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Strunov A, Schmidt K, Kapun M, Miller WJ. Restriction of Wolbachia Bacteria in Early Embryogenesis of Neotropical Drosophila Species via Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mediated Autophagy. mBio 2022; 13:e0386321. [PMID: 35357208 PMCID: PMC9040723 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03863-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are maternally transmitted intracellular bacteria that are not only restricted to the reproductive organs but also found in various somatic tissues of their native hosts. The abundance of the endosymbiont in the soma, usually a dead end for vertically transmitted bacteria, causes a multitude of effects on life history traits of their hosts, which are still not well understood. Thus, deciphering the host-symbiont interactions on a cellular level throughout a host's life cycle is of great importance to understand their homeostatic nature, persistence, and spreading success. Using fluorescent and transmission electron microscopy, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of Wolbachia tropism in soma and germ line of six Drosophila species at the intracellular level during host development. Our data uncovered diagnostic patterns of infections to embryonic primordial germ cells and to particular cells of the soma in three different neotropical Drosophila species that have apparently evolved independently. We further found that restricted patterns of Wolbachia tropism are determined in early embryogenesis via selective autophagy, and their spatially restricted infection patterns are preserved in adult flies. We observed tight interactions of Wolbachia with membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum, which might play a scaffolding role for autophagosome formation and subsequent elimination of the endosymbiont. Finally, by analyzing D. simulans lines transinfected with nonnative Wolbachia, we uncovered that the host genetic background regulates tissue tropism of infection. Our data demonstrate a novel and peculiar mechanism to limit and spatially restrict bacterial infection in the soma during a very early stage of host development. IMPORTANCE All organisms are living in close and intimate interactions with microbes that cause conflicts but also cooperation between both unequal genetic partners due to their different innate interests of primarily enhancing their own fitness. However, stable symbioses often result in homeostatic interaction, named mutualism, by balancing costs and benefits, where both partners profit. Mechanisms that have evolved to balance and stably maintain homeostasis in mutualistic relationships are still quite understudied; one strategy is to "domesticate" potentially beneficial symbionts by actively controlling their replication rate below a critical and, hence, costly threshold, and/or to spatially and temporally restrict their localization in the host organism, which, in the latter case, in its most extreme form, is the formation of a specialized housing organ for the microbe (bacteriome). However, questions remain: how do these mutualistic associations become established in their first place, and what are the mechanisms for symbiont control and restriction in their early stages? Here, we have uncovered an unprecedented symbiont control mechanism in neotropical Drosophila species during early embryogenesis. The fruit fly evolved selective autophagy to restrict and control the proliferation of its intracellular endosymbiont Wolbachia in a defined subset of the stem cells as soon as the host's zygotic genome is activated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Strunov
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katy Schmidt
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Kapun
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Central Research Laboratories, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang J. Miller
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Bubnell JE, Fernandez-Begne P, Ulbing CKS, Aquadro CF. Diverse wMel variants of Wolbachia pipientis differentially rescue fertility and cytological defects of the bag of marbles partial loss of function mutation in Drosophila melanogaster. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6365939. [PMID: 34580706 PMCID: PMC8664471 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
In Drosophila melanogaster, the maternally inherited endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis interacts with germline stem cell genes during oogenesis. One such gene, bag of marbles (bam) is the key switch for differentiation and also shows signals of adaptive evolution for protein diversification. These observations have led us to hypothesize that W. pipientis could be driving the adaptive evolution of bam for control of oogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we must understand the specificity of the genetic interaction between bam and W. pipientis. Previously, we documented that the W. pipientis variant, wMel, rescued the fertility of the bamBW hypomorphic mutant as a transheterozygote over a bam null. However, bamBW was generated more than 20 years ago in an uncontrolled genetic background and maintained over a balancer chromosome. Consequently, the chromosome carrying bamBW accumulated mutations that have prevented controlled experiments to further assess the interaction. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer the same single amino acid bam hypomorphic mutation (bamL255F) and a new bam null disruption mutation into the w1118 isogenic background. We assess the fertility of wildtype bam, bamL255F/bamnull hypomorphic, and bamL255F/bamL255F mutant females, each infected individually with 10 W. pipientis wMel variants representing three phylogenetic clades. Overall, we find that all of the W. pipientis variants tested here rescue bam hypomorphic fertility defects with wMelCS-like variants exhibiting the strongest rescue effects. In addition, these variants did not increase wildtype bam female fertility. Therefore, both bam and W. pipientis interact in genotype-specific ways to modulate female fertility, a critical fitness phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn E Bubnell
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Paula Fernandez-Begne
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Cynthia K S Ulbing
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Charles F Aquadro
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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3
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Schroeder CM, Tomlin SA, Mejia Natividad I, Valenzuela JR, Young JM, Malik HS. An actin-related protein that is most highly expressed in Drosophila testes is critical for embryonic development. eLife 2021; 10:71279. [PMID: 34282725 PMCID: PMC8291977 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Most actin-related proteins (Arps) are highly conserved and carry out well-defined cellular functions in eukaryotes. However, many lineages like Drosophila and mammals encode divergent non-canonical Arps whose roles remain unknown. To elucidate the function of non-canonical Arps, we focus on Arp53D, which is highly expressed in testes and retained throughout Drosophila evolution. We show that Arp53D localizes to fusomes and actin cones, two germline-specific actin structures critical for sperm maturation, via a unique N-terminal tail. Surprisingly, we find that male fertility is not impaired upon Arp53D loss, yet population cage experiments reveal that Arp53D is required for optimal fitness in Drosophila melanogaster. To reconcile these findings, we focus on Arp53D function in ovaries and embryos where it is only weakly expressed. We find that under heat stress Arp53D-knockout (KO) females lay embryos with reduced nuclear integrity and lower viability; these defects are further exacerbated in Arp53D-KO embryos. Thus, despite its relatively recent evolution and primarily testis-specific expression, non-canonical Arp53D is required for optimal embryonic development in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney M Schroeder
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Sarah A Tomlin
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Isabel Mejia Natividad
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - John R Valenzuela
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Janet M Young
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Harmit S Malik
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
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4
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Interactions between the microbiome and mating influence the female's transcriptional profile in Drosophila melanogaster. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18168. [PMID: 33097776 PMCID: PMC7584617 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75156-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster females undergo a variety of post-mating changes that influence their activity, feeding behavior, metabolism, egg production and gene expression. These changes are induced either by mating itself or by sperm or seminal fluid proteins. In addition, studies have shown that axenic females-those lacking a microbiome-have altered fecundity compared to females with a microbiome, and that the microbiome of the female's mate can influence reproductive success. However, the extent to which post-mating changes in transcript abundance are affected by microbiome state is not well-characterized. Here we investigated fecundity and the post-mating transcript abundance profile of axenic or control females after mating with either axenic or control males. We observed interactions between the female's microbiome and her mating status: transcripts of genes involved in reproduction and genes with neuronal functions were differentially abundant depending on the females' microbiome status, but only in mated females. In addition, immunity genes showed varied responses to either the microbiome, mating, or a combination of those two factors. We further observed that the male's microbiome status influences the fecundity of both control and axenic females, while only influencing the transcriptional profile of axenic females. Our results indicate that the microbiome plays a vital role in the post-mating switch of the female's transcriptome.
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Mateos M, Martinez Montoya H, Lanzavecchia SB, Conte C, Guillén K, Morán-Aceves BM, Toledo J, Liedo P, Asimakis ED, Doudoumis V, Kyritsis GA, Papadopoulos NT, Augustinos AA, Segura DF, Tsiamis G. Wolbachia pipientis Associated With Tephritid Fruit Fly Pests: From Basic Research to Applications. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1080. [PMID: 32582067 PMCID: PMC7283806 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the true fruit flies (family Tephritidae) are among the most serious agricultural pests worldwide, whose control and management demands large and costly international efforts. The need for cost-effective and environmentally friendly integrated pest management (IPM) has led to the development and implementation of autocidal control strategies. These approaches include the widely used sterile insect technique and the incompatible insect technique (IIT). IIT relies on maternally transmitted bacteria (namely Wolbachia) to cause a conditional sterility in crosses between released mass-reared Wolbachia-infected males and wild females, which are either uninfected or infected with a different Wolbachia strain (i.e., cytoplasmic incompatibility; CI). Herein, we review the current state of knowledge on Wolbachia-tephritid interactions including infection prevalence in wild populations, phenotypic consequences, and their impact on life history traits. Numerous pest tephritid species are reported to harbor Wolbachia infections, with a subset exhibiting high prevalence. The phenotypic effects of Wolbachia have been assessed in very few tephritid species, due in part to the difficulty of manipulating Wolbachia infection (removal or transinfection). Based on recent methodological advances (high-throughput DNA sequencing) and breakthroughs concerning the mechanistic basis of CI, we suggest research avenues that could accelerate generation of necessary knowledge for the potential use of Wolbachia-based IIT in area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) strategies for the population control of tephritid pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Mateos
- Departments of Ecology and Conservation Biology, and Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Humberto Martinez Montoya
- Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Comparativa, Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Reynosa Aztlan, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
| | - Silvia B Lanzavecchia
- Instituto de Genética 'Ewald A. Favret' - GV IABIMO (INTA-CONICET) Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudia Conte
- Instituto de Genética 'Ewald A. Favret' - GV IABIMO (INTA-CONICET) Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Jorge Toledo
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Tapachula, Mexico
| | - Pablo Liedo
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Tapachula, Mexico
| | - Elias D Asimakis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
| | - Vangelis Doudoumis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
| | - Georgios A Kyritsis
- Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Nikos T Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Antonios A Augustinos
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops, Hellenic Agricultural Organization - DEMETER, Patras, Greece
| | - Diego F Segura
- Instituto de Genética 'Ewald A. Favret' - GV IABIMO (INTA-CONICET) Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - George Tsiamis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
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Conte CA, Segura DF, Milla FH, Augustinos A, Cladera JL, Bourtzis K, Lanzavecchia SB. Wolbachia infection in Argentinean populations of Anastrepha fraterculus sp1: preliminary evidence of sex ratio distortion by one of two strains. BMC Microbiol 2019; 19:289. [PMID: 31870290 PMCID: PMC6929328 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-019-1652-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia, one of the most abundant taxa of intracellular Alphaproteobacteria, is widespread among arthropods and filarial nematodes. The presence of these maternally inherited bacteria is associated with modifications of host fitness, including a variety of reproductive abnormalities, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, thelytokous parthenogenesis, host feminization and male-killing. Wolbachia has attracted much interest for its role in biological, ecological and evolutionary processes as well as for its potential use in novel and environmentally-friendly strategies for the control of insect pests and disease vectors including a major agricultural pest, the South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae). Results We used wsp, 16S rRNA and a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme including gatB, coxA, hcpA, fbpA, and ftsZ genes to detect and characterize the Wolbachia infection in laboratory strains and wild populations of A. fraterculus from Argentina. Wolbachia was found in all A. fraterculus individuals studied. Nucleotide sequences analysis of wsp gene allowed the identification of two Wolbachia nucleotide variants (named wAfraCast1_A and wAfraCast2_A). After the analysis of 76 individuals, a high prevalence of the wAfraCast2_A variant was found both, in laboratory (82%) and wild populations (95%). MLST analysis identified both Wolbachia genetic variants as sequence type 13. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated MLST datasets clustered wAfraCast1/2_A in the supergroup A. Paired-crossing experiments among single infected laboratory strains showed a phenotype specifically associated to wAfraCast1_A that includes slight detrimental effects on larval survival, a female-biased sex ratio; suggesting the induction of male-killing phenomena, and a decreased proportion of females producing descendants that appears attributable to the lack of sperm in their spermathecae. Conclusions We detected and characterized at the molecular level two wsp gene sequence variants of Wolbachia both in laboratory and wild populations of A. fraterculus sp.1 from Argentina. Crossing experiments on singly-infected A. fraterculus strains showed evidence of a male killing-like mechanism potentially associated to the wAfraCast1_A - A. fraterculus interactions. Further mating experiments including antibiotic treatments and the analysis of early and late immature stages of descendants will contribute to our understanding of the phenotypes elicited by the Wolbachia variant wAfraCast1_A in A. fraterculus sp.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Alejandra Conte
- Laboratorio de Insectos de Importancia Agronómica, IGEAF, Instituto nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) gv IABIMO-CONICET, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego Fernando Segura
- Laboratorio de Insectos de Importancia Agronómica, IGEAF, Instituto nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) gv IABIMO-CONICET, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, (CONICET), Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (MINCyT), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fabian Horacio Milla
- Laboratorio de Insectos de Importancia Agronómica, IGEAF, Instituto nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) gv IABIMO-CONICET, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Antonios Augustinos
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jorge Luis Cladera
- Laboratorio de Insectos de Importancia Agronómica, IGEAF, Instituto nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) gv IABIMO-CONICET, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
| | - Silvia Beatriz Lanzavecchia
- Laboratorio de Insectos de Importancia Agronómica, IGEAF, Instituto nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) gv IABIMO-CONICET, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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7
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Sanaei E, Husemann M, Seiedy M, Rethwisch M, Tuda M, Toshova TB, Kim MJ, Atanasova D, Kim I. Global genetic diversity, lineage distribution, and Wolbachia infection of the alfalfa weevil Hypera postica (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:9546-9563. [PMID: 31534674 PMCID: PMC6745856 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica) is a well-known example of a worldwide-distributed pest with high genetic variation. Based on the mitochondrial genes, the alfalfa weevil clusters into two main mitochondrial lineages. However, there is no clear picture of the global diversity and distribution of these lineages; neither the drivers of its diversification are known. However, it appears likely that historic demographic events including founder effects played a role. In addition, Wolbachia, a widespread intracellular parasite/symbiont, likely played an important role in the evolution of the species. Wolbachia infection so far was only detected in the Western lineage of H. postica with no information on the infecting strain, its frequency, and its consequences on the genetic diversity of the host. We here used a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear sequences of the host and sequence information on Wolbachia to document the distribution of strains and the degree of infection. The Eastern lineage has a higher genetic diversity and is found in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and eastern America, whereas the less diverse Western lineage is found in Central Europe and the western America. Both lineages are infected with the same common strain of Wolbachia belonging to Supergroup B. Based on neutrality tests, selection tests, and the current distribution and diversification of Wolbachia in H. postica, we suggested the Wolbachia infection did not shape genetic diversity of the host. The introduced populations in the United States are generally genetically less diverse, which is in line with founder effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Sanaei
- Department of Applied BiologyCollege of Agriculture and Life ScienceChonnam National UniversityGwnagjuKorea
- School of Biological ScienceUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | | | - Marjan Seiedy
- School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living OrganismsCollege of ScienceUniversity of TehranTehranIran
| | | | - Midori Tuda
- Faculty of AgricultureInstitute of Biological ControlKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
- Laboratory of Insect Natural EnemiesDepartment of Bioresource SciencesFaculty of AgricultureKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Teodora B. Toshova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem ResearchBulgarian Academy of SciencesSofiaBulgaria
| | - Min Jee Kim
- Department of Applied BiologyCollege of Agriculture and Life ScienceChonnam National UniversityGwnagjuKorea
| | - Daniela Atanasova
- Department of EntomologyFaculty of Plant Protection and AgroecologyAgricultural UniversityPlovdivBulgaria
| | - Iksoo Kim
- Department of Applied BiologyCollege of Agriculture and Life ScienceChonnam National UniversityGwnagjuKorea
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Schneider DI, Saarman N, Onyango MG, Hyseni C, Opiro R, Echodu R, O’Neill M, Bloch D, Vigneron A, Johnson TJ, Dion K, Weiss BL, Opiyo E, Caccone A, Aksoy S. Spatio-temporal distribution of Spiroplasma infections in the tsetse fly (Glossina fuscipes fuscipes) in northern Uganda. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007340. [PMID: 31369548 PMCID: PMC6692048 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) are vectors of parasitic trypanosomes, which cause human (HAT) and animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (Gff) is the main vector of HAT, where it transmits Gambiense disease in the northwest and Rhodesiense disease in central, southeast and western regions. Endosymbionts can influence transmission efficiency of parasites through their insect vectors via conferring a protective effect against the parasite. It is known that the bacterium Spiroplasma is capable of protecting its Drosophila host from infection with a parasitic nematode. This endosymbiont can also impact its host's population structure via altering host reproductive traits. Here, we used field collections across 26 different Gff sampling sites in northern and western Uganda to investigate the association of Spiroplasma with geographic origin, seasonal conditions, Gff genetic background and sex, and trypanosome infection status. We also investigated the influence of Spiroplasma on Gff vector competence to trypanosome infections under laboratory conditions. Generalized linear models (GLM) showed that Spiroplasma probability was correlated with the geographic origin of Gff host and with the season of collection, with higher prevalence found in flies within the Albert Nile (0.42 vs 0.16) and Achwa River (0.36 vs 0.08) watersheds and with higher prevalence detected in flies collected in the intermediate than wet season. In contrast, there was no significant correlation of Spiroplasma prevalence with Gff host genetic background or sex once geographic origin was accounted for in generalized linear models. Additionally, we found a potential negative correlation of Spiroplasma with trypanosome infection, with only 2% of Spiroplasma infected flies harboring trypanosome co-infections. We also found that in a laboratory line of Gff, parasitic trypanosomes are less likely to colonize the midgut in individuals that harbor Spiroplasma infection. These results indicate that Spiroplasma infections in tsetse may be maintained by not only maternal but also via horizontal transmission routes, and Spiroplasma infections may also have important effects on trypanosome transmission efficiency of the host tsetse. Potential functional effects of Spiroplasma infection in Gff could have impacts on vector control approaches to reduce trypanosome infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela I. Schneider
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Norah Saarman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Maria G. Onyango
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Chaz Hyseni
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS, United States of America
| | - Robert Opiro
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gulu University, Uganda
| | - Richard Echodu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gulu University, Uganda
| | - Michelle O’Neill
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Danielle Bloch
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City, NY, United States of America
| | - Aurélien Vigneron
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - T. J. Johnson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Kirstin Dion
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Brian L. Weiss
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Opiyo
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS, United States of America
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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Abstract
Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria, Rickettsiales) is an intraovarially transmitted symbiont of insects able to exert striking phenotypes, including reproductive manipulations and pathogen blocking. These phenotypes make Wolbachia a promising tool to combat mosquito-borne diseases. Although Wolbachia is present in the majority of terrestrial arthropods, including many disease vectors, it was considered absent from Anopheles gambiae mosquitos, the main vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2014, Wolbachia sequences were detected in A. gambiae samples collected in Burkina Faso. Subsequently, similar evidence came from collections all over Africa, revealing a high Wolbachia 16S rRNA sequence diversity, low abundance, and a lack of congruence between host and symbiont phylogenies. Here, we reanalyze and discuss recent evidence on the presence of Wolbachia sequences in A. gambiae. We find that although detected at increasing frequencies, the unusual properties of these Wolbachia sequences render them insufficient to diagnose natural infections in A. gambiae Future studies should focus on uncovering the origin of Wolbachia sequence variants in Anopheles and seeking sequence-independent evidence for this new symbiosis. Understanding the ecology of Anopheles mosquitos and their interactions with Wolbachia will be key in designing successful, integrative approaches to limit malaria spread. Although the prospect of using Wolbachia to fight malaria is intriguing, the newly discovered strains do not bring it closer to realization.IMPORTANCEAnopheles gambiae mosquitos are the main vectors of malaria, threatening around half of the world's population. The bacterial symbiont Wolbachia can interfere with disease transmission by other important insect vectors, but until recently, it was thought to be absent from natural A. gambiae populations. Here, we critically analyze the genomic, metagenomic, PCR, imaging, and phenotypic data presented in support of the presence of natural Wolbachia infections in A. gambiae We find that they are insufficient to diagnose Wolbachia infections and argue for the need of obtaining robust data confirming basic Wolbachia characteristics in this system. Determining the Wolbachia infection status of Anopheles is critical due to its potential to influence Anopheles population structure and Plasmodium transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Chrostek
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Gerth
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
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10
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Schneider DI, Parker AG, Abd-alla AM, Miller WJ. High-sensitivity detection of cryptic Wolbachia in the African tsetse fly (Glossina spp.). BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:140. [PMID: 30470185 PMCID: PMC6251158 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1291-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In African tsetse flies Glossina, spp. detection of bacterial symbionts such as Wolbachia is challenging since their prevalence and distribution are patchy, and natural symbiont titers can range at levels far below detection limit of standard molecular techniques. Reliable estimation of symbiont infection frequency, especially with regard to interrelations between symbionts and their potential impact on host biology, is of pivotal interest in the context of future applications for the control and eradication of Glossina-vectored African trypanosomosis. The presence or absence of symbionts is routinely screened with endpoint polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which has numerous advantages, but reaches its limits, when detecting infections at natural low titer. To not only determine presence of native tsetse symbionts but also to localize them to specific host tissues, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) can be applied. However, classic FISH assays may not detect low-titer infections due to limitations in sensitivity. RESULTS We have compared classic endpoint PCR with high-sensitivity blot-PCR. We demonstrate that the latter technique allows for clear detection of low-titer Wolbachia in the morsitans and palpalis groups while classic endpoint PCR does not. In order to localize Wolbachia in situ in high and low-titer Glossina species, we applied high-end Stellaris® rRNA-FISH. We show that with this high sensitivity method, even low amounts of Wolbachia can be traced in specific tissues. Furthermore, we highlight that more tissues and organs than previously recorded are infested with Wolbachia in subspecies of the morsitans and palpalis groups. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that overall symbiont infection frequencies as well as the presence in specific host tissues may be underestimated when using low-sensitivity methods. To better understand the complex interrelation of tsetse flies and their native symbionts plus the pathogenic trypanosomes, it is important to consider application of a broader range of high-sensitivity detection tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela I Schneider
- Department Cell and Developmental Biology, Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Present Address: Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Andrew G Parker
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adly M Abd-alla
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang J Miller
- Department Cell and Developmental Biology, Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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11
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Kariithi HM, Meki IK, Schneider DI, De Vooght L, Khamis FM, Geiger A, Demirbaş-Uzel G, Vlak JM, iNCE IA, Kelm S, Njiokou F, Wamwiri FN, Malele II, Weiss BL, Abd-Alla AMM. Enhancing vector refractoriness to trypanosome infection: achievements, challenges and perspectives. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:179. [PMID: 30470182 PMCID: PMC6251094 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1280-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With the absence of effective prophylactic vaccines and drugs against African trypanosomosis, control of this group of zoonotic neglected tropical diseases depends the control of the tsetse fly vector. When applied in an area-wide insect pest management approach, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is effective in eliminating single tsetse species from isolated populations. The need to enhance the effectiveness of SIT led to the concept of investigating tsetse-trypanosome interactions by a consortium of researchers in a five-year (2013-2018) Coordinated Research Project (CRP) organized by the Joint Division of FAO/IAEA. The goal of this CRP was to elucidate tsetse-symbiome-pathogen molecular interactions to improve SIT and SIT-compatible interventions for trypanosomoses control by enhancing vector refractoriness. This would allow extension of SIT into areas with potential disease transmission. This paper highlights the CRP's major achievements and discusses the science-based perspectives for successful mitigation or eradication of African trypanosomosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry M Kariithi
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization, P.O Box 57811, 00200, Kaptagat Rd, Loresho, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Irene K Meki
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, FAO/IAEA Agriculture & Biotechnology Laboratory, IAEA Laboratories Seibersdorf, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, 6708 PB The Netherlands
| | - Daniela I Schneider
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Linda De Vooght
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Fathiya M Khamis
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Anne Geiger
- INTERTRYP, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Guler Demirbaş-Uzel
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, FAO/IAEA Agriculture & Biotechnology Laboratory, IAEA Laboratories Seibersdorf, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria
| | - Just M Vlak
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, 6708 PB The Netherlands
| | - ikbal Agah iNCE
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental & Biological Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sorge Kelm
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University, School of Medicine, 34752, Ataşehir, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Flobert Njiokou
- Centre for Biomolecular Interactions Bremen, Faculty for Biology & Chemistry, Universität Bremen, Bibliothekstraße 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Florence N Wamwiri
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, BP 812 Cameroon
| | - Imna I Malele
- Trypanosomiasis Research Centre, Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization, P.O. Box 362-00902, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - Brian L Weiss
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Adly M M Abd-Alla
- Molecular Department, Vector and Vector Borne Diseases Institute, Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Majani Mapana, Off Korogwe Road, Box, 1026 Tanga, Tanzania
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, FAO/IAEA Agriculture & Biotechnology Laboratory, IAEA Laboratories Seibersdorf, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria
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12
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The impact of genome variation and diet on the metabolic phenotype and microbiome composition of Drosophila melanogaster. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6215. [PMID: 29670218 PMCID: PMC5906449 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24542-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The metabolic phenotype of an organism depends on a complex regulatory network, which integrates the plethora of intrinsic and external information and prioritizes the flow of nutrients accordingly. Given the rise of metabolic disorders including obesity, a detailed understanding of this regulatory network is in urgent need. Yet, our level of understanding is far from completeness and complicated by the discovery of additional layers in metabolic regulation, such as the impact of the microbial community present in the gut on the hosts’ energy storage levels. Here, we investigate the interplay between genome variation, diet and the gut microbiome in the shaping of a metabolic phenotype. For this purpose, we reared a set of fully sequenced wild type Drosophila melanogaster flies under basal and nutritionally challenged conditions and performed metabolic and microbiome profiling experiments. Our results introduce the fly as a model system to investigate the impact of genome variation on the metabolic response to diet alterations and reveal candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with different metabolic traits, as well as metabolite-metabolite and metabolite-microbe correlations. Intriguingly, the dietary changes affected the microbiome composition less than anticipated. These results challenge the current view of a rapidly changing microbiome in response to environmental fluctuations.
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13
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Challenging the Wigglesworthia, Sodalis, Wolbachia symbiosis dogma in tsetse flies: Spiroplasma is present in both laboratory and natural populations. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4699. [PMID: 28680117 PMCID: PMC5498494 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04740-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Profiling of wild and laboratory tsetse populations using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing allowed us to examine whether the "Wigglesworthia-Sodalis-Wolbachia dogma" operates across species and populations. The most abundant taxa, in wild and laboratory populations, were Wigglesworthia (the primary endosymbiont), Sodalis and Wolbachia as previously characterized. The species richness of the microbiota was greater in wild than laboratory populations. Spiroplasma was identified as a new symbiont exclusively in Glossina fuscipes fuscipes and G. tachinoides, members of the palpalis sub-group, and the infection prevalence in several laboratory and natural populations was surveyed. Multi locus sequencing typing (MLST) analysis identified two strains of tsetse-associated Spiroplasma, present in G. f. fuscipes and G. tachinoides. Spiroplasma density in G. f. fuscipes larva guts was significantly higher than in guts from teneral and 15-day old male and female adults. In gonads of teneral and 15-day old insects, Spiroplasma density was higher in testes than ovaries, and was significantly higher density in live versus prematurely deceased females indicating a potentially mutualistic association. Higher Spiroplasma density in testes than in ovaries was also detected by fluorescent in situ hybridization in G. f. fuscipes.
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14
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Grau T, Brandt A, DeLeon S, Meixner MD, Strauß JF, Joop G, Telschow A. A Comparison of Wolbachia Infection Frequencies in Varroa With Prevalence of Deformed Wing Virus. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2017; 17:3836770. [PMID: 28973572 PMCID: PMC5538322 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iex039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia are widely distributed bacterial endosymbionts of arthropods and filarial nematodes. These bacteria can affect host fitness in a variety of ways, such as protecting hosts against viruses and other pathogens. Here, we investigate the possible role of Wolbachia in the prevalence of the deformed wing virus (DWV), a highly virulent pathogen of honey bees (Apis mellifera) that is transmitted by parasitic Varroa mites (Varroa destructor). About 180 Varroa mites from 18 beehives were tested for infection with Wolbachia and DWV. We first screened for Wolbachia using two standard primers (wsp and 16S rDNA), and found 26% of the mites to be positive for Wolbachia using the wsp primer and 64% of the mites to be positive using the 16S rDNA primer. Using these intermediate Wolbachia frequencies, we then tested for statistical correlations with virus infection frequencies. The analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between DWV and Wolbachia using the wsp primer, but no significant association between DWV and Wolbachia using the 16S rDNA primer. In conclusion, there is no evidence for an anti-pathogenic effect of Wolbachia in V. destructor, but weak evidence for a pro-pathogenic effect. These results encourage further examination of Wolbachia-virus interactions in Varroa mites since an increased vector competence of the mites may significantly impact disease outbreaks in honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorben Grau
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany (; ; )
| | | | - Sara DeLeon
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany (; ; )
| | | | - Jakob Friedrich Strauß
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfaelische Wilhelms University Muenster, Muenster, Germany (; )
| | - Gerrit Joop
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany (; ; )
| | - Arndt Telschow
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfaelische Wilhelms University Muenster, Muenster, Germany (; )
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15
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Wallau GL, da Rosa MT, De Ré FC, Loreto ELS. Wolbachia from Drosophila incompta: just a hitchhiker shared by Drosophila in the New and Old World? INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 25:487-499. [PMID: 27122079 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia are intracellular endosymbionts that infect arthropods and filarial nematodes, occasionally causing a wide variety of modifications in host biology, such as male-killing and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), amongst others. This study assembled draft genomes for Wolbachia infecting Drosophila incompta, a species that uses flowers as exclusive breeding and feeding sites, in two distinct Brazilian populations. The absence of four genes involved in CI from this genome, together with literature reports of low frequencies of infected flies in wild populations that contain high mitogenome polymorphism, suggests that this bacterium does not induce CI in D. incompta. Phylogenomic analysis placed Wolbachia infecting D. incompta as closely related to the wMel strain which received such name since it was originally detected in Drosophila melanogaster. In addition, phylogenetic analysis using the Wolbachia surface protein gene and five genes used for multilocus sequence typing of Wolbachia found infecting Drosophila and other arthropod species of Old and New World displayed a complex evolutionary scenario involving recent horizontal transfer bursts in all major clades of Wolbachia pipens belonging to the supergroup A in both geographical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- G L Wallau
- PPG Biodiversade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- Departamento de Entomologia, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães - FIOCRUZ-CPqAM, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - M T da Rosa
- PPG Biodiversade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - F C De Ré
- PPG Biodiversade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - E L S Loreto
- PPG Biodiversade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- Departamento Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
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16
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Iwase S, Tani S, Saeki Y, Tuda M, Haran J, Skuhrovec J, Takagi M. Dynamics of infection with Wolbachia in Hypera postica (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) during invasion and establishment. Biol Invasions 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-015-0985-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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17
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Hamm CA, Begun DJ, Vo A, Smith CCR, Saelao P, Shaver AO, Jaenike J, Turelli M. Wolbachia do not live by reproductive manipulation alone: infection polymorphism in Drosophila suzukii and D. subpulchrella. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:4871-85. [PMID: 25156506 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Drosophila suzukii recently invaded North America and Europe. Populations in Hawaii, California, New York and Nova Scotia are polymorphic for Wolbachia, typically with <20% infection frequency. The Wolbachia in D. suzukii, denoted wSuz, is closely related to wRi, the variant prevalent in continental populations of D. simulans. wSuz is also nearly identical to Wolbachia found in D. subpulchrella, plausibly D. suzukii's sister species. This suggests vertical Wolbachia transmission through cladogenesis ('cladogenic transmission'). The widespread occurrence of 7-20% infection frequencies indicates a stable polymorphism. wSuz is imperfectly maternally transmitted, with wild infected females producing on average 5-10% uninfected progeny. As expected from its low frequency, wSuz produces no cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), that is, no increased embryo mortality when infected males mate with uninfected females, and no appreciable sex-ratio distortion. The persistence of wSuz despite imperfect maternal transmission suggests positive fitness effects. Assuming a balance between selection and imperfect transmission, we expect a fitness advantage on the order of 20%. Unexpectedly, Wolbachia-infected females produce fewer progeny than do uninfected females. We do not yet understand the maintenance of wSuz in D. suzukii. The absence of detectable CI in D. suzukii and D. subpulchrella makes it unlikely that CI-based mechanisms could be used to control this species without transinfection using novel Wolbachia. Contrary to their reputation as horizontally transmitted reproductive parasites, many Wolbachia infections are acquired through introgression or cladogenesis and many cause no appreciable reproductive manipulation. Such infections, likely to be mutualistic, may be central to understanding the pervasiveness of Wolbachia among arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Hamm
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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