Genome Analysis of Cytoplasmic-Incompatibility Inducing Wolbachia in American Serpentine Leafminer, Liriomyza trifolii
Wolbachia is a well-studied endosymbiotic bacterium that induces cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in insects. The Wolbachia strain found in Liriomyza trifolii is known to cause CI, resulting in embryo mortality from incompatible crosses. However, understanding the genetic basis of this CI has been challenging due to the lack of a complete genome sequence. In this study, we assembled genome of the Wolbachia strain, wLtri, which approximately 1,358,284 base pairs long and contains 1,493 coding sequences, including ribosomal and transfer RNA genes. Notably, the presence of three distinct types of cif-genes within the wLtri genome suggests their potential involvement in the observed CI. These findings provide valuable insights for future investigations on Wolbachia in other Agromyzid flies.