title: Microbiota from Rhabditis regina may alter nematode entomopathogenicity.
abstract: Here we report the presence of the entomopathogenic nematode Rhabditis (Rhabditoides) regina affecting white grubs (Phyllophaga sp. and Anomala sp.) in Mexico and R. regina-associated bacteria. Bioassays were performed to test the entomopathogenic capacity of dauer and L2 and L3 (combined) larval stages. Furthermore, we determined the diversity of bacteria from laboratory nematodes cultivated for 2 years (dauer and L2-L3 larvae) and from field nematodes (dauer and L2-L3 larvae) in addition to the virulence in Galleria mellonella larvae of some bacterial species from both laboratory and field nematodes. Dauer and non-dauer larvae of R. regina killed G. mellonella. Bacteria such as Serratia sp. (isolated from field nematodes) and Klebsiella sp. (isolated from larvae of laboratory and field nematodes) may explain R. regina entomopathogenic capabilities. Different bacteria were found in nematodes after subculturing in the laboratory suggesting that R. regina may acquire bacteria in different environments. However, there were some consistently found bacteria from laboratory and field nematodes such as Pseudochrobactrum sp., Comamonas sp., Alcaligenes sp., Klebsiella sp., Acinetobacter sp., and Leucobacter sp. that may constitute the nematode microbiome. Results showed that some bacteria contributing to entomopathogenicity may be lost in the laboratory representing a disadvantage when nematodes are cultivated to be used for biological control.
authors: División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. jguillermojc@iecologia.unam.mx.|Laboratorio de Biología de Parásitos, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico. jguillermojc@iecologia.unam.mx.
authors: Jesús Guillermo
authors: JG
authors: Jiménez-Cortés
authors: Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors: Jorge
authors: J
authors: Canales-Lazcano
authors: Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, UNAM, Morelia, Mexico.
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Lara-Reyes
authors: Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
authors: Mónica
authors: M
authors: Rosenblueth
authors: Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
authors: Esperanza
authors: E
authors: Martínez-Romero
authors: Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, UNAM, Morelia, Mexico. jcont@ecologia.unam.mx.|LANASE, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, UNAM, Morelia, Mexico. jcont@ecologia.unam.mx.
authors: Jorge
authors: J
authors: Contreras-Garduño
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000469:parasitology*; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007814:Larva; D008800:Mexico; D064307:Microbiota; D009036:Moths / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017172:Rhabditoidea / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012705:Serratia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence
keywords: Entomopathogens; Evolutionary parasitology; Nematoda; Rhabditidae; Rhabditoides; Symbiotic bacteria; Virulence