Influence Of Wolbachia Research Articles

Genetic diversity of endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia infecting two mosquito species of the genus Eretmapodites occurring in sympatry in the Comoros archipelago.

The influence of Wolbachia on mosquito reproduction and vector competence has led to renewed interest in studying the genetic diversity of these bacteria and the phenotypes they induced in mosquito vectors. In this study, we focused on two species of Eretmapodites, namely Eretmapodites quinquevittatus and Eretmapodites subsimplicipes, from three islands in the Comoros archipelago (in the Southwestern Indian Ocean). Using the COI gene, we examined the mitochondrial genetic diversity of 879 Eretmapodites individuals from 54 sites. Additionally, we investigated the presence and genetic diversity of Wolbachia using the wsp marker and the diversity of five housekeeping genes commonly used for genotyping through Multiple Locus Sequence Typing (MLST). Overall, Er. quinquevittatus was the most abundant species in the three surveyed islands and both mosquito species occurred in sympatry in most of the investigated sites. We detected a higher mitochondrial genetic diversity in Er. quinquevittatus with 35 reported haplotypes (N = 615 specimens, Hd = 0.481 and π = 0.002) while 13 haplotypes were found in Er. subsimplicipes (N = 205 specimens, Hd = 0.338 and π = 0.001), this difference is likely due to the bias in sampling size between the two species. We report for the first time the presence of Wolbachia in these two Eretmapodites species. The prevalence of Wolbachia infection varied significantly between species, with a low prevalence recorded in Er. quinquevittatus (0.8%, N = 5/627) while infection was close to fixation in Er. subsimplicipes (87.7%, N = 221/252). Both male and female individuals of the two mosquito species appeared to be infected. The analysis of MLST genes revealed the presence of two Wolbachia strains corresponding to two new strain types (STs) within the supergroups A and B, which have been named wEretA and wEretB. These strains were found as mono-infections and are closely related, phylogenetically, to Wolbachia strains previously reported in Drosophila species. Finally, we demonstrate that maternal transmission of Wolbachia is imperfect in Er. subsimplicipes, which could explain the presence of a minority of uninfected individuals in the field.

The Transmission Patterns of the Endosymbiont Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae Adaptive Radiation.

The evolution of endosymbionts and their hosts can lead to highly dynamic interactions with varying fitness effects for both the endosymbiont and host species. Wolbachia, a ubiquitous endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on host fitness. We documented the occurrence and patterns of transmission of Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae and examined the potential contributions of Wolbachia to the rapid diversification of their hosts. Screens for Wolbachia infections across a minimum of 140 species of Hawaiian Drosophila and Scaptomyza revealed species-level infections of 20.0%, and across all 399 samples, a general infection rate of 10.3%. Among the 44 Wolbachia strains we identified using a modified Wolbachia multi-locus strain typing scheme, 30 (68.18%) belonged to supergroup B, five (11.36%) belonged to supergroup A, and nine (20.45%) had alleles with conflicting supergroup assignments. Co-phylogenetic reconciliation analysis indicated that Wolbachia strain diversity within their endemic Hawaiian Drosophilidae hosts can be explained by vertical (e.g., co-speciation) and horizontal (e.g., host switch) modes of transmission. Results from stochastic character trait mapping suggest that horizontal transmission is associated with the preferred oviposition substrate of the host, but not the host's plant family or island of occurrence. For Hawaiian Drosophilid species of conservation concern, with 13 species listed as endangered and 1 listed as threatened, knowledge of Wolbachia strain types, infection status, and potential for superinfection could assist with conservation breeding programs designed to bolster population sizes, especially when wild populations are supplemented with laboratory-reared, translocated individuals. Future research aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanisms of Wolbachia transmission in nature, their impact on the host, and their role in host species formation may shed light on the influence of Wolbachia as an evolutionary driver, especially in Hawaiian ecosystems.

Isolation, characterization and PCR multiplexing of microsatellite loci for two sub-species of terrestrial isopod Porcellio dilatatus (Crustacea, Oniscidea).

Several microsatellite markers have already been developed for different terrestrial isopod species such as Armadillidium vulgare, A. nasatum and Porcellionides pruinosus. In all these species, the endosymbiont Wolbachia has a feminizing effect that generates a female bias in sex ratio and reduces the number of reproductive males. Thus this can potentially decrease the genetic diversity of host populations. However, in some other isopod species, Wolbachia induces cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI); the most commonly described effect of Wolbachia in arthropods. The CI by rendering some crossings incompatible can reduce the gene flow and strengthen genetic differentiation between isopod populations. To date, the influence of Wolbachia inducing CI on population structure of terrestrial isopods has never been investigated. In this study, we developed 10 polymorphic microsatellite markers shared by two sub-species of Porcellio dilatatus. Crossings between the two sub-species are partially incompatible due to two CI-inducing Wolbachia strains. These new microsatellite markers will allow us to investigate the effect of CI on host genetic differentiation in this species complex.

Phylogeographical analysis ofLigia oceanica(Crustacea: Isopoda) reveals two deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages

Isopods of the species Ligia oceanica are typical inhabitants of the rocky intertidal of the northern European coastline. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic structure of this species using mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data. We analysed partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO1) and 16S rRNA gene sequence data of 161 specimens collected from ten sites ranging from Spain to Norway. For selected specimens, we also sequenced the hypervariable V7 expansion segment of the nuclear 18S rRNA gene as a supplementary marker. Furthermore, we studied the infection rate of all analysed specimens by the alphaproteobacterium Wolbachia. Our analyses revealed two deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages for Ligia oceanica that probably diverged in the late Pliocene to mid Pleistocene. One lineage comprised specimens from northern populations (‘lineage N’) and one primarily those from France and Spain (‘lineage S’). Distribution patterns of the haplotypes and the genetic distances between both lineages revealed two populations that diverged before the Last Glacial Maximum. Given that we found no homogenization of mitochondrial haplotypes, our present results also reject any influence of Wolbachia on the observed mtDNA variability. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 112, 16–30.

Implication of the bacterial endosymbiont Rickettsia spp. in interactions of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci with tomato yellow leaf curl virus.

Numerous animal and plant viruses are transmitted by arthropod vectors in a persistent, circulative manner. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is transmitted by the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci. We report here that infection with Rickettsia spp., a facultative endosymbiont of whiteflies, altered TYLCV-B. tabaci interactions. A B. tabaci strain infected with Rickettsia acquired more TYLCV from infected plants, retained the virus longer, and exhibited nearly double the transmission efficiency compared to an uninfected B. tabaci strain with the same genetic background. Temporal and spatial antagonistic relationships were discovered between Rickettsia and TYLCV within the whitefly. In different time course experiments, the levels of virus and Rickettsia within the insect were inversely correlated. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of Rickettsia-infected midguts provided evidence for niche exclusion between Rickettsia and TYLCV. In particular, high levels of the bacterium in the midgut resulted in higher virus concentrations in the filter chamber, a favored site for virus translocation along the transmission pathway, whereas low levels of Rickettsia in the midgut resulted in an even distribution of the virus. Taken together, these results indicate that Rickettsia, by infecting the midgut, increases TYLCV transmission efficacy, adding further insights into the complex association between persistent plant viruses, their insect vectors, and microorganism tenants that reside within these insects. Interest in bacterial endosymbionts in arthropods and many aspects of their host biology in agricultural and human health systems has been increasing. A recent and relevant studied example is the influence of Wolbachia on dengue virus transmission by mosquitoes. In parallel with our recently studied whitefly-Rickettsia-TYLCV system, other studies have shown that dengue virus levels in the mosquito vector are inversely correlated with bacterial load. Our work here presents evidence of unifying principles between vectors of plant and animal viruses in a role for endosymbionts in manipulating vector biology and pathogen transmission. Our results demonstrate the influence of an interesting and prominent bacterial endosymbiont in Bemisia tabaci in TYLCV transmission, a worldwide disease infecting tomatoes. Besides its agricultural importance, this system provides interesting insights into Bemisia interaction with these newly discovered endosymbionts.

Influence of Wolbachia on host gene expression in an obligatory symbiosis

BackgroundWolbachia are intracellular bacteria known to be facultative reproductive parasites of numerous arthropod hosts. Apart from these reproductive manipulations, recent findings indicate that Wolbachia may also modify the host’s physiology, notably its immune function. In the parasitoid wasp, Asobara tabida, Wolbachia is necessary for oogenesis completion, and aposymbiotic females are unable to produce viable offspring. The absence of egg production is also associated with an increase in programmed cell death in the ovaries of aposymbiotic females, suggesting that a mechanism that ensures the maintenance of Wolbachia in the wasp could also be responsible for this dependence. In order to decipher the general mechanisms underlying host-Wolbachia interactions and the origin of the dependence, we developed transcriptomic approaches to compare gene expression in symbiotic and aposymbiotic individuals.ResultsAs no genetic data were available on A. tabida, we constructed several Expressed Sequence Tags (EST) libraries, and obtained 12,551 unigenes from this species. Gene expression was compared between symbiotic and aposymbiotic ovaries through in silico analysis and in vitro subtraction (SSH). As pleiotropic functions involved in immunity and development could play a major role in the establishment of dependence, the expression of genes involved in oogenesis, programmed cell death (PCD) and immunity (broad sense) was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR. We showed that Wolbachia might interfere with these numerous biological processes, in particular some related to oxidative stress regulation. We also showed that Wolbachia may interact with immune gene expression to ensure its persistence within the host.ConclusionsThis study allowed us to constitute the first major dataset of the transcriptome of A. tabida, a species that is a model system for both host/Wolbachia and host/parasitoid interactions. More specifically, our results highlighted that symbiont infection may interfere with numerous pivotal processes at the individual level, suggesting that the impact of Wolbachia should also be investigated beyond reproductive manipulations.

Differentially expressed profiles in the larval testes of Wolbachia infected and uninfected Drosophila

BackgroundWolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria that are frequently found in arthropods and nematodes. These maternally inherited bacteria manipulate host reproduction by several mechanisms including cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI is the most common phenotype induced by Wolbachia and results in the developmental arrest of embryos derived from crosses between Wolbachia-infected males and uninfected females. Although the molecular mechanisms of CI are currently unknown, several studies suggest that host sperm is modified by Wolbachia during spermatogenesis.ResultsWe compared the gene expression of Drosophila melanogaster larval testes with and without the wMel strain of Wolbachia to identify candidate genes that could be involved in the interaction between Wolbachia and the insect host. Microarray, quantitative RT-PCR and in situ hybridization analyses were carried out on D. melanogaster larval testes to determine the effect of Wolbachia infection on host gene expression. A total of 296 genes were identified by microarray analysis to have at least a 1.5 fold change [q-value < 5%] in expression. When comparing Wolbachia-infected flies to uninfected flies, 167 genes were up-regulated and 129 genes down-regulated. Differential expression of genes related to metabolism, immunity, reproduction and other functions were observed. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed 12 genes are differentially expressed in the testes of the 3rd instar larvae of Wolbachia-infected and uninfected flies. In situ hybridization demonstrated that Wolbachia infection changes the expression of several genes putatively associated with spermatogenesis including JH induced protein-26 and Mst84Db, or involved in immune (kenny) or metabolism (CG4988-RA).ConclusionsWolbachia change the gene expression of 296 genes in the larval testes of D. melanogaster including genes related to metabolism, immunity and reproduction. Interestingly, most of the genes putatively involved in immunity were up-regulated in the presence of Wolbachia. In contrast, most of the genes putatively associated with reproduction (especially spermatogenesis) were down-regulated in the presence of Wolbachia. These results suggest Wolbachia may activate the immune pathway but inhibit spermatogenesis. Our data provide a significant panel of candidate genes that may be involved in the interaction between Wolbachia and their insect hosts. This forms a basis to help elucidate the underlying mechanisms of Wolbachia-induced CI in Drosophila and the influence of Wolbachia on spermatogenesis.

Does Wolbachia infection affect Trichogramma atopovirilia behaviour?

Unisexual Trichogramma forms have attracted much attention due to their potential advantages as biocontrol agents. Fitness studies have been performed and understanding the cost that Wolbachia may inflict on their hosts will help in deciding if Wolbachia infected (unisexual) forms are indeed better than sexual forms when used in biological control programmes. The influence of Wolbachia on the foraging behaviour (including walking activity and speed) of T. atopovirilia is reported in this paper. Temperature strongly affected T. atopovirilia female walking activity, but Wolbachia infected and uninfected females differed in none of the behavioural components that were measured such as walking activity and walking speed. Walking activity was highest at 25 masculineC and differed significantly from that at 20 and 15 masculineC. Trichogramma wasps were highly affected at 15 masculineC. Behaviour analysis with females showed that female wasps spend most of the time on drilling + ovipositing on host eggs followed by host drumming and walking while drumming. The parasitism rate and number of offspring did not differ significantly between infected and cured Trichogramma females. Biological control implications of these findings are discussed.

Increased rat alveolar macrophage expression of functional iNOS induced by a Dirofilaria immitis immunoglobulin superfamily protein

Dirofilaria immitis is a worldwide filarial nematode causing heartworm disease in dogs and cats. Several mosquito species, which are able to feed both on humans and animals, can transmit this parasite. Inflammatory progression of host tissues induced by parasites are mediated by several molecules, including nitric oxide (NO), which usually exerts deleterious effects on parasites and occasionally on the host. We analyze the in vitro effect of total D. immitis adult worm somatic antigens on naïve rat alveolar macrophage NO production and further separation of parasite proteins to define specific D. immitis somatic molecules influencing host cell NO secretion. Additionally, we address the possible influence of Wolbachia spp. on the in vitro production of NO by macrophages. Our results demonstrate that D. immitis adult worm soluble antigens are able to specifically induce NO production from host macrophages. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this effect is due to nematode antigens rather than to defined components (LPS and metabolic molecules) derived from its endosymbiont, Wolbachia spp. In addition, we were able to isolate and identify one of the parasite specific components from the DiSo extract, denominated DiID35.3 and putatively belonging to the Immunoglobulin Superfamily Protein (ISP) group, triggering NO release from macrophages in a dose-dependent and specific manner.

High levels of genetic differentiation between Wolbachia-infected and non-infected populations of Folsomia candida (Collembola, Isotomidae)

Summary The Gram-negative α -Proteobacterium Wolbachia pipientis has been described as an obligate endosymbiont in many arthropod species, where it induces a variety of reproductive alterations, including parthenogenesis. Recently, this microorganism has also been detected in the parthenogenetic collembolan Folsomia candida . Here, we confirm the occurrence of the endosymbiont also in two Italian parthenogenetic populations of F. candida using ultrastructural (electron microscopy) and molecular (PCR screening on two bacterial genes) evidence. The strain isolated in the Italian populations has almost-identical gene sequences compared to that previously isolated in other populations of F. candida . In addition, we discovered a population of Folsomia cf. candida , which showed the presence of both males and females. This population is not infected by Wolbachia . A screening of two mitochondrial genes ( COI and COII ) showed that the bisexual population has high levels of genetic divergence in comparison with the parthenogenetic ones, even suggesting the possibility that it belongs to a different species. Furthermore, the remarkably high levels of genetic divergence between the two parthenogenetic populations suggests a possible influence of Wolbachia on inducing such differentiation, and, in the long term, speciation.