Screening of spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) for reproductive endosymbionts reveals links between co-infection and evolutionary history.
Reproductive endosymbionts have been shown to have wide-ranging effects on many aspects of their hosts' biology. A first step to understanding how these endosymbionts interact with their hosts is to determine their incidences. Here, we screened for four reproductive endosymbionts (Wolbachia, Cardinium, Spiroplasma and Rickettsia) in 28 populations of spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) representing 12 species. Each of the four endosymbionts were identified in at least some of the tested specimens, and their infection patterns showed variations at the species-level and population-level, suggesting their distributions can be correlated with both the phylogeny and ecology of the hosts. Co-infections of unrelated bacteria, especially double infections of Wolbachia and Cardinium within the same individuals were common. Spiroplasma and Rickettsia infections were specific to particular host species, respectively. Further, the evolutionary histories of these endosymbionts were inferred by comparing the phylogenies of them and their hosts. These findings can help to clarify the interactions between endosymbionts and arthropods.
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.|Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Yan-Kai
YK
Zhang
Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Ya-Ting
YT
Chen
Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Kun
K
Yang
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
Ge-Xia
GX
Qiao
Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Xiao-Yue
XY
Hong
D000818:Animals; D041963:Bacteroidetes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D060085:Coinfection; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D058507:Host Specificity; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012098:Reproduction; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013149:Spiroplasma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013559:Symbiosis; D040102:Tetranychidae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV