title: Molecular phylogeny of Wolbachia endosymbionts in Southeast Asian mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) based on wsp gene sequences.
abstract: Wolbachia are maternally inherited intracellular bacteria that infect a wide range of arthropods and nematodes and are associated with various reproductive abnormalities in their hosts. Insect-associated Wolbachia form a monophyletic clade in the alpha-Proteobacteria and recently have been separated into two supergroups (A and B) and 19 groups. Our recent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) survey using wsp specific primers indicated that various strains of Wolbachia were present in mosquitoes collected from Southeast Asia. Here, we report the phylogenetic relationship of the Wolbachia strains found in these mosquitoes using wsp gene sequences. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed eight new Wolbachia strains, five in the A supergroup and three in the B supergroup. Most of the Wolbachia strains present in Southeast Asian mosquitoes belong to the established Mors, Con, and Pip groups.
authors.affiliation: Center for Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. grpkt@mahidol.ac.th
authors.forename: Toon
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruang-Areerate
authors.forename: Pattamaporn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kittayapong
authors.forename: Visut
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baimai
authors.forename: Scott L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: O'Neill
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D000818:Animals; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D009033:Culicidae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D010802:Phylogeny; D013559:Symbiosis; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C112171:Wsp protein, Wolbachia