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Reese C, Graber LC, Ramalho MO, Moreau CS. The Diversity of Wolbachia across the Turtle Ants (Formicidae: Cephalotes spp.). BIOLOGY 2024; 13:121. [PMID: 38392339 PMCID: PMC10886965 DOI: 10.3390/biology13020121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Wolbachia is a widespread and well-known bacterium that can induce a wide range of changes within its host. Ants specifically harbor a great deal of Wolbachia diversity and are useful systems to study endosymbiosis. The turtle ants (Cephalotes) are a widespread group of tropical ants that rely on gut microbes to support their herbivorous diet for their survival, yet little is known of the extent of this diversity. Therefore, studying their endosymbionts and categorizing the diversity of bacteria within Cephalotes hosts could help to delimit species and identify new strains and can help lead to a further understanding of how the microbiome leads to survival and speciation in the wild. In our study, 116 individual samples were initially tested for positive infection with the wsp gene. Of the initial 116 samples, 9 samples were infected with only one strain of Wolbachia, and 7 were able to be used successfully for multilocus sequence typing (MLST). We used the new MLST data to infer a phylogeny with other Formicidae samples from the MLST online database to identify new Wolbachia strains and related genes, of which only one came back as an exact match. The 18 Wolbachia-positive samples ranged across 15 different species and 7 different countries, which we further test for species identity and geographic correlation. This study is the first comprehensive look into the diversity of Wolbachia in the turtle ants, providing insight into how endosymbionts are oriented in widespread species and providing a strong foundation for further research in host-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey Reese
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Leland C Graber
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Manuela O Ramalho
- Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383, USA
| | - Corrie S Moreau
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Yang J, Huang X, Yang H, Wang Y, Zhang X, Zheng X. The complete mitochondrial genome of Nycteribia parvula Speiser, 1901 (Diptera, Nycteribiidae). Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2023; 8:276-280. [PMID: 36860476 PMCID: PMC9970243 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2023.2169573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Species of the family Nycteribiidae are blood-sucking ectoparasites that parasitize bats. To further enrich the molecular data of species in the family Nycteribiidae, the complete mitochondrial genome of Nycteribia parvula was sequenced for the first time in this study. The complete mitochondrial genome of N. parvula is 16,060 base pairs (bp) in size, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a control region. The nucleotide contents of A, T, G, and C are respectively 40.86%, 42.19%, 6.51%, and 10.44%. The phylogenetic analysis based on 13 PCGs supports the monophyly of the family Nycteribiidae, and N. parvula is the closest relative to Phthiridium szechuanum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinting Yang
- Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Xiaobin Huang
- Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, Dali, China,CONTACT Xiaobin Huang Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Huijuan Yang
- Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Yujuan Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Xianzheng Zhang
- Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zheng
- Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, Dali, China
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Investigating the Diversity of Wolbachia across the Spiny Ants (Polyrhachis). DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Among insects, Wolbachia is an exceedingly common bacterial endosymbiont with a range of consequences of infection. Despite the frequency of Wolbachia infection, very little is known about this bacteria’s diversity and role within hosts, especially within ant hosts. In this study, we analyze the occurrence and diversity of Wolbachia across the spiny ants (Polyrhachis), a large and geographically diverse genus. Polyrhachis samples from throughout the host genus’ phylogenetic and biogeographical range were first screened for single infections of Wolbachia using the wsp gene and Sanger sequencing. The multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme was then used on these singly infected samples to identify the Wolbachia strains. A Wolbachia phylogeny was inferred from the Polyrhachis samples analyzed in this study as well as other Formicidae MLST profiles from the MLST online database. We hypothesized that three key host factors were impacting Wolbachia diversity within the Polyrhachis genus: biogeography, phylogeny, and species level. The results suggest that the phylogeny and biogeography of Polyrhachis hosts have no impact on Wolbachia diversity; however, species level may have some limited influence. Additionally, Wolbachia strains appear to group according to being either Old World or New World strains. Among the taxa able to form complete MLST allelic profiles, all twenty are seemingly new strains.
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Tseng SP, Darras H, Hsu PW, Yoshimura T, Lee CY, Wetterer JK, Keller L, Yang CCS. Genetic analysis reveals the putative native range and widespread double-clonal reproduction in the invasive longhorn crazy ant. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1020-1033. [PMID: 36527320 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Clonal reproduction can provide an advantage for invasive species to establish as it can circumvent inbreeding depression which often plagues introduced populations. The world's most widespread invasive ant, Paratrechina longicornis, was previously found to display a double-clonal reproduction system, whereby both males and queens are produced clonally, resulting in separate male and queen lineages, while workers are produced sexually. Under this unusual reproduction mode, inbreeding is avoided in workers as they carry hybrid interlineage genomes. Despite the ubiquitous distribution of P. longicornis, the significance of this reproductive system for the ant's remarkable success remains unclear, as its prevalence is still unknown. Further investigation into the controversial native origin of P. longicornis is also required to reconstruct the evolutionary histories of double-clonal lineages. Here, we examine genetic variation and characterize the reproduction mode of P. longicornis populations sampled worldwide using microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA sequences to infer the ant's putative native range and the distribution of the double-clonal reproductive system. Analyses of global genetic variations indicate that the Indian subcontinent is a genetic diversity hotspot of this species, suggesting that P. longicornis probably originates from this geographical area. Our analyses revealed that both the inferred native and introduced populations exhibit double-clonal reproduction, with queens and males around the globe belonging to two separate, nonrecombining clonal lineages. By contrast, workers are highly heterozygous because they are first-generation interlineage hybrids. Overall, these data indicate a worldwide prevalence of double clonality in P. longicornis and support the prediction that the unusual genetic system may have pre-adapted this ant for global colonization by maintaining heterozygosity in the worker force and alleviating genetic bottlenecks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Ping Tseng
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA.,Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hugo Darras
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Po-Wei Hsu
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Yoshimura
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Chow-Yang Lee
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - James K Wetterer
- Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Laurent Keller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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Ramalho MO, Moreau CS. Untangling the complex interactions between turtle ants and their microbial partners. Anim Microbiome 2023; 5:1. [PMID: 36597141 PMCID: PMC9809061 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00223-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To understand the patterns of biodiversity it is important to consider symbiotic interactions as they can shape animal evolution. In several ant genera symbiotic interactions with microbial communities have been shown to have profound impacts for the host. For example, we know that for Camponotini the gut community can upgrade the host's diet and is shaped by development and colony interactions. However, what is true for one ant group may not be true for another. For the microbial communities that have been examined across ants we see variation in the diversity, host factors that structure these communities, and the function these microbes provide for the host. In the herbivorous turtle ants (Cephalotes) their stable symbiotic interactions with gut bacteria have persisted for 50 million years with the gut bacteria synthesizing essential amino acids that are used by the host. Although we know the function for some of these turtle ant-associated bacteria there are still many open questions. RESULTS In the present study we examined microbial community diversity (16S rRNA and 18S rRNA amplicons) of more than 75 species of turtle ants across different geographic locations and in the context of the host's phylogenetic history. Our results show (1) that belonging to a certain species and biogeographic regions are relevant to structuring the microbial community of turtle ants; (2) both bacterial and eukaryotic communities demonstrated correlations and cooccurrence within the ant host; (3) within the core bacterial community, Burkholderiaceae bacterial lineage were the only group that showed strong patterns of codiversification with the host, which is remarkable since the core bacterial community is stable and persistent. CONCLUSIONS We concluded that for the turtle ants there is a diverse and evolutionarily stable core bacterial community, which leads to interesting questions about what microbial or host factors influence when these partner histories become evolutionarily intertwined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela O. Ramalho
- grid.268132.c0000 0001 0701 2416Department of Biology, West Chester University, 750 South Church Street, West Chester, PA 19383 USA
| | - Corrie S. Moreau
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
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Multiple invasions, Wolbachia and human-aided transport drive the genetic variability of Aedes albopictus in the Iberian Peninsula. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20682. [PMID: 36450768 PMCID: PMC9712423 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24963-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is one of the most invasive species in the world. Native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, over the past 30 years it has rapidly spread throughout tropical and temperate regions of the world. Its dramatic expansion has resulted in public health concerns as a consequence of its vector competence for at least 16 viruses. Previous studies showed that Ae. albopictus spread has been facilitated by human-mediated transportation, but much remains unknown about how this has affected its genetic attributes. Here we examined the factors that contributed to shaping the current genetic constitution of Ae. albopictus in the Iberian Peninsula, where the species was first found in 2004, by combining population genetics and Bayesian modelling. We found that both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers showed a lack of genetic structure and the presence of worldwide dominant haplotypes, suggesting regular introductions from abroad. Mitochondrial DNA showed little genetic diversity compared to nuclear DNA, likely explained by infection with maternally transmitted bacteria of the genus Wolbachia. Multilevel models revealed that greater mosquito fluxes (estimated from commuting patterns and tiger mosquito population distribution) and spatial proximity between sampling sites were associated with lower nuclear genetic distance, suggesting that rapid short- and medium-distance dispersal is facilitated by humans through vehicular traffic. This study highlights the significant role of human transportation in shaping the genetic attributes of Ae. albopictus and promoting regional gene flow, and underscores the need for a territorially integrated surveillance across scales of this disease-carrying mosquito.
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Andrianto E, Kasai A. Wolbachia in Black Spiny Whiteflies and Their New Parasitoid Wasp in Japan: Evidence of the Distinct Infection Status on Aleurocanthus camelliae Cryptic Species Complex. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13090788. [PMID: 36135489 PMCID: PMC9502694 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia, an alphaproteobacterial reproductive parasite, can cause profound mitochondrial divergence in insects, which might eventually be a part of cryptic speciation. Aleurocanthus camelliae is a cryptic species complex consisting of several morphospecies and/or haplotypes that are genetically different but morphologically indistinctive. However, little is known about the Wolbachia infection status in these tea and Citrus pests. Thus, this study aimed to profile the diversity and phenotypic characteristics of Wolbachia natural infections in the A. camelliae cryptic species complex. A monophyletic strain of Wolbachia that infected the A. camelliae cryptic species complex (wAlec) with different patterns was discovered. Whiteflies that are morphologically identical to Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Aleurocanthus cf. A. spiniferus in Eurya japonica and A. spiniferus in Citrus) were grouped into uninfected populations, whereas the fixed infection was detected in A. camelliae B1 from Theaceae. The rapid evolution of wAlec was also found to occur through a high recombination event, which produced subgroups A and B in wAlec. It may also be associated with the non-cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) phenotype of wAlec due to undetectable CI-related genes from phage WO (WOAlec). The current discovery of a novel cryptic species of A. camelliae led to a discussion about the oscillation hypothesis, which may provide insights on cryptic speciation, particularly on how specialization and host expansion have been recorded among these species. This study also identified a parasitoid wasp belonging to the genus Eretmocerus in A. camelliae, for the first time in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eko Andrianto
- Science of Biological Environment, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science (UGSAS), Gifu University, Gifu City 501-1193, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +81-054-238-4790
| | - Atsushi Kasai
- Department of Bioresource Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka City 422-8528, Japan
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Fernández MB, Bleidorn C, Calcaterra LA. Wolbachia Infection in Native Populations of the Invasive Tawny Crazy Ant Nylanderia fulva. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 2:905803. [PMID: 38468766 PMCID: PMC10926365 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2022.905803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Antagonistic interactions can affect population growth and dispersal of an invasive species. Wolbachia are intracellular endosymbiont bacteria that infect arthropod and nematode hosts and are able to manipulate reproduction, which in some cases leads to cocladogenesis. Moreover, the presence of the strictly maternally transferred Wolbachia in a population can indirectly induce selective sweeps on the hosts' mitochondria. Ants have a Wolbachia infection rate of about 34%, which makes phylogenetic studies using mitochondrial markers vulnerable of being confounded by the effect of the endosymbiont. Nylanderia fulva is an invasive ant native to South America, considered a pest in the United States. Its distribution and biology are poorly known in its native range, and the taxonomic identity of this and its closely related species, Nylanderia pubens, has only recently been understood with the aid of molecular phylogenies. Aiming at estimating robust phylogenetic relationships of N. fulva in its native range, we investigated the presence and pattern of Wolbachia infection in populations of N. fulva from Argentina, part of its native range, to account for its possible effect on the host population structure. Using the ftsZ gene, 30 nests of N. fulva and four from sympatric Nylanderia species were screened for the presence of Wolbachia. We sequenced the MLST genes, the highly variable gene wsp, as well as glyQ, a novel target gene for which new primers were designed. Phylogeny of the ants was estimated using mtDNA (COI). We found supergroup A Wolbachia strains infecting 73% of N. fulva nests and two nests of Nylanderia sp. 1. Wolbachia phylogenetic tree inferred with MLST genes is partially congruent with the host phylogeny topology, with the exception of a lineage of strains shared by ants from different N. fulva clades. Furthermore, by comparing with Wolbachia sequences infecting other ants, we found that the strains infecting different N. fulva clades are not monophyletic. Our findings suggest there are three recent independent horizontally transmitted Wolbachia infections in N. fulva, and we found no evidence of influence of Wolbachia in the host mtDNA based phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Belén Fernández
- Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas (FuEDEI), Hurlingham, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Christoph Bleidorn
- Animal Evolution and Biodiversity, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Luis Alberto Calcaterra
- Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas (FuEDEI), Hurlingham, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Ün Ç, Schultner E, Manzano-Marín A, Flórez LV, Seifert B, Heinze J, Oettler J. Cytoplasmic incompatibility between Old and New World populations of a tramp ant. Evolution 2021; 75:1775-1791. [PMID: 34047357 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive manipulation by endosymbiotic Wolbachia can cause unequal inheritance, allowing the manipulator to spread and potentially impacting evolutionary dynamics in infected hosts. Tramp and invasive species are excellent models to study the dynamics of host-Wolbachia associations because introduced populations often diverge in their microbiomes after colonizing new habitats, resulting in infection polymorphisms between native and introduced populations. Ants are the most abundant group of insects on earth, and numerous ant species are classified as highly invasive. However, little is known about the role of Wolbachia in these ecologically dominant insects. Here, we provide the first description of reproductive manipulation by Wolbachia in an ant. We show that Old and New World populations of the cosmotropic tramp ant Cardiocondyla obscurior harbor distinct Wolbachia strains, and that only the Old World strain manipulates host reproduction by causing cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in hybrid crosses. By uncovering a symbiont-induced mechanism of reproductive isolation in a social insect, our study provides a novel perspective on the biology of tramp ants and introduces a new system for studying the evolutionary consequences of CI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Çiğdem Ün
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93053, Germany
| | - Eva Schultner
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93053, Germany
| | - Alejandro Manzano-Marín
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Laura V Flórez
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Evolutionary Ecology Department, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, 55128, Germany
| | - Bernhard Seifert
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, Görlitz, 02826, Germany
| | - Jürgen Heinze
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93053, Germany
| | - Jan Oettler
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93053, Germany
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Lucek K, Bouaouina S, Jospin A, Grill A, de Vos JM. Prevalence and relationship of endosymbiotic Wolbachia in the butterfly genus Erebia. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:95. [PMID: 34020585 PMCID: PMC8140509 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01822-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wolbachia is an endosymbiont common to most invertebrates, which can have significant evolutionary implications for its host species by acting as a barrier to gene flow. Despite the importance of Wolbachia, still little is known about its prevalence and diversification pattern among closely related host species. Wolbachia strains may phylogenetically coevolve with their hosts, unless horizontal host-switches are particularly common. We address these issues in the genus Erebia, one of the most diverse Palearctic butterfly genera. RESULTS We sequenced the Wolbachia genome from a strain infecting Erebia cassioides and showed that it belongs to the Wolbachia supergroup B, capable of infecting arthropods from different taxonomic orders. The prevalence of Wolbachia across 13 closely related Erebia host species based on extensive population-level genetic data revealed that multiple Wolbachia strains jointly infect all investigated taxa, but with varying prevalence. Finally, the phylogenetic relationships of Wolbachia strains are in some cases significantly associated to that of their hosts, especially among the most closely related Erebia species, demonstrating mixed evidence for phylogenetic coevolution. CONCLUSIONS Closely related host species can be infected by closely related Wolbachia strains, evidencing some phylogenetic coevolution, but the actual pattern of infection more often reflects historical or contemporary geographic proximity among host species. Multiple processes, including survival in distinct glacial refugia, recent host shifts in sympatry, and a loss of Wolbachia during postglacial range expansion seem to have jointly shaped the complex interactions between Wolbachia evolution and the diversification of its host among our studied Erebia species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay Lucek
- Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH- 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Selim Bouaouina
- Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH- 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Amanda Jospin
- Laboratory of Functional Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Grill
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jurriaan M de Vos
- Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH- 4056, Basel, Switzerland
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Azrizal-Wahid N, Sofian-Azirun M, Low VL. Flea-borne pathogens in the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis and their association with mtDNA diversity of the flea host. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 75:101621. [PMID: 33609991 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Flea-borne pathogens were screened from 100 individual cat fleas using a PCR approach, of which 38 % were infected with at least one bacterium. Overall, 28 % of the flea samples were positive for Bartonella as inferred from ITS DNA region. Of these, 25 % (7/28) were identified as Bartonella clarridgeiae, 42.9 % (12/28) as Bartonella henselae consisted of two different strains, and 32.1 % (9/28) as Bartonella koehlerae, which was detected for the first time in Malaysia. Sequencing of gltA amplicons detected Rickettsia DNA in 14 % of cat flea samples, all of them identified as Rickettsia asembonensis (100 %). None of the flea samples were positive for Mycoplasma DNA in 16S rRNA gene detection. Four fleas were co-infected with Bartonella and Rickettsia DNAs. Statistical analyses reveal no significant association between bacterial infection and mtDNA diversity of the cat flea. Nevertheless, in all types of pathogen infections, infected populations demonstrated lower nucleotide and haplotype diversities compared to uninfected populations. Moreover, lower haplotype numbers were observed in infected populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Azrizal-Wahid
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Sofian-Azirun
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Van Lun Low
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Ding H, Yeo H, Puniamoorthy N. Wolbachia infection in wild mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae): implications for transmission modes and host-endosymbiont associations in Singapore. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:612. [PMID: 33298138 PMCID: PMC7724734 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04466-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia are intracellular bacterial endosymbionts found in most insect lineages. In mosquitoes, the influence of these endosymbionts on host reproduction and arboviral transmission has spurred numerous studies aimed at using Wolbachia infection as a vector control technique. However, there are several knowledge gaps in the literature and little is known about natural Wolbachia infection across species, their transmission modes, or associations between various Wolbachia lineages and their hosts. This study aims to address these gaps by exploring mosquito-Wolbachia associations and their evolutionary implications. Methods We conducted tissue-specific polymerase chain reaction screening for Wolbachia infection in the leg, gut and reproductive tissues of wild mosquitoes from Singapore using the Wolbachia surface protein gene (wsp) molecular marker. Mosquito-Wolbachia associations were explored using three methods—tanglegram, distance-based, and event-based methods—and by inferred instances of vertical transmission and host shifts. Results Adult mosquitoes (271 specimens) representing 14 genera and 40 species were screened for Wolbachia. Overall, 21 species (51.2%) were found positive for Wolbachia, including five in the genus Aedes and five in the genus Culex. To our knowledge, Wolbachia infections have not been previously reported in seven of these 21 species: Aedes nr. fumidus, Aedes annandalei, Uranotaenia obscura, Uranotaenia trilineata, Verrallina butleri, Verrallina sp. and Zeugnomyia gracilis. Wolbachia were predominantly detected in the reproductive tissues, which is an indication of vertical transmission. However, Wolbachia infection rates varied widely within a mosquito host species. There was no clear signal of cophylogeny between the mosquito hosts and the 12 putative Wolbachia strains observed in this study. Host shift events were also observed. Conclusions Our results suggest that the mosquito-Wolbachia relationship is complex and that combinations of transmission modes and multiple evolutionary events likely explain the observed distribution of Wolbachia diversity across mosquito hosts. These findings have implications for a better understanding of the diversity and ecology of Wolbachia and for their utility as biocontrol agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huicong Ding
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558, Singapore
| | - Huiqing Yeo
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558, Singapore
| | - Nalini Puniamoorthy
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558, Singapore.
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Lee CC, Lin CY, Tseng SP, Matsuura K, Yang CCS. Ongoing Coevolution of Wolbachia and a Widespread Invasive Ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1569. [PMID: 33053771 PMCID: PMC7601630 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8101569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
While Wolbachia are commonly found among arthropods, intraspecific infection rates can vary substantially across the geographic populations. Here we report nearly 100% prevalence of Wolbachia in the global populations of the yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes. To understand coevolutionary history between Wolbachia and A. gracilipes, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Wolbachia from the ant across 12 geographical regions and compared the phylogeny of SNP-based Wolbachia to patterns of the ant's mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation. Our results revealed a strong concordance between phylogenies of Wolbachia and host mtDNA, providing immediate evidence of co-divergence. Among eight identified SNP loci separating the genetic clusters of Wolbachia, seven loci are located in potential protein-coding genes, three of which being non-synonymous SNPs that may influence gene functions. We found a Wolbachia hypothetical protein gene with signature of positive selection. These findings jointly allow us to characterize Wolbachia-ant coevolution and also raise a question about mechanism(s) underlying maintenance of high prevalence of Wolbachia during the colonization of this invasive ant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Chi Lee
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan;
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan;
| | - Chun-Yi Lin
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan;
| | - Shu-Ping Tseng
- Department of Entomology, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA;
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan;
| | - Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan;
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402204, Taiwan
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Ramalho MDO, Martins C, Morini MSC, Bueno OC. What Can the Bacterial Community of Atta sexdens (Linnaeus, 1758) Tell Us about the Habitats in Which This Ant Species Evolves? INSECTS 2020; 11:E332. [PMID: 32481532 PMCID: PMC7349130 DOI: 10.3390/insects11060332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Studies of bacterial communities can reveal the evolutionary significance of symbiotic interactions between hosts and their associated bacteria, as well as identify environmental factors that may influence host biology. Atta sexdens is an ant species native to Brazil that can act as an agricultural pest due to its intense behavior of cutting plants. Despite being extensively studied, certain aspects of the general biology of this species remain unclear, such as the evolutionary implications of the symbiotic relationships it forms with bacteria. Using high-throughput amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes, we compared for the first time the bacterial community of A. sexdens (whole ant workers) populations according to the habitat (natural versus agricultural) and geographical location. Our results revealed that the bacterial community associated with A. sexdens is mainly influenced by the geographical location, and secondarily by the differences in habitat. Also, the bacterial community associated with citrus differed significantly from the other communities due to the presence of Tsukamurella. In conclusion, our study suggests that environmental shifts may influence the bacterial diversity found in A. sexdens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela de Oliveira Ramalho
- Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais—CEIS, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Campus Rio Claro, Avenida 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil;
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 129 Garden Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Cintia Martins
- Campus Ministro Reis Velloso, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Av. São Sebastião, 2819, Parnaíba, Piauí 64202-020, Brazil;
| | - Maria Santina Castro Morini
- Núcleo de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Av. Dr. Cândido Xavier de Almeida e Souza, 200, Centro Cívico, Mogi das Cruzes 08780-911, SP, Brazil;
| | - Odair Correa Bueno
- Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais—CEIS, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Campus Rio Claro, Avenida 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil;
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Evidence for Common Horizontal Transmission of Wolbachia among Ants and Ant Crickets: Kleptoparasitism Added to the List. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8060805. [PMID: 32471038 PMCID: PMC7355411 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
While Wolbachia, an intracellular bacterial symbiont, is primarily transmitted maternally in arthropods, horizontal transmission between species has been commonly documented. We examined kleptoparasitism as a potential mechanism for Wolbachia horizontal transmission, using ant crickets and their host ants as the model system. We compared prevalence and diversity of Wolbachia across multiple ant cricket species with different degrees of host specificity/integration level. Our analyses revealed at least three cases of inter-ordinal Wolbachia transfer among ant and ant crickets, and also showed that ant cricket species with high host-integration and host-specificity tend to harbor a higher Wolbachia prevalence and diversity than other types of ant crickets. This study provides empirical evidence that distribution of Wolbachia across ant crickets is largely attributable to horizontal transmission, but also elucidates the role of intimate ecological association in successful Wolbachia horizontal transmission.
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Detcharoen M, Arthofer W, Jiggins FM, Steiner FM, Schlick‐Steiner BC. Wolbachia affect behavior and possibly reproductive compatibility but not thermoresistance, fecundity, and morphology in a novel transinfected host, Drosophila nigrosparsa. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:4457-4470. [PMID: 32489610 PMCID: PMC7246211 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia, intracellular endosymbionts, are estimated to infect about half of all arthropod species. These bacteria manipulate their hosts in various ways for their maximum benefits. The rising global temperature may accelerate species migration, and thus, horizontal transfer of Wolbachia may occur across species previously not in contact. We transinfected and then cured the alpine fly Drosophila nigrosparsa with Wolbachia strain wMel to study its effects on this species. We found low Wolbachia titer, possibly cytoplasmic incompatibility, and an increase in locomotion of both infected larvae and adults compared with cured ones. However, no change in fecundity, no impact on heat and cold tolerance, and no change in wing morphology were observed. Although Wolbachia increased locomotor activities in this species, we conclude that D. nigrosparsa may not benefit from the infection. Still, D. nigrosparsa can serve as a host for Wolbachia because vertical transmission is possible but may not be as high as in the native host of wMel, Drosophila melanogaster.
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