title: Intracellular Symbiotic Bacteria of Camponotus textor, Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).
abstract: This study focuses on the weaver ant, Camponotus textor, Forel which occurs in some areas of the Brazilian Cerrado and Atlantic Forest, and its symbionts: Blochmannia, an obligate symbiont of Camponotus, and Wolbachia, known for causing reproductive alterations in their hosts. The main goal of this study was to investigate the presence, frequency of occurrence, and diversity of Wolbachia and Blochmannia strains in C. textor colonies. We found high infection rates (100%) and the occurrence of at least two distinct strains of Blochmannia (H_1 or H_7) in the same species. The observed haplotype variation within a single species may result from the high mutation rate of the symbiont. Similarly, the Wolbachia was found in all colonies with different rates of infections and a new strain (supergroup A) was deposited in the MLST database. The diversity found in the present study shows that there is still much to explore to understand about these symbiotic interactions.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" UNESP - Campus Rio Claro, Biologia, CEIS, Av. 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil. manuramalho2010@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Manuela O
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8144-6172
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Ramalho
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Piauí - Campus Ministro Reis Velloso, Av. São Sebastião, 2819, 64.202-020, Parnaíba, Piauí, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cintia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" UNESP - Campus Rio Claro, Biologia, CEIS, Av. 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Larissa M R
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" UNESP - Campus Rio Claro, Biologia, CEIS, Av. 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanderlei G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" UNESP - Campus Rio Claro, Biologia, CEIS, Av. 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Odair C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Bueno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000382:microbiology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013559:Symbiosis; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Blochmannia; Camponotini; Endosymbiont; Weaver ant; Wolbachia