to be stably infected with Wolbachia throughout the thirteen-month collection period (~ 47% singly-infected; ~ 36.8% doubly infected with both wAlbA and wAlbB). CONCLUSIONS The high degree of Wolbachia wAlbA and wAlbB infection in Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in Hong Kong, coupled with the absence of any signs of infection by dengue and Zika viruses, contrasts significantly with the pattern of mosquito infection in other parts of Asia. Further studies of the infection pattern in local mosquitoes are warranted before mosquito control strategies used in other regions are implemented in Hong Kong.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Y. Y. Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Annette Y. P. Wong
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ivy H. T. Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhe Qu
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ho Yin Yip
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chi-wah Leung
- Pest Control Advisory Section, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Hong Kong, China
| | - Shuk-may Yin
- Pest Control Advisory Section, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Hong Kong, China
| | - Jerome H. L. Hui
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Ross PA, Callahan AG, Yang Q, Jasper M, Arif MAK, Afizah AN, Nazni WA, Hoffmann AA. An elusive endosymbiont: Does Wolbachia occur naturally in Aedes aegypti? Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1581-1591. [PMID: 32076535 PMCID: PMC7029055 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria found within many insect species. Aedes mosquitoes experimentally infected with Wolbachia are being released into the field for Aedes-borne disease control. These Wolbachia infections induce cytoplasmic incompatibility which is used to suppress populations through incompatible matings or replace populations through the reproductive advantage provided by this mechanism. However, the presence of naturally occurring Wolbachia in target populations could interfere with both population replacement and suppression programs depending on the compatibility patterns between strains. Aedes aegypti were thought to not harbor Wolbachia naturally but several recent studies have detected Wolbachia in natural populations of this mosquito. We therefore review the evidence for natural Wolbachia infections in A. aegypti to date and discuss limitations of these studies. We draw on research from other mosquito species to outline the potential implications of natural Wolbachia infections in A. aegypti for disease control. To validate previous reports, we obtained a laboratory population of A. aegypti from New Mexico, USA, that harbors a natural Wolbachia infection, and we conducted field surveys in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where a natural Wolbachia infection has also been reported. However, we were unable to detect Wolbachia in both the laboratory and field populations. Because the presence of naturally occurring Wolbachia in A. aegypti could have profound implications for Wolbachia-based disease control programs, it is important to continue to accurately assess the Wolbachia status of target Aedes populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perran A Ross
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group School of BioSciences Bio21 Institute The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Ashley G Callahan
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group School of BioSciences Bio21 Institute The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Qiong Yang
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group School of BioSciences Bio21 Institute The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Moshe Jasper
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group School of BioSciences Bio21 Institute The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Mohd A K Arif
- Institute for Medical Research Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | | | - Wasi A Nazni
- Institute for Medical Research Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group School of BioSciences Bio21 Institute The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
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12
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Ote M, Yamamoto D. Impact of Wolbachia infection on Drosophila female germline stem cells. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 37:8-15. [PMID: 31726321 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia pipientis, one of the most dominant insect-symbiotic bacteria, highjacks the female germline of insects for its own propagation across host generations. Such strict dependence on female gametes in trans-generational propagation has driven Wolbachia to devise ingenious strategies to enhance female fertility. In Drosophila melanogaster females with female-sterile mutant alleles of the master sex-determining gene Sex-lethal (Sxl), Wolbachia colonizing female germline stem cells (GSCs) support the maintenance of GSCs, thereby rescuing the defective ovarian development. In the germ cell cytoplasm, Wolbachia are often found in proximity to ribonucleoprotein-complex processing bodies (P bodies), where the Wolbachia-derived protein TomO interacts with RNAs encoding Nanos and Orb proteins, which support the GSC maintenance and oocyte polarization, respectively. Thus, manipulation of host RNA is the key to successful vertical transmission of Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manabu Ote
- Department of Tropical Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Yamamoto
- Neuro-Network Evolution Project, Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe, Japan.
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13
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Cao LJ, Jiang W, Hoffmann AA. Life History Effects Linked to an Advantage for wAu Wolbachia in Drosophila. INSECTS 2019; 10:E126. [PMID: 31052498 PMCID: PMC6571653 DOI: 10.3390/insects10050126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia endosymbiont infections can persist and spread in insect populations without causing apparent effects on reproduction of their insect hosts, but the mechanisms involved are largely unknown. Here, we test for fitness effects of the wAu infection of Drosophila simulans by comparing multiple infected and uninfected polymorphic isofemale lines derived from nature. We show a fitness advantage (higher offspring number) for lines with the wAu Wolbachia infection when breeding on grapes, but only where there was Talaromyces and Penicillium fungal mycelial growth. When breeding on laboratory medium, the wAu infection extended the development time and resulted in larger females with higher fecundity, life history traits, which may increase fitness. A chemical associated with the fungi (ochratoxin A) did not specifically alter the fitness of wAu-infected larvae, which developed slower and emerged with a greater weight regardless of toxin levels. These findings suggest that the fitness benefits of Wolbachia in natural populations may reflect life history changes that are advantageous under particular circumstances, such as when breeding occurs in rotting fruit covered by abundant mycelial growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Jun Cao
- Pest and Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
- Institute of Plant and Environmental Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China.
| | - Weibin Jiang
- Pest and Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
- College of Life & Environmental Science, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China.
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- Pest and Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
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14
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Lopez V, Cortesero AM, Poinsot D. Influence of the symbiont Wolbachia on life history traits of the cabbage root fly (Delia radicum). J Invertebr Pathol 2018; 158:24-31. [PMID: 30193778 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia is an endocellular bacteria infecting arthropods and nematodes and is only transmitted vertically by females via the cytoplasm of the egg. It is often a manipulator of host reproduction, causing cytoplasmic incompatibility, thelytokous parthenogenesis, feminization or male killing, which all increase the proportion of infected females in the population. However, Wolbachia can modify life history traits of the host without causing the above phenotypes and each species illustrates the variability of relationships between this remarkably versatile symbiont and its many hosts. We have measured maternal transmission and the impact of a natural Wolbachia infection in the cabbage root fly Delia radicum, a major agricultural pest. We used a population that is polymorphic for the infection to ensure similar genetic and microbiome backgrounds between groups. Maternal transmission of the infection was 100% in our sample. We found no evidence of cytoplasmic incompatibility, thelytokous parthenogenesis, feminization nor male killing. Wolbachia infection significantly reduced hatch rate in infected eggs (by 10%) but improved larvo-nymphal viability sufficiently so that infected eggs nevertheless yielded as many adults as uninfected ones, albeit with a 1.5% longer total development time. Starved and infected ovipositing females suffered significantly reduced viability (20% higher mortality during a 3-day oviposition period) than uninfected females, but mortality was not higher in starved virgin females nor in starved males, suggesting that the energetic cost of the infection is only revealed in extreme conditions. Wolbachia had no effect on egg hatch time or offspring size. The apparently 100% vertical transmission and the significant but mutually compensating effects found suggest that infection might be nearly benign in this host and might only drift slowly, which would explain why the infection rate has been stable in our laboratory (approximately 50% individuals infected) for at least 30 generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Lopez
- INRA - UMR 1349 IGEPP (Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes), Université de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France.
| | - Anne Marie Cortesero
- INRA - UMR 1349 IGEPP (Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes), Université de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Denis Poinsot
- INRA - UMR 1349 IGEPP (Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes), Université de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
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15
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Kriesner P, Hoffmann AA. Rapid spread of a Wolbachia infection that does not affect host reproduction in Drosophila simulans cage populations. Evolution 2018; 72:1475-1487. [PMID: 29766491 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia endosymbionts that are maternally inherited can spread rapidly in host populations through inducing sterility in uninfected females, but some Wolbachia infections do not influence host reproduction yet still persist. These infections are particularly interesting because they likely represent mutualistic endosymbionts, spreading by increasing host fitness. Here, we document such a spread in the wAu infection of Drosophila simulans. By establishing multiple replicate cage populations, we show that wAu consistently increased from an intermediate frequency to near fixation, representing an estimated fitness advantage of around 20% for infected females. The effective population size in the cages was estimated from SNP markers to be around a few thousand individuals, precluding large effects of genetic drift in the populations. The exact reasons for the fitness advantage are unclear but viral protection and nutritional benefits are two possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kriesner
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia
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16
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Guo Y, Song Z, Luo L, Wang Q, Zhou G, Yang D, Zhong D, Zheng X. Molecular evidence for new sympatric cryptic species of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in China: A new threat from Aedes albopictus subgroup? Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:228. [PMID: 29618379 PMCID: PMC5885320 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2814-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse) is an indigenous species and the predominant vector of dengue fever in China. Understanding of genetic diversity and structure of the mosquito would facilitate dengue prevention and vector control. Sympatric cryptic species have been identified in the Ae. albopictus subgroup in Southeast Asia; however, little is known about the presence and distribution of cryptic species in China. This study aimed to examine the genetic diversity, evaluate potential new cryptic sibling species, and assess the prevalence of Wolbachia infections in field populations. Methods Aedes adult female specimens were collected from five provinces in southern and central China during 2015–2016. Morphological identification was performed under dissection microscope. The mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1, DNA barcoding) locus and the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) marker were used to examine the genetic variation, evaluate cryptic sibling species, and population structure in the field populations. Screening for the presence of Wolbachia was performed using multiplex PCR. Results A total of 140 individual specimens with morphological characteristics similar to Ae. albopictus were sequenced for DNA barcoding. Among these, 129 specimens (92.1%) were confirmed and identified as Ae. albopictus. The remaining 11 specimens, from 2 provinces, were identified as 2 distinct sequence groups, which were confirmed by ITS2 marker sequencing, suggesting the existence of potential cryptic species of Ae. albopictus. In Ae. albopictus, we found significant genetic differentiation and population structure between populations collected from different climate zones. Medium to high frequencies of Wolbachia infections were observed in natural Ae. albopictus populations, whereas Wolbachia was infrequent or absent in cryptic species populations. Conclusions Our findings highlight the population differentiation by climate zone and the presence of novel, cryptic Aedes species in China. The low prevalence of Wolbachia infections in cryptic species populations could reflect either a recent invasion of Wolbachia in Ae. albopictus or different host immune responses to this symbiont in the cryptic species. The study provides useful information for vector control and host-symbiont coevolution. Further study is needed to investigate the potential for arbovirus infection and disease transmission in the emerged cryptic species. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2814-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyan Guo
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhangyao Song
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Lei Luo
- Department of Disinfection and Pesticide of Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qingmin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Guofa Zhou
- Program in Public Health School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Dizi Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Daibin Zhong
- Program in Public Health School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Xueli Zheng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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17
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Zug R, Hammerstein P. Evolution of reproductive parasites with direct fitness benefits. Heredity (Edinb) 2018; 120:266-281. [PMID: 29234159 PMCID: PMC5836592 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-017-0022-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternally inherited symbionts such as Wolbachia have long been seen mainly as reproductive parasites, with deleterious effects on host fitness. It is becoming clear, however, that, frequently, these symbionts also have beneficial effects on host fitness, either along with reproductive parasitism or not. Using the examples of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and male-killing (MK), we here analyze the effect of direct fitness benefits on the evolution of reproductive parasites. By means of a simple theoretical framework, we synthesize and extend earlier modeling approaches for CI and MK, which usually ignore fitness benefits. Moreover, our framework is not restricted to a particular mechanism underlying the fitness benefit (e.g., protection against pathogens). We derive invasion conditions and equilibrium frequencies for the different infection scenarios. Our results demonstrate the importance of a symbiont's "effective fecundity" (i.e., the product of the relative fecundity of an infected female and her transmission efficiency) for a symbiont's invasion success. In particular, we adopt the concept of effective fecundity to scenarios where CI and MK co-occur in one host population. We confirm that direct fitness benefits substantially facilitate the invasion and spread of infections (for example, by lowering or removing the invasion threshold) or even make invasion possible in the first place (for example, if reproductive parasitism is weak or absent). Finally, we discuss the role of direct fitness benefits in long-term evolutionary dynamics of reproductive phenotypes and highlight their potential to resolve genetic conflicts between maternally inherited symbionts and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Zug
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13, Haus 4, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Peter Hammerstein
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13, Haus 4, 10115, Berlin, Germany
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18
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Roughgarden J, Gilbert SF, Rosenberg E, Zilber-Rosenberg I, Lloyd EA. Holobionts as Units of Selection and a Model of Their Population Dynamics and Evolution. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13752-017-0287-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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19
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Abstract
Vertically transmitted parasites (VTPs) such as Wolbachia are expected not only to minimize the damage they inflict on their hosts, but also to protect their hosts against the damaging effects of coinfecting parasites. By modifying the fitness costs of the infection, VTPs can therefore play an important role in the evolution and epidemiology of infectious diseases.Using a natural system, we explore the effects of a Wolbachia-Plasmodium co-infection on mosquito fecundity. While Plasmodium is known to frequently express its virulence by partially castrating its mosquito vectors, the effects of Wolbachia infections on mosquito fecundity are, in contrast, highly variable. Here, we show that Plasmodium drastically decreases the fecundity of mosquitoes by ca. 20%, and we provide the first evidence that this decrease is independent of the parasite's burden. Wolbachia, on the other hand, increases fecundity by roughly 10%, but does not alter the tolerance (fecundity-burden relationship) of mosquitoes to Plasmodium infection.Although Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes fare overall better than uninfected ones, Wolbachia does not confer a sufficiently high reproductive boost to mosquitoes to compensate for the reproductive losses inflicted by Plasmodium. We discuss the potential mechanisms and implications underlying the conflicting effects of these two parasites on mosquito reproduction.
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20
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Joanne S, Vythilingam I, Teoh BT, Leong CS, Tan KK, Wong ML, Yugavathy N, AbuBakar S. Vector competence of Malaysian Aedes albopictus with and without Wolbachia to four dengue virus serotypes. Trop Med Int Health 2017; 22:1154-1165. [PMID: 28653334 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the susceptibility status of Aedes albopictus with and without Wolbachia to the four dengue virus serotypes. METHODS Two newly colonised colonies of Ae. albopictus from the wild were used for the study. One colony was naturally infected with Wolbachia while in the other Wolbachia was removed by tetracycline treatment. Both colonies were orally infected with dengue virus-infected fresh blood meal. Dengue virus load was measured using quantitative RT-PCR at four-time intervals in the salivary glands, midguts and ovaries. RESULTS Wolbachia did not significantly affect Malaysian Ae. albopictus dengue infection or the dissemination rate for all four dengue virus serotypes. Malaysian Ae. albopictus had the highest replication kinetics for DENV-1 and the highest salivary gland and midgut infection rate for DENV-4. CONCLUSION Wolbachia, which naturally exists in Malaysian Ae. albopictus, does not significantly affect dengue virus replication. Malaysian Ae. albopictus is susceptible to dengue virus infections and capable of transmitting dengue virus, especially DENV-1 and DENV-4. Removal of Wolbachia from Malaysian Ae. albopictus would not reduce their susceptibility status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Joanne
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Indra Vythilingam
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Boon-Teong Teoh
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Cherng-Shii Leong
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kim-Kee Tan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Meng-Li Wong
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nava Yugavathy
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sazaly AbuBakar
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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21
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Minard G, Tran Van V, Tran FH, Melaun C, Klimpel S, Koch LK, Ly Huynh Kim K, Huynh Thi Thuy T, Tran Ngoc H, Potier P, Mavingui P, Valiente Moro C. Identification of sympatric cryptic species of Aedes albopictus subgroup in Vietnam: new perspectives in phylosymbiosis of insect vector. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:276. [PMID: 28577575 PMCID: PMC5457575 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2202-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus subgroup includes 11 cryptic species of which Ae. albopictus is the most widely distributed. Its global expansion associated with a documented vector competence for several emerging arboviruses raise obvious concerns in the recently colonized regions. While several studies have provided important insights regarding medical importance of Ae. albopicus, the investigations of the other sibling species are scarce. In Asia, indigenous populations within the Ae. albopictus subgroup can be found in sympatry. In the present study, we aimed to describe and compare molecular, morphological and bacterial symbionts composition among sympatric individuals from the Ae. albopictus subgroup inhabiting a Vietnamese protected area. Results Based on morphological structure of the cibarial armarture, we identified a cryptic species in the forest park at Bù Gia Mập in the south-eastern region of Vietnam. Analysis of nuclear (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and mitochondrial (cox1, nad5) markers confirmed the divergence between the cryptic species and Ae. albopictus. Analysis of midgut bacterial microbiota revealed a strong similarity among the two species with a notable difference; contrary to Ae. albopictus, the cryptic species did not harbour any Wolbachia infection. Conclusions These results could reflect either a recent invasion of Wolbachia in Ae. albopictus or alternatively a loss of this symbiont in the cryptic species. We argue that neglected species of the Ae. albopictus subgroup are of main importance in order to estimate variation of host-symbionts interactions across evolution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2202-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Minard
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France. .,Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France. .,CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France. .,INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France. .,Metapopulation Research Center, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Van Tran Van
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.,CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France.,INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Florence Hélène Tran
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.,CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France.,INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Christian Melaun
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sven Klimpel
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lisa Katharina Koch
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Khanh Ly Huynh Kim
- Department of Medical Entomology and Zoonotics, Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Trang Huynh Thi Thuy
- Department of Medical Entomology and Zoonotics, Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Huu Tran Ngoc
- Department of Medical Entomology and Zoonotics, Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Patrick Potier
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.,CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France.,INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Patrick Mavingui
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.,CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France.,INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France.,Université de La Réunion, CNRS 9192, INSERM U1187, IRD 249, Unité Mixte Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), Plateforme Technologique CYROI, Sainte-Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Claire Valiente Moro
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.,CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France.,INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
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22
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Xue L, Manore CA, Thongsripong P, Hyman JM. Two-sex mosquito model for the persistence of Wolbachia. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DYNAMICS 2017; 11:216-237. [PMID: 27628851 DOI: 10.1080/17513758.2016.1229051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We develop and analyse an ordinary differential equation model to investigate the transmission dynamics of releasing Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to establish an endemic infection in a population of wild uninfected mosquitoes. Wolbachia is a genus of endosymbiotic bacteria that can infect mosquitoes and reduce their ability to transmit some viral mosquito-transmitted diseases, including dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika. Although the bacterium is transmitted vertically from infected mothers to their offspring, it can be difficult to establish an endemic infection in a wild mosquito population. Our transmission model for the adult and aquatic-stage mosquitoes takes into account Wolbachia-induced fitness change and cytoplasmic incompatibility. We show that, for a wide range of realistic parameter values, the basic reproduction number, [Formula: see text], is less than one. Hence, the epidemic will die out if only a few Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are introduced into the wild population. Even though the basic reproduction number is less than one, an endemic Wolbachia infection can be established if a sufficient number of infected mosquitoes are released. This threshold effect is created by a backward bifurcation with three coexisting equilibria: a stable zero-infection equilibrium, an intermediate-infection unstable endemic equilibrium, and a high-infection stable endemic equilibrium. We analyse the impact of reducing the wild mosquito population before introducing the infected mosquitoes and observed that the most effective approach to establish the infection in the wild is based on reducing mosquitoes in both the adult and aquatic stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Xue
- a Department of Mathematics, Center for Computational Science , Tulane University , New Orleans , LA , USA
| | - Carrie A Manore
- a Department of Mathematics, Center for Computational Science , Tulane University , New Orleans , LA , USA
| | - Panpim Thongsripong
- b School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine , Tulane University , New Orleans , LA , USA
| | - James M Hyman
- a Department of Mathematics, Center for Computational Science , Tulane University , New Orleans , LA , USA
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23
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Cattel J, Martinez J, Jiggins F, Mouton L, Gibert P. Wolbachia-mediated protection against viruses in the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 25:595-603. [PMID: 27144810 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The maternally inherited bacterium Wolbachia is well known for spreading in natural populations by manipulating the reproduction of its arthropod hosts, but can also have mutualist effects that increase host fitness. In mosquitoes and Drosophila some Wolbachia strains can lead to an increase in survival of virus-infected insects, and in most cases this is associated with reduced accumulation of the virus in host tissues. We investigated if the Wolbachia strain wSuz, which naturally infects Drosophila suzukii, is able to confer protection against Drosophila C virus and Flock House virus in different host genetic backgrounds. We found that this strain can increase host survival upon infection with these two viruses. In some cases this effect was associated with lower viral titres, suggesting that it confers resistance to the viruses rather than allowing the flies to tolerate infection. Our results indicate that, in D. suzukii, the antiviral protection provided by Wolbachia is not correlated to its density as found in other Drosophila species. This study demonstrates a phenotypic effect induced by wSuz on its native host which could explain its maintenance in natural populations of D. suzukii.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Cattel
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - J Martinez
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - F Jiggins
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - L Mouton
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - P Gibert
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne, France
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24
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Skelton E, Rancès E, Frentiu FD, Kusmintarsih ES, Iturbe-Ormaetxe I, Caragata EP, Woolfit M, O’Neill SL. A Native Wolbachia Endosymbiont Does Not Limit Dengue Virus Infection in the Mosquito Aedes notoscriptus (Diptera: Culicidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 53:401-8. [PMID: 26721865 PMCID: PMC5853675 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis infects many species of insects and has been transinfected into the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.), the primary vector of dengue virus (DENV). Recently, it has been shown that Wolbachia blocks the replication and transmission of RNA viruses, such as DENV, in a number of mosquito species including Ae. aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Skuse), which is naturally infected with Wolbachia and considered a secondary vector for DENV. The mosquito species Aedes notoscriptus (Skuse) is highly prevalent in Australia, including in areas where DENV outbreaks have been recorded. The mosquito has been implicated in the transmission of Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses, but not DENV. We investigated whether Wolbachia naturally infects this mosquito species and whether it has an impact on the ability of Ae. notoscriptus to transmit DENV. We show, for the first time, that Ae. notoscriptus is naturally infected with a strain of Wolbachia that belongs to supergroup B and is localized only in the ovaries. However, Wolbachia infection in Ae. notoscriptus did not induce resistance to DENV and had no effect on overall DENV infection rate or titer. The presence of a native Wolbachia in Ae. notoscriptus cannot explain why this mosquito is an ineffective vector of DENV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellie Skelton
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia (
,
,
,
,
,
,
)
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia (
)
| | - Edwige Rancès
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia (
,
,
,
,
,
,
)
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia (
,
,
,
,
)
| | - Francesca D. Frentiu
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia (
,
,
,
,
,
,
)
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia (
)
| | | | - Iñaki Iturbe-Ormaetxe
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia (
,
,
,
,
,
,
)
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia (
,
,
,
,
)
| | - Eric P. Caragata
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia (
,
,
,
,
,
,
)
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia (
,
,
,
,
)
- FIOCRUZ/ Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Belo Horizonte – MG Brazil CEP 30190-002 (
), and
| | - Megan Woolfit
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia (
,
,
,
,
,
,
)
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia (
,
,
,
,
)
| | - Scott L. O’Neill
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia (
,
,
,
,
,
,
)
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia (
,
,
,
,
)
- Corresponding author, e-mail:
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25
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Wolbachia in European Populations of the Invasive Pest Drosophila suzukii: Regional Variation in Infection Frequencies. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147766. [PMID: 26809119 PMCID: PMC4725738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The invasive pest Drosophila suzukii is characterized by a specific fresh-fruit targeting behavior and has quickly become a menace for the fruit economy of newly infested North American and European regions. D. suzukii carries a strain of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia, named wSuz, which has a low infection frequency and no reproductive manipulation capabilities in American populations of D. suzukii. To further understand the nature of wSuz biology and assess its utility as a tool for controlling this pest’s populations, we investigated the prevalence of Wolbachia in 23 European D. suzukii populations, and compared our results with those available in American populations. Our data showed a highly variable infection frequency with a mean prevalence of 46%, which is significantly higher than the 17% found in American populations. Based on Multilocus Sequence Typing analysis, a single wSuz strain was diagnosed in all European populations of D. suzukii. In agreement with American data, we found no evidence of cytoplasmic incompatibility induced by wSuz. These findings raise two questions: a) why Wolbachia is maintained in field populations of D. suzukii and b) what are the selective forces responsible for the variation in prevalence within populations, particularly between European and American continents? Our results provide new insights into the D. suzukii-Wolbachia association and highlight regional variations that await further investigation and that should be taken into account for using Wolbachia-based pest management programs.
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26
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Costs of Three Wolbachia Infections on the Survival of Aedes aegypti Larvae under Starvation Conditions. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004320. [PMID: 26745630 PMCID: PMC4706305 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The mosquito Aedes aegypti, the principal vector of dengue virus, has recently been infected experimentally with Wolbachia: intracellular bacteria that possess potential as dengue biological control agents. Wolbachia depend on their hosts for nutrients they are unable to synthesize themselves. Consequently, competition between Wolbachia and their host for resources could reduce host fitness under the competitive conditions commonly experienced by larvae of Ae. aegypti in the field, hampering the invasion of Wolbachia into natural mosquito populations. We assess the survival and development of Ae. aegypti larvae under starvation conditions when infected with each of three experimentally-generated Wolbachia strains: wMel, wMelPop and wAlbB, and compare their fitness to wild-type uninfected larvae. We find that all three Wolbachia infections reduce the survival of larvae relative to those that are uninfected, and the severity of the effect is concordant with previously characterized fitness costs to other life stages. We also investigate the ability of larvae to recover from extended food deprivation and find no effect of Wolbachia on this trait. Aedes aegypti larvae of all infection types were able to resume their development after one month of no food, pupate rapidly, emerge at a large size, and exhibit complete cytoplasmic incompatibility and maternal transmission. A lowered ability of Wolbachia-infected larvae to survive under starvation conditions will increase the threshold infection frequency required for Wolbachia to establish in highly competitive natural Ae. aegypti populations and will also reduce the speed of invasion. This study also provides insights into survival strategies of larvae when developing in stressful environments.
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27
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Axford JK, Ross PA, Yeap HL, Callahan AG, Hoffmann AA. Fitness of wAlbB Wolbachia Infection in Aedes aegypti: Parameter Estimates in an Outcrossed Background and Potential for Population Invasion. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 94:507-16. [PMID: 26711515 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia endosymbionts are potentially useful tools for suppressing disease transmission by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes because Wolbachia can interfere with the transmission of dengue and other viruses as well as causing deleterious effects on their mosquito hosts. Most recent research has focused on the wMel infection, but other infections also influence viral transmission and may spread in natural populations. Here, we focus on the wAlbB infection in an Australian outbred background and show that this infection has many features that facilitate its invasion into natural populations including strong cytoplasmic incompatibility, a lack of effect on larval development, an equivalent mating success to uninfected males and perfect maternal transmission fidelity. On the other hand, the infection has deleterious effects when eggs are held in a dried state, falling between wMel and the more virulent wMelPop Wolbachia strains. The impact of this infection on lifespan also appears to be intermediate, consistent with the observation that this infection has a titer in adults between wMel and wMelPop. Population cage experiments indicate that the wAlbB infection establishes in cages when introduced at a frequency of 22%, suggesting that this strain could be successfully introduced into populations and subsequently persist and spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason K Axford
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Acton, Australia
| | - Perran A Ross
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Acton, Australia
| | - Heng Lin Yeap
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Acton, Australia
| | - Ashley G Callahan
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Acton, Australia
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Acton, Australia
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28
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Abstract
Endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia represent the most successful symbiotic bacteria in the terrestrial ecosystem. The success of Wolbachia has been ascribed to its remarkable phenotypic effects on host reproduction, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, whereby maternally inherited bacteria can spread in their host populations at the expense of their host’s fitness. Meanwhile, recent theoretical as well as empirical studies have unveiled that weak and/or conditional positive fitness effects may significantly facilitate invasion and spread of Wolbachia infections in host populations. Here, we report a previously unrecognized nutritional aspect, the provision of riboflavin (vitamin B2), that potentially underpins the Wolbachia-mediated fitness benefit to insect hosts. A comparative genomic survey for synthetic capability of B vitamins revealed that only the synthesis pathway for riboflavin is highly conserved among diverse insect-associated Wolbachia strains, while the synthesis pathways for other B vitamins were either incomplete or absent. Molecular phylogenetic and genomic analyses of riboflavin synthesis genes from diverse Wolbachia strains revealed that, in general, their phylogenetic relationships are concordant with Wolbachia’s genomic phylogeny, suggesting that the riboflavin synthesis genes have been stably maintained in the course of Wolbachia evolution. In rearing experiments with bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) on blood meals in which B vitamin contents were manipulated, we demonstrated that Wolbachia’s riboflavin provisioning significantly contributes to growth, survival, and reproduction of the insect host. These results provide a physiological basis upon which Wolbachia-mediated positive fitness consequences are manifested and shed new light on the ecological and evolutionary relevance of Wolbachia infections. Conventionally, Wolbachia has been regarded as a parasitic bacterial endosymbiont that manipulates the host insect’s reproduction in a selfish manner, which tends to affect a host’s fitness negatively. Meanwhile, some theories predict that, at the same time, Wolbachia can directly affect the host’s fitness positively, which may potentially reconcile the negative effect and facilitate spread and stability of the symbiotic association. Here we demonstrate, by using comparative genomic and experimental approaches, that among synthetic pathways for B vitamins, the synthetic pathway for riboflavin (vitamin B2) is exceptionally conserved among diverse insect-associated Wolbachia strains, and Wolbachia’s riboflavin provisioning certainly contributes to growth, survival, and reproduction in an insect. These findings uncover a nutritional mechanism of a Wolbachia-mediated fitness benefit, which provides empirical evidence highlighting a “Jekyll and Hyde” aspect of Wolbachia infection.
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29
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Minard G, Tran FH, Van VT, Goubert C, Bellet C, Lambert G, Kim KLH, Thuy THT, Mavingui P, Valiente Moro C. French invasive Asian tiger mosquito populations harbor reduced bacterial microbiota and genetic diversity compared to Vietnamese autochthonous relatives. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:970. [PMID: 26441903 PMCID: PMC4585046 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is one of the most significant pathogen vectors of the twenty-first century. Originating from Asia, it has invaded a wide range of eco-climatic regions worldwide. The insect-associated microbiota is now recognized to play a significant role in host biology. While genetic diversity bottlenecks are known to result from biological invasions, the resulting shifts in host-associated microbiota diversity has not been thoroughly investigated. To address this subject, we compared four autochthonous Ae. albopictus populations in Vietnam, the native area of Ae. albopictus, and three populations recently introduced to Metropolitan France, with the aim of documenting whether these populations display differences in host genotype and bacterial microbiota. Population-level genetic diversity (microsatellite markers and COI haplotype) and bacterial diversity (16S rDNA metabarcoding) were compared between field-caught mosquitoes. Bacterial microbiota from the whole insect bodies were largely dominated by Wolbachia pipientis. Targeted analysis of the gut microbiota revealed a greater bacterial diversity in which a fraction was common between French and Vietnamese populations. The genus Dysgonomonas was the most prevalent and abundant across all studied populations. Overall genetic diversities of both hosts and bacterial microbiota were significantly reduced in recently established populations of France compared to the autochthonous populations of Vietnam. These results open up many important avenues of investigation in order to link the process of geographical invasion to shifts in commensal and symbiotic microbiome communities, as such shifts may have dramatic impacts on the biology and/or vector competence of invading hematophagous insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Minard
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - F H Tran
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Van Tran Van
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - C Goubert
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, CNRS, INRIA, VetAgro Sup Villeurbanne, France
| | - C Bellet
- Entente Interdépartementale Rhône-Alpes pour la Démoustication Chindrieux, France
| | - G Lambert
- Entente Interdépartementale de Démoustication du Littoral Méditerranéen Montpellier, France
| | - Khanh Ly Huynh Kim
- Department of Medical Entomology and Zoonotics, Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
| | - Trang Huynh Thi Thuy
- Department of Medical Entomology and Zoonotics, Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
| | - P Mavingui
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France ; Université de La Réunion, UMR PIMIT, INSERM U1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme Technologique CYROI Saint-Denis, France
| | - C Valiente Moro
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
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30
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Hoffmann AA, Ross PA, Rašić G. Wolbachia strains for disease control: ecological and evolutionary considerations. Evol Appl 2015; 8:751-68. [PMID: 26366194 PMCID: PMC4561566 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are endosymbionts found in many insects with the potential to suppress vectorborne diseases, particularly through interfering with pathogen transmission. Wolbachia strains are highly variable in their effects on hosts, raising the issue of which attributes should be selected to ensure that the best strains are developed for disease control. This depends on their ability to suppress viral transmission, invade host populations, persist without loss of viral suppression and not interfere with other control strategies. The potential to achieve these objectives is likely to involve evolutionary constraints; viral suppression may be limited by the ability of infections to spread due to deleterious host fitness effects. However, there are exceptions to these patterns in both natural infections and in novel associations generated following interspecific transfer, suggesting that pathogen blockage, deleterious fitness effects and changes to reproductive biology might be at least partly decoupled to achieve ideal infection attributes. The stability of introduced Wolbachia and its effects on viral transmission remain unclear, but rapid evolutionary changes seem unlikely. Although deliberate transfers of Wolbachia across species remain particularly challenging, the availability of strains with desirable attributes should be expanded, taking advantage of the diversity available across thousands of strains in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ary A Hoffmann
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Perran A Ross
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Gordana Rašić
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne Parkville, Vic., Australia
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31
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Shaw WR, Attardo GM, Aksoy S, Catteruccia F. A comparative analysis of reproductive biology of insect vectors of human disease. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2015; 10:142-148. [PMID: 26140265 PMCID: PMC4484812 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Studying the reproductive strategies of insect species that transmit diseases to humans can identify new exploitable targets for the development of vector control methods. Here we describe shared characteristics and individual features of the reproductive biology of three major disease vectors: Anopheles gambiae, Aedes aegypti and Glossina morsitans. Current studies are identifying i) species-specific molecular cascades that determine female monandrous behavior, ii) core aspects of egg development that could be disrupted for controlling natural populations, and iii) the increasingly apparent role of resident microbiota in shaping reproductive success and disease transmission potential. The recent completion of multiple genome sequencing projects is allowing comparative genomics studies that not only increase our knowledge of reproductive processes but also facilitate the identification of novel targets for vector control.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Robert Shaw
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Huntington Avenue, Boston MA 02115, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey M Attardo
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven CT 06520 United States of America
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven CT 06520 United States of America
| | - Flaminia Catteruccia
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Huntington Avenue, Boston MA 02115, United States of America ; Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia 06100, Italy
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32
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Joanne S, Vythilingam I, Yugavathy N, Leong CS, Wong ML, AbuBakar S. Distribution and dynamics of Wolbachia infection in Malaysian Aedes albopictus. Acta Trop 2015; 148:38-45. [PMID: 25899523 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Revised: 04/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia are maternally transmitted bacteria found in most arthropods and nematodes, but little is known about their distribution and reproductive dynamics in the Malaysian dengue vector Aedes albopictus. In this study, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to determine the presence of Wolbachia from field collected Ae. albopictus from various parts of the country using wsp specific primers. Ae. albopictus had Wolbachia infection ranging from 60 to 100%. No sequence diversity of wsp gene was found within all wAlbA and wAlbB sequences. Our findings suggest that Wolbachia infection amongst the Malaysian Ae. albopictus were not homogenously distributed in all districts in Malaysia. The presence of Wolbachia in different organs of Ae. albopictus was also determined. Wolbachia were only found in the ovaries and midguts of the mosquitoes, while absent in the salivary glands. The effects of Wolbachia on Ae. albopictus fecundity, longevity and egg viability were studied using infected and uninfected colonies. The removal of Wolbachia from Ae. albopictus resulted in reduced fecundity, longevity and egg viability, thus. Wolbachia seem to play a vital role in Ae. albopictus reproductive system.
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33
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Calvitti M, Marini F, Desiderio A, Puggioli A, Moretti R. Wolbachia density and cytoplasmic incompatibility in Aedes albopictus: concerns with using artificial Wolbachia infection as a vector suppression tool. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121813. [PMID: 25812130 PMCID: PMC4374832 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The mosquito Aedes albopictusi is a competent vector of harmful human pathogens, including viruses causing dengue and chikungunya. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) induced by endosymbiotic Wolbachia can be used to produce functionally sterile males that can be released in the field as a suppression tool against this mosquito. Because the available sexing methods are not efficient enough to avoid unintentional release of a few transinfected females, we assessed the CI pattern in crosses between wPip Wolbachia-transinfected (ARwP) females and wild-type males of Ae. albopictus in this study. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to monitor the titer of the Wolbachia strains that naturally infect Ae. albopictus, that is, wAlbA and wAlbB, in age-controlled males and females. Data were coupled with incompatibility level detected when the above-mentioned males were crossed with ARwP females. Wolbachia infection titer was also monitored in samples of wild caught males. Incompatibility level was positively correlated only with wAlbA density. Crosses between wild-type males having very low wAlbA density (<0.001 wAlbA/actin copy numbers) and ARwP females were partially fertile (CIcorr = 68.06 ± 6.20). Individuals with low wAlbA titer were frequently found among sampled wild males (30%-50% depending on the site and period). ARwP males can be as considered as a very promising tool for suppressing Ae. albopictus. However, crosses between wild males having low wAlbA density and ARwP females may be partially fertile. In the case of local establishment of the transinfected mosquito line, this occurrence may favor the replacement of the wild-type mosquitoes with the ARwP line, thus reducing the long-term efficacy of incompatible insect technique. Various alternative strategies have been discussed to prevent this risk and to exploit Wolbachia as a tool to control Ae. albopictus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Calvitti
- Laboratory of Sustainable Management of the Agro-Ecosystem, ENEA − Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Francesca Marini
- Laboratory of Sustainable Management of the Agro-Ecosystem, ENEA − Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Entomological Surveillance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Lazio e Toscana, Rome, Italy
| | - Angiola Desiderio
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA − Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Rome, Italy
| | - Arianna Puggioli
- Medical and Veterinary Entomology, Agriculture and Environment Centre “G. Nicoli”, Crevalcore, Bologna, Italy
| | - Riccardo Moretti
- Laboratory of Sustainable Management of the Agro-Ecosystem, ENEA − Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Rome, Italy
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34
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Minard G, Tran FH, Van VT, Goubert C, Bellet C, Lambert G, Kim KLH, Thuy THT, Mavingui P, Valiente Moro C. French invasive Asian tiger mosquito populations harbor reduced bacterial microbiota and genetic diversity compared to Vietnamese autochthonous relatives. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:970. [PMID: 26441903 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00970/abstract] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is one of the most significant pathogen vectors of the twenty-first century. Originating from Asia, it has invaded a wide range of eco-climatic regions worldwide. The insect-associated microbiota is now recognized to play a significant role in host biology. While genetic diversity bottlenecks are known to result from biological invasions, the resulting shifts in host-associated microbiota diversity has not been thoroughly investigated. To address this subject, we compared four autochthonous Ae. albopictus populations in Vietnam, the native area of Ae. albopictus, and three populations recently introduced to Metropolitan France, with the aim of documenting whether these populations display differences in host genotype and bacterial microbiota. Population-level genetic diversity (microsatellite markers and COI haplotype) and bacterial diversity (16S rDNA metabarcoding) were compared between field-caught mosquitoes. Bacterial microbiota from the whole insect bodies were largely dominated by Wolbachia pipientis. Targeted analysis of the gut microbiota revealed a greater bacterial diversity in which a fraction was common between French and Vietnamese populations. The genus Dysgonomonas was the most prevalent and abundant across all studied populations. Overall genetic diversities of both hosts and bacterial microbiota were significantly reduced in recently established populations of France compared to the autochthonous populations of Vietnam. These results open up many important avenues of investigation in order to link the process of geographical invasion to shifts in commensal and symbiotic microbiome communities, as such shifts may have dramatic impacts on the biology and/or vector competence of invading hematophagous insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Minard
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - F H Tran
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Van Tran Van
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - C Goubert
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, CNRS, INRIA, VetAgro Sup Villeurbanne, France
| | - C Bellet
- Entente Interdépartementale Rhône-Alpes pour la Démoustication Chindrieux, France
| | - G Lambert
- Entente Interdépartementale de Démoustication du Littoral Méditerranéen Montpellier, France
| | - Khanh Ly Huynh Kim
- Department of Medical Entomology and Zoonotics, Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
| | - Trang Huynh Thi Thuy
- Department of Medical Entomology and Zoonotics, Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
| | - P Mavingui
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France ; Université de La Réunion, UMR PIMIT, INSERM U1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme Technologique CYROI Saint-Denis, France
| | - C Valiente Moro
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
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Joshi D, McFadden MJ, Bevins D, Zhang F, Xi Z. Wolbachia strain wAlbB confers both fitness costs and benefit on Anopheles stephensi. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:336. [PMID: 25041943 PMCID: PMC4223616 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia is a maternally transmitted intracellular bacterium that is estimated to infect up to 65% of insect species, but it is not naturally present in Anopheles malaria vectors. Wolbachia-based strategies for malaria vector control can be developed either through population replacement to reduce vectorial capacity or through population suppression to reduce the mosquito population. We have previously generated An. stephensi mosquitoes carrying a stable wAlbB Wolbachia infection and have demonstrated their ability to invade wild-type laboratory populations and confer resistance to Plasmodium on these populations. Methods We assessed wAlbB-associated fitness by comparing the female fecundity, immature development and survivorship, body size, male mating competiveness, and adult longevity of the infected An. stephensi to that of wild-type mosquitoes. Results We found that wAlbB reduced female fecundity and caused a minor decrease in male mating competiveness. We also observed that wAlbB increased the life span of both male and female mosquitoes when they were maintained solely on sugar meals; however, there was no impact on the life span of blood-fed females. In addition, wAlbB did not influence either immature development and survivorship or adult body sizes. Conclusions These results provide significant support for developing Wolbachia-based strategies for malaria vector control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Zhiyong Xi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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Minard G, Tran FH, Dubost A, Tran-Van V, Mavingui P, Moro CV. Pyrosequencing 16S rRNA genes of bacteria associated with wild tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus: a pilot study. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2014; 4:59. [PMID: 24860790 PMCID: PMC4030203 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2014.00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes (Stegomya) albopictus is an invasive species that has spread across the world in the last two decades, showing a great capacity to adapt to contrasting climates and environments. While demonstrated in many insects, the contribution of bacterial symbionts in Aedes ecology is a challenging aspect that needs to be investigated. Also some bacterial species have already been identified in Ae. albopictus using classical methods, but a more accurate survey of mosquito-associated bacterial diversity is needed to decipher the potential biological functions of bacterial symbionts in mediating or constraining insect adaptation. We surveyed the bacteria associated with field populations of Ae. albopictus from Madagascar by pyrosequencing 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Different aspects of amplicon preparation and sequencing depth were tested to optimize the breadth of bacterial diversity identified. The results revealed that all mosquitoes collected from different sites have a bacterial microbiota dominated by a single taxon, Wolbachia pipientis, which accounted for about 99% of all 92,615 sequences obtained. As Ae. albopictus is known to harbor two Wolbachia strains (wAlbA and wAlbB), a quantitative PCR was used to estimate the relative densities, (i.e., the bacteria-to-host gene ratios) of each strains in individual mosquitoes. Relative densities were between 6.25 × 10(0.01) and 5.47 × 10(0.1) for wAlbA and between 2.03 × 10(0.1) and 1.4 × 10(1) for wAlbB. Apart from Wolbachia, a total of 31 bacterial taxa were identified at the genus level using different method variations. Diversity index values were low and probably underestimated the true diversity due to the high abundance of Wolbachia sequences vastly outnumbering sequences from other taxa. Further studies should implement alternative strategies to specifically discard from analysis any sequences from Wolbachia, the dominant endosymbiotic bacterium in Ae. albopictus from this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Minard
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR CNRS 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université de Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Florence-Hélène Tran
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR CNRS 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université de Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Audrey Dubost
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR CNRS 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université de Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Van Tran-Van
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR CNRS 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université de Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Patrick Mavingui
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR CNRS 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université de Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Claire Valiente Moro
- Ecologie Microbienne, UMR CNRS 5557, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, FR41 BioEnvironment and Health, Université de Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
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Vartiainen S, Chen S, George J, Tuomela T, Luoto KR, O'Dell KMC, Jacobs HT. Phenotypic rescue of a Drosophila model of mitochondrial ANT1 disease. Dis Model Mech 2014; 7:635-48. [PMID: 24812436 PMCID: PMC4036471 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.016527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A point mutation in the Drosophila gene that codes for the major adult isoform of adenine nuclear translocase (ANT) represents a model for human diseases that are associated with ANT insufficiency [stress-sensitive B1 (sesB1)]. We characterized the organismal, bioenergetic and molecular phenotype of sesB1 flies then tested strategies to compensate the mutant phenotype. In addition to developmental delay and mechanical-stress-induced seizures, sesB1 flies have an impaired response to sound, defective male courtship, female sterility and curtailed lifespan. These phenotypes, excluding the latter two, are shared with the mitoribosomal protein S12 mutant, tko25t. Mitochondria from sesB1 adults showed a decreased respiratory control ratio and downregulation of cytochrome oxidase. sesB1 adults exhibited ATP depletion, lactate accumulation and changes in gene expression that were consistent with a metabolic shift towards glycolysis, characterized by activation of lactate dehydrogenase and anaplerotic pathways. Females also showed downregulation of many genes that are required for oogenesis, and their eggs, although fertilized, failed to develop to the larval stages. The sesB1 phenotypes of developmental delay and mechanical-stress-induced seizures were alleviated by an altered mitochondrial DNA background. Female sterility was substantially rescued by somatic expression of alternative oxidase (AOX) from the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis, whereas AOX did not alleviate developmental delay. Our findings illustrate the potential of different therapeutic strategies for ANT-linked diseases, based on alleviating metabolic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvi Vartiainen
- BioMediTech and Tampere University Hospital, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland
| | - Shanjun Chen
- BioMediTech and Tampere University Hospital, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland
| | - Jack George
- BioMediTech and Tampere University Hospital, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland
| | - Tea Tuomela
- BioMediTech and Tampere University Hospital, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland
| | - Kaisa R Luoto
- BioMediTech and Tampere University Hospital, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland
| | - Kevin M C O'Dell
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK
| | - Howard T Jacobs
- BioMediTech and Tampere University Hospital, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland. Research Program of Molecular Neurology, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
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38
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Bourtzis K, Dobson SL, Xi Z, Rasgon JL, Calvitti M, Moreira LA, Bossin HC, Moretti R, Baton LA, Hughes GL, Mavingui P, Gilles JRL. Harnessing mosquito-Wolbachia symbiosis for vector and disease control. Acta Trop 2014; 132 Suppl:S150-63. [PMID: 24252486 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Revised: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mosquito species, members of the genera Aedes, Anopheles and Culex, are the major vectors of human pathogens including protozoa (Plasmodium sp.), filariae and of a variety of viruses (causing dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, West Nile). There is lack of efficient methods and tools to treat many of the diseases caused by these major human pathogens, since no efficient vaccines or drugs are available; even in malaria where insecticide use and drug therapies have reduced incidence, 219 million cases still occurred in 2010. Therefore efforts are currently focused on the control of vector populations. Insecticides alone are insufficient to control mosquito populations since reduced susceptibility and even resistance is being observed more and more frequently. There is also increased concern about the toxic effects of insecticides on non-target (even beneficial) insect populations, on humans and the environment. During recent years, the role of symbionts in the biology, ecology and evolution of insect species has been well-documented and has led to suggestions that they could potentially be used as tools to control pests and therefore diseases. Wolbachia is perhaps the most renowned insect symbiont, mainly due to its ability to manipulate insect reproduction and to interfere with major human pathogens thus providing new avenues for pest control. We herein present recent achievements in the field of mosquito-Wolbachia symbiosis with an emphasis on Aedes albopictus. We also discuss how Wolbachia symbiosis can be harnessed for vector control as well as the potential to combine the sterile insect technique and Wolbachia-based approaches for the enhancement of population suppression programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Wagrammerstrasse 5, Vienna 1220, Austria.
| | - Stephen L Dobson
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Zhiyong Xi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- The Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Maurizio Calvitti
- UTAGRI-ECO, CR ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Rome, Italy.
| | - Luciano A Moreira
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ Minas, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto, CEP 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Hervé C Bossin
- Unit of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institut Louis Malardé, Tahiti, BP 30-98713 Papeete, French Polynesia.
| | - Riccardo Moretti
- UTAGRI-ECO, CR ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Rome, Italy.
| | - Luke Anthony Baton
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ Minas, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto, CEP 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Grant L Hughes
- The Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Patrick Mavingui
- Université de Lyon, UMR 5557 CNRS, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
| | - Jeremie R L Gilles
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Wagrammerstrasse 5, Vienna 1220, Austria.
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Zug R, Hammerstein P. Bad guys turned nice? A critical assessment of Wolbachia mutualisms in arthropod hosts. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2014; 90:89-111. [PMID: 24618033 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Revised: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia are the most abundant bacterial endosymbionts among arthropods. Although maternally inherited, they do not conform to the widespread view that vertical transmission inevitably selects for beneficial symbionts. Instead, Wolbachia are notorious for their reproductive parasitism which, although lowering host fitness, ensures their spread. However, even for reproductive parasites it can pay to enhance host fitness. Indeed, there is a recent upsurge of reports on Wolbachia-associated fitness benefits. Therefore, the question arises how such instances of mutualism are related to the phenotypes of reproductive parasitism. Here, we review the evidence of Wolbachia mutualisms in arthropods, including both facultative and obligate relationships, and critically assess their biological relevance. Although many studies report anti-pathogenic effects of Wolbachia, few actually prove these effects to be relevant to field conditions. We further show that Wolbachia frequently have beneficial and detrimental effects at the same time, and that reproductive manipulations and obligate mutualisms may share common mechanisms. These findings undermine the idea of a clear-cut distinction between Wolbachia mutualism and parasitism. In general, both facultative and obligate mutualisms can have a strong, and sometimes unforeseen, impact on the ecology and evolution of Wolbachia and their arthropod hosts. Acknowledging this mutualistic potential might be the key to a better understanding of some unresolved issues in the study of Wolbachia-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Zug
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany
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40
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Atyame CM, Labbé P, Dumas E, Milesi P, Charlat S, Fort P, Weill M. Wolbachia divergence and the evolution of cytoplasmic incompatibility in Culex pipiens. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87336. [PMID: 24498078 PMCID: PMC3909092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many insect species harbor Wolbachia bacteria that induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), i.e. embryonic lethality in crosses between infected males and uninfected females, or between males and females carrying incompatible Wolbachia strains. The molecular mechanism of CI remains unknown, but the available data are best interpreted under a modification-rescue model, where a mod function disables the reproductive success of infected males' sperm, unless the eggs are infected and express a compatible resc function. Here we examine the evolution of CI in the mosquito Culex pipiens, harbouring a large number of closely related Wolbachia strains structured in five distinct phylogenetic groups. Specifically, we used a worldwide sample of mosquito lines to assess the hypothesis that genetic divergence should correlate with the divergence of CI properties on a low evolutionary scale. We observed a significant association of Wolbachia genetic divergence with CI patterns. Most Wolbachia strains from the same group were compatible whereas those from different groups were often incompatible. Consistently, we found a strong association between Wolbachia groups and their mod-resc properties. Finally, lines from the same geographical area were rarely incompatible, confirming the conjecture that the spatial distribution of Wolbachia compatibility types should be constrained by selection. This study indicates a clear correlation between Wolbachia genotypes and CI properties, paving the way toward the identification of the molecular basis of CI through comparative genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Célestine M. Atyame
- CNRS, University Montpellier 2, ISEM - UMR 5554, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Pierrick Labbé
- CNRS, University Montpellier 2, ISEM - UMR 5554, Montpellier, France
| | - Emilie Dumas
- CNRS, University Montpellier 2, ISEM - UMR 5554, Montpellier, France
| | - Pascal Milesi
- CNRS, University Montpellier 2, ISEM - UMR 5554, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Charlat
- CNRS, University Lyon 1, LBBE - UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Philippe Fort
- CNRS, University Montpellier 2, CRBM - UMR 5237, Montpellier, France
| | - Mylène Weill
- CNRS, University Montpellier 2, ISEM - UMR 5554, Montpellier, France
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Sharma A, Dhayal D, Singh O, Adak T, Bhatnagar RK. Gut microbes influence fitness and malaria transmission potential of Asian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. Acta Trop 2013; 128:41-7. [PMID: 23796588 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2012] [Revised: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The midgut of parasite transmitting vector, Anopheles stephensi is a physiologically dynamic ecological niche of resident microbes. The gut resident microbes of anisomorphic and physiologically variable male and female A. stephensi mosquitoes were different (Rani et al., 2009). To understand the possible interaction of gut microbes and mosquito host, we examined the contribution of the microbe community on the fitness of the adult mosquitoes and their ability to permit development of the malaria parasite. A. stephensi mosquitoes were fed with antibiotic to sterilize their gut to study longevity, blood meal digestion, egg laying and maturation capacity, and consequently ability to support malaria parasite development. The sterilization of gut imparted reduction in longevity by a median of 5 days in male and 2 days in female mosquitoes. Similarly, the sterilization also diminished the reproductive potential probably due to increased rate of the resorption of follicles in ovaries coupled with abated blood meal digestion in gut-sterilized females. Additionally, gut sterilization also led to increased susceptibility to oocyst development upon feeding on malaria infected blood. The susceptibility to malaria parasite introduced upon gut sterilization of A. stephensi was restored completely upon re-colonization of gut by native microbes. The information provided in the study provides insights into the role of the gut-resident microbial community in various life events of the mosquito that may be used to develop alternate malaria control strategies, such as paratransgenesis.
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Medlock J, Atkins KE, Thomas DN, Aksoy S, Galvani AP. Evaluating paratransgenesis as a potential control strategy for African trypanosomiasis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2013; 7:e2374. [PMID: 23967363 PMCID: PMC3744416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic-modification strategies are currently being developed to reduce the transmission of vector-borne diseases, including African trypanosomiasis. For tsetse, the vector of African trypanosomiasis, a paratransgenic strategy is being considered: this approach involves modification of the commensal symbiotic bacteria Sodalis to express trypanosome-resistance-conferring products. Modified Sodalis can then be driven into the tsetse population by cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) from Wolbachia bacteria. To evaluate the effectiveness of this paratransgenic strategy in controlling African trypanosomiasis, we developed a three-species mathematical model of trypanosomiasis transmission among tsetse, humans, and animal reservoir hosts. Using empirical estimates of CI parameters, we found that paratransgenic tsetse have the potential to eliminate trypanosomiasis, provided that any extra mortality caused by Wolbachia colonization is low, that the paratransgene is effective at protecting against trypanosome transmission, and that the target tsetse species comprises a large majority of the tsetse population in the release location. African sleeping sickness is a fatal disease occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. The parasites that cause African sleeping sickness are transmitted between humans and livestock by the tsetse fly. Controlling the spread of the parasite by tsetse flies has been proposed as a promising strategy for reducing the incidence of sleeping sickness. One potential control method relies on releasing genetically modified tsetse that are resistant to carrying the sleeping sickness parasite. For this strategy to be successful, resistant tsetse must be able to invade the susceptible tsetse population. Here, we used a mathematical model to assess the feasibility of such a strategy and the implications for sleeping sickness prevalence in humans and livestock. We found that the strategy has the potential to eliminate sleeping sickness, provided that the genetic modification is effective at protecting against trypanosome transmission and provided that the target tsetse species comprises a large majority of the tsetse population in the release location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Medlock
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America.
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Bian G, Joshi D, Dong Y, Lu P, Zhou G, Pan X, Xu Y, Dimopoulos G, Xi Z. Wolbachia invades Anopheles stephensi populations and induces refractoriness to Plasmodium infection. Science 2013; 340:748-51. [PMID: 23661760 DOI: 10.1126/science.1236192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 295] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia is a maternally transmitted symbiotic bacterium of insects that has been proposed as a potential agent for the control of insect-transmitted diseases. One of the major limitations preventing the development of Wolbachia for malaria control has been the inability to establish inherited infections of Wolbachia in anopheline mosquitoes. Here, we report the establishment of a stable Wolbachia infection in an important malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi. In A. stephensi, Wolbachia strain wAlbB displays both perfect maternal transmission and the ability to induce high levels of cytoplasmic incompatibility. Seeding of naturally uninfected A. stephensi populations with infected females repeatedly resulted in Wolbachia invasion of laboratory mosquito populations. Furthermore, wAlbB conferred resistance in the mosquito to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guowu Bian
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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A Wolbachia wMel transinfection in Aedes albopictus is not detrimental to host fitness and inhibits Chikungunya virus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2013; 7:e2152. [PMID: 23556030 PMCID: PMC3610642 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2012] [Accepted: 02/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia inherited intracellular bacteria can manipulate the reproduction of their insect hosts through cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), and certain strains have also been shown to inhibit the replication or dissemination of viruses. Wolbachia strains also vary in their relative fitness effects on their hosts and this is a particularly important consideration with respect to the potential of newly created transinfections for use in disease control. Methodology/Principal Findings In Aedes albopictus mosquitoes transinfected with the wMel strain from Drosophila melanogaster, which we previously reported to be unable to transmit dengue in lab challenges, no significant detrimental effects were observed on egg hatch rate, fecundity, adult longevity or male mating competitiveness. All these parameters influence the population dynamics of Wolbachia, and the data presented are favourable with respect to the aim of taking wMel to high population frequency. Challenge with the chikungunya (CHIKV) virus, for which Ae. albopictus is an important vector, was conducted and the presence of wMel abolished CHIKV dissemination to the saliva. Conclusions/significance Taken together, these data suggest that introducing wMel into natural Ae. albopictus populations using bidirectional CI could be an efficient strategy for preventing or reducing the transmission of arboviruses by this species. The tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is an invasive disease vector whose range has expanded throughout the tropics, and some temperate regions, in recent decades from its native South East Asia. It is an important vector of human viruses including dengue and chikungunya; in recent years a mutation has been detected in chikungunya virus that specifically increases transmission efficiency by Ae. albopictus, causing concern that epidemics of this disease will become more widespread and severe. Here we show that when transinfected with a strain of the symbiont Wolbachia called wMel, originating in fruitflies, the ability of the mosquito to transmit the mutated chikungunya virus was abolished in lab experiments. Furthermore, the wMel strain was shown to produce no detectable fitness costs in this new host, examining numbers of eggs produced, egg hatch, lifespan, and male mating competitiveness compared to wildtypes. This is encouraging with respect to developing the system for use in the control of dengue and chikungunya viruses.
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Baton LA, Pacidônio EC, Gonçalves DDS, Moreira LA. wFlu: characterization and evaluation of a native Wolbachia from the mosquito Aedes fluviatilis as a potential vector control agent. PLoS One 2013; 8:e59619. [PMID: 23555728 PMCID: PMC3608659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
There is currently considerable interest and practical progress in using the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia as a vector control agent for human vector-borne diseases. Such vector control strategies may require the introduction of multiple, different Wolbachia strains into target vector populations, necessitating the identification and characterization of appropriate endosymbiont variants. Here, we report preliminary characterization of wFlu, a native Wolbachia from the neotropical mosquito Aedes fluviatilis, and evaluate its potential as a vector control agent by confirming its ability to cause cytoplasmic incompatibility, and measuring its effect on three parameters determining host fitness (survival, fecundity and fertility), as well as vector competence (susceptibility) for pathogen infection. Using an aposymbiotic strain of Ae. fluviatilis cured of its native Wolbachia by antibiotic treatment, we show that in its natural host wFlu causes incomplete, but high levels of, unidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility, has high rates of maternal transmission, and no detectable fitness costs, indicating a high capacity to rapidly spread through host populations. However, wFlu does not inhibit, and even enhances, oocyst infection with the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum. The stage- and sex-specific density of wFlu was relatively low, and with limited tissue distribution, consistent with the lack of virulence and pathogen interference/symbiont-mediated protection observed. Unexpectedly, the density of wFlu was also shown to be specifically-reduced in the ovaries after bloodfeeding Ae. fluviatilis. Overall, our observations indicate that the Wolbachia strain wFlu has the potential to be used as a vector control agent, and suggests that appreciable mutualistic coevolution has occurred between this endosymbiont and its natural host. Future work will be needed to determine whether wFlu has virulent host effects and/or exhibits pathogen interference when artificially-transfected to the novel mosquito hosts that are the vectors of human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Anthony Baton
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou -FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Luciano Andrade Moreira
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou -FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Mains JW, Brelsfoard CL, Crain PR, Huang Y, Dobson SL. Population impacts of Wolbachia on Aedes albopictus. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2013; 23:493-501. [PMID: 23634597 DOI: 10.1890/12-1097.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Prior studies have demonstrated that Wolbachia, a commonly occurring bacterium capable of manipulating host reproduction, can affect life history traits in insect hosts, which in turn can have population-level effects. Effects on hosts at the individual level are predicted to impact population dynamics, but the latter has not been examined empirically. Here, we describe a biological model system based on Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) that allows for measurement of population dynamics, which has not been accomplished in prior field trials or laboratory designs. The results demonstrate the studied populations to be robust and allow for persistent, closed populations with overlapping generations, which are regulated solely through density-dependent, intraspecific competition for limited resources. Using a novel experimental design, we compare populations that are either uninfected or infected with Wolbachia. The results show differences that include population size, eclosion rates, adult survivorship, and fecundity. The aposymbiotic populations were generally larger and adults longer lived relative to the infected populations. The outcome is discussed in context with naturally occurring Wolbachia invasions, proposed autocidal strategies, and the utility of the developed system as a biological platform for hypothesis testing and improved parameterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Mains
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546-0091, USA
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Robert CAM, Frank DL, Leach KA, Turlings TCJ, Hibbard BE, Erb M. Direct and indirect plant defenses are not suppressed by endosymbionts of a specialist root herbivore. J Chem Ecol 2013; 39:507-15. [PMID: 23440444 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-013-0264-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2012] [Revised: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Insect endosymbionts influence many important metabolic and developmental processes of their host. It has been speculated that they may also help to manipulate and suppress plant defenses to the benefit of herbivores. Recently, endosymbionts of the root herbivore Diabrotica virgifera virgifera have been reported to suppress the induction of defensive transcripts in maize roots, which may explain the finding of another study that once attacked plants become more susceptible to subsequent D. v. virgifera attack. To test this hypothesis, we cured D. v. virgifera from its major endosymbiont Wolbachia and tested whether endosymbiont-free individuals elicit different defense responses in maize roots. The presence of Wolbachia did not alter the induction of defense marker genes and resistance in a susceptible maize hybrid and a resistant line. Furthermore, attacked maize plants emitted the same amount of (E)-β-caryophyllene, a volatile signal that serves as foraging cue for both entomopathogenic nematodes and D. v. virgifera. Finally, the effectiveness of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora to infest D. v. virgifera was not changed by curing the larvae from their endosymbionts. These results show that the defense mechanisms of maize are not affected by Wolbachia. Consequently, D. v. virgifera does not seem to derive any plant-defense mediated benefits from its major endosymbiont.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christelle A M Robert
- Laboratory for Fundamental and Applied Research in Chemical Ecology (FARCE), University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile Argand, 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Multiple infections with Cardinium and two strains of Wolbachia in the spider mite Tetranychus phaselus Ehara: revealing new forces driving the spread of Wolbachia. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54964. [PMID: 23355904 PMCID: PMC3552951 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) has been proposed as a major mechanism by which certain strains of Wolbachia to invade and persist in host populations. However, mechanisms that underlie the invasion and persistence of non-CI strains are less well understood. Here, we established a spider mite Tetranychus phaselus population multiply infected by Cardinium as well as two distinct lineages of Wolbachia, designated wCon and wOri, to study the forces driving the spread of the non-CI strain of Wolbachia wOri. Interestingly, we found that wOri provided a longevity advantage to its female hosts under ideal conditions, making wOri stay longer in this population, and then being transmitted to more offspring. Furthermore, the lifespan of uninfected females was reduced when mated with multiple-infected males. As a result, the uninfected population is attenuated by the multiple-infected males. Thus, we infer that the host age effects of multiple infection may represent sufficient forces driving the spread of wOri through the host population.
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Martin OY, Puniamoorthy N, Gubler A, Wimmer C, Bernasconi MV. Infections with Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, and Rickettsia in the Dolichopodidae and other Empidoidea. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2012. [PMID: 23183308 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2012.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Vertically transmitted reproductive parasites are both extraordinarily widespread and diverse in their effects on their invertebrate hosts. In addition to causing skewed population sex ratios via male-killing or feminization, such bacteria can further cause cytoplasmic incompatibility or parthenogenesis. Previous surveys show that the microbes Wolbachia and Spiroplasma are common in some dipteran families, e.g. Drosophilidae or Scathophagidae, and are known to be heritable symbionts and affect reproduction in the Diptera. However, little is known of Rickettsia infections and detailed surveys targeting other Dipteran families are lacking. Here 329 samples of 247 species of Diptera belonging to the Dolichopodidae, Empididae, and Hybotidae (superfamily Empidoidea) are surveyed for the presence of the endosymbionts Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, and Rickettsia. The superfamily Empidoidea contains numerous species, which have been the targets of intense research concerning reproductive traits involved in sexual selection. 151 of the species (i.e. ca. 61%) screened here, including species from key genera such as Dolichopus, Poecilobothrus or Empis, harboured one or more symbionts. Reproductive parasites are thus also common in the Empidoidae, yet effects on hosts remain unclear. Potential endosymbiont-host interactions in this group would hence be worthy of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Y Martin
- ETH Zürich, Experimental Ecology, Institute for Integrative Biology, CHN J 11, Universitätsstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
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Xue X, Li SJ, Ahmed MZ, De Barro PJ, Ren SX, Qiu BL. Inactivation of Wolbachia reveals its biological roles in whitefly host. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48148. [PMID: 23144739 PMCID: PMC3483251 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2012] [Accepted: 09/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is cryptic species complex composed of numerous species. Individual species from the complex harbor a diversity of bacterial endosymbionts including Wolbachia. However, while Wolbachia is known to have a number of different roles, its role in B. tabaci is unclear. Here, the antibiotic rifampicin is used to selectively eliminate Wolbachia from B. tabaci so as to enable its roles in whitefly development and reproduction to be explored. The indirect effects of Wolbachia elimination on the biology of Encarsia bimaculata, a dominant parasitoid of B. tabaci in South China, were also investigated. Methodology/Principal Finding qRT-PCR and FISH were used to show that after 48 h exposure to 1.0 mg/ml rifampicin, Wolbachia was completely inactivated from B. tabaci Mediterranean (MED) without any significant impact on either the primary symbiont, Portiera aleyrodidarum or any of the other secondary endosymbionts present. For B. tabaci MED, Wolbachia was shown to be associated with decreased juvenile development time, increased likelihood that nymphs completed development, increased adult life span and increased percentage of female progeny. Inactivation was associated with a significant decrease in the body size of the 4th instar which leads us to speculate as to whether Wolbachia may have a nutrient supplementation role. The reduction in nymph body size has consequences for its parasitoid, E. bimaculata. The elimination of Wolbachia lead to a marked increase in the proportion of parasitoid eggs that completed their development, but the reduced size of the whitefly host was also associated with a significant reduction in the size of the emerging parasitoid adult and this was in turn associated with a marked reduction in adult parasitoid longevity. Conclusions/Significance Wolbachia increases the fitness of the whitefly host and provides some protection against parasitization. These observations add to our understanding of the roles played by bacterial endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Xue
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shao-Jian Li
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Muhammad Z. Ahmed
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Shun-Xiang Ren
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (B-LQ); (S-XR)
| | - Bao-Li Qiu
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (B-LQ); (S-XR)
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