Dynamics of an Ongoing Wolbachia Spread in the European Cherry Fruit Fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Martin Schebeck,Lukas Feldkirchner,Hannes Schuler,Christian Stauffer

doi:10.3390/insects10060172

Martin Schebeck, Lukas Feldkirchner + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10060172

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Abstract

Numerous terrestrial arthropods are infected with the alphaproteobacterium Wolbachia. This endosymbiont is usually transmitted vertically from infected females to their offspring and can alter the reproduction of hosts through various manipulations, like cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), enhancing its spread in new host populations. Studies on the spatial and temporal dynamics of Wolbachia under natural conditions are scarce. Here, we analyzed Wolbachia infection frequencies in populations of the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (L.), in central Germany—an area of an ongoing spread of the CI-inducing strain wCer2. In total, 295 individuals from 19 populations were PCR-screened for the presence of wCer2 and their mitochondrial haplotype. Results were compared with historic data to understand the infection dynamics of the ongoing wCer2 invasion. An overall wCer2 infection frequency of about 30% was found, ranging from 0% to 100% per population. In contrast to an expected smooth transition from wCer2-infected to completely wCer2-uninfected populations, a relatively scattered infection pattern across geography was observed. Moreover, a strong Wolbachia-haplotype association was detected, with only a few rare misassociations. Our results show a complex dynamic of an ongoing Wolbachia spread in natural field populations of R. cerasi.

Highlights

Heritable bacterial endosymbionts are present in a broad range of arthropods with intriguing effects on the ecology and evolution of numerous species [1,2]
By manipulating the reproduction through the induction of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), parthenogenesis, feminization, and male-killing, bacterial endosymbionts increase the fitness of infected females and enhance their frequency in host populations [3,4]
One of the most common bacterial endosymbionts that can manipulate arthropod reproduction is Wolbachia [11]. This bacterium has been estimated to infect more than 50% of terrestrial arthropod species [1] and is present in numerous hexapods, crustaceans, chelicerates, and nematodes [11]

Summary

Introduction

Heritable bacterial endosymbionts are present in a broad range of arthropods with intriguing effects on the ecology and evolution of numerous species [1,2]. By manipulating the reproduction through the induction of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), parthenogenesis, feminization, and male-killing, bacterial endosymbionts increase the fitness of infected females and enhance their frequency in host populations [3,4]. One of the most common bacterial endosymbionts that can manipulate arthropod reproduction is Wolbachia [11]. This bacterium has been estimated to infect more than 50% of terrestrial arthropod species [1] and is present in numerous hexapods, crustaceans, chelicerates, and nematodes [11]

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