scholarly journals The Detection of Wolbachia in Tea Green Leafhopper (Empoasca onukii Matsuda) and Its Influence on the Host

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Qiuqiu Zhang ◽  
Rongmeng Lan ◽  
Dezhong Ji ◽  
Yanni Tan ◽  
Xia Zhou ◽  
...  

Tea green leafhopper (Empoasca onukii Matsuda) is a critical pest in tea production. Wolbachia has attracted much attention as a new direction of pest biological control for its ability of manipulating the hosts’ reproductive biology. In this work, we focused on the detection of Wolbachia in tea green leafhopper and its effect on host reproduction and development. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques were used to detect the distribution of Wolbachia in tea green leafhopper. Wolbachia infection levels were different in different organs of hosts in different insect stages. In addition, comparison between the infected populations and cured population (treated by tetracyclines) revealed that presence of Wolbachia apparently influenced the growth, life cycle, and other reproductive factors of tea green leafhopper, caused, for example, by cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), thereby reducing number of offspring, shortening lifespan, and causing female-biased sex ratio. This research confirmed that the bacteria Wolbachia was of high incidence in tea leafhoppers and could significantly affect the hosts’ reproductive development and evolution.

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 788
Author(s):  
Xuefen Xu ◽  
Peter M. Ridland ◽  
Paul A. Umina ◽  
Alex Gill ◽  
Perran A. Ross ◽  
...  

The maternally inherited endosymbiont, Wolbachia pipientis, plays an important role in the ecology and evolution of many of its hosts by affecting host reproduction and fitness. Here, we investigated 13 dipteran leaf-mining species to characterize Wolbachia infections and the potential for this endosymbiont in biocontrol. Wolbachia infections were present in 12 species, including 10 species where the Wolbachia infection was at or near fixation. A comparison of Wolbachia relatedness based on the wsp/MLST gene set showed that unrelated leaf-mining species often shared similar Wolbachia, suggesting common horizontal transfer. We established a colony of Liriomyza brassicae and found adult Wolbachia density was stable; although Wolbachia density differed between the sexes, with females having a 20-fold higher density than males. Wolbachia density increased during L. brassicae development, with higher densities in pupae than larvae. We removed Wolbachia using tetracycline and performed reciprocal crosses between Wolbachia-infected and uninfected individuals. Cured females crossed with infected males failed to produce offspring, indicating that Wolbachia induced complete cytoplasmic incompatibility in L. brassicae. The results highlight the potential of Wolbachia to suppress Liriomyza pests based on approaches such as the incompatible insect technique, where infected males are released into populations lacking Wolbachia or with a different incompatible infection.


2000 ◽  
Vol 203 (16) ◽  
pp. 2503-2509 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Kamoda ◽  
S. Masui ◽  
H. Ishikawa ◽  
T. Sasaki

Wolbachia are cytoplasmically inherited bacteria found in many arthropods. They induce various reproductive alterations in their hosts, including cytoplasmic incompatibility, thelytokous parthenogenesis, feminization and male-killing. In this study, we examined Wolbachia infection and its effects on the host cricket Teleogryllus taiwanemma. In a phylogenetic study based on the wsp gene coding for a Wolbachia surface protein, the Wolbachia strain harboured by T. taiwanemma was clustered together with those harboured by Laodelphax striatellus, Tribolium confusum, Acraea encedon, Trichogramma deion and Adalia bipunctata. Crossing experiments using the Wolbachia-infected and uninfected strains of cricket showed that the infection is associated with the expression of unidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility: the egg hatch rate in the incompatible cross between the infected males and uninfected females was 20.3 %. We also examined the distribution of Wolbachia within the host using polymerase chain reaction assays; they were detected in the antennae, heads, forewings, hindwings, testes, ovaries, Malpighian tubules, foot muscles and fat bodies. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays showed that the bacterial density was highest in the fat bodies, followed by the ovaries and testes. Wolbachia were not detected in the haemolymph or in mature spermatozoa. The spermatozoa of the infected male may be modified by the presence of Wolbachia during its development. To examine this possibility, we compared the profiles of sperm proteins between the infected and uninfected males using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. However, no differences in the protein profiles were observed.


Author(s):  
G. W. Hacker ◽  
I. Zehbe ◽  
J. Hainfeld ◽  
A.-H. Graf ◽  
C. Hauser-Kronberger ◽  
...  

In situ hybridization (ISH) with biotin-labeled probes is increasingly used in histology, histopathology and molecular biology, to detect genetic nucleic acid sequences of interest, such as viruses, genetic alterations and peptide-/protein-encoding messenger RNA (mRNA). In situ polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (PCR in situ hybridization = PISH) and the new in situ self-sustained sequence replication-based amplification (3SR) method even allow the detection of single copies of DNA or RNA in cytological and histological material. However, there is a number of considerable problems with the in situ PCR methods available today: False positives due to mis-priming of DNA breakdown products contained in several types of cells causing non-specific incorporation of label in direct methods, and re-diffusion artefacts of amplicons into previously negative cells have been observed. To avoid these problems, super-sensitive ISH procedures can be used, and it is well known that the sensitivity and outcome of these methods partially depend on the detection system used.


2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 7-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Fialová ◽  
M. Navrátil ◽  
P. Válová

The presence of phytoplasmas in apple trees with proliferation symptoms, rubbery wood symptoms and no symp­toms was determined by using polymerase chain reaction assays with primers amplifying phytoplasma 16S rRNA gene. Phytoplasmas were detected in all trees with proliferation symptoms. Positive tests for phytoplasma in the group of trees with rubbery wood symptoms and of those without symptoms revealed a relatively high incidence of latent phytoplasma infection. Using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, phytoplasma of the same identity – apple proliferation phytoplasma (subgroup 16SrX-A) – was recorded in all positively tested trees.  


Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda R Snook ◽  
Sophia Y Cleland ◽  
Mariana F Wolfner ◽  
Timothy L Karr

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.


Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 144 (2) ◽  
pp. 647-656
Author(s):  
William B Eggleston ◽  
Nac R Rim ◽  
Johng K Lim

Abstract The structure of chromosomal inversions mediated by hobo transposable elements in the Uc-1 X chromosome was investigated using cytogenetic and molecular methods. Uc-1 contains a phenotypically silent hobo element inserted in an intron of the Notch locus. Cytological screening identified six independent Notch mutations resulting from chromosomal inversions with one breakpoint at cytological position 3C7, the location of Notch. In situ hybridization to salivary gland polytene chromosomes determined that both ends of each inversion contained hobo and Notch sequences. Southern blot analyses showed that both breakpoints in each inversion had hobo-Notch junction fragments indistinguishable in structure from those present in the Uc-1 X chromosome prior to the rearrangements. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of the 12 hobo-Notch junction fragments in the six inversions, followed by DNA sequence analysis, determined that each was identical to one of the two hobo-Notch junctions present in Uc-1. These results are consistent with a model in which hobo-mediated inversions result from homologous pairing and recombination between a pair of hobo elements in reverse orientation.


Author(s):  
Jacob A Miller ◽  
Quynh-Thu Le ◽  
Benjamin A Pinsky ◽  
Hannah Wang

Abstract Background The incidence of endemic Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) varies considerably worldwide. In high-incidence regions, screening trials have been conducted. We estimated the mortality reduction and cost-effectiveness of EBV-based NPC screening in populations worldwide. Methods We identified 380 populations in 132 countries with incident NPC and developed a decision-analytic model to compare ten unique onetime screening strategies to no screening for men and women at age 50 years. Screening performance and the stage distribution of undiagnosed NPC were derived from a systematic review of prospective screening trials. Results Screening was cost-effective in up to 14.5% of populations, depending on the screening strategy. These populations were limited to East Asia, Southeast Asia, North Africa, or were Asian, Pacific Islander, or Inuit populations in North America. A combination of serology and nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was most cost-effective, but other combinations of serologic and/or plasma PCR screening were also cost-effective. The estimated reduction in NPC mortality was similar across screening strategies. For a hypothetical cohort of patients in China, 10-year survival improved from 71.0% (95%CI = 68.8%–73.0%) without screening to a median of 86.3% (range = 83.5%–88.2%) with screening. This corresponded to a median 10-year reduction in NPC mortality of 52.9% (range= 43.1%–59.3%). Screening interval impacted absolute mortality reduction and cost-effectiveness. Conclusions We observed decreased NPC mortality with EBV-based screening. Screening was cost-effective in many high-incidence populations and could be extended to men and women as early as age 40 years in select regions. These findings may be useful when choosing among local public health initiatives.


Genetics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 165 (4) ◽  
pp. 2029-2038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason L Rasgon ◽  
Thomas W Scott

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.


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