title: Vertically transmitted rhabdoviruses are found across three insect families and have dynamic interactions with their hosts.
abstract: A small number of free-living viruses have been found to be obligately vertically transmitted, but it remains uncertain how widespread vertically transmitted viruses are and how quickly they can spread through host populations. Recent metagenomic studies have found several insects to be infected with sigma viruses (Rhabdoviridae). Here, we report that sigma viruses that infect Mediterranean fruit flies (Ceratitis capitata), Drosophila immigrans, and speckled wood butterflies (Pararge aegeria) are all vertically transmitted. We find patterns of vertical transmission that are consistent with those seen in Drosophila sigma viruses, with high rates of maternal transmission, and lower rates of paternal transmission. This mode of transmission allows them to spread rapidly in populations, and using viral sequence data we found the viruses in D. immigrans and C. capitata had both recently swept through host populations. The viruses were common in nature, with mean prevalences of 12% in C. capitata, 38% in D. immigrans and 74% in P. aegeria We conclude that vertically transmitted rhabdoviruses may be widespread in a broad range of insect taxa, and that these viruses can have dynamic interactions with their hosts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK b.longdon2@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6936-1697
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Longdon
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Day
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.|Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: Philip T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Leftwich
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
authors.forename: Maaike A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Developmental Biology Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK.
authors.forename: Casper J
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7909-1950
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Breuker
authors.affiliation: NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Maclean Building, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4091-9789
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.affiliation: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK.
authors.forename: Darren J
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5392-8142
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Obbard
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus TR10 9FE, UK.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wilfert
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
authors.forename: Sophia C L
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: McGonigle
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus TR10 9FE, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Houslay
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus TR10 9FE, UK.|Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.
authors.forename: Lucy I
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6075-458X
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Developmental Biology Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Livraghi
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Developmental Biology Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK.|Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Research Division, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AS, UK.
authors.forename: Luke C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: Lucy A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Friend
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2401-8120
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.affiliation: Lab Pesticide Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855, Athens, Greece.|Molecular Entomology, Institute Molecular Biology and Biotechnology/Foundation for Research and Technology, Voutes, 70013, Heraklio, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vontas
authors.affiliation: Lab Pesticide Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855, Athens, Greece.|Molecular Entomology, Institute Molecular Biology and Biotechnology/Foundation for Research and Technology, Voutes, 70013, Heraklio, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kambouraki
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
authors.forename: Francis M
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7470-8157
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Jiggins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002080:Butterflies / Q000821:virology; D033622:Ceratitis capitata / Q000821:virology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000821:virology; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007313:Insecta / Q000821:virology*; D012209:Rhabdoviridae
keywords: Rhabdoviridae; Wolbachia; sigmavirus