Phylogenetic analysis of parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia in the genus Aphytis (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae).
Parthenogenesis-inducing intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are found in a variety of parasitoid wasp genera. The presence of Wolbachia in the uniparental Aphytis species A. lingnanensis Compere, A. diaspidis (Howard), A. chilensis Howard, and A. chrysomphali (Mercet) was tested using primers specific for the ftsZ gene. The symbiont was detected in all of these species. Wolbachia ftsZ genes that were sequenced from the four hosts show a high degree of similarity. Both the PCR with specific primers for group 'A' and phylogenetic analysis place these Wolbachia in group 'A'. The fact that the tested Aphytis species belong to different phylogenetic groups and harbour what seem to be almost identical Wolbachia, lends credence to the horizontal transmission hypothesis.
Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. gottlieb@indycc1.agri.huji.ac.il
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Gottlieb
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Zchori-Fein
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Faktor
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Rosen
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010312:Parthenogenesis; D010802:Phylogeny; D012287:Rickettsiaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D014863:Wasps / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria