Abstract
Wolbachia (Hertig) endosymbionts are extensively studied in a wide range of organisms and are known to be transmitted through the egg cytoplasm to the offsping. Wolbachia may cause several types of reproductive modifications in arthropods. In Trichogramma species, parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia bacteria allow females wasps to produce daughters from unfertilized eggs and these bacteria are present in at least 9% of all Trichogramma species. Phylogenetic studies have led to the subdivision of the Wolbachia clade in five supergroups (A, B, C, D and E) and Wolbachia from Trichogramma belong to supergroup B. Here, using the wsp gene, four groups of Wolbachia that infect Trichogramma species were distinguished and the addition of a new group "Ato" was suggested due to the addition of Wolbachia from Trichogramma atopovirilia (Oatman and Platner). Specific primers were designed and tested for the "Ato" group. Seventy-five percent of all evaluated Wolbachia strains from Trichogramma fell within "Sib" group.
Highlights
Wolbachia (Hertig) (Rickettsiaceae) symbionts have been extensively studied in a wide range of organisms and are estimated to be present in over 16% of insect species infected in Panama (Werren et al, 1995b), in 22% of British insects (West et al, 1998) and 19.3% of the temperate North American insects, including the major orders Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and Orthoptera (Werren and Windsor, 2000)
Parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia bacteria allow infected female to produce offspring from unfertilized eggs due to a first mitotic division modification (Stouthamer and Kazmer, 1994) and the genetic basis for the loss of female sexual function could be explained by a dominant nuclear effect (Russell and Stouthamer, 2011); (4) fecundity increase of the host for the egg parasitoid Trichogramma bourarachae (Pintureau and Babault, 1980; Vavre et al, 1999b) and (5) male-killing in a wide range of insects
The Wolbachia strain that infects T. atopovirilia species was first reported from Brazil by Ciociola Junior et al (2001)
Summary
Wolbachia (Hertig) (Rickettsiaceae) symbionts have been extensively studied in a wide range of organisms and are estimated to be present in over 16% of insect species infected in Panama (Werren et al, 1995b), in 22% of British insects (West et al, 1998) and 19.3% of the temperate North American insects, including the major orders Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and Orthoptera (Werren and Windsor, 2000).Wolbachia infects the reproductive tissues of arthropods, are transmitted through the egg cytoplasm and causeBraz. Parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia bacteria allow infected female to produce offspring from unfertilized eggs due to a first mitotic division modification (Stouthamer and Kazmer, 1994) and the genetic basis for the loss of female sexual function could be explained by a dominant nuclear effect (Russell and Stouthamer, 2011); (4) fecundity increase of the host for the egg parasitoid Trichogramma bourarachae (Pintureau and Babault, 1980; Vavre et al, 1999b) and (5) male-killing in a wide range of insects. This is a case in which inherited bacteria kill male hosts during early development (Dyson et al, 2002); (6) complete dependence on Wolbachia for egg development (Dedeine et al, 2001)
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