Interaction between host genotype and environmental conditions affects bacterial density in Wolbachia symbiosis.
Regulation of microbial population density is a necessity in stable symbiotic interactions. In Wolbachia symbiosis, both bacterial and host genotypes are involved in density regulation, but environmental factors may also affect bacterial population density. Here, we studied the interaction between three strains of Wolbachia in two divergent homozygous lines of the wasp Leptopilina heterotoma at two different temperatures. Wolbachia density varied between the two host genotypes at only one temperature. Moreover, at this temperature, reciprocal-cross F1 insects displayed identical Wolbachia densities, which were intermediate between the densities in the two parental lines. While these findings confirm that the host genotype plays an important role in Wolbachia density, they also highlight its interaction with environmental conditions, making possible the evolution of local adaptations for the regulation of Wolbachia density.
Mouton
Laurence
L
Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive (UMR 5558), CNRS, Université Lyon 1, 43 boulevard 11 novembre, 69622 Villeubanne Cedex, France. laurence.mouton@unibas.ch
Henri
Hélène
H
Charif
Delphine
D
Boulétreau
Michel
M
Vavre
Fabrice
F
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011156:Population Density; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D014863:Wasps / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000502:physiology*