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Mulio SÅ, Zwolińska A, Klejdysz T, Prus‐Frankowska M, Michalik A, Kolasa M, Łukasik P. Limited variation in microbial communities across populations of Macrosteles leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2024; 16:e13279. [PMID: 38855918 PMCID: PMC11163331 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts play crucial roles in insect biology, yet their diversity, distribution, and temporal dynamics across host populations remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the spatio-temporal distribution of bacterial symbionts within the widely distributed and economically significant leafhopper genus Macrosteles, with a focus on Macrosteles laevis. Using host and symbiont marker gene amplicon sequencing, we explored the intricate relationships between these insects and their microbial partners. Our analysis of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene data revealed several intriguing findings. First, there was no strong genetic differentiation across M. laevis populations, suggesting gene flow among them. Second, we observed significant levels of heteroplasmy, indicating the presence of multiple mitochondrial haplotypes within individuals. Third, parasitoid infections were prevalent, highlighting the complex ecological interactions involving leafhoppers. The 16S rRNA data confirmed the universal presence of ancient nutritional endosymbionts-Sulcia and Nasuia-in M. laevis. Additionally, we found a high prevalence of Arsenophonus, another common symbiont. Interestingly, unlike most previously studied species, M. laevis exhibited only occasional cases of infection with known facultative endosymbionts and other bacteria. Notably, there was no significant variation in symbiont prevalence across different populations or among sampling years within the same population. Comparatively, facultative endosymbionts such as Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Cardinium and Lariskella were more common in other Macrosteles species. These findings underscore the importance of considering both host and symbiont dynamics when studying microbial associations. By simultaneously characterizing host and symbiont marker gene amplicons in large insect collections, we gain valuable insights into the intricate interplay between insects and their microbial partners. Understanding these dynamics contributes to our broader comprehension of host-microbe interactions in natural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Åhlén Mulio
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Agnieszka Zwolińska
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of BiologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityPoznanPoland
| | - Tomasz Klejdysz
- Institute of Plant Protection – National Research InstituteResearch Centre for Registration of AgrochemicalsPoznańPoland
| | - Monika Prus‐Frankowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Anna Michalik
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Michał Kolasa
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Piotr Łukasik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
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Fischnaller S, Parth M, Messner M, Stocker R, Kerschbamer C, Janik K. Surveying Potential Vectors of Apple Proliferation Phytoplasma: Faunistic Analysis and Infection Status of Selected Auchenorrhyncha Species. INSECTS 2020; 12:12. [PMID: 33375284 PMCID: PMC7823550 DOI: 10.3390/insects12010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Apple proliferation (AP) is one of the economically most important diseases in European apple cultivation. The disease is caused by the cell-wall-less bacterium ' Candidatus Phytoplasma mali', which is transmitted by Cacopsylla picta (Foerster) and Cacopsylla melanoneura (Foerster) (Hemiptera: Psylloidea). In South Tyrol (Italy), severe outbreaks were documented since the 1990s. Infestation rates of AP do not always correlate with the population densities of the confirmed vectors, implying the presence of other, so far unknown, hemipterian vectors. By elucidating the species community of Auchenorrhyncha (Insecta: Hemiptera) at a regional scale, more than 31,000 specimens were captured in South Tyrolean apple orchards. The occurrence of 95 species was confirmed, whereas fourteen species are new records for this territory. Based on the faunistical data, more than 3600 individuals out of 25 species were analyzed using quantitative PCR to assess the presence of AP phytoplasma. The pathogen was sporadically detected in some individuals of different species, for example in Stictocephala bisonia Kopp and Yonk (Hemiptera: Membracidae). However, the concentration of phytoplasma was much lower than in infected C. picta and C. melanoneura captured in the same region, confirming the role of the latter mentioned psyllids as the main insect vectors of AP- phytoplasma in South Tyrol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Fischnaller
- Laimburg Research Centre, Laimburg 6, Pfatten (Vadena), IT-39040 Auer (Ora), Italy; (M.P.); (M.M.); (R.S.); (C.K.); (K.J.)
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Stillson PT, Bloom EH, Illán JG, Szendrei Z. A novel plant pathogen management tool for vector management. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2020; 76:3729-3737. [PMID: 32430988 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Decision support systems often focus on insect control due to direct damage. However, when insects vector plant pathogens, these decision support systems must be tailored to disease management. However, a decision system that links diagnosticians to vector management is lacking and complicated by patterns of insect abundance over space and time. Here, we describe an approach that integrated monitoring of an insect pest (aster leafhopper; Macrosteles quadrilineatus, Forbes) that vectors aster yellows phytoplasma (Candidatus Phytoplasma spp.), with rapid disease diagnostics and web-based text messaging in two crops, carrots and celery. RESULTS From 2014-2019, a total of 8,343 aster leafhoppers were collected, 99 of these were infected with phytoplasma. Text messaging reduced the number of infected leafhoppers. When we compared infected leafhopper density across crops, their temporal patterns were most similar at a 2-week delay. Comparisons within crop indicated that in celery uninfected and infected leafhopper density was most similar at a 2-week delay, but there was no similar pattern in carrots. Leafhopper density and infectivity were not similar beyond individual farms. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that farmers should account for these temporal and spatial patterns when managing leafhoppers infected with aster yellows phytoplasma to improve pest management. By combining extensive monitoring, with rapid disease diagnostics, and text messaging, we demonstrate the value of our decision support tool. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick T Stillson
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Elias H Bloom
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Javier G Illán
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Zsofia Szendrei
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Du Y, Dietrich CH, Dai W. Complete mitochondrial genome of Macrosteles quadrimaculatus (Matsumura) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with a shared tRNA rearrangement and its phylogenetic implications. Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 122:1027-1034. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.09.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Abstract
Phytoplasmas are mollicutes restricted to plant phloem tissue and are normally present at very low concentrations. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) offers several advantages over conventional PCR. It is a fast, sensitive, and reliable detection technique amenable to high throughput. Two fluorescent chemistries are available, intercalating dyes or hybridization probes. Intercalating dyes are relatively less expensive than TaqMan® hybridization probes but the latter chemistry is the most commonly used for phytoplasma detection. qPCR may be designed for universal detection of phytoplasma, group or subgroup specific detection, or for simultaneous detection of up to three or four phytoplasmas (multiplexing). qPCR may be used for relative or absolute quantification in host plants and in insect vectors. Therefore, qPCR plays an important role in phytoplasma detection as well as in host-pathogen interaction and in epidemiological studies. This chapter outlines the protocols followed in qPCR assay for phytoplasma detection and quantification, focusing mainly on the use of TaqMan® probes.
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Mao M, Yang X, Bennett G. The complete mitochondrial genome of Macrosteles quadrilineatus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2017; 2:173-175. [PMID: 33473757 PMCID: PMC7800883 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2017.1303347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The complete mitochondrial genome of the Aster leafhopper Macrosteles quadrilineatus was sequenced using an Illumina-based next-generation sequencing approach. The genome is 16,626 bp in length with 78.0% AT content. It encodes 37 typical mitochondrial genes including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 A + T-rich region. Two tandem repeats were identified within the A + T-rich region. One tRNA gene rearrangement (trnW-trnC-trnY→trnC-trnW-trnY) was found between nd2 and cox1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Mao
- Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, USA
| | - Xiushuai Yang
- Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, USA
| | - Gordon Bennett
- Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, USA
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Demeuse KL, Grode AS, Szendrei Z. Comparing qPCR and Nested PCR Diagnostic Methods for Aster Yellows Phytoplasma in Aster Leafhoppers. PLANT DISEASE 2016; 100:2513-2519. [PMID: 30686179 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-12-15-1444-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The aster yellows phytoplasma (AYp) is a wall-less bacterium that causes damage in multiple crops. They are spread primarily by the aster leafhopper, Macrosteles quadrilineatus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). A total of 3,156 aster leafhoppers were collected during the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons in Michigan celery and carrot fields using sweep nets. The objective of this study was to test previously developed 16S rDNA phytoplasma gene primers to find the most reliable and least time-consuming method for AYp detection in leafhoppers. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed with universal primers P1/P7 and R16F2n/R16R2, and then, restriction enzymes AluI, MseI, and HhaI identified the phytoplasma to subgroup. Over the two years, 2.2% of samples were phytoplasma positive with nested PCR, classified in subgroups 16SrI-A or 16SrI-B. All samples were also tested with a TaqMan quantitative qPCR assay with universal phytoplasma primers and probe and 4.6% tested positive. A subset of samples were also tested with AYp-specific SYBR green qPCR, showing a >93% similarity between SYBR green and TaqMan qPCR assay results. The qPCR assays were more than two times faster than nested PCR. However, qPCR assays likely have specificity issues that need to be addressed before they can be used as a reliable method of detection for AYp in leafhoppers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ari S Grode
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824
| | - Zsofia Szendrei
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824
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Orlovskis Z, Hogenhout SA. A Bacterial Parasite Effector Mediates Insect Vector Attraction in Host Plants Independently of Developmental Changes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:885. [PMID: 27446117 PMCID: PMC4917533 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Parasites can take over their hosts and trigger dramatic changes in host appearance and behavior that are typically interpreted as extended phenotypes that promote parasite survival and fitness. For example, Toxoplasma gondii is thought to manipulate the behaviors of infected rodents to aid transmission to cats and parasitic trematodes of the genus Ribeiroia alter limb development in their amphibian hosts to facilitate predation of the latter by birds. Plant parasites and pathogens also reprogram host development and morphology. However, whereas some parasite-induced morphological alterations may have a direct benefit to the fitness of the parasite and may therefore be adaptive, other host alterations may be side effects of parasite infections having no adaptive effects on parasite fitness. Phytoplasma parasites of plants often induce the development of leaf-like flowers (phyllody) in their host plants, and we previously found that the phytoplasma effector SAP54 generates these leaf-like flowers via the degradation of plant MADS-box transcription factors (MTFs), which regulate all major aspects of development in plants. Leafhoppers prefer to reproduce on phytoplasma-infected and SAP54-trangenic plants leading to the hypothesis that leafhopper vectors are attracted to plants with leaf-like flowers. Surprisingly, here we show that leafhopper attraction occurs independently of the presence of leaf-like flowers. First, the leafhoppers were also attracted to SAP54 transgenic plants without leaf-like flowers and to single leaves of these plants. Moreover, leafhoppers were not attracted to leaf-like flowers of MTF-mutant plants without the presence of SAP54. Thus, the primary role of SAP54 is to attract leafhopper vectors, which spread the phytoplasmas, and the generation of leaf-like flowers may be secondary or a side effect of the SAP54-mediated degradation of MTFs.
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Rioux RA, Shultz J, Garcia M, Willis DK, Casler M, Bonos S, Smith D, Kerns J. Sclerotinia homoeocarpa overwinters in turfgrass and is present in commercial seed. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110897. [PMID: 25333928 PMCID: PMC4204931 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dollar spot is the most economically important disease of amenity turfgrasses in the United States, yet little is known about the source of primary inoculum for this disease. With the exception of a few isolates from the United Kingdom, Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, the causal agent of dollar spot, does not produce spores. Consequently, it was assumed that overwintering of this organism in soil, thatch, and plant debris provides primary inoculum for dollar spot epidemics. Overwintering of S. homoeocarpa in roots and shoots of symptomatic and asymptomatic creeping bentgrass turfgrass was quantified over the course of a three-year field experiment. Roots did not consistently harbor S. homoeocarpa, whereas S. homoeocarpa was isolated from 30% of symptomatic shoots and 10% of asymptomatic shoots in the spring of two out of three years. The presence of stroma-like pathogen material on leaf blades was associated with an increase in S. homoeocarpa isolation and colony diameter at 48 hpi. Commercial seed has also been hypothesized to be a potential source of initial inoculum for S. homoeocarpa. Two or more commercial seed lots of six creeping bentgrass cultivars were tested for contamination with S. homoeocarpa using culture-based and molecular detection methods. A viable, pathogenic isolate of S. homoeocarpa was isolated from one commercial seed lot and contamination of this lot was confirmed with nested PCR using S. homoeocarpa specific primers. A sensitive nested PCR assay detected S. homoeocarpa contamination in eight of twelve (75%) commercial seed lots. Seed source, but not cultivar or resistance to dollar spot, influenced contamination by S. homoeocarpa. Overall, this research suggests that seeds are a potential source of initial inoculum for dollar spot epidemics and presents the need for further research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée A. Rioux
- Department of Plant of Plant Path Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- NewLeaf Symbiotics, BRDG Park, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Jeanette Shultz
- Department of Plant of Plant Path Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Michelle Garcia
- Department of Plant of Plant Path Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas El-Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - David Kyle Willis
- Department of Plant of Plant Path Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Michael Casler
- USDA-ARS, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Stacy Bonos
- Department of Plant Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Damon Smith
- Department of Plant of Plant Path Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - James Kerns
- Department of Plant of Plant Path Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
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Bennett GM, Moran NA. Small, smaller, smallest: the origins and evolution of ancient dual symbioses in a Phloem-feeding insect. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 5:1675-88. [PMID: 23918810 PMCID: PMC3787670 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evt118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insects rely on bacterial symbionts with tiny genomes specialized for provisioning nutrients lacking in host diets. Xylem sap and phloem sap are both deficient as insect diets, but differ dramatically in nutrient content, potentially affecting symbiont genome evolution. For sap-feeding insects, sequenced symbiont genomes are available only for phloem-feeding examples from the suborder Sternorrhyncha and xylem-feeding examples from the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, confounding comparisons. We sequenced genomes of the obligate symbionts, Sulcia muelleri and Nasuia deltocephalinicola, of the phloem-feeding pest insect, Macrosteles quadrilineatus (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae). Our results reveal that Nasuia-ALF has the smallest bacterial genome yet sequenced (112 kb), and that the Sulcia-ALF genome (190 kb) is smaller than that of Sulcia in other insect lineages. Together, these symbionts retain the capability to synthesize the 10 essential amino acids, as observed for several symbiont pairs from xylem-feeding Auchenorrhyncha. Nasuia retains genes enabling synthesis of two amino acids, DNA replication, transcription, and translation. Both symbionts have lost genes underlying ATP synthesis through oxidative phosphorylation, possibly as a consequence of the enriched sugar content of phloem. Shared genomic features, including reassignment of the UGA codon from Stop to tryptophan, and phylogenetic results suggest that Nasuia-ALF is most closely related to Zinderia, the betaproteobacterial symbiont of spittlebugs. Thus, Nasuia/Zinderia and Sulcia likely represent ancient associates that have co-resided in hosts since the divergence of leafhoppers and spittlebugs >200 Ma, and possibly since the origin of the Auchenorrhyncha, >260 Ma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon M Bennett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Microbial Diversity Institute, Yale University
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Soto-Arias JP, Groves R, Barak JD. Interaction of phytophagous insects with Salmonella enterica on plants and enhanced persistence of the pathogen with Macrosteles quadrilineatus infestation or Frankliniella occidentalis feeding. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79404. [PMID: 24205384 PMCID: PMC3812026 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 10/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, most foodborne illness outbreaks of salmonellosis have been caused by consumption of contaminated fresh produce. Yet, the mechanisms that allow the human pathogen Salmonella enterica to contaminate and grow in plant environments remain poorly described. We examined the effect of feeding by phytophagous insects on survival of S. enterica on lettuce. Larger S. enterica populations were found on leaves infested with Macrosteles quadrilineatus. In contrast, pathogen populations among plants exposed to Frankliniella occidentalis or Myzus persicae were similar to those without insects. However, on plants infested with F. occidentalis, areas of the infested leaf with feeding damage sustained higher S. enterica populations than areas without damage. The spatial distribution of S. enterica cells on leaves infested with F. occidentalis may be altered resulting in higher populations in feeding lesions or survival may be different across a leaf dependent on local damage. Results suggest the possibility of some specificity with select insects and the persistence of S. enterica. Additionally, we demonstrated the potential for phytophagous insects to become contaminated with S. enterica from contaminated plant material. S. enterica was detected in approximately 50% of all M. quadrilineatus, F. occidentalis, and M. persicae after 24 h exposure to contaminated leaves. Particularly, 17% of F. occidentalis, the smallest of the insects tested, harbored more than 10(2) CFU/F. occidentalis. Our results show that phytophagous insects may influence the population dynamics of S. enterica in agricultural crops. This study provides evidence of a human bacterial pathogen interacting with phytophagous insect during plant infestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Pablo Soto-Arias
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Russell Groves
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Jeri D. Barak
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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