Abstract
The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a cosmopolitan insect species complex that harbors the obligate primary symbiont Portiera aleyrodidarum and several facultative secondary symbionts including Wolbachia, which have diverse influences on the host biology. Here, for the first time, we revealed two different localization patterns of Wolbachia present in the immature and adult stages of B. tabaci AsiaII7 cryptic species. In the confined pattern, Wolbachia was restricted to the bacteriocytes, while in the scattered pattern Wolbachia localized in the bacteriocytes, haemolymph and other organs simultaneously. Our results further indicated that, the proportion of B. tabaci AsiaII7 individuals with scattered Wolbachia were significantly lower than that of confined Wolbachia, and the distribution patterns of Wolbachia were not associated with the developmental stage or sex of whitefly host. This study will provide a new insight into the various transmission routes of Wolbachia in different whitefly species.
Highlights
The associations among inherited bacterial symbionts and arthropods are very common in nature [1, 2], and these symbionts can be defined as primary or secondary ones as per their biological effects on arthropod hosts
We propose that Wolbachia can have varied localization patterns in B. tabaci AsiaII7 host and these patterns may not relate to the developmental stages of its whitefly host
The population was firstly reared on the same plant species in separate greenhouses at South China Agricultural University (SCAU) with ambient temperature, photoperiod and humidity, and a subcolony was reared under constant laboratory conditions (26.0±0.5°C, RH 70–80%, 14:10 L:D photoperiod; light intensity was approximately 3000Lux) for experimental use
Summary
The associations among inherited bacterial symbionts and arthropods are very common in nature [1, 2], and these symbionts can be defined as primary or secondary ones as per their biological effects on arthropod hosts. The primary endosymbionts become part of the “extended genome” of their host, being transferred vertically from a female host to her progeny [4]. Secondary endosymbionts are usually not required for the survival or reproduction of their hosts, but they may manipulate host reproduction, or help in the host’s defense against thermal stress, natural enemies and pathogens [5,6,7,8]. Similar to the primary endosymbionts, secondary endosymbionts are usually present in the gonads of hosts and can be transmitted vertically [9]. Sometimes they are PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0162558. Sometimes they are PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0162558 September 9, 2016
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
