title: Reduced Diversity in the Bacteriome of the Phytophagous Mite Brevipalpus yothersi (Acari: Tenuipalpidae).
abstract: Tenuipalpidae comprises mites that transmit viruses to agriculturally important plants. Several tenuipalpid species present parthenogenesis, and inBrevipalpus yothersi, the endosymbiontCardiniumhas been associated with female-only colonies. It is unclear what the bacterial composition ofB. yothersiis, and how commonCardiniumis in those microbiomes. We performed a comparative analysis of the bacteriomes in three populations ofB. yothersiand three additional Tetranychoidea species using sequences from V4-fragment of 16S DNA. The bacteriomes were dominated by Bacteroidetes (especiallyCardinium) and Proteobacteria, showing a remarkably low alpha diversity.Cardiniumwas present in about 22% of all sequences; however, it was not present inR. indicaandT. evansi. InB. yothersi, the proportion ofCardiniumwas higher in adults than eggs, suggesting that proliferation of the bacteria could be the result of selective pressures from the host. This hypothesis was further supported because colonies ofB. yothersifrom different populations showed different bacterial assemblages, and bacteriomes from different mite species showed similar abundances ofCardinium. A phylogenetic analysis ofCardiniumrevealed that not only specialization but horizontal transmission has been important for this symbiosis. Together, these results represent a glimpse into the evolution of the Tetranychoidea andCardinium.
authors.affiliation: Center for Excellence in Quarantine and Invasive Species, Agricultural Experimental Station-Río Piedras, Crops and Agro-Environmental Sciences Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, 1193 Calle Guayacán, San Juan, PR 00926-1118, USA. ospina.oe@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Oscar E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Ospina
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, San Juan, PR 00931-3360, USA. stevenemassey@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Massey
authors.affiliation: Center for Excellence in Quarantine and Invasive Species, Agricultural Experimental Station-Río Piedras, Crops and Agro-Environmental Sciences Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, 1193 Calle Guayacán, San Juan, PR 00926-1118, USA. jose_carlos@mac.com.
authors.forename: Jose Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Verle Rodrigues
keywords: 16S ribosomal RNA; Brevipalpus yothersi; Cardinium; Oligonychus; Raoiella indica; Tetranychoidea; Tetranychus evansi; bacterial diversity; false spider mite; habitat filtering