Molecular Evidence of Wolbachia Infection in Natural Populations of Tropical Odonates

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Apisit Thipaksorn ◽  
Wanwisa Jamnongluk ◽  
Pattamaporn Kittayapong
Keyword(s):  
Natural Populations ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Molecular Evidence

Offsetting Effects of Wolbachia Infection and Heat Shock on Sperm Production inDrosophila simulans: Analyses of Fecundity, Fertility and Accessory Gland Proteins

Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda R Snook ◽  
Sophia Y Cleland ◽  
Mariana F Wolfner ◽  
Timothy L Karr
Keyword(s):  
Heat Shock ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Reproductive Factors ◽  
Male Gamete ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Accessory Gland ◽  
Sperm Production ◽  
Accessory Gland Proteins ◽  
Mating Conditions

AbstractInfection in Drosophila simulans with the endocellular symbiont Wolbachia pipientis results in egg lethality caused by failure to properly initiate diploid development (cytoplasmic incompatibility, CI). The relationship between Wolbachia infection and reproductive factors influencing male fitness has not been well examined. Here we compare infected and uninfected strains of D. simulans for (1) sperm production, (2) male fertility, and (3) the transfer and processing of two accessory gland proteins, Acp26Aa or Acp36De. Infected males produced significantly fewer sperm cysts than uninfected males over the first 10 days of adult life, and infected males, under varied mating conditions, had lower fertility compared to uninfected males. This fertility effect was due to neither differences between infected and uninfected males in the transfer and subsequent processing of accessory gland proteins by females nor to the presence of Wolbachia in mature sperm. We found that heat shock, which is known to decrease CI expression, increases sperm production to a greater extent in infected compared to uninfected males, suggesting a possible link between sperm production and heat shock. Given these results, the roles Wolbachia and heat shock play in mediating male gamete production may be important parameters for understanding the dynamics of infection in natural populations.

Wolbachia and Cytoplasmic Incompatibility in the CaliforniaCulex pipiensMosquito Species Complex: Parameter Estimates and Infection Dynamics in Natural Populations

Genetics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 165 (4) ◽  
pp. 2029-2038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason L Rasgon ◽  
Thomas W Scott
Keyword(s):  
Species Complex ◽  
Cytoplasmic Incompatibility ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Field Conditions ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Infection Frequency ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Vector Borne

AbstractBefore maternally inherited bacterial symbionts like Wolbachia, which cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI; reduced hatch rate) when infected males mate with uninfected females, can be used in a program to control vector-borne diseases it is essential to understand their dynamics of infection in natural arthropod vector populations. Our study had four goals: (1) quantify the number of Wolbachia strains circulating in the California Culex pipiens species complex, (2) investigate Wolbachia infection frequencies and distribution in natural California populations, (3) estimate the parameters that govern Wolbachia spread among Cx. pipiens under laboratory and field conditions, and (4) use these values to estimate equilibrium levels and compare predicted infection prevalence levels to those observed in nature. Strain-specific PCR, wsp gene sequencing, and crossing experiments indicated that a single Wolbachia strain infects Californian Cx. pipiens. Infection frequency was near or at fixation in all populations sampled for 2 years along a >1000-km north-south transect. The combined statewide infection frequency was 99.4%. Incompatible crosses were 100% sterile under laboratory and field conditions. Sterility decreased negligibly with male age in the laboratory. Infection had no significant effect on female fecundity under laboratory or field conditions. Vertical transmission was >99% in the laboratory and ∼98.6% in the field. Using field data, models predicted that Wolbachia will spread to fixation if infection exceeds an unstable equilibrium point above 1.4%. Our estimates accurately predicted infection frequencies in natural populations. If certain technical hurdles can be overcome, our data indicate that Wolbachia can invade vector populations as part of an applied transgenic strategy for vector-borne disease reduction.

ITS sequence variation supports the hybrid origin of Malus toringoides Hughes

2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (7) ◽  
pp. 659-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Ting Feng ◽  
Zhi-Qin Zhou ◽  
Jian-Min Tang ◽  
Ming-Hao Cheng ◽  
Shi-Liang Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Variation ◽  
Gene Tree ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Its Sequences ◽  
Nuclear Ribosomal Dna ◽  
Hybrid Origin ◽  
Putative Hybrid ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Sequence Information ◽  
Aflp Data

Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes was suggested to have originated from hybridization between Malus transitoria Schneid. and Malus kansuensis Rehd., followed by repeated backcrossing to one of the putative parents. In the present study, the sequence information of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) was used to re-examine the origin of this species. A total of 69 accessions from three natural populations (Maerkang, Xiaba and Kehe, Aba Autonomous Region, Sichuan, China) of M. toringoides and 10 accessions of its putative parents were analyzed. Using Malus angustifolia (Ait.) Michx., Malus ioensis (Wood) Britt. and Malus doumeri Chev. as outgroups, our phylogenetic analysis of the ITS sequences of M. toringoides and its putative parents showed that M. toringoides was not monophyletic, and two different types of ITS sequences which were obtained from each of the six accessions of M. toringoides were found to have clustered separately with those of the two putative parent species on the gene tree. A comparison of the sequence variation between M. toringoides and its putative parents revealed an additive variation pattern of ITS sequences in the putative hybrid species. These results are consistent with the previous morphological and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) data which suggested that M. toringoides was of hybrid origin. Our ITS data provide new molecular evidence for the hybrid origin hypothesis of M. toringoides and these results are of great importance for future study on hybridization, polyploid speciation and evolution of the genus Malus Miller.

scholarly journals Detection of Wolbachia Infections in Natural and Laboratory Populations of the Moroccan Hessian Fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say)

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 340
Author(s):  
Naima Bel Mokhtar ◽  
Amal Maurady ◽  
Mohammed Reda Britel ◽  
Mustapha El Bouhssini ◽  
Costas Batargias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Hessian Fly ◽  
Mayetiola Destructor ◽  
Laboratory Population ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
16S Rdna Pcr ◽  
Hessian Flies

Mayetiola destructor (Hessian fly) is a destructive pest of wheat in several parts of the world. Here, we investigated the presence of reproductive symbionts and the effect of the geographical location on the bacterial community associated to adult Hessian flies derived from four major wheat producing areas in Morocco. Using specific 16S rDNA PCR assay, Wolbachia infection was observed in 3% of the natural populations and 10% of the laboratory population. High throughput sequencing of V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed that the microbiota of adult Hessian flies was significantly influenced by their native regions. A total of 6 phyla, 10 classes and 79 genera were obtained from all the samples. Confirming the screening results, Wolbachia was identified as well in the natural Hessian flies. Phylogenetic analysis using the sequences obtained in this study indicated that there is one Wolbachia strain belonging to supergroup A. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Wolbachia in Hessian fly populations. The observed low abundance of Wolbachia most likely does not indicate induction of reproductive incompatibility. Yet, this infection may give a new insight into the use of Wolbachia for the fight against Hessian fly populations.

Taxonomic classification of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia based on next-generation sequencing: is there molecular evidence for its presence in tardigrades?

Genome ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Mioduchowska ◽  
Bartosz Nitkiewicz ◽  
Milena Roszkowska ◽  
Uroš Kačarević ◽  
Piotr Madanecki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Phylogenetic Reconstruction ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Taxonomic Classification ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Bacterial Endosymbiont ◽  
New Research ◽  
Generation Sequencing

We used high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA to test whether tardigrade species are infected with Wolbachia parasites. We applied SILVA and Greengenes databases that allowed taxonomic classification of bacterial sequences to OTUs. The results obtained from both databases differed considerably in the number of OTUs, and only the Greengenes database allowed identification of Wolbachia (infection was also supported by comparison of sequences to NCBI database). The putative bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia was discovered only in adult eutardigrades, while bacteria identified down to the order Rickettsiales were detected in both eutardigrade eggs and adult specimens. Nevertheless, the frequency of Wolbachia in the bacterial communities of the studied eutardigrades was low. Similarly, in our positive control, i.e. a fairy shrimp Streptocephalus cafer, which was found to be infected with Wolbachia in our previous study using Sanger sequencing, only the Rickettsiales were detected. We also carried out phylogenetic reconstruction using Wolbachia sequences from the SILVA and Greengenes databases, Alphaproteobacteria putative endosymbionts and Rickettsiales OTUs obtained in the previous studies on the microbial community of tardigrades as well as Rickettsiales and Wolbachia OTUs obtained in the current study. Our discovery of Wolbachia in tardigrades can fuel new research to uncover the specifics of this interaction.

Wolbachia infection in natural populations of Dictyophara europaea , an alternative vector of grapevine Flavescence dorée phytoplasma: effects and interactions

2017 ◽  
Vol 172 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Krstić ◽  
T. Cvrković ◽  
M. Mitrović ◽  
S. Radonjić ◽  
S. Hrnčić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Populations ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Flavescence Dorée

Wolbachia infection status and genetic structure in natural populations of Polytremis nascens (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 202-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weibin Jiang ◽  
Jianqing Zhu ◽  
Minghan Chen ◽  
Qichang Yang ◽  
Xuan Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Infection Status

Taxonomic evaluation of Miscanthus nudipes (Poaceae) based on morphological and molecular evidence

Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 205 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Zheng Ma ◽  
Zhe Cai ◽  
Fu-Min Zhang ◽  
Hui Zhang ◽  
Song Ge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Populations ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Distribution Area ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Hengduan Mountains ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Taxonomic Treatment ◽  
Variation Patterns ◽  
Energy Plant

Miscanthus species including the famous energy plant M. × giganteus are considered to be second-generation energy crops. Miscanthus nudipes is an endemic species from Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains and provides important germplasm for Miscanthus breeding given its high tolerance to frost and drought. However, the taxonomy of this species remains controversial in terms of intraspecific classification, with one to nine subspecies or species recognized previously. The variation patterns of the morphological characters are not understood clearly as there have been no intensive analyses of the morphological variation across individuals and populations. Here, by sampling 15 natural populations from the entire distribution area of M. nudipes, we investigate patterns of population variation based on 39 quantitative and nine qualitative morphological characters and 14 microsatellite loci, with the aim to provide a reliable taxonomic treatment of this important species. Morphological analyses from ANOVA, UPGMA and PCA indicate that M. nudipes populations show significant differences between the Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains. A neighbor-joining tree and principle coordinates analysis of the microsatellite data support the results of the morphological analyses. Based on our results, we recognize two subspecies under Miscanthus nudipes (M. nudipes subsp. nudipes and M. nudipes subsp. yunnanensis) and provide a taxonomic treatment for the species. We propose three diagnostic characters for the subspecies identification, i.e., the ratio of callus hair length to spikelet length, the hairiness of the panicle axis and the hairiness of the peduncle.

scholarly journals Cytoplasmic incompatibility in Drosophila simulans: dynamics and parameter estimates from natural populations.

Genetics ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
pp. 1319-1338 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Turelli ◽  
A A Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Cytoplasmic Incompatibility ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Drosophila Simulans ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Maternal Transmission ◽  
Egg Hatch ◽  
Pcr Assays ◽  
Parameter Values

Abstract In Drosophila simulans, cytoplasmically transmitted Wolbachia microbes cause reduced egg hatch when infected males mate with uninfected females. A Wolbachia infection and an associated mtDNA variant have spread northward through California since 1986. PCR assays show that Wolbachia infection is prevalent throughout the continental US and Central and South America, but some lines from Florida and Ecuador that are PCR-positive for Wolbachia do not cause incompatibility. We estimate from natural populations infection frequencies and the transmission and incompatibility parameter values that affect the spread of the infection. On average, infected females from nature produce 3-4% uninfected ova. Infected females with relatively low fidelity of maternal transmission show partial incompatibility with very young infected laboratory males. Nevertheless, crosses between infected flies in nature produce egg-hatch rates indistinguishable from those produced by crosses between uninfected individuals. Incompatible crosses in nature produce hatch rates 30-70% as high as those from compatible crosses. Wild-caught infected and uninfected females are equally fecund in the laboratory. Incompatibility decreases with male age, and age-specific incompatibility levels suggest that males mating in nature may often be 2 or 3 weeks old. Our parameter estimates accurately predict the frequency of Wolbachia infection in California populations.

scholarly journals Persistent deleterious effects of an unstable deleterious Wolbachia infection

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perran A. Ross ◽  
Jason K. Axford ◽  
Ashley G. Callahan ◽  
Kelly M. Richardson ◽  
Ary A. Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Phenotypic Analysis ◽  
Fitness Effects ◽  
Dengue Transmission ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
Laboratory Colonies ◽  
Virus Blocking

AbstractWolbachia are being used to reduce dengue transmission by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes around the world. To date releases have mostly involved Wolbachia strains with limited fitness effects but strains with larger fitness costs could be used to suppress mosquito populations. However, such infections are expected to evolve towards decreased deleterious effects. Here we investigate potential evolutionary changes in the wMelPop infection transferred from Drosophila melanogaster to Aedes aegypti more than ten years (~120 generations) ago. We show that most deleterious effects of this infection have persisted despite strong selection to ameliorate them. The wMelPop infection is difficult to maintain in laboratory colonies, likely due to the persistent deleterious effects coupled with occasional maternal transmission leakage. Furthermore, female mosquitoes can be scored incorrectly as infected due to transmission of Wolbachia through mating. Infection loss in colonies was not associated with evolutionary changes in the nuclear background. These findings suggest that Wolbachia transinfections with deleterious effects may have stable phenotypes which could ensure their long-term effectiveness if released in natural populations to reduce population size.Author summaryMosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria are being deployed into the field where they can suppress mosquito populations and reduce dengue transmission. These programs rely on the use of Wolbachia strains that have desirable phenotypes, which can include deleterious fitness effects, reproductive manipulation and virus blocking. However, theory predicts that Wolbachia will evolve to become less costly to their hosts, reducing the effectiveness of these programs. We investigate the potential for evolutionary changes by performing a comprehensive phenotypic analysis of a deleterious Wolbachia strain, wMelPop, that was introduced to Aedes aegypti mosquitoes from Drosophila over ten years ago. In contrast to theoretical expectations and research from Drosophila, our results suggest that Wolbachia strains with deleterious effects may have stable phenotypes, ensuring their long-term effectiveness if released into natural populations.

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