@article {pmid37768955,
year = {2023},
author = {Chebbah, D and Hamarsheh, O and Sereno, D and Elissa, N and Brun, S and Jan, J and Izri, A and Akhoundi, M},
title = {Molecular characterization and genetic diversity of Wolbachia endosymbionts in bed bugs (Hemiptera; Cimicidae) collected in Paris.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {18},
number = {9},
pages = {e0292229},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0292229},
pmid = {37768955},
issn = {1932-6203},
abstract = {PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of Wolbachia in field-caught bed bug species in Paris areas.<br><br>METHODS: The bed bug specimens were captured from various infested localities in Paris and surrounding cities. They belonged to diverse life stages, including egg, nymph, and adult. They were then identified using morphological and molecular approaches. Furthermore, Wolbachia was detected, and its genetic diversity was investigated by conventional PCR of 16S-rRNA and Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) genes.<br><br>RESULTS: A total of 256 bed bug specimens belonging to various life stages [adult (183 specimens), nymph (48), and egg (25)] were captured from seven private apartments, five social apartments, three houses, two immigrant residences, and one retirement home situated in 10 districts of Paris and 8 surrounding cities. They were identified as Cimex lectularius (237 specimens) and C. hemipterus (19) using morphological and molecular approaches. The presence and diversity of Wolbachia were ascertained by targeting 16S-rRNA and wsp genes. Based on molecular analysis, 182 and 148 out of 256 processed specimens were positive by amplifying 16S-rRNA and wsp fragments, respectively. The inferred phylogenetic analysis with 16S-rRNA and wsp sequences displayed monophyletic Wolbachia strains clustering each one in three populations. The median-joining network, including the Wolbachia 16S-rRNA and wsp sequences of C. lectularius and C. hemipterous specimens, indicated a significant genetic differentiation among these populations in Paris areas which was consent with Neighbor-Joining analyses. A phylogenetic analysis of our heterogenic Wolbachia sequences with those reported from other arthropod species confirmed their belonging to supergroup F. Moreover, no difference between Wolbachia sequences from eggs, nymphs, and adults belonging to the same clade and between Wolbachia sequences of C. lectularius and C. hemipterus were observed after sequence alignment. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between multiple geographical locations (or accomodation type) where bed bugs were collected and the genetic diversity of Wolbachia.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We highlight a significant heterogeneity within Wolbachia symbionts detected in C. lectularius and C. hemipterus. No correlation between Wolbachia species and bed bug species (C. lectularius versus C. hemipterus), physiological stages (egg, nymph, and adult), and sampling location was recorded in this study.},
}
@article {pmid37744653,
year = {2023},
author = {Thi Hue Kien, D and Edenborough, K and da Silva Goncalves, D and Thuy Vi, T and Casagrande, E and Thi Le Duyen, H and Thi Long, V and Thi Dui, L and Thi Tuyet Nhu, V and Thi Giang, N and Thi Xuan Trang, H and Lee, E and Donovan-Banfield, I and Thi Thuy Van, H and Minh Nguyet, N and Thanh Phong, N and Van Vinh Chau, N and Wills, B and Yacoub, S and Flores, H and Simmons, C},
title = {Genome evolution of dengue virus serotype 1 under selection by Wolbachia pipientis in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.},
journal = {Virus evolution},
volume = {9},
number = {1},
pages = {vead016},
pmid = {37744653},
issn = {2057-1577},
abstract = {The introgression of antiviral strains of Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti mosquito populations is a public health intervention for the control of dengue. Plausibly, dengue virus (DENV) could evolve to bypass the antiviral effects of Wolbachia and undermine this approach. Here, we established a serial-passage system to investigate the evolution of DENV in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes infected with the wMel strain of Wolbachia. Using this system, we report on virus genetic outcomes after twenty passages of serotype 1 of DENV (DENV-1). An amino acid substitution, E203K, in the DENV-1 envelope protein was more frequently detected in the consensus sequence of virus populations passaged in wMel-infected Ae. aegypti than wild-type counterparts. Positive selection at residue 203 was reproducible; it occurred in passaged virus populations from independent DENV-1-infected patients and also in a second, independent experimental system. In wild-type mosquitoes and human cells, the 203K variant was rapidly replaced by the progenitor sequence. These findings provide proof of concept that wMel-associated selection of virus populations can occur in experimental conditions. Field-based studies are needed to explore whether wMel imparts selective pressure on DENV evolution in locations where wMel is established.},
}
@article {pmid37738428,
year = {2023},
author = {Thia, JA and Endersby-Harshman, N and Collier, S and Nassar, MS and Tawfik, EA and Alfageeh, MB and Elfekih, S and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {Mitochondrial DNA variation in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.},
journal = {Journal of medical entomology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/jme/tjad131},
pmid = {37738428},
issn = {1938-2928},
abstract = {Wolbachia (Hertig 1936) (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae) has emerged as a valuable biocontrol tool in the fight against dengue by suppressing the transmission of the virus through mosquitoes. Monitoring the dynamics of Wolbachia is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of release programs. Mitochondrial (mtDNA) markers serve as important tools for molecular tracking of infected mitochondrial backgrounds over time but require an understanding of the variation in release sites. In this study, we investigated the mitochondrial lineages of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus 1762) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which is a prospective release site for the "wAlbBQ" Wolbachia-infected strain of this mosquito species. We employed a combination of comprehensive mitogenomic analysis (including all protein-coding genes) and mtDNA marker analysis (cox1 and nad5) using data collected from Jeddah. We combined our mitogenome and mtDNA marker data with those from previous studies to place mitochondrial variation in Saudi Arabia into a broader global context. Our findings revealed the presence of 4 subclades that can be broadly categorized into 2 major mitochondrial lineages. Ae. aegypti mosquitoes from Jeddah belonged to both major lineages. Whilst mitogenomic data offered a higher resolution for distinguishing Jeddah mosquitoes from the wAlbBQ strain, the combination of cox1 and nad5 mtDNA markers alone proved to be sufficient. This study provides the first important characterization of Ae. aegypti mitochondrial lineages in Saudi Arabia and offers essential baseline information for planning future molecular monitoring efforts during the release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid37729233,
year = {2023},
author = {Soto, A and De Coninck, L and Devlies, AS and Van De Wiele, C and Rosales Rosas, AL and Wang, L and Matthijnssens, J and Delang, L},
title = {Belgian Culex pipiens pipiens are competent vectors for West Nile virus while Culex modestus are competent vectors for Usutu virus.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {17},
number = {9},
pages = {e0011649},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0011649},
pmid = {37729233},
issn = {1935-2735},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are emerging arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) in Europe transmitted by Culex mosquitoes. In Belgium, it is currently unknown which Culex species are competent vectors for WNV or USUV and if these mosquitoes carry Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium that can block arbovirus transmission. The aims of our study were to measure the vector competence of Belgian Culex mosquitoes to WNV and USUV and determine if a naturally acquired Wolbachia infection can influence virus transmission.<br><br>Female Culex mosquitoes were captured from urban and peri-urban sites in Leuven, Belgium and offered an infectious bloodmeal containing WNV lineage 2, USUV European (EU) lineage 3, or USUV African (AF) lineage 3. Blood-fed females were incubated for 14 days at 25&#xb0;C after which the body, head, and saliva were collected to measure infection, dissemination, and transmission rates as well as transmission efficiency. Mosquito species were identified by qRT-PCR or Sanger sequencing, the presence of infectious virus in mosquitoes was confirmed by plaque assays, and viral genome copies were quantified by qRT-PCR. Culex pipiens pipiens were able to transmit WNV (4.3% transmission efficiency, n = 2/47) but not USUV (EU lineage: n = 0/56; AF lineage: n = 0/37). In contrast, Culex modestus were able to transmit USUV (AF lineage: 20% transmission efficiency, n = 1/5) but not WNV (n = 0/6). We found that the presence or absence of Wolbachia was species-dependent and did not associate with virus transmission.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first report that Belgian Culex mosquitoes can transmit both WNV and USUV, forewarning the risk of human transmission. More research is needed to understand the potential influence of Wolbachia on arbovirus transmission in Culex modestus mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid37720159,
year = {2023},
author = {Giordano, R and Weber, EP and Mitacek, R and Flores, A and Ledesma, A and De, AK and Herman, TK and Soto-Adames, FN and Nguyen, MQ and Hill, CB and Hartman, GL},
title = {Patterns of asexual reproduction of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Matsumura), with and without the secondary symbionts Wolbachia and Arsenophonus, on susceptible and resistant soybean genotypes.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1209595},
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2023.1209595},
pmid = {37720159},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Plant breeding is used to develop crops with host resistance to aphids, however, virulent biotypes often develop that overcome host resistance genes. We tested whether the symbionts, Arsenophonus (A) and Wolbachia (W), affect virulence and fecundity in soybean aphid biotypes Bt1 and Bt3 cultured on whole plants and detached leaves of three resistant, Rag1, Rag2 and Rag1 + 2, and one susceptible, W82, soybean genotypes. Whole plants and individual aphid experiments of A. glycines with and without Arsenophonus and Wolbachia did not show differences in overall fecundity. Differences were observed in peak fecundity, first day of deposition, and day of maximum nymph deposition of individual aphids on detached leaves. Bt3 had higher fecundity than Bt1 on detached leaves of all plant genotypes regardless of bacterial profile. Symbionts did not affect peak fecundity of Bt1 but increased it in Bt3 (A+W+) and all Bt3 strains began to deposit nymphs earlier than the Bt1 (A+W-). Arsenophonus in Bt1 delayed the first day of nymph deposition in comparison to aposymbiotic Bt1 except when reared on Rag1 + 2. For the Bt1 and Bt3 strains, symbionts did not result in a significant difference in the day they deposited the maximum number of nymphs nor was there a difference in survival or variability in number of nymphs deposited. Variability of number of aphids deposited was higher in aphids feeding on resistant plant genotypes. The impact of Arsenophonus on soybean aphid patterns of fecundity was dependent on the aphid biotype and plant genotype. Wolbachia alone had no detectable impact but may have contributed to the increased fecundity of Bt3 (A+W+). An individual based model, using data from the detached leaves experiment and with intraspecific competition removed, found patterns similar to those observed in the greenhouse and growth chamber experiments including a significant interaction between soybean genotype and aphid strain. Combining individual data with the individual based model of population growth isolated the impact of fecundity and host resistance from intraspecific competition and host health. Changes to patterns of fecundity, influenced by the composition and concentration of symbionts, may contribute to competitive interactions among aphid genotypes and influence selection on virulent aphid populations.},
}
@article {pmid37716961,
year = {2023},
author = {Mfopit, YM and Engel, JS and Chechet, GD and Ibrahim, MAM and Signaboubo, D and Achukwi, DM and Mamman, M and Balogun, EO and Shuaibu, MN and Kabir, J and Kelm, S},
title = {Molecular detection of Sodalis glossinidius, Spiroplasma species and Wolbachia endosymbionts in wild population of tsetse flies collected in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria.},
journal = {BMC microbiology},
volume = {23},
number = {1},
pages = {260},
pmid = {37716961},
issn = {1471-2180},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Tsetse flies are cyclical vectors of African trypanosomiasis (AT). The flies have established symbiotic associations with different bacteria that influence certain aspects of their physiology. Vector competence of tsetse flies for different trypanosome species is highly variable and is suggested to be affected by bacterial endosymbionts amongst other factors. Symbiotic interactions may provide an avenue for AT control. The current study provided prevalence of three tsetse symbionts in Glossina species from Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria.<br><br>RESULTS: Tsetse flies were collected and dissected from five different locations. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction used to detect presence of Sodalis glossinidius, Spiroplasma species and Wolbachia endosymbionts, using species specific primers. A total of 848 tsetse samples were analysed: Glossina morsitans submorsitans (47.52%), Glossina palpalis palpalis (37.26%), Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (9.08%) and Glossina tachinoides (6.13%). Only 95 (11.20%) were infected with at least one of the three symbionts. Among infected flies, six (6.31%) had Wolbachia and Spiroplasma mixed infection. The overall symbiont prevalence was 0.88, 3.66 and 11.00% respectively, for Sodalis glossinidius, Spiroplasma species and Wolbachia endosymbionts. Prevalence varied between countries and tsetse fly species. Neither Spiroplasma species nor S. glossinidius were detected in samples from Cameroon and Nigeria respectively.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The present study revealed, for the first time, presence of Spiroplasma species infections in tsetse fly populations in Chad and Nigeria. These findings provide useful information on repertoire of bacterial flora of tsetse flies and incite more investigations to understand their implication in the vector competence of tsetse flies.},
}
@article {pmid37715236,
year = {2023},
author = {ElKraly, OA and Awad, M and El-Saadany, HM and Hassanein, SE and Elrahman, TA and Elnagdy, SM},
title = {Impact of gut microbiota composition on black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (hufnagel) metabolic indices and pesticide degradation.},
journal = {Animal microbiome},
volume = {5},
number = {1},
pages = {44},
pmid = {37715236},
issn = {2524-4671},
abstract = {Endosymbionts are known to have significant effects on their insect hosts, including nutrition, reproduction, and immunity. Insects gut microbiota is a critical component that affects their physiological and behavioral characteristics. The black cutworm (BCW), Agrotis ipsilon, is an economically important lepidopteran pest that has a diverse gut microbiome composed of nine species belonging to three phyla: Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. This study was conducted to investigate the diversity of gut bacteria isolated from BCW larvae and moths and their effects on metabolism and pesticide degradation. The bacterial isolates were identified using the 16 S rRNA gene. The study showed that the gut microbiome composition significantly affected the metabolism of BCW larvae. Based on the screening results of synthesis of digestive enzymes and pesticide degradation, Brachybacterium conglomeratum and Glutamicibacter sp were selected to perform the remaining experiments as single isolates and consortium. The consortium-fed larvae showed high metabolic indices compared to antibiotic-fed larvae and the control. The gut bacteria were also shown to degrade three pesticide groups. Concerns regarding the health risk of chlorpyrifos have been raised due to its extensive use in agriculture. The isolated B. conglomeratum was more effective in chlorpyrifos degradation than the consortium. Furthermore, the study also examined the presence of sex related endosymbionts (Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, and Rickettsia) in the reproductive tissues of adults. The outcomes demonstrated that none of the examined endosymbionts existed. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in insect physiology and behavior and its potential applications in biotechnology. It provides insights into developing eco-friendly pest control and bioremediation strategies using gut bacteria.},
}
@article {pmid37706052,
year = {2023},
author = {Vinayagam, S and Nirmolia, T and Chetry, S and Kumar, NP and Saini, P and Bhattacharyya, DR and Bhowmick, IP and Sattu, K and Patgiri, SJ},
title = {Molecular Evidence of Wolbachia Species in Wild-Caught Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes in Four States of Northeast India.},
journal = {Journal of tropical medicine},
volume = {2023},
number = {},
pages = {6678627},
doi = {10.1155/2023/6678627},
pmid = {37706052},
issn = {1687-9686},
abstract = {Wolbachia, a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium, naturally infects many arthropods, including mosquito vectors responsible for the spread of arboviral diseases such as Zika, chikungunya, and dengue fever. Certain Wolbachia strains are involved in inhibiting arbovirus replication in mosquitoes, and this phenomenon is currently being studied to combat disease vectors. A study was conducted in four states in north-eastern India to investigate the presence of natural Wolbachia infection in wild-caught Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the established vectors of dengue. The detection of a Wolbachia infection was confirmed by nested PCR and sequencing in the two mosquito species Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Positivity rates observed in Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus pools were 38% (44 of 115) and 85% (41 of 48), respectively, and the difference was significant (chi-square = 28.3174, p = 0.00000010). Sequencing revealed that all detected Wolbachia strains belonged to supergroup B. Although Wolbachia infection in Ae. aegypti has been previously reported from India, no such reports are available from north-eastern India. Data on naturally occurring Wolbachia strains are essential for selecting the optimal strain for the development of Wolbachia-based control measures. This information will be helpful for the future application of Wolbachia-based vector control measures in this part of the country.},
}
@article {pmid37696983,
year = {2023},
author = {Ogunlade, ST and Adekunle, AI and Meehan, MT and McBryde, ES},
title = {Quantifying the impact of Wolbachia releases on dengue infection in Townsville, Australia.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {14932},
pmid = {37696983},
issn = {2045-2322},
abstract = {From October 2014 to February 2019, local authorities in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia continually introduced Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to control seasonal outbreaks of dengue infection. In this study, we develop a mathematical modelling framework to estimate the effectiveness of this intervention as well as the relative dengue transmission rates of Wolbachia-infected and wild-type mosquitoes. We find that the transmission rate of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes is reduced approximately by a factor of 20 relative to the uninfected wild-type population. In addition, the Townsville Wolbachia release program led to a 65% reduction in predicted dengue incidence during the release period and over 95% reduction in the 24 months that followed. Finally, to investigate the potential impact of other Wolbachia release programs, we use our estimates of relative transmissibility to calculate the relationship between the reproductive number of dengue and the proportion of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in the vector population.},
}
@article {pmid37695720,
year = {2023},
author = {Kryukova, NA and Kryukov, VY and Polenogova, OV and Chertkova, &#x415;&#x410; and Tyurin, MV and Rotskaya, UN and Alikina, T and Kabilov, &#x41c;R and Glupov, VV},
title = {The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia (Rickettsiales) alters larval metabolism of the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).},
journal = {Archives of insect biochemistry and physiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e22053},
doi = {10.1002/arch.22053},
pmid = {37695720},
issn = {1520-6327},
support = {//Federal Fundamental Scientific Research Program/ ; //Russian Science Foundation/ ; 23-24-00259//The Russian Science Foundation/ ; 1021051703454-5-1.6.12//The Federal Fundamental Scientific Research Program/ ; },
abstract = {Infection of intestinal tissues with Wolbachia has been found in Habrobracon hebetor. There are not many studies on the relationship between Habrobracon and Wolbachia, and they focus predominantly on the sex index of an infected parasitoid, its fertility, and behavior. The actual role of Wolbachia in the biology of Habrobracon is not yet clear. The method of complete eradication of Wolbachia in the parasitoid was developed here, and effects of the endosymbiont on the host's digestive metabolism were compared between two lines of the parasitoid (Wolbachia-positive and Wolbachia-negative). In the gut of Wolbachia[+] larvae, lipases' activity was higher almost twofold, and activities of acid proteases, esterases, and trehalase were 1.5-fold greater than those in the Wolbachia[-] line. Analyses of larval homogenates revealed that Wolbachia[+] larvae accumulate significantly more lipids and have a lower amount of pyruvate as compared to Wolbachia[-] larvae. The presented results indicate significant effects of the intracellular symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia on the metabolism of H. hebetor larvae and on the activity of its digestive enzymes.},
}
@article {pmid37693004,
year = {2023},
author = {Ning, SF and Huo, LX and Lv, L and Wang, Y and Zhang, LS and Che, WN and Dong, H and Zhou, JC},
title = {The identification and expression pattern of the sex determination genes and their sex-specific variants in the egg parasitoid Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae).},
journal = {Frontiers in physiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1243753},
doi = {10.3389/fphys.2023.1243753},
pmid = {37693004},
issn = {1664-042X},
abstract = {Introduction: Trichogramma wasps are egg parasitoids of agricultural lepidopteran pests. The sex of Trichogramma is determined by its ploidy as well as certain sex ratio distorters, such as the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia spp. and the paternal sex ratio (PSR) chromosome. The sex determination systems of hymenopterans, such as Trichogramma spp., involve cascades of the genes transformer (tra), transformer-2 (tra2), and doublesex (dsx) and are associated with sex-specific tra and dsx splicing. First, these genes and their sex-specific variants must be identified to elucidate the interactions between the sex ratio disorders and the sex determination mechanism of Trichogramma. Methods: Here, we characterized the sex determination genes tra, tra2, and dsx in Trichogramma dendrolimi. Sex-specific tra and dsx variants were detected in cDNA samples obtained from both male and female Trichogramma wasps. They were observed in the early embryos (1-10 h), late embryos (12-20 h), larvae (32 h and 48 h), pre-pupae (96 h), and pupae (144 h, 168 h, 192 h, and 216 h) of both male and female T. dendrolimi offspring. Results: We detected female-specific tra variants throughout the entire early female offspring stage. The male-specific variant began to express at 9-10 h as the egg was not fertilized. However, we did not find any maternally derived, female-specific tra variant in the early male embryo. This observation suggests that the female-specific tra variant expressed in the female embryo at 1-9 h may not have originated from the maternal female wasp. Discussion: The present study might be the first to identify the sex determination genes and sex-specific gene splicing in Trichogramma wasps. The findings of this study lay the foundation for investigating the sex determination mechanisms of Trichogramma and other wasps. They also facilitate sex identification in immature T. dendrolimi and the application of this important egg parasitoid in biological insect pest control programs.},
}
@article {pmid37686049,
year = {2023},
author = {Zhang, Z and Zhang, J and Chen, Q and He, J and Li, X and Wang, Y and Lu, Y},
title = {Complete De Novo Assembly of Wolbachia Endosymbiont of Frankliniella intonsa.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {24},
number = {17},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ijms241713245},
pmid = {37686049},
issn = {1422-0067},
support = {31672031, 32272537//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2021C02003//Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province, China/ ; 2022YFD1401204, 2022YFC2601405//Key R&amp;D Program of China/ ; },
abstract = {As an endosymbiont, Wolbachia exerts significant effects on the host, including on reproduction, immunity, and metabolism. However, the study of Wolbachia in Thysanopteran insects, such as flower thrips Frankliniella intonsa, remains limited. Here, we assembled a gap-free looped genome assembly of Wolbachia strain wFI in a length of 1,463,884 bp (GC content 33.80%), using Nanopore long reads and Illumina short reads. The annotation of wFI identified a total of 1838 protein-coding genes (including 85 pseudogenes), 3 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), 35 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and 1 transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA). Beyond this basic description, we identified mobile genetic elements, such as prophage and insertion sequences (ISs), which make up 17% of the entire wFI genome, as well as genes involved in riboflavin and biotin synthesis and metabolism. This research lays the foundation for understanding the nutritional mutualism between Wolbachia and flower thrips. It also serves as a valuable resource for future studies delving into the intricate interactions between Wolbachia and its host.},
}
@article {pmid37680477,
year = {2023},
author = {Yeo, H and Tan, HZ and Tang, Q and Tan, TRH and Puniamoorthy, N and Rheindt, FE},
title = {Dense residential areas promote gene flow in dengue vector mosquito Aedes albopictus.},
journal = {iScience},
volume = {26},
number = {9},
pages = {107577},
pmid = {37680477},
issn = {2589-0042},
abstract = {Aedes albopictus is a successful disease vector due to its ability to survive in a wide range of habitats. Despite its ubiquity and impact on public health, little is known about its differential gene flow capabilities across different city habitats. We obtained a comprehensive dataset of >27,000 genome-wide DNA markers across 105 wild-caught Ae. albopictus individuals from Singapore, a dengue-endemic tropical city with heterogeneous landscapes from densely populated urban areas to forests. Despite Singapore's challenging small-scale heterogeneity, our landscape-genomic approach indicated that dense urban areas are characterized by higher Aedes gene flow rates than managed parks and forests. We documented the incidence of Wolbachia infections of Ae. albopictus involving two strains (wAlbA and wAlbB). Our results dispel the misconception that substantial dispersal of Ae. albopictus is limited to urban greenery, with wide implications for vector management and critical insights into urban planning strategies to combat dengue transmission.},
}
@article {pmid37669272,
year = {2023},
author = {Lau, MJ and Dutra, HLC and Jones, MJ and McNulty, BP and Diaz, AM and Ware-Gilmore, F and McGraw, EA},
title = {Jamestown Canyon virus is transmissible by Aedes aegypti and is only moderately blocked by Wolbachia co-infection.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {17},
number = {9},
pages = {e0011616},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0011616},
pmid = {37669272},
issn = {1935-2735},
abstract = {Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), a negative-sense arbovirus, is increasingly common in the upper Midwest of the USA. Transmitted by a range of mosquito genera, JCV's primary amplifying host is white-tailed deer. Aedes aegypti is responsible for transmitting various positive-sense viruses globally including dengue (DENV), Zika, chikungunya, and Yellow Fever. Ae. aegypti's distribution, once confined to the tropics, is expanding, in part due to climate change. Wolbachia, an insect endosymbiont, limits the replication of co-infecting viruses inside insects. The release and spread of the symbiont into Ae. aegypti populations have been effective in reducing transmission of DENV to humans, although the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated viral blocking is still poorly understood. Here we explored JCV infection potential in Ae. aegypti, the nature of the vector's immune response, and interactions with Wolbachia infection. We show that Ae. aegypti is highly competent for JCV, which grows to high loads and rapidly reaches the saliva after an infectious blood meal. The mosquito immune system responds with strong induction of RNAi and JAK/STAT. Neither the direct effect of viral infection nor the energetic investment in immunity appears to affect mosquito longevity. Wolbachia infection blocked JCV only in the early stages of infection. Wolbachia-induced immunity was small compared to that of JCV, suggesting innate immune priming does not likely explain blocking. We propose two models to explain why Wolbachia's blocking of negative-sense viruses like JCV may be less than that of positive-sense viruses, relating to the slowdown of host protein synthesis and the triggering of interferon-like factors like Vago. In conclusion, we highlight the risk for increased human disease with the predicted future overlap of Ae. aegypti and JCV ranges. We suggest that with moderate Wolbachia-mediated blocking and distinct biology, negative-sense viruses represent a fruitful comparator model to other viruses for understanding blocking mechanisms in mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid37658881,
year = {2023},
author = {Owashi, Y and Minami, T and Kikuchi, T and Yoshida, A and Nakano, R and Kageyama, D and Adachi-Hagimori, T},
title = {Microbiome of Zoophytophagous Biological Control Agent Nesidiocoris tenuis.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {37658881},
issn = {1432-184X},
abstract = {Many insects are associated with endosymbionts that influence the feeding, reproduction, and distribution of their hosts. Although the small green mirid, Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae), a zoophytophagous predator that feeds on plants as well as arthropods, is a globally important biological control agent, its microbiome has not been sufficiently studied. In the present study, we assessed the microbiome variation in 96 N. tenuis individuals from 14 locations throughout Japan, based on amplicon sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Nine major bacteria associated with N. tenuis were identified: Rickettsia, two strains of Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, Providencia, Serratia, Pseudochrobactrum, Lactococcus, and Stenotrophomonas. Additionally, a diagnostic PCR analysis for three typical insect reproductive manipulators, Rickettsia, Wolbachia, and Spiroplasma, was performed on a larger sample size (n = 360) of N. tenuis individuals; the most prevalent symbiont was Rickettsia (69.7%), followed by Wolbachia (39.2%) and Spiroplasma (6.1%). Although some symbionts were co-infected, their prevalence did not exhibit any specific tendency, such as a high frequency in specific infection combinations. The infection frequency of Rickettsia was significantly correlated with latitude and temperature, while that of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma was significantly correlated with host plants. The predominance of these bacteria and the absence of obligate symbionts suggested that the N. tenuis microbiome is typical for predatory arthropods rather than sap-feeding insects. Rickettsia and Wolbachia were vertically transmitted rather than horizontally transmitted from the prey. The functional validation of each symbiont would be warranted to develop N. tenuis as a biological control agent.},
}
@article {pmid37652566,
year = {2023},
author = {Cavany, S and Huber, JH and Wieler, A and Tran, QM and Alkuzweny, M and Elliott, M and España, G and Moore, SM and Perkins, TA},
title = {Does ignoring transmission dynamics lead to underestimation of the impact of interventions against mosquito-borne disease?.},
journal = {BMJ global health},
volume = {8},
number = {8},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012169},
pmid = {37652566},
issn = {2059-7908},
abstract = {New vector-control technologies to fight mosquito-borne diseases are urgently needed, the adoption of which depends on efficacy estimates from large-scale cluster-randomised trials (CRTs). The release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes is one promising strategy to curb dengue virus (DENV) transmission, and a recent CRT reported impressive reductions in dengue incidence following the release of these mosquitoes. Such trials can be affected by multiple sources of bias, however. We used mathematical models of DENV transmission during a CRT of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to explore three such biases: human movement, mosquito movement and coupled transmission dynamics between trial arms. We show that failure to account for each of these biases would lead to underestimated efficacy, and that the majority of this underestimation is due to a heretofore unrecognised bias caused by transmission coupling. Taken together, our findings suggest that Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes could be even more promising than the recent CRT suggested. By emphasising the importance of accounting for transmission coupling between arms, which requires a mathematical model, we highlight the key role that models can play in interpreting and extrapolating the results from trials of vector control interventions.},
}
@article {pmid37653429,
year = {2023},
author = {Duong Thi Hue, K and da Silva Goncalves, D and Tran Thuy, V and Thi Vo, L and Le Thi, D and Vu Tuyet, N and Nguyen Thi, G and Huynh Thi Xuan, T and Nguyen Minh, N and Nguyen Thanh, P and Yacoub, S and Simmons, CP},
title = {Wolbachia wMel strain-mediated effects on dengue virus vertical transmission from Aedes aegypti to their offspring.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {308},
pmid = {37653429},
issn = {1756-3305},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1 to -4) can be transmitted vertically in Aedes aegpti mosquitoes. Whether infection with the wMel strain of the endosymbiont Wolbachia can reduce the incidence of vertical transmission of DENV from infected females to their offspring is not well understood.<br><br>METHODS: A laboratory colony of Vietnamese Ae. aegypti, both with and without wMel infection, were infected with DENV-1 by intrathoracic injection (IT) to estimate the rate of vertical transmission (VT) of the virus. VT in the DENV-infected mosquitoes was calculated via the infection rate estimation from mosquito pool data using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE).<br><br>RESULTS: In 6047 F1 Vietnamese wild-type Ae. aegypti, the MLE of DENV-1 infection was 1.49 per 1000 mosquitoes (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73-2.74). In 5500&#xa0;wMel-infected Ae. aegypti, the MLE infection rate was 0 (95% CI 0-0.69). The VT rates between mosquito lines showed a statistically significant difference.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The results reinforce the view that VT is a rare event in wild-type mosquitoes and that infection with wMel is effective in reducing VT.},
}
@article {pmid37649415,
year = {2023},
author = {Martínez-Burgos, M and Lozano-Sardaneta, YN and Rodríguez-Rojas, JJ and Gómez-Rivera, &#xc1;S and Canto-Mis, KL and Flores-Escobar, E and Mis-Ávila, PC and Correa-Morales, F and Becker, I},
title = {Species diversity and detection of pathogens in phlebotomine sand flies collected from forest management areas of Quintana Roo, Mexico.},
journal = {Medical and veterinary entomology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/mve.12691},
pmid = {37649415},
issn = {1365-2915},
support = {6682//Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnolog&#xed;a/ ; IG201221//Direcci&#xf3;n General de Asuntos del Personal Acad&#xe9;mico, Universidad Nacional Aut&#xf3;noma de M&#xe9;xico/ ; },
abstract = {Sand flies have expanded their areas of distribution, thereby increasing the risk of pathogen transmission in non-endemic areas. To establish efficient prevention and control strategies for the transmission of vector-borne pathogens, it is important to understand seasonal dynamics of their vectors. In Mexico, there are several areas where the contact between sand flies, hosts and reservoirs favours the transmission of the pathogen. We compared sand fly communities in a forest management area and a conserved area in Noh-Bec, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The analysis included species diversity, activity peaks and molecular detection of pathogens. Sand flies were collected from November to December 2021 and April to May 2022, during 84 night-traps. The conserved area showed higher numbers and greater species heterogeneity of sand flies as compared with the other sites. The β-diversity analysis revealed that sites disturbed by logging (S1, S2, S3) had greater similarity (90%) in their sand fly species composition than a conserved area (S4) (similarity = 36%). Although none of the specimens were infected with Leishmania, we detected Wolbachia (19.4%) in all four sites, as well as Bartonella (3.25%) only in the disturbed sites. Further studies on the dynamics of sand fly populations and their association with pathogens are necessary.},
}
@article {pmid37647311,
year = {2023},
author = {Wei, TL and Zheng, YP and Wang, ZH and Shang, YX and Pei, MS and Liu, HN and Yu, YH and Shi, QF and Jiang, DM and Guo, DL},
title = {Comparative microbiome analysis reveals the variation in microbial communities between 'Kyoho' grape and its bud mutant variety.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {18},
number = {8},
pages = {e0290853},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0290853},
pmid = {37647311},
issn = {1932-6203},
abstract = {Microbes are an important part of the vineyard ecosystem, which significantly influence the quality of grapes. Previously, we identified a bud mutant variety (named 'Fengzao') from 'Kyoho' grapes. The variation of microbial communities in grape and its bud mutant variety has not been studied yet. So, in this study, with the samples of both 'Fengzao' and 'Kyoho', we conducted high-throughput microbiome sequencing and investigated their microbial communities in different tissues. Obvious differences were observed in the microbial communities between 'Fengzao' and 'Kyoho'. The fruit and the stem are the tissues with relatively higher abundance of microbes, while the leaves contained less microbes. The fruit and the stem of 'Kyoho' and the stem of 'Fengzao' had relatively higher species diversity based on the alpha diversity analysis. Proteobacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and Rhodobacteraceae had significantly high abundance in 'Fengzao'. Firmicutes and Pseudomonas were highly abundant in the stems of 'Kyoho', and family of Spirochaetaceae, Anaplasmataceae, Chlorobiaceae, and Sphingomonadaceae, and genera of Spirochaeta, Sphingomonas, Chlorobaculum and Wolbachia were abundant in the fruits of 'Kyoho'. These identified microbes are main components of the microbial communities, and could be important regulators of grapevine growth and development. This study revealed the differences in the microbial compositions between 'Kyoho' and its bud mutant, and these identified microbes will be significant resources for the future researches on the quality regulation and disease control of grapevines.},
}
@article {pmid37645949,
year = {2023},
author = {Wenzel, M and Aquadro, CF},
title = {Wolbachia infection at least partially rescues the fertility and ovary defects of several new Drosophila melanogaster bag of marbles protein-coding mutants.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2023.03.20.532813},
pmid = {37645949},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: The D. melanogaster protein coding gene bag of marbles (bam) plays a key role in early male and female reproduction by forming complexes with partner proteins to promote differentiation in gametogenesis. Like another germline gene, Sex lethal , bam genetically interacts with the endosymbiont Wolbachia , as Wolbachia rescues the reduced fertility of a bam hypomorphic mutant. Here, we explored the specificity of the bam-Wolbachia interaction by generating 22 new bam mutants, with ten mutants displaying fertility defects. Nine of these mutants trend towards rescue by the w Mel Wolbachia variant, with eight statistically significant at the fertility and/or cytological level. In some cases, fertility was increased a striking 20-fold. There is no specificity between the rescue and the known binding regions of bam , suggesting w Mel does not interact with one singular bam partner to rescue the reproductive phenotype. We further tested if w Mel interacts with bam in a non-specific way, by increasing bam transcript levels or acting upstream in germline stem cells. A fertility assessment of a bam RNAi knockdown mutant reveals that w Mel rescue is specific to functionally mutant bam alleles and we find no obvious evidence of w Mel interaction with germline stem cells in bam mutants.<br><br>AUTHOR SUMMARY: Reproduction in the Drosophila melanogaster fruit fly is dependent on the bag of marbles (bam) gene, which acts early in the process of generating eggs and sperm. Mutations to this gene negatively impact the fertility of the fly, causing it to be sterile or have fewer progeny. Interestingly, we find that the bacteria Wolbachia , which resides within reproductive cells across a wide range of insects, partially restores the fertility and ovary phenotype of several bam mutants of which the resultant Bam protein is altered from wildtype. The protein function of Bam is further suggested to be important by the lack of rescue for a fly that has a fertility defect due to low expression of a non-mutated bam gene. Previous work makes similar conclusions about Wolbachia with another reproductive gene, Sex lethal (Sxl), highlighting the potential for rescue of fertility mutants to occur in a similar way across different genes. An understanding of the ways in which Wolbachia can affect host reproduction provides us with context with which to frame Wolbachia 's impact on host genes, such as bam and Sxl, and consider the evolutionary implications of Wolbachia 's infection in D. melanogaster fruit flies.},
}
@article {pmid37630471,
year = {2023},
author = {Chao, LL and Shih, CM},
title = {First Detection and Genetic Identification of Wolbachia Endosymbiont in Field-Caught Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes Collected from Southern Taiwan.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {11},
number = {8},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/microorganisms11081911},
pmid = {37630471},
issn = {2076-2607},
support = {MOST 111-2314-B-037-031//Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan/ ; },
abstract = {The prevalence and genetic character of Wolbachia endosymbionts in field-collected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were examined for the first time in Taiwan. A total of 665 Ae. aegypti were screened for Wolbachia infection using a PCR assay targeting the Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene. In general, the prevalence of Wolbachia infection was detected in 3.3% Ae. aegypti specimens (2.0% female and 5.2% male). Group-specific Wolbachia infection was detected with an infection rate of 1.8%, 0.8% and 0.8% in groups A, B and A&amp;B, respectively. Genetic analysis demonstrated that all Wolbachia strains from Taiwan were phylogenetically affiliated with Wolbachia belonging to the supergroups A and B, with high sequence similarities of 99.4-100% and 99.2-100%, respectively. Phylogenetic relationships can be easily distinguished by maximum likelihood (ML) analysis and were congruent with the unweighted pair group with the arithmetic mean (UPGMA) method. The intra- and inter-group analysis of genetic distance (GD) values revealed a lower level within the Taiwan strains (GD < 0.006 for group A and GD < 0.008 for group B) and a higher level (GD > 0.498 for group A and GD > 0.286 for group B) as compared with other Wolbachia strains. Our results describe the first detection and molecular identification of Wolbachia endosymbiont in field-caught Ae. aegypti mosquitoes collected from Taiwan, and showed a low Wolbachia infection rate belonging to supergroups A and B in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid37628597,
year = {2023},
author = {Corpuz, RL and Bellinger, MR and Veillet, A and Magnacca, KN and Price, DK},
title = {The Transmission Patterns of the Endosymbiont Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae Adaptive Radiation.},
journal = {Genes},
volume = {14},
number = {8},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/genes14081545},
pmid = {37628597},
issn = {2073-4425},
support = {1345247//National Science Foundation/ ; },
abstract = {The evolution of endosymbionts and their hosts can lead to highly dynamic interactions with varying fitness effects for both the endosymbiont and host species. Wolbachia, a ubiquitous endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on host fitness. We documented the occurrence and patterns of transmission of Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae and examined the potential contributions of Wolbachia to the rapid diversification of their hosts. Screens for Wolbachia infections across a minimum of 140 species of Hawaiian Drosophila and Scaptomyza revealed species-level infections of 20.0%, and across all 399 samples, a general infection rate of 10.3%. Among the 44 Wolbachia strains we identified using a modified Wolbachia multi-locus strain typing scheme, 30 (68.18%) belonged to supergroup B, five (11.36%) belonged to supergroup A, and nine (20.45%) had alleles with conflicting supergroup assignments. Co-phylogenetic reconciliation analysis indicated that Wolbachia strain diversity within their endemic Hawaiian Drosophilidae hosts can be explained by vertical (e.g., co-speciation) and horizontal (e.g., host switch) modes of transmission. Results from stochastic character trait mapping suggest that horizontal transmission is associated with the preferred oviposition substrate of the host, but not the host's plant family or island of occurrence. For Hawaiian Drosophilid species of conservation concern, with 13 species listed as endangered and 1 listed as threatened, knowledge of Wolbachia strain types, infection status, and potential for superinfection could assist with conservation breeding programs designed to bolster population sizes, especially when wild populations are supplemented with laboratory-reared, translocated individuals. Future research aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanisms of Wolbachia transmission in nature, their impact on the host, and their role in host species formation may shed light on the influence of Wolbachia as an evolutionary driver, especially in Hawaiian ecosystems.},
}
@article {pmid37622600,
year = {2023},
author = {Ciocchetta, S and Frentiu, FD and Montarsi, F and Capelli, G and Devine, GJ},
title = {Investigation on key aspects of mating biology in the mosquito Aedes koreicus.},
journal = {Medical and veterinary entomology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/mve.12687},
pmid = {37622600},
issn = {1365-2915},
abstract = {Aedes koreicus Edwards, 1917 (Hulecoetomyia koreica) is a mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) from Northeast Asia with a rapidly expanding presence outside its original native range. Over the years, the species has been discovered in several new countries, either spreading after first introduction or remaining localised to limited areas. Notably, recent studies have demonstrated the ability of the species to transmit zoonotic parasites and viruses both in the field and in laboratory settings. Combined with its invasive potential, the possible role of Ae. koreicus in pathogen transmission highlights the public health risks resulting from its invasion. In this study, we used a recently established population from Italy to investigate aspects of biology that influence reproductive success in Ae. koreicus: autogeny, mating behaviour, mating disruption by the sympatric invasive species Aedes albopictus Skuse, 1894, and the presence of the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis Hertig, 1936. Our laboratory population did not exhibit autogenic behaviour and required a bloodmeal to complete its ovarian cycle. When we exposed Ae. koreicus females to males of Ae. albopictus, we observed repeated attempts at insemination and an aggressive, disruptive mating behaviour initiated by male Ae. albopictus. Despite this, no sperm was identified in Ae. koreicus spermathecae. Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium capable of influencing mosquito reproductive behaviour, was not detected in this Ae. koreicus population and, therefore, had no effect on Ae. koreicus reproduction.},
}
@article {pmid37612118,
year = {2023},
author = {Maruyama, J and Inoue, H and Hirose, Y and Nakabachi, A},
title = {16S rRNA Gene Sequencing of Six Psyllid Species of the Family Carsidaridae Identified Various Bacteria Including Symbiopectobacterium.},
journal = {Microbes and environments},
volume = {38},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1264/jsme2.ME23045},
pmid = {37612118},
issn = {1347-4405},
abstract = {Psyllids (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea) are plant sap-sucking insects that are closely associated with various microbes. To obtain a more detailed understanding of the ecological and evolutionary behaviors of microbes in Psylloidea, the bacterial populations of six psyllid species, belonging to the family Carsidaridae, were analyzed using high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The majority of the secondary symbionts identified in the present study were gammaproteobacteria, particularly those of the order Enterobacterales, including Arsenophonus and Sodalis, which are lineages found in a wide variety of insect hosts. Additionally, Symbiopectobacterium, another Enterobacterales lineage, which has recently been recognized and increasingly shown to be vertically transmitted and mutualistic in various invertebrates, was identified for the first time in Psylloidea. This lineage is closely related to Pectobacterium spp., which are plant pathogens, but forms a distinct clade exhibiting no pathogenicity to plants. Non-Enterobacterales gammaproteobacteria found in the present study were Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas (both Pseudomonadales), Delftia, Comamonas (both Burkholderiales), and Xanthomonas (Xanthomonadales), a putative plant pathogen. Regarding alphaproteobacteria, three Wolbachia (Rickettsiales) lineages belonging to supergroup B, the major group in insect lineages, were detected in four psyllid species. In addition, a Wolbachia lineage of supergroup O, a minor group recently found for the first time in Psylloidea, was detected in one psyllid species. These results suggest the pervasive transfer of bacterial symbionts among animals and plants, providing deeper insights into the evolution of the interactions among these organisms.},
}
@article {pmid37612420,
year = {2023},
author = {Strunov, A and Schoenherr, C and Kapun, M},
title = {Wolbachia has subtle effects on thermal preference in highly inbred Drosophila melanogaster which vary with life stage and environmental conditions.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {13792},
pmid = {37612420},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {FWF P32275//Austrian Science Fund/ ; },
abstract = {Temperature fluctuations are challenging for ectotherms which are not able to regulate body temperature by physiological means and thus have to adjust their thermal environment via behavior. However, little is yet known about whether microbial symbionts influence thermal preference (Tp) in ectotherms by modulating their physiology. Several recent studies have demonstrated substantial effects of Wolbachia infections on host Tp in different Drosophila species. These data indicate that the direction and strength of thermal preference variation is strongly dependent on host and symbiont genotypes and highly variable among studies. By employing highly controlled experiments, we investigated the impact of several environmental factors including humidity, food quality, light exposure, and experimental setup that may influence Tp measurements in adult Drosophila melanogaster flies. Additionally, we assessed the effects of Wolbachia infection on Tp of Drosophila at different developmental stages, which has not been done before. We find only subtle effects of Wolbachia on host Tp which are strongly affected by experimental variation in adult, but not during juvenile life stages. Our in-depth analyses show that environmental variation has a substantial influence on Tp which demonstrates the necessity of careful experimental design and cautious interpretations of Tp measurements together with a thorough description of the methods and equipment used to conduct behavioral studies.},
}
@article {pmid37604924,
year = {2023},
author = {Osorio, J and Villa-Arias, S and Camargo, C and Ramírez-Sánchez, LF and Barrientos, LM and Bedoya, C and Rúa-Uribe, G and Dorus, S and Alfonso-Parra, C and Avila, FW},
title = {wMel Wolbachia alters female post-mating behaviors and physiology in the dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti.},
journal = {Communications biology},
volume = {6},
number = {1},
pages = {865},
pmid = {37604924},
issn = {2399-3642},
support = {DEB 1655840//National Science Foundation (NSF)/ ; },
abstract = {Globally invasive Aedes aegypti disseminate numerous arboviruses that impact human health. One promising method to control Ae. aegypti populations is transinfection with Wolbachia pipientis, which naturally infects ~40-52% of insects but not Ae. aegypti. Transinfection of Ae. aegypti with the wMel Wolbachia strain induces cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), allows infected individuals to invade native populations, and inhibits transmission of medically relevant arboviruses by females. Female insects undergo post-mating physiological and behavioral changes-referred to as the female post-mating response (PMR)-required for optimal fertility. PMRs are typically elicited by male seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) transferred with sperm during mating but can be modified by other factors, including microbiome composition. Wolbachia has modest effects on Ae. aegypti fertility, but its influence on other PMRs is unknown. Here, we show that Wolbachia influences female fecundity, fertility, and re-mating incidence and significantly extends the longevity of virgin females. Using proteomic methods to examine the seminal proteome of infected males, we found that Wolbachia moderately affects SFP composition. However, we identified 125 paternally transferred Wolbachia proteins, but the CI factor proteins (Cifs) were not among them. Our findings indicate that Wolbachia infection of Ae. aegypti alters female PMRs, potentially influencing control programs that utilize Wolbachia-infected individuals.},
}
@article {pmid37603352,
year = {2023},
author = {Zhu, Z and Hui, Y and Hu, L},
title = {The impact of predators of mosquito larvae on Wolbachia spreading dynamics.},
journal = {Journal of biological dynamics},
volume = {17},
number = {1},
pages = {2249024},
doi = {10.1080/17513758.2023.2249024},
pmid = {37603352},
issn = {1751-3766},
abstract = {Dengue fever creates more than 390 million cases worldwide yearly. The most effective way to deal with this mosquito-borne disease is to control the vectors. In this work we consider two weapons, the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia and predators of mosquito larvae, for combating the disease. As Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are less able to transmit dengue virus, releasing infected mosquitoes to invade wild mosquito populations helps to reduce dengue transmission. Besides this measure, the introduction of predators of mosquito larvae can control mosquito population. To evaluate the impact of the predators on Wolbachia spreading dynamics, we develop a stage-structured five-dimensional model, which links the predator-prey dynamics with the Wolbachia spreading. By comparatively analysing the dynamics of the models without and with predators, we observe that the introduction of the predators augments the number of coexistence equilibria and impedes Wolbachia spreading. Some numerical simulations are presented to support and expand our theoretical results.},
}
@article {pmid37602844,
year = {2023},
author = {Cull, B and Wang, XR},
title = {Methods for the Study of Ticks, Mosquitoes, and their Transmitted Pathogens: Toward a Greater Understanding of Vector Biology and Arthropod-Microbe Interactions.},
journal = {Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE},
volume = {},
number = {193},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3791/64986},
pmid = {37602844},
issn = {1940-087X},
abstract = {Chen, L., Xiao, Q., Shi, M., Cheng, J., Wu, J. Detecting Wolbachia strain wAlbB in Aedes albopictus cell lines. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (184), e63662 (2022). Haziqah-Rashid, A. et al. Determining temperature preference of mosquitoes and other ectotherms. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (187), e64356 (2022). Huang, D. et al. Mosquito-associated virus isolation from field-collected mosquitoes. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (186), e63852 (2022). Khoo, B., Cull, B., Oliver, J. D. Tick artificial membrane feeding for Ixodes scapularis. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 64553 (2022). Leal-Galvan, B., Harvey, C., Thomas, D., Saelao, P., Oliva Chavez, A. S. Isolation of microRNAs from tick ex vivo salivary gland cultures and extracellular vesicles. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (182), e63618 (2022). Liang, Q. et al. Control of Aedes albopictus mosquito larvae with Carpesium abrotanoides L. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (186), e63976 (2022). Wang, F. et al. Experimental viral infection in adult mosquitoes by oral feeding and microinjection. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (185), e63830 (2022). Wang, X. R., Burkhardt, N. Y., Price, L. D., Munderloh, U. G. An electroporation method to transform Rickettsia spp. with a fluorescent protein-expressing shuttle vector in tick cell lines. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (188), e64562 (2022).},
}
@article {pmid37601442,
year = {2023},
author = {Archer, J and Hurst, GDD and Hornett, EA},
title = {Male-killer symbiont screening reveals novel associations in Adalia ladybirds.},
journal = {Access microbiology},
volume = {5},
number = {7},
pages = {},
pmid = {37601442},
issn = {2516-8290},
abstract = {While male-killing bacteria are known to infect across arthropods, ladybird beetles represent a hotspot for these symbioses. In some host species, there are multiple different symbionts that vary in presence and frequency between populations. To further our understanding of spatial and frequency variation, we tested for the presence of three male-killing bacteria: Wolbachia , Rickettsia and Spiroplasma , in two Adalia ladybird species from a previously unexplored UK population. The two-spot ladybird, A. bipunctata, is known to harbour all three male-killers, and we identified Spiroplasma infection in the Merseyside population for the first time. However, in contrast to previous studies on two-spot ladybirds from continental Europe, evidence from egg-hatch rates indicates the Spiroplasma strain present in the Merseyside population does not cause embryonic male-killing. In the related ten-spot ladybird, A. decempunctata, there is only one previous record of a male-killing symbiont, a Rickettsia , which we did not detect in the Merseyside sample. However, PCR assays indicated the presence of a Spiroplasma in a single A. decempunctata specimen. Marker sequence indicated that this Spiroplasma was divergent from that found in sympatric A. bipunctata. Genome sequencing of the Spiroplasma -infected A. decempunctata additionally revealed the presence of cobionts in the form of a Centistes parasitoid wasp and the parasitic fungi Beauveria. Further study of A. decempunctata from this population is needed to resolve whether it is the ladybird or wasp cobiont that harbours Spiroplasma , and to establish the phenotype of this strain. These data indicate first that microbial symbiont phenotype should not be assumed from past studies conducted in different locations, and second that cobiont presence may confound screening studies aimed to detect the frequency of a symbiont in field collected material from a focal host species.},
}
@article {pmid37584011,
year = {2023},
author = {Perles, L and Otranto, D and Barreto, WTG and de Macedo, GC and Lia, RP and Mendoza-Roldan, JA and Herrera, HM and de Oliveira, CE and Machado, RZ and André, MR},
title = {Mansonella sp. and associated Wolbachia endosymbionts in ring-tailed coatis (Nasua nasua) in periurban areas from Midwestern Brazil.},
journal = {International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife},
volume = {22},
number = {},
pages = {14-19},
pmid = {37584011},
issn = {2213-2244},
abstract = {Coatis (Nasua nasua) are wild carnivorous well adapted to anthropized environments especially important because they act as reservoirs hosts for many arthropod-borne zoonotic pathogens. Information about filarioids from coatis and associated Wolbachia spp. in Brazil is scant. To investigate the diversity of filarial nematodes, blood samples (n = 100 animals) were obtained from two urban areas in midwestern Brazil and analyzed using blood smears and buffy coats and cPCR assays based on the cox1, 12S rRNA, 18S rRNA, hsp70 and myoHC genes for nematodes and 16S rRNA for Wolbachia. When analyzing coati blood smears and buffy coats, 30% and 80% of the samples presented at least one microfilaria, respectively. Twenty-five cox1 sequences were obtained showing 89% nucleotide identity with Mansonella ozzardi. Phylogenetic analyses clustered cox1 sequences herein obtained within the Mansonella spp. clade. Sequences of both myoHC and two hsp70 genes showed 99.8% nucleotide identity with Mansonella sp. and clustered into a clade within Mansonella sp., previously detected in coatis from Brazil. Two blood samples were positive for Wolbachia, with a 99% nucleotide identity with Wolbachia previously found in Mansonella perstans, Mansonella ozzardi and Mansonella atelensis and in ectoparasites of the genus Pseudolynchia, Melophagus and Cimex. The study showed a high prevalence of Mansonella sp. in the coati population examined, suggesting that this animal species play a role as reservoirs of a novel, yet to be described, species within the Onchocercidae family.},
}
@article {pmid37577425,
year = {2023},
author = {Garrido, M and Veiga, J and Garrigós, M and Martínez-de la Puente, J},
title = {The interplay between vector microbial community and pathogen transmission on the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus: current knowledge and future directions.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1208633},
pmid = {37577425},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {The invasive Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is nowadays broadly distributed with established populations in all continents except Antarctica. In the invaded areas, this species represents an important nuisance for humans and, more relevant, it is involved in the local transmission of pathogens relevant under a public health perspective. Aedes albopictus is a competent vector of parasites such as Dirofilaria and viruses including dengue virus, Zika virus, and chikungunya virus, among others. The mosquito microbiota has been identified as one of the major drivers of vector competence, acting upon relevant vector functions as development or immunity. Here, we review the available literature on the interaction between Ae. albopictus microbiota and pathogen transmission and identify the knowledge gaps on the topic. Most studies are strictly focused on the interplay between pathogens and Wolbachia endosymbiont while studies screening whole microbiota are still scarce but increasing in recent years, supported on Next-generation sequencing tools. Most experimental trials use lab-reared mosquitoes or cell lines, exploring the molecular mechanisms of the microbiota-pathogen interaction. Yet, correlational studies on wild populations are underrepresented. Consequently, we still lack sufficient evidence to reveal whether the microbiota of introduced populations of Ae. albopictus differ from those of native populations, or how microbiota is shaped by different environmental and anthropic factors, but especially, how these changes affect the ability of Ae. albopictus to transmit pathogens and favor the occurrence of outbreaks in the colonized areas. Finally, we propose future research directions on this research topic.},
}
@article {pmid37567493,
year = {2023},
author = {Kamkong, P and Jitsamai, W and Thongmeesee, K and Ratthawongjirakul, P and Taweethavonsawat, P},
title = {Genetic diversity and characterization of Wolbachia endosymbiont in canine filariasis.},
journal = {Acta tropica},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {107000},
doi = {10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107000},
pmid = {37567493},
issn = {1873-6254},
abstract = {Canine filariasis is caused by nematodes from the family Onchocercidae, which is transmitted by arthropod vectors. The disease is commonly found in Southeast Asia and exists worldwide. Some filarial nematodes are associated with intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia, which plays an important role in embryogenesis, molting, and the long-term survival of adult worms. This study aims to characterize Wolbachia sp. and determine the association between Wolbachia and canine filarial nematode species in Thailand. A total of 46 dog blood samples that were naturally infected with filarial nematodes were obtained to identify filarial nematode species by Giemsa stained under a light microscope and confirmed using the molecular technique. In order to characterize Wolbachia sp., the nested PCR assay targeting the 16S rRNA gene showed that all samples of Dirofilaria immitis and fifteen samples of Candidatus Dirofilaria hongkongensis were grouped into Wolbachia supergroup C. In addition, all samples of Brugia spp. and five samples of Candidatus Dirofilaria hongkongensis were classified into Wolbachia supergroup D. The genetic diversity analysis conducted using the 16S rRNA gene revealed a similar result when analyzed through phylogenetic tree analysis. This is the first genetic diversity study of Wolbachia of Candidatus Dirofilaria hongkongensis in infected dogs in Thailand.},
}
@article {pmid37533804,
year = {2023},
author = {Namias, A and Sahlin, K and Makoundou, P and Bonnici, I and Sicard, M and Belkhir, K and Weill, M},
title = {Nanopore sequencing of PCR products enables multicopy gene family reconstruction.},
journal = {Computational and structural biotechnology journal},
volume = {21},
number = {},
pages = {3656-3664},
pmid = {37533804},
issn = {2001-0370},
abstract = {The importance of gene amplifications in evolution is more and more recognized. Yet, tools to study multi-copy gene families are still scarce, and many such families are overlooked using common sequencing methods. Haplotype reconstruction is even harder for polymorphic multi-copy gene families. Here, we show that all variants (or haplotypes) of a multi-copy gene family present in a single genome, can be obtained using Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing of PCR products, followed by steps of mapping, SNP calling and haplotyping. As a proof of concept, we acquired the sequences of highly similar variants of the cidA and cidB genes present in the genome of the Wolbachia wPip, a bacterium infecting Culex pipiens mosquitoes. Our method relies on a wide database of cid genes, previously acquired by cloning and Sanger sequencing. We addressed problems commonly faced when using mapping approaches for multi-copy gene families with highly similar variants. In addition, we confirmed that PCR amplification causes frequent chimeras which have to be carefully considered when working on families of recombinant genes. We tested the robustness of the method using a combination of bioinformatics (read simulations) and molecular biology approaches (sequence acquisitions through cloning and Sanger sequencing, specific PCRs and digital droplet PCR). When different haplotypes present within a single genome cannot be reconstructed from short reads sequencing, this pipeline confers a high throughput acquisition, gives reliable results as well as insights of the relative copy numbers of the different variants.},
}
@article {pmid37532686,
year = {2023},
author = {Hasnaoui, B and Bérenger, JM and Delaunay, P and Diarra, AZ and Ndiaye, EHI and M'madi, SA and Masotti, N and Sevestre, J and Parola, P},
title = {Survey of bed bug infestations in homeless shelters in southern France.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {12557},
pmid = {37532686},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Bedbugs ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Public Health ; *Ectoparasitic Infestations ; France ; *Ill-Housed Persons ; },
abstract = {Bed bug has become a major public health pest worldwide. Infestation may result in numerous negative health effects. Homeless shelters are one of the most habitats that can be infested with bed bugs, a few studies have focused on bed bug infestations in these settings. We conducted a survey of infestations of bed bugs in a homeless shelter in southern France, using an innovative seven-level scale (0-6) to assess the degree of infestation, MALDI TOF-MS to identify bed bugs, and a biomolecular tool to detect bacteria. Bed bug infestations were documented in 13% (9/68) of investigated rooms. A total of 184 bed bugs were collected and morphologically identified as Cimex lectularius. MALDI TOF-MS analysis allowed us to obtain high-quality MS spectra for all 184 specimens, to correctly identify all specimens, and included 178/184 (97%) Log Score Values higher than 1.8. Among the bacteria tested, Wolbachia sp. DNA was found in 149/184 (81%) of the bed bugs, and one sample was positive for Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever. Our study is the first of its kind that offers new perspectives for increasing public awareness of the conditions in homeless shelters.},
}
@article {pmid37474590,
year = {2023},
author = {Rainey, SM and Geoghegan, V and Lefteri, DA and Ant, TH and Martinez, J and McNamara, CJ and Kamel, W and de Laurent, ZR and Castello, A and Sinkins, SP},
title = {Differences in proteome perturbations caused by the Wolbachia strain wAu suggest multiple mechanisms of Wolbachia-mediated antiviral activity.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {11737},
pmid = {37474590},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 108508/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 202888/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Dengue Virus/physiology ; Proteome ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; Antiviral Agents ; Proteomics ; Lipids ; *Aedes ; },
abstract = {Some strains of the inherited bacterium Wolbachia have been shown to be effective at reducing the transmission of dengue virus (DENV) and other RNA viruses by Aedes aegypti in both laboratory and field settings and are being deployed for DENV control. The degree of virus inhibition varies between Wolbachia strains. Density and tissue tropism can contribute to these differences but there are also indications that this is not the only factor involved: for example, strains wAu and wAlbA are maintained at similar intracellular densities but only wAu produces strong DENV inhibition. We previously reported perturbations in lipid transport dynamics, including sequestration of cholesterol in lipid droplets, with strains wMel/wMelPop in Ae. aegypti. To further investigate the cellular basis underlying these differences, proteomic analysis of midguts was carried out on Ae. aegypti lines carrying strains wAu and wAlbA: with the hypothesis that differences in perturbations may underline Wolbachia-mediated antiviral activity. Surprisingly, wAu-carrying midguts not only showed distinct proteome perturbations when compared to non-Wolbachia carrying and wAlbA-carrying midguts but also wMel-carrying midguts. There are changes in RNA processing pathways and upregulation of a specific set of RNA-binding proteins in the wAu-carrying line, including genes with known antiviral activity. Lipid transport and metabolism proteome changes also differ between strains, and we show that strain wAu does not produce the same cholesterol sequestration phenotype as wMel. Moreover, in contrast to wMel, wAu antiviral activity was not rescued by cyclodextrin treatment. Together these results suggest that wAu could show unique features in its inhibition of arboviruses compared to previously characterized Wolbachia strains.},
}
@article {pmid37253037,
year = {2023},
author = {Turner, HC and Quyen, DL and Dias, R and Huong, PT and Simmons, CP and Anders, KL},
title = {An economic evaluation of Wolbachia deployments for dengue control in Vietnam.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {17},
number = {5},
pages = {e0011356},
pmid = {37253037},
issn = {1935-2735},
support = {MR/R015600/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; *Dengue/epidemiology/prevention &amp; control ; *Wolbachia ; Vietnam/epidemiology ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Aedes/microbiology ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Dengue is a major public health challenge and a growing problem due to climate change. The release of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia is a novel form of vector control against dengue. However, there remains a need to evaluate the benefits of such an intervention at a large scale. In this paper, we evaluate the potential economic impact and cost-effectiveness of scaled Wolbachia deployments as a form of dengue control in Vietnam-targeted at the highest burden urban areas.<br><br>METHODS: Ten settings within Vietnam were identified as priority locations for potential future Wolbachia deployments (using a population replacement strategy). The effectiveness of Wolbachia deployments in reducing the incidence of symptomatic dengue cases was assumed to be 75%. We assumed that the intervention would maintain this effectiveness for at least 20 years (but tested this assumption in the sensitivity analysis). A cost-utility analysis and cost-benefit analysis were conducted.<br><br>RESULTS: From the health sector perspective, the Wolbachia intervention was projected to cost US$420 per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted. From the societal perspective, the overall cost-effectiveness ratio was negative, i.e. the economic benefits outweighed the costs. These results are contingent on the long-term effectiveness of Wolbachia releases being sustained for 20 years. However, the intervention was still classed as cost-effective across the majority of the settings when assuming only 10 years of benefits.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Overall, we found that targeting high burden cities with Wolbachia deployments would be a cost-effective intervention in Vietnam and generate notable broader benefits besides health gains.},
}
@article {pmid37250803,
year = {2023},
author = {Arai, H and Anbutsu, H and Nishikawa, Y and Kogawa, M and Ishii, K and Hosokawa, M and Lin, SR and Ueda, M and Nakai, M and Kunimi, Y and Harumoto, T and Kageyama, D and Takeyama, H and Inoue, MN},
title = {Combined actions of bacteriophage-encoded genes in Wolbachia-induced male lethality.},
journal = {iScience},
volume = {26},
number = {6},
pages = {106842},
pmid = {37250803},
issn = {2589-0042},
abstract = {Some Wolbachia endosymbionts induce male killing, whereby male offspring of infected females are killed during development; however, the origin and diversity of the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we identified a 76 kbp prophage region specific to male-killing Wolbachia hosted by the moth Homona magnanima. The prophage encoded a homolog of the male-killing gene oscar in Ostrinia moths and the wmk gene that induces various toxicities in Drosophila melanogaster. Upon overexpressing these genes in D. melanogaster, wmk-1 and wmk-3 killed all males and most females, whereas Hm-oscar, wmk-2, and wmk-4 had no impact on insect survival. Strikingly, co-expression of tandemly arrayed wmk-3 and wmk-4 killed 90% of males and restored 70% of females, suggesting their conjugated functions for male-specific lethality. While the male-killing gene in the native host remains unknown, our findings highlight the role of bacteriophages in male-killing evolution and differences in male-killing mechanisms among insects.},
}
@article {pmid37231184,
year = {2023},
author = {Zheng, R and Wang, Q and Wu, R and Paradkar, PN and Hoffmann, AA and Wang, GH},
title = {Holobiont perspectives on tripartite interactions among microbiota, mosquitoes, and pathogens.},
journal = {The ISME journal},
volume = {17},
number = {8},
pages = {1143-1152},
pmid = {37231184},
issn = {1751-7370},
mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Culicidae ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Microbiota/physiology ; *Malaria ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; },
abstract = {Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria cause a significant global health burden. Unfortunately, current insecticides and environmental control strategies aimed at the vectors of these diseases are only moderately effective in decreasing disease burden. Understanding and manipulating the interaction between the mosquito holobiont (i.e., mosquitoes and their resident microbiota) and the pathogens transmitted by these mosquitoes to humans and animals could help in developing new disease control strategies. Different microorganisms found in the mosquito's microbiota affect traits related to mosquito survival, development, and reproduction. Here, we review the physiological effects of essential microbes on their mosquito hosts; the interactions between the mosquito holobiont and mosquito-borne pathogen (MBP) infections, including microbiota-induced host immune activation and Wolbachia-mediated pathogen blocking (PB); and the effects of environmental factors and host regulation on the composition of the microbiota. Finally, we briefly overview future directions in holobiont studies, and how these may lead to new effective control strategies against mosquitoes and their transmitted diseases.},
}
@article {pmid37231093,
year = {2023},
author = {Bruner-Montero, G and Jiggins, FM},
title = {Wolbachia protects Drosophila melanogaster against two naturally occurring and virulent viral pathogens.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {8518},
pmid = {37231093},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Drosophila melanogaster ; *Wolbachia ; *Viruses ; *RNA Viruses ; Antiviral Agents/pharmacology ; Symbiosis ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is a common endosymbiont that can protect insects against viral pathogens. However, whether the antiviral effects of Wolbachia have a significant effect on fitness remains unclear. We have investigated the interaction between Drosophila melanogaster, Wolbachia and two viruses that we recently isolated from wild flies, La Jolla virus (LJV; Iflaviridae) and Newfield virus (NFV; Permutotetraviridae). Flies infected with these viruses have increased mortality rates, and NFV partially sterilizes females. These effects on fitness were reduced in Wolbachia-infected flies, and this was associated with reduced viral titres. However, Wolbachia alone also reduces survival, and under our experimental conditions these costs of the symbiont can outweigh the benefits of antiviral protection. In contrast, protection against the sterilizing effect of NFV leads to a net benefit of Wolbachia infection after exposure to the virus. These results support the hypothesis that Wolbachia is an important defense against the natural pathogens of D. melanogaster. Furthermore, by reducing the cost of Wolbachia infection, the antiviral effects of Wolbachia may aid its invasion into populations and help explain why it is so common in nature.},
}
@article {pmid37186167,
year = {2023},
author = {Shi, H and Yu, X and Cheng, G},
title = {Impact of the microbiome on mosquito-borne diseases.},
journal = {Protein &amp; cell},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/procel/pwad021},
pmid = {37186167},
issn = {1674-8018},
abstract = {Mosquito-borne diseases present a significant threat to human health, with the possibility of outbreaks of new mosquito-borne diseases always looming. Unfortunately, current measures to combat these diseases such as vaccines and drugs are often either unavailable or ineffective. However, recent studies on microbiomes may reveal promising strategies to fight these diseases. In this review, we examine recent advances in our understanding of the effects of both the mosquito and vertebrate microbiomes on mosquito-borne diseases. We argue that the mosquito microbiome can have direct and indirect impacts on the transmission of these diseases, with mosquito symbiotic microorganisms, particularly Wolbachia bacteria, showing potential for controlling mosquito-borne diseases. Moreover, the skin microbiome of vertebrates plays a significant role in mosquito preferences, while the gut microbiome has an impact on the progression of mosquito-borne diseases in humans. As researchers continue to explore the role of microbiomes in mosquito-borne diseases, we highlight some promising future directions for this field. Ultimately, a better understanding of the interplay between mosquitoes, their hosts, pathogens, and the microbiomes of mosquitoes and hosts may hold the key to preventing and controlling mosquito-borne diseases.},
}
@article {pmid37105498,
year = {2023},
author = {Gong, JT and Li, TP and Wang, MK and Hong, XY},
title = {Wolbachia-based strategies for control of agricultural pests.},
journal = {Current opinion in insect science},
volume = {57},
number = {},
pages = {101039},
doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2023.101039},
pmid = {37105498},
issn = {2214-5753},
mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Aedes ; *Wolbachia ; Population Dynamics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia-based incompatible insect technique (IIT) and pathogen blocking technique (PBT) have been shown to be effective at protecting humans from mosquito-borne diseases in the past decades. Population suppression based on IIT and population replacement based on PBT have become major field application strategies that have continuously been improved by the translational research on Wolbachia-transinfected mosquitoes. Similarly, Wolbachia-based approaches have been proposed for the protection of plants from agricultural pests and their associated diseases. However, a bottleneck in Wolbachia-based strategies for the control of agricultural pests is the need for methods to establish Wolbachia-transinfected insect lines. As a first step in this direction, we compare field control strategies for mosquitos with the potential strategies for agricultural pests based on Wolbachia. Our results show that there is a critical need for establishing productive insect lines and accumulating field test data.},
}
@article {pmid37103495,
year = {2023},
author = {Towett-Kirui, S and Morrow, JL and Close, S and Royer, JE and Riegler, M},
title = {Bacterial Communities Are Less Diverse in a Strepsipteran Endoparasitoid than in Its Fruit Fly Hosts and Dominated by Wolbachia.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {37103495},
issn = {1432-184X},
support = {IC150100026//Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) Fruit Fly Biosecurity Innovation/ ; IC150100026//Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) Fruit Fly Biosecurity Innovation/ ; IC150100026//Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) Fruit Fly Biosecurity Innovation/ ; },
abstract = {Microbiomes play vital roles in insect fitness and health and can be influenced by interactions between insects and their parasites. Many studies investigate the microbiome of free-living insects, whereas microbiomes of endoparasitoids and their interactions with parasitised insects are less explored. Due to their development in the constrained environment within a host, endoparasitoids are expected to have less diverse yet distinct microbiomes. We used high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to characterise the bacterial communities of Dipterophagus daci (Strepsiptera) and seven of its tephritid fruit fly host species. Bacterial communities of D. daci were less diverse and contained fewer taxa relative to the bacterial communities of the tephritid hosts. The strepsipteran's microbiome was dominated by Pseudomonadota (formerly Proteobacteria) (> 96%), mainly attributed to the presence of Wolbachia, with few other bacterial community members, indicative of an overall less diverse microbiome in D. daci. In contrast, a dominance of Wolbachia was not found in flies parasitised by early stages of D. daci nor unparasitised flies. Yet, early stages of D. daci parasitisation resulted in structural changes in the bacterial communities of parasitised flies. Furthermore, parasitisation with early stages of D. daci with Wolbachia was associated with a change in the relative abundance of some bacterial taxa relative to parasitisation with early stages of D. daci lacking Wolbachia. Our study is a first comprehensive characterisation of bacterial communities in a Strepsiptera species together with the more diverse bacterial communities of its hosts and reveals effects of concealed stages of parasitisation on host bacterial communities.},
}
@article {pmid37103216,
year = {2023},
author = {Lv, N and Peng, J and He, ZQ and Wen, Q and Su, ZQ and Ali, S and Liu, CZ and Qiu, BL},
title = {The Dynamic Distribution of Wolbachia and Rickettsia in AsiaII1 Bemisia tabaci.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {14},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {37103216},
issn = {2075-4450},
support = {32060250//the National Science Foundation of China/ ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia and Rickettsia are bacterial endosymbionts that can induce a number of reproductive abnormalities in their arthropod hosts. We screened and established the co-infection of Wolbachia and Rickettsia in Bemisia tabaci and compared the spatial and temporal distribution of Wolbachia and Rickettsia in eggs (3-120 h after spawning), nymphs, and adults of B. tabaci by qPCR quantification and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The results show that the titer of Wolbachia and Rickettsia in the 3-120 h old eggs showed a "w" patterned fluctuation, while the titers of Wolbachia and Rickettsia had a "descending-ascending descending-ascending" change process. The titers of Rickettsia and Wolbachia nymphal and the adult life stages of Asia II1 B. tabaci generally increased with the development of whiteflies. However, the location of Wolbachia and Rickettsia in the egg changed from egg stalk to egg base, and then from egg base to egg posterior, and finally back to the middle of the egg. These results will provide basic information on the quantity and localization of Wolbachia and Rickettsia within different life stages of B. tabaci. These findings help to understand the dynamics of the vertical transmission of symbiotic bacteria.},
}
@article {pmid37103189,
year = {2023},
author = {Cheong, YL and Nazni, WA and Lee, HL and NoorAfizah, A and MohdKhairuddin, IC and Kamarul, GMR and Nizam, NMN and Arif, MAK and NurZatilAqmar, ZM and Irwan, SM and Khadijah, K and Paid, YM and Topek, O and Hasnor, AH and AbuBakar, R and Singh Gill, B and Fadzilah, K and Tahir, A and Sinkins, SP and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {Spatial Distribution and Long-Term Persistence of Wolbachia-Infected Aedes aegypti in the Mentari Court, Malaysia.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {14},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {37103189},
issn = {2075-4450},
support = {Wellcome Trust Award 108508 and Wellcome Trust Award 108508/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
abstract = {Dengue is endemic in Malaysia, and vector control strategies are vital to reduce dengue transmission. The Wolbachia strain wAlbB carried by both sexes of Ae. aegypti was released in Mentari Court, a high-rise residential site, in October 2017 and stopped after 20 weeks. Wolbachia frequencies are still being monitored at multiple traps across this site, providing an opportunity to examine the spatiotemporal distribution of Wolbachia and mosquito density with respect to year, residential block, and floor, using spatial interpolation in ArcGIS, GLMs, and contingency analyses. In just 12 weeks, Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes were established right across the Mentari Court site with an overall infection frequency of >90%. To date, the Wolbachia frequency of Ae. aegypti has remained high in all areas across the site despite releases finishing four years ago. Nevertheless, the Wolbachia invaded more rapidly in some residential blocks than others, and also showed a relatively higher frequency on the eighth floor. The Ae. aegypti index tended to differ somewhat between residential blocks, whilst the Ae. albopictus index was relatively higher at the top and bottom floors of buildings. In Mentari Court, only a short release period was required to infiltrate Wolbachia completely and stably into the natural population. The results inform future releases in comparable sites in a dengue control programme.},
}
@article {pmid37103172,
year = {2023},
author = {Karpova, EK and Bobrovskikh, MA and Deryuzhenko, MA and Shishkina, OD and Gruntenko, NE},
title = {Wolbachia Effect on Drosophila melanogaster Lipid and Carbohydrate Metabolism.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {14},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {37103172},
issn = {2075-4450},
support = {19-04-00458//Russian Foundation for Basic Research/ ; },
abstract = {The effect of maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia on triglyceride and carbohydrate metabolism, starvation resistance and feeding behavior of Drosophila melanogaster females was studied. Eight D. melanogaster lines of the same nuclear background were investigated; one had no infection and served as the control, and seven others were infected with different Wolbachia strains pertaining to wMel and wMelCS groups of genotypes. Most of the infected lines had a higher overall lipid content and triglyceride level than the control line and their expression of the bmm gene regulating triglyceride catabolism was reduced. The glucose content was higher in the infected lines compared to that in the control, while their trehalose levels were similar. It was also found that the Wolbachia infection reduced the level of tps1 gene expression (coding for enzyme for trehalose synthesis from glucose) and had no effect on treh gene expression (coding for trehalose degradation enzyme). The infected lines exhibited lower appetite but higher survival under starvation compared to the control. The data obtained may indicate that Wolbachia foster their hosts' energy exchange through increasing its lipid storage and glucose content to ensure the host's competitive advantage over uninfected individuals. The scheme of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism regulation under Wolbachia's influence was suggested.},
}
@article {pmid37103136,
year = {2023},
author = {Heffernan, E and Markee, A and Truglio, MR and Barkdull, M and Steele Cabrera, S and Daniels, J},
title = {Population Genetic Structure of a Rare Butterfly in a Fragmented South Florida Ecosystem.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {14},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {37103136},
issn = {2075-4450},
support = {NA//Disney Conservation Fund/ ; },
abstract = {We investigated the genetic structure and diversity between populations of a rare butterfly, the Florida duskywing (Ephyriades brunnea floridensis E. Bell and W. Comstock, 1948) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) across a network of South Florida pine rockland habitat fragments. Based on 81 individuals from seven populations and using multiple polymorphic microsatellite loci, our analyses support the presence of mainland Florida (peninsular) and Florida Keys (island) population groupings, with a moderate, asymmetrical gene flow connecting them, and the presence of private alleles providing unique identities to each. We additionally found that despite a prevalence in many Lepidoptera, the presence of Wolbachia was not identified in any of the samples screened. Our findings can be used to inform conservation and recovery decisions, including population monitoring, organism translocation, and priority areas for management, restoration or stepping-stone creation to help maintain the complex genetic structure of separate populations.},
}
@article {pmid37079598,
year = {2023},
author = {Choubdar, N and Karimian, F and Koosha, M and Nejati, J and Shabani Kordshouli, R and Azarm, A and Oshaghi, MA},
title = {Wolbachia infection in native populations of Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {18},
number = {4},
pages = {e0284704},
pmid = {37079598},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Periplaneta/microbiology ; *Blattellidae/genetics/microbiology ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; Phylogeny ; *Cockroaches/microbiology ; Allergens ; },
abstract = {Cockroaches are significant pests worldwide, being important in medical, veterinary, and public health fields. Control of cockroaches is difficult because they have robust reproductive ability and high adaptability and are resistant to many insecticides. Wolbachia is an endosymbiont bacterium that infects the reproductive organs of approximately 70% of insect species and has become a promising biological agent for controlling insect pests. However, limited data on the presence or strain typing of Wolbachia in cockroaches are available. PCR amplification and sequencing of the wsp and gltA genes were used to study the presence, prevalence and molecular typing of Wolbachia in two main cockroach species, Blattella germanica (German cockroach) and Periplaneta americana (American cockroach), from different geographical locations of Iran. The Wolbachia endosymbiont was found only in 20.6% of German cockroaches while it was absent in American cockroach samples. Blast search and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Wolbachia strain found in the German cockroach belongs to Wolbachia supergroup F. Further studies should investigate the symbiotic role of Wolbachia in cockroaches and determine whether lack of Wolbachia infection may increase this insect's ability to tolerate or acquire various pathogens. Results of our study provide a foundation for continued work on interactions between cockroaches, bacterial endosymbionts, and pathogens.},
}
@article {pmid37075471,
year = {2023},
author = {Che Lah, EF and Ahamad, M and Dmitry, A and Md-Zain, BM and Yaakop, S},
title = {Metagenomic profile of the bacterial communities associated with Ixodes granulatus (Acari: Ixodidae): a potential vector of tick-borne diseases.},
journal = {Journal of medical entomology},
volume = {60},
number = {4},
pages = {753-768},
doi = {10.1093/jme/tjad044},
pmid = {37075471},
issn = {1938-2928},
mesh = {Humans ; Female ; Animals ; *Ixodes/microbiology ; *Ixodidae/microbiology ; Rickettsiales ; Ehrlichia ; *Rickettsia/genetics ; *Borrelia/genetics ; *Tick-Borne Diseases/microbiology ; },
abstract = {Ixodes granulatus Supino, 1897 (Acari: Ixodida) is one of Malaysia's most common hard ticks and is a potential vector for tick-borne diseases (TBDs). Despite its great public health importance, research on I. granulatus microbial communities remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the bacterial communities of on-host I. granulatus collected from three different recreational areas on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia using high throughput Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). A total of 9 females on-host I. granulatus were subjected to metabarcoding analysis targeting V3-V4 regions of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) using the Illumina MiSeq platform. This study identified 15 bacterial phyla corresponding to 19 classes, 54 orders, and 90 families from 435 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), revealing a diverse bacterial community profile. Together with 130 genera assigned, local I. granulatus harbored 4 genera of pathogens, i.e., Rickettsia da Rocha Lima, 1916 (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) (58.6%), Borrelia Swellengrebel 1907 (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae) (31.6%), Borreliella Adeolu and Gupta 2015 (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae) (0.6%), and Ehrlichia Cowdria Moshkovski 1947 (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae) (39.9%). Some endosymbiont bacteria, such as Coxiella (Philip, 1943) (Legionellales: Coxiellaceae), Wolbachia Hertig 1936 (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae), and Rickettsiella Philip, 1956 (Legionellales: Coxiellaceae), were also detected at very low abundance. Interestingly, this study reported the co-infection of Borrelia and Ehrlichia for the first time, instilling potential health concerns in the context of co-transmission to humans, especially in areas with a high population of I. granulatus. This study successfully characterized the tick microbiome and provided the first baseline data of I. granulatus bacterial communities in Malaysia. These results support the need for way-forward research on tick-associated bacteria using NGS, focusing on medically important species toward TBD prevention.},
}
@article {pmid37073332,
year = {2023},
author = {Ye, Z and Bishop, T and Wang, Y and Shahriari, R and Lynch, M},
title = {Evolution of sex determination in crustaceans.},
journal = {Marine life science &amp; technology},
volume = {5},
number = {1},
pages = {1-11},
pmid = {37073332},
issn = {2662-1746},
abstract = {Sex determination (SD) involves mechanisms that determine whether an individual will develop into a male, female, or in rare cases, hermaphrodite. Crustaceans harbor extremely diverse SD systems, including hermaphroditism, environmental sex determination (ESD), genetic sex determination (GSD), and cytoplasmic sex determination (e.g., Wolbachia controlled SD systems). Such diversity lays the groundwork for researching the evolution of SD in crustaceans, i.e., transitions among different SD systems. However, most previous research has focused on understanding the mechanism of SD within a single lineage or species, overlooking the transition across different SD systems. To help bridge this gap, we summarize the understanding of SD in various clades of crustaceans, and discuss how different SD systems might evolve from one another. Furthermore, we review the genetic basis for transitions between different SD systems (i.e., Dmrt genes) and propose the microcrustacean Daphnia (clade Branchiopoda) as a model to study the transition from ESD to GSD.},
}
@article {pmid37022600,
year = {2023},
author = {Caputo, B and Moretti, R and Virgillito, C and Manica, M and Lampazzi, E and Lombardi, G and Serini, P and Pichler, V and Beebe, NW and Della Torre, A and Calvitti, M},
title = {A bacterium against the tiger: further evidence of the potential of noninundative releases of males with manipulated Wolbachia infection in reducing fertility of Aedes albopictus field populations in Italy.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {79},
number = {9},
pages = {3167-3176},
doi = {10.1002/ps.7495},
pmid = {37022600},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {MUR PNRR Extended Partnership initiative on Emerging Infectious Diseases (project no. PE00000007, INF-ACT, research node 2).//Ministero della RIcerca/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Incompatible insect technique (IIT) is a population suppression approach based on the release of males with manipulated Wolbachia infection inducing egg inviability in wild females. We here present results of multiple field releases of incompatible ARwP males carried out in 2019 in a 2.7-ha green area within urban Rome (Italy) to assess the effect on Aedes albopictus egg viability. Data are compared with results obtained in 2018, when the approach was tested for the first time in Europe.<br><br>RESULTS: An average of 4674 ARwP males were released weekly for 7&#x2009;weeks, resulting in a mean ARwP:wild male ratio of 1.1:1 (versus 0.7:1 in 2018). Egg-viability dynamics in ovitraps significantly varied between treated and control sites, with an estimated overall reduction of 35% (versus 15% in 2018). The estimated proportion of females classified as mated with ARwP males was 41.8% and the viability rate of eggs laid by these females (9.5%) was on average significantly lower than that of females only mated with wild males (87.8%); however, high variability in fertility was observed. Values of ARwP male competitiveness were 0.36 and 0.73 based on the overall viability rate of eggs in ovitraps and on female fertility, respectively; thus, well above the conventional 0.2 threshold for an effective suppressive impact in the field.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Results further support the potential of IIT as a tool to contribute to Ae.&#x2009;albopictus control in the urban context, stressing the need for larger field trials to evaluate the cost-efficacy of the approach in temperate regions. &#xa9; 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley &amp; Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.},
}
@article {pmid36958587,
year = {2023},
author = {Verhulst, EC and Pannebakker, BA and Geuverink, E},
title = {Variation in sex determination mechanisms may constrain parthenogenesis-induction by endosymbionts in haplodiploid systems.},
journal = {Current opinion in insect science},
volume = {56},
number = {},
pages = {101023},
doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2023.101023},
pmid = {36958587},
issn = {2214-5753},
mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Parthenogenesis ; *Wolbachia ; *Arthropods ; Sex Determination Processes ; },
abstract = {Endosymbionts are maternally transmitted, and therefore benefit from maximizing female offspring numbers. Parthenogenesis-induction (PI) is the most effective type of manipulation for transmission, but has solely been detected in haplodiploid species, whereas cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is detected frequently across the arthropod phylum, including haplodiploids. This puzzling observation led us to hypothesize that the molecular sex-determination mechanism of the haplodiploid host may be a constraining factor in the ability of endosymbionts to induce parthenogenesis. Recent insights indicate that PI-endosymbionts may be able to directly manipulate sex-determination genes to induce the necessary steps required for PI in haplodiploids. However, sex-determination cascades vary extensively, so PI-induction would require a specialized and host-dependent tool set. Contrastingly, CI-related genes target conserved cell-cycle mechanisms, are located on mobile elements, and spread easily. Finally, endosymbiont-manipulations may have a strong impact on the effectiveness of haplodiploid biocontrol agents, but can also be used to enhance their efficacy.},
}
@article {pmid36897930,
year = {2023},
author = {Davison, HR and Hurst, GDD and Siozios, S},
title = {'Candidatus Megaira' are diverse symbionts of algae and ciliates with the potential for defensive symbiosis.},
journal = {Microbial genomics},
volume = {9},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {36897930},
issn = {2057-5858},
mesh = {*Symbiosis ; *Ciliophora ; Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {Symbiotic microbes from the genus 'Candidatus Megaira' (Rickettsiales) are known to be common associates of algae and ciliates. However, genomic resources for these bacteria are scarce, limiting our understanding of their diversity and biology. We therefore utilize Sequence Read Archive and metagenomic assemblies to explore the diversity of this genus. We successfully extract four draft 'Ca. Megaira' genomes including one complete scaffold for a 'Ca. Megaira' and identify an additional 14 draft genomes from uncategorized environmental metagenome-assembled genomes. We use this information to resolve the phylogeny for the hyper-diverse 'Ca. Megaira', with hosts broadly spanning ciliates, and micro- and macro-algae, and find that the current single genus designation 'Ca. Megaira' significantly underestimates their diversity. We also evaluate the metabolic potential and diversity of ''Ca. Megaira' from this new genomic data and find no clear evidence of nutritional symbiosis. In contrast, we hypothesize a potential for defensive symbiosis in 'Ca. Megaira'. Intriguingly, one symbiont genome revealed a proliferation of ORFs with ankyrin, tetratricopeptide and leucine-rich repeats such as those observed in the genus Wolbachia where they are considered important for host–symbiont protein–protein interactions. Onward research should investigate the phenotypic interactions between 'Ca. Megaira' and their various potential hosts, including the economically important Nemacystus decipiens, and target acquisition of genomic information to reflect the diversity of this massively variable group.},
}
@article {pmid36810669,
year = {2023},
author = {Manoj, RRS and Latrofa, MS and Louni, M and Laidoudi, Y and Fenollar, F and Otranto, D and Mediannikov, O},
title = {In vitro maintenance of the endosymbiont Wolbachia of Dirofilaria immitis.},
journal = {Parasitology research},
volume = {122},
number = {4},
pages = {939-943},
pmid = {36810669},
issn = {1432-1955},
mesh = {Animals ; Dogs ; *Dirofilaria immitis ; *Dirofilariasis ; *Wolbachia ; Microfilariae ; *Dog Diseases/microbiology ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia has an obligatory mutualistic relationship with many onchocercid nematodes of the subfamilies Dirofilariinae and Onchocercinae. Till date, no attempts have been made for the in vitro cultivation of this intracellular bacterium from the filarioid host. Hence, the current study attempted cell co-culture method using embryonic Drosophila S2 and the LD cell lines to cultivate Wolbachia from Dirofilaria immitis microfilariae (mfs) harvested from infected dogs. Microfilariae (mfs = 1500) were inoculated in shell vials supplemented with Schneider medium using both cell lines. The establishment and multiplication of the bacterium were observed during the initial inoculation, at day 0 and before every medium change (from days 14 to 115). An aliquot (50 µl) from each time point was tested by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Comparing the average of Ct values, obtained by the tested parameters (i.e., LD/S2 cell lines and mfs with/without treatment), the S2 cell line without mechanical disruption of mfs provided the highest Wolbachia cell count by qPCR. Despite the maintenance of Wolbachia within both S2 and LD-based cell co-culture models for up to 115 days, a definitive conclusion is still far. Further trials using fluorescent microscopy and viable staining will help to demonstrate the cell line infection and viability of Wolbachia. Use of considerable amount of untreated mfs to inoculate the Drosophilia S2 cell lines, as well as the supplementation of the culture media with growth stimulants or pre-treated cells to increase their susceptibility for the infection and development of a filarioid-based cell line system are recommended for the future trials.},
}
@article {pmid36810610,
year = {2023},
author = {Muro, T and Hikida, H and Fujii, T and Kiuchi, T and Katsuma, S},
title = {Two Complete Genomes of Male-Killing Wolbachia Infecting Ostrinia Moth Species Illuminate Their Evolutionary Dynamics and Association with Hosts.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {36810610},
issn = {1432-184X},
support = {17H06431//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; 17H06431//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; 22H00366//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is an extremely widespread intracellular symbiont which causes reproductive manipulation on various arthropod hosts. Male progenies are killed in Wolbachia-infected lineages of the Japanese Ostrinia moth population. While the mechanism of male killing and the evolutionary interaction between host and symbiont are significant concerns for this system, the absence of Wolbachia genomic information has limited approaches to these issues. We determined the complete genome sequences of wFur and wSca, the male-killing Wolbachia of Ostrinia furnacalis and Ostrinia scapulalis. The two genomes shared an extremely high degree of homology, with over 95% of the predicted protein sequences being identical. A comparison of these two genomes revealed nearly minimal genome evolution, with a strong emphasis on the frequent genome rearrangements and the rapid evolution of ankyrin repeat-containing proteins. Additionally, we determined the mitochondrial genomes of both species' infected lineages and performed phylogenetic analyses to deduce the evolutionary dynamics of Wolbachia infection in the Ostrinia clade. According to the inferred phylogenetic relationship, two possible scenarios were proposed: (1) Wolbachia infection was established in the Ostrinia clade prior to the speciation of related species such as O. furnacalis and O. scapulalis, or (2) Wolbachia infection in these species was introgressively transferred from a currently unidentified relative. Simultaneously, the relatively high homology of mitochondrial genomes suggested recent Wolbachia introgression between infected Ostrinia species. The findings of this study collectively shed light on the host-symbiont interaction from an evolutionary standpoint.},
}
@article {pmid36708161,
year = {2023},
author = {Hubert, J and Nesvorna, M and Sopko, B and Green, SJ},
title = {Diet modulation of the microbiome of the pest storage mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae.},
journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology},
volume = {99},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiad011},
pmid = {36708161},
issn = {1574-6941},
mesh = {Animals ; *Acaridae/genetics/microbiology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Microbiota ; *Mites ; Diet ; Bacteria/genetics ; Bacteroidetes/genetics ; Enterobacteriaceae/genetics ; },
abstract = {Storage mites colonize a wide spectrum of food commodities and adaptations to diets have been suggested as mechanisms enabling successful colonization. We characterized the response of seven unique Tyrophagus putrescentiae cultures (5K, 5L, 5N, 5P, 5Pi, 5S, and 5Tk) with different baseline microbiomes to different diets. The offered diets included a rearing diet, protein-enriched diet, oat flakes, and sunflower seeds. Microbiome characterization was performed using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicon sequencing and 16S rRNA gene quantitative PCR. The mite culture microbiomes were classified into four groups: (i) Sodalis-dominated (5Pi), (ii) Wolbachia-dominated (5N and 5P), (iii) Cardinium-dominated (5L and 5S), and (iv) asymbiontic (5K and 5Tk) mites dominated by Bacillus and Bartonella. Mite growth rates were most strongly affected by nutrients in the diet, while respiration and microbial community profiles were largely influenced by mite culture. While growth rate was not directly explained by microbiome composition, microbiomes strongly influenced mite fitness as measured by respiration. While diet significantly influenced microbial profiles in all cultures, the effect of diet differed in impact between cultures (5Pi > 5S > 5N > 5K > 5Tk > 5L > 5P). Furthermore, no new bacterial taxa were acquired by mites after dietary changes. Bacteria from the taxa Bacillus, Bartonella-like, Solitalea-like, Kocuria, and Sodalis-like contributed most strongly to differentiating mite-associated microbiomes.},
}
@article {pmid36706527,
year = {2023},
author = {Wei, X and Peng, H and Li, Y and Meng, B and Wang, S and Bi, S and Zhao, X},
title = {Pyrethroids exposure alters the community and function of the internal microbiota in Aedes albopictus.},
journal = {Ecotoxicology and environmental safety},
volume = {252},
number = {},
pages = {114579},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114579},
pmid = {36706527},
issn = {1090-2414},
mesh = {Animals ; *Insecticides/pharmacology ; Permethrin/toxicity ; *Aedes ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Pyrethrins/pharmacology ; Insecticide Resistance/genetics ; *Microbiota ; },
abstract = {Large amounts of insecticides bring selection pressure and then develop insecticide resistance in Aedes albopictus. This study demonstrated for the first time the effect of pyrethroid exposure on the internal microbiota in Ae. albopictus. 36, 48, 57 strains of virgin adult Ae. albopictus were exposed to the pyrethroids deltamethrin (Dme group), β-cypermethrin (Bcy group), and cis-permethrin (Cper group), respectively, with n-hexane exposure (Hex group) as the controls (n = 36). The internal microbiota community and functions were analyzed based on the metagenomic analysis. The analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) results showed that the Hex/Bcy (p = 0.001), Hex/Cper (p = 0.006), Hex/Dme (p = 0.001) groups were well separated, and the internal microbes of Ae. albopictus vary in the composition and functions depending on the type of pyrethroid insecticide they are applied. Four short chain fatty acid-producing genera, Butyricimonas, Prevotellaceae, Anaerococcus, Pseudorhodobacter were specifically absent in the pyrethroid-exposed mosquitoes. Morganella and Streptomyces were significantly enriched in cis-permethrin-exposed mosquitoes. Wolbachia and Chryseobacterium showed significant enrichment in β-cypermethrin-exposed mosquitoes. Pseudomonas was significantly abundant in deltamethrin-exposed mosquitoes. The significant proliferation of these bacteria may be closely related to insecticide metabolism. Our study recapitulated a specifically enhanced metabolic networks relevant to the exposure to cis-permethrin and β-cypermethrin, respectively. Benzaldehyde dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.28), key enzyme in aromatic compounds metabolism, was detected enhanced in cis-permethrin and β-cypermethrin exposed mosquitoes. The internal microbiota metabolism of aromatic compounds may be important influencing factors for pyrethroid resistance. Future work will be needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms by which mosquito microbiota influences host resistance and vector ability.},
}
@article {pmid36530420,
year = {2022},
author = {Zhang, H and Gao, J and Ma, Z and Liu, Y and Wang, G and Liu, Q and Du, Y and Xing, D and Li, C and Zhao, T and Jiang, Y and Dong, Y and Guo, X and Zhao, T},
title = {Wolbachia infection in field-collected Aedes aegypti in Yunnan Province, southwestern China.},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {1082809},
pmid = {36530420},
issn = {2235-2988},
mesh = {Animals ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; *Aedes/microbiology ; Phylogeny ; China/epidemiology ; DNA Primers ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia is gram-negative and common intracellular bacteria, which is maternally inherited endosymbionts and could expand their propagation in host populations by means of various manipulations. Recent reports reveal the natural infection of Wolbachia in Aedes Aegypti in Malaysia, India, Philippines, Thailand and the United States. At present, none of Wolbachia natural infection in Ae. aegypti has been reported in China.<br><br>METHODS: A total of 480 Ae. aegypti adult mosquitoes were collected from October and November 2018 based on the results of previous investigations and the distribution of Ae. aegypti in Yunnan. Each individual sample was processed and screened for the presence of Wolbachia by PCR with wsp primers. Phylogenetic trees for the wsp gene was constructed using the neighbour-joining method with 1,000 bootstrap replicates, and the p-distance distribution model of molecular evolution was applied.<br><br>RESULTS: 24 individual adult mosquito samples and 10 sample sites were positive for Wolbachia infection. The Wolbachia infection rate (IR) of each population ranged from 0 - 41.7%. The infection rate of group A alone was 0%-10%, the infection rate of group B alone was 0%-7.7%, and the infection rate of co-infection with A and B was 0-33.3%.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Wolbachia infection in wild Ae. aegypti in China is the first report based on PCR amplification of the Wolbachia wsp gene. The Wolbachia infection is 5%, and the wAlbA and wAlbB strains were found to be prevalent in the natural population of Ae. aegypti in Yunnan Province.},
}
@article {pmid36524932,
year = {2023},
author = {Schmidt, TL and Elfekih, S and Cao, LJ and Wei, SJ and Al-Fageeh, MB and Nassar, M and Al-Malik, A and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {Close Kin Dyads Indicate Intergenerational Dispersal and Barriers.},
journal = {The American naturalist},
volume = {201},
number = {1},
pages = {65-77},
doi = {10.1086/722175},
pmid = {36524932},
issn = {1537-5323},
mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; Female ; *Aedes/genetics ; Population Density ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {AbstractThe movement of individuals through continuous space is typically constrained by dispersal ability and dispersal barriers. A range of approaches have been developed to investigate these. Kindisperse is a new approach that infers recent intergenerational dispersal (σ) from close kin dyads and appears particularly useful for investigating taxa that are difficult to observe individually. This study, focusing on the mosquito Aedes aegypti, shows how the same close kin data can also be used for barrier detection. We empirically demonstrate this new extension of the method using genome-wide sequence data from 266 Ae. aegypti. First, we use the spatial distribution of full-sib dyads collected within one generation to infer past movements of ovipositing female mosquitoes. These dyads indicated the relative barrier strengths of two roads and performed favorably against alternative genetic methods for detecting barriers. We then use Kindisperse to quantify recent intergenerational dispersal (σ=81.5-197.1 m generation[-1/2]) from the difference in variance between the sib and the first cousin spatial distributions and, from this, estimate effective population density (ρ=833-4,864 km[-2]). Dispersal estimates showed general agreement with those from mark-release-recapture studies. Barriers, σ, ρ, and neighborhood size (331-526) can inform forthcoming releases of dengue-suppressing Wolbachia bacteria into this mosquito population.},
}
@article {pmid36499640,
year = {2022},
author = {Andreenkova, OV and Shishkina, OD and Klimenko, AI and Korenskaia, AE and Bobrovskikh, MA and Shatskaya, NV and Vasiliev, GV and Gruntenko, NE},
title = {Easy and Effective Method for Extracting and Purifying Wolbachia Genomic DNA.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {23},
number = {23},
pages = {},
pmid = {36499640},
issn = {1422-0067},
support = {21-14-00090//Russian Science Foundation/ ; FWNR-2022-0019//MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND HIGHER EDUCATION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics/microbiology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Chromosome Mapping ; DNA ; Symbiosis ; },
abstract = {A number of methods for extracting the DNA of maternally inherited obligate intracellular bacteria Wolbachia from an insect host and its subsequent purification have been described in previous scholarship. As Wolbachia is present in the hosts' organisms in rather low quantities, these techniques used to be quite labor-intensive. For this paper, we analyzed them in detail, searched for a possibility to simplify and accelerate the protocol, and proposed an easy and effective method for isolating Wolbachia DNA from Drosophila melanogaster with a purity sufficient for genomic sequencing. Our method involves the centrifugation of homogenized flies or just their ovaries, as the most Wolbachia-enriched tissue, followed by the filtration of homogenate and extraction of DNA using a modified version of the Livak buffer protocol. The proportion of Wolbachia DNA in the total DNA was quantified based on the results of sequencing with the use of the Illumina MiSeq platform and a pipeline of bioinformatic analysis. For the two analyzed D. melanogaster lines infected with two different Wolbachia strains, the proportion was at least 68 and 94%, respectively.},
}
@article {pmid36496327,
year = {2023},
author = {Zhu, Z and Liu, Y and Hu, H and Wang, GH},
title = {Nasonia-microbiome associations: a model for evolutionary hologenomics research.},
journal = {Trends in parasitology},
volume = {39},
number = {2},
pages = {101-112},
doi = {10.1016/j.pt.2022.11.005},
pmid = {36496327},
issn = {1471-5007},
mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Wasps/genetics ; Insecta/genetics ; *Microbiota/genetics ; Symbiosis ; },
abstract = {In recent years, with the development of microbial research technologies, microbiota research has received widespread attention. The parasitoid wasp genus Nasonia is a good model organism for studying insect behavior, development, evolutionary genetics, speciation, and symbiosis. This review describes key advances and progress in the field of the Nasonia-microbiome interactions. We provide an overview of the advantages of Nasonia as a model organism for microbiome studies, list research methods to study the Nasonia microbiome, and discuss recent discoveries in Nasonia microbiome research. This summary of the complexities of Nasonia-microbiome relationships will help to contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between animals and their microbiomes and establish a clear research direction for Nasonia-microbiome interactions in the future.},
}
@article {pmid37546688,
year = {2023},
author = {Vásquez, VN and Kueppers, LM and Rašić, G and Marshall, JM},
title = {wMel replacement of dengue-competent mosquitoes is robust to near-term change.},
journal = {Nature climate change},
volume = {13},
number = {8},
pages = {848-855},
pmid = {37546688},
issn = {1758-678X},
abstract = {Rising temperatures are impacting the range and prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases. A promising biocontrol technology replaces wild mosquitoes with those carrying the virus-blocking Wolbachia bacterium. Because the most widely used strain, wMel, is adversely affected by heat stress, we examined how global warming may influence wMel-based replacement. We simulated interventions in two locations with successful field trials using Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 climate projections and historical temperature records, integrating empirical data on wMel's thermal sensitivity into a model of Aedes aegypti population dynamics to evaluate introgression and persistence over one year. We show that in Cairns, Australia, climatic futures necessitate operational adaptations for heatwaves exceeding two weeks. In Nha Trang, Vietnam, projected heatwaves of three weeks and longer eliminate wMel under the most stringent assumptions of that symbiont's thermal limits. We conclude that this technology is generally robust to near-term (2030s) climate change. Accelerated warming may challenge this in the 2050s and beyond.},
}
@article {pmid37525959,
year = {2023},
author = {Kolasa, M and Kajtoch, &#x141; and Michalik, A and Maryańska-Nadachowska, A and Łukasik, P},
title = {Till evolution do us part: The diversity of symbiotic associations across populations of Philaenus spittlebugs.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/1462-2920.16473},
pmid = {37525959},
issn = {1462-2920},
support = {PPN/PPO/2018/1/00015//Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej/ ; 2018/30/E/NZ8/00880//Narodowe Centrum Nauki/ ; 2018/31/B/NZ8/01158//Narodowe Centrum Nauki/ ; },
abstract = {Symbiotic bacteria have played crucial roles in the evolution of sap-feeding insects and can strongly affect host function. However, their diversity and distribution within species are not well understood; we do not know to what extent environmental factors or associations with other species may affect microbial community profiles. We addressed this question in Philaenus spittlebugs by surveying both insect and bacterial marker gene amplicons across multiple host populations. Host mitochondrial sequence data confirmed morphology-based identification of six species and revealed two divergent clades of Philaenus spumarius. All of them hosted the primary symbiont Sulcia that was almost always accompanied by Sodalis. Interestingly, populations and individuals often differed in the presence of Sodalis sequence variants, suggestive of intra-genome 16S rRNA variant polymorphism combined with rapid genome evolution and/or recent additional infections or replacements of the co-primary symbiont. The prevalence of facultative endosymbionts, including Wolbachia, Rickettsia, and Spiroplasma, varied among populations. Notably, cytochrome I oxidase (COI) amplicon data also showed that nearly a quarter of P. spumarius were infected by parasitoid flies (Verralia aucta). One of the Wolbachia operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was exclusively present in Verralia-parasitized specimens, suggestive of parasitoids as their source and highlighting the utility of host gene amplicon sequencing in microbiome studies.},
}
@article {pmid37524915,
year = {2023},
author = {Lee, H and Seo, P and Teklay, S and Yuguchi, E and Benetta, ED and Werren, JH and Ferree, PM},
title = {Ability of a selfish B chromosome to evade genome elimination in the jewel wasp, Nasonia vitripennis.},
journal = {Heredity},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {37524915},
issn = {1365-2540},
support = {2127460//NSF | BIO | Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)/ ; 1950078//NSF | BIO | Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)/ ; },
abstract = {B chromosomes are non-essential, extra chromosomes that can exhibit transmission-enhancing behaviors, including meiotic drive, mitotic drive, and induction of genome elimination, in plants and animals. A fundamental but poorly understood question is what characteristics allow B chromosomes to exhibit these extraordinary behaviors. The jewel wasp, Nasonia vitripennis, harbors a heterochromatic, paternally transmitted B chromosome known as paternal sex ratio (PSR), which causes complete elimination of the sperm-contributed half of the genome during the first mitotic division of fertilized embryos. This genome elimination event may result from specific, previously observed alterations of the paternal chromatin. Due to the haplo-diploid reproduction of the wasp, genome elimination by PSR causes female-destined embryos to develop as haploid males that transmit PSR. PSR does not undergo self-elimination despite its presence with the paternal chromatin until the elimination event. Here we performed fluorescence microscopic analyses aimed at understanding this unexplained property. Our results show that PSR, like the rest of the genome, participates in the histone-to-protamine transition, arguing that PSR does not avoid this transition to escape self-elimination. In addition, PSR partially escapes the chromatin-altering activity of the intracellular bacterium, Wolbachia, demonstrating that this ability to evade chromatin alteration is not limited to PSR's own activity. Finally, we observed that the rDNA locus and other unidentified heterochromatic regions of the wasp's genome also seem to evade chromatin disruption by PSR, suggesting that PSR's genome-eliminating activity does not affect heterochromatin. Thus, PSR may target an aspect of euchromatin to cause genome elimination.},
}
@article {pmid37491306,
year = {2023},
author = {Moorhead, AR and Evans, CC and Sakamoto, K and Dzimianski, MT and Mansour, A and DiCosty, U and Fricks, C and McCall, S and Carson, B and Nelson, CT and McCall, JW},
title = {Effects of doxycycline dose rate and pre-adulticide wait period on heartworm-associated pathology and adult worm mass.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {251},
pmid = {37491306},
issn = {1756-3305},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The American Heartworm Society canine guidelines recommend treatment with doxycycline prior to adulticide administration to reduce levels of Wolbachia and its associated metabolites, which are known to be a leading cause of pulmonary pathology. Studies have determined that doxycycline administered at 10 mg/kg BID for 28 days is an effective dose for eliminating Wolbachia, but what has not been determined is the clinical relevance of this elimination. The current guidelines also recommend a 30-day wait period following administration of doxycycline to allow for clearance of metabolites, such as Wolbachia surface protein, and for further reduction in heartworm biomass before administration of adulticide. Reducing the doxycycline dose and eliminating the wait period may carry practical benefits for the animal, client, and practitioner.<br><br>METHODS: To investigate these treatment practices, Dirofilaria immitis adults were surgically transplanted into each of 45 dogs, which were divided into nine study groups of five dogs each. Seventy-five days after transplantation, two groups each were administered 5, 7.5, or 10&#xa0;mg/kg BID doxycycline orally for 28&#xa0;days and 6&#xa0;&#xb5;g/kg ivermectin monthly, with three untreated groups serving as controls. Study animals were necropsied and examined prior to treatment as well as 30 and 60&#xa0;days post-treatment.<br><br>RESULTS: Mean worm weight was unaffected by dosage but exhibited a significant increase at 30&#xa0;days and significant decrease at 60&#xa0;days post-treatment, including in control groups. Histopathology lesion scores did not significantly differ among groups, with the exception of the lung composite score for one untreated group. Liver enzymes, the levels of which are a concern in doxycycline treatment, were also examined, with no abnormalities in alanine aminotransferase or alkaline phosphatase observed.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: No consistent worsening of tissue lesions was observed with or without the AHS-recommended 30-day wait period, nor did reduced dosages of doxycycline lead to worsening of pathology or any change in efficacy in depleting worm weight. Mean worm weight did significantly increase prior to, and decrease following, the wait period. Future work that also includes adulticide treatment (i.e. melarsomine) will study treatment recommendations that may improve both animal health and owner compliance.},
}
@article {pmid37484687,
year = {2023},
author = {Adams, GJ and O'Brien, PA},
title = {The unified theory of sleep: Eukaryotes endosymbiotic relationship with mitochondria and REM the push-back response for awakening.},
journal = {Neurobiology of sleep and circadian rhythms},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {100100},
pmid = {37484687},
issn = {2451-9944},
abstract = {The Unified Theory suggests that sleep is a process that developed in eukaryotic animals from a relationship with an endosymbiotic bacterium. Over evolutionary time the bacterium evolved into the modern mitochondrion that continues to exert an effect on sleep patterns, e.g. the bacterium Wolbachia establishes an endosymbiotic relationship with Drosophila and many other species of insects and is able to change the host's behaviour by making it sleep. The hypothesis is supported by other host-parasite relationships, e.g., Trypanosoma brucei which causes day-time sleepiness and night-time insomnia in humans and cattle. For eukaryotes such as Monocercomonoids that don't contain mitochondria we find no evidence of them sleeping. Mitochondria produce the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and ornithine a precursor of the neurotransmitter GABA, together with substances such as 3,4dihydroxy phenylalanine (DOPA) a precursor for the neurotransmitter dopamine: These substances have been shown to affect the sleep/wake cycles in animals such as Drosophilia and Hydra. Eukaryote animals have traded the very positive side of having mitochondria providing aerobic respiration for them with the negative side of having to sleep. NREM (Quiet sleep) is the process endosymbionts have imposed upon their host eukaryotes and REM (Active sleep) is the push-back adaptation of eukaryotes with brains, returning to wakefulness.},
}
@article {pmid37477269,
year = {2023},
author = {Ferreira, MU and Crainey, JL and Gobbi, FG},
title = {The search for better treatment strategies for mansonellosis: An expert perspective.},
journal = {Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1080/14656566.2023.2240235},
pmid = {37477269},
issn = {1744-7666},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Four species of the Mansonella genus infect millions of people across sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America. Most infections are asymptomatic, but mansonellosis can be associated with unspecific clinical manifestations such as fever, headache, arthralgia, and ocular lesions (M. ozzardi); pruritus, arthralgia, abdominal pain, angioedema, skin rash, and fatigue (M. perstans and perhaps Mansonella sp 'DEUX'); and pruritic dermatitis and chronic lymphadenitis (M. perstans).<br><br>AREAS COVERED: We searched the PubMed and SciELO databases for publications on mansonelliasis in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French that appeared until 1 May 2023. Literature data show that anthelmintics - single-dose ivermectin for M. ozzardi, repeated doses of mebendazole alone or in combination with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) for M. perstans, and DEC alone for M. streptocerca - are effective against microfilariae. Antibiotics that target Wolbachia endosymbionts, such as doxycycline, are likely to kill adult worms of most, if not all, Mansonella species, but the currently recommended 6-week regimen is relatively unpractical. New anthelminthics and shorter antibiotic regimens (e.g. with rifampin) have showed promise in experimental filarial infections and may proceed to clinical trials.<br><br>EXPERT OPINION: We recommend that human infections with Mansonella species be treated, regardless of any apparent clinical manifestations. We argue that mansonellosis, despite being widely considered a benign infection, may represent a direct or indirect cause of significant morbidity that remains poorly characterized at present.},
}
@article {pmid37464886,
year = {2023},
author = {Shen, R and Wenzel, M and Messer, PW and Aquadro, CF},
title = {Evolution under a model of functionally buffered deleterious mutations can lead to positive selection in protein-coding genes.},
journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/evolut/qpad131},
pmid = {37464886},
issn = {1558-5646},
abstract = {Selective pressures on DNA sequences often result in departures from neutral evolution that can be captured by the McDonald-Kreitman (MK) test. However, the nature of such selective forces often remains unknown to experimentalists. Amino acid fixations driven by natural selection in protein coding genes are commonly associated with a genetic arms race or changing biological purposes, leading to proteins with new functionality. Here, we evaluate the expectations of population genetic patterns under a buffering mechanism driving selective amino acids to fixation, which is motivated by an observed phenotypic rescue of otherwise deleterious nonsynonymous substitutions at bag of marbles (bam) and Sex lethal (Sxl) in Drosophila melanogaster. These two genes were shown to experience strong episodic bursts of natural selection potentially due to infections of the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia observed among multiple Drosophila species. Using simulations to implement and evaluate the evolutionary dynamics of a Wolbachia buffering model, we demonstrate that selectively fixed amino acid replacements will occur, but that the proportion of adaptive amino acid fixations and the statistical power of the MK test to detect the departure from an equilibrium neutral model are both significantly lower than seen for an arms race/change-in-function model that favors proteins with diversified amino acids. We find that the observed selection pattern at bam in a natural population of D. melanogaster is more consistent with an arms race model than with the buffering model.},
}
@article {pmid37443389,
year = {2023},
author = {Wybouw, N and Van Reempts, E and Zarka, J and Zélé, F and Bonte, D},
title = {Egg provisioning explains the penetrance of symbiont-mediated sex allocation distortion in haplodiploids.},
journal = {Heredity},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {37443389},
issn = {1365-2540},
abstract = {Maternally transmitted symbionts such as Wolbachia can alter sex allocation in haplodiploid arthropods. By biasing population sex ratios towards females, these changes in sex allocation may facilitate the spread of symbionts. In contrast to symbiont-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), the mechanisms that underpin sex allocation distortion remain poorly understood. Using a nuclear genotype reference panel of the haplodiploid mite Tetranychus urticae and a single Wolbachia variant that is able to simultaneously induce sex allocation distortion and CI, we unraveled the mechanistic basis of Wolbachia-mediated sex allocation distortion. Host genotype was an important determinant for the strength of sex allocation distortion. We further show that sex allocation distortion by Wolbachia in haplodiploid mites is driven by increasing egg size, hereby promoting egg fertilization. This change in reproductive physiology was also coupled to increased male and female adult size. Our results echo previous work on Cardinium symbionts, suggesting that sex allocation distortion by regulating host investment in egg size is a common strategy among symbionts that infect haplodiploids. To better understand the relevance that sex allocation distortion may have for the spread of Wolbachia in natural haplodiploid populations, we parametrized a model based on generated phenotypic data. Our simulations show that empirically derived levels of sex allocation distortion can be sufficient to remove invasion thresholds, allowing CI to drive the spread of Wolbachia independently of the initial infection frequency. Our findings help elucidate the mechanisms that underlie the widespread occurrence of symbionts in haplodiploid arthropods and the evolution of sex allocation.},
}
@article {pmid37432953,
year = {2023},
author = {Medina, P and Russell, SL and Corbett-Detig, R},
title = {Deep data mining reveals variable abundance and distribution of microbial reproductive manipulators within and among diverse host species.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {18},
number = {7},
pages = {e0288261},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0288261},
pmid = {37432953},
issn = {1932-6203},
abstract = {Bacterial symbionts that manipulate the reproduction of their hosts are important factors in invertebrate ecology and evolution, and are being leveraged for host biological control. Infection prevalence restricts which biological control strategies are possible and is thought to be strongly influenced by the density of symbiont infection within hosts, termed titer. Current methods to estimate infection prevalence and symbiont titers are low-throughput, biased towards sampling infected species, and rarely measure titer. Here we develop a data mining approach to estimate symbiont infection frequencies within host species and titers within host tissues. We applied this approach to screen ~32,000 publicly available sequence samples from the most common symbiont host taxa, discovering 2,083 arthropod and 119 nematode infected samples. From these data, we estimated that Wolbachia infects approximately 44% of all arthropod and 34% of all nematode species, while other reproductive manipulators only infect 1-8% of arthropod and nematode species. Although relative titers within hosts were highly variable within and between arthropod species, a combination of arthropod host species and Wolbachia strain explained approximately 36% of variation in Wolbachia titer across the dataset. To explore potential mechanisms for host control of symbiont titer, we leveraged population genomic data from the model system Drosophila melanogaster. In this host, we found a number of SNPs associated with titer in candidate genes potentially relevant to host interactions with Wolbachia. Our study demonstrates that data mining is a powerful tool to detect bacterial infections and quantify infection intensities, thus opening an array of previously inaccessible data for further analysis in host-symbiont evolution.},
}
@article {pmid37430172,
year = {2023},
author = {Porter, J and Sullivan, W},
title = {The cellular lives of Wolbachia.},
journal = {Nature reviews. Microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {37430172},
issn = {1740-1534},
abstract = {Wolbachia are successful Gram-negative bacterial endosymbionts, globally infecting a large fraction of arthropod species and filarial nematodes. Efficient vertical transmission, the capacity for horizontal transmission, manipulation of host reproduction and enhancement of host fitness can promote the spread both within and between species. Wolbachia are abundant and can occupy extraordinary diverse and evolutionary distant host species, suggesting that they have evolved to engage and manipulate highly conserved core cellular processes. Here, we review recent studies identifying Wolbachia-host interactions at the molecular and cellular levels. We explore how Wolbachia interact with a wide array of host cytoplasmic and nuclear components in order to thrive in a diversity of cell types and cellular environments. This endosymbiont has also evolved the ability to precisely target and manipulate specific phases of the host cell cycle. The remarkable diversity of cellular interactions distinguishes Wolbachia from other endosymbionts and is largely responsible for facilitating its global propagation through host populations. Finally, we describe how insights into Wolbachia-host cellular interactions have led to promising applications in controlling insect-borne and filarial nematode-based diseases.},
}
@article {pmid37428804,
year = {2023},
author = {Alami, N and Carter, DC and Kwatra, NV and Zhao, W and Snodgrass, L and Porcalla, AR and Klein, CE and Cohen, DE and Gallenberg, L and Neenan, M and Carr, RA and Marsh, KC and Kempf, DJ},
title = {A Phase-I pharmacokinetic, safety and food-effect study on flubentylosin, a novel analog of Tylosin-A having potent anti-Wolbachia and antifilarial activity.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {17},
number = {7},
pages = {e0011392},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0011392},
pmid = {37428804},
issn = {1935-2735},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The parasitic filariae responsible for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis are host to an endosymbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia, which is essential to the fertility and development of the parasites. We performed a Phase-I pharmacokinetic, safety and food-effect study on single and multiple ascending doses of flubentylosin (ABBV-4083), a macrolide antibacterial with activity against Wolbachia, intended to sterilize and eliminate the parasites.<br><br>METHODS: Seventy-eight healthy adults were exposed to flubentylosin; 36 were exposed to single ascending 40, 100, 200, 400 or 1000 mg doses; 12 received 1000 mg in the food-effect part; and 30 received multiple ascending daily doses of 100 mg for 7 days, 200 mg for 7 or 14 days, or 400 mg for 7 or 14 days. Twenty-two subjects received placebo.<br><br>RESULTS: Maximum concentrations (Cmax) of flubentylosin were reached after 1-2 hours, with a half-life < 4 hours at doses &#x2264; 400 mg. Cmax and AUC increased in a more than dose-proportional manner, with similar exposure after multiple dose administration. The most frequently reported adverse events were nausea (8/78, 10%) and headache (6/78, 8%). Two subjects given a single dose of flubentylosin 1000 mg in the food-effect part experienced reversible asymptomatic ALT and AST elevations at Grade 2 or Grade 4, with no elevation in bilirubin, deemed related to study drug. The effect of food on exposure parameters was minimal. No treatment-related serious adverse events were reported.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Flubentylosin 400 mg for 14 days was the maximum tolerated dose in this first-in-human, Phase-I study in healthy adults. Based on preclinical pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling, flubentylosin 400 mg once daily for 7 or 14 days is expected to be an effective dose. A Phase-II, proof-of-concept study with flubentylosin using these regimens is currently ongoing in patients with onchocerciasis in Africa.},
}
@article {pmid37426014,
year = {2023},
author = {Marriott, AE and Dagley, JL and Hegde, S and Steven, A and Fricks, C and DiCosty, U and Mansour, A and Campbell, EJ and Wilson, CM and Gusovsky, F and Ward, SA and Hong, WD and O'Neill, P and Moorhead, A and McCall, S and McCall, JW and Taylor, MJ and Turner, JD},
title = {Dirofilariasis mouse models for heartworm preclinical research.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1208301},
pmid = {37426014},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Dirofilariasis, including heartworm disease, is a major emergent veterinary parasitic infection and a human zoonosis. Currently, experimental infections of cats and dogs are used in veterinary heartworm preclinical drug research.<br><br>METHODS: As a refined alternative in vivo heartworm preventative drug screen, we assessed lymphopenic mouse strains with ablation of the interleukin-2/7 common gamma chain (&#x3b3;c) as susceptible to the larval development phase of Dirofilaria immitis.<br><br>RESULTS: Non-obese diabetic (NOD) severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)&#x3b3;c[-/-] (NSG and NXG) and recombination-activating gene (RAG)2[-/-]&#x3b3;c[-/-] mouse strains yielded viable D. immitis larvae at 2-4 weeks post-infection, including the use of different batches of D. immitis infectious larvae, different D. immitis isolates, and at different laboratories. Mice did not display any clinical signs associated with infection for up to 4 weeks. Developing larvae were found in subcutaneous and muscle fascia tissues, which is the natural site of this stage of heartworm in dogs. Compared with in vitro-propagated larvae at day 14, in vivo-derived larvae had completed the L4 molt, were significantly larger, and contained expanded Wolbachia endobacteria titres. We established an ex vivo L4 paralytic screening system whereby assays with moxidectin or levamisole highlighted discrepancies in relative drug sensitivities in comparison with in vitro-reared L4 D. immitis. We demonstrated effective depletion of Wolbachia by 70%-90% in D. immitis L4 following 2- to 7-day oral in vivo exposures of NSG- or NXG-infected mice with doxycycline or the rapid-acting investigational drug, AWZ1066S. We validated NSG and NXG D. immitis mouse models as a filaricide screen by in vivo treatments with single injections of moxidectin, which mediated a 60%-88% reduction in L4 larvae at 14-28 days.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Future adoption of these mouse models will benefit end-user laboratories conducting research and development of novel heartworm preventatives via increased access, rapid turnaround, and reduced costs and may simultaneously decrease the need for experimental cat or dog use.},
}
@article {pmid37425681,
year = {2023},
author = {Boehm, EC and Jaeger, AS and Ries, HJ and Castañeda, D and Weiler, AM and Valencia, CC and Weger-Lucarelli, J and Ebel, GD and O'Connor, SL and Friedrich, TC and Zamanian, M and Aliota, MT},
title = {Wolbachia -mediated resistance to Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti is dominated by diverse transcriptional regulation and weak evolutionary pressures.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2023.06.26.546271},
pmid = {37425681},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: A promising candidate for arbovirus control and prevention relies on replacing arbovirus-susceptible Aedes aegypti populations with mosquitoes that have been colonized by the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia and thus have a reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses. This reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses is mediated through a phenomenon referred to as pathogen blocking. Pathogen blocking has primarily been proposed as a tool to control dengue virus (DENV) transmission, however it works against a range of viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV). Despite years of research, the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogen blocking still need to be better understood. Here, we used RNA-seq to characterize mosquito gene transcription dynamics in Ae. aegypti infected with the w Mel strain of Wolbachia that are being released by the World Mosquito Program in Medellín, Colombia. Comparative analyses using ZIKV-infected, uninfected tissues, and mosquitoes without Wolbachia revealed that the influence of w Mel on mosquito gene transcription is multifactorial. Importantly, because Wolbachia limits, but does not completely prevent, replication of ZIKV and other viruses in coinfected mosquitoes, there is a possibility that these viruses could evolve resistance to pathogen blocking. Therefore, to understand the influence of Wolbachia on within-host ZIKV evolution, we characterized the genetic diversity of molecularly barcoded ZIKV virus populations replicating in Wolbachia -infected mosquitoes and found that within-host ZIKV evolution was subject to weak purifying selection and, unexpectedly, loose anatomical bottlenecks in the presence and absence of Wolbachia . Together, these findings suggest that there is no clear transcriptional profile associated with Wolbachia -mediated ZIKV restriction, and that there is no evidence for ZIKV escape from this restriction in our system.<br><br>AUTHOR SUMMARY: When Wolbachia bacteria infect Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, they dramatically reduce the mosquitoes' susceptibility to infection with a range of arthropod-borne viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV). Although this pathogen-blocking effect has been widely recognized, its mechanisms remain unclear. Furthermore, because Wolbachia limits, but does not completely prevent, replication of ZIKV and other viruses in coinfected mosquitoes, there is a possibility that these viruses could evolve resistance to Wolbachia -mediated blocking. Here, we use host transcriptomics and viral genome sequencing to examine the mechanisms of ZIKV pathogen blocking by Wolbachia and viral evolutionary dynamics in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. We find complex transcriptome patterns that do not suggest a single clear mechanism for pathogen blocking. We also find no evidence that Wolbachia exerts detectable selective pressures on ZIKV in coinfected mosquitoes. Together our data suggest that it may be difficult for ZIKV to evolve Wolbachia resistance, perhaps due to the complexity of the pathogen blockade mechanism.},
}
@article {pmid37424778,
year = {2023},
author = {Zhou, JC and Dong, QJ and Shang, D and Ning, SF and Zhang, HH and Wang, Y and Che, WN and Dong, H and Zhang, LS},
title = {Posterior concentration of Wolbachia during the early embryogenesis of the host dynamically shapes the tissue tropism of Wolbachia in host Trichogramma wasps.},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {1198428},
pmid = {37424778},
issn = {2235-2988},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: The bacterial endosymbiont, Wolbachia spp. induce thelytokous parthenogenesis in certain parasitoid wasps, such as the egg parasitoid wasps Trichogramma spp. To complete the cycle of vertical transmission, Wolbachia displays efficient transovarial transmission by targeting the reproductive tissues and often exhibits strong tissue-specific tropism in their host.<br><br>METHOD: The present study aimed to describe the basic Wolbachia distribution patterns that occur during the development of Wolbachia-infected, thelytokous Trichogramma dendrolimi, and T. pretiosum. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to investigate Wolbachia signal dynamics during early embryogenesis (from 30 to 120 min). Wolbachia titers and distributions from the embryo to adult stages of Trichogramma after early embryogenesis were detected by absolute quantitative polymerase chain reaction (AQ-PCR) and FISH. The symmetry ratios (SR) of the Wolbachia signals were calculated using the SR odds ratios in the anterior and posterior parts of the host. The SR was determined to describe Wolbachia tropism during early embryogenesis and various developmental stages of Trichogramma.<br><br>RESULTS: Wolbachia was concentrated in the posterior part of the embryo during early embryogenesis and the various developmental stages of both T. dendrolimi and T. pretiosum. Wolbachia density increased with the number of nuclei and the initial mitotic division frequency during early embryogenesis. The total Wolbachia titer increased with postembryogenesis development in both T. dendrolimi and T. pretiosum. However, the Wolbachia densities relative to body size were significantly lower at the adult and pupal stages than they were at the embryonic stage.<br><br>DISCUSSION: The present work revealed that posterior Wolbachia concentration during early host embryogenesis determined Wolbachia localization in adult wasps. By this mechanism, Wolbachia exhibits efficient vertical transmission across generations by depositing only female Wolbachia-infected offspring. The results of this study describe the dynamics of Wolbachia during the development of their Trichogramma host. The findings of this investigation helped clarify Wolbachia tropism in Trichogramma wasps.},
}
@article {pmid37417698,
year = {2023},
author = {Yang, J and Chen, Z and Tan, Y and Liu, Z and Cheke, RA},
title = {Threshold dynamics of a stochastic mathematical model for Wolbachia infections.},
journal = {Journal of biological dynamics},
volume = {17},
number = {1},
pages = {2231967},
doi = {10.1080/17513758.2023.2231967},
pmid = {37417698},
issn = {1751-3766},
abstract = {A stochastic mathematical model is proposed to study how environmental heterogeneity and the augmentation of mosquitoes with Wolbachia bacteria affect the outcomes of dengue disease. The existence and uniqueness of the positive solutions of the system are studied. Then the V-geometrically ergodicity and stochastic ultimate boundedness are investigated. Further, threshold conditions for successful population replacement are derived and the existence of a unique ergodic steady-state distribution of the system is explored. The results show that the ratio of infected to uninfected mosquitoes has a great influence on population replacement. Moreover, environmental noise plays a significant role in control of dengue fever.},
}
@article {pmid37417166,
year = {2023},
author = {Tharsan, A and Sivabalakrishnan, K and Arthiyan, S and Eswaramohan, T and Raveendran, S and Ramasamy, R and Surendran, SN},
title = {Wolbachia infection is widespread in brackish and fresh water Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the coastal Jaffna peninsula of northern Sri Lanka.},
journal = {Journal of vector borne diseases},
volume = {60},
number = {2},
pages = {172-178},
doi = {10.4103/0972-9062.361165},
pmid = {37417166},
issn = {0972-9062},
abstract = {BACKGROUND &amp; OBJECTIVES: Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti are important vectors of dengue and many other arboviral diseases in tropical and sub-tropical locations. Both vectors are tolerant of salinity in the dengue-endemic coastal Jaffna peninsula of northern Sri Lanka. Aedes albopictus pre-imaginal stages are found in field brackish water habitats of up to 14 parts per thousand (ppt, gL[-1]) salt in the Jaffna peninsula. Salinity-tolerance in Aedes is characterized by significant genetic and physiological changes. Infection with the wMel strain of the endosymbiont bacterium Wolbachia pipientis reduces dengue transmission in the field by Ae. aegypti, and the same approach is also being considered for Ae. albopictus. In this context, we investigated natural Wolbachia infections in brackish and fresh water field isolates of Ae. albopictus in the Jaffna district.<br><br>METHODS: Aedes albopictus collected as pre-imaginal stages using conventional ovitraps in the Jaffna peninsula and adjacent islands of the Jaffna district were screened by PCR utilizing strain-transcending primers for the presence of Wolbachia. Wolbachia strains were then further identified by PCR using strain-specific primers for the Wolbachia surface protein gene wsp. The Jaffna wsp sequences were compared by phylogenetic analysis with other wsp sequences available in Genbank.<br><br>RESULTS: Aedes albopictus were found to be widely infected with the wAlbA and wAlbB strains of Wolbachia in Jaffna. The partial wAlbB wsp surface protein gene sequence in Jaffna Ae. albopictus was identical to a corresponding sequence from South India but different from that in mainland Sri Lanka.<br><br>Widespread infection of salinity-tolerant Ae. albopictus with Wolbachia is a factor to be considered when developing Wolbachia-based dengue control in coastal areas like the Jaffna peninsula.},
}
@article {pmid37416893,
year = {2023},
author = {Wenzel, M and Aquadro, CF},
title = {Wolbachia genetically interacts with the bag of marbles germline stem cell gene in male D. melanogaster.},
journal = {microPublication biology},
volume = {2023},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {37416893},
issn = {2578-9430},
abstract = {The bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia manipulates reproduction of its arthropod hosts to promote its own maternal vertical transmission. In female D. melanogaster , Wolbachia has been shown to genetically interact with three key reproductive genes (bag of marbles (bam) , Sex-lethal, and mei-P26) , as it rescues the reduced female fertility or fecundity phenotype seen in partial loss-of-function mutants of these genes . Here, we show that Wolbachia also partially rescues male fertility in D. melanogaster carrying a new, largely sterile bam allele when in a bam null genetic background. This finding shows that the molecular mechanism of Wolbachia 's influence on its hosts' reproduction involves interaction with genes in males as well as females, at least in D. melanogaster .},
}
@article {pmid37415819,
year = {2023},
author = {Dong, L and Li, Y and Yang, C and Gong, J and Zhu, W and Huang, Y and Kong, M and Zhao, L and Wang, F and Lu, S and Pu, J and Yang, J},
title = {Species-level microbiota of ticks and fleas from Marmota himalayana in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1188155},
pmid = {37415819},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Ticks and fleas, as blood-sucking arthropods, carry and transmit various zoonotic diseases. In the natural plague foci of China, monitoring of Yersinia pestis has been continuously conducted in Marmota himalayana and other host animals, whereas other pathogens carried by vectors are rarely concerned in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.<br><br>METHODS: In this study, we investigated the microbiota of ticks and fleas sampling from M. himalayana in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China by metataxonomics combined with metagenomic methods.<br><br>RESULTS: By metataxonomic approach based on full-length 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing and operational phylogenetic unit (OPU) analyses, we described the microbiota community of ticks and fleas at the species level, annotated 1,250 OPUs in ticks, including 556 known species and 492 potentially new species, accounting for 48.50% and 41.71% of the total reads in ticks, respectively. A total of 689 OPUs were detected in fleas, consisting of 277 known species (40.62% of the total reads in fleas) and 294 potentially new species (56.88%). At the dominant species categories, we detected the Anaplasma phagocytophilum (OPU 421) and potentially pathogenic new species of Wolbachia, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Bartonella. Using shotgun sequencing, we obtained 10 metagenomic assembled genomes (MAGs) from vector samples, including a known species (Providencia heimbachae DFT2), and six new species affliated to four known genera, i.e., Wolbachia, Mumia, Bartonella, and Anaplasma. By the phylogenetic analyses based on full-length 16S rRNA genes and core genes, we identified that ticks harbored pathogenic A. phagocytophilum. Moreover, these potentially pathogenic novel species were more closely related to Ehrlichia muris, Ehrlichia muris subsp. eauclairensis, Bartonella rochalimae, and Rickettsia limoniae, respectively. The OPU 422 Ehrlichia sp1 was most related to Ehrlichia muris and Ehrlichia muris subsp. eauclairensis. The OPU 230 Bartonella sp1 and Bartonella spp. (DTF8 and DTF9) was clustered with Bartonella rochalimae. The OPU 427 Rickettsia sp1 was clustered with Rickettsia limoniae.<br><br>DISCUSSION: The findings of the study have advanced our understanding of the potential pathogen groups of vectors in marmot (Marmota himalayana) in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.},
}
@article {pmid37399133,
year = {2023},
author = {Beliavskaia, A and Tan, KK and Sinha, A and Husin, NA and Lim, FS and Loong, SK and Bell-Sakyi, L and Carlow, CKS and AbuBakar, S and Darby, AC and Makepeace, BL and Khoo, JJ},
title = {Metagenomics of culture isolates and insect tissue illuminate the evolution of Wolbachia, Rickettsia and Bartonella symbionts in Ctenocephalides spp. fleas.},
journal = {Microbial genomics},
volume = {9},
number = {7},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1099/mgen.0.001045},
pmid = {37399133},
issn = {2057-5858},
}
@article {pmid37397989,
year = {2023},
author = {Pujhari, S and Hughes, GL and Pakpour, N and Suzuki, Y and Rasgon, JL},
title = {Wolbachia -induced inhibition of O'nyong nyong virus in Anopheles mosquitoes is mediated by Toll signaling and modulated by cholesterol.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2023.05.31.543096},
pmid = {37397989},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Enhanced host immunity and competition for metabolic resources are two main competing hypotheses for the mechanism of Wolbachia -mediated pathogen inhibition in arthropods. Using an Anopheles mosquito - somatic Wolbachia infection - O'nyong nyong virus (ONNV) model, we demonstrate that the mechanism underpinning Wolbachia -mediated virus inhibition is up-regulation of the Toll innate immune pathway. However, the viral inhibitory properties of Wolbachia were abolished by cholesterol supplementation. This result was due to Wolbachia -dependent cholesterol-mediated suppression of Toll signaling rather than competition for cholesterol between Wolbachia and virus. The inhibitory effect of cholesterol was specific to Wolbachia -infected Anopheles mosquitoes and cells. These data indicate that both Wolbachia and cholesterol influence Toll immune signaling in Anopheles mosquitoes in a complex manner and provide a functional link between the host immunity and metabolic competition hypotheses for explaining Wolbachia -mediated pathogen interference in mosquitoes. In addition, these results provide a mechanistic understanding of the mode of action of Wolbachia -induced pathogen blocking in Anophelines, which is critical to evaluate the long-term efficacy of control strategies for malaria and Anopheles -transmitted arboviruses.<br><br>HIGHLIGHTS: Wolbachia inhibits O'nyong nyong virus (ONNV) in Anopheles mosquitoes. Enhanced Toll signaling is responsible for Wolbachia -induced interference of ONNV. Cholesterol suppresses Toll signaling to modulate Wolbachia -induced ONNV interference.},
}
@article {pmid37391513,
year = {2023},
author = {Abel, SM and Hong, Z and Williams, D and Ireri, S and Brown, MQ and Su, T and Hung, KY and Henke, JA and Barton, JP and Le Roch, KG},
title = {Small RNA sequencing of field Culex mosquitoes identifies patterns of viral infection and the mosquito immune response.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {10598},
pmid = {37391513},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {1U01CK000516-01//Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation/ ; NIFA-Hatch-225935//University of California, Riverside/ ; },
abstract = {Mosquito-borne disease remains a significant burden on global health. In the United States, the major threat posed by mosquitoes is transmission of arboviruses, including West Nile virus by mosquitoes of the Culex genus. Virus metagenomic analysis of mosquito small RNA using deep sequencing and advanced bioinformatic tools enables the rapid detection of viruses and other infecting organisms, both pathogenic and non-pathogenic to humans, without any precedent knowledge. In this study, we sequenced small RNA samples from over 60 pools of Culex mosquitoes from two major areas of Southern California from 2017 to 2019 to elucidate the virome and immune responses of Culex. Our results demonstrated that small RNAs not only allowed the detection of viruses but also revealed distinct patterns of viral infection based on location, Culex species, and time. We also identified miRNAs that are most likely involved in Culex immune responses to viruses and Wolbachia bacteria, and show the utility of using small RNA to detect antiviral immune pathways including piRNAs against some pathogens. Collectively, these findings show that deep sequencing of small RNA can be used for virus discovery and surveillance. One could also conceive that such work could be accomplished in various locations across the world and over time to better understand patterns of mosquito infection and immune response to many vector-borne diseases in field samples.},
}
@article {pmid37381006,
year = {2023},
author = {Zeb, J and Song, B and Khan, MA and Senbill, H and Aziz, MU and Hussain, S and Waris, A and E-Tabor, A and Sparagano, OA},
title = {Genetic diversity of vector-borne pathogens in ixodid ticks infesting dogs from Pakistan with notes on Ehrlichia canis, Rickettsia raoultii and Dirofilaria immitis detection.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {214},
pmid = {37381006},
issn = {1756-3305},
support = {9380108//Olivier Andre Sparagano/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Vector-/tick-borne pathogens (V/TBPs) pose a potential threat to human and animal health globally. Information regarding canine V/TBPs is scarce and no specific study has been conducted so far to explore the microbial diversity within ticks infesting dogs from Pakistan. Herein, this knowledge gap is addressed by assessing the genetic diversity and prevalence pattern of V/TBPs in ixodid ticks with special implications for public and canine health.<br><br>METHODS: A total of 1150 hard ticks were collected from 300 dogs across central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. After morpho-molecular identification, 120 tick samples were screened for the presence of V/TBPs by amplifying 16S rRNA/gltA (Rickettsia/Ehrlichia and Wolbachia sp.), 18S rRNA (Theileria sp.) and cox1 (Dirofilaria sp.) genes through PCR followed by sequencing and phylogenetic study.<br><br>RESULTS: In toto, 50 ixodid ticks (50/120, 41.7%) were found positive for V/TBPs DNA. The detected V/TBPs were categorized into five genera and eight species, viz. Ehrlichia (E. canis and Ehrlichia sp.), Rickettsia (R. massiliae, R. raoultii and Rickettsia sp.), Theileria (T. annulata), Dirofilaria (D. immitis) and Wolbachia (Wolbachia sp.). The pathogen prevalence patterns showed that R. massiliae was the most prevalent zoonotic V/TBP (19.5%), followed by E. canis (10.8%), Rickettsia sp. (7.5%), R. raoultii (6.7%), T. annulata (5.8%), D. immitis (5.8%), Wolbachia sp. (4.2%) and Ehrlichia sp. (3.3%), respectively. Among the screened tick species, most Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato samples were found positive for V/TBP DNA (20/20,100%) followed by Rh. turanicus sensu stricto (13/20, 65%), Hyalomma dromedarii (8/20, 40%), Rh. haemaphysaloides (6/20, 30%), Hy. excavatum (2/20, 10%) and Rh. microplus (1/20, 5%). Co-occurrence of V/TBP was also detected in tick specimens (single V/TBP infection: 32 ticks; double and triple: 13 and 5 tick samples). The detected pathogens shared a phylogenetic relationship with similar isolates published in NCBI GenBank from Old and New World countries.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Ixodid ticks infesting dogs harbor a diverse array of V/TBPs including zoonotic agents from Pakistan. Furthermore, the presence of D. immitis in ticks that infest dogs raises the possibility that this parasite has either attained its dead-end host (i.e. the tick) while feeding on dogs or has expanded its range of intermediate/paratenic hosts. Further research work is needed to investigate the epidemiology and confirm the vector competence of screened tick species for these pathogens from Pakistan.},
}
@article {pmid37376609,
year = {2023},
author = {Baltar, JMC and Pavan, MG and Corrêa-Antônio, J and Couto-Lima, D and Maciel-de-Freitas, R and David, MR},
title = {Gut Bacterial Diversity of Field and Laboratory-Reared Aedes albopictus Populations of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.},
journal = {Viruses},
volume = {15},
number = {6},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/v15061309},
pmid = {37376609},
issn = {1999-4915},
support = {001//Coordena&#xe7;&#xe3;o de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de N&#xed;vel Superior/ ; 429625/2018-9//National Council for Scientific and Technological Development/ ; VPPCB-008-FIO-18-2-36//Inova Fiocruz/Funda&#xe7;&#xe3;o Oswaldo Cruz, Edital Gera&#xe7;&#xe3;o de Conhecimento - Novos Talentos/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The mosquito microbiota impacts different parameters in host biology, such as development, metabolism, immune response and vector competence to pathogens. As the environment is an important source of acquisition of host associate microbes, we described the microbiota and the vector competence to Zika virus (ZIKV) of Aedes albopictus from three areas with distinct landscapes.<br><br>METHODS: Adult females were collected during two different seasons, while eggs were used to rear F1 colonies. Midgut bacterial communities were described in field and F1 mosquitoes as well as in insects from a laboratory colony (>30 generations, LAB) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. F1 mosquitoes were infected with ZIKV to determine virus infection rates (IRs) and dissemination rates (DRs). Collection season significantly affected the bacterial microbiota diversity and composition, e.g., diversity levels decreased from the wet to the dry season. Field-collected and LAB mosquitoes' microbiota had similar diversity levels, which were higher compared to F1 mosquitoes. However, the gut microbiota composition of field mosquitoes was distinct from that of laboratory-reared mosquitoes (LAB and F1), regardless of the collection season and location. A possible negative correlation was detected between Acetobacteraceae and Wolbachia, with the former dominating the gut microbiota of F1 Ae. albopictus, while the latter was absent/undetectable. Furthermore, we detected significant differences in infection and dissemination rates (but not in the viral load) between the mosquito populations, but it does not seem to be related to gut microbiota composition, as it was similar between F1 mosquitoes regardless of their population.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the environment and the collection season play a significant role in shaping mosquitoes' bacterial microbiota.},
}
@article {pmid37375183,
year = {2023},
author = {Han, MJ and Pan, M and Xiao, G and Yuan, Y and Chen, S and Zou, Z},
title = {Assessing Boron-Pleuromutilin AN11251 for the Development of Antibacterial Agents.},
journal = {Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {28},
number = {12},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/molecules28124628},
pmid = {37375183},
issn = {1420-3049},
support = {0/GATES/Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation/United States ; },
abstract = {Pleuromutilins are a group of antibiotics derived from the naturally occurring compound. The recent approval of lefamulin for both intravenous and oral doses in humans to treat community-acquired bacterial pneumonia has prompted investigations in modifying the structure to broaden the antibacterial spectrum, enhance the activity, and improve the pharmacokinetic properties. AN11251 is a C(14)-functionalized pleuromutilin with a boron-containing heterocycle substructure. It was demonstrated to be an anti-Wolbachia agent with therapeutic potential for Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. Here, the in vitro and in vivo PK parameters of AN11251 were measured including PPB, intrinsic clearance, half-life, systemic clearance, and volume of distribution. The results indicate that the benzoxaborole-modified pleuromutilin possesses good ADME and PK properties. AN11251 has potent activities against the Gram-positive bacterial pathogens tested, including various drug-resistant strains, and against the slow-growing mycobacterial species. Finally, we employed PK/PD modeling to predict the human dose for treatment of disease caused by Wolbachia, Gram-positive bacteria, or Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which might facilitate the further development of AN11251.},
}
@article {pmid37370177,
year = {2023},
author = {Angstmann, H and Pfeiffer, S and Kublik, S and Ehrhardt, B and Uliczka, K and Rabe, KF and Roeder, T and Wagner, C and Schloter, M and Krauss-Etschmann, S},
title = {The microbial composition of larval airways from Drosophila melanogaster differ between specimens from laboratory and natural habitats.},
journal = {Environmental microbiome},
volume = {18},
number = {1},
pages = {55},
pmid = {37370177},
issn = {2524-6372},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster lives in natural habitats and has also long been used as a model organism in biological research. In this study, we used a molecular barcoding approach to analyse the airways microbiome of larvae of D. melanogaster, which were obtained from eggs of flies of the laboratory strain w[1118] and from immune deficient flies (NF-kB-K), and from wild-caught flies. To assess intergenerational transmission of microbes, all eggs were incubated under the same semi-sterile conditions.<br><br>RESULTS: The airway microbiome of larvae from both lab-strains was dominated by the two families Acetobacteraceae and Lactobacillaceae, while larvae from wild-caught flies were dominated by Lactobacillaceae, Anaplasmataceae and Leuconostocaceae. Barcodes linked to Anaplasmataceae could be further assigned to Wolbachia sp., which is a widespread intracellular pathogen in arthropods. For Leuconostoceae, the most abundant reads were assigned to Weissella sp. Both Wolbachia and Weissella affect the development of the insects. Finally, a relative high abundance of Serratia sp. was found in larvae from immune deficient relish[-/-] compared to w[1118] and wild-caught fly airways.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results show for the first time that larvae from D. melanogaster harbor an airway microbiome, which is of low complexity and strongly influenced by the environmental conditions and to a lesser extent by the immune status. Furthermore, our data indicate an intergenerational transmission of the microbiome as shaped by the environment.},
}
@article {pmid37367374,
year = {2023},
author = {Hu, D and Li, W and Wang, J and Peng, Y and Yun, Y and Peng, Y},
title = {Interaction of High Temperature Stress and Wolbachia Infection on the Biological Characteristic of Drosophila melanogaster.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {14},
number = {6},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/insects14060558},
pmid = {37367374},
issn = {2075-4450},
support = {2019020701011464//Wuhan Science and Technology Bureau/ ; 2018FY100400//National Science and Technology Basic Research Program of China/ ; },
abstract = {It was reported that temperature affects the distribution of Wolbachia in the host, but only a few papers reported the effect of the interaction between high temperature and Wolbachia on the biological characteristic of the host. Here, we set four treatment Drosophila melanogaster groups: Wolbachia-infected flies in 25 °C (W[+]M), Wolbachia-infected flies in 31 °C (W[+]H), Wolbachia-uninfected flies in 25 °C (W[-]M), Wolbachia-uninfected flies in 31 °C (W[-]H), and detected the interaction effect of temperature and Wolbachia infection on the biological characteristic of D. melanogaster in F1, F2 and F3 generations. We found that both temperature and Wolbachia infection had significant effects on the development and survival rate of D. melanogaster. High temperature and Wolbachia infection had interaction effect on hatching rate, developmental durations, emergence rate, body weight and body length of F1, F2 and F3 flies, and the interaction effect also existed on oviposition amount of F3 flies, and on pupation rate of F2 and F3 flies. High temperature stress reduced the Wolbachia vertical transmission efficiency between generations. These results indicated that high temperature stress and Wolbachia infection had negative effects on the morphological development of D. melanogaster.},
}
@article {pmid37367332,
year = {2023},
author = {Fallon, AM and Carroll, EM},
title = {Virus-like Particles from Wolbachia-Infected Cells May Include a Gene Transfer Agent.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {14},
number = {6},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/insects14060516},
pmid = {37367332},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Wolbachia are obligate intracellular bacteria that occur in insects and filarial worms. Strains that infect insects have genomes that encode mobile genetic elements, including diverse lambda-like prophages called Phage WO. Phage WO packages an approximately 65 kb viral genome that includes a unique eukaryotic association module, or EAM, that encodes unusually large proteins thought to mediate interactions between the bacterium, its virus, and the eukaryotic host cell. The Wolbachia supergroup B strain, wStri from the planthopper Laodelphax striatellus, produces phage-like particles that can be recovered from persistently infected mosquito cells by ultracentrifugation. Illumina sequencing, assembly, and manual curation of DNA from two independent preparations converged on an identical 15,638 bp sequence that encoded packaging, assembly, and structural proteins. The absence of an EAM and regulatory genes defined for Phage WO from the wasp, Nasonia vitripennis, was consistent with the possibility that the 15,638 bp sequence represents an element related to a gene transfer agent (GTA), characterized by a signature head-tail region encoding structural proteins that package host chromosomal DNA. Future investigation of GTA function will be supported by the improved recovery of physical particles, electron microscopic examination of potential diversity among particles, and rigorous examination of DNA content by methods independent of sequence assembly.},
}
@article {pmid37363264,
year = {2023},
author = {Gashururu, RS and Maingi, N and Githigia, SM and Getange, DO and Ntivuguruzwa, JB and Habimana, R and Cecchi, G and Gashumba, J and Bargul, JL and Masiga, DK},
title = {Trypanosomes infection, endosymbionts, and host preferences in tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) collected from Akagera park region, Rwanda: A correlational xenomonitoring study.},
journal = {One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands)},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {100550},
doi = {10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100550},
pmid = {37363264},
issn = {2352-7714},
abstract = {Akagera National Park and its surroundings are home to tsetse flies and a number of their mammalian hosts in Rwanda. A One-health approach is being used in the control and surveillance of both animal and human trypanosomosis in Rwanda. Determination of the infection level in tsetse flies, species of trypanosomes circulating in vectors, the source of tsetse blood meal and endosymbionts is crucial in understanding the epidemiology of the disease in animals and humans in the region. Tsetse flies (n = 1101), comprising Glossina pallidipes (n = 771) and Glossina morsitans centralis (n = 330) were collected from Akagera park and surrounding areas between May 2018 and June 2019. The flies were screened for trypanosomes, vertebrate host DNA to identify sources of blood meal, and endosymbionts by PCR - High Resolution Melting analysis and amplicon sequencing. The feeding frequency and the feeding indices (selection index - W) were calculated to identify the preferred hosts. An overall trypanosome infection rate of 13.9% in the fly's Head and Proboscis (HP) and 24.3% in the Thorax and Abdomen (TA) were found. Eight trypanosome species were identified in the tsetse fly HP and TA, namely: Trypanosoma (T.) brucei brucei, T. congolense Kilifi, T. congolense savannah, T. vivax, T. simiae, T. evansi, T. godfreyi, T. grayi and T. theileri. We found no evidence of human-infective T. brucei rhodesiense. We also identified eighteen species of vertebrate hosts that tsetse flies fed on, and the most frequent one was the buffalo (Syncerus caffer) (36.5%). The frequently detected host by selection index was the rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) (W = 16.2). Most trypanosome infections in tsetse flies were associated with the buffalo blood meal. The prevalence of tsetse endosymbionts Sodalis and Wolbachia was 2.8% and 4.8%, respectively. No Spiroplasma and Salivary Gland Hypertrophy Virus were detected. These findings implicate the buffaloes as the important reservoirs of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomes in the area. This contributes to predicting the main cryptic reservoirs and therefore guiding the effective control of the disease. The study findings provide the key scientific information that supports the current One Health collaboration in the control and surveillance of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis in Rwanda.},
}
@article {pmid37362913,
year = {2023},
author = {Beckmann, J and Gillespie, J and Tauritz, D},
title = {Modeling emergence of Wolbachia toxin-antidote protein functions with an evolutionary algorithm.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1116766},
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2023.1116766},
pmid = {37362913},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) simulate Darwinian evolution and adeptly mimic natural evolution. Most EA applications in biology encode high levels of abstraction in top-down population ecology models. In contrast, our research merges protein alignment algorithms from bioinformatics into codon based EAs that simulate molecular protein string evolution from the bottom up. We apply our EA to reconcile a problem in the field of Wolbachia induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Wolbachia is a microbial endosymbiont that lives inside insect cells. CI is conditional insect sterility that operates as a toxin antidote (TA) system. Although, CI exhibits complex phenotypes not fully explained under a single discrete model. We instantiate in-silico genes that control CI, CI factors (cifs), as strings within the EA chromosome. We monitor the evolution of their enzymatic activity, binding, and cellular localization by applying selective pressure on their primary amino acid strings. Our model helps rationalize why two distinct mechanisms of CI induction might coexist in nature. We find that nuclear localization signals (NLS) and Type IV secretion system signals (T4SS) are of low complexity and evolve fast, whereas binding interactions have intermediate complexity, and enzymatic activity is the most complex. Our model predicts that as ancestral TA systems evolve into eukaryotic CI systems, the placement of NLS or T4SS signals can stochastically vary, imparting effects that might impact CI induction mechanics. Our model highlights how preconditions and sequence length can bias evolution of cifs toward one mechanism or another.},
}
@article {pmid37360524,
year = {2023},
author = {Ratnayake, OC and Chotiwan, N and Saavedra-Rodriguez, K and Perera, R},
title = {The buzz in the field: the interaction between viruses, mosquitoes, and metabolism.},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {1128577},
doi = {10.3389/fcimb.2023.1128577},
pmid = {37360524},
issn = {2235-2988},
abstract = {Among many medically important pathogens, arboviruses like dengue, Zika and chikungunya cause severe health and economic burdens especially in developing countries. These viruses are primarily vectored by mosquitoes. Having surmounted geographical barriers and threat of control strategies, these vectors continue to conquer many areas of the globe exposing more than half of the world's population to these viruses. Unfortunately, no medical interventions have been capable so far to produce successful vaccines or antivirals against many of these viruses. Thus, vector control remains the fundamental strategy to prevent disease transmission. The long-established understanding regarding the replication of these viruses is that they reshape both human and mosquito host cellular membranes upon infection for their replicative benefit. This leads to or is a result of significant alterations in lipid metabolism. Metabolism involves complex chemical reactions in the body that are essential for general physiological functions and survival of an organism. Finely tuned metabolic homeostases are maintained in healthy organisms. However, a simple stimulus like a viral infection can alter this homeostatic landscape driving considerable phenotypic change. Better comprehension of these mechanisms can serve as innovative control strategies against these vectors and viruses. Here, we review the metabolic basis of fundamental mosquito biology and virus-vector interactions. The cited work provides compelling evidence that targeting metabolism can be a paradigm shift and provide potent tools for vector control as well as tools to answer many unresolved questions and gaps in the field of arbovirology.},
}
@article {pmid37349802,
year = {2023},
author = {Benkacimi, L and Diarra, AZ and Bompar, JM and Bérenger, JM and Parola, P},
title = {Microorganisms associated with hedgehog arthropods.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {211},
pmid = {37349802},
issn = {1756-3305},
abstract = {Hedgehogs are small synanthropic mammals that live in rural areas as well as in urban and suburban areas. They can be reservoirs of several microorganisms, including certain pathogenic agents that cause human and animal public health issues. Hedgehogs are often parasitized by blood-sucking arthropods, mainly hard ticks and fleas, which in turn can also carry various vector-born microorganisms of zoonotic importance. Many biotic factors, such as urbanization and agricultural mechanization, have resulted in the destruction of the hedgehog's natural habitats, leading these animals to take refuge near human dwellings, seeking food and shelter in parks and gardens and exposing humans to zoonotic agents that can be transmitted either directly by them or indirectly by their ectoparasites. In this review, we focus on the microorganisms detected in arthropods sampled from hedgehogs worldwide. Several microorganisms have been reported in ticks collected from these animals, including various Borrelia spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp. species as well as Coxiella burnetii and Leptospira spp. As for fleas, C. burnetii, Rickettsia spp., Wolbachia spp., Mycobacterium spp. and various Bartonella species have been reported. The detection of these microorganisms in arthropods does not necessarily mean that they can be transmitted to humans and animals. While the vector capacity and competence of fleas and ticks for some of these microorganisms has been proven, in other cases the microorganisms may have simply been ingested with blood taken from an infected host. Further investigations are needed to clarify this issue. As hedgehogs are protected animals, handling them is highly regulated, making it difficult to conduct epidemiological studies on them. Their ectoparasites represent a very interesting source of information on microorganisms circulating in populations of these animals, especially vector-born ones.},
}
@article {pmid37347767,
year = {2023},
author = {Ho, SH and Lim, JT and Ong, J and Hapuarachchi, HC and Sim, S and Ng, LC},
title = {Singapore's 5 decades of dengue prevention and control-Implications for global dengue control.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {17},
number = {6},
pages = {e0011400},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0011400},
pmid = {37347767},
issn = {1935-2735},
abstract = {This paper summarises the lessons learnt in dengue epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention in Singapore over the last half a century, during which Singapore evolved from a city of 1.9 million people to a highly urban globalised city-state with a population of 5.6 million. Set in a tropical climate, urbanisation among green foliage has created ideal conditions for the proliferation of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, the mosquito vectors that transmit dengue. A vector control programme, largely for malaria, was initiated as early as 1921, but it was only in 1966 that the Vector Control Unit (VCU) was established to additionally tackle dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) that was first documented in the 1960s. Centred on source reduction and public education, and based on research into the bionomics and ecology of the vectors, the programme successfully reduced the Aedes House Index (HI) from 48% in 1966 to <5% in the 1970s. Further enhancement of the programme, including through legislation, suppressed the Aedes HI to around 1% from the 1990s. The current programme is characterised by 4 key features: (i) proactive inter-epidemic surveillance and control that is stepped up during outbreaks; (ii) risk-based prevention and intervention strategies based on advanced data analytics; (iii) coordinated inter-sectoral cooperation between the public, private, and people sectors; and (iv) evidence-based adoption of new tools and strategies. Dengue seroprevalence and force of infection (FOI) among residents have substantially and continuously declined over the 5 decades. This is consistent with the observation that dengue incidence has been delayed to adulthood, with severity highest among the elderly. Paradoxically, the number of reported dengue cases and outbreaks has increased since the 1990s with record-breaking epidemics. We propose that Singapore's increased vulnerability to outbreaks is due to low levels of immunity in the population, constant introduction of new viral variants, expanding urban centres, and increasing human density. The growing magnitude of reported outbreaks could also be attributed to improved diagnostics and surveillance, which at least partially explains the discord between rising trend in cases and the continuous reduction in dengue seroprevalence. Changing global and local landscapes, including climate change, increasing urbanisation and global physical connectivity are expected to make dengue control even more challenging. The adoption of new vector surveillance and control tools, such as the Gravitrap and Wolbachia technology, is important to impede the growing threat of dengue and other Aedes-borne diseases.},
}
@article {pmid37347285,
year = {2023},
author = {Ehlers, LP and Slaviero, M and De Lorenzo, C and Fagundes-Moreira, R and de Souza, VK and Perles, L and Baggio-Souza, V and Bezerra-Santos, MA and Modrý, D and Benovics, M and Panziera, W and Driemeier, D and Pavarini, SP and Soares, JF and Otranto, D and Sonne, L},
title = {Pathological findings associated with Dipetalonema spp. (Spirurida, Onchocercidae) infection in two species of Neotropical monkeys from Brazil.},
journal = {Parasitology research},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {37347285},
issn = {1432-1955},
abstract = {Among vector-borne helminths, filarioids of the genus Dipetalonema (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) localize in several tissues and body cavities of several animal species, causing mild to moderate lesions. The pathological findings associated with Dipetalonema spp. infection in Neotropical monkeys from southern Brazil are herein described, along with a fatal case due to filarial polyserositis and entrapment of an intestinal segment. At necropsy, nematodes were observed in abdominal and thoracic cavities, or in the pericardium of 37 (31.3%) out of the 118 individuals examined (i.e., 35 Alouatta guariba clamitans and two Sapajus nigritus). In addition, at histology, 27.0% of positive animals presented microfilarie (inside blood vessels of lung, spleen, liver, and brain) and 8.1% presented adult nematodes in the heart, lung, and liver. In two cases, cross-sections of filarioids were associated with areas of epicardial thickening with intense fibrosis and pyogranulomatous inflammation in the brain, heart, liver, lungs, or spleen. The DNA fragment was amplify using the cox1 gene, sequenced and analyzed to identify the nematode species collected; presence of Wolbachia was assessed in the filarioids using the 16S rRNA gene. At BLAST analysis of the cox1 gene, 10 sequences showed 91.7% nucleotide identity with Dipetalonema gracile, and two with D. gracile (98.5%) and Dipetalonema graciliformis (98.3%). Phylogenetic analyses clustered sequences of the cox1 obtained in this study in two clades corresponding with the host species. Wolbachia sp. endosymbiont was detected in four samples. Data herein reported provide a description of pathological lesions associated with the infection by Dipetalonema spp., suggesting that they may cause disease in Neotropical monkeys. In addition, a better understanding of diversity and biology of Dipetalonema spp. in South America is needed to assess the impact they may cause in native non-human primates from Brazil.},
}
@article {pmid37324163,
year = {2023},
author = {Zhu, X and Zhang, L and Li, J and He, A and You, M and You, S},
title = {Effects of Antibiotic Treatment on the Development and Bacterial Community of the Wolbachia-Infected Diamondback Moth.},
journal = {Evolutionary bioinformatics online},
volume = {19},
number = {},
pages = {11769343231175269},
pmid = {37324163},
issn = {1176-9343},
abstract = {Based on the important role of antibiotic treatment in the research of the interaction between Wolbachia and insect hosts, this study aimed to identify the most suitable antibiotic and concentration for Wolbachia elimination in the P. xylostella, and to investigate the effect of Wolbachia and antibiotic treatment on the bacterial community of P. xylostella. Our results showed that the Wolbachia-infected strain was plutWB1 of supergroup B in the P. xylostella population collected in Nepal in this study; 1 mg/mL rifampicin could remove Wolbachia infection in P. xylostella after 1 generation of feeding treatment and the toxic effect was relatively low; among the 29 samples of adult P. xylostella in our study (10 WU samples, 10 WA samples, and 9 WI samples), 52.5% of the sequences were of Firmicutes and 47.5% were of Proteobacteria, with the dominant genera being mainly Carnobacterium (46.2%), Enterobacter (10.1%), and Enterococcus (6.2%); Moreover, antibiotic removal of Wolbachia infection in P. xylostella and transfer to normal conditions for 10 generations no longer significantly affected the bacterial community of P. xylostella. This study provides a theoretical basis for the elimination method of Wolbachia in the P. xylostella, as well as a reference for the elimination method of Wolbachia in other Wolbachia-infected insect species, and a basis for the study of the extent and duration of the effect of antibiotic treatment on the bacterial community of the P. xylostella.},
}
@article {pmid37318795,
year = {2023},
author = {Zhang, DJ and Yan, S and Yamada, H and Wu, Y and Wang, G and Feng, QD and Paerhande, D and Maiga, H and Bouyer, J and Qian, J and Wu, ZD and Zheng, XY},
title = {Effects of radiation on the fitness, sterility and arbovirus susceptibility of a Wolbachia-free Aedes albopictus strain for use in the Sterile Insect Technique.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/ps.7615},
pmid = {37318795},
issn = {1526-4998},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a green and species-specific insect pest control technique that suppresses target populations by releasing factory-reared, radio-sterilized males into the wild. Once released, it is important to be able to distinguish the released males from the wild males for monitoring purposes. Several methods to mark the sterile males exist. However, most have limitations due to monetary, process efficiency, or insect quality. Aedes albopictus is naturally infected with Wolbachia at a high prevalence. Therefore, the elimination of Wolbachia can serve as a biomarker to distinguish the factory-reared male mosquitoes from wild conspecifics.<br><br>RESULTS: In this study, a Wolbachia-free Ae. albopictus GT strain was developed and its fitness evaluated, which was found to be comparable to the wild GUA strain. In addition, GT male mosquitoes were irradiated at the adult stage and a dose of 20 Gy or more induced over 99% sterility. Moreover, a dose of 30 Gy (almost completely sterilizing male and female mosquitoes) had limited effects on the mating competitiveness of GT males and vector competence of GT females, respectively. However, radiation reduced mosquito longevity, regardless of its sex.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the Ae. albopictus GT strain can be distinguished from the wild mosquitoes based on Wolbachia status and shows similar fitness, radio-sensitivity and arbovirus susceptibility to the GUA strain, indicating that it is feasible to use the GT strain to suppress Ae. albopictus populations for SIT programmes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.},
}
@article {pmid37317119,
year = {2023},
author = {Santos, NACD and Carvalho, VR and Souza-Neto, JA and Alonso, DP and Ribolla, PEM and Medeiros, JF and Araujo, MDS},
title = {Bacterial Microbiota from Lab-Reared and Field-Captured Anopheles darlingi Midgut and Salivary Gland.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {11},
number = {5},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/microorganisms11051145},
pmid = {37317119},
issn = {2076-2607},
support = {INV-003970/GATES/Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation/United States ; },
abstract = {Anopheles darlingi is a major malaria vector in the Amazon region and, like other vectors, harbors a community of microorganisms with which it shares a network of interactions. Here, we describe the diversity and bacterial composition from the midguts and salivary glands of lab-reared and field-captured An. darlingi using metagenome sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The libraries were built using the amplification of the region V3-V4 16S rRNA gene. The bacterial community from the salivary glands was more diverse and richer than the community from the midguts. However, the salivary glands and midguts only showed dissimilarities in beta diversity between lab-reared mosquitoes. Despite that, intra-variability was observed in the samples. Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas were dominant in the tissues of lab-reared mosquitoes. Sequences of Wolbachia and Asaia were both found in the tissue of lab-reared mosquitoes; however, only Asaia was found in field-captured An. darlingi, but in low abundance. This is the first report on the characterization of microbiota composition from the salivary glands of An. darlingi from lab-reared and field-captured individuals. This study can provide invaluable insights for future investigations regarding mosquito development and interaction between mosquito microbiota and Plasmodium sp.},
}
@article {pmid37314477,
year = {2023},
author = {An, Y and Braga, MP and Garcia, SL and Grudzinska-Sterno, M and Hambäck, PA},
title = {Host Phylogeny Structures the Gut Bacterial Community Within Galerucella Leaf Beetles.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {37314477},
issn = {1432-184X},
abstract = {Gut microbes play important roles for their hosts. Previous studies suggest that host-microbial systems can form long-term associations over evolutionary time and the dynamic changes of the intestinal system may represent major driving forces and contribute to insect dietary diversification and speciation. Our study system includes a set of six closely related leaf beetle species (Galerucella spp.) and our study aims to separate the roles of host phylogeny and ecology in determining the gut microbial community and to identify eventual relationship between host insects and gut bacteria. We collected adult beetles from their respective host plants and quantified their microbial community using 16S rRNA sequencing. The results showed that the gut bacteria community composition was structured by host beetle phylogeny, where more or less host-specific gut bacteria interact with the different Galerucella species. For example, the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia was found almost exclusively in G. nymphaea and G. sagittariae. Diversity indicators also suggested that α- and β-diversities of gut bacteria communities varied among host beetle species. Overall, our results suggest a phylogenetically controlled co-occurrence pattern between the six closely related Galerucella beetles and their gut bacteria, indicating the potential of co-evolutionary processes occurring between hosts and their gut bacterial communities.},
}
@article {pmid37298563,
year = {2023},
author = {Fiutek, N and Couger, MB and Pirro, S and Roy, SW and de la Torre, JR and Connor, EF},
title = {Genomic Assessment of the Contribution of the Wolbachia Endosymbiont of Eurosta solidaginis to Gall Induction.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {24},
number = {11},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ijms24119613},
pmid = {37298563},
issn = {1422-0067},
support = {IRGEN_RG_2021-1345/IRGEN/IRGEN/United States ; },
abstract = {We explored the genome of the Wolbachia strain, wEsol, symbiotic with the plant-gall-inducing fly Eurosta solidaginis with the goal of determining if wEsol contributes to gall induction by its insect host. Gall induction by insects has been hypothesized to involve the secretion of the phytohormones cytokinin and auxin and/or proteinaceous effectors to stimulate cell division and growth in the host plant. We sequenced the metagenome of E. solidaginis and wEsol and assembled and annotated the genome of wEsol. The wEsol genome has an assembled length of 1.66 Mbp and contains 1878 protein-coding genes. The wEsol genome is replete with proteins encoded by mobile genetic elements and shows evidence of seven different prophages. We also detected evidence of multiple small insertions of wEsol genes into the genome of the host insect. Our characterization of the genome of wEsol indicates that it is compromised in the synthesis of dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) and S-adenosyl L-methionine (SAM), which are precursors required for the synthesis of cytokinins and methylthiolated cytokinins. wEsol is also incapable of synthesizing tryptophan, and its genome contains no enzymes in any of the known pathways for the synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) from tryptophan. wEsol must steal DMAPP and L-methionine from its host and therefore is unlikely to provide cytokinin and auxin to its insect host for use in gall induction. Furthermore, in spite of its large repertoire of predicted Type IV secreted effector proteins, these effectors are more likely to contribute to the acquisition of nutrients and the manipulation of the host's cellular environment to contribute to growth and reproduction of wEsol than to aid E. solidaginis in manipulating its host plant. Combined with earlier work that shows that wEsol is absent from the salivary glands of E. solidaginis, our results suggest that wEsol does not contribute to gall induction by its host.},
}
@article {pmid37298356,
year = {2023},
author = {Mioduchowska, M and Konecka, E and Gołdyn, B and Pinceel, T and Brendonck, L and Lukić, D and Kaczmarek, &#x141; and Namiotko, T and Zając, K and Zając, T and Jastrzębski, JP and Bartoszek, K},
title = {Playing Peekaboo with a Master Manipulator: Metagenetic Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Wolbachia Supergroups in Freshwater Invertebrates.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {24},
number = {11},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ijms24119400},
pmid = {37298356},
issn = {1422-0067},
abstract = {The infamous "master manipulators"-intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia-infect a broad range of phylogenetically diverse invertebrate hosts in terrestrial ecosystems. Wolbachia has an important impact on the ecology and evolution of their host with documented effects including induced parthenogenesis, male killing, feminization, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Nonetheless, data on Wolbachia infections in non-terrestrial invertebrates are scarce. Sampling bias and methodological limitations are some of the reasons limiting the detection of these bacteria in aquatic organisms. In this study, we present a new metagenetic method for detecting the co-occurrence of different Wolbachia strains in freshwater invertebrates host species, i.e., freshwater Arthropoda (Crustacea), Mollusca (Bivalvia), and water bears (Tardigrada) by applying NGS primers designed by us and a Python script that allows the identification of Wolbachia target sequences from the microbiome communities. We also compare the results obtained using the commonly applied NGS primers and the Sanger sequencing approach. Finally, we describe three supergroups of Wolbachia: (i) a new supergroup V identified in Crustacea and Bivalvia hosts; (ii) supergroup A identified in Crustacea, Bivalvia, and Eutardigrada hosts, and (iii) supergroup E infection in the Crustacea host microbiome community.},
}
@article {pmid37293262,
year = {2023},
author = {Yang, F and Li, Y and Gao, M and Xia, Q and Wang, Q and Tang, M and Zhou, X and Guo, H and Xiao, Q and Sun, L},
title = {Comparative expression profiles of carboxylesterase orthologous CXE14 in two closely related tea geometrid species, Ectropis obliqua Prout and Ectropis grisescens Warren.},
journal = {Frontiers in physiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1194997},
pmid = {37293262},
issn = {1664-042X},
abstract = {Insect carboxylesterases (CXEs) can be expressed in multiple tissues and play crucial roles in detoxifying xenobiotic insecticides and degrading olfactory cues. Therefore, they have been considered as an important target for development of eco-friendly insect pest management strategies. Despite extensive investigation in most insect species, limited information on CXEs in sibling moth species is currently available. The Ectropis obliqua Prout and Ectropis grisescens Warren are two closely related tea geometrid species, which share the same host of tea plant but differ in geographical distribution, sex pheromone composition, and symbiotic bacteria abundance, providing an excellent mode species for studies of functional diversity of orthologous CXEs. In this study, we focused on EoblCXE14 due to its previously reported non-chemosensory organs-biased expression. First, the EoblCXE14 orthologous gene EgriCXE14 was cloned and sequence characteristics analysis showed that they share a conserved motif and phylogenetic relationship. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was then used to compare the expression profiles between two Ectropis spp. The results showed that EoblCXE14 was predominately expressed in E. obliqua larvae, whereas EgriCXE14 was abundant in E. grisescens at multiple developmental stages. Interestingly, both orthologous CXEs were highly expressed in larval midgut, but the expression level of EoblCXE14 in E. obliqua midgut was significantly higher than that of EgriCXE14 in E. grisescens midgut. In addition, the potential effect of symbiotic bacteria Wolbachia on the CXE14 was examined. This study is the first to provide comparative expression profiles of orthologous CXE genes in two sibling geometrid moth species and the results will help further elucidate CXEs functions and identify a potential target for tea geometrid pest control.},
}
@article {pmid37291670,
year = {2023},
author = {García-Rodríguez, SN and Costa-Rodríguez, N and Matos, JI and Falcón-Cordón, Y and Morchón, R and Carretón, E and Montoya-Alonso, JA},
title = {Feline heartworm disease and environmental allergens hypersensitivity: is there a link?.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {192},
pmid = {37291670},
issn = {1756-3305},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Cats can be infected by Dirofilaria immitis, the causative agent of heartworm disease, characterized by respiratory signs, airway hyperreactivity, remodelling and inflammation. Allergy is a multifactorial pathology, and the role of a number of helminth parasites in the development of allergies in humans and other species has been demonstrated in many studies. The aim of the present study was to verify whether cats seropositive for D. immitis present hypersensitivity to some environmental allergens.<br><br>METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 120 cats and tested for the presence of specific immunoglobulin G antibodies against D. immitis and for hypersensitivity to 20 allergens, using commercial allergen test kits.<br><br>RESULTS: Of the 120 cats tested, 72 (60.0%) were seropositive for anti-D. immitis IgG and 55 (45.8%) showed clinical signs of heartworm disease of a respiratory nature. The results of testing with the allergen kits showed that 50.8% of cats were seropositive for &#x2265; 1 allergens, with the most common allergens being Dermatophagoides farinae (25.8%), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (20.0%), Malassezia (17.5%) and Ctenocephalides felis (14.2%). The prevalence of allergies was significantly higher-by almost threefold-in cats seropositive for D. immitis (68.1% vs. 25%). There were no significant differences between the prevalence of allergic cats and presence/absence of symptoms, and the results confirmed that symptoms were not a decisive factor for the presence of allergies. The risk for developing allergies was 6.3-fold higher in cats seropositive for D. immitis than in cats that were seronegative, confirming that seropositivity for D. immitis is a risk factor.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Cats with confirmed heartworm can develop serious respiratory signs, potentially leading to progression to permanent lung injury and predisposing cats to hyperresponsive airway disease. Previous studies have shown that seropositivity for D. immitis and Wolbachia is related to the presence of bronchoconstriction and bronchospasm in the affected cat. The results support the suspicion that contact with D. immitis may be a risk factor for the presence of allergies.},
}
@article {pmid37289079,
year = {2023},
author = {Tarabai, H and Floriano, AM and Zima, J and Filová, N and Brown, JJ and Roachell, W and Smith, RL and Beatty, NL and Vogel, KJ and Nováková, E},
title = {Microbiomes of Blood-Feeding Triatomines in the Context of Their Predatory Relatives and the Environment.},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0168123},
doi = {10.1128/spectrum.01681-23},
pmid = {37289079},
issn = {2165-0497},
abstract = {The importance of gut microbiomes has become generally recognized in vector biology. This study addresses microbiome signatures in North American Triatoma species of public health significance (vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi) linked to their blood-feeding strategy and the natural habitat. To place the Triatoma-associated microbiomes within a complex evolutionary and ecological context, we sampled sympatric Triatoma populations, related predatory reduviids, unrelated ticks, and environmental material from vertebrate nests where these arthropods reside. Along with five Triatoma species, we have characterized microbiomes of five reduviids (Stenolemoides arizonensis, Ploiaria hirticornis, Zelus longipes, and two Reduvius species), a single soft tick species, Ornithodoros turicata, and environmental microbiomes from selected sites in Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Georgia. The microbiomes of predatory reduviids lack a shared core microbiota. As in triatomines, microbiome dissimilarities among species correlate with dominance of a single bacterial taxon. These include Rickettsia, Lactobacillus, "Candidatus Midichloria," and Zymobacter, which are often accompanied by known symbiotic genera, i.e., Wolbachia, "Candidatus Lariskella," Asaia, Gilliamella, and Burkholderia. We have further identified a compositional convergence of the analyzed microbiomes in regard to the host phylogenetic distance in both blood-feeding and predatory reduviids. While the microbiomes of the two reduviid species from the Emesinae family reflect their close relationship, the microbiomes of all Triatoma species repeatedly form a distinct monophyletic cluster highlighting their phylosymbiosis. Furthermore, based on environmental microbiome profiles and blood meal analysis, we propose three epidemiologically relevant and mutually interrelated bacterial sources for Triatoma microbiomes, i.e., host abiotic environment, host skin microbiome, and pathogens circulating in host blood. IMPORTANCE This study places microbiomes of blood-feeding North American Triatoma vectors (Reduviidae) into a broader evolutionary and ecological context provided by related predatory assassin bugs (Reduviidae), another unrelated vector species (soft tick Ornithodoros turicata), and the environment these arthropods coinhabit. For both vectors, microbiome analyses suggest three interrelated sources of bacteria, i.e., the microbiome of vertebrate nests as their natural habitat, the vertebrate skin microbiome, and the pathobiome circulating in vertebrate blood. Despite an apparent influx of environment-associated bacteria into the arthropod microbiomes, Triatoma microbiomes retain their specificity, forming a distinct cluster that significantly differs from both predatory relatives and ecologically comparable ticks. Similarly, within the related predatory Reduviidae, we found the host phylogenetic distance to underlie microbiome similarities.},
}
@article {pmid37286189,
year = {2023},
author = {Yang, Q and Gill, A and Robinson, KL and Umina, PA and Ross, PA and Zhan, D and Brown, C and Bell, N and MacMahon, A and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {A diversity of endosymbionts across Australian aphids and their persistence in aphid cultures.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/1462-2920.16432},
pmid = {37286189},
issn = {1462-2920},
abstract = {There is increasing interest in the use of endosymbionts in pest control, which will benefit from the identification of endosymbionts from potential donor species for transfer to pest species. Here, we screened for endosymbionts in 123 Australian aphid samples across 32 species using 16S DNA metabarcoding. We then developed a qPCR method to validate the metabarcoding data set and to monitor endosymbiont persistence in aphid cultures. Pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) were frequently coinfected with Rickettsiella and Serratia, and glasshouse potato aphids (Aulacorthum solani) were coinfected with Regiella and Spiroplasma; other secondary endosymbionts detected in samples occurred by themselves. Hamiltonella, Rickettsia and Wolbachia were restricted to a single aphid species, whereas Regiella was found in multiple species. Rickettsiella, Hamiltonella and Serratia were stably maintained in laboratory cultures, although others were lost rapidly. The overall incidence of secondary endosymbionts in Australian samples tended to be lower than recorded from aphids overseas. These results indicate that aphid endosymbionts probably exhibit different levels of infectivity and vertical transmission efficiency across hosts, which may contribute to natural infection patterns. The rapid loss of some endosymbionts in cultures raises questions about factors that maintain them under field conditions, while endosymbionts that persisted in laboratory culture provide candidates for interspecific transfers.},
}
@article {pmid37285552,
year = {2023},
author = {Hochstrasser, M},
title = {Molecular Biology of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Caused by Wolbachia Endosymbionts.},
journal = {Annual review of microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1146/annurev-micro-041020-024616},
pmid = {37285552},
issn = {1545-3251},
abstract = {Among endosymbiotic bacteria living within eukaryotic cells, Wolbachia is exceptionally widespread, particularly in arthropods. Inherited through the female germline, it has evolved ways to increase the fraction of bacterially infected offspring by inducing parthenogenesis, feminization, male killing, or, most commonly, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In CI, Wolbachia infection of males causes embryonic lethality unless they mate with similarly infected females, creating a relative reproductive advantage for infected females. A set of related Wolbachia bicistronic operons encodes the CI-inducing factors. The downstream gene encodes a deubiquitylase or nuclease and is responsible for CI induction by males, while the upstream product when expressed in females binds its sperm-introduced cognate partner and rescues viability. Both toxin-antidote and host-modification mechanisms have been proposed to explain CI. Interestingly, male killing by either Spiroplasma or Wolbachia endosymbionts involves deubiquitylases as well. Interference with the host ubiquitin system may therefore be a common theme among endosymbiont-mediated reproductive alterations. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 77 is September 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.},
}
@article {pmid37278210,
year = {2023},
author = {Xu, X and Hoffmann, AA and Umina, PA and Ward, SE and Coquilleau, MP and Malipatil, MB and Ridland, PM},
title = {Molecular identification of hymenopteran parasitoids and their endosymbionts from agromyzids.},
journal = {Bulletin of entomological research},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-16},
doi = {10.1017/S0007485323000160},
pmid = {37278210},
issn = {1475-2670},
abstract = {Three polyphagous pest Liriomyza spp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae) have recently invaded Australia and are damaging horticultural crops. Parasitic wasps are recognized as effective natural enemies of leafmining species globally and are expected to become important biocontrol agents in Australia. However, the hymenopteran parasitoid complex of agromyzids in Australia is poorly known and its use hindered due to taxonomic challenges when based on morphological characters. Here, we identified 14 parasitoid species of leafminers based on molecular and morphological data. We linked DNA barcodes (5' end cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences) to five adventive eulophid wasp species (Chrysocharis pubicornis (Zetterstedt), Diglyphus isaea (Walker), Hemiptarsenus varicornis (Girault), Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood), and Neochrysocharis okazakii Kamijo) and two braconid species (Dacnusa areolaris (Nees) and Opius cinerariae Fischer). We also provide the first DNA barcodes (5' end COI sequences) with linked morphological characters for seven wasp species, with three identified to species level (Closterocerus mirabilis Edwards &amp; La Salle, Trigonogastrella parasitica (Girault), and Zagrammosoma latilineatum Ubaidillah) and four identified to genus (Aprostocetus sp., Asecodes sp., Opius sp. 1, and Opius sp. 2). Phylogenetic analyses suggest C. pubicornis, D. isaea, H. varicornis, and O. cinerariae are likely cryptic species complexes. Neochrysocharis formosa and Aprostocetus sp. specimens were infected with Rickettsia. Five other species (Cl. mirabilis, D. isaea, H. varicornis, Opius sp. 1, and Opius sp. 2) were infected with Wolbachia, while two endosymbionts (Rickettsia and Wolbachia) co-infected N. okazakii. These findings provide background information about the parasitoid fauna expected to help control the leafminers.},
}
@article {pmid37270375,
year = {2023},
author = {Chaisiri, K and Linsuwanon, P and Makepeace, BL},
title = {The chigger microbiome: big questions in a tiny world.},
journal = {Trends in parasitology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.pt.2023.05.002},
pmid = {37270375},
issn = {1471-5007},
abstract = {'Chiggers' (trombiculid mite larvae) are best known as vectors of rickettsial pathogens, Orientia spp., which cause a zoonosis, scrub typhus. However, several other pathogens (e.g., Hantaan orthohantavirus, Dabie bandavirus, Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., and Rickettsia spp.) and bacterial symbionts (e.g., Cardinium, Rickettsiella, and Wolbachia) are being reported from chiggers with increasing frequency. Here, we explore the surprisingly diverse chigger microbiota and potential interactions within this microcosm. Key conclusions include a possible role for chiggers as vectors of viral diseases; the dominance in some chigger populations of unidentified symbionts in several bacterial families; and increasing evidence for vertical transmission of potential pathogens and symbiotic bacteria in chiggers, suggesting intimate interactions and not simply incidental acquisition of bacteria from the environment or host.},
}
@article {pmid37269018,
year = {2023},
author = {Peña-Espinoza, M and Em, D and Shahi-Barogh, B and Berer, D and Duscher, GG and van der Vloedt, L and Glawischnig, W and Rehbein, S and Harl, J and Unterköfler, MS and Fuehrer, HP},
title = {Molecular pathogen screening of louse flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) from domestic and wild ruminants in Austria.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {179},
pmid = {37269018},
issn = {1756-3305},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Hippoboscid flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), also known as louse flies or keds, are obligate blood-sucking ectoparasites of animals, and accidentally of humans. The potential role of hippoboscids as vectors of human and veterinary pathogens is being increasingly investigated, but the presence and distribution of infectious agents in louse flies is still unknown in parts of Europe. Here, we report the use of molecular genetics to detect and characterize vector-borne pathogens in hippoboscid flies infesting domestic and wild animals in Austria.<br><br>METHODS: Louse flies were collected from naturally infested cattle (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;25), sheep (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;3), and red deer (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;12) across Austria between 2015 and 2019. Individual insects were morphologically identified to species level and subjected to DNA extraction for molecular pathogen screening and barcoding. Genomic DNA from each louse fly was screened for Borrelia spp., Bartonella spp., Trypanosomatida, Anaplasmataceae, Filarioidea and Piroplasmida. Obtained sequences of Trypanosomatida and Bartonella spp. were further characterized by phylogenetic and haplotype networking analyses.<br><br>RESULTS: A total of 282 hippoboscid flies corresponding to three species were identified: Hippobosca equina (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;62) collected from cattle, Melophagus ovinus (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;100) from sheep and Lipoptena cervi (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;120) from red deer (Cervus elaphus). Molecular screening revealed pathogen DNA in 54.3% of hippoboscids, including infections with single (63.39%), two (30.71%) and up to three (5.90%) distinct pathogens in the same individual. Bartonella DNA was detected in 36.9% of the louse flies. Lipoptena cervi were infected with 10 distinct and previously unreported Bartonella sp. haplotypes, some closely associated with strains of zoonotic potential. DNA of trypanosomatids was identified in 34% of hippoboscids, including the first description of Trypanosoma sp. in H. equina. Anaplasmataceae DNA (Wolbachia spp.) was detected only in M. ovinus (16%), while < 1% of the louse flies were positive for Borrelia spp. and Filarioidea. All hippoboscids were negative for Piroplasmida.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Molecular genetic screening confirmed the presence of several pathogens in hippoboscids infesting domestic and wild ruminants in Austria, including novel pathogen haplotypes of zoonotic potential (e.g. Bartonella spp.) and the first report of Trypanosoma sp. in H. equina, suggesting a potential role of this louse fly as vector of animal trypanosomatids. Experimental transmission studies and expanded monitoring of hippoboscid flies and hippoboscid-associated pathogens are warranted to clarify the competence of these ectoparasites as vectors of infectious agents in a One-Health context.},
}
@article {pmid37266040,
year = {2023},
author = {Rodrigues, J and Lefoulon, E and Gavotte, L and Perillat-Sanguinet, M and Makepeace, B and Martin, C and D'Haese, CA},
title = {Wolbachia springs eternal: symbiosis in Collembola is associated with host ecology.},
journal = {Royal Society open science},
volume = {10},
number = {5},
pages = {230288},
doi = {10.1098/rsos.230288},
pmid = {37266040},
issn = {2054-5703},
abstract = {Wolbachia are endosymbiotic alpha-proteobacteria infecting a wide range of arthropods and nematode hosts with diverse interactions, from reproductive parasites to obligate mutualists. Their taxonomy is defined by lineages called supergroups (labelled by letters of the alphabet), while their evolutionary history is complex, with multiple horizontal transfers and secondary losses. One of the least recently derived, supergroup E, infects springtails (Collembola), widely distributed hexapods, with sexual and/or parthenogenetic populations depending on species. To better characterize the diversity of Wolbachia infecting springtails, the presence of Wolbachia was screened in 58 species. Eleven (20%) species were found to be positive, with three Wolbachia genotypes identified for the first time in supergroup A. The novel genotypes infect springtails ecologically and biologically different from those infected by supergroup E. To root the Wolbachia phylogeny, rather than distant other Rickettsiales, supergroup L infecting plant-parasitic nematodes was used here. We hypothesize that the ancestor of Wolbachia was consumed by soil-dwelling nematodes, and was transferred horizontally via plants into aphids, which then infected edaphic arthropods (e.g. springtails and oribatid mites) before expanding into most clades of terrestrial arthropods and filarial nematodes.},
}
@article {pmid37254297,
year = {2023},
author = {Matsufuji, T and Seirin-Lee, S},
title = {The optimal strategy of incompatible insect technique (IIT) using Wolbachia and the application to malaria control.},
journal = {Journal of theoretical biology},
volume = {569},
number = {},
pages = {111519},
doi = {10.1016/j.jtbi.2023.111519},
pmid = {37254297},
issn = {1095-8541},
abstract = {For decades, techniques to control vector population with low environmental impact have been widely explored in both field and theoretical studies. The incompatible insect technique (IIT) using Wolbachia, based on cytoplasmic incompatibility, is a technique that Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes are incapable of producing viable offspring after mating with wild-type female mosquitoes. While the IIT method experimentally ensured its effectiveness in several field works, the failure of female mosquito population control by replacement owing to the accidental contamination of Wolbachia-infected female mosquitoes has been a concern and an obstacle in implementing the IIT method in nature. In this study, we develop a population-based IIT mathematical model using cytoplasmic incompatibility and evaluate the effectiveness of the IIT method in scenarios where contamination is present or absent. In addition, by extending the model to assess the disease infection status of the human population with malaria, we evaluate the optimal release strategy and cost for successful disease control. Our study proves that IIT could be a promising method to control mosquito-borne diseases without perfect suppression of vector mosquito population regardless of contamination.},
}
@article {pmid37247378,
year = {2023},
author = {Oladipupo, SO and Laidoudi, Y and Beckmann, JF and Hu, XP and Appel, AG},
title = {The prevalence of Wolbachia in multiple cockroach species and its implication for urban insect management.},
journal = {Journal of economic entomology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/jee/toad098},
pmid = {37247378},
issn = {1938-291X},
abstract = {Cockroach management relies heavily on the use of conventional insecticides in urban settings, which no longer provide the anticipated level of control. Knowledge of cockroach endosymbionts, like Wolbachia, might provide novel avenues for control. Therefore, we screened 16 cockroach species belonging to 3 families (Ectobiidae, Blattidae, and Blaberidae) for the presence of Wolbachia. We mapped the evolution of Wolbachia-cockroach relationships based on maximum likelihood phylogeny and phylogenetic species clustering on a multi-loci sequence dataset (i.e., coxA, virD4, hcpA, and gatB) of Wolbachia genes. We confirmed the previous report of Wolbachia in 1 Ectobiid species; Supella longipalpa (Fab.), and detected the presence of Wolbachia in 2 Ectobiid species; Balta notulata (Stål) and Pseudomops septentrionalis Hebard, and 1 Blaberid species; Gromphadorhina portentosa (Schaum). All cockroach-associated Wolbachia herein detected were clustered with the ancestor of F clade Wolbachia of Cimex lectularius L. (bed bugs). Since Wolbachia provision C. lectularius with biotin vitamins that confer reproductive fitness, we screened the cockroach-associated Wolbachia for the presence of biotin genes. In toto, our results reveal 2 important findings: (i) Wolbachia is relatively uncommon among cockroach species infecting about 25% of species investigated, and (ii) cockroach-associated Wolbachia have biotin genes that likely provide nutritional benefits to their hosts. Thus, we discuss the potential of exploring Wolbachia as a tool for urban insect management.},
}
@article {pmid37214959,
year = {2023},
author = {Moldovan, OT and Carrell, AA and Bulzu, PA and Levei, E and Bucur, R and Sitar, C and Faur, L and Mirea, IC and Enilă, M and Cadar, O and Podar, M},
title = {The gut microbiome mediates adaptation to scarce food in Coleoptera.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2023.05.12.540564},
pmid = {37214959},
abstract = {Beetles are ubiquitous cave invertebrates worldwide that adapted to scarce subterranean resources when they colonized caves. Here, we investigated the potential role of gut microbiota in the adaptation of beetles to caves from different climatic regions of the Carpathians. The beetles' microbiota was host-specific, reflecting phylogenetic and nutritional adaptation. The microbial community structure further resolved conspecific beetles by caves suggesting microbiota-host coevolution and influences by local environmental factors. The detritivore species hosted a variety of bacteria known to decompose and ferment organic matter, suggesting turnover and host cooperative digestion of the sedimentary microbiota and allochthonous-derived nutrients. The cave Carabidae, with strong mandibulae adapted to predation and scavenging of animal and plant remains, had distinct microbiota dominated by symbiotic lineages Spiroplasma or Wolbachia . All beetles had relatively high levels of fermentative Carnobacterium and Vagococcus involved in lipid accumulation and a reduction of metabolic activity, and both features characterize adaptation to caves.},
}
@article {pmid37214831,
year = {2023},
author = {Mfopit, YM and Weber, JS and Chechet, GD and Ibrahim, MAM and Signaboubo, D and Achukwi, DM and Mamman, M and Balogun, EO and Shuaibu, MN and Kabir, J and Kelm, S},
title = {Molecular detection of Sodalis glossinidius, Spiroplasma and Wolbachia endosymbionts in wild population of tsetse flies collected in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria.},
journal = {Research square},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.21203/rs.3.rs-2902767/v1},
pmid = {37214831},
abstract = {Background Tsetse flies are cyclical vectors of African trypanosomiasis. They have established symbiotic associations with different bacteria, which influence certain aspects of their physiology. The vector competence of tsetse flies for different trypanosome species is highly variable and is suggested to be affected by various factors, amongst which are bacterial endosymbionts. Symbiotic interactions may provide an avenue for the disease control. The current study provided the prevalence of 3 tsetse symbionts in Glossina species from Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria. Results Tsetse flies were collected from five different locations and dissected. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction PCR was used to detect the presence of Sodalis glossinidius , Spiroplasma sp and Wolbachia using specific primers. A total of 848 tsetse samples were analysed: Glossina morsitans submorsitans (47.52%), Glossina palpalis palpalis (37.26%), Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (9.08%) and Glossina tachinoides (6.13%). Only 95 (11.20%) were infected with at least one of the 3 symbionts. Among the infected, 6 (6.31%) were carrying mixed infection (Wolbachia and Spiroplasma). The overall symbiont prevalence was 0.88%, 3.66% and 11.00% respectively, for Sodalis , Spiroplasma and Wolbachia . Prevalence varied between countries and tsetse species. No Spiroplasma was detected in samples from Cameroon and no Sodalis was found in samples from Nigeria. Conclusion The present study revealed for the first time, the presence of infection by Spiroplasma in tsetse in Chad and Nigeria. These findings provide useful information to the repertoire of bacterial flora of tsetse flies and incite to more investigations to understand their implication in the vector competence of tsetse flies.},
}
@article {pmid37213490,
year = {2023},
author = {Jackson, R and Patapiou, PA and Golding, G and Helanterä, H and Economou, CK and Chapuisat, M and Henry, LM},
title = {Evidence of phylosymbiosis in Formica ants.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1044286},
pmid = {37213490},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Insects share intimate relationships with microbes that play important roles in their biology. Yet our understanding of how host-bound microbial communities assemble and perpetuate over evolutionary time is limited. Ants host a wide range of microbes with diverse functions and are an emerging model for studying the evolution of insect microbiomes. Here, we ask whether phylogenetically related ant species have formed distinct and stable microbiomes.<br><br>METHODS: To answer this question, we investigated the microbial communities associated with queens of 14 Formica species from five clades, using deep coverage 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.<br><br>RESULTS: We reveal that Formica species and clades harbor highly defined microbial communities that are dominated by four bacteria genera: Wolbachia, Lactobacillus, Liliensternia, and Spiroplasma. Our analysis reveals that the composition of Formica microbiomes mirrors the phylogeny of the host, i.e., phylosymbiosis, in that related hosts harbor more similar microbial communities. In addition, we find there are significant correlations between microbe co-occurrences.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Our results demonstrate Formica ants carry microbial communities that recapitulate the phylogeny of their hosts. Our data suggests that the co-occurrence of different bacteria genera may at least in part be due to synergistic and antagonistic interactions between microbes. Additional factors potentially contributing to the phylosymbiotic signal are discussed, including host phylogenetic relatedness, host-microbe genetic compatibility, modes of transmission, and similarities in host ecologies (e.g., diets). Overall, our results support the growing body of evidence that microbial community composition closely depends on the phylogeny of their hosts, despite bacteria having diverse modes of transmission and localization within the host.},
}
@article {pmid37196858,
year = {2023},
author = {Ward, MCE and Barrios, MC and Fallon, AM},
title = {Paraquat is toxic to the soil-dwelling arthropod, Folsomia candida (Collembola: Isotomidae), and has potential effects on its Wolbachia endosymbiont.},
journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {107936},
doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2023.107936},
pmid = {37196858},
issn = {1096-0805},
abstract = {The springtail, Folsomia candida, is a soil arthropod commonly used to evaluate environmental toxins. Conflicting data on the toxicity of the herbicide paraquat prompted re-evaluation of its effects on F. candida survival and reproduction. Paraquat has an LC50 of about 80 μM when tested in the absence of charcoal; charcoal, often used in test arenas to facilitate visualization of the white Collembola, has a protective effect. Survivors of paraquat treatment fail to resume molting and oviposition, suggesting an irreversible effect on the Wolbachia symbiont that restores diploidy during parthenogenetic reproduction of this species.},
}
@article {pmid37194361,
year = {2023},
author = {Li, J and Dong, B and Zhong, Y and Li, ZX},
title = {Transinfected Wolbachia strains induce a complex of cytoplasmic incompatibility phenotypes: Roles of CI factor genes.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology reports},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/1758-2229.13169},
pmid = {37194361},
issn = {1758-2229},
abstract = {Wolbachia can modulate the reproductive development of their hosts in multiple modes, and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is the most well-studied phenotype. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is highly receptive to different Wolbachia strains: wCcep strain from the rice moth Corcyra cephalonica and wMel strain from the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster could successfully establish and induce CI in transinfected whiteflies. Nevertheless, it is unknown what will happen when these two exogenous Wolbachia strains are co-transinfected into a new host. Here, we artificially transinferred wCcep and wMel into the whitefly and established double- and singly-transinfected B. tabaci isofemale lines. Reciprocal crossing experiments showed that wCcep and wMel induced a complex of CI phenotypes in the recipient host, including unidirectional and bidirectional CI. We next sequenced the whole genome of wCcep and performed a comparative analysis of the CI factor genes between wCcep and wMel, indicating that their cif genes were phylogenetically and structurally divergent, which can explain the crossing results. The amino acid sequence identity and structural features of Cif proteins may be useful parameters for predicting their function. Structural comparisons between CifA and CifB provide valuable clues for explaining the induction or rescue of CI observed in crossing experiments between transinfected hosts.},
}
@article {pmid37176154,
year = {2023},
author = {Guo, W and Zhang, M and Lin, L and Zeng, C and Zhang, Y and He, X},
title = {Bacterial Community Survey of Wolbachia-Infected Parthenogenetic Parasitoid Trichogramma pretiosum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) Treated with Antibiotics and High Temperature.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {24},
number = {9},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ijms24098448},
pmid = {37176154},
issn = {1422-0067},
abstract = {Wolbachia has been shown to induce thelytokous parthenogenesis in Trichogramma species, which have been widely used as biological control agents around the world. Little is known about the changes of bacterial community after restoring arrhenotokous or bisexual reproduction in the T. pretiosum. Here, we investigate the emergence of males of T. pretiosum through curing experiments (antibiotics and high temperature), crossing experiments, and high-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing (rRNA-seq). The results of curing experiments showed that both antibiotics and high temperatures could cause the thelytokous T. pretiosum to produce male offspring. Wolbachia was dominant in the thelytokous T. pretiosum bacterial community with 99.01% relative abundance. With the relative abundance of Wolbachia being depleted by antibiotics, the diversity and relative content of other endosymbiotic bacteria increased, and the reproductive mode reverted from thelytoky to arrhenotoky in T. pretiosum. Although antibiotics did not eliminate Wolbachia in T. pretiosum, sulfadiazine showed an advantage in restoring entirely arrhenotokous and successive bisexual reproduction. This study was the first to demonstrate the bacterial communities in parthenogenetic Trichogramma before and after antibiotics or high-temperature treatment. Our findings supported the hypothesis that Wolbachia titer-dependence drives a reproduction switch in T. pretiosum between thelytoky and arrhenotoky.},
}
@article {pmid37156379,
year = {2023},
author = {Chang, G and Xue, H and Ji, J and Wang, L and Zhu, X and Zhang, K and Li, D and Gao, X and Niu, L and Gao, M and Luo, J and Cui, J},
title = {Risk assessment of predatory lady beetle Propylea japonica's multi-generational exposure to three non-insecticidal agrochemicals.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {163931},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163931},
pmid = {37156379},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {The effects of non-insecticidal agrochemicals on pest natural predators remain largely unexplored except bees and silkworm. The herbicide quizalofop-p-ethyl (QpE), fungicide thiophanate-methyl (TM), and plant growth regulator mepiquat chloride (MC) have been extensively applied as non-insecticidal agrochemicals. Here, we systematically evaluated multiple effects of these 3 non-insecticidal agrochemicals on three generations of Propylea japonica, an important agroforestry predatory beetle, including the effects on its development, reproduction, enterobacteria, and transcriptomic response. The results showed that QpE exhibited a hormetic effect on P. japonica, thus significantly increasing the survival rate of generation 2 (F2) females, generation 3 (F3) females, and F3 males and body weight of F3 males. However, three successive generations exposed to TM and MC had no significant effect on longevity, body weight, survival rate, pre-oviposition period, and fecundity of P. japonica. Additionally, we investigated the effects of MC, TM, and QpE exposure on gene expression and gut bacterial community of F3 P. japonica. Under MC, TM, and QpE exposure, the overwhelming genes of P. japonica (99.90 %, 99.45 %, and 99.7 %) remained unaffected, respectively. Under TM and MC exposure, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were not significantly enriched in any KEGG pathway, indicating TM and MC did not significantly affect functions of P. japonica, but under QpE exposure, the expression levels of drug metabolism-related genes were down-regulated. Although QpE treatment did not affect gut dominant bacterial community composition, it significantly increased relative abundances of detoxification metabolism-related bacteria such as Wolbachia, Pseudomonas and Burkholderia in P. japonica. However, TM and MC had no significant effect on the gut bacterial community composition and relative abundance in P. japonica. This study revealed for the first time the mechanism by which P. japonica might compensate for gene downregulation-induced detoxification metabolism decline through altering symbiotic bacteria under QpE exposure. Our findings provide reference for the rational application of non-insecticidal agrochemicals.},
}
@article {pmid37154102,
year = {2023},
author = {Sinha, A and Li, Z and Poole, CB and Ettwiller, L and Lima, NF and Ferreira, MU and Fombad, FF and Wanji, S and Carlow, CKS},
title = {Multiple lineages of nematode-Wolbachia symbiosis in supergroup F and convergent loss of bacterioferritin in filarial Wolbachia.},
journal = {Genome biology and evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/gbe/evad073},
pmid = {37154102},
issn = {1759-6653},
abstract = {The intracellular endosymbiotic proteobacteria Wolbachia have evolved across the phyla nematoda and arthropoda. In Wolbachia phylogeny, supergroup F is the only clade known so far with members from both arthropod and filarial nematode hosts and therefore can provide unique insights into their evolution and biology. In this study, 4 new supergroup F Wolbachia genomes have been assembled using a metagenomic assembly and binning approach, wMoz and wMpe from the human filarial parasites Mansonella ozzardi and Mansonella perstans, and wOcae and wMoviF from the blue mason bee Osmia caerulescens and the sheep ked Melophagus ovinus respectively. A comprehensive phylogenomic analysis revealed two distinct lineages of filarial Wolbachia in supergroup F, indicating multiple horizontal transfer events between arthropod and nematode hosts. The analysis also reveals that the evolution of Wolbachia-filaria symbioses is accompanied by a convergent pseudogenization and loss of the bacterioferritin gene, a phenomenon found to be shared by all filarial Wolbachia, even those outside supergroup F. These observations indicate that differences in heme metabolism might be a key feature distinguishing filarial and arthropod Wolbachia. The new genomes provide a valuable resource for further studies on symbiosis, evolution, and the discovery of new antibiotics to treat mansonellosis.},
}
@article {pmid37138629,
year = {2023},
author = {Tan, Y and Gong, B and Zhang, Q and Li, C and Weng, J and Zhou, X and Jin, L},
title = {Diversity of endosymbionts in camellia spiny whitefly, Aleurocanthus camelliae (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), estimated by 16S rRNA analysis and their biological implications.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1124386},
pmid = {37138629},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Camellia spiny whitefly, Aleurocanthus camelliae (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a major pest in tea, which poses a serious threat to tea production. Similar to many insects, various bacterial symbioses inside A. camelliae may participate in the reproduction, metabolism, and detoxification of the host. However, few reports included research on the microbial composition and influence on A. camelliae growth. We first applied high-throughput sequencing of the V4 region in the 16S rRNA of symbiotic bacteria to study its component and effect on the biological trait of A. camelliae by comparing it with the antibiotic treatment group. The population parameters, survival rate, and fecundity rate of A. camelliae were also analyzed using the age-stage two-sex life table. Our results demonstrated that phylum Proteobacteria (higher than 96.15%) dominated the whole life cycle of A. camelliae. It unveiled the presence of Candidatus Portiera (primary endosymbiont) (67.15-73.33%), Arsenophonus (5.58-22.89%), Wolbachia (4.53-11.58%), Rickettsia (0.75-2.59%), and Pseudomonas (0.99-1.88%) genus. Antibiotic treatment caused a significant decrease in the endosymbiont, which negatively affected the host's biological properties and life process. For example, 1.5% rifampicin treatment caused a longer preadult stage in the offspring generation (55.92 d) compared to the control (49.75d) and a lower survival rate (0.36) than the control (0.60). The decreased intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproductive rate (R 0), and prolonged mean generation time (T) were signs of all disadvantageous effects associated with symbiotic reduction. Our findings confirmed the composition and richness of symbiotic bacteria in larva and adult of A. camelliae by an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 analysis and their influence on the development of the host by demographic research. Together, the results suggested that symbiotic bacteria play an important role in manipulating the biological development of their hosts, which might help us for developing new pest control agents and technologies for better management of A. camelliae.},
}
@article {pmid37124042,
year = {2023},
author = {Rodi, M and Gross, C and Sandri, TL and Berner, L and Marcet-Houben, M and Kocak, E and Pogoda, M and Casadei, N and Köhler, C and Kreidenweiss, A and Agnandji, ST and Gabaldón, T and Ossowski, S and Held, J},
title = {Whole genome analysis of two sympatric human Mansonella: Mansonella perstans and Mansonella sp "DEUX".},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {1159814},
pmid = {37124042},
issn = {2235-2988},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Mansonella species are filarial parasites that infect humans worldwide. Although these infections are common, knowledge of the pathology and diversity of the causative species is limited. Furthermore, the lack of sequencing data for Mansonella species, shows that their research is neglected. Apart from Mansonella perstans, a potential new species called Mansonella sp "DEUX" has been identified in Gabon, which is prevalent at high frequencies. We aimed to further determine if Mansonella sp "DEUX" is a genotype of M. perstans, or if these are two sympatric species.<br><br>METHODS: We screened individuals in the area of Fougamou, Gabon for Mansonella mono-infections and generated de novo assemblies from the respective samples. For evolutionary analysis, a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed, and the differences and divergence times are presented. In addition, mitogenomes were generated and phylogenies based on 12S rDNA and cox1 were created.<br><br>RESULTS: We successfully generated whole genomes for M. perstans and Mansonella sp "DEUX". Phylogenetic analysis based on annotated protein sequences, support the hypothesis of two distinct species. The inferred evolutionary analysis suggested, that M. perstans and Mansonella sp "DEUX" separated around 778,000 years ago. Analysis based on mitochondrial marker genes support our hypothesis of two sympatric human Mansonella species.<br><br>DISCUSSION: The results presented indicate that Mansonella sp "DEUX" is a new Mansonella species. These findings reflect the neglect of this research topic. And the availability of whole genome data will allow further investigations of these species.},
}
@article {pmid37121168,
year = {2023},
author = {Biney, C and Graham, GE and Asiedu, E and Sakyi, SA and Kwarteng, A},
title = {Wolbachia Ferrochelatase as a potential drug target against filarial infections.},
journal = {Journal of molecular graphics &amp; modelling},
volume = {122},
number = {},
pages = {108490},
doi = {10.1016/j.jmgm.2023.108490},
pmid = {37121168},
issn = {1873-4243},
abstract = {Filarial infections are among the world's most disturbing diseases caused by 3 major parasitic worms; Onchocerca volvulus, Wuchereria bancrofti, and Brugia malayi, affecting more than 500 million people worldwide. Currently used drugs for mass drug administration (MDA) have been met with several challenges including the development of complications in individuals with filaria co-infections and parasitic drug resistance. The filarial endosymbiont, Wolbachia, has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target for filariasis elimination, due to the dependence of the filaria on this endosymbiont for survival. Here, we target an important enzyme in the Wolbachia heme biosynthetic pathway (ferrochelatase), using high-throughput virtual screening and molecular dynamics with MM-PBSA calculations. We identified four drug candidates; Nilotinib, Ledipasvir, 3-benzhydryloxy-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane, and 2-(4-Amino-piperidin-1-yl)-ethanol as potential small molecules inhibitors as they could compete with the enzyme's natural substrate (Protoporphyrin IX) for active pocket binding. This prevents the worm from receiving the heme molecule from Wolbachia for their growth and survival, resulting in their death. This study which involved targeting enzymes in biosynthetic pathways of the parasitic worms' endosymbiont (Wolbachia), has proven to be an alternative therapeutic option leading to the discovery of new drugs, which will help facilitate the elimination of parasitic infections.},
}
@article {pmid37117399,
year = {2023},
author = {Ghousein, A and Tutagata, J and Schrieke, H and Etienne, M and Chaumeau, V and Boyer, S and Pages, N and Roiz, D and Eren, AM and Cambray, G and Reveillaud, J},
title = {pWCP is a widely distributed and highly conserved Wolbachia plasmid in Culex pipiens and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes worldwide.},
journal = {ISME communications},
volume = {3},
number = {1},
pages = {40},
pmid = {37117399},
issn = {2730-6151},
abstract = {Mosquitoes represent the most important pathogen vectors and are responsible for the spread of a wide variety of poorly treatable diseases. Wolbachia are obligate intracellular bacteria that are widely distributed among arthropods and collectively represents one of the most promising solutions for vector control. In particular, Wolbachia has been shown to limit the transmission of pathogens, and to dramatically affect the reproductive behavior of their host through its phage WO. While much research has focused on deciphering and exploring the biocontrol applications of these WO-related phenotypes, the extent and potential impact of the Wolbachia mobilome remain poorly appreciated. Notably, several Wolbachia plasmids, carrying WO-like genes and Insertion Sequences (IS), thus possibly interrelated to other genetic units of the endosymbiont, have been recently discovered. Here we investigated the diversity and biogeography of the first described plasmid of Wolbachia in Culex pipiens (pWCP) in several islands and continental countries around the world-including Cambodia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Thailand, and Mexico-together with mosquito strains from colonies that evolved for 2 to 30 years in the laboratory. We used PCR and qPCR to determine the presence and copy number of pWCP in individual mosquitoes, and highly accurate Sanger sequencing to evaluate potential variations. Together with earlier observation, our results show that pWCP is omnipresent and strikingly conserved among Wolbachia populations within mosquitoes from distant geographies and environmental conditions. These data suggest a critical role for the plasmid in Wolbachia ecology and evolution, and the potential of a great tool for further genetic dissection and possible manipulation of this endosymbiont.},
}
@article {pmid37117271,
year = {2023},
author = {Řezáč, M and Řezáčová, V and Gloríková, N and Némethová, E and Heneberg, P},
title = {Food provisioning to Pardosa spiders decreases the levels of tissue-resident endosymbiotic bacteria.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {6943},
pmid = {37117271},
issn = {2045-2322},
abstract = {The diversity, host specificity, and physiological effects of endosymbiotic bacteria in spiders (Araneae) are poorly characterized. We used 16S rDNA sequencing to evaluate endosymbionts in the cephalothorax and legs of a wolf spider Pardosa agrestis. We tested the effects of feeding once or twice daily with fruit flies, aphids, or starved and compared them to those of syntopically occurring Pardosa palustris. The feeding increased traveled distance up to five times in some of the groups provisioned with food relative to the starved control. The Shannon diversity t-test revealed significant differences between these component communities of the two spider species. The increased frequency of feeding with fruit flies, but not aphids, increased the dominance and decreased the alpha diversity of OTUs. The obligate or facultative endosymbionts were present in all analyzed spider individuals and were represented mostly by Rickettsiella, Rhabdochlamydia, Spiroplasma, and the facultative intracellular parasite Legionella. Vertically transmitted endosymbionts were less common, represented by Wolbachia pipientis and Rickettsia sp. H820. The relative abundance of Mycoplasma spp. was negatively correlated with provisioned or killed aphids. In conclusion, the tissues of Pardosa spiders host tremendously diverse assemblages of bacteria, including obligate or facultative endosymbionts, with yet unknown phenotypic effects.},
}
@article {pmid37112932,
year = {2023},
author = {Petersen, MT and Couto-Lima, D and Garcia, GA and Pavan, MG and David, MR and Maciel-de-Freitas, R},
title = {Dengue Exposure and Wolbachia wMel Strain Affects the Fertility of Quiescent Eggs of Aedes aegypti.},
journal = {Viruses},
volume = {15},
number = {4},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/v15040952},
pmid = {37112932},
issn = {1999-4915},
abstract = {(1) Background: The deployment of the bacterium Wolbachia to reduce arbovirus transmission is ongoing in several countries worldwide. When Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti are released and established in the field, females may feed on dengue-infected hosts. The effects of simultaneous exposure on life-history traits of Ae. aegypti to Wolbachia wMel strain and dengue-1 virus DENV-1 remain unclear. (2) Methods: We monitored 4 groups (mosquitoes with either DENV-1 or Wolbachia, coinfected with DENV-1 and Wolbachia, as well as negative controls) to estimate Ae. aegypti survival, oviposition success, fecundity, collapsing and fertility of quiescent eggs for 12 weeks. (3) Results: Neither DENV-1 nor Wolbachia had a significant impact on mosquito survival nor on mosquito fecundity, although the last parameter showed a tendency to decrease with ageing. There was a significant decrease in oviposition success in individuals carrying Wolbachia. Wolbachia infection and storage time significantly increased egg collapse parameter on the egg viability assay, while DENV-1 had a slight protective effect on the first four weeks of storage. (4) Conclusions: Despite limitations, our results contribute to better understanding of the tripartite interaction of virus, bacteria and mosquito that may take place in field conditions and aid in guaranteeing the Wolbachia strategy success.},
}
@article {pmid37098937,
year = {2023},
author = {Arai, H and Takamatsu, T and Lin, SR and Mizutani, T and Omatsu, T and Katayama, Y and Nakai, M and Kunimi, Y and Inoue, MN},
title = {Diverse Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Microbe-Inducing Male Killing in the Moth Homona magnanima.},
journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0209522},
doi = {10.1128/aem.02095-22},
pmid = {37098937},
issn = {1098-5336},
abstract = {Male killing (MK) is a type of reproductive manipulation induced by microbes, where sons of infected mothers are killed during development. MK is a strategy that enhances the fitness of the microbes, and the underlying mechanisms and the process of their evolution have attracted substantial attention. Homona magnanima, a moth, harbors two embryonic MK bacteria, namely, Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria) and Spiroplasma (Mollicutes), and a larval MK virus, Osugoroshi virus (OGV; Partitiviridae). However, whether the three distantly related male killers employ similar or different mechanisms to accomplish MK remains unknown. Here, we clarified the differential effects of the three male killers on the sex-determination cascades and development of H. magnanima males. Reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated that Wolbachia and Spiroplasma, but not OGVs, disrupted the sex-determination cascade of males by inducing female-type splice variants of doublesex (dsx), a downstream regulator of the sex-determining gene cascade. We also found that MK microbes altered host transcriptomes in different manners; Wolbachia impaired the host dosage compensation system, whereas Spiroplasma and OGVs did not. Moreover, Wolbachia and Spiroplasma, but not OGVs, triggered abnormal apoptosis in male embryos. These findings suggest that distantly related microbes employ distinct machineries to kill males of the identical host species, which would be the outcome of the convergent evolution. IMPORTANCE Many microbes induce male killing (MK) in various insect species. However, it is not well understood whether microbes adopt similar or different MK mechanisms. This gap in our knowledge is partly because different insect models have been examined for each MK microbe. Here, we compared three taxonomically distinct male killers (i.e., Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, and a partiti-like virus) that infect the same host. We provided evidence that microbes can cause MK through distinct mechanisms that differ in the expression of genes involved in sex determination, dosage compensation, and apoptosis. These results imply independent evolutionary scenarios for the acquisition of their MK ability.},
}
@article {pmid37098535,
year = {2023},
author = {da Moura, AJF and Valadas, V and Da Veiga Leal, S and Montalvo Sabino, E and Sousa, CA and Pinto, J},
title = {Screening of natural Wolbachia infection in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from the Cape Verde islands.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {142},
pmid = {37098535},
issn = {1756-3305},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia pipientis is an endosymbiont bacterium that induces cytoplasmic incompatibility and inhibits arboviral replication in mosquitoes. This study aimed to assess Wolbachia prevalence and genetic diversity in different mosquito species from Cape Verde.<br><br>METHODS: Mosquitoes were collected on six islands of Cape Verde and identified to species using morphological keys and PCR-based assays. Wolbachia was detected by amplifying a fragment of the surface protein gene (wsp). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed with five housekeeping genes (coxA, gatB, ftsZ, hcpA, and fbpA) and the wsp hypervariable region (HVR) for strain identification. Identification of wPip groups (wPip-I to wPip-V) was performed using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay on the ankyrin domain gene pk1.<br><br>RESULTS: Nine mosquito species were collected, including the major vectors Aedes aegypti, Anopheles arabiensis, Culex pipiens sensu stricto, and Culex quinquefasciatus. Wolbachia was only detected in Cx. pipiens s.s. (100% prevalence), Cx. quinquefasciatus (98.3%), Cx. pipiens/quinquefasciatus hybrids (100%), and Culex tigripes (100%). Based on the results of MLST and wsp hypervariable region typing, Wolbachia from the Cx. pipiens complex was assigned to sequence type 9, wPip clade, and supergroup B. PCR/RFLP analysis revealed three wPip groups in Cape Verde, namely wPip-II, wPip-III, and wPip-IV. wPip-IV was the most prevalent, while wPip-II and wPip-III were found only on Maio and Fogo islands. Wolbachia detected in Cx. tigripes belongs to supergroup B, with no attributed MLST profile, indicating a new strain of Wolbachia in this mosquito species.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence and diversity of Wolbachia was found in species from the Cx. pipiens complex. This diversity may be related to the mosquito's colonization history on the Cape Verde islands. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to detect Wolbachia in Cx. tigripes, which may provide an additional opportunity for biocontrol initiatives.},
}
@article {pmid37094148,
year = {2023},
author = {Gu, X and Ross, PA and Gill, A and Yang, Q and Ansermin, E and Sharma, S and Soleimannejad, S and Sharma, K and Callahan, A and Brown, C and Umina, PA and Kristensen, TN and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {A rapidly spreading deleterious aphid endosymbiont that uses horizontal as well as vertical transmission.},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
volume = {120},
number = {18},
pages = {e2217278120},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2217278120},
pmid = {37094148},
issn = {1091-6490},
abstract = {Endosymbiotic bacteria that live inside the cells of insects are typically only transmitted maternally and can spread by increasing host fitness and/or modifying reproduction in sexual hosts. Transinfections of Wolbachia endosymbionts are now being used to introduce useful phenotypes into sexual host populations, but there has been limited progress on applications using other endosymbionts and in asexual populations. Here, we develop a unique pathway to application in aphids by transferring the endosymbiont Rickettsiella viridis to the major crop pest Myzus persicae. Rickettsiella infection greatly reduced aphid fecundity, decreased heat tolerance, and modified aphid body color, from light to dark green. Despite inducing host fitness costs, Rickettsiella spread rapidly through caged aphid populations via plant-mediated horizontal transmission. The phenotypic effects of Rickettsiella were sensitive to temperature, with spread only occurring at 19 °C and not 25 °C. Body color modification was also lost at high temperatures despite Rickettsiella maintaining a high density. Rickettsiella shows the potential to spread through natural M. persicae populations by horizontal transmission and subsequent vertical transmission. Establishment of Rickettsiella in natural populations could reduce crop damage by modifying population age structure, reducing population growth and providing context-dependent effects on host fitness. Our results highlight the importance of plant-mediated horizontal transmission and interactions with temperature as drivers of endosymbiont spread in asexual insect populations.},
}
@article {pmid37060070,
year = {2023},
author = {Li, Y and Sun, Y and Zou, J and Zhong, D and Liu, R and Zhu, C and Li, W and Zhou, Y and Cui, L and Zhou, G and Lu, G and Li, T},
title = {Characterizing the Wolbachia infection in field-collected Culicidae mosquitoes from Hainan Province, China.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {128},
pmid = {37060070},
issn = {1756-3305},
support = {U19 AI089672/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Mosquitoes are vectors of many pathogens, such as malaria, dengue virus, yellow fever virus, filaria and Japanese encephalitis virus. Wolbachia are capable of inducing a wide range of reproductive abnormalities in their hosts, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility. Wolbachia has been proposed as a tool to modify mosquitoes that are resistant to pathogen infection as an alternative vector control strategy. This study aimed to determine natural Wolbachia infections in different mosquito species across Hainan Province, China.<br><br>METHODS: Adult mosquitoes were collected using light traps, human landing catches and aspirators in five areas in Hainan Province from May 2020 to November 2021. Species were identified based on morphological characteristics, species-specific PCR and DNA barcoding of cox1 assays. Molecular classification of species and phylogenetic analyses of Wolbachia infections were conducted based on the sequences from PCR products of cox1, wsp, 16S rRNA and FtsZ gene segments.<br><br>RESULTS: A total of 413 female adult mosquitoes representing 15 species were identified molecularly and analyzed. Four mosquito species (Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Armigeres subalbatus and Culex gelidus) were positive for Wolbachia infection. The overall Wolbachia infection rate for all mosquitoes tested in this study was 36.1% but varied among species. Wolbachia types A, B and mixed infections of A&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;B were detected in Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. A total of five wsp haplotypes, six FtsZ haplotypes and six 16S rRNA haplotypes were detected from Wolbachia infections. Phylogenetic tree analysis of wsp sequences classified them into three groups (type A, B and C) of Wolbachia strains compared to two groups each for FtsZ and 16S rRNA sequences. A novel type C Wolbachia strain was detected in Cx. gelidus by both single locus wsp gene and the combination of three genes.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Our study revealed the prevalence and distribution of Wolbachia in mosquitoes from Hainan Province, China. Knowledge of the prevalence and diversity of Wolbachia strains in local mosquito populations will provide part of the baseline information required for current and future Wolbachia-based vector control approaches to be conducted in Hainan Province.},
}
@article {pmid37055642,
year = {2023},
author = {Lozano-Sardaneta, YN and Marina, CF and Torres-Monzón, JA and Sánchez-Cordero, V and Becker, I},
title = {Molecular detection of Wolbachia and Bartonella as part of the microbiome of phlebotomine sand flies from Chiapas, Mexico.},
journal = {Parasitology research},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {37055642},
issn = {1432-1955},
abstract = {Phlebotomine sand flies are dipterans of relevance due to their role as vectors of several pathogens worldwide. Bacteria in the gut of sand flies possibly affect their vectorial capacity and competence to transmit parasites. A retrospective study was performed in sand fly specimens that had previously been collected in four localities of the state of Chiapas during the period 2009-2011 to detect Wolbachia and Bartonella and their possible coinfection with Leishmania. For the molecular detection of bacteria, we used primers and conditions that had previously been reported. A total of 531 sand fly specimens of 10 species were analyzed. Four Wolbachia strains were detected in five sand fly species, showing a prevalence of 8.6%. All the Wolbachia strains had previously been reported in other taxa. In one sand fly species, we also detected a new lineage of Bartonella evidenced by a phylogenetic analysis. No sand fly specimens showed coinfections of these bacteria and Leishmania. The bacteria found in the phlebotomine sand flies are possibly transmitted by plant-mediated horizontal transmission and during blood meal feeding.},
}
@article {pmid37052365,
year = {2023},
author = {Xu, J and Tan, JB and Li, YD and Xu, YH and Tang, A and Zhou, HK and Shi, PQ},
title = {Diversity and dynamics of endosymbionts in a single population of sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Coleoptera: Brentidae): a preliminary study.},
journal = {Journal of insect science (Online)},
volume = {23},
number = {2},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/jisesa/iead021},
pmid = {37052365},
issn = {1536-2442},
abstract = {Endosymbionts live symbiotically with insect hosts and play important roles in the evolution, growth, development, reproduction, and environmental fitness of hosts. Weevils are one of the most abundant insect groups that can be infected by various endosymbionts, such as Sodalis, Nardonella, and Wolbachia. The sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Coleoptera: Brentidae), is a notorious pest in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivation. Currently, little is known about the presence of endosymbionts in C. formicarius. Herein, we assessed the endosymbiont load of a single geographic population of C. formicarius. The results showed that Nardonella and Rickettsia could infect C. formicarius at different rates, which also varied according to the developmental stages of C. formicarius. The relative titer of Nardonella was significantly related to C. formicarius developmental stages. The Nardonella-infecting sweet potato weevils were most closely related to the Nardonella in Sphenophorus levis (Coleoptera, Curculionidae). The Rickettsia be identified in bellii group. These results preliminarily revealed the endosymbionts in C. formicarius and helped to explore the diversity of endosymbionts in weevils and uncover the physiological roles of endosymbionts in weevils.},
}
@article {pmid37043605,
year = {2023},
author = {Dobson, KL and Blore, K and Henke, JA and Hung, KY and Morgan, T and Posey, T and Sun, S and Sypes, O and Tremblay, NP and Dobson, SL},
title = {Satellite Rearing of Aedes Mosquito Eggs: Synchronized Empirical Test of a Novel Mass Rearing Model.},
journal = {Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association},
volume = {39},
number = {1},
pages = {12-17},
doi = {10.2987/22-7104},
pmid = {37043605},
issn = {1943-6270},
abstract = {Mosquito suppression strategies based on "rear and release" of male mosquitoes are attracting renewed interest from governments, municipalities, and private businesses. These include irradiation-based sterile insect technique, Wolbachia-based technologies, and genetic modification. Each of these approaches requires the mass rearing and release of adult male mosquitoes, which typically is accomplished via a rearing facility near the release site. Although some release programs have relied on centralized rearing and shipment of adult males, adult male mosquitoes are relatively fragile, and their fitness can be diminished by temperature fluctuations, humidity, nutritional deficiencies, and other stresses that occur during shipment. Furthermore, expensive, expedited shipment is typically used to maximize the amount of adult lifetime in the field following the release. In contrast, Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus eggs can be desiccated and stored for long periods. They are small, and many millions of eggs can be shipped without specialized environmental conditions and using less expensive means. Here we examine a model in which mosquito eggs are centrally produced and then mailed to satellite rearing facilities. As a control, a replicate set of eggs was reared at the factory of origin. At each of the rearing sites, cloud-based software was used to track and compare rearing at the different locations. The results demonstrate similar rearing outcomes (i.e., egg hatch, immature development, and number of adult males) at each of the different sites for both species. We discuss the outcome in relation to downstream applications and potential future studies.},
}
@article {pmid37043515,
year = {2023},
author = {Novelo, M and Dutra, HL and Metz, HC and Jones, MJ and Sigle, LT and Frentiu, FD and Allen, SL and Chenoweth, SF and McGraw, EA},
title = {Dengue and chikungunya virus loads in the mosquito Aedes aegypti are determined by distinct genetic architectures.},
journal = {PLoS pathogens},
volume = {19},
number = {4},
pages = {e1011307},
doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1011307},
pmid = {37043515},
issn = {1553-7374},
abstract = {Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of the arboviruses dengue (DENV) and chikungunya (CHIKV). These viruses exhibit key differences in their vector interactions, the latter moving more quicky through the mosquito and triggering fewer standard antiviral pathways. As the global footprint of CHIKV continues to expand, we seek to better understand the mosquito's natural response to CHIKV-both to compare it to DENV:vector coevolutionary history and to identify potential targets in the mosquito for genetic modification. We used a modified full-sibling design to estimate the contribution of mosquito genetic variation to viral loads of both DENV and CHIKV. Heritabilities were significant, but higher for DENV (40%) than CHIKV (18%). Interestingly, there was no genetic correlation between DENV and CHIKV loads between siblings. These data suggest Ae. aegypti mosquitoes respond to the two viruses using distinct genetic mechanisms. We also examined genome-wide patterns of gene expression between High and Low CHIKV families representing the phenotypic extremes of viral load. Using RNAseq, we identified only two loci that consistently differentiated High and Low families: a long non-coding RNA that has been identified in mosquito screens post-infection and a distant member of a family of Salivary Gland Specific (SGS) genes. Interestingly, the latter gene is also associated with horizontal gene transfer between mosquitoes and the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia. This work is the first to link the SGS gene to a mosquito phenotype. Understanding the molecular details of how this gene contributes to viral control in mosquitoes may, therefore, also shed light on its role in Wolbachia.},
}
@article {pmid37035661,
year = {2023},
author = {Michalik, A and Franco, DC and Deng, J and Szklarzewicz, T and Stroiński, A and Kobiałka, M and Łukasik, P},
title = {Variable organization of symbiont-containing tissue across planthoppers hosting different heritable endosymbionts.},
journal = {Frontiers in physiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1135346},
pmid = {37035661},
issn = {1664-042X},
abstract = {Sap-feeding hemipteran insects live in associations with diverse heritable symbiotic microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) that provide essential nutrients deficient in their hosts' diets. These symbionts typically reside in highly specialized organs called bacteriomes (with bacterial symbionts) or mycetomes (with fungal symbionts). The organization of these organs varies between insect clades that are ancestrally associated with different microbes. As these symbioses evolve and additional microorganisms complement or replace the ancient associates, the organization of the symbiont-containing tissue becomes even more variable. Planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) are ancestrally associated with bacterial symbionts Sulcia and Vidania, but in many of the planthopper lineages, these symbionts are now accompanied or have been replaced by other heritable bacteria (e.g., Sodalis, Arsenophonus, Purcelliella) or fungi. We know the identity of many of these microbes, but the symbiont distribution within the host tissues and the bacteriome organization have not been systematically studied using modern microscopy techniques. Here, we combine light, fluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy with phylogenomic data to compare symbiont tissue distributions and the bacteriome organization across planthoppers representing 15 families. We identify and describe seven primary types of symbiont localization and seven types of the organization of the bacteriome. We show that Sulcia and Vidania, when present, usually occupy distinct bacteriomes distributed within the body cavity. The more recently acquired gammaproteobacterial and fungal symbionts generally occupy separate groups of cells organized into distinct bacteriomes or mycetomes, distinct from those with Sulcia and Vidania. They can also be localized in the cytoplasm of fat body cells. Alphaproteobacterial symbionts colonize a wider range of host body habitats: Asaia-like symbionts often colonize the host gut lumen, whereas Wolbachia and Rickettsia are usually scattered across insect tissues and cell types, including cells containing other symbionts, bacteriome sheath, fat body cells, gut epithelium, as well as hemolymph. However, there are exceptions, including Gammaproteobacteria that share bacteriome with Vidania, or Alphaproteobacteria that colonize Sulcia cells. We discuss how planthopper symbiont localization correlates with their acquisition and replacement patterns and the symbionts' likely functions. We also discuss the evolutionary consequences, constraints, and significance of these findings.},
}
@article {pmid37032902,
year = {2023},
author = {Wangwiwatsin, A and Kulwong, S and Phetcharaburanin, J and Namwat, N and Klanrit, P and Loilome, W and Maleewong, W and Reid, AJ},
title = {Toward novel treatment against filariasis: Insight into genome-wide co-evolutionary analysis of filarial nematodes and Wolbachia.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1052352},
pmid = {37032902},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Infectious diseases caused by filarial nematodes are major health problems for humans and animals globally. Current treatment using anti-helminthic drugs requires a long treatment period and is only effective against the microfilarial stage. Most species of filarial nematodes harbor a specific strain of Wolbachia bacteria, which are essential for the survival, development, and reproduction of the nematodes. This parasite-bacteria obligate symbiosis offers a new angle for the cure of filariasis. In this study, we utilized publicly available genome data and putative protein sequences from seven filarial nematode species and their symbiotic Wolbachia to screen for protein-protein interactions that could be a novel target against multiple filarial nematode species. Genome-wide in silico screening was performed to predict molecular interactions based on co-evolutionary signals. We identified over 8,000 pairs of gene families that show evidence of co-evolution based on high correlation score and low false discovery rate (FDR) between gene families and obtained a candidate list that may be keys in filarial nematode-Wolbachia interactions. Functional analysis was conducted on these top-scoring pairs, revealing biological processes related to various signaling processes, adult lifespan, developmental control, lipid and nucleotide metabolism, and RNA modification. Furthermore, network analysis of the top-scoring genes with multiple co-evolving pairs suggests candidate genes in both Wolbachia and the nematode that may play crucial roles at the center of multi-gene networks. A number of the top-scoring genes matched well to known drug targets, suggesting a promising drug-repurposing strategy that could be applicable against multiple filarial nematode species.},
}
@article {pmid37027941,
year = {2023},
author = {Liu, W and Nasir, M and Yan, M and Zhu, X and Iqbal, MS and Wang, L and Zhang, K and Li, D and Ji, J and Gao, X and Luo, J and Cui, J},
title = {Response of the Pardosa astrigera bacterial community to Cry1B protein.},
journal = {Ecotoxicology and environmental safety},
volume = {256},
number = {},
pages = {114855},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114855},
pmid = {37027941},
issn = {1090-2414},
abstract = {While genetically modified (GM) crops bring economic benefits to human beings, their impact on non-target organisms has become an important part of environmental safety assessments. Symbiotic bacteria play an important role in eukaryotic biological functions and can adjust host communities to adapt to new environments. Therefore, this study examined the effects of Cry1B protein on the growth and development of non-target natural enemies of Pardosa astrigera (L. Koch) from the perspective of symbiotic bacteria. Cry1B protein had no significant effect on the health indicators of P. astrigera (adults and 2nd instar spiderlings). 16S rRNA sequencing results revealed that Cry1B protein did not change the symbiotic bacteria species composition of P. astrigera, but did reduce the number of OTU and species diversity. In 2nd instar spiderlings, neither the dominant phylum (Proteobacteria) nor the dominant genus (Acinetobacter) changed, but the relative abundance of Corynebacterium-1 decreased significantly; in adult spiders, the dominant bacteria genera of females and males were different. The dominant bacterial genera were Brevibacterium in females and Corynebacterium-1 in males, but Corynebacterium-1 was the dominant bacteria in both females and males feeding on Cry1B. The relative abundance of Wolbachia also increased significantly. In addition, bacteria in other genera varied significantly by sex. KEGG results showed that Cry1B protein only altered the significant enrichment of metabolic pathways in female spiders. In conclusion, the effects of Cry1B protein on symbiotic bacteria vary by growth and development stage and sex.},
}
@article {pmid37007535,
year = {2023},
author = {Alomar, AA and Pérez-Ramos, DW and Kim, D and Kendziorski, NL and Eastmond, BH and Alto, BW and Caragata, EP},
title = {Native Wolbachia infection and larval competition stress shape fitness and West Nile virus infection in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1138476},
pmid = {37007535},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Wolbachia transinfections established in key mosquito vectors, including Aedes aegypti are typically associated with pathogen blocking-reduced susceptibility to infection with key pathogens and reduced likelihood those pathogens are transmitted to new hosts. Host-symbiont-virus interactions are less well understood in mosquitoes like Culex quinquefasciatus, which naturally harbor Wolbachia, with pathogen blocking observed in some populations but not others, potentially due to innate differences in their Wolbachia load. In nature, mosquito larvae are often subject to developmental stresses associated with larval competition, which can lead to reduced body size and differential susceptibility to arbovirus infection.<br><br>METHODS: In this study, we sought to understand whether competition stress and Wolbachia infection in Cx. quinquefasciatus combine to impact host fitness and susceptibility to infection with West Nile virus. We reared Wolbachia-infected and uninfected Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae under three competition stress levels, increasing larval density without increasing the amount of food supplied. We then monitored larval development and survival, measured wing length and quantified Wolbachia density in adults, and then challenged mosquitoes from each treatment group orally with West Nile virus.<br><br>RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: We observed that high competition stress extended development time, decreased the likelihood of eclosion, decreased body size, and increased susceptibility to West Nile virus (WNV) infection. We also observed that Wolbachia infection reduced WNV load under low competition stress, and significantly improved the rate of survival for larval reared under higher competition stress. Consequently, our data suggest that native Wolbachia infection in Cx. quinquefasciatus has differential consequences for host fitness and susceptibility to WNV infection depending on competition stress.},
}
@article {pmid37001324,
year = {2023},
author = {Romano, DMM and Pereira, TN and Almeida, IB and Coelho, CSG and Duarte, FC and Harakava, R and Cassiano, LL and Mendes, MC},
title = {First molecular evidence of Wolbachia occurrence in Amblyomma sculptum (Acari: Ixodidae).},
journal = {Veterinary parasitology},
volume = {317},
number = {},
pages = {109907},
doi = {10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.109907},
pmid = {37001324},
issn = {1873-2550},
abstract = {As the main vector for the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii in Brazil, the tick Amblyomma sculptum is a parasite of great public health importance in this country. Wolbachia is an endosymbiont bacterium highly widespread among invertebrates and because of its impact on its hosts' biology, form a powerful alternative for pests and disease control. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of this bacterium in A. sculptum. For this, 187 adult ticks collected in two municipalities in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, were analyzed using molecular techniques and bioinformatics tools. A total of 15 ticks were positive for the presence of Wolbachia. Phylogenetic analysis on the 16S rRNA gene indicated that the Wolbachia DNA sequences obtained in this investigation belonged to different clades, probably in supergroups B and F. This was the first study to report the occurrence of Wolbachia in A. sculptum and it enriches knowledge about the susceptibility of ticks to this bacterium. Now that we know that Wolbachia can be found in A. sculptum, the objective for a next study must be to investigate Wolbachia's possible origin in this tick.},
}
@article {pmid37000335,
year = {2023},
author = {Rohlfing, K and Yue, L and Franke, S and Zeng, C and Podsiadlowski, L and Dobler, S},
title = {When does the female bias arise? Insights from the sex determination cascade of a flea beetle with a strongly skewed sex ratio.},
journal = {Functional &amp; integrative genomics},
volume = {23},
number = {2},
pages = {112},
pmid = {37000335},
issn = {1438-7948},
abstract = {Reproduction-manipulating bacteria like Wolbachia can shift sex ratios in insects towards females, but skewed sex ratios may also arise from genetic conflicts. The flea beetle Altica lythri harbors three main mtDNA strains that are coupled to three different Wolbachia infections. Depending on the mtDNA types, the females produce either offspring with a balanced sex ratio or exclusively daughters. To obtain markers that can monitor when sex bias arises in the beetle's ontogeny, we elucidated the sex determination cascade of A. lythri. We established a RT-PCR method based on length variants of dsx (doublesex) transcripts to determine the sex of morphologically indistinguishable eggs and larvae. In females of one mtDNA type (HT1/HT1*) known to produce only daughters, male offspring were already missing at the egg stage while for females of another type (HT2), the dsx splice variants revealed a balanced sex ratio among eggs and larvae. Our data suggest that the sex determination cascade in A. lythri is initiated by maternally transmitted female-specific tra (transformer) mRNA as primary signal. This tra mRNA seems to be involved in a positive feedback loop that maintains the production of the female splice variant, as known for female offspring in Tribolium castaneum. The translation of the maternally transmitted female tra mRNA must be inhibited in male offspring, but the underlying primary genetic signal remains to be identified. We discuss which differences between the mtDNA types can influence sex determination and lead to the skewed sex ratio of HT1.},
}
@article {pmid36996252,
year = {2023},
author = {Hornett, EA and Hurst, GDD},
title = {One strain may hide another: Cryptic male-killing Wolbachia.},
journal = {PLoS biology},
volume = {21},
number = {3},
pages = {e3002076},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pbio.3002076},
pmid = {36996252},
issn = {1545-7885},
abstract = {While heritable symbionts are common in insects, strains that act as male-killers are considered rare. A new study in PLOS Biology identifies a novel male-killer hidden by coinfection and host resistance, highlighting the complexity of host-microbial interactions in natural systems.},
}
@article {pmid36993585,
year = {2023},
author = {Beckmann, J and Gillespie, J and Tauritz, D},
title = {Modelling Emergence of Wolbachia Toxin-Antidote Protein Functions with an Evolutionary Algorithm.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2023.03.23.533954},
pmid = {36993585},
abstract = {Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) simulate Darwinian evolution and adeptly mimic natural evolution. Most EA applications in biology encode high levels of abstraction in top-down ecological population models. In contrast, our research merges protein alignment algorithms from bioinformatics into codon based EAs that simulate molecular protein string evolution from the bottom up. We apply our EA to reconcile a problem in the field of Wolbachia induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Wolbachia is a microbial endosymbiont that lives inside insect cells. CI is conditional insect sterility that operates as a toxin antidote (TA) system. Although, CI exhibits complex phenotypes not fully explained under a single discrete model. We instantiate in-silico genes that control CI, CI factors (cifs), as strings within the EA chromosome. We monitor the evolution of their enzymatic activity, binding, and cellular localization by applying selective pressure on their primary amino acid strings. Our model helps rationalize why two distinct mechanisms of CI induction might coexist in nature. We find that nuclear localization signals (NLS) and Type IV secretion system signals (T4SS) are of low complexity and evolve fast, whereas binding interactions have intermediate complexity, and enzymatic activity is the most complex. Our model predicts that as ancestral TA systems evolve into eukaryotic CI systems, the placement of NLS or T4SS signals can stochastically vary, imparting effects that might impact CI induction mechanics. Our model highlights how preconditions, genetic diversity, and sequence length can bias evolution of cifs towards one mechanism or another.},
}
@article {pmid36992487,
year = {2023},
author = {Ferreira, QR and Lemos, FFB and Moura, MN and Nascimento, JOS and Novaes, AF and Barcelos, IS and Fernandes, LA and Amaral, LSB and Barreto, FK and Melo, FF},
title = {Role of the Microbiome in Aedes spp. Vector Competence: What Do We Know?.},
journal = {Viruses},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/v15030779},
pmid = {36992487},
issn = {1999-4915},
abstract = {Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the vectors of important arboviruses: dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. Female mosquitoes acquire arboviruses by feeding on the infected host blood, thus being able to transmit it to their offspring. The intrinsic ability of a vector to infect itself and transmit a pathogen is known as vector competence. Several factors influence the susceptibility of these females to be infected by these arboviruses, such as the activation of the innate immune system through the Toll, immunodeficiency (Imd), JAK-STAT pathways, and the interference of specific antiviral response pathways of RNAi. It is also believed that the presence of non-pathogenic microorganisms in the microbiota of these arthropods could influence this immune response, as it provides a baseline activation of the innate immune system, which may generate resistance against arboviruses. In addition, this microbiome has direct action against arboviruses, mainly due to the ability of Wolbachia spp. to block viral genome replication, added to the competition for resources within the mosquito organism. Despite major advances in the area, studies are still needed to evaluate the microbiota profiles of Aedes spp. and their vector competence, as well as further exploration of the individual roles of microbiome components in activating the innate immune system.},
}
@article {pmid36989319,
year = {2023},
author = {Wimalasiri-Yapa, BMCR and Huang, B and Ross, PA and Hoffmann, AA and Ritchie, SA and Frentiu, FD and Warrilow, D and van den Hurk, AF},
title = {Differences in gene expression in field populations of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with varying release histories in northern Australia.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {17},
number = {3},
pages = {e0011222},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0011222},
pmid = {36989319},
issn = {1935-2735},
abstract = {Aedes aegypti is the principal mosquito vector of dengue, yellow fever, Zika and chikungunya viruses. The wMel strain of the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia pipientis was introduced into the vector as a novel biocontrol strategy to stop transmission of these viruses. Mosquitoes with Wolbachia have been released in the field in Northern Queensland, Australia since 2011, at various locations and over several years, with populations remaining stably infected. Wolbachia infection is known to alter gene expression in its mosquito host, but whether (and how) this changes over the long-term in the context of field releases remains unknown. We sampled mosquitoes from Wolbachia-infected populations with three different release histories along a time gradient and performed RNA-seq to investigate gene expression changes in the insect host. We observed a significant impact on gene expression in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes versus uninfected controls. Fewer genes had significantly upregulated expression in mosquitoes from the older releases (512 and 486 from the 2011 and 2013/14 release years, respectively) versus the more recent releases (1154 from the 2017 release year). Nonetheless, a fundamental signature of Wolbachia infection on host gene expression was observed across all releases, comprising upregulation of immunity (e.g. leucine-rich repeats, CLIPs) and metabolism (e.g. lipid metabolism, iron transport) genes. There was limited downregulation of gene expression in mosquitoes from the older releases (84 and 71 genes from the 2011 and 2013/14 release years, respectively), but significantly more in the most recent release (509 from the 2017 release year). Our findings indicate that at > 8 years post-introgression into field populations, Wolbachia continues to profoundly impact expression of host genes, such as those involved in insect immune response and metabolism. If Wolbachia-mediated virus blocking is underpinned by these differential gene expression changes, our results suggest it may remain stable long-term.},
}
@article {pmid36986288,
year = {2023},
author = {Moore, C and Lashnits, E and Neupane, P and Herrin, BH and Lappin, M and André, MR and Breitschwerdt, EB},
title = {Feeding on a Bartonella henselae Infected Host Triggers Temporary Changes in the Ctenocephalides felis Microbiome.},
journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {12},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/pathogens12030366},
pmid = {36986288},
issn = {2076-0817},
abstract = {The effect of Bartonella henselae on the microbiome of its vector, Ctenocephalides felis (the cat flea) is largely unknown, as the majority of C. felis microbiome studies have utilized wild-caught pooled fleas. We surveyed the microbiome of laboratory-origin C. felis fed on B. henselae-infected cats for 24 h or 9 days to identify changes to microbiome diversity and microbe prevalence compared to unfed fleas, and fleas fed on uninfected cats. Utilizing Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) on the Illumina platform, we documented an increase in microbial diversity in C. felis fed on Bartonella-infected cats for 24 h. These changes returned to baseline (unfed fleas or fleas fed on uninfected cats) after 9 days on the host. Increased diversity in the C. felis microbiome when fed on B. henselae-infected cats may be related to the mammalian, flea, or endosymbiont response. Poor B. henselae acquisition was documented with only one of four infected flea pools having B. henselae detected by NGS. We hypothesize this is due to the use of adult fleas, flea genetic variation, or lack of co-feeding with B. henselae-infected fleas. Future studies are necessary to fully characterize the effect of endosymbionts and C. felis diversity on B. henselae acquisition.},
}
@article {pmid36985370,
year = {2023},
author = {Remmal, I and Bel Mokhtar, N and Maurady, A and Reda Britel, M and El Fakhouri, K and Asimakis, E and Tsiamis, G and Stathopoulou, P},
title = {Characterization of the Bacterial Microbiome in Natural Populations of Barley Stem Gall Midge, Mayetiola hordei, in Morocco.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {11},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/microorganisms11030797},
pmid = {36985370},
issn = {2076-2607},
abstract = {Mayetiola hordei (Kieffer), known as barley stem gall midge, is one of the most destructive barley pests in many areas around the world, inflicting significant qualitative and quantitative damage to crop production. In this study, we investigate the presence of reproductive symbionts, the effect of geographical origin on the bacterial microbiome's structure, and the diversity associated with natural populations of M. hordei located in four barley-producing areas in Morocco. Wolbachia infection was discovered in 9% of the natural populations using a precise 16S rDNA PCR assay. High-throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene indicated that the native environments of samples had a substantial environmental impact on the microbiota taxonomic assortment. Briefly, 5 phyla, 7 classes, and 42 genera were identified across all the samples. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the bacterial composition of M. hordei natural populations. The presence of Wolbachia infection may assist in the diagnosis of ideal natural populations, providing a new insight into the employment of Wolbachia in the control of barley midge populations, in the context of the sterile insect technique or other biological control methods.},
}
@article {pmid36985289,
year = {2023},
author = {Huynh, LN and Diarra, AZ and Pham, QL and Berenger, JM and Ho, VH and Nguyen, XQ and Parola, P},
title = {Identification of Vietnamese Flea Species and Their Associated Microorganisms Using Morphological, Molecular, and Protein Profiling.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {11},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/microorganisms11030716},
pmid = {36985289},
issn = {2076-2607},
abstract = {Fleas are obligatory blood-sucking ectoparasites of medical and veterinary importance. The identification of fleas and associated flea-borne microorganisms, therefore, plays an important role in controlling and managing these vectors. Recently, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been reported as an innovative and effective approach to the identification of arthropods, including fleas. This study aims to use this technology to identify ethanol-preserved fleas collected in Vietnam and to use molecular biology to search for microorganisms associated with these fleas. A total of 502 fleas were collected from wild and domestic animals in four provinces in Vietnam. Morphological identification led to the recognition of five flea species, namely Xenopsylla cheopis, Xenopsylla astia, Pulex irritans, Ctenocephalides canis, and Ctenocephalides felis. The cephalothoraxes of 300 individual, randomly selected fleas were tested using MALDI-TOF MS and molecular analysis for the identification and detection of microorganisms. A total of 257/300 (85.7%) of the obtained spectra from the cephalothoraxes of each species were of good enough quality to be used for our analyses. Our laboratory MALDI-TOF MS reference database was upgraded with spectra achieved from five randomly selected fleas for every species of Ctenocephalides canis and Ctenocephalides felis. The remaining spectra were then queried against the upgraded MALDI-TOF MS database, which showed 100% correspondence between morphology and MALDI-TOF MS identification for two flea species (Ctenocephalides canis and Ctenocephalides felis). The MS spectra of the remaining species (three P. irritans, five X. astia, and two X. cheopis) were visually generated low-intensity MS profiles with high background noise that could not be used to update our database. Bartonella and Wolbachia spp. were detected in 300 fleas from Vietnam using PCR and sequencing with primers derived from the gltA gene for Bartonella and the 16S rRNA gene for Wolbachia, including 3 Bartonella clarridgeiae (1%), 3 Bartonella rochalimae (1%), 1 Bartonella coopersplainsensis (0.3%), and 174 Wolbachia spp. endosymbionts (58%).},
}
@article {pmid36977163,
year = {2023},
author = {Florez, D and Young, AJ and Bernabé, KJ and Hyman, JM and Qu, Z},
title = {Modeling Sustained Transmission of Wolbachia among Anopheles Mosquitoes: Implications for Malaria Control in Haiti.},
journal = {Tropical medicine and infectious disease},
volume = {8},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/tropicalmed8030162},
pmid = {36977163},
issn = {2414-6366},
abstract = {Wolbachia infection in Anopheles albimanus mosquitoes can render mosquitoes less capable of spreading malaria. We developed and analyzed a mechanistic compartmental ordinary differential equation model to evaluate the effectiveness of Wolbachia-based vector control strategies among wild Anopheles mosquitoes in Haiti. The model tracks the mosquito life stages, including egg, larva, and adult (male and female). It also accounts for critical biological effects, such as the maternal transmission of Wolbachia through infected females and cytoplasmic incompatibility, which effectively sterilizes uninfected females when they mate with infected males. We derive and interpret dimensionless numbers, including the basic reproductive number and next-generation numbers. The proposed system presents a backward bifurcation, which indicates a threshold infection that needs to be exceeded to establish a stable Wolbachia infection. The sensitivity analysis ranks the relative importance of the epidemiological parameters at baseline. We simulate different intervention scenarios, including prerelease mitigation using larviciding and thermal fogging before the release, multiple releases of infected populations, and different release times of the year. Our simulations show that the most efficient approach to establishing Wolbachia is to release all the infected mosquitoes immediately after the prerelease mitigation process. Moreover, the model predicts that it is more efficient to release during the dry season than the wet season.},
}
@article {pmid36975996,
year = {2023},
author = {Jiang, RX and Shang, F and Jiang, HB and Dou, W and Cernava, T and Wang, JJ},
title = {Environmental Factors Affect the Bacterial Community in Diaphorina citri, an Important Vector of "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus".},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0529822},
doi = {10.1128/spectrum.05298-22},
pmid = {36975996},
issn = {2165-0497},
abstract = {Insects are associated with diverse microbial communities that can have substantial effects on hosts. Here, we characterized the bacterial communities in the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), a major vector of the devastating pathogen "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus," which causes citrus Huanglongbing (HLB). In total, 256 ACP individuals across 15 field sites and one laboratory population in China were sequenced. The results showed that the bacterial community diversity was the highest in the Guilin population (average Shannon index, 1.27), and the highest value for richness was found in the Chenzhou population (average Chao1 index, 298). The bacterial community structures of the field-collected populations were significantly different, and all of them harbored Wolbachia, which was assigned to strain ST-173. Structural equation models revealed that the dominant Wolbachia strain had a significantly negative correlation with the annual mean temperature. In addition, the results obtained with populations infected with "Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus" indicated that in total, 140 bacteria could be involved in interactions with this bacterium. The ACP field populations harbored a more diverse bacterial community than the laboratory population, and the relative occurrences of some symbionts differed significantly. However, the bacterial community of the ACP laboratory colony was connected in a more complex network structure (average degree, 54.83) than that of the field populations (average degree, 10.62). Our results provide evidence that environmental factors can influence the bacterial community structure and bacterial relative abundance in ACP populations. This is likely due to the adaptation of ACPs to local environments. IMPORTANCE The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is an important vector of the HLB pathogen, which is a major threat to citrus production around the world. Bacterial communities harbored by insects could be affected by different environmental factors. Understanding these factors that affect the bacterial community of the ACP could be important for the better management of HLB transmission. This work surveyed ACP field populations in mainland China in order to explore the bacterial community diversity of different populations and the potential relationships between environmental factors and predominant symbionts. We have assessed the differences in ACP bacterial communities and identified the prevalent Wolbachia strains in the field. In addition, we compared the bacterial communities of ACP field-collected and laboratory populations. Comparing populations subjected to contrasting conditions could help us to better understand how the ACP adapts to local environmental conditions. Our study provides new insights into how environmental factors influence the bacterial community of the ACP.},
}
@article {pmid36962069,
year = {2021},
author = {Soh, S and Ho, SH and Seah, A and Ong, J and Dickens, BS and Tan, KW and Koo, JR and Cook, AR and Tan, KB and Sim, S and Ng, LC and Lim, JT},
title = {Economic impact of dengue in Singapore from 2010 to 2020 and the cost-effectiveness of Wolbachia interventions.},
journal = {PLOS global public health},
volume = {1},
number = {10},
pages = {e0000024},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pgph.0000024},
pmid = {36962069},
issn = {2767-3375},
abstract = {The release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes is a promising disease intervention strategy that aims to control dengue and other arboviral infections. While early field trials and modelling studies suggest promising epidemiological and entomological outcomes, the overall cost effectiveness of the technology is not well studied in a resource rich setting nor under the suppression approach that aims to suppress the wild-type mosquito population through the release of Wolbachia-infected males. We used economical and epidemiological data from 2010 to 2020 to first ascertain the economic and health costs of dengue in Singapore, a high income nation where dengue is hyper-endemic. The hypothetical cost effectiveness of a national Wolbachia suppression program was then evaluated historically from 2010 to 2020. We estimated that the average economic impact of dengue in Singapore from 2010 to 2020 in constant 2010US$ ranged from $1.014 to $2.265 Billion. Using empirically derived disability weights, we estimated a disease burden of 7,645-21,262 DALYs from 2010-2020. Under an assumed steady-state running cost of a national Wolbachia suppression program in Singapore, we conservatively estimate that Wolbachia would cost an estimated $50,453-$100,907 per DALYs averted and would lead to an estimated $329.40 Million saved in economic costs over 2010 to 2020 under 40% intervention efficacy. Wolbachia releases in Singapore are expected to be highly cost-effective and its rollout must be prioritised to reduce the onward spread of dengue.},
}
@article {pmid36958642,
year = {2023},
author = {Detcharoen, M and Jiggins, FM and Schlick-Steiner, BC and Steiner, FM},
title = {Wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria alter the gut microbiome in the fly Drosophila nigrosparsa.},
journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {107915},
doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2023.107915},
pmid = {36958642},
issn = {1096-0805},
abstract = {Wolbachia are known to cause reproductive manipulations and in some arthropod species, Wolbachia were reported to cause changes in gut microbiome. However, the effects of Wolbachia bacteria on the microbiomes of their hosts, including Drosophila flies, have not been fully accessed. Here, we checked the bacterial microbiome in guts of Wolbachia-uninfected and of Wolbachia-infected Drosophila nigrosparsa, both separated into a bleach-only (embryos bleached) and a gnotobiotic (embryos bleached and inoculated with bacteria) treatment. We observed a clear separation between the Wolbachia-infected and the Wolbachia-uninfected samples, and the infected samples had higher variation in alpha diversity than the uninfected ones. There were reductions in the abundances of Proteobacteria (Pseudomonadota), especially Acetobacter, in the infected samples of both treatments. These findings highlight that Wolbachia change the gut microbiome in D. nigrosparsa as well as that the interactions between Wolbachia and bacteria like Acetobacter need to be investigated.},
}
@article {pmid36950155,
year = {2023},
author = {Moore, C and Breitschwerdt, EB and Kim, L and Li, Y and Ferris, K and Maggi, R and Lashnits, E},
title = {The association of host and vector characteristics with Ctenocephalides felis pathogen and endosymbiont infection.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1137059},
pmid = {36950155},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Surveillance of the fleas and flea-borne pathogens infecting cats is important for both human and animal health. Multiple zoonotic Bartonella and Rickettsia species are known to infect the most common flea infesting cats and dogs worldwide: Ctenocephalides felis, the cat flea. The ability of other flea species to transmit pathogens is relatively unexplored. We aimed to determine cat host and flea factors independently associated with flea Bartonella and Rickettsia infection. We also assessed flea and cat infection by flea-host pair and location. To accomplish these aims, we performed qPCR for the detection of Bartonella, hemotropic Mycoplasma, Rickettsia, and Wolbachia DNA using paired cat and flea samples obtained from free-roaming cats presenting for spay or neuter across four locations in the United States. A logistic regression model was employed to identify the effect of cat (sex, body weight, geographic location, and Bartonella, hemotropic Mycoplasma, and Rickettsia spp., infection) and flea (clade and Rickettsia and Wolbachia infection) factors on C. felis Bartonella clarridgeiae infection. From 189 free roaming cats, we collected 84 fleas: Ctenocephalides felis (78/84), Cediopsylla simplex (4/84), Orchopeas howardi (1/84), and Nosopsyllus fasciatus (1/84). Ctenocephalides felis were phylogenetically assigned to Clades 1, 4, and 6 by cox1 gene amplification. Rickettsia asembonensis (52/84) and B. clarridgeiae (16/84) were the most common pathogenic bacteria detected in fleas. Our model identified host cat sex and weight as independently associated with B. clarridgeiae infection in fleas. Rickettsia asembonensis (52/84), Rickettsia felis (7/84) and Bartonella henselae (7/84) were detected in specific clades: R. felis was detected only in Clades 1 and 6 while B. henselae and R. asembonensis were detected only in Clade 4. Wolbachia spp., also displayed clade specificity with strains other than Wolbachia wCfeT only infecting fleas from Clade 6. There was poor flea and host agreement for Bartonella spp., infection; however, there was agreement in the Bartonella species detected in cats and fleas by geographic location. These findings reinforce the importance of considering reservoir host attributes and vector phylogenetic diversity in epidemiological studies of flea-borne pathogens. Widespread sampling is necessary to identify the factors driving flea-borne pathogen presence and transmission.},
}
@article {pmid36949814,
year = {2023},
author = {Ou, D and Qiu, JH and Su, ZQ and Wang, L and Qiu, BL},
title = {The phylogeny and distribution of Wolbachia in two pathogen vector insects, Asian citrus psyllid and Longan psyllid.},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {1121186},
pmid = {36949814},
issn = {2235-2988},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia is the most abundant bacterial endosymbiont among insects. It can play a prominent role in the development, reproduction and immunity of its given insect host. To date, Wolbachia presence is well studied within aphids, whiteflies and planthoppers, but relatively few studies have investigated its presence in psyllids.<br><br>METHODS: Here, the infection status of Wolbachia in five species of psyllid, including Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri and longan psyllid Cornegenapsylla sinica was investigated. The phylogenetic relationships of different Wolbachia lines and their infection density and patterns in D. citri and C. sinica from different countries was also examined.<br><br>RESULTS: The infection rates of Wolbachia in D. citri and C. sinica were both 100%, and their sequencing types are ST173 and ST532 respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Wolbachia lines in D. citri and C. sinica both belong to the Con subgroup of Wolbachia supergroup B. In addition, Wolbachia displayed a scattered localization pattern in the 5th instar nymphs and in the reproductive organs of both D. citri and C. sinica but differed in other tissues; it was highest in the midgut, lowest in the salivary glands and medium in both the testes and ovaries.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Our findings assist in further understanding the coevolution of Wolbachia and its psyllid hosts. Given that Wolbachia could play an important role in insect pest control and pathogen transmission inhibition, our findings may also provide new insights for development of control strategies for D. citri and C. sinica.},
}
@article {pmid36947551,
year = {2023},
author = {Bourne, ME and Gloder, G and Weldegergis, BT and Slingerland, M and Ceribelli, A and Crauwels, S and Lievens, B and Jacquemyn, H and Dicke, M and Poelman, EH},
title = {Parasitism causes changes in caterpillar odours and associated bacterial communities with consequences for host-location by a hyperparasitoid.},
journal = {PLoS pathogens},
volume = {19},
number = {3},
pages = {e1011262},
doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1011262},
pmid = {36947551},
issn = {1553-7374},
abstract = {Microorganisms living in and on macroorganisms may produce microbial volatile compounds (mVOCs) that characterise organismal odours. The mVOCs might thereby provide a reliable cue to carnivorous enemies in locating their host or prey. Parasitism by parasitoid wasps might alter the microbiome of their caterpillar host, affecting organismal odours and interactions with insects of higher trophic levels such as hyperparasitoids. Hyperparasitoids parasitise larvae or pupae of parasitoids, which are often concealed or inconspicuous. Odours of parasitised caterpillars aid them to locate their host, but the origin of these odours and its relationship to the caterpillar microbiome are unknown. Here, we analysed the odours and microbiome of the large cabbage white caterpillar Pieris brassicae in relation to parasitism by its endoparasitoid Cotesia glomerata. We identified how bacterial presence in and on the caterpillars is correlated with caterpillar odours and tested the attractiveness of parasitised and unparasitised caterpillars to the hyperparasitoid Baryscapus galactopus. We manipulated the presence of the external microbiome and the transient internal microbiome of caterpillars to identify the microbial origin of odours. We found that parasitism by C. glomerata led to the production of five characteristic volatile products and significantly affected the internal and external microbiome of the caterpillar, which were both found to have a significant correlation with caterpillar odours. The preference of the hyperparasitoid was correlated with the presence of the external microbiome. Likely, the changes in external microbiome and body odour after parasitism were driven by the resident internal microbiome of caterpillars, where the bacterium Wolbachia sp. was only present after parasitism. Micro-injection of Wolbachia in unparasitised caterpillars increased hyperparasitoid attraction to the caterpillars compared to untreated caterpillars, while no differences were found compared to parasitised caterpillars. In conclusion, our results indicate that host-parasite interactions can affect multi-trophic interactions and hyperparasitoid olfaction through alterations of the microbiome.},
}
@article {pmid36947547,
year = {2023},
author = {Richardson, KM and Ross, PA and Cooper, BS and Conner, WR and Schmidt, T and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {A male-killing Wolbachia endosymbiont is concealed by another endosymbiont and a nuclear suppressor.},
journal = {PLoS biology},
volume = {21},
number = {3},
pages = {e3001879},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pbio.3001879},
pmid = {36947547},
issn = {1545-7885},
abstract = {Bacteria that live inside the cells of insect hosts (endosymbionts) can alter the reproduction of their hosts, including the killing of male offspring (male killing, MK). MK has only been described in a few insects, but this may reflect challenges in detecting MK rather than its rarity. Here, we identify MK Wolbachia at a low frequency (around 4%) in natural populations of Drosophila pseudotakahashii. MK Wolbachia had a stable density and maternal transmission during laboratory culture, but the MK phenotype which manifested mainly at the larval stage was lost rapidly. MK Wolbachia occurred alongside a second Wolbachia strain expressing a different reproductive manipulation, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). A genomic analysis highlighted Wolbachia regions diverged between the 2 strains involving 17 genes, and homologs of the wmk and cif genes implicated in MK and CI were identified in the Wolbachia assembly. Doubly infected males induced CI with uninfected females but not females singly infected with CI-causing Wolbachia. A rapidly spreading dominant nuclear suppressor genetic element affecting MK was identified through backcrossing and subsequent analysis with ddRAD SNPs of the D. pseudotakahashii genome. These findings highlight the complexity of nuclear and microbial components affecting MK endosymbiont detection and dynamics in populations and the challenges of making connections between endosymbionts and the host phenotypes affected by them.},
}
@article {pmid36944122,
year = {2023},
author = {Čisovská Bazsalovicsová, E and Víchová, B and Oboňa, J and Radačovská, A and Blažeková, V and Králová-Hromadová, I},
title = {Bird Louse Flies Ornithomya spp. (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) as Potential Vectors of Mammalian Babesia and Other Pathogens.},
journal = {Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1089/vbz.2022.0088},
pmid = {36944122},
issn = {1557-7759},
abstract = {Background: Birds and mammals share various ectoparasites, which are responsible for the transmission of a wide range of pathogens. The louse flies (family Hippoboscidae) are ectoparasitic dipterans feeding strictly on the blood of mammals and birds. Both sexes of the louse flies are obligatory hematophagous and are known to act as the vectors of infectious agents. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 specimens of Ornithomya sp. were collected by hand on birds caught in nets or by hand from humans in two localities in Eastern Slovakia in 2021. The DNA samples were individually screened by species-specific PCRs for the presence of selected vector-borne pathogens. Results: Taxonomic identification folowed by molecular analyses revealed two louse fly species of Ornithomya spp. (O. avicularia and O. biloba). The molecular screening provided negative PCR results for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., and Hepatozoon canis. In contrast, positive PCR results were obtained for Babesia spp., Wolbachia spp., and Trypanosoma corvi. Conclusions: Of epidemiological importance is that the louse flies can presumably spread Babesia and other pathogens by host switching which facilitates the transmission and spread of numerous pathogens.},
}
@article {pmid36934294,
year = {2023},
author = {Allman, MJ and Lin, YH and Joubert, DA and Addley-Cook, J and Mejía-Torres, MC and Simmons, CP and Flores, HA and Fraser, JE},
title = {Enhancing the scalability of Wolbachia-based vector-borne disease management: time and temperature limits for storage and transport of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti eggs for field releases.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {108},
pmid = {36934294},
issn = {1756-3305},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Introgression of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti populations is a biocontrol approach being used to reduce arbovirus transmission. This requires mass release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. While releases have been conducted using a variety of techniques, egg releases, using water-soluble capsules containing mosquito eggs and larval food, offer an attractive method due to its potential to reduce onsite resource requirements. However, optimisation of this approach is required to ensure there is no detrimental impact on mosquito fitness and to promote successful Wolbachia introgression.<br><br>METHODS: We determined the impact of storage time and temperature on wild-type (WT) and Wolbachia-infected (wMel or wAlbB strains) Ae. aegypti eggs. Eggs were stored inside capsules over 8 weeks at 18&#xa0;&#xb0;C or 22&#xa0;&#xb0;C and hatch rate, emergence rate and Wolbachia density were determined. We next examined egg quality and Wolbachia density after exposing eggs to 4-40&#xa0;&#xb0;C to determine how eggs may be impacted if exposed to extreme temperatures during shipment.<br><br>RESULTS: Encapsulating eggs for 8 weeks did not negatively impact egg viability or resulting adult emergence and Wolbachia density compared to controls. When eggs were exposed to temperatures within 4-36&#xa0;&#xb0;C for 48&#xa0;h, their viability and resulting adult Wolbachia density were maintained; however, both were significantly reduced when exposed to 40&#xa0;&#xb0;C.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We describe the time and temperature limits for maintaining viability of Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti eggs when encapsulated or exposed to extreme temperatures. These findings could improve the efficiency of mass releases by providing transport and storage constraints to ensure only high-quality material is utilised during field releases.},
}
@article {pmid36933571,
year = {2023},
author = {Oladipupo, SO and Carroll, JD and Beckmann, JF},
title = {Convergent Aedes and Drosophila CidB interactomes suggest cytoplasmic incompatibility targets are conserved.},
journal = {Insect biochemistry and molecular biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {103931},
doi = {10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.103931},
pmid = {36933571},
issn = {1879-0240},
abstract = {Wolbachia-mediated cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is a conditional embryonic lethality induced when Wolbachia-modified sperm fertilizes an uninfected egg. The Wolbachia proteins, CidA and CidB control CI. CidA is a rescue factor that reverses lethality. CidA binds to CidB. CidB contains a deubiquitinating enzyme and induces CI. Precisely how CidB induces CI and what it targets are unknown. Likewise, how CidA prevents sterilization by CidB is not clear. To identify CidB substrates in mosquitos we conducted pull-down assays using recombinant CidA and CidB mixed with Aedes aegypti lysates to identify the protein interactomes of CidB and the CidB/CidA protein complex. Our data allow us to cross compare CidB interactomes across taxa for Aedes and Drosophila. Our data replicate several convergent interactions, suggesting that CI targets conserved substrates across insects. Our data support a hypothesis that CidA rescues CI by tethering CidB away from its substrates. Specifically, we identify ten convergent candidate substrates including P32 (protamine-histone exchange factor), karyopherin alpha, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, and bicoid stabilizing factor. Future analysis on how these candidates contribute to CI will clarify mechanisms.},
}
@article {pmid36929176,
year = {2023},
author = {Eugénio, AT and Marialva, MSP and Beldade, P},
title = {Effects of Wolbachia on transposable element expression vary between Drosophila melanogaster host genotypes.},
journal = {Genome biology and evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/gbe/evad036},
pmid = {36929176},
issn = {1759-6653},
abstract = {Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive DNA sequences capable of changing position in host genomes, thereby causing mutations. TE insertions typically have deleterious effects but they can also be beneficial. Increasing evidence of the contribution of TEs to adaptive evolution further raises interest in understanding what factors impact TE activity. Based on previous studies associating the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia to changes in the abundance of piRNAs, a mechanism for TE repression, and to transposition of specific TEs, we hypothesized that Wolbachia infection would interfere with TE activity. We tested this hypothesis by studying expression of 14 TEs in a panel of 25 Drosophila melanogaster host genotypes, naturally infected with Wolbachia and annotated for TE insertions. The host genotypes differed significantly in Wolbachia titers inside individual flies, with broad-sense heritability around 20%, and in the number of TE insertions, which depended greatly on TE identity. By removing Wolbachia from the target host genotypes, we generated a panel of 25 pairs of Wolbachia-positive and Wolbachia-negative lines in which we quantified transcription levels our target TEs. We found variation in TE expression that was dependent on Wolbachia status, TE identity, and host genotype. Comparing between pairs of Wolbachia-positive and Wolbachia-negative flies, we found that Wolbachia removal affected TE expression in 21.1% of the TE-genotype combinations tested, with up to 2.3 times differences in median level of transcript. Our data shows that Wolbachia can impact TE activity in host genomes, underscoring the importance this endosymbiont can have in the generation of genetic novelty in hosts.},
}
@article {pmid36928089,
year = {2023},
author = {Terretaz, K and Horard, B and Weill, M and Loppin, B and Landmann, F},
title = {Functional analysis of Wolbachia Cid effectors unravels cooperative interactions to target host chromatin during replication.},
journal = {PLoS pathogens},
volume = {19},
number = {3},
pages = {e1011211},
doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1011211},
pmid = {36928089},
issn = {1553-7374},
abstract = {Wolbachia are common bacteria among terrestrial arthropods. These endosymbionts transmitted through the female germline manipulate their host reproduction through several mechanisms whose most prevalent form called Cytoplasmic Incompatibility -CI- is a conditional sterility syndrome eventually favoring the infected progeny. Upon fertilization, the sperm derived from an infected male is only compatible with an egg harboring a compatible Wolbachia strain, this sperm leading otherwise to embryonic death. The Wolbachia Cif factors CidA and CidB responsible for CI and its neutralization function as a Toxin-Antitoxin system in the mosquito host Culex pipiens. However, the mechanism of CidB toxicity and its neutralization by the CidA antitoxin remain unexplored. Using transfected insect cell lines to perform a structure-function analysis of these effectors, we show that both CidA and CidB are chromatin interactors and CidA anchors CidB to the chromatin in a cell-cycle dependent-manner. In absence of CidA, the CidB toxin localizes to its own chromatin microenvironment and acts by preventing S-phase completion, independently of its deubiquitylase -DUB- domain. Experiments with transgenic Drosophila show that CidB DUB domain is required together with CidA during spermatogenesis to stabilize the CidA-CidB complex. Our study defines CidB functional regions and paves the way to elucidate the mechanism of its toxicity.},
}
@article {pmid36914655,
year = {2023},
author = {Kageyama, D and Harumoto, T and Nagamine, K and Fujiwara, A and Sugimoto, TN and Jouraku, A and Tamura, M and Katoh, TK and Watada, M},
title = {A male-killing gene encoded by a symbiotic virus of Drosophila.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {1357},
pmid = {36914655},
issn = {2041-1723},
abstract = {In most eukaryotes, biparentally inherited nuclear genomes and maternally inherited cytoplasmic genomes have different evolutionary interests. Strongly female-biased sex ratios that are repeatedly observed in various arthropods often result from the male-specific lethality (male-killing) induced by maternally inherited symbiotic bacteria such as Spiroplasma and Wolbachia. However, despite some plausible case reports wherein viruses are raised as male-killers, it is not well understood how viruses, having much smaller genomes than bacteria, are capable of inducing male-killing. Here we show that a maternally inherited double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus belonging to the family Partitiviridae (designated DbMKPV1) induces male-killing in Drosophila. DbMKPV1 localizes in the cytoplasm and possesses only four genes, i.e., one gene in each of the four genomic segments (dsRNA1-dsRNA4), in contrast to ca. 1000 or more genes possessed by Spiroplasma or Wolbachia. We also show that a protein (designated PVMKp1; 330 amino acids in size), encoded by a gene on the dsRNA4 segment, is necessary and sufficient for inducing male-killing. Our results imply that male-killing genes can be easily acquired by symbiotic viruses through reassortment and that symbiotic viruses are hidden players in arthropod evolution. We anticipate that host-manipulating genes possessed by symbiotic viruses can be utilized for controlling arthropods.},
}
@article {pmid36913994,
year = {2023},
author = {Junsiri, W and Kamkong, P and Chinkangsadarn, T and Ouisuwan, S and Taweethavonsawat, P},
title = {Molecular identification and genetic diversity of equine ocular setariasis in Thailand based on the COI, 12S rDNA, and ITS1 regions.},
journal = {Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {105425},
doi = {10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105425},
pmid = {36913994},
issn = {1567-7257},
abstract = {Equine ocular setariasis is mainly caused by Setaria digitata, and the identification of this filarial nematode is based on morphology. However, morphological characterization alone is insufficient for the detection and differentiation of S. digitata from its congeners. In Thailand, the molecular detection of S. digitata is lacking and its genetic diversity is still unknown. This study aimed to phylogenetically characterize equine S. digitata from Thailand based on sequences derived from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI), the mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA (12S rDNA), the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and Wolbachia surface protein (wsp). Five samples of S. digitata were characterized, submitted to the NCBI database, and used for phylogenetic analysis as well as the assessment of similarity, entropy, and haplotype diversity. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the S. digitata Thai strain was similar to S. digitata from China and Sri Lanka, with 99 to 100% similarity. The entropy and haplotype diversity indicated that the S. digitata Thai isolate was conserved and closely related to S. digitata worldwide. This is the first report on the molecular detection of equine ocular setariasis caused by S. digitata in Thailand.},
}
@article {pmid36911919,
year = {2023},
author = {Radousky, YA and Hague, MTJ and Fowler, S and Paneru, E and Codina, A and Rugamas, C and Hartzog, G and Cooper, BS and Sullivan, W},
title = {Distinct Wolbachia localization patterns in oocytes of diverse host species reveal multiple strategies of maternal transmission.},
journal = {Genetics},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/genetics/iyad038},
pmid = {36911919},
issn = {1943-2631},
abstract = {A broad array of endosymbionts radiate through host populations via vertical transmission, yet much remains unknown concerning the cellular basis, diversity and routes underlying this transmission strategy. Here we address these issues, by examining the cellular distributions of Wolbachia strains that diverged up to 50 million years ago in the oocytes of 18 divergent Drosophila species. This analysis revealed three Wolbachia distribution patterns: 1) a tight clustering at the posterior pole plasm (the site of germline formation); 2) a concentration at the posterior pole plasm, but with a significant bacteria population distributed throughout the oocyte; 3) and a distribution throughout the oocyte, with none or very few located at the posterior pole plasm. Examination of this latter class indicates Wolbachia accesses the posterior pole plasm during the interval between late oogenesis and the blastoderm formation. We also find that one Wolbachia strain in this class concentrates in the posterior somatic follicle cells that encompass the pole plasm of the developing oocyte. In contrast, strains in which Wolbachia concentrate at the posterior pole plasm generally exhibit no or few Wolbachia in the follicle cells associated with the pole plasm. Taken together, these studies suggest that for some Drosophila species, Wolbachia invade the germline from neighboring somatic follicle cells. Phylogenomic analysis indicates that closely related Wolbachia strains tend to exhibit similar patterns of posterior localization, suggesting that specific localization strategies are a function of Wolbachia-associated factors. Previous studies revealed that endosymbionts rely on one of two distinct routes of vertical transmission: continuous maintenance in the germline (germline-to-germline) or a more circuitous route via the soma (germline-to-soma-to-germline). Here we provide compelling evidence that Wolbachia strains infecting Drosophila species maintain the diverse arrays of cellular mechanisms necessary for both of these distinct transmission routes. This characteristic may account for its ability to infect and spread globally through a vast range of host insect species.},
}
@article {pmid36909520,
year = {2023},
author = {Martin, M and Newton, ILG},
title = {The Wolbachia WalE1 effector alters Drosophila endocytosis.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2023.02.26.530160},
pmid = {36909520},
abstract = {The most common intracellular bacterial infection is Wolbachia pipientis , a microbe that manipulates host reproduction and is used in control of insect vectors. Phenotypes induced by Wolbachia have been studied for decades and range from sperm-egg incompatibility to male killing. How Wolbachia alters host biology is less well understood. Previously, we characterized the first Wolbachia effector â€" WalE1, which encodes a synuclein domain at the N terminus. Purified WalE1 sediments with and bundles actin and when heterologously expressed in flies, increases Wolbachia titer in the developing oocyte. In this work, we first identify the native expression WalE1 by Wolbachia infecting both fly cells and whole animals. WalE1 appears as aggregates, separate from Wolbachia cells. We next show that WalE1 co-immunoprecipitates with the host protein Past1 and that WalE1 manipulates host endocytosis. Yeast expressing WalE1 show deficiency in uptake of FM4-64 dye, and flies harboring mutations in Past1 or overexpressing WalE1 are sensitive to AgNO 3 , a hallmark of endocytosis defects. Finally, we also show that Past1 null flies harbor more Wolbachia overall and in late egg chambers. Our results identify interactions between a Wolbachia secreted effector and a host protein and point to yet another important host cell process impinged upon by Wolbachia .},
}
@article {pmid36907292,
year = {2023},
author = {Ruiz, A and Gutiérrez-Bugallo, G and Rodríguez-Roche, R and Pérez, L and González-Broche, R and Piedra, LA and Martínez, LC and Menéndez, Z and Vega-Rúa, A and Bisset, JA},
title = {First report of natural Wolbachia infections in mosquitoes from Cuba.},
journal = {Acta tropica},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {106891},
doi = {10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106891},
pmid = {36907292},
issn = {1873-6254},
abstract = {Mosquitoes are extensively responsible for the transmission of pathogens. Novel strategies using Wolbachia could transform that scenario, since these bacteria manipulate mosquito reproduction, and can confer a pathogen transmission-blocking phenotype in culicids. Here, we screened the Wolbachia surface protein region by PCR in eight Cuban mosquito species. We confirmed the natural infections by sequencing and assessed the phylogenetic relationships among the Wolbachia strains detected. We identified four Wolbachia hosts: Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Mansonia titillans, and Aedes mediovittatus (first report worldwide). Knowledge of Wolbachia strains and their natural hosts is essential for future operationalization of this vector control strategy in Cuba.},
}
@article {pmid36889655,
year = {2023},
author = {Zhu, X and Liu, T and He, A and Zhang, L and Li, J and Li, T and Miao, X and You, M and You, S},
title = {Diversity of Wolbachia infection and its influence on mitochondrial DNA variation in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella.},
journal = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {107751},
doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107751},
pmid = {36889655},
issn = {1095-9513},
abstract = {Plutella xylostella is a pest that severely damages cruciferous vegetables worldwide and has been shown to be infected with the maternally inherited bacteria Wolbachia, with the main infected strain was plutWB1. In this study, we performed a large-scale global sampling of P. xylostella and amplified 3 mtDNA genes of P. xylostella and 6 Wolbachia genes to analyze the infection status, diversity of Wolbachia in P. xylostella, and its effect on mtDNA variation in P. xylostella. This study provides a conservative estimate of Wolbachia infection rates in P. xylostella, which was found to be 7% (104/1440). The ST 108 (plutWB1) was shared among butterfly species and the moth species P. xylostella, revealing that Wolbachia strain plutWB1 acquisition in P. xylostella may be through horizontal transmission. The Parafit analyses indicated a significant association between Wolbachia and Wolbachia-infected P. xylostella individuals, and individuals infected with plutWB1 tended to cluster in the basal positions of the phylogenetic tree based on the mtDNA data. Additionally, Wolbachia infections were associated with increased mtDNA polymorphism in the infected P. xylostella population. These data suggest that Wolbachia endosymbionts may have a potential effect on mtDNA variation of P. xylostella.},
}
@article {pmid36889142,
year = {2023},
author = {Hussain, M and Etebari, K and Asgari, S},
title = {Analysing inhibition of dengue virus in Wolbachia-infected mosquito cells following the removal of Wolbachia.},
journal = {Virology},
volume = {581},
number = {},
pages = {48-55},
doi = {10.1016/j.virol.2023.02.017},
pmid = {36889142},
issn = {1096-0341},
abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis is known to block replication of positive sense RNA viruses. Previously, we created an Aedes aegypti Aag2 cell line (Aag2.wAlbB) transinfected with the wAlbB strain of Wolbachia and a matching tetracycline-cured Aag2.tet cell line. While dengue virus (DENV) was blocked in Aag2.wAlbB cells, we found significant inhibition of DENV in Aag2.tet cells. RNA-Seq analysis of the cells confirmed removal of Wolbachia and lack of expression of Wolbachia genes that could have been due to lateral gene transfer in Aag2.tet cells. However, we noticed a substantial increase in the abundance of phasi charoen-like virus (PCLV) in Aag2.tet cells. When RNAi was used to reduce the PCLV levels, DENV replication was significantly increased. Further, we found significant changes in the expression of antiviral and proviral genes in Aag2.tet cells. Overall, the results reveal an antagonistic interaction between DENV and PCLV and how PCLV-induced changes could contribute to DENV inhibition.},
}
@article {pmid36883556,
year = {2023},
author = {Bueno-Marí, R and Domínguez-Santos, R and Trelis, M and Garrote-Sánchez, E and Cholvi, M and Quero de Lera, F and Khoubbane, M and Marcilla, A and Gil, R},
title = {[Wolbachia pipientis infections in populations of Aedes albopictus in the city of València (Spain): implications for mosquito control].},
journal = {Revista espanola de salud publica},
volume = {97},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {36883556},
issn = {2173-9110},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: The presence of Aedes albopictus, of high sanitary and social impact, was first reported in Valencia (Eastern Spain) in 2015. Innovative tools for its control include the use of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis. The release of mosquito males infected with the wPip strain, has proven very promising for large-scale Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) applications. Before this strategy can be implemented in Valencia, it is important to know whether the natural local mosquito populations are Wolbachia-infected and, if so, identifying the infecting strains/supergroups, these being the objectives of the present work.<br><br>METHODS: Eggs were collected from the 19 districts of the Val&#xe8;ncia city between May and October 2019. A total of 50 lab-reared adult Ae. albopictus individuals were processed and analyzed for Wolbachia detection and molecular characterization. These actions took place within the framework of a collaboration established with the Department of Health and Consumer Affairs of the city council of Valencia. Fisher's exact test was used to detect the statistical significance of the differences between groups.<br><br>RESULTS: Our study revealed that 94% of the analyzed samples were naturally infected with Wolbachia. Both wAlbA and wAlbB supergroups were identified, with most samples (72% of the infected ones) carrying co-infections.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: These data provide the first characterization of the Wolbachia presence in natural populations of Ae. albopictus in the Mediterranean area of Spain. This information is relevant to evaluate the potential use of Wolbachia strains in order to achieve the suppression of the Asian tiger mosquito populations through massive release of artificially-infected males.},
}
@article {pmid36877376,
year = {2023},
author = {Zhang, Z and Chang, L and Huang, Q and Yan, R and Zheng, B},
title = {A mosquito population suppression model with a saturated Wolbachia release strategy in seasonal succession.},
journal = {Journal of mathematical biology},
volume = {86},
number = {4},
pages = {51},
pmid = {36877376},
issn = {1432-1416},
abstract = {Releasing Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes to suppress wild female mosquitoes through cytoplasmic incompatibility has shown great promise in controlling and preventing mosquito-borne diseases. To make the release logistically and economically feasible, we propose a saturated release strategy, which is only implemented during the epidemic season of mosquito-borne diseases. Under this assumption, the model becomes a seasonally switching ordinary differential equation model. The seasonal switch brings rich dynamics, including the existence of a unique periodic solution or exactly two periodic solutions, which are proved by using the qualitative property of the Poincaré map. Sufficient conditions are also obtained for determining the stability of the periodic solutions.},
}
@article {pmid36869841,
year = {2023},
author = {Cooper, WR and Walker, WB and Angelella, GM and Swisher Grimm, KD and Foutz, JJ and Harper, SJ and Nottingham, LB and Northfield, TD and Wohleb, CH and Strausbaugh, CA},
title = {Bacterial Endosymbionts Identified From Leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Vectors of Phytoplasmas.},
journal = {Environmental entomology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/ee/nvad015},
pmid = {36869841},
issn = {1938-2936},
abstract = {Insects often harbor bacterial endosymbionts that provide them with nutritional benefit or with protection against natural enemies, plant defenses, insecticides, and abiotic stresses. Certain endosymbionts may also alter acquisition and transmission of plant pathogens by insect vectors. We identified bacterial endosymbionts from four leafhopper vectors (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma' species by direct sequencing 16S rDNA and confirmed endosymbiont presence and identity by species-specific conventional PCR. We examined three vectors of Ca. Phytoplasma pruni, causal agent of cherry X-disease [Colladonus geminatus (Van Duzee), Colladonus montanus reductus (Van Duzee), Euscelidius variegatus (Kirschbaum)] - and a vector of Ca. Phytoplasma trifolii, the causal agent of potato purple top disease [Circulifer tenellus (Baker)]. Direct sequencing of 16S identified the two obligate endosymbionts of leafhoppers, 'Ca. Sulcia' and 'Ca. Nasuia', which are known to produce essential amino acids lacking in the leafhoppers' phloem sap diet. About 57% of C. geminatus also harbored endosymbiotic Rickettsia. We identified 'Ca. Yamatotoia cicadellidicola' in Euscelidius variegatus, providing just the second host record for this endosymbiont. Circulifer tenellus harbored the facultative endosymbiont Wolbachia, although the average infection rate was only 13% and all males were Wolbachia-uninfected. A significantly greater percentage of Wolbachia-infected Ci. tenellus adults than uninfected adults carried Ca. P. trifolii, suggesting that Wolbachia may increase this insect's ability to tolerate or acquire this pathogen. Results of our study provide a foundation for continued work on interactions between leafhoppers, bacterial endosymbionts, and phytoplasma.},
}
@article {pmid36861014,
year = {2023},
author = {Cheema, HA and Mujtaba, RS and Siddiqui, A and Vohra, LI and Shahid, A and Shah, J and Nashwan, AJ and Howard, N},
title = {Singapore's Dengue Outbreak Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Responses, and Lessons.},
journal = {Infection and drug resistance},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {1081-1085},
pmid = {36861014},
issn = {1178-6973},
abstract = {Dengue outbreaks have been documented in Singapore since 1901, occurring almost annually in the 1960s and disproportionately affecting the paediatric population. In January 2020, virological surveillance detected a shift from DENV-2, which was the previous dominant strain, to DENV-3. As of 20 September 2022, 27,283 cases have been reported in 2022. Singapore is currently also responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, overcoming another wave of infections with 281,977 cases recorded in the past two months as of 19 September 2022. While Singapore has adopted several policies and interventions to combat dengue, primarily through environmental control but also innovations such as the Wolbachia mosquito programme, there is a need for further efforts to deal with the dual threat of dengue and COVID-19. Drawing lessons from Singapore's experience, countries facing such dual epidemics should enact clear policy responses, including establishing a multisectoral dengue action committee and action plan prior to potential outbreaks. Key indicators should be agreed upon and tracked at all healthcare levels as part of dengue surveillance and incorporated into the national health information system. Digitizing dengue monitoring systems and implementing telemedicine solutions are innovative measures that would facilitate the response to dengue in the context of restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic that hinder the detection and response to new cases. There is a need for greater international collaboration in reducing or eradicating dengue in endemic countries. Further research is also required on how best to establish integrated early warning systems and extend our knowledge of the effects of COVID-19 on dengue transmission in affected countries.},
}
@article {pmid36857313,
year = {2023},
author = {Frantz, SI and Small, CM and Cresko, WA and Singh, ND},
title = {Ovarian Transcriptional Response to Wolbachia Infection in D. melanogaster in the Context of Between-Genotype Variation in Gene Expression.},
journal = {G3 (Bethesda, Md.)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/g3journal/jkad047},
pmid = {36857313},
issn = {2160-1836},
abstract = {Wolbachia is a maternally-transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria that infects a wide variety of arthropod and nematode hosts. The effects of Wolbachia on host biology are far-reaching and include changes in host gene expression. However, previous work on the host transcriptional response has generally been investigated in the context of a single host genotype. Thus, the relative effect of Wolbachia infection versus host genotype on gene expression is unknown. Here we explicitly test the relative roles of Wolbachia infection and host genotype on host gene expression by comparing the ovarian transcriptomes of four strains of D. melanogaster infected and uninfected with Wolbachia. Our data suggest that infection explains a small amount of transcriptional variation, particularly in comparison to variation in gene expression among strains. However, infection specifically affects genes related to cell cycle, translation, and metabolism. We also find enrichment of cell division and recombination processes among genes with infection-associated differential expression. Broadly, the transcriptomic changes identified in this study provide novel understanding of the relative magnitude of the effect of Wolbachia infection on gene expression in the context of host genetic variation, and also point to genes that are consistently differentially expressed in response to infection among multiple genotypes.},
}
@article {pmid36850014,
year = {2023},
author = {Latrofa, MS and Varotto-Boccazzi, I and Louzada-Flores, VN and Iatta, R and Mendoza-Roldan, JA and Roura, X and Zatelli, A and Epis, S and Bandi, C and Otranto, D},
title = {Interaction between Wolbachia pipientis and Leishmania infantum in heartworm infected dogs.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {77},
pmid = {36850014},
issn = {1756-3305},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia is a Gram-negative endosymbiont associated with several species of arthropods and filarioid nematodes, including Dirofilaria immitis. This endosymbiont may elicit a Th1 response, which is a component of the immunity against Leishmania infantum.<br><br>METHODS: To investigate the interactions between Wolbachia of D. immitis and L. infantum in naturally infected dogs and cytokine circulation, dogs without clinical signs (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;187) were selected. Dogs were tested for microfilariae (mfs) by Knott, for female antigens of D. immitis by SNAP, and for anti-L. infantum antibodies by IFAT and assigned to four groups. Dogs of group 1 (G1) and 2 (G2) were positive for D. immitis and positive or negative to L. infantum, respectively. Dogs of group 3 (G3) and 4 (G4) were negative to D. immitis and positive or negative to L. infantum, respectively. Wolbachia and L. infantum DNA was quantified by real-time PCR (qPCR) in dog blood samples. A subset of dogs (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;65) was examined to assess pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production using an ELISA test.<br><br>RESULTS: Of 93 dogs positive to D. immitis with circulating mfs, 85% were positive to Wolbachia, with the highest amount of DNA detected in G1 and the lowest in dogs with low mfs load in G1 and G2. Among dogs positive to L. infantum, 66% from G1 showed low antibody titer, while 48.9% from G3 had the highest antibody titer. Of 37 dogs positive to Wolbachia from G1, 26 (70.3%) had low antibody titers to L. infantum (1:160). Among cytokines, TNF&#x3b1; showed the highest mean concentration in G1 (246.5&#xa0;pg/ml), IFN&#x3b3; being the one most represented (64.3%). IL-10 (1809.5&#xa0;pg/ml) and IL-6 (123.5&#xa0;pg/ml) showed the highest mean concentration in dogs from G1. A lower percentage of dogs producing IL-4 was observed in all groups examined, with the highest mean concentration (2794&#xa0;pg/ml) recorded in G2.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Results show the association of D. immitis and Wolbachia with the lower antibody titers of L. infantum in co-infected dogs, suggesting the hypothesis that the endosymbiont may affect the development of the patent leishmaniosis. However, due to the limitations associated with the heterogeneity of naturally infected dogs in field conditions, results should be validated by investigation on experimental models.},
}
@article {pmid36844640,
year = {2023},
author = {Algamdi, AG and Shaher, FM and Mahyoub, JA},
title = {Biological comparative study between Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquito and Wolbachia-uninfected strain, Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia.},
journal = {Saudi journal of biological sciences},
volume = {30},
number = {3},
pages = {103581},
pmid = {36844640},
issn = {1319-562X},
abstract = {In this study, samples of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were collected from Al-Safa district in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. The presence of Wolbachia bacteria in mosquitoes was confirmed by PCR technique and they were reared and propagated in the laboratory. Comparative studies were conducted between Wolbachia-infected A. Aegypti and the Wolbachia-uninfected laboratory strain in terms of their ability to withstand drought, resist two types of insecticides and the activities of pesticide detoxification enzymes. The Wolbachia-infected A. aegypti strain proved less able to withstand the drought period, as the egg-hatching rate of the Wolbachia-uninfected strain was greater than that of the Wolbachia-infected strain after one, two and three months of dry periods. Compared to the Wolbachia-uninfected strain, the Wolbachia-infected strain demonstrated a relatively greater resistance to tested pesticides, namely Baton 100EC and Fendure 25EC which may be attributed to the higher levels of the detoxification enzymes glutathione-S-transferase and catalase and the lower levels of esterase and acetylcholine esterase.},
}
@article {pmid36844098,
year = {2023},
author = {Li, T and Yang, G and Li, Q and Jiang, Y and Kang, D and Fan, Z and Gong, Z and Lu, R and Zhou, G and Wu, Y and Lu, C},
title = {Population dynamics of migrant wheat aphids in China's main wheat production region and their interactions with bacterial symbionts.},
journal = {Frontiers in plant science},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1103236},
pmid = {36844098},
issn = {1664-462X},
abstract = {Sitobion miscanthi, Rhopalosiphum padi, and Schizaphis graminum are the three main pests in Chinese wheat-producing regions. In 2020, they are classified into the Chinese Class I list of agricultural diseases and pests, due to their severe harm to wheat plantings. S. miscanthi, R. padi, and S. graminum are migrant pests, and understanding their migration patterns and simulating their migration trajectories would improve forecasting and controlling them. Furthermore, the bacterial community of the migrant wheat aphid is also less known. In this study, we employed a suction trap to uncover the migration patterns of the three wheat aphid species in Yuanyang county, Henan province, during 2018 to 2020. And then the migration trajectories of S. miscanthi and R. padi were simulated using the NOAA HYSPLIT model. The interactions between wheat aphids and bacteria were further revealed by specific PCR and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results showed that the population dynamics of migrant wheat aphids was varied. Most of the trapped samples were identified to be R. padi, and S. graminum was the least collected sample. Typically, R. padi had two migration peaks in the 3 years, whereas S. miscanthi and S. graminum only exhibited one migration peak in 2018 and 2019. Moreover, the aphid migration trajectories varied over the years. Generally, the aphids originated from the south and migrated to the north. Herein, the infections of three main aphid facultative bacterial symbionts, Serratia symbiotica, Hamiltonella defensa, and Regiella insercticola, were detected in S. miscanthi and R. padi with specific PCR. Rickettsiella, Arsenophonus, Rickettsia, and Wolbachia were further identified with 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Biomarker searching indicated that Arsenophonus was significantly enriched in R. padi. Furthermore, diversity analyses showed that the bacterial community of R. padi had a higher richness and evenness than that of S. miscanthi. In conclusion, this study expands our knowledge about the migration patterns of aphids in the main wheat plant region of China and reveals the interactions between bacterial symbionts and migrant aphids.},
}
@article {pmid36835753,
year = {2023},
author = {Rodpai, R and Boonroumkaew, P and Sadaow, L and Sanpool, O and Janwan, P and Thanchomnang, T and Intapan, PM and Maleewong, W},
title = {Microbiome Composition and Microbial Community Structure in Mosquito Vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Northeastern Thailand, a Dengue-Endemic Area.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {14},
number = {2},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/insects14020184},
pmid = {36835753},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Bacterial content in mosquito larvae and adults is altered by dynamic interactions during life and varies substantially in variety and composition depending on mosquito biology and ecology. This study aimed to identify the microbiota in Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus and in water from their breeding sites in northeastern Thailand, a dengue-endemic area. Bacterial diversity in field-collected aquatic larvae and subsequently emerged adults of both species from several locations were examined. The microbiota was characterized based on analysis of DNA sequences from the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and exhibited changes during development, from the mosquito larval stage to the adult stage. Aedes aegypti contained a significantly higher number of bacterial genera than did Ae. albopictus, except for the genus Wolbachia, which was present at significantly higher frequencies in male Ae. albopictus (p < 0.05). Our findings also indicate likely transstadial transmission from larva to adult and give better understanding of the microbial diversity in these mosquitoes, informing future control programs against mosquito-borne diseases.},
}
@article {pmid36825089,
year = {2023},
author = {Jiang, RX and Shang, F and Jiang, HB and Dou, W and Cernava, T and Wang, JJ},
title = {Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus: An important factor affecting bacterial community composition and Wolbachia titers in Asian citrus psyllid.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1109803},
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2023.1109803},
pmid = {36825089},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Endosymbionts play crucial roles in various physiological activities within insect hosts. The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, is an important vector for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), a fatal pathogenic bacterial agent causing the disease Huanglongbing in the citrus industry. This study combines high-throughput sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA amplicons to explore how CLas affects the bacterial community in different color morphs (blue, gray), genders, and tissues (cuticle, gut, mycetome, Malpighian tubule, ovary, and testis) of ACP. We found that there was no significant differences in the bacterial community diversity and CLas acquired ratio between the different color morphs and genders of ACP adults. However, acquiring CLas could promote the adult bacterial community's diversity and richness more than in the uninfected condition. The presence of CLas could increase the Wolbachia and unclassified_Enterobacteriaceae proportions more than in the uninfected condition. The bacterial community diversity in the CLas infected tissues of ovary and cuticle, was lower than the uninfected condition, but the richness of all tissues was not different between the infected and uninfected conditions. CLas could also change the bacterial structure in different tissues and make the bacterial relationship network simpler than it is in an uninfected condition. Furthermore, we used quantitative real-time PCR to assess the dynamic changes of Wolbachia in CLas uninfected and infected color morphs and tissues of ACP. The results showed that Wolbachia titers were significantly higher in CLas infected adults than in uninfected adults. In different tissues, the Wolbachia titers in the testis, ovary, and Malpighian tubule were higher than their uninfected counterparts. Our results provide essential knowledge for understanding the symbionts of the ACP and how CLas affects the bacterial community of the ACP.},
}
@article {pmid36819029,
year = {2023},
author = {Liu, B and Ren, YS and Su, CY and Abe, Y and Zhu, DH},
title = {Pangenomic analysis of Wolbachia provides insight into the evolution of host adaptation and cytoplasmic incompatibility factor genes.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {14},
number = {},
pages = {1084839},
pmid = {36819029},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: The genus Wolbachia provides a typical example of intracellular bacteria that infect the germline of arthropods and filarial nematodes worldwide. Their importance as biological regulators of invertebrates, so it is particularly important to study the evolution, divergence and host adaptation of these bacteria at the genome-wide level.<br><br>METHODS: Here, we used publicly available Wolbachia genomes to reconstruct their evolutionary history and explore their adaptation under host selection.<br><br>RESULTS: Our findings indicate that segmental and single-gene duplications, such as DNA methylase, bZIP transcription factor, heat shock protein 90, in single monophyletic Wolbachia lineages (including supergroups A and B) may be responsible for improving the ability to adapt to a broad host range in arthropod-infecting strains. In contrast to A strains, high genetic diversity and rapidly evolving gene families occur in B strains, which may promote the ability of supergroup B strains to adapt to new hosts and their large-scale spreading. In addition, we hypothesize that there might have been two independent horizontal transfer events of cif genes in two sublineages of supergroup A strains. Interestingly, during the independent evolution of supergroup A and B strains, the rapid evolution of cif genes in supergroup B strains resulted in the loss of their functional domain, reflected in a possible decrease in the proportion of induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) strains.<br><br>DISCUSSION: This present study highlights for reconstructing of evolutionary history, addressing host adaptation-related evolution and exploring the origin and divergence of CI genes in each Wolbachia supergroup. Our results thus not only provide a basis for further exploring the evolutionary history of Wolbachia adaptation under host selection but also reveal a new research direction for studying the molecular regulation of Wolbachia- induced cytoplasmic incompatibility.},
}
@article {pmid36817770,
year = {2023},
author = {Fischer, K and Dubben, B and Debrah, LB and Kuehlwein, JM and Ricchiuto, A and Debrah, AY and Hoerauf, A and Weil, GJ and Fischer, PU and Klarmann-Schulz, U},
title = {Histopathological evaluation of Onchocerca volvulus nodules by microscopy and by digital image analysis for the study of macrofilaricidal drug efficacy.},
journal = {Frontiers in medicine},
volume = {10},
number = {},
pages = {1099926},
pmid = {36817770},
issn = {2296-858X},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Novel drugs or drug combinations that kill or permanently sterilize adult Onchocerca volvulus worms would be very helpful for treatment and elimination of onchocerciasis. In absence of a reliable biomarker for viable adult worms, histopathological assessment of worms within onchocercal nodules is a standard method to determine macrofilaricidal activity. The goal of the present study was to determine the agreement between two independent experts in the analysis of nodule sections and to assess the value of digital imaging as a means of standardizing the analysis.<br><br>MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two expert microscopists independently assessed 605 nodules by direct microscopy. At least two sections with two different stains hematoxylin &amp; eosin (H&amp;E, APR immunostain) of paraffin-embedded, ethanol-fixed whole-nodule cross-sections were analyzed. After variables were identified prone to observer discrepancies, we performed a second study to compare consolidated results for 100 nodules obtained by the two readers by microscopy and by analysis of scanned, high resolution digital images (20x magnification). The last data set analyzed was a quality panel of 100 nodules that has been previously examined by microscopy, and included additional immunostains for Wolbachia endobacteria. These slides were digitalized, read by the two assessors and results were compared with original microscopy results.<br><br>RESULTS: The degree of agreement between assessors varied for different parameters. Agreement for female worm counts in nodules was approximately 80%, while agreement regarding female worm viability was 98%. There were no major differences observed between results obtained by microscopy or digital images. Good agreement for important parameters was also observed for the nodules of the quality panel.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Nodule analysis by experienced microscopists was reproducible with regard to important parameters such as identification of living female worms or detection of normal embryogenesis. Assessments varied more for other parameters, and we recommend continued use of two independent readers for detailed analyzes. Analysis of scanned images provided similar results to direct microscopy. This facilitates training and comparison of nodule findings by readers in different locations. Analysis of high quality digital images that can be viewed remotely should improve the quality and availability of nodule assessments that are primary endpoints for onchocerciasis clinical trials.},
}
@article {pmid36800397,
year = {2023},
author = {Mills, MK and McCabe, LG and Rodrigue, EM and Lechtreck, KF and Starai, VJ},
title = {Wbm0076, a candidate effector protein of the Wolbachia endosymbiont of Brugia malayi, disrupts eukaryotic actin dynamics.},
journal = {PLoS pathogens},
volume = {19},
number = {2},
pages = {e1010777},
doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1010777},
pmid = {36800397},
issn = {1553-7374},
abstract = {Brugia malayi, a parasitic roundworm of humans, is colonized by the obligate intracellular bacterium, Wolbachia pipientis. The symbiosis between this nematode and bacterium is essential for nematode reproduction and long-term survival in a human host. Therefore, identifying molecular mechanisms required by Wolbachia to persist in and colonize B. malayi tissues will provide new essential information regarding the basic biology of this endosymbiosis. Wolbachia utilize a Type IV secretion system to translocate so-called "effector" proteins into the cytosol of B. malayi cells to promote colonization of the eukaryotic host. However, the characterization of these Wolbachia secreted proteins has remained elusive due to the genetic intractability of both organisms. Strikingly, expression of the candidate Wolbachia Type IV-secreted effector protein, Wbm0076, in the surrogate eukaryotic cell model, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, resulted in the disruption of the yeast actin cytoskeleton and inhibition of endocytosis. Genetic analyses show that Wbm0076 is a member of the family of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome proteins (WAS [p]), a well-conserved eukaryotic protein family required for the organization of actin skeletal structures. Thus, Wbm0076 likely plays a central role in the active cell-to-cell movement of Wolbachia throughout B. malayi tissues during nematode development. As most Wolbachia isolates sequenced to date encode at least partial orthologs of wBm0076, we find it likely that the ability of Wolbachia to directly manipulate host actin dynamics is an essential requirement of all Wolbachia endosymbioses, independent of host cell species.},
}
@article {pmid36786616,
year = {2023},
author = {Li, C and Liu, S and Zhou, H and Zhu, W and Cui, M and Li, J and Wang, J and Liu, J and Zhu, J and Li, W and Bi, Y and Carr, MJ and Holmes, EC and Shi, W},
title = {Metatranscriptomic Sequencing Reveals Host Species as an Important Factor Shaping the Mosquito Virome.},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0465522},
doi = {10.1128/spectrum.04655-22},
pmid = {36786616},
issn = {2165-0497},
abstract = {Mosquitoes are important vector hosts for numerous viral pathogens and harbor a large number of mosquito-specific viruses as well as human-infecting viruses. Previous studies have mainly focused on the discovery of mosquito viruses, and our understanding of major ecological factors associated with virome structure in mosquitoes remains limited. We utilized metatranscriptomic sequencing to characterize the viromes of five mosquito species sampled across eight locations in Yunnan Province, China. This revealed the presence of 52 viral species, of which 19 were novel, belonging to 15 viral families/clades. Of particular note was Culex hepacivirus 1, clustering within the avian clade of hepaciviruses. Notably, both the viromic diversity and abundance of Aedes genus mosquitoes were significantly higher than those of the Culex genus, while Aedes albopictus mosquitoes harbored a higher diversity than Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Our findings thus point to discernible differences in viromic structure between mosquito genera and even between mosquito species within the same genus. Importantly, such differences were not attributable to differences in sampling between geographical location. Our study also revealed the ubiquitous presence of the endosymbiont bacterium Wolbachia, with the genetic diversity and abundance also varying between mosquito species. In conclusion, our results suggested that the mosquito host species play an important role in shaping the virome's structure. IMPORTANCE This study revealed the huge capability of mosquitoes in harboring a rich diversity of RNA viruses, although relevant studies have characterized the intensively unparalleled diversity of RNA viruses previously. Furthermore, our findings showed discernible differences not only in viromic structure between mosquito genera and even between mosquito species within the same genus but also in the genetic diversity and abundance of Wolbachia between different mosquito populations. These findings emphasize the importance of host genetic background in shaping the virome composition of mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid36785954,
year = {2023},
author = {Sanaei, E and Albery, GF and Yeoh, YK and Lin, YP and Cook, LG and Engelstädter, J},
title = {Host phylogeny and ecological associations best explain Wolbachia host shifts in scale insects.},
journal = {Molecular ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/mec.16883},
pmid = {36785954},
issn = {1365-294X},
abstract = {Wolbachia are among the most prevalent and widespread endosymbiotic bacteria on earth. Wolbachia's success in infecting an enormous number of arthropod species is attributed to two features: the range of phenotypes they induce in their hosts, and their ability to switch between host species. Whilst much progress has been made in elucidating their induced phenotypes, our understanding of Wolbachia host shifting is still very limited: we lack answers to even fundamental questions concerning Wolbachia's routes of transfer and the importance of factors influencing host shifts. Here, we investigate the diversity and host-shift patterns of Wolbachia in scale insects, a group of arthropods with intimate associations with other insects that make them well-suited to studying host shifts. Using Illumina multi-target amplicon sequencing of Wolbachia-infected scale insects and their direct associates we determined the identity of all Wolbachia strains. We then fitted a Generalised Additive Mixed Model (GAMM) to our data to estimate the influence of host phylogeny and the geographic distribution on Wolbachia strain sharing among scale insect species. The model predicts no significant contribution of host geography but strong effects of host phylogeny, with high rates of Wolbachia sharing among closely related species and a sudden drop-off in sharing with increasing phylogenetic distance. We also detected the same Wolbachia strain in scale insects and several intimately associated species (ants, wasps, and flies). This indicates putative host shifts and potential routes of transfers via these associates and highlights the importance of ecological connectivity in Wolbachia host-shifting.},
}
@article {pmid36781724,
year = {2023},
author = {Takasuka, K and Arakawa, K},
title = {The Method of Eliminating the Wolbachia Endosymbiont Genomes from Insect Samples Prior to a Long-Read Sequencing.},
journal = {Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)},
volume = {2632},
number = {},
pages = {101-112},
pmid = {36781724},
issn = {1940-6029},
abstract = {When extracting DNA of invertebrates for long-read sequencing, not only enough quantity and size of the DNA but, depending on the species, elimination of contamination of endosymbiotic Wolbachia genome also has to be achieved. These requirements become troublesome, especially in small-sized species with a limited number of individuals available for the experiment. In this chapter, using tiny parasitoid wasps (Reclinervellus nielseni) parasitizing spiders as hosts, we developed a method of eliminating the Wolbachia genomes by means of an antibiotic administration to adult wasps via honey solution. Twenty days of rifampicin treatment since their emergence from cocoons resulted in a significant decrease in the Wolbachia genomes while keeping good DNA conditions for nanopore sequencing. An adequate quantity of DNA was then gained by pooling several individuals. The method could be applied to other insects or invertebrates that can be maintained by laboratory feeding with liquid food.},
}
@article {pmid36778977,
year = {2022},
author = {Sinha, DK and Gupta, A and Padmakumari, AP and Bentur, JS and Nair, S},
title = {Infestation of Rice by Gall Midge Influences Density and Diversity of Pseudomonas and Wolbachia in the Host Plant Microbiome.},
journal = {Current genomics},
volume = {23},
number = {2},
pages = {126-136},
pmid = {36778977},
issn = {1389-2029},
abstract = {Background: The virulence of phytophagous insects is predominantly determined by their ability to evade or suppress host defense for their survival. The rice gall midge (GM, Orseolia oryzae), a monophagous pest of rice, elicits a host defense similar to the one elicited upon pathogen attack. This could be due to the GM feeding behaviour, wherein the GM endosymbionts are transferred to the host plant via oral secretions, and as a result, the host mounts an appropriate defense response(s) (i.e., up-regulation of the salicylic acid pathway) against these endosymbionts. Methods: The current study aimed to analyze the microbiome present at the feeding site of GM maggots to determine the exchange of bacterial species between GM and its host and to elucidate their role in rice-GM interaction using a next-generation sequencing approach. Results: Our results revealed differential representation of the phylum Proteobacteria in the GM-infested and -uninfested rice tissues. Furthermore, analysis of the species diversity of Pseudomonas and Wolbachia supergroups at the feeding sites indicated the exchange of bacterial species between GM and its host upon infestation. Conclusion: As rice-GM microbial associations remain relatively unstudied, these findings not only add to our current understanding of microbe-assisted insect-plant interactions but also provide valuable insights into how these bacteria drive insect-plant coevolution. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report analyzing the microbiome of a host plant (rice) at the feeding site of its insect pest (GM).},
}
@article {pmid36761111,
year = {2022},
author = {Pang, Y and Su, CY and Zhu, JQ and Yang, XH and Zhong, JL and Zhu, DH and Liu, Z},
title = {A new species of Andricus Hartig, 1840 (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae) from China, with references to DNA taxonomy and Wolbachia infection.},
journal = {ZooKeys},
volume = {1134},
number = {},
pages = {52-73},
pmid = {36761111},
issn = {1313-2989},
abstract = {In the present paper, a new species of cynipid gall wasp, Andricuselodeoides Liu &amp; Pang, is described from several provinces in southern China. The new species is closely related to the recently redescribed A.mairei (Kieffer, 1906). In addition to differences in adult and gall morphology, the new species is also readily separated by COI sequences, with a 6.2-8.9% genetic distance between populations of the new species and those of A.mairei. A contrasting difference in sex ratios was also observed between the two species, with A.elodeoides extremely female-biased (95.5-97.8% female) while A.mairei male-biased to more balanced (5.4-43.5% female). PCR screening for Wolbachia infection further revealed contrasting infection rates between populations of A.elodeoides and A.mairei: the Wolbachia infection rate was 0% in A.elodeoides and 100% in A.mairei. Cytoplasmic incompatibility induced by Wolbachia is proposed as a potential mechanism of speciation of the sympatric A.elodeoides and A.mairei.},
}
@article {pmid36760975,
year = {2022},
author = {Zarka, J and Parmentier, T and Wybouw, N},
title = {Intersexuality in a natural population of the terrestrial isopod Porcellioscaber.},
journal = {ZooKeys},
volume = {1101},
number = {},
pages = {183-190},
pmid = {36760975},
issn = {1313-2989},
abstract = {Intersex phenotypes are rarely observed in natural isopod populations and their expression is typically associated with infection of Wolbachia, a reproductive parasite that manipulates arthropod reproduction. During an intensive sampling effort of a natural population of the isopod Porcellioscaber, an adult individual was isolated that expressed both male and female traits. The intersex individual exhibited clearly developed external male genitalia and carried multiple eggs in its brood pouch. No Wolbachia infection could be identified in this individual, a result that needs to be approached with caution due to suboptimal DNA preservation for diagnostic PCR assays. Wolbachia were, however, detected in two adult females of the same population, and appear closely related to isolates that infect other terrestrial isopod species. This is the first demonstration that intersex phenotypes can arise under natural conditions in P.scaber.},
}
@article {pmid36757767,
year = {2023},
author = {Halter, T and Köstlbacher, S and Rattei, T and Hendrickx, F and Manzano-Marín, A and Horn, M},
title = {One to host them all: genomics of the diverse bacterial endosymbionts of the spider Oedothorax gibbosus.},
journal = {Microbial genomics},
volume = {9},
number = {2},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1099/mgen.0.000943},
pmid = {36757767},
issn = {2057-5858},
abstract = {Bacterial endosymbionts of the groups Wolbachia, Cardinium and Rickettsiaceae are well known for their diverse effects on their arthropod hosts, ranging from mutualistic relationships to reproductive phenotypes. Here, we analysed a unique system in which the dwarf spider Oedothorax gibbosus is co-infected with up to five different endosymbionts affiliated with Wolbachia, 'Candidatus Tisiphia' (formerly Torix group Rickettsia), Cardinium and Rhabdochlamydia. Using short-read genome sequencing data, we show that the endosymbionts are heterogeneously distributed among O. gibbosus populations and are frequently found co-infecting spider individuals. To study this intricate host-endosymbiont system on a genome-resolved level, we used long-read sequencing to reconstruct closed genomes of the Wolbachia, 'Ca. Tisiphia' and Cardinium endosymbionts. We provide insights into the ecology and evolution of the endosymbionts and shed light on the interactions with their spider host. We detected high quantities of transposable elements in all endosymbiont genomes and provide evidence that ancestors of the Cardinium, 'Ca. Tisiphia' and Wolbachia endosymbionts have co-infected the same hosts in the past. Our findings contribute to broadening our knowledge about endosymbionts infecting one of the largest animal phyla on Earth and show the usefulness of transposable elements as an evolutionary 'contact-tracing' tool.},
}
@article {pmid36754115,
year = {2023},
author = {Prigot-Maurice, C and Lheraud, B and Guéritault, S and Beltran-Bech, S and Cordaux, R and Peccoud, J and Braquart-Varnier, C},
title = {Investigating Wolbachia symbiont-mediated host protection against a bacterial pathogen using a natural Wolbachia nuclear insert.},
journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {107893},
doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2023.107893},
pmid = {36754115},
issn = {1096-0805},
abstract = {Wolbachia bacterial endosymbionts provide protection against pathogens in various arthropod species but the underlying mechanisms remain misunderstood. By using a natural Wolbachia nuclear insert (f-element) in the isopod Armadillidium vulgare, we explored whether Wolbachia presence is mandatory to observe protection in this species or the presence of its genes is sufficient. We assessed survival of closely related females carrying or lacking the f-element (and lacking Wolbachia) challenged with the bacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica. Despite marginal significant effects, the f-element alone did not appear to confer survival benefits to its host, suggesting that Wolbachia presence in cells is crucial for protection.},
}
@article {pmid36750860,
year = {2023},
author = {Mahmood, S and Nováková, E and Martinů, J and Sychra, O and Hypša, V},
title = {Supergroup F Wolbachia with extremely reduced genome: transition to obligate insect symbionts.},
journal = {Microbiome},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {22},
doi = {10.1186/s40168-023-01462-9},
pmid = {36750860},
issn = {2049-2618},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia belong to highly abundant bacteria which are frequently found in invertebrate microbiomes and manifest by a broad spectrum of lifestyles from parasitism to mutualism. Wolbachia supergroup F is a particularly interesting clade as it gave rise to symbionts of both arthropods and nematodes, and some of its members are obligate mutualists. Investigations on evolutionary transitions among the different symbiotic stages have been hampered by a lack of the known diversity and genomic data for the supergroup F members.<br><br>RESULTS: Based on amplicon screening, short- and long-read WGS approaches, and laser confocal microscopy, we characterize five new supergroup F Wolbachia strains from four chewing lice species. These strains reached different evolutionary stages and represent two remarkably different types of symbiont genomes. Three of the genomes resemble other known members of Wolbachia F supergroup, while the other two show typical signs of ongoing gene inactivation and removal (genome size, coding density, low number of pseudogenes). Particularly, wMeur1, a symbiont fixed in microbiomes of Menacanthus eurysternus across four continents, possesses a highly reduced genome of 733,850&#xa0;bp. The horizontally acquired capacity for pantothenate synthesis and localization in specialized bacteriocytes suggest its obligate nutritional role.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The genome of wMeur1 strain, from the M. eurysternus microbiome, represents the smallest currently known Wolbachia genome and the first example of Wolbachia which has completed genomic streamlining as known from the typical obligate symbionts. This points out that despite the large amount and great diversity of the known Wolbachia strains, evolutionary potential of these bacteria still remains underexplored. The diversity of the four chewing lice microbiomes indicates that this vast parasitic group may provide suitable models for further investigations. Video Abstract.},
}
@article {pmid36748430,
year = {2022},
author = {Izraeli, Y and Lepetit, D and Atias, S and Mozes-Daube, N and Wodowski, G and Lachman, O and Luria, N and Steinberg, S and Varaldi, J and Zchori-Fein, E and Chiel, E},
title = {Genomic characterization of viruses associated with the parasitoid Anagyrus vladimiri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae).},
journal = {The Journal of general virology},
volume = {103},
number = {12},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1099/jgv.0.001810},
pmid = {36748430},
issn = {1465-2099},
abstract = {Knowledge on symbiotic microorganisms of insects has increased dramatically in recent years, yet relatively little data are available regarding non-pathogenic viruses. Here we studied the virome of the parasitoid wasp Anagyrus vladimiri Triapitsyn (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a biocontrol agent of mealybugs. By high-throughput sequencing of viral nucleic acids, we revealed three novel viruses, belonging to the families Reoviridae [provisionally termed AnvRV (Anagyrus vladimiri reovirus)], Iflaviridae (AnvIFV) and Dicistroviridae (AnvDV). Phylogenetic analysis further classified AnvRV in the genus Idnoreovirus, and AnvDV in the genus Triatovirus. The genome of AnvRV comprises 10 distinct genomic segments ranging in length from 1.5 to 4.2 kb, but only two out of the 10 ORFs have a known function. AnvIFV and AnvDV each have one polypeptide ORF, which is typical of iflaviruses but very un-common among dicistroviruses. Five conserved domains were found along both the ORFs of those two viruses. AnvRV was found to be fixed in an A. vladimiri population that was obtained from a mass rearing facility, whereas its prevalence in field-collected A. vladimiri was ~15 %. Similarly, the prevalence of AnvIFV and AnvDV was much higher in the mass rearing population than in the field population. The presence of AnvDV was positively correlated with the presence of Wolbachia in the same individuals. Transmission electron micrographs of females' ovaries revealed clusters and viroplasms of reovirus-like particles in follicle cells, suggesting that AnvRV is vertically transmitted from mother to offspring. AnvRV was not detected in the mealybugs, supporting the assumption that this virus is truly associated with the wasps. The possible effects of these viruses on A. vladimiri's biology, and on biocontrol agents in general, are discussed. Our findings identify RNA viruses as potentially involved in the multitrophic system of mealybugs, their parasitoids and other members of the holobiont.},
}
@article {pmid36744754,
year = {2023},
author = {Chen, J and Wang, MK and Xie, QX and Bing, XL and Li, TP and Hong, XY},
title = {NDUFA8 potentially rescues Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in Laodelphax striatellus.},
journal = {Insect science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.13182},
pmid = {36744754},
issn = {1744-7917},
abstract = {The endosymbiont Wolbachia manipulates host reproduction by several strategies, one of the most important of which is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI can be rescued when Wolbachia-infected (WI) males mate with females infected with the same Wolbachia strain. However, the potential rescue mechanism of CI in the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus is unclear. In this study, comparative transcriptome analysis was applied to explore the effect of Wolbachia on L. striatellus eggs. A total of 1387 differentially expressed genes were identified. RNAi of seven Wolbachia-upregulated key planthopper genes reduced egg reproduction, suggesting that Wolbachia might improve fecundity in L. striatellus by affecting these seven genes. Suppressing the expression of another upregulated gene, NDUFA8 (encoding NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 8-like) by RNAi significantly increased the mortality of early embryos without affecting the number of deposited eggs. Wolbachia infection upregulated the mRNA level of NDUFA8, and dsNDUFA8 treatment of WI females re-created CI-like symptoms, suggesting that NDUFA8 is associated with the rescue phenotype. Because all L. striatellus populations worldwide are infected with Wolbachia, NDUFA8 is a potential pest control target. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.},
}
@article {pmid36719928,
year = {2023},
author = {Ross, PA and Elfekih, S and Collier, S and Klein, MJ and Lee, SS and Dunn, M and Jackson, S and Zhang, Y and Axford, JK and Gu, X and Home, JL and Nassar, MS and Paradkar, PN and Tawfik, EA and Jiggins, FM and Almalik, AM and Al-Fageeh, MB and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {Developing Wolbachia-based disease interventions for an extreme environment.},
journal = {PLoS pathogens},
volume = {19},
number = {1},
pages = {e1011117},
doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1011117},
pmid = {36719928},
issn = {1553-7374},
abstract = {Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying self-spreading, virus-blocking Wolbachia bacteria are being deployed to suppress dengue transmission. However, there are challenges in applying this technology in extreme environments. We introduced two Wolbachia strains into Ae. aegypti from Saudi Arabia for a release program in the hot coastal city of Jeddah. Wolbachia reduced infection and dissemination of dengue virus (DENV2) in Saudi Arabian mosquitoes and showed complete maternal transmission and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Wolbachia reduced egg hatch under a range of environmental conditions, with the Wolbachia strains showing differential thermal stability. Wolbachia effects were similar across mosquito genetic backgrounds but we found evidence of local adaptation, with Saudi Arabian mosquitoes having lower egg viability but higher adult desiccation tolerance than Australian mosquitoes. Genetic background effects will influence Wolbachia invasion dynamics, reinforcing the need to use local genotypes for mosquito release programs, particularly in extreme environments like Jeddah. Our comprehensive characterization of Wolbachia strains provides a foundation for Wolbachia-based disease interventions in harsh climates.},
}
@article {pmid36715911,
year = {2023},
author = {Nevalainen, LBM and Newton, ILG},
title = {Detection and Assessment of Wolbachia pipientis Infection.},
journal = {Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)},
volume = {2626},
number = {},
pages = {291-307},
pmid = {36715911},
issn = {1940-6029},
abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis is a widespread vertically transmitted intracellular bacterium naturally present in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. As Wolbachia is present in a large number of Drosophila lines, it is critical for researchers to be able to identify which of their stocks maintain this infection to avoid any potential confounding variables. Here, we describe methods for detecting the bacterium and assessing the infection, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of DNA, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) to identify strains, western blotting for protein detection, and immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of Drosophila ovaries to visually detect Wolbachia by fluorescence microscopy.},
}
@article {pmid36714832,
year = {2022},
author = {Liang, X and Tan, CH and Sun, Q and Zhang, M and Wong, PSJ and Li, MI and Mak, KW and Martín-Park, A and Contreras-Perera, Y and Puerta-Guardo, H and Manrique-Saide, P and Ng, LC and Xi, Z},
title = {Wolbachia wAlbB remains stable in Aedes aegypti over 15 years but exhibits genetic background-dependent variation in virus blocking.},
journal = {PNAS nexus},
volume = {1},
number = {4},
pages = {pgac203},
pmid = {36714832},
issn = {2752-6542},
abstract = {The ability of the maternally transmitted endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia to induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and virus blocking makes it a promising weapon for combatting mosquito-borne diseases through either suppression or replacement of wild-type populations. Recent field trials show that both approaches significantly reduce the incidence of dengue fever in humans. However, new questions emerge about how Wolbachia-mosquito associations will co-evolve over time and whether Wolbachia-mediated virus blocking will be affected by the genetic diversity of mosquitoes and arboviruses in the real world. Here, we have compared the Wolbachia density and CI expression of two wAlbB-infected Aedes aegypti lines transinfected 15 years apart. We have also assessed wAlbB-mediated virus blocking against dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), and Chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses and examined whether host genetic backgrounds modulate viral blocking effects by comparing ZIKV infection in mosquitoes with a Mexican genetic background to those with a Singaporean background. Our results show that over 15 years, wAlbB maintained the capacity to form a stable association with Ae. aegypti in terms of both density and CI expression. There were variations in wAlbB-induced virus blocking against CHIKV, DENV, and ZIKV, and higher inhibitory effects on ZIKV in mosquitoes on the Singaporean genetic background than on the Mexican background. These results provide important information concerning the robustness and long-term stability of Wolbachia as a biocontrol agent for arbovirus disease control.},
}
@article {pmid36714306,
year = {2022},
author = {Barman, M and Samanta, S and Ahmed, B and Dey, S and Chakraborty, S and Deeksha, MG and Dutta, S and Samanta, A and Tarafdar, J and Roy, D},
title = {Transcription dynamics of heat-shock proteins (Hsps) and endosymbiont titres in response to thermal stress in whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Asia-I).},
journal = {Frontiers in physiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {1097459},
pmid = {36714306},
issn = {1664-042X},
abstract = {The sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), is one of the several species complexes of whitefly that are currently significant agricultural pests. Bemisia tabaci infests more than 600 plant species and thrives under a wide range of temperature conditions. In addition to the direct damage caused by sucking plant sap, it vectors several plant viruses. Heat-shock proteins play a pivotal role in enabling the insect to extend its geographical location, survival, and reproduction under different stress conditions. B. tabaci harbours several endosymbionts under the genera Portiera, Rickettsia, Hamiltonella, Wolbachia, Arsenophonus, Cardinium, and Fritschea that directly or indirectly affect its fitness. By accelerating cuticle biosynthesis and sclerotisation, symbiotic microbes can reduce or enhance tolerance to extreme temperatures and detoxify heavy metals. Thus, symbionts or microbial communities can expand or constrain the abiotic niche space of their host and affect its ability to adapt to changing conditions. The present study delineates the effect of thermal stress on the expression of heat-shock genes and endosymbionts in B. tabaci. Studies of the expression level of heat-shock proteins with the help of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed that heat- and cold-shock treatment fuels the increased expression of heat-shock proteins (Hsp40 and Hsp70). However, Hsp90 was not induced by a heat- and cold-shock treatment. A significant decrease in the relative titre of secondary endosymbionts, such as Rickettsia, Arsenophonus, and Wolbachia, were recorded in B. tabaci upon heat treatment. However, the titre of the primary symbiont, C. Portiera, was relatively unaffected by both cold and heat treatments. These results are indicative of the fact that Hsp genes and endosymbionts in B. tabaci are modulated in response to thermal stress, and this might be responsible for the adaptation of whitefly under changing climatic scenario.},
}
@article {pmid36712932,
year = {2023},
author = {Herran, B and Sugimoto, TN and Watanabe, K and Imanishi, S and Tsuchida, T and Matsuo, T and Ishikawa, Y and Kageyama, D},
title = {Cell-based analysis reveals that sex-determining gene signals in Ostrinia are pivotally changed by male-killing Wolbachia.},
journal = {PNAS nexus},
volume = {2},
number = {1},
pages = {pgac293},
pmid = {36712932},
issn = {2752-6542},
abstract = {Wolbachia, a maternally transmitted bacterium, shows male-killing, an adaptive phenotype for cytoplasmic elements, in various arthropod species during the early developmental stages. In lepidopteran insects, lethality of males is accounted for by improper dosage compensation in sex-linked genes owing to Wolbachia-induced feminization. Herein, we established Ostrinia scapulalis cell lines that retained sex specificity per the splicing pattern of the sex-determining gene doublesex (Osdsx). We found that Wolbachia transinfection in male cell lines enhanced the female-specific splice variant of Osdsx (Osdsx[F]) while suppressing the male-specific variant (Osdsx[M]), indicating that Wolbachia affects sex-determining gene signals even in vitro. Comparative transcriptome analysis isolated only two genes that behave differently upon Wolbachia infection. The two genes were respectively homologous to Masculinizer (BmMasc) and zinc finger-2 (Bmznf-2), male-specifically expressed sex-determining genes of the silkworm Bombyx mori that encode CCCH-type zinc finger motif proteins. By using cultured cells and organismal samples, OsMasc and Osznf-2 were found to be sex-determining genes of O. scapulalis that are subjected to sex-specific alternative splicing depending upon the chromosomal sex, developmental stage, and infection status. Overall, our findings expound the cellular autonomy in insect sex determination and the mechanism through which sex is manipulated by intracellular selfish microbes.},
}
@article {pmid36711723,
year = {2023},
author = {Dodson, BL and Pujhari, S and Brustolin, M and Metz, HC and Rasgon, JL},
title = {Variable effects of Wolbachia on alphavirus infection in Aedes aegypti.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2023.01.20.524939},
pmid = {36711723},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Wolbachia pipientis (= Wolbachia) has promise as a tool to suppress virus transmission by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. However, Wolbachia can have variable effects on mosquito-borne viruses. This variation remains poorly characterized, yet the multimodal effects of Wolbachia on diverse pathogens could have important implications for public health. Here, we examine the effects of somatic infection with two strains of Wolbachia (w AlbB and w Mel) on the alphaviruses Sindbis virus (SINV), O'nyong-nyong virus (ONNV), and Mayaro virus (MAYV) in Ae. aegypti . We found variable effects of Wolbachia including enhancement and suppression of viral infections, with some effects depending on Wolbachia strain. Both w AlbB- and w Mel-infected mosquitoes showed enhancement of SINV infection rates one week post-infection, with w AlbB-infected mosquitoes also having higher viral titers than controls. Infection rates with ONNV were low across all treatments and no significant effects of Wolbachia were observed. The effects of Wolbachia on MAYV infections were strikingly strain-specific; w Mel strongly blocked MAYV infections and suppressed viral titers, while w AlbB did not influence MAYV infection. The variable effects of Wolbachia on vector competence underscore the importance of further research into how this bacterium impacts the virome of wild mosquitoes including the emergent human pathogens they transmit.<br><br>IMPACT STATEMENT: In recent years, wild populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been deliberately infected with Wolbachia -a bacterium that helps to curb the spread of some pathogens including dengue virus. But how does Wolbachia affect the ability of mosquitoes to become infected with and spread the many different viruses they encounter in nature? Here, we characterize the effects of Wolbachia on three alphaviruses that cause illness in humans- Sindbis virus, O'nyong-nyong virus, and Mayaro virus. We find Wolbachia has variable effects on these pathogens, including significant enhancement of Sindbis virus infections. Our research has important implications for the design of vector control strategies, and suggests further research is needed to understand how Wolbachia shapes the replication and transmission of diverse viruses.<br><br>DATA SUMMARY: 3.All data in the study are available in the Figures and supplementary material.},
}
@article {pmid36711506,
year = {2023},
author = {Lindsey, AR and Parish, AJ and Newton, IL and Tennessen, JM and Jones, MW and Stark, N},
title = {Wolbachia is a nutritional symbiont.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2023.01.20.524972},
pmid = {36711506},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Approximately a quarter of eukaryotes are infected with the bacterium Wolbachia . Its broad success as a vertically transmitted infection has been historically difficult to explain given the myriad of parasitic impacts characterized across Wolbachia 's host range. Using the Drosophila model and their natively associated Wolbachia , we show that Wolbachia infection supports fly development and buffers against nutritional stress. Wolbachia infection across several fly genotypes and a range of nutrient conditions resulted in reduced pupal mortality, increased adult emergence, and larger size. We determined that the exogenous supplementation of pyrimidines rescued these phenotypes in the Wolbachia -free, flies suggesting that Wolbachia plays a role in providing this metabolite that is normally limiting for insect growth. Additionally, Wolbachia was sensitive to host pyrimidine metabolism: Wolbachia titers increased upon transgenic knockdown of the Drosophila de novo pyrimidine synthesis pathway but not knockdown of the de novo purine synthesis pathway. We propose that Wolbachia acts as a nutritional symbiont to supplement insect development and increase host fitness: a selective advantage that could contribute to its high frequency in nature.<br><br>SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Wolbachia is a bacterial symbiont of &#x223c;1/4 of all eukaryotic species on earth, often deemed a "parasite" due to selfish manipulations of arthropod reproduction. However, many have theorized there must be more to this symbiosis: parasitic and reproductive impacts alone cannot explain the success and ubiquity of this bacterium. Here, we use Drosophila and their native Wolbachia infections to show that Wolbachia supports fly development and significantly buffers flies against nutritional stress. Additionally, we show that this advantage is likely mediated by pyrimidines: a biosynthetic pathway that all Wolbachia lineages encode for. These developmental advantages might help explain the ubiquity of Wolbachia infections.},
}
@article {pmid36700745,
year = {2023},
author = {Indriani, C and Tanamas, SK and Khasanah, U and Ansari, MR and Rubangi, and Tantowijoyo, W and Ahmad, RA and Dufault, SM and Jewell, NP and Utarini, A and Simmons, CP and Anders, KL},
title = {Impact of randomised wmel Wolbachia deployments on notified dengue cases and insecticide fogging for dengue control in Yogyakarta City.},
journal = {Global health action},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {2166650},
doi = {10.1080/16549716.2023.2166650},
pmid = {36700745},
issn = {1654-9880},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Releases of Wolbachia (wMel)-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes significantly reduced the incidence of virologically confirmed dengue in a previous cluster randomised trial in Yogyakarta City, Indonesia. Following the trial, wMel releases were extended to the untreated control areas, to achieve city-wide coverage of Wolbachia.<br><br>OBJECTIVE: In this predefined analysis, we evaluated the impact of the wMel deployments in Yogyakarta on dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) case notifications and on the frequency of perifocal insecticide spraying by public health teams.<br><br>METHODS: Monthly counts of DHF cases notified to the Yogyakarta District Health Office between January 2006 and May 2022 were modelled as a function of time-varying local wMel treatment status (fully- and partially-treated vs untreated, and by quintile of wMel prevalence). The frequency of insecticide fogging in wMel-treated and untreated areas was analysed using negative binomial regression.<br><br>RESULTS: Notified DHF incidence was 83% lower in fully treated vs untreated periods (IRR 0.17 [95% CI 0.14, 0.20]), and 78% lower in areas with 80-100% wMel prevalence compared to areas with 0-20% wMel (IRR 0.23 [0.17, 0.30]). A similar intervention effect was observed at 60-80% wMel prevalence as at 80-100% prevalence (76% vs 78% efficacy, respectively). Pre-intervention, insecticide fogging occurred at similar frequencies in areas later randomised to wMel-treated and untreated arms of the trial. After wMel deployment, fogging occurred significantly less frequently in treated areas (IRR 0.17 [0.10, 0.30]).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Deployments of wMel-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes resulted in an 83% reduction in the application of perifocal insecticide spraying, consistent with lower dengue case notifications in wMel-treated areas. These results show that the Wolbachia intervention effect demonstrated previously in a cluster randomised trial was also measurable from routine surveillance data.},
}
@article {pmid36691279,
year = {2023},
author = {Cooper, W and Swisher Grimm, K and Angelella, G and Mustafa, T},
title = {Acquisition and transmission of "Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum" differs among Wolbachia-infected and -uninfected haplotypes of Bactericera cockerelli.},
journal = {Plant disease},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1094/PDIS-11-22-2701-RE},
pmid = {36691279},
issn = {0191-2917},
abstract = {"Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum" (Lso) causes disease symptoms and economic losses in potato, tomato, and other solanaceous crops in North America. Lso is transmitted to plants by potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli, which occurs as distinct haplotypes named western, central, and northwestern that differ in presence or absence of the bacterial endosymbiont, Wolbachia. Previous work showed that all three vector haplotypes can transmit Lso, but it was not clear whether acquisition and transmission rates of Lso were equal among the haplotypes. The goal of our study was to compare Lso infection rates among psyllids of the western, central, and northwestern haplotypes. Using data collected from several years of periodic testing of Lso infection of laboratory-reared potato psyllid colonies, we showed that psyllids of the western and central haplotypes are more likely to harbor Lso than are psyllids of the northwestern haplotype. We then used greenhouse assays to demonstrate that psyllids of the northwestern haplotype are less likely to acquire and transmit Lso compared with those of the western haplotype. Lso infection rates corresponded with Wolbachia infection among the three psyllid haplotypes. The Wolbachia-infected central and western haplotypes were more likely to harbor and transmit Lso compared with the Wolbachia-free northwestern haplotype. Results demonstrate that potato psyllids of the western and central haplotypes pose a greater risk for spread of Lso in crops and suggest a pattern between infection with Lso and Wolbachia in potato psyllid.},
}
@article {pmid36689552,
year = {2023},
author = {Vancaester, E and Blaxter, M},
title = {Phylogenomic analysis of Wolbachia genomes from the Darwin Tree of Life biodiversity genomics project.},
journal = {PLoS biology},
volume = {21},
number = {1},
pages = {e3001972},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pbio.3001972},
pmid = {36689552},
issn = {1545-7885},
abstract = {The Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) project aims to sequence all described terrestrial and aquatic eukaryotic species found in Britain and Ireland. Reference genome sequences are generated from single individuals for each target species. In addition to the target genome, sequenced samples often contain genetic material from microbiomes, endosymbionts, parasites, and other cobionts. Wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria are found in a diversity of terrestrial arthropods and nematodes, with supergroups A and B the most common in insects. We identified and assembled 110 complete Wolbachia genomes from 93 host species spanning 92 families by filtering data from 368 insect species generated by the DToL project. From 15 infected species, we assembled more than one Wolbachia genome, including cases where individuals carried simultaneous supergroup A and B infections. Different insect orders had distinct patterns of infection, with Lepidopteran hosts mostly infected with supergroup B, while infections in Diptera and Hymenoptera were dominated by A-type Wolbachia. Other than these large-scale order-level associations, host and Wolbachia phylogenies revealed no (or very limited) cophylogeny. This points to the occurrence of frequent host switching events, including between insect orders, in the evolutionary history of the Wolbachia pandemic. While supergroup A and B genomes had distinct GC% and GC skew, and B genomes had a larger core gene set and tended to be longer, it was the abundance of copies of bacteriophage WO who was a strong determinant of Wolbachia genome size. Mining raw genome data generated for reference genome assemblies is a robust way of identifying and analysing cobiont genomes and giving greater ecological context for their hosts.},
}
@article {pmid36689491,
year = {2023},
author = {Li, J and Champer, J},
title = {Harnessing Wolbachia cytoplasmic incompatibility alleles for confined gene drive: A modeling study.},
journal = {PLoS genetics},
volume = {19},
number = {1},
pages = {e1010591},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1010591},
pmid = {36689491},
issn = {1553-7404},
abstract = {Wolbachia are maternally-inherited bacteria, which can spread rapidly in populations by manipulating reproduction. cifA and cifB are genes found in Wolbachia phage that are responsible for cytoplasmic incompatibility, the most common type of Wolbachia reproductive interference. In this phenomenon, no viable offspring are produced when a male with both cifA and cifB (or just cifB in some systems) mates with a female lacking cifA. Utilizing this feature, we propose new types of toxin-antidote gene drives that can be constructed with only these two genes in an insect genome, instead of the whole Wolbachia bacteria. By using both mathematical and simulation models, we found that a drive containing cifA and cifB together creates a confined drive with a moderate to high introduction threshold. When introduced separately, they act as a self-limiting drive. We observed that the performance of these drives is substantially influenced by various ecological parameters and drive characteristics. Extending our models to continuous space, we found that the drive individual release distribution has a critical impact on drive persistence. Our results suggest that these new types of drives based on Wolbachia transgenes are safe and flexible candidates for genetic modification of populations.},
}
@article {pmid36683703,
year = {2022},
author = {Liu, Y and He, ZQ and Wen, Q and Peng, J and Zhou, YT and Mandour, N and McKenzie, CL and Ahmed, MZ and Qiu, BL},
title = {Parasitoid-mediated horizontal transmission of Rickettsia between whiteflies.},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {1077494},
pmid = {36683703},
issn = {2235-2988},
abstract = {Intracellular bacterial endosymbionts of arthropods are mainly transmitted vertically from mother to offspring, but phylogenetically distant insect hosts often harbor identical endosymbionts, indicating that horizontal transmission from one species to another occurs in nature. Here, we investigated the parasitoid Encarsia formosa-mediated horizontal transmission of the endosymbiont Rickettsia between different populations of whitefly Bemisia tabaci MEAM1. Rickettsia was successfully transmitted from the positive MEAM1 nymphs (R [+]) into E. formosa and retained at least for 48 h in E. formosa adults. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) visualization results revealed that the ovipositors, mouthparts, and digestive tract of parasitoid adults get contaminated with Rickettsia. Random non-lethal probing of Rickettisia-negative (R[-]) MEAM1 nymphs by these Rickettsia-carrying E. formosa resulted in newly infected MEAM1 nymphs, and the vertical transmission of Rickettsia within the recipient females can remain at least up to F3 generation. Further phylogenetic analyses revealed that Rickettsia had high fidelity during the horizontal transmission in whiteflies and parasitoids. Our findings may help to explain why Rickettsia bacteria are so abundant in arthropods and suggest that, in some insect species that shared the same parasitoids, Rickettsia may be maintained in populations by horizontal transmission.},
}
@article {pmid36680294,
year = {2023},
author = {Ogunlade, ST and Meehan, MT and Adekunle, AI and McBryde, ES},
title = {A Systematic Review of Mathematical Models of Dengue Transmission and Vector Control: 2010-2020.},
journal = {Viruses},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/v15010254},
pmid = {36680294},
issn = {1999-4915},
abstract = {Vector control methods are considered effective in averting dengue transmission. However, several factors may modify their impact. Of these controls, chemical methods, in the long run, may increase mosquitoes' resistance to chemicides, thereby decreasing control efficacy. The biological methods, which may be self-sustaining and very effective, could be hampered by seasonality or heatwaves (resulting in, e.g., loss of Wolbachia infection). The environmental methods that could be more effective than the chemical methods are under-investigated. In this study, a systematic review is conducted to explore the present understanding of the effectiveness of vector control approaches via dengue transmission models.},
}
@article {pmid36677449,
year = {2023},
author = {Hoffmann, A and Müller, T and Fingerle, V and Silaghi, C and Noll, M},
title = {Co-Infection of Potential Tick-Borne Pathogens of the Order Rickettsiales and Borrelia burgdorferi s. l. and Their Link to Season and Area in Germany.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/microorganisms11010157},
pmid = {36677449},
issn = {2076-2607},
abstract = {The prevalence of potential human pathogenic members of the order Rickettsiales differs between Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato-positive and -negative tick microbiomes. Here, co-infection of members of the order Rickettsiales, such as Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Wolbachia pipientis, and Neoehrlichia mikurensis as well as B. burgdorferi s.l. in the tick microbiome was addressed. This study used conventional PCRs to investigate the diversity and prevalence of the before-mentioned bacteria in 760 nucleic acid extracts of I. ricinus ticks detached from humans, which were previously tested for B. burgdorferi s.l.. A gltA gene-based amplicon sequencing approach was performed to identify Rickettsia species. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. (16.7%, n = 127) and W. pipientis (15.9%, n = 121) were similar, while A. phagocytophilum was found in 2.8% (n = 21) and N. mikurensis in 0.1% (n = 1) of all ticks. Co-infection of B. burgdorferi s. l. with Rickettsia spp. was most frequent. The gltA gene sequencing indicated that Rickettsia&amp;nbsp;helvetica was the dominant Rickettsia species in tick microbiomes. Moreover, R, monacensis and R. raoultii were correlated with autumn and area south, respectively, and a negative B. burgdorferi s. l. finding. Almost every fifth tick carried DNA of at least two of the human pathogenic bacteria studied here.},
}
@article {pmid36670494,
year = {2023},
author = {Chamankar, B and Maleki-Ravasan, N and Karami, M and Forouzan, E and Karimian, F and Naeimi, S and Choobdar, N},
title = {The structure and diversity of microbial communities in Paederus fuscipes (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae): from ecological paradigm to pathobiome.},
journal = {Microbiome},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {11},
pmid = {36670494},
issn = {2049-2618},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Paederus fuscipes is medically the most famous rove beetle, which causes dermatitis or conjunctivitis in humans, as well as gastrointestinal toxicosis in livestock, via releasing toxic hemolymph containing pederin. Pedrin biosynthesis genes have been identified in uncultured Pseudomonas-like endosymbionts that are speculated to be acquired through a horizontal transfer. However, the composition of the P. fuscipes microbial community, especially of the gut and genital microbiome, remains unclear. This study was aimed to characterize the structure and diversity of P. fuscipes-associated bacterial communities in terms of gender, organ, and location using the Illumina HiSeq platform in the southern littorals of Caspian Sea.<br><br>RESULTS: The OTUs identified from P. fuscipes specimens were collapsed into 40 phyla, 112 classes, 249 orders, 365 families, 576 genera, and 106 species. The most abundant families were Pseudomonadaceae, Spiroplasmataceae, Weeksellaceae, Enterococcaceae, and Rhizobiaceae, respectively. Thirty top genera made up > 94% of the P. fuscipes microbiome, with predominating Pseudomonas, followed by the Spiroplasma, Apibacter, Enterococcus, Dysgonomonas, Sebaldella, Ruminococcus, and Wolbachia. Interesting dissimilarities were also discovered within and between the beetle microbiomes in terms of genders and organs. Analyses showed that Spiroplasma / Apibacter as well as Pseudomonas / Pseudomonas were the most abundant in the genitals / intestines of male and female beetles, respectively. Bacterial richness did not display any significant difference in the three provinces but was higher in male beetles than in females and more in the genitals than intestines.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The present study identified Pseudomonas-like endobacterium as a common symbiont of P. fuscipes beetles; this bacterium begins its journey from gut and genitalia of females to reach the male rove beetles. Additionally, male and female rove beetles were characterized by distinctive microbiota in different organs, likely reflecting different functions and/or adaptation processes. Evidence of the extension of P. fuscipes microbiome from the environmental paradigm to the pathobiome was also presented herein. A comprehensive survey of P. fuscipes microbiome components may eventually lead to ecological insights into the production and utilization of defensive compound of pederin and also the management of linear dermatitis with the use of available antibiotics against bacterial pathogens released by the beetles. Video Abstract.},
}
@article {pmid36669676,
year = {2023},
author = {Awad, M and Piálková, R and Haelewaters, D and Nedvěd, O},
title = {Infection patterns of Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) by ectoparasitic microfungi and endosymbiotic bacteria.},
journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {107887},
doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2023.107887},
pmid = {36669676},
issn = {1096-0805},
abstract = {The invasive alien ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) hosts a wide range of natural enemies. Many observations have been done in nature but experimental studies of interactions of multiple enemies on Ha. axyridis are rare. In light of this knowledge gap, we tested whether the host phenotype and presence of bacterial endosymbionts Spiroplasma and Wolbachia affected parasitism of Ha. axyridis by the ectoparasitic fungus Hesperomyces harmoniae (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales). We collected 379 Ha. axyridis in the Czech Republic, processed specimens, including screening for He. harmoniae and a molecular assessment for bacteria, and calculated fecundity and hatchability of females. We found that high hatchability rate (71%) was conditioned by high fecundity (20 eggs daily or more). The average parasite prevalence of He. harmoniae was 53%, while the infection rate of Spiroplasma was 73% in ladybirds that survived in winter conditions. Wolbachia was only present in 2% of the analyzed ladybirds. Infection by either He. harmoniae or Spiroplasma did not differ among host color morphs. In the novemdecimsignata morph, younger individuals (with orange elytra) were more heavily parasitized compared to old ones (with red elytra). Fecundity and hatchability rate of females were unaffected by infection with either He. harmoniae or Spiroplasma. However, female ladybirds co-infected with He. harmoniae and Spiroplasma had a significantly lower fecundity and hatchability compared to females with only one or no symbiont.},
}
@article {pmid36661997,
year = {2023},
author = {Sevestre, J and Lemrabott, MAO and Bérenger, JM and Zan Diarra, A and Ould Mohamed Salem Boukhary, A and Parola, P},
title = {Detection of Arthropod-Borne Bacteria and Assessment of MALDI-TOF MS for the Identification of Field-Collected Immature Bed Bugs from Mauritania.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/insects14010069},
pmid = {36661997},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Human infestations by bed bugs have upsurged globally in recent decades, including in African countries, where recent reports pointed out an increase in infestation. Sympatric dwelling has been described for two species of bed bug parasitizing humans: Cimex hemipterus (the tropical bed bug) and C. lectularius. Identification of these two species is based on morphological characteristics, and gene sequencing, and may also rely on Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The present work aimed to assess whether MALDI-TOF MS was applicable for species level identification of immature stages of Cimex. Arthropods were collected in domestic settings in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Identification used morphological keys and MALDI-TOF MS identification was assessed for immature stages. Quantitative PCR and sequencing assays were used to detect arthropod-associated bacteria in each specimen. A total of 92 arthropods were collected, all morphologically identified as C. hemipterus (32 males, 14 females and 45 immature stages). A total of 35/45 specimens produced good quality MALDI-TOF MS spectra. Analysis allowed species level identification of all immature C. hemipterus after their spectra were entered into our in-house MALDI-TOF MS arthropod spectra database. Molecular screening allowed detection of Wolbachia DNA in each specimen. These results suggested that MALDI-TOF MS is a reliable tool for species level identification of Cimex specimens, including immature specimens. Future studies should assess this approach on larger panels of immature specimens for different Cimex species and focus on the precise staging of their different immature developmental stages.},
}
@article {pmid36650806,
year = {2023},
author = {Vicencio, D and Vasilieva, O and Gajardo, P},
title = {Monotonicity properties arising in a simple model of Wolbachia invasion for wild mosquito populations.},
journal = {Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE},
volume = {20},
number = {1},
pages = {1148-1175},
doi = {10.3934/mbe.2023053},
pmid = {36650806},
issn = {1551-0018},
abstract = {In this paper, we propose a simplified bidimensional Wolbachia infestation model in a population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, preserving the main features associated with the biology of this species that can be found in higher-dimensional models. Namely, our model represents the maternal transmission of the Wolbachia symbiont, expresses the reproductive phenotype of cytoplasmic incompatibility, accounts for different fecundities and mortalities of infected and wild insects, and exhibits the bistable nature leading to the so-called principle of competitive exclusion. Using tools borrowed from monotone dynamical system theory, in the proposed model, we prove the existence of an invariant threshold manifold that allows us to provide practical recommendations for performing single and periodic releases of Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes, seeking the eventual elimination of wild insects that are capable of transmitting infections to humans. We illustrate these findings with numerical simulations using parameter values corresponding to the wMelPop strain of Wolbachia that is considered the best virus blocker but induces fitness loss in its carriers. In these tests, we considered multiple scenarios contrasting a periodic release strategy against a strategy with a single inundative release, comparing their effectiveness. Our study is presented as an expository and mathematically accessible tool to study the use of Wolbachia-based biocontrol versus more complex models.},
}
@article {pmid36650789,
year = {2023},
author = {Li, Y and Zhao, H and Wang, K},
title = {Dynamics of an impulsive reaction-diffusion mosquitoes model with multiple control measures.},
journal = {Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE},
volume = {20},
number = {1},
pages = {775-806},
doi = {10.3934/mbe.2023036},
pmid = {36650789},
issn = {1551-0018},
abstract = {It is well-known that mosquito control is one of the effective methods to reduce and prevent the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. In this paper, we formulate a reaction-diffusion impulsive hybrid model incorporating Wolbachia, impulsively spraying of insecticides, spatial heterogeneity, and seasonality to investigate the control of mosquito population. The sufficient conditions for mosquito extinction or successful Wolbachia persistence in a population of natural mosquitoes are derived. More importantly, we give the estimations of the spraying times of insecticides during a period for achieving the mosquito extinction and population replacement in a special case. A global attractivity of the positive periodic solution is analyzed under appropriate conditions. Numerical simulations disclose that spatial heterogeneity and seasonality have significant impacts on the design of mosquitoes control strategies. It is suggested to combine biological control and chemical pulse control under certain situations to reduce the natural mosquitoes. Further, our results reveal that the establishment of a higher level of population replacement depends on the strain type of the Wolbachia and the high initial occupancy of the Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid36650067,
year = {2023},
author = {Miao, YH and Huang, DW and Xiao, JH},
title = {Complicated expansion trajectories of insertion sequences and potential association with horizontal transfer of Wolbachia DNA.},
journal = {Zoological research},
volume = {44},
number = {2},
pages = {275-277},
doi = {10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.315},
pmid = {36650067},
issn = {2095-8137},
}
@article {pmid36648231,
year = {2023},
author = {Nevalainen, LB and Layton, EM and Newton, ILG},
title = {Wolbachia Promotes Its Own Uptake by Host Cells.},
journal = {Infection and immunity},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0055722},
doi = {10.1128/iai.00557-22},
pmid = {36648231},
issn = {1098-5522},
abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis is an incredibly widespread bacterial symbiont of insects, present in an estimated 25 to 52% of species worldwide. Wolbachia is faithfully maternally transmitted both in a laboratory setting and in the wild. In an established infection, Wolbachia is primarily intracellular, residing within host-derived vacuoles that are associated with the endoplasmic reticulum. However, Wolbachia also frequently transfers between host species, requiring an extracellular stage to its life cycle. Indeed, Wolbachia has been moved between insect species for the precise goal of controlling populations. The use of Wolbachia in this application requires that we better understand how it initiates and establishes new infections. Here, we designed a novel method for live tracking Wolbachia cells during infection using a combination of stains and microscopy. We show that live Wolbachia cells are taken up by host cells at a much faster rate than dead Wolbachia cells, indicating that Wolbachia bacteria play a role in their own uptake and that Wolbachia colonization is not just a passive process. We also show that the host actin cytoskeleton must be intact for this to occur and that drugs that disrupt the actin cytoskeleton effectively abrogate Wolbachia uptake. The development of this live infection assay will assist in future efforts to characterize Wolbachia factors used during host infection.},
}
@article {pmid36642905,
year = {2022},
author = {Zhou, XQ and Ma, J and Wang, RY and Wang, RH and Wu, YQ and Yang, XY and Chen, YJ and Tang, XN and Sun, ET},
title = {[Bacterial community diversity in Dermatophagoides farinae using high-throughput sequencing].},
journal = {Zhongguo xue xi chong bing fang zhi za zhi = Chinese journal of schistosomiasis control},
volume = {34},
number = {6},
pages = {630-634},
doi = {10.16250/j.32.1374.2022105},
pmid = {36642905},
issn = {1005-6661},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To investigate the bacterial community diversity in Dermatophagoides farinae.<br><br>METHODS: Laboratory-cultured D. farinae was collected, and the composition of microbial communities was determined by sequence analyses of the V4 region in the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene on an Illumina PE250 high-throughput sequencing platform. Following quality control and filtering of the raw sequence files, valid reads were obtained and subjected to operational taxonomic units (OTU) clustering and analysis of the composition of microbial communities and alpha diversity index using the Usearch software, Silva database, and Mothur software.<br><br>RESULTS: A total of 187 616 valid reads were obtained, and 469 OTUs were clustered based on a sequence similarity of more than 97%. OTU annotation showed that the bacteria in D. farinae belonged to 26 phyla, 43 classes, 100 orders, 167 families and 284 genera. The bacteria in D. farinae were mainly annotated to five phyla of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Actinobacteriota, and Acidobacteriota, with Proteobacteria as the dominant phylum, and mainly annotated to five dominant genera of Ralstonia, norank-f-Mitochondria, Staphylococcus and Sphingomonas, with Wolbachia identified in the non-dominant genus.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: A high diversity is identified in the composition of the bacterial community in D. farinae, and there are differences in bacterial community diversity and abundance among D. farinae.},
}
@article {pmid36636344,
year = {2023},
author = {Hussain, M and Zhang, G and Leitner, M and Hedges, LM and Asgari, S},
title = {Wolbachia RNase HI contributes to virus blocking in the mosquito Aedes aegypti.},
journal = {iScience},
volume = {26},
number = {1},
pages = {105836},
pmid = {36636344},
issn = {2589-0042},
abstract = {The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis blocks replication of several arboviruses in transinfected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. However, the mechanism of virus blocking remains poorly understood. Here, we characterized an RNase HI gene from Wolbachia, which is rapidly induced in response to dengue virus (DENV) infection. Knocking down w RNase HI using antisense RNA in Wolbachia-transinfected mosquito cell lines and A. aegypti mosquitoes led to increased DENV replication. Furthermore, overexpression of wRNase HI, in the absence of Wolbachia, led to reduced replication of a positive sense RNA virus, but had no effect on a negative sense RNA virus, a familiar scenario in Wolbachia-infected cells. Altogether, our results provide compelling evidence for the missing link between early Wolbachia-mediated virus blocking and degradation of viral RNA. These findings and the successful pioneered knockdown of Wolbachia genes using antisense RNA in cell line and mosquitoes enable new ways to manipulate and study the complex endosymbiont-host interactions.},
}
@article {pmid36629101,
year = {2023},
author = {Dou, W and Sun, B and Miao, Y and Huang, D and Xiao, J},
title = {Single-cell transcriptome sequencing reveals Wolbachia-mediated modification in early stages of Drosophila spermatogenesis.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {290},
number = {1990},
pages = {20221963},
doi = {10.1098/rspb.2022.1963},
pmid = {36629101},
issn = {1471-2954},
abstract = {Wolbachia are the most widely distributed intracellular bacteria, and their most common effect on host phenotype is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). A variety of models have been proposed to decipher the molecular mechanism of CI, among which the host modification (HM) model predicts that Wolbachia effectors play an important role in sperm modification. However, owing to the complexity of spermatogenesis and testicular cell-type heterogeneity, whether Wolbachia have different effects on cells at different stages of spermatogenesis or whether these effects are linked with CI remains unknown. Therefore, we used single-cell RNA sequencing to analyse gene expression profiles in adult male Drosophila testes that were infected or uninfected by Wolbachia. We found that Wolbachia significantly affected the proportion of different types of germ cells and affected multiple metabolic pathways in germ cells. Most importantly, Wolbachia had the greatest impact on germline stem cells, resulting in dysregulated expression of genes related to DNA compaction, and Wolbachia infection also influenced the histone-to-protamine transition in the late stage of sperm development. These results support the HM model and suggest that future studies on Wolbachia-induced CI should focus on cells in the early stages of spermatogenesis.},
}
@article {pmid36628964,
year = {2023},
author = {Durand, S and Lheraud, B and Giraud, I and Bech, N and Grandjean, F and Rigaud, T and Peccoud, J and Cordaux, R},
title = {Heterogeneous distribution of sex ratio distorters in natural populations of the isopod Armadillidium vulgare.},
journal = {Biology letters},
volume = {19},
number = {1},
pages = {20220457},
doi = {10.1098/rsbl.2022.0457},
pmid = {36628964},
issn = {1744-957X},
abstract = {In the isopod Armadillidium vulgare, many females produce progenies with female-biased sex ratios, owing to two feminizing sex ratio distorters (SRD): Wolbachia endosymbionts and the f element. We investigated the distribution and population dynamics of these SRD and mitochondrial DNA variation in 16 populations from Europe and Japan. Confirming and extending results from the 1990s, we found that the SRD are present at variable frequencies in populations and that the f element is overall more frequent than Wolbachia. The two SRD never co-occur at high frequency in any population, suggesting an apparent mutual exclusion. We also detected Wolbachia or the f element in some males, which probably reflects insufficient titer to induce feminization or presence of masculinizing alleles. Our results are consistent with a single integration event of a Wolbachia genome in the A. vulgare genome at the origin of the f element, which contradicts an earlier hypothesis of frequent losses and gains. We identified strong linkage between Wolbachia strains and mitochondrial haplotypes, but no association between the f element and mitochondrial background. Our results open new perspectives on SRD evolutionary dynamics in A. vulgare, the evolution of genetic conflicts and their impact on the variability of sex determination systems.},
}
@article {pmid36589876,
year = {2022},
author = {Uni, S and Mat Udin, AS and Tan, PE and Rodrigues, J and Martin, C and Junker, K and Agatsuma, T and Low, VL and Lim, YA and Saijuntha, W and Omar, H and Zainuri, NA and Fukuda, M and Kimura, D and Matsubayashi, M and Uga, S and Takaoka, H and Azirun, MS and Ramli, R},
title = {Description and molecular characterisation of Pelecitus copsychi Uni, Mat Udin &amp; Martin n. sp. (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) from the white-rumped shama Copsychus malabaricus (Scopoli) (Passeriformes: Muscicapidae) of Pahang, Malaysia.},
journal = {Current research in parasitology &amp; vector-borne diseases},
volume = {2},
number = {},
pages = {100078},
pmid = {36589876},
issn = {2667-114X},
abstract = {Species of the genus Pelecitus Railliet &amp; Henry, 1910 the most widely distributed avian filariae in Africa and South America. Zoonotic cases in humans were reported in South America. While investigating the filarial fauna of wild animals in Malaysia, we discovered an undescribed filaria from the swollen footpad of the left leg of Copsychus malabaricus (Scopoli) in Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. Adults of both sexes have a corkscrew-shaped body. Based on comparison of their morphological characteristics (i.e. pre-oesophageal cuticular ring distinct, oesophagus divided, vulva protuberant and situated at the level of anterior half of oesophagus, spicules strongly sclerotized and left spicule with broad blade) with other Pelecitus species, they are here described as Pelecitus copsychi Uni, Mat Udin &amp; Martin n. sp. Multi-locus sequence analyses based on seven genes (12S rDNA, cox1, 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, MyoHC, rbp1 and hsp70) were performed to determine the phylogenetic position of the new species. The calculated p-distance between the cox1 gene sequences for P. copsychi n. sp. and Pelecitus fulicaeatrae (Diesing, 1861) was 14.1%. Intraspecific genetic variation between two individuals of the new species was 0.4%. In both the Bayesian inference and maximum-likelihood trees, P. copsychi n. sp. was positioned in the second clade of ONC5, containing three genera of the subfamily Dirofilariinae (Foleyella Seurat, 1917, Pelecitus and Loa Stiles, 1905). Immunostaining and molecular analyses remained negative for the presence of Wolbachia endosymbionts. Our findings corroborate the division of the subfamily Dirofilariinae into ONC3 with Dirofilaria Railliet &amp; Henry, 1911 and ONC5 with Pelecitus.},
}
@article {pmid36580820,
year = {2022},
author = {Martinez-Cruz, C and Arenas-Monreal, L and Gomez-Dantes, H and Villegas-Chim, J and Barrera-Fuentes Gloria, A and Toledo-Romani Maria, E and Pavia-Ruz, N and Che-Mendoza, A and Manrique-Saide, P},
title = {Educational intervention for the control of Aedes aegypti with Wolbachia in Yucatan, Mexico.},
journal = {Evaluation and program planning},
volume = {97},
number = {},
pages = {102205},
doi = {10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2022.102205},
pmid = {36580820},
issn = {1873-7870},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: The implementation of new control strategies for Aedes aegypti (Ae. Aegpyti), a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, requires communities to adopt specific behaviors to achieve the success of these innovations.<br><br>AIM: We evaluated the effect of an educational intervention based on the Precede-Proceed Model (PPM) and the Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DIT) for the control and prevention of diseases transmitted by Ae. aegypti through release of male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria in a suburban town in Yucatan, Mexico.<br><br>MATERIAL AND METHODS: From July 2019 to February 2020, a quasi-experimental study was carried out through an educational intervention (pre- and post-measurements) using quantitative-qualitative techniques, in a Yucatan suburban town where male mosquitoes with Wolbachia were released for the suppression of Ae. aegypti populations. Eleven educational workshops were attended by heads of household (n&#xa0;=&#xa0;19) and schoolchildren (n&#xa0;=&#xa0;11). Other 136 heads of household not attending the workshops received information individually.<br><br>RESULTS: The educational intervention had a significant effect on the mean scores of the contributing and behavioral factors for adoption of innovation (p&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.05) in the pre- and post-intervention measurements.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Innovative methods for the control and prevention of diseases related to Aedes aegypti can be strengthened through educational interventions supported by sound methodologies.<br><br>DESCRIPTORS: Community health education, Aedes aegypti, Wolbachia, Mexico.},
}
@article {pmid36575628,
year = {2022},
author = {Kil, EJ and Kim, D},
title = {The small brown planthopper (Laodelphaxstriatellus) as a vector of the rice stripe virus.},
journal = {Archives of insect biochemistry and physiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e21992},
doi = {10.1002/arch.21992},
pmid = {36575628},
issn = {1520-6327},
abstract = {The small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus, is a destructive pest insect found in rice fields. L. striatellus not only directly feeds on the phloem sap of rice but also transmits various viruses, such as rice stripe virus (RSV) and rice black-streaked dwarf virus, resulting in serious loss of rice production. RSV is a rice-infecting virus that is found mainly in Korea, China, and Japan. To develop novel strategies to control L. striatellus and L. striatellus-transmitted viruses, various studies have been conducted, based on vector biology, interactions between vectors and pathogens, and omics, including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. In this review, we discuss the roles of saliva proteins during phloem sap-sucking and virus transmission, the diversity and role of the microbial community in L. striatellus, the profile and molecular mechanisms of insecticide resistance, classification of L. striatellus-transmitted RSV, its host range and symptoms, its genome composition and roles of virus-derived proteins, its distribution, interactions with L. striatellus, and resistance and control, to suggest future directions for integrated pest management to control L. striatellus and L. striatellus-transmitted viruses.},
}
@article {pmid36575240,
year = {2022},
author = {Zeng, Q and She, L and Yuan, H and Luo, Y and Wang, R and Mao, W and Wang, W and She, Y and Wang, C and Shi, M and Cao, T and Gan, R and Li, Y and Zhou, J and Qian, W and Hu, S and Wang, Y and Zheng, X and Li, K and Bai, L and Pan, X and Xi, Z},
title = {A standalone incompatible insect technique enables mosquito suppression in the urban subtropics.},
journal = {Communications biology},
volume = {5},
number = {1},
pages = {1419},
pmid = {36575240},
issn = {2399-3642},
abstract = {The strong suppression of Aedes albopictus on two Guangzhou islands in China has been successfully achieved by releasing males with an artificial triple-Wolbachia infection. However, it requires the use of radiation to sterilize residual females to prevent population replacement. To develop a highly effective tool for dengue control, we tested a standalone incompatible insect technique (IIT) to control A. albopictus in the urban area of Changsha, an inland city where dengue recently emerged. Male mosquitoes were produced in a mass rearing facility in Guangzhou and transported over 670 km under low temperature to the release site. After a once-per-week release with high numbers of males (phase I) and a subsequent twice-per-week release with low numbers of males (phase II), the average numbers of hatched eggs and female adults collected weekly per trap were reduced by 97% and 85%, respectively. The population suppression caused a 94% decrease in mosquito biting at the release site compared to the control site. Remarkably, this strong suppression was achieved using only 28% of the number of males released in a previous trial. Despite the lack of irradiation to sterilize residual females, no triple-infected mosquitoes were detected in the field post release based on the monitoring of adult and larval A. albopictus populations for two years, indicating that population replacement was prevented. Our results support the feasibility of implementing a standalone IIT for dengue control in urban areas.},
}
@article {pmid36555851,
year = {2022},
author = {Korenskaia, AE and Shishkina, OD and Klimenko, AI and Andreenkova, OV and Bobrovskikh, MA and Shatskaya, NV and Vasiliev, GV and Gruntenko, NE},
title = {New Wolbachia pipientis Genotype Increasing Heat Stress Resistance of Drosophila melanogaster Host Is Characterized by a Large Chromosomal Inversion.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {23},
number = {24},
pages = {},
pmid = {36555851},
issn = {1422-0067},
abstract = {The maternally transmitted endocellular bacteria Wolbachia is a well-known symbiont of insects, demonstrating both negative and positive effects on host fitness. The previously found Wolbachia strain wMelPlus is characterized by a positive effect on the stress-resistance of its host Drosophila melanogaster, under heat stress conditions. This investigation is dedicated to studying the genomic underpinnings of such an effect. We sequenced two closely related Wolbachia strains, wMelPlus and wMelCS[112], assembled their complete genomes, and performed comparative genomic analysis engaging available Wolbachia genomes from the wMel and wMelCS groups. Despite the two strains under study sharing very close gene-composition, we discovered a large (>1/6 of total genome) chromosomal inversion in wMelPlus, spanning through the region that includes the area of the inversion earlier found in the wMel group of Wolbachia genotypes. A number of genes in unique inversion blocks of wMelPlus were identified that might be involved in the induction of a stress-resistant phenotype in the host. We hypothesize that such an inversion could rearrange established genetic regulatory-networks, causing the observed effects of such a complex fly phenotype as a modulation of heat stress resistance. Based on our findings, we propose that wMelPlus be distinguished as a separate genotype of the wMelCS group, named wMelCS3.},
}
@article {pmid36554999,
year = {2022},
author = {Kaszyca-Taszakowska, N and Depa, &#x141;},
title = {Microbiome of the Aphid Genus Dysaphis Börner (Hemiptera: Aphidinae) and Its Relation to Ant Attendance.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {12},
pages = {},
pmid = {36554999},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Among mutualistic relationships of aphids with other organisms, there are two that seem to be of major importance: trophobiosis with ants and endosymbiosis of bacteria. While the former is well studied, the latter is the subject of an increasing amount of research constantly revealing new aspects of this symbiosis. Here, we studied the possible influence of ant attendance on the composition of aphid microbiota on primary and secondary hosts exploited by the aphid genus Dysaphis. The microbiome of 44 samples representing 12 aphid species was studied using an Illumina HiSeq 4000 with the V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA. The results showed a higher abundance of common facultative symbionts (Serratia, Regiella, Fukatsuia) in aphid species unattended by ants, but also on secondary hosts. However, in colonies attended by ants, the general species composition of bacterial symbionts was more rich in genera than in unattended colonies (Wolbachia, Gilliamella, Spiroplasma, Sphingomonas, Pelomonas). The results indicate a huge variability of facultative symbionts without clear correlation with ant attendance or aphid species. The possibility of multiple routes of bacterial infection mediated by ant-made environmental conditions is discussed.},
}
@article {pmid36528590,
year = {2022},
author = {Ong, J and Ho, SH and Soh, SXH and Wong, Y and Ng, Y and Vasquez, K and Lai, YL and Setoh, YX and Chong, CS and Lee, V and Wong, JCC and Tan, CH and Sim, S and Ng, LC and Lim, JT},
title = {Assessing the efficacy of male Wolbachia-infected mosquito deployments to reduce dengue incidence in Singapore: study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial.},
journal = {Trials},
volume = {23},
number = {1},
pages = {1023},
pmid = {36528590},
issn = {1745-6215},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Dengue is a severe environmental public health challenge in tropical and subtropical regions. In Singapore, decreasing seroprevalence and herd immunity due to successful vector control has paradoxically led to increased transmission potential of the dengue virus. We have previously demonstrated that incompatible insect technique coupled with sterile insect technique (IIT-SIT), which involves the release of X-ray-irradiated male Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, reduced the Aedes aegypti population by 98% and dengue incidence by 88%. This novel vector control tool is expected to be able to complement current vector control to mitigate the increasing threat of dengue on a larger scale. We propose a multi-site protocol to study the efficacy of IIT-SIT at reducing dengue incidence.<br><br>METHODS/DESIGN: The study is designed as a parallel, two-arm, non-blinded cluster-randomized (CR) controlled trial to be conducted in high-rise public housing estates in Singapore, an equatorial city-state. The aim is to determine whether large-scale deployment of male Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes can significantly reduce dengue incidence in intervention clusters. We will use the CR design, with the study area comprising 15 clusters with a total area of 10.9 km[2], covering approximately 722,204 residents in 1713 apartment blocks. Eight clusters will be randomly selected to receive the intervention, while the other seven will serve as non-intervention clusters. Intervention efficacy will be estimated through two primary endpoints: (1) odds ratio of Wolbachia exposure distribution (i.e., probability of living in an intervention cluster) among laboratory-confirmed reported dengue cases compared to test-negative controls and (2) laboratory-confirmed reported dengue counts normalized by population size in intervention versus non-intervention clusters.<br><br>DISCUSSION: This study will provide evidence from a multi-site, randomized controlled trial for the efficacy of IIT-SIT in reducing dengue incidence. The trial will provide valuable information to estimate intervention efficacy for this novel vector control approach and guide plans for integration into national vector control programs in dengue-endemic settings.<br><br>TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05505682 . Registered on 16 August 2022. Retrospectively registered.},
}
@article {pmid36502993,
year = {2022},
author = {V Venkataravanappa, and Kodandaram, MH and Prasanna, HC and Reddy, MK and Reddy, CNL},
title = {Unraveling different begomoviruses, DNA satellites and cryptic species of Bemisia tabaci and their endosymbionts in vegetable ecosystem.},
journal = {Microbial pathogenesis},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {105892},
doi = {10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105892},
pmid = {36502993},
issn = {1096-1208},
abstract = {Bemisia tabaci species complex contains more than 46 cryptic species. It has emerged as an important pest causing significant yield loss in many cultivated crops. This pest is also a vector for more than 100 species of begomoviruses, that are a major threat for the cultivation of many crops in different regions of the world. The relation between cryptic species of the B. tabaci species complex and associated begomoviruses that infect different crops remains unclear. In the present study, four cryptic species (Asia I, China 3, Asia II 5 and Asia II-1) of B. tabaci and four associated endosymbionts (Arsenophonus, Cardinium, Rickettsia and Wolbachia) were identified in different vegetable crops. The vector-based PCR detection revealed five different begomoviruses such as okra enation leaf curl virus (OELCuV), tomato leaf curl Palampur virus (ToLCPalV), squash leaf curl China virus (SLCCNV), chilli leaf curl virus (ChiLCuV), and tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV). Of these begomoviruses, the maximum infection rate was observed (9.1%) for OELCuV, followed by 7.3% for ToLCNDV. The infection rate of the other three viruses (SLCCNV, ChiLCuV, ToLCPalV) ranged from 0.9 to 2.7% in cryptic species of B. tabaci. Further, each cryptic species was infected with multiple virus species and the virus infection rate of Asia I, Asia II-5, China 3 and Asia II-1 was 21.2%, 15.1%, 15.1% and 0.6% respectively. Similarly, in case of betasatellites the highest infection rate was 12% for ToLCBDB, followed by 6% for OLCuB and PaLCB. With regard to alphasatellites, the highest infection rate was 18.2% for AEV and 3% for CLCuMuA. This study demonstrates the distribution of cryptic species of whitefly and their endosymbionts, and associated begomoviruses and DNA satellites in vegetable ecosystem. We believe that the information generated here is useful for evolving an effective pest management strategies for vegetable production.},
}
@article {pmid36476840,
year = {2022},
author = {Nakabachi, A and Inoue, H and Hirose, Y},
title = {High-resolution Microbiome Analyses of Nine Psyllid Species of the Family Triozidae Identified Previously Unrecognized but Major Bacterial Populations, including Liberibacter and Wolbachia of Supergroup O.},
journal = {Microbes and environments},
volume = {37},
number = {4},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1264/jsme2.ME22078},
pmid = {36476840},
issn = {1347-4405},
abstract = {Psyllids (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea) are plant sap-sucking insects that include important agricultural pests. To obtain insights into the ecological and evolutionary behaviors of microbes, including plant pathogens, in Psylloidea, high-resolution ana-lyses of the microbiomes of nine psyllid species belonging to the family Triozidae were performed using high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Analyses identified various bacterial populations, showing that all nine psyllids have at least one secondary symbiont, along with the primary symbiont "Candidatus Carsonella ruddii" (Gammaproteobacteria: Oceanospirillales: Halomonadaceae). The majority of the secondary symbionts were gammaproteobacteria, particularly those of the order Enterobacterales, which included Arsenophonus and Serratia symbiotica, a bacterium formerly recognized only as a secondary symbiont of aphids (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aphidoidea). The non-Enterobacterales gammaproteobacteria identified in the present study were Diplorickettsia (Diplorickettsiales: Diplorickettsiaceae), a potential human pathogen, and Carnimonas (Oceanospirillales: Halomonadaceae), a lineage detected for the first time in Psylloidea. Regarding alphaproteobacteria, the potential plant pathogen "Ca. Liberibacter europaeus" (Rhizobiales: Rhizobiaceae) was detected for the first time in Epitrioza yasumatsui, which feeds on the Japanese silverberry Elaeagnus umbellata (Elaeagnaceae), an aggressive invasive plant in the United States and Europe. Besides the detection of Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) of supergroup B in three psyllid species, a lineage belonging to supergroup O was identified for the first time in Psylloidea. These results suggest the rampant transfer of bacterial symbionts among animals and plants, thereby providing deeper insights into the evolution of interkingdom interactions among multicellular organisms and bacteria, which will facilitate the control of pest psyllids.},
}
@article {pmid36467729,
year = {2022},
author = {Fordjour, FA and Kwarteng, A},
title = {The filarial and the antibiotics: Single or combination therapy using antibiotics for filariasis.},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {1044412},
pmid = {36467729},
issn = {2235-2988},
mesh = {Humans ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; *Filariasis/drug therapy ; *Nematode Infections ; Combined Modality Therapy ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Filarial infections caused by nematodes are one of the major neglected tropical diseases with public health concern. Although there is significant decrease in microfilariae (mf) prevalence following mass drug administration (IVM/DEC/ALB administration), this is transient, in that there is reported microfilaria repopulation 6-12 months after treatment. Wolbachia bacteria have been recommended as a novel target presenting antibiotic-based treatment for filarial disease. Potency of antibiotics against filarial diseases is undoubtful, however, the duration for treatment remains a hurdle yet to be overcome in filarial disease treatment.},
}
@article {pmid36467722,
year = {2022},
author = {Hodosi, R and Kazimirova, M and Soltys, K},
title = {What do we know about the microbiome of I. ricinus?.},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {990889},
pmid = {36467722},
issn = {2235-2988},
mesh = {Animals ; *Ixodes ; *Microbiota ; Coxiella ; Symbiosis ; *Rickettsia ; *Francisella tularensis ; },
abstract = {I. ricinus is an obligate hematophagous parasitic arthropod that is responsible for the transmission of a wide range of zoonotic pathogens including spirochetes of the genus Borrelia, Rickettsia spp., C. burnetii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Francisella tularensis, which are part the tick´s microbiome. Most of the studies focus on "pathogens" and only very few elucidate the role of "non-pathogenic" symbiotic microorganisms in I. ricinus. While most of the members of the microbiome are leading an intracellular lifestyle, they are able to complement tick´s nutrition and stress response having a great impact on tick´s survival and transmission of pathogens. The composition of the tick´s microbiome is not consistent and can be tied to the environment, tick species, developmental stage, or specific organ or tissue. Ovarian tissue harbors a stable microbiome consisting mainly but not exclusively of endosymbiotic bacteria, while the microbiome of the digestive system is rather unstable, and together with salivary glands, is mostly comprised of pathogens. The most prevalent endosymbionts found in ticks are Rickettsia spp., Ricketsiella spp., Coxiella-like and Francisella-like endosymbionts, Spiroplasma spp. and Candidatus Midichloria spp. Since microorganisms can modify ticks' behavior, such as mobility, feeding or saliva production, which results in increased survival rates, we aimed to elucidate the potential, tight relationship, and interaction between bacteria of the I. ricinus microbiome. Here we show that endosymbionts including Coxiella-like spp., can provide I. ricinus with different types of vitamin B (B2, B6, B7, B9) essential for eukaryotic organisms. Furthermore, we hypothesize that survival of Wolbachia spp., or the bacterial pathogen A. phagocytophilum can be supported by the tick itself since coinfection with symbiotic Spiroplasma ixodetis provides I. ricinus with complete metabolic pathway of folate biosynthesis necessary for DNA synthesis and cell division. Manipulation of tick´s endosymbiotic microbiome could present a perspective way of I. ricinus control and regulation of spread of emerging bacterial pathogens.},
}
@article {pmid36466669,
year = {2022},
author = {El Hamss, H and Maruthi, MN and Ally, HM and Omongo, CA and Wang, HL and van Brunschot, S and Colvin, J and Delatte, H},
title = {Spatio-temporal changes in endosymbiont diversity and composition in the African cassava whitefly, Bemisia tabaci SSA1.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {986226},
pmid = {36466669},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Sap-sucking insects, including whiteflies, are amongst the most devastating and widely distributed organisms on the planet. They are often highly invasive and endosymbiont communities within these insects help them adapt to new or changing environments. Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius; Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) whitefly species are vectors of more than 500 known plant-viruses and harbour highly diverse endosymbionts communities. To date, however, whitefly-endosymbiont interactions, community structure and their spatio-temporal changes are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the spatio-temporal changes in the composition and diversity of bacterial endosymbionts in the agricultural crop pest whitefly species, Bemisia tabaci sub-Saharan Africa 1-subgroup 1 and 2 (SSA1-SG1 and SSA1-SG2). 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing analysis was carried out to characterise endosymbiont compositionsin field-collected SSA1 (SSA1-SG1 and SSA1-SG2) populations infesting cassava in Uganda in 1997 and 2017. We detected Portiera, Arsenophonus, Wolbachia, Hamiltonella and Hemipteriphilus, with Arsenophonus and Wolbachia infections being predominant. Hemipteriphilus and Hamiltonella frequencies were very low and were detected in seven and two samples, respectively. Bacterial diversity based on three independent parameters including Simpson index, number of haplotypes and Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrix was significantly higher in 1997 than in 2017. This period also coincided with the advent of super-abundant cassava-whitefly populations on cassava crops in Uganda. We discuss how endosymbionts may influence the biology and behaviour of whiteflies leading to population explosions.},
}
@article {pmid36460676,
year = {2022},
author = {Ogunlade, ST and Adekunle, AI and McBryde, ES and Meehan, MT},
title = {Modelling the ecological dynamics of mosquito populations with multiple co-circulating Wolbachia strains.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {20826},
pmid = {36460676},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; *Wolbachia ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Aedes ; Body Temperature Regulation ; Climate Change ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia intracellular bacteria successfully reduce the transmissibility of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) when introduced into virus-carrying vectors such as mosquitoes. Despite the progress made by introducing Wolbachia bacteria into the Aedes aegypti wild-type population to control arboviral infections, reports suggest that heat-induced loss-of-Wolbachia-infection as a result of climate change may reverse these gains. Novel, supplemental Wolbachia strains that are more resilient to increased temperatures may circumvent these concerns, and could potentially act synergistically with existing variants. In this article, we model the ecological dynamics among three distinct mosquito (sub)populations: a wild-type population free of any Wolbachia infection; an invading population infected with a particular Wolbachia strain; and a second invading population infected with a distinct Wolbachia strain from that of the first invader. We explore how the range of possible characteristics of each Wolbachia strain impacts mosquito prevalence. Further, we analyse the differential system governing the mosquito populations and the Wolbachia infection dynamics by computing the full set of basic and invasive reproduction numbers and use these to establish stability of identified equilibria. Our results show that releasing mosquitoes with two different strains of Wolbachia did not increase their prevalence, compared with a single-strain Wolbachia-infected mosquito introduction and only delayed Wolbachia dominance.},
}
@article {pmid36450768,
year = {2022},
author = {Lucati, F and Delacour, S and Palmer, JRB and Caner, J and Oltra, A and Paredes-Esquivel, C and Mariani, S and Escartin, S and Roiz, D and Collantes, F and Bengoa, M and Montalvo, T and Delgado, JA and Eritja, R and Lucientes, J and Albó Timor, A and Bartumeus, F and Ventura, M},
title = {Multiple invasions, Wolbachia and human-aided transport drive the genetic variability of Aedes albopictus in the Iberian Peninsula.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {20682},
pmid = {36450768},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; *Aedes/genetics ; Bayes Theorem ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics ; Disease Vectors ; Hydrolases ; },
abstract = {The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is one of the most invasive species in the world. Native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, over the past 30 years it has rapidly spread throughout tropical and temperate regions of the world. Its dramatic expansion has resulted in public health concerns as a consequence of its vector competence for at least 16 viruses. Previous studies showed that Ae. albopictus spread has been facilitated by human-mediated transportation, but much remains unknown about how this has affected its genetic attributes. Here we examined the factors that contributed to shaping the current genetic constitution of Ae. albopictus in the Iberian Peninsula, where the species was first found in 2004, by combining population genetics and Bayesian modelling. We found that both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers showed a lack of genetic structure and the presence of worldwide dominant haplotypes, suggesting regular introductions from abroad. Mitochondrial DNA showed little genetic diversity compared to nuclear DNA, likely explained by infection with maternally transmitted bacteria of the genus Wolbachia. Multilevel models revealed that greater mosquito fluxes (estimated from commuting patterns and tiger mosquito population distribution) and spatial proximity between sampling sites were associated with lower nuclear genetic distance, suggesting that rapid short- and medium-distance dispersal is facilitated by humans through vehicular traffic. This study highlights the significant role of human transportation in shaping the genetic attributes of Ae. albopictus and promoting regional gene flow, and underscores the need for a territorially integrated surveillance across scales of this disease-carrying mosquito.},
}
@article {pmid36447246,
year = {2022},
author = {Dieng, MM and Augustinos, AA and Demirbas-Uzel, G and Doudoumis, V and Parker, AG and Tsiamis, G and Mach, RL and Bourtzis, K and Abd-Alla, AMM},
title = {Interactions between Glossina pallidipes salivary gland hypertrophy virus and tsetse endosymbionts in wild tsetse populations.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {447},
pmid = {36447246},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {Animals ; Cytomegalovirus ; *Tsetse Flies ; *Coinfection ; *Glossinidae ; Hypertrophy ; *Infertility ; Salivary Glands ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Tsetse control is considered an effective and sustainable tactic for the control of cyclically transmitted trypanosomosis in the absence of effective vaccines and inexpensive, effective drugs. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is currently used to eliminate tsetse fly populations in an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) context in Senegal. For SIT, tsetse mass rearing is a major milestone that associated microbes can influence. Tsetse flies can be infected with microorganisms, including the primary and obligate Wigglesworthia glossinidia, the commensal Sodalis glossinidius, and Wolbachia pipientis. In addition, tsetse populations often carry a pathogenic DNA virus, the Glossina pallidipes salivary gland hypertrophy virus (GpSGHV) that hinders tsetse fertility and fecundity. Interactions between symbionts and pathogens might affect the performance of the insect host.<br><br>METHODS: In the present study, we assessed associations of GpSGHV and tsetse endosymbionts under field conditions to decipher the possible bidirectional interactions in different Glossina species. We determined the co-infection pattern of GpSGHV and Wolbachia in natural tsetse populations. We further analyzed the interaction of both Wolbachia and GpSGHV infections with Sodalis and Wigglesworthia density using qPCR.<br><br>RESULTS: The results indicated that the co-infection of GpSGHV and Wolbachia was most prevalent in Glossina austeni and Glossina morsitans morsitans, with an explicit significant negative correlation between GpSGHV and Wigglesworthia density. GpSGHV infection levels > 10[3.31] seem to be absent when Wolbachia infection is present at high density (>&#x2009;10[7.36]), suggesting a potential protective role of Wolbachia against GpSGHV.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The result indicates that Wolbachia infection might interact (with an undefined mechanism) antagonistically with SGHV infection protecting tsetse fly against GpSGHV, and the interactions between the tsetse host and its associated microbes are dynamic and likely species specific; significant differences may exist between laboratory and field conditions.},
}
@article {pmid36445499,
year = {2022},
author = {Ramirez, P and Leavitt, JC and Gill, JJ and Mateos, M},
title = {Preliminary Characterization of Phage-Like Particles from the Male-Killing Mollicute Spiroplasma poulsonii (an Endosymbiont of Drosophila).},
journal = {Current microbiology},
volume = {80},
number = {1},
pages = {6},
pmid = {36445499},
issn = {1432-0991},
mesh = {Male ; Animals ; Drosophila ; *Bacteriophages/genetics ; Drosophila melanogaster ; *Spiroplasma/genetics ; },
abstract = {Bacteriophages are vastly abundant, diverse, and influential, but with few exceptions (e.g. the Proteobacteria genera Wolbachia and Hamiltonella), the role of phages in heritable bacteria-arthropod interactions, which are ubiquitous and diverse, remains largely unexplored. Despite prior studies documenting phage-like particles in the mollicute Spiroplasma associated with Drosophila flies, genomic sequences of such phage are lacking, and their effects on the Spiroplasma-Drosophila interaction have not been comprehensively characterized. We used a density step gradient to isolate phage-like particles from the male-killing bacterium Spiroplasma poulsonii (strains NSRO and MSRO-Br) harbored by Drosophila melanogaster. Isolated particles were subjected to DNA sequencing, assembly, and annotation. Several lines of evidence suggest that we recovered phage-like particles of similar features (shape, size, DNA content) to those previously reported in Drosophila-associated Spiroplasma strains. We recovered three ~ 19 kb phage-like contigs (two in NSRO and one in MSRO-Br) containing 21-24 open reading frames, a read-alignment pattern consistent with circular permutation, and terminal redundancy (at least in NSRO). Although our results do not allow us to distinguish whether these phage-like contigs represent infective phage-like particles capable of transmitting their DNA to new hosts, their encoding of several typical phage genes suggests that they are at least remnants of functional phage. We also recovered two smaller non-phage-like contigs encoding a known Spiroplasma toxin (Ribosome Inactivating Protein; RIP), and an insertion element, suggesting that they are packaged into particles. Substantial homology of our particle-derived contigs was found in the genome assemblies of members of the Spiroplasma poulsonii clade.},
}
@article {pmid36434644,
year = {2022},
author = {Vlaschenko, A and Răileanu, C and Tauchmann, O and Muzyka, D and Bohodist, V and Filatov, S and Rodenko, O and Tovstukha, I and Silaghi, C},
title = {First data on bacteria associated with bat ectoparasites collected in Kharkiv oblast, Northeastern Ukraine.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {443},
pmid = {36434644},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Ukraine/epidemiology ; *Argas/genetics ; *Bartonella/genetics ; Ehrlichia/genetics ; Anaplasma/genetics ; *Borrelia ; *Argasidae ; *Flea Infestations ; *Siphonaptera ; *Babesia/genetics ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) serve as natural reservoirs for many zoonotic pathogens worldwide, including vector-borne pathogens. However, bat-associated parasitic arthropods and their microbiota are thus far not thoroughly described in many regions across the globe, nor is their role in the spillover of pathogens to other vertebrate species well understood. Basic epidemiological research is needed to disentangle the complex ecological interactions among bats, their specific ectoparasites and microorganisms they harbor. Some countries, such as Ukraine, are particularly data-deficient in this respect as the ectoparasitic fauna is poorly documented there and has never been screened for the presence of medically important microorganisms. Therefore, the aims of this study were to provide first data on this topic.<br><br>METHODS: A total of 239 arthropod specimens were collected from bats. They belonged to several major groups of external parasites, including soft ticks, fleas, and nycteribiid flies from six chiropteran species in Northeastern Ukraine. The ectoparasites were individually screened for the presence of DNA of Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp., Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., and Babesia spp. with conventional PCRs. Positive samples were amplified at several loci, sequenced for species identification, and subjected to phylogenetic analysis.<br><br>RESULTS: Rickettsia DNA was detected exclusively in specimens of the soft tick, Carios vespertilionis (7 out of 43 or 16.3%). Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed high similarity to sequences from Rickettsia parkeri and several other Rickettsia species. Bacteria from the family Anaplasmataceae were detected in all groups of the ectoparasites (51%, 122/239 samples), belonging to the genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Wolbachia. The detection of Bartonella spp. was successful only in fleas (Nycteridopsylla eusarca) and bat flies (Nycteribia koleantii, N. pedicularia), representing 12.1% (29/239) of the collected ectoparasites. No DNA of Babesia or Borrelia species was identified in the samples.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We report for the first time in Ukraine the molecular detection of several bacterial agents in bat ectoparasites collected from six species of bats. The data presented extend the knowledge on the distribution of ectoparasite species in bats and their involvement in potentially circulating agents pathogenic for humans and vertebrate animals.},
}
@article {pmid36425974,
year = {2022},
author = {Song, SL and Yong, HS and Chua, KO and Lim, PE and Eamsobhana, P},
title = {Data set on the diversity and core members of bacterial community associated with two specialist fruit flies Bactrocera melastomatos and B. umbrosa (Insecta, Tephritidae).},
journal = {Data in brief},
volume = {45},
number = {},
pages = {108727},
pmid = {36425974},
issn = {2352-3409},
abstract = {Bactrocera melastomatos Drew &amp; Hancock and Bactrocera umbrosa (Fabricius) are fruit flies of the subfamily Dacinae under the family Tephritidae [1]. B. melastomatos occurs in India (Andaman Island), Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java) [1] while B. umbrosa is distributed from southern Thailand and Malaysia to New Guinea and New Caledonia [2]. The adult male flies of B. melastomatos are attracted to Cue lure while the adult male flies of B. umbrosa are attracted to methyl eugenol [3]. Fruit flies of Bactrocera melastomatos infest Melastomataceae while those of B. umbrosa infest Moraceae. We compare the diversity of microbiota associated with the wild adult males of these two specialist fruit flies infesting different families of host plants. Targeted 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 region) was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Six bacterial phyla (Actinobacteria, Armatimonadetes, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria/Melainabacteria group, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria) were detected at 97% similarity clustering and 0.001% abundance filtering. Four phyla (Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria) were present in all the specimens studied. Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum in both B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa. Enterobacteriaceae was the predominant family in UM B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa, and Orbaceae was the predominant family in Awana B. melastomatos. Klebsiella was the predominant genus in B. umbrosa, Citrobacter in UM B. melastomatos, and Orbus in Awana B. melastomatos. Double Wolbachia infections were present in UM B. melastomatos. In general, the bacterial diversity and richness varied within and between the samples of B. melastomatos and B. umbrosa.},
}
@article {pmid36425043,
year = {2022},
author = {Nishide, Y and Sugimoto, TN and Watanabe, K and Egami, H and Kageyama, D},
title = {Genetic variations and microbiome of the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {1031535},
pmid = {36425043},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {The poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae poses a significant threat to the health of hens and poultry production. A comprehensive understanding of D. gallinae is necessary to develop sustainable and efficacious control methods. Here we examined 144 D. gallinae collected from 18 poultry farms throughout the Japanese Archipelago for their genetic variations based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences, and microbiome variations based on amplicon sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. According to COI sequencing, the Japanese samples were categorized into three haplogroups, which did not reflect the geographical distribution. Microbiome analyses found that the major bacteria associated with D. gallinae were Bartonella, Cardinium, Wolbachia, and Tsukamurella, with Bartonella being most predominant. Among 144 individual mites, all possessed one of the two major types of Bartonella (Bartonella sp. A), while 140 mites possessed the other type (Bartonella sp. B). The presence of the two strains of Bartonella was also confirmed by a single copy gene, rpoB. The presence of Bartonella in laid eggs suggested transovarial vertical transmission. Given that obligate blood-feeding arthropods generally require a supply of B vitamins from symbiotic bacteria, Bartonella may play an important role in mite survival. Rickettsiella, a major symbiont in European D. gallinae populations, and suggested to be an important symbiont by genomic data, was rarely found in Japanese populations. Cardinium detected from D. gallinae fell into a major clade found widely in arthropods, whereas Wolbachia detected in Japanese D. gallinae appear to be a new lineage, located at the base of Wolbachia phylogeny. Of the mitochondrial phylogeny, infection patterns of Cardinium and Wolbachia were strongly correlated, possibly suggesting one or both of the symbionts induce reproductive manipulations and increase spread in the host populations.},
}
@article {pmid36417831,
year = {2022},
author = {Power, RI and Šlapeta, J},
title = {Exploration of the sensitivity to macrocyclic lactones in the canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) in Australia using phenotypic and genotypic approaches.},
journal = {International journal for parasitology. Drugs and drug resistance},
volume = {20},
number = {},
pages = {145-158},
doi = {10.1016/j.ijpddr.2022.11.003},
pmid = {36417831},
issn = {2211-3207},
abstract = {Canine heartworm disease is a potentially deadly cardiopulmonary disease caused by the mosquito-borne filarial nematode Dirofilaria immitis. In Australia, the administration of macrocyclic lactone (ML) drugs has successfully reduced the prevalence of D. immitis infection. However, the recent re-emergence of D. immitis in dogs in Queensland, Australia and the identification of ML-resistant isolates in the USA poses an important question of whether ML-resistance has emerged in this parasite in Australia. The aim of this study was to utilise phenotypic and genotypic approaches to examine the sensitivity to ML drugs in D. immitis in Australia. To do this, we surveyed 45 dogs from Queensland and New South Wales across 3 years (2019-2022) for the presence of D. immitis infection using an antigen test, quantitative Modified Knott's test, and qPCR targeting both D. immitis and the D. immitis symbiont Wolbachia. A phenotype observed by utilising sequential quantification of microfilariae for 23/45 dogs was coupled with genetic testing of filtered microfilariae for SNPs previously associated with ML-resistance in isolates from the USA. Sixteen (16/45) dogs tested positive for D. immitis infection despite reportedly receiving 'rigorous' heartworm prevention for 12 months prior to the study, according to the owners' assessment. The phenotype and genotypic assays in this study did not unequivocally demonstrate the presence of ML-resistant D. immitis in Australia. Although the failure of 16 dogs to reduce microfilaremia by >90% after ML treatment was considered a suspect phenotype of ML-resistance, no genotypic evidence was discovered using the genetic SNP analysis. The traditional quantitative Modified Knott's test can be substituted by qPCR targeting D. immitis or associated Wolbachia endosymbiont DNA for a more rapid measurement of microfilariae levels. More definitive phenotypic evidence of resistance is critically needed before the usefulness of SNPs for the detection of ML-resistance in Australia can be properly assessed.},
}
@article {pmid36401143,
year = {2022},
author = {Koç, N and Nalbantoğlu, S},
title = {Microbiome comparison of Dermanyssus gallinae populations from different farm rearing systems and the presence of common endosymbiotic bacteria at developmental stages.},
journal = {Parasitology research},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {36401143},
issn = {1432-1955},
abstract = {The hematophagous arthropod, Dermanyssus gallinae (Poultry red mite, PRM) can cause remarkable economic losses in the poultry industry across the globe. Although overall composition of endosymbiotic bacteria has been shown in previous studies, how farm habitats influence the microbiome remains unclear. In the present study, we compared the bacterial communities of D. gallinae populations collected from the cage and free-range farms using next-generation sequences targeting the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. The QIIME2 pipeline was followed in bioinformatic analyses. Proteobacteria represented a great majority of the total bacterial community of D. gallinae from both farming systems. More specifically, Bartonella-like bacteria (40.8%) and Candidatus Cardinium (21.5%) were found to be predominant genera in free-range and cage rearing systems, respectively. However, the microbiome variation based on farming systems was not statistically significant. In addition, the presence of the five common endosymbiotic bacteria (Wolbachia, Cardinium, Rickettsiella, Spiroplasma, and Schineria) was screened in different developmental stages of D. gallinae. Cardinium was detected in all developmental stages of D. gallinae. On the other hand, Wolbachia and Rickettsiella were only found in adults/nymphs, but neither in the eggs nor larvae. To our knowledge, this study provides the first microbiome comparison at genus-level in D. gallinae populations collected from different farm habitats and will contribute to the knowledge of the biology of D. gallinae.},
}
@article {pmid36400975,
year = {2022},
author = {Shaikevich, E and Romanov, D},
title = {Symbiotic Wolbachia bacteria in coccinellid parasitoids: genetic diversity, horizontal transfer, and recombination.},
journal = {International microbiology : the official journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {36400975},
issn = {1618-1905},
abstract = {Parasitoids, which constitute about 25% of all insects and attack arthropods of virtually all taxa, are considered the most suitable vectors for horizontal transmission of the symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia among insects. The parasitoids studied in this article develop in the larvae and pupae of ladybirds. For the first time, Wolbachia was found in parasitic wasp species of the genus Homalotylus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and from the subfamily Tetrastichinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). To characterize the Wolbachia strains, six bacterial housekeeping genes were examined and compared with previously published Wolbachia gene sequences. The same bacterial strains were found in all individuals of each species of parasitic wasps collected in different places and at different times, which indicates the absence of contamination and testifies to the heritability of the symbionts in the studied chalcids. No evidence was found that the parasitic wasps were infected with Wolbachia, identical to the symbionts of their ladybirds hosts. We found one Wolbachia strain, wHom-2, which is a product of bacterial recombination from unrelated insects, including ladybirds. The lack of correspondence between the molecular phylogenies of Wolbachia strains and mitochondrial DNA of their hosts indicates horizontal transfers of Wolbachia among parasitic wasps of the genus Homalotylus and from the subfamily Tetrastichinae.},
}
@article {pmid36387058,
year = {2022},
author = {Ugbe, FA and Shallangwa, GA and Uzairu, A and Abdulkadir, I},
title = {Molecular docking-based virtual screening, molecular dynamic simulation, and 3-D QSAR modeling of some pyrazolopyrimidine analogs as potent anti-filarial agents.},
journal = {In silico pharmacology},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {21},
pmid = {36387058},
issn = {2193-9616},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis are common filarial diseases caused by filarial worms, which co-habit symbiotically with the Wolbachia organism. One good treatment method seeks Wolbachia as a drug target. Here, a computer-aided molecular docking screening and 3-D QSAR modeling were conducted on a series of Fifty-two (52) pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives against four Wolbachia receptors, including a pharmacokinetics study and Molecular Dynamic (MD) investigation, to find a more potent anti-filarial drug. The DFT approach (B3LYP with 6-31G** option) was used for the structural optimization. Five ligand-protein interaction pairs with the highest binding affinities were identified in the order; 23_7ESX (-10.2 kcal/mol) > 14_6EEZ (- 9.0) > 29_3F4R (- 8.0) > 26_6W9O (- 7.7) ≈ doxycycline_7ESX (- 7.7), with good pharmacological interaction profiles. The built 3-D QSAR model satisfied the requirement of a good model with R[2] = 0.9425, Q[2] LOO = 0.5019, SDEC = 0.1446, and F test = 98.282. The selected molecules (14, 23, 26, and 29) perfectly obeyed Lipinski's RO5 for oral bio-availability, and showed excellent ADMET properties, except 14 with positive AMES toxicity. The result of the MD simulation showed the great stability associated with the binding of 23 onto 7ESX's binding pocket with an estimated binding free energy (MM/GBSA) of - 60.6552 kcal/mol. Therefore, 23 could be recommended as a potential anti-filarial drug molecule, and/or template for the design of more prominent inhibitors.<br><br>SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-022-00136-y.},
}
@article {pmid36376299,
year = {2022},
author = {Katsuma, S and Hirota, K and Matsuda-Imai, N and Fukui, T and Muro, T and Nishino, K and Kosako, H and Shoji, K and Takanashi, H and Fujii, T and Arimura, SI and Kiuchi, T},
title = {A Wolbachia factor for male killing in lepidopteran insects.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {6764},
pmid = {36376299},
issn = {2041-1723},
mesh = {Male ; Animals ; *Wolbachia/metabolism ; *Bombyx/genetics/metabolism ; *Moths/microbiology ; Dosage Compensation, Genetic ; Insect Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; },
abstract = {Bacterial symbionts, such as Wolbachia species, can manipulate the sexual development and reproduction of their insect hosts. For example, Wolbachia infection induces male-specific death in the Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis by targeting the host factor Masculinizer (Masc), an essential protein for masculinization and dosage compensation in lepidopteran insects. Here we identify a Wolbachia protein, designated Oscar, which interacts with Masc via its ankyrin repeats. Embryonic expression of Oscar inhibits Masc-induced masculinization and leads to male killing in two lepidopteran insects, O. furnacalis and the silkworm Bombyx mori. Our study identifies a mechanism by which Wolbachia induce male killing of host progeny.},
}
@article {pmid36374939,
year = {2022},
author = {Lozano, S and Pritts, K and Duguma, D and Fredregill, C and Connelly, R},
title = {Independent evaluation of Wolbachia infected male mosquito releases for control of Aedes aegypti in Harris County, Texas, using a Bayesian abundance estimator.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {11},
pages = {e0010907},
pmid = {36374939},
issn = {1935-2735},
support = {U01 CK000512/CK/NCEZID CDC HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Male ; *Aedes/microbiology ; Bayes Theorem ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Pest Control, Biological ; Texas ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Among disease vectors, Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is one of the most insidious species in the world. The disease burden created by this species has dramatically increased in the past 50 years, and during this time countries have relied on pesticides for control and prevention of viruses borne by Ae. aegypti. The small number of available insecticides with different modes of action had led to increases in insecticide resistance, thus, strategies, like the "Incompatible Insect Technique" using Wolbachia's cytoplasmic incompatibility are desirable. We evaluated the effect of releases of Wolbachia infected Ae. aegypti males on populations of wild Ae. aegypti in the metropolitan area of Houston, TX. Releases were conducted by the company MosquitoMate, Inc. To estimate mosquito population reduction, we used a mosquito abundance Bayesian hierarchical estimator that accounted for inefficient trapping. MosquitoMate previously reported a reduction of 78% for an intervention conducted in Miami, FL. In this experiment we found a reduction of 93% with 95% credibility intervals of 86% and 96% after six weeks of continual releases. A similar result was reported by Verily Life Sciences, 96% [94%, 97%], in releases made in Fresno, CA.},
}
@article {pmid36367854,
year = {2022},
author = {Lau, MJ and Ross, PA and Endersby-Harshman, NM and Yang, Q and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {Wolbachia inhibits ovarian formation and increases blood feeding rate in female Aedes aegypti.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {11},
pages = {e0010913},
pmid = {36367854},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {Animals ; Female ; *Aedes/physiology ; Infertility ; Larva ; *Ovary/microbiology ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia, a gram-negative endosymbiotic bacterium widespread in arthropods, is well-known for changing the reproduction of its host in ways that increase its rate of spread, but there are also costs to hosts that can reduce this. Here we investigated a novel reproductive alteration of Wolbachia wAlbB on its host Aedes aegypti, using studies on mosquito life history traits, ovarian dissection, as well as gene expression assays. We found that an extended period of the larval stage as well as the egg stage (as previously shown) can increase the proportion of Wolbachia-infected females that become infertile; an effect which was not observed in uninfected females. Infertile females had incomplete ovarian formation and also showed a higher frequency of blood feeding following a prior blood meal, indicating that they do not enter a complete gonotrophic cycle. Treatments leading to infertility also decreased the expression of genes related to reproduction, especially the vitellogenin receptor gene whose product regulates the uptake of vitellogenin (Vg) into ovaries. Our results demonstrate effects associated with the development of infertility in wAlbB-infected Ae. aegypti females with implications for Wolbachia releases. The results also have implications for the evolution of Wolbachia infections in novel hosts.},
}
@article {pmid36367848,
year = {2022},
author = {Lwin, MO and Ong, Z and Panchapakesan, C and Sheldenkar, A and Soh, LT and Chen, I and Li, X and Niah, W and Vasquez, K and Sim, S and Ng, LC},
title = {Influence of public hesitancy and receptivity on reactive behaviours towards releases of male Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes for dengue control.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {11},
pages = {e0010910},
pmid = {36367848},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {Animals ; Male ; Humans ; *Wolbachia ; *Aedes ; *Dengue/prevention &amp; control ; *Insect Bites and Stings ; Mosquito Vectors ; },
abstract = {Singapore, a highly urbanized Asian tropical country that experiences periodic dengue outbreaks, is piloting field releases of male Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with the aim of suppressing urban populations of the primary dengue vector Aedes aegypti. This study proposes and assesses a model to explain the roles of hesitancy and receptivity towards Project Wolbachia-Singapore in influencing reactive mosquito prevention behaviors (reactive behaviors) towards the release of Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes for residents living in the release sites. Interestingly, both hesitancy and receptivity predicted greater instances of reactive behaviors. The model also examines the roles of general knowledge about Wolbachia technology, perceived severity of mosquito bites, perceived density of mosquitoes, and social responsibility as predictors of hesitancy, receptivity, and reactive behaviors towards the release of Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes. Hesitancy towards the project mediated the effects of general knowledge, perceived severity of mosquito bites, and perceived density of mosquitoes on reactive behaviors towards the releases, although receptivity towards the project did not. Having less knowledge about Project Wolbachia-Singapore was associated with higher hesitancy towards the project and higher likelihood of performing reactive behaviors towards the releases. Individuals who perceive mosquito bites to be more severe and think that there are more mosquitoes in their living environments were also more likely to be hesitant about the project and practice reactive behaviors. However, both hesitancy and receptivity towards the project mediated the effect of social responsibility on reactive behaviors. Receptivity towards the project was driven by social responsibility, which was also associated with reduced hesitancy towards the project. Our findings suggest that, to address the hesitancy reported by a minority of participants, future outreach efforts should focus on strengthening the public's sense of social responsibility and on tailored education campaigns targeting groups with low levels of knowledge of the project.},
}
@article {pmid36360289,
year = {2022},
author = {da Silva, H and Oliveira, TMP and Sallum, MAM},
title = {Bacterial Community Diversity and Bacterial Interaction Network in Eight Mosquito Species.},
journal = {Genes},
volume = {13},
number = {11},
pages = {},
pmid = {36360289},
issn = {2073-4425},
mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Brazil ; *Culicidae/genetics ; Bacteria/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; *Microbiota/genetics ; *Mercury ; },
abstract = {Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are found widely throughout the world. Several species can transmit pathogens to humans and other vertebrates. Mosquitoes harbor great amounts of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The bacterial composition of the microbiota of these invertebrates is associated with several factors, such as larval habitat, environment, and species. Yet little is known about bacterial interaction networks in mosquitoes. This study investigates the bacterial communities of eight species of Culicidae collected in Vale do Ribeira (Southeastern São Paulo State) and verifies the bacterial interaction network in these species. Sequences of the 16S rRNA region from 111 mosquito samples were analyzed. Bacterial interaction networks were generated from Spearman correlation values. Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum in all species. Wolbachia was the predominant genus in Haemagogus leucocelaenus. Aedes scapularis, Aedes serratus, Psorophora ferox, and Haemagogus capricornii were the species that showed a greater number of bacterial interactions. Bacterial positive interactions were found in all mosquito species, whereas negative correlations were observed in Hg. leucocelaenus, Ae. scapularis, Ae. serratus, Ps. ferox, and Hg. capricornii. All bacterial interactions with Asaia and Wolbachia were negative in Aedes mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid36352207,
year = {2022},
author = {Ueda, M and Arai, H and Masaike, K and Nakai, M and Inoue, MN},
title = {Distinct effects of three Wolbachia strains on fitness and immune traits in Homona magnanima.},
journal = {Heredity},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {36352207},
issn = {1365-2540},
abstract = {The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia occasionally increases host fitness or manipulates host reproductions to enhance vertical transmission. Multiple Wolbachia strains can coinfect the same host individual, which alters the density as well as phenotypes of the bacteria. However, the effects of Wolbachia coinfection on host fitness remain largely unknown. Here, we examined the effects of three phylogenetically distinct Wolbachia strains, wHm-a, wHm-b, and wHm-c, on host fitness by comparing non-infected, singly infected, and triply infected Homona magnanima lines within a fixed genetic background. By examining the effects of Wolbachia on host longevity, survivorship, and reproduction, we demonstrated that single infection with either wHm-b or wHm-c reduced host reproduction, but the triple infection led to the highest intrinsic growth rate. Susceptibility to the natural pathogens such as viruses and fungi was not different among the lines regardless of Wolbachia infection status. Cellular and humoral immunities were not affected by Wolbachia in females, whereas phenoloxidase activity was suppressed in males of all Wolbachia-infected lines, implying that it was a result of the mother's curse hypothesis or a strategy of Wolbachia to increase their horizontal transmission efficiency. Although how the host's genetic diversity affects the Wolbachia fitness effects is yet unknown, our findings indicated that the effects of Wolbachia are deeply influenced by infection status and that Wolbachia could change symbiotic strategy depending on host sex and transmission route.},
}
@article {pmid36343219,
year = {2022},
author = {Turelli, M and Katznelson, A and Ginsberg, PS},
title = {Why Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility is so common.},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
volume = {119},
number = {47},
pages = {e2211637119},
pmid = {36343219},
issn = {1091-6490},
support = {R01 GM104325/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Female ; Humans ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; Fertility ; Cytoplasm/metabolism ; Reproduction ; Selection, Genetic ; Symbiosis ; },
abstract = {Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is the most common reproductive manipulation produced by Wolbachia, obligately intracellular alphaproteobacteria that infect approximately half of all insect species. Once infection frequencies within host populations approach 10%, intense CI can drive Wolbachia to near fixation within 10 generations. However, natural selection among Wolbachia variants within individual host populations does not favor enhanced CI. Indeed, variants that do not cause CI but increase host fitness or are more reliably maternally transmitted are expected to spread if infected females remain protected from CI. Nevertheless, approximately half of analyzed Wolbachia infections cause detectable CI. Why? The frequency and persistence of CI are more plausibly explained by preferential spread to new host species (clade selection) rather than by natural selection among variants within host populations. CI-causing Wolbachia lineages preferentially spread into new host species because 1) CI increases equilibrium Wolbachia frequencies within host populations, and 2) CI-causing variants can remain at high frequencies within populations even when conditions change so that initially beneficial Wolbachia infections become harmful. An epidemiological model describing Wolbachia acquisition and loss by host species and the loss of CI-induction within Wolbachia lineages yields simple expressions for the incidence of Wolbachia infections and the fraction of those infections causing CI. Supporting a determinative role for differential interspecific spread in maintaining CI, many Wolbachia infections were recently acquired by their host species, many show evidence for contemporary spatial spread or retreat, and rapid evolution of CI-inducing loci, especially degradation, is common.},
}
@article {pmid36333754,
year = {2022},
author = {Cain, JL and Norris, JK and Ripley, NE and Suri, P and Finnerty, CA and Gravatte, HS and Nielsen, MK},
title = {The microbial community associated with Parascaris spp. infecting juvenile horses.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {408},
pmid = {36333754},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {Humans ; Horses ; Animals ; Female ; Male ; *Ascaridoidea/genetics ; *Ascaridida Infections/veterinary ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Horse Diseases/parasitology ; *Microbiota ; Feces/parasitology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Parasitic nematodes, including large roundworms colloquially known as ascarids, affect the health and well-being of livestock animals worldwide. The equine ascarids, Parascaris spp., are important parasites of juvenile horses and the first ascarids to develop widespread anthelmintic resistance. The microbiota has been shown to be an important factor in the fitness of many organisms, including parasitic nematodes, where endosymbiotic Wolbachia have been exploited for treatment of filariasis in humans.<br><br>METHODS: This study used short-read 16S rRNA sequences and Illumina sequencing to characterize and compare microbiota of whole worm small intestinal stages and microbiota of male and female intestines and gonads. Diversity metrics including alpha and beta diversity, and the differential abundance analyses DESeq2, ANCOM-BC, corncob, and metagenomeSeq were used for comparisons.<br><br>RESULTS: Alpha and beta diversity of whole worm microbiota did not differ significantly between groups, but Simpson alpha diversity was significantly different between female intestine (FI) and male gonad (MG) (P=&#x2009;0.0018), and Shannon alpha diversity was significantly different between female and male gonads (P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0130), FI and horse jejunum (HJ) (P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0383), and FI and MG (P=&#x2009;0.0001). Beta diversity (Fig.&#xa0;2B) was significantly different between female and male gonads (P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0006), male intestine (MI) and FG (P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0093), and MG and FI (P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0041). When comparing organs, Veillonella was differentially abundant for DESeq2 and ANCOM-BC (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001), corncob (P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0008), and metagenomeSeq (P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0118), and Sarcina was differentially abundant across four methods (P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001). Finally, the microbiota of all individual Parascaris spp. specimens were compared to establish shared microbiota between groups.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study provided important information regarding the Parascaris spp. microbiota and provides a first step towards determining whether the microbiota may be a viable target for future parasite control options.},
}
@article {pmid36318064,
year = {2022},
author = {Martinez, J and Ross, PA and Gu, X and Ant, TH and Murdochy, SM and Tong, L and da Silva Filipe, A and Hoffmann, AA and Sinkins, SP},
title = {Genomic and Phenotypic Comparisons Reveal Distinct Variants of Wolbachia Strain wAlbB.},
journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology},
volume = {88},
number = {22},
pages = {e0141222},
pmid = {36318064},
issn = {1098-5336},
support = {202888/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 108508/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; *Dengue Virus ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Aedes/microbiology ; *Dengue ; Genomics ; },
abstract = {The intracellular bacterium Wolbachia inhibits virus replication and is being harnessed around the world to fight mosquito-borne diseases through releases of mosquitoes carrying the symbiont. Wolbachia strains vary in their ability to invade mosquito populations and suppress viruses in part due to differences in their density within the insect and associated fitness costs. Using whole-genome sequencing, we demonstrate the existence of two variants in wAlbB, a Wolbachia strain being released in natural populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The two variants display striking differences in genome architecture and gene content. Differences in the presence/absence of 52 genes between variants include genes located in prophage regions and others potentially involved in controlling the symbiont's density. Importantly, we show that these genetic differences correlate with variation in wAlbB density and its tolerance to heat stress, suggesting that different wAlbB variants may be better suited for field deployment depending on local environmental conditions. Finally, we found that the wAlbB genome remained stable following its introduction in a Malaysian mosquito population. Our results highlight the need for further genomic and phenotypic characterization of Wolbachia strains in order to inform ongoing Wolbachia-based programs and improve the selection of optimal strains in future field interventions. IMPORTANCE Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes that threatens around half of the world population. Recent advances in dengue control involve the introduction of Wolbachia bacterial symbionts with antiviral properties into mosquito populations, which can lead to dramatic decreases in the incidence of the disease. In light of these promising results, there is a crucial need to better understand the factors affecting the success of such strategies, in particular the choice of Wolbachia strain for field releases and the potential for evolutionary changes. Here, we characterized two variants of a Wolbachia strain used for dengue control that differ at the genomic level and in their ability to replicate within the mosquito. We also found no evidence for the evolution of the symbiont within the 2 years following its deployment in Malaysia. Our results have implications for current and future Wolbachia-based health interventions.},
}
@article {pmid36317957,
year = {2022},
author = {Zhou, JC and Shang, D and Liu, SM and Zhang, C and Huo, LX and Zhang, LS and Dong, H},
title = {Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma dendrolimi is outcompeted by its uninfected counterpart in superparasitism but does not have developmental delay.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/ps.7269},
pmid = {36317957},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {201937/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 201941/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 201937/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 201941/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia infection increases the superparasitism frequency of Trichogramma females and provides an opportunity for horizontal intraspecific transmission. However, superparasitism may lead to interstrain competition between Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma offspring and their uninfected counterparts. This study investigated the outcome of interstrain intrinsic competition between Wolbachia-infected thelytokous strain (W) and uninfected bisexual strain (B) of Trichogramma dendrolimi. To determine the developmental rate of both strains, the sizes of immature stages of T. dendrolimi offspring at different times after parasitisation were measured in single parasitism and superparasitism conditions.<br><br>RESULTS: The results reflect increased superparasitism by Wolbachia-infected females compared with uninfected females. Trichogramma females did not discriminate between host eggs previously parasitised by either B or W females. When the first oviposition was performed by B females, the B offspring outcompeted W offspring deposited later. Although when W offspring was deposited 8&#xa0;h earlier than the B offspring, it gained no advantage over B offspring. Regardless of parasitism conditions, differences in the development rate between W and B offspring were not significant.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The results reconfirmed that W females presented a higher tendency for superparasitism than B females, and showed that B offspring outcompeted W offspring even when the latter was deposited 8&#xa0;h earlier. The inferiority of Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma compared with their uninfected counterparts is not due to the developmental delay. This study provides insights into the effects of intrinsic competition on the control efficacy of Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma against pests in biological control programs. &#xa9; 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}
@article {pmid36316689,
year = {2022},
author = {Manvell, C and Berman, H and Callahan, B and Breitschwerdt, E and Swain, W and Ferris, K and Maggi, R and Lashnits, E},
title = {Identification of microbial taxa present in Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea) reveals widespread co-infection and associations with vector phylogeny.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {398},
pmid = {36316689},
issn = {1756-3305},
support = {1T32GM133366/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; T32OD011130/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Cats ; *Bartonella/genetics ; Cat Diseases/parasitology ; *Coinfection ; *Ctenocephalides/microbiology ; Flea Infestations/epidemiology/veterinary ; Phylogeny ; *Rickettsia/genetics ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Ctenocephalides felis, the cat flea, is the most common ectoparasite of cats and dogs worldwide. As a cause of flea allergy dermatitis and a vector for two genera of zoonotic pathogens (Bartonella and Rickettsia spp.), the effect of the C. felis microbiome on pathogen transmission and vector survival is of substantial medical importance to both human and veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to assay the pathogenic and commensal eubacterial microbial communities of individual C. felis from multiple geographic locations and analyze these findings by location, qPCR pathogen prevalence, and flea genetic diversity.<br><br>METHODS: 16S Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) was utilized to sequence the microbiome of fleas collected from free-roaming cats, and the cox1 gene was used for flea phylogenetic analysis. NGS data were analyzed for 168 individual fleas from seven locations within the US and UK. Given inconsistency in the genera historically reported to constitute the C. felis microbiome, we utilized the decontam prevalence method followed by literature review to separate contaminants from true microbiome members.<br><br>RESULTS: NGS identified a single dominant and cosmopolitan amplicon sequence variant (ASV) from Rickettsia and Wolbachia while identifying one dominant Bartonella clarridgeiae and one dominant Bartonella henselae/Bartonella koehlerae ASV. Multiple less common ASVs from these genera were detected within restricted geographical ranges. Co-detection of two or more genera (Bartonella, Rickettsia, and/or Wolbachia) or multiple ASVs from a single genus in a single flea was common. Achromobacter, Peptoniphilus, and Rhodococcus were identified as additional candidate members of the C. felis microbiome on the basis of decontam analysis and literature review. Ctenocephalides felis phylogenetic diversity as assessed by the cox1 gene fell within currently characterized clades while identifying seven novel haplotypes. NGS sensitivity and specificity for Bartonella and Rickettsia spp. DNA detection were compared to targeted qPCR.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm the widespread coinfection of fleas with multiple bacterial genera and strains, proposing three additional microbiome members. The presence of minor Bartonella, Rickettsia, and Wolbachia ASVs was found to vary by location and flea haplotype. These findings have important implications for flea-borne pathogen transmission and control.},
}
@article {pmid36314668,
year = {2022},
author = {Roslan, MA and Ngui, R and Vythilingam, I and Wan Sulaiman, WY},
title = {Community surveillance of Aedes albopictus associated with Wolbachia detection in low-rise residential areas in Selangor, Malaysia.},
journal = {Journal of vector ecology : journal of the Society for Vector Ecology},
volume = {47},
number = {2},
pages = {142-152},
doi = {10.52707/1081-1710-47.2.142},
pmid = {36314668},
issn = {1948-7134},
mesh = {Animals ; *Wolbachia ; *Aedes ; Malaysia ; Temperature ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; },
abstract = {The study assessed the distribution of Malaysian Ae. albopictus adults associated with Wolbachia detection in low-rise residential areas using a modified sticky ovitrap (MSO). The relationship between Ae. albopictus and climatological parameters were also determined. Fifty-two weeks of surveillance using 273 MSOs were conducted in four installation areas of eleven sampling sites. Specimens were subjected to PCR using wsp-specific primers for Wolbachia detection. The relationship between climatological parameters and Ae. albopictus captured were analyzed using Spearman rank correlation coefficient test. The majority of Ae. albopictus were captured in residential houses (87%), followed by playgrounds or parks (11.5%), guardhouses (1%), and community halls (0.5%). Most of the specimens (92%) were superinfected with wAlbA and wAlbB strains. A positive correlation with no significant association was found for rainfall (r = 0.015, P = 0.072), relative humidity (r = 0.005, P = 0.526), minimum temperature (r = 0.005, P = 0.516), and mean temperature (r = 0.003, P = 0.689). MSO effectively captured a high number of Ae. albopictus that was determined to be the predominant mosquito species found in low-rise residential areas. The adult collection is not only influenced by climatological parameters but also by other factors, including environmental conditions and general sanitation status.},
}
@article {pmid36313820,
year = {2022},
author = {Ryabinin, AS and Shishkina, OD and Ilinsky, YY and Bykov, RA},
title = {Rare Wolbachia genotypes in laboratory Drosophila melanogaster strains.},
journal = {Vavilovskii zhurnal genetiki i selektsii},
volume = {26},
number = {6},
pages = {553-559},
doi = {10.18699/VJGB-22-67},
pmid = {36313820},
issn = {2500-0462},
abstract = {Symbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are widespread in Drosophila melanogaster populations. Based on the polymorphism of the Wolbachia genome, the symbionts' diversity in D. melanogaster is presented by two groups: MEL (wMel, wMel2, wMel3 and wMel4) and CS (wMelCS and wMelCS2). The wMel genotype is predominant in natural D. melanogaster populations and is distributed all over the world. The CS genotypes, on the other hand, are of particular interest because it is unclear how they are maintained in the fruit f ly populations since they should have been eliminated from them due to their low frequency and genetic drift or been replaced by the wMel genotype. However, this is not what is really observed, which means these genotypes are supported by selection. It is known that the wMelPlus strain of the wMelCS genotype can increase the lifespan of infected f lies at high temperatures. The same genotype also increases the intensity of dopamine metabolism in Drosophila compared to the MEL-group genotypes. In the present study, we searched for the rare Wolbachia wMelCS and wMelCS2 genotypes, as well as for new genotypes in wild-type D. melanogaster strains and in several mutant laboratory strains. The symbiont was found in all populations, in 200 out of 385 wild-type strains and in 83 out of 170 mutant strains. Wolbachia diversity in D. melanogaster wild-type strains was represented by the wMel, wMelCS and wMelCS2 genotypes. More than 90 % of the infected strains carried wMel; 9 %, wMelCS2; and only two strains were found to carry wMelCS. No new Wolbachia genotypes were found. The northernmost point reported for the wMelCS2 genotype was Izhevsk city (Udmurtia, Russia). For the f irst time the wMelCS2 genotype was detected in D. melanogaster from the Sakhalin Island, and wMelCS, in the f lies from Nalchik (the North Caucasus). A comparison of Wolbachia genetic diversity between the wild-type laboratory strains and previously obtained data on mutant laboratory strains demonstrated differences in the frequencies of rare CS genotypes, which were more prevalent in mutant strains, apparently due to the breeding history of these Drosophila strains.},
}
@article {pmid36304111,
year = {2022},
author = {Ritchie, IT and Needles, KT and Leigh, BA and Kaur, R and Bordenstein, SR},
title = {Transgenic cytoplasmic incompatibility persists across age and temperature variation in Drosophila melanogaster.},
journal = {iScience},
volume = {25},
number = {11},
pages = {105327},
pmid = {36304111},
issn = {2589-0042},
support = {R01 AI132581/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI143725/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {Environmental stressors can impact the basic biology and applications of host-microbe symbioses. For example, Wolbachia symbiont densities and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) levels can decline in response to extreme temperatures and host aging. To investigate whether transgenic expression of CI-causing cif genes overcomes the environmental sensitivity of CI, we exposed transgenic male flies to low and high temperatures as well as aging treatments. Our results indicate that transgenic cif expression induces nearly complete CI regardless of temperature and aging, despite severe weakening of Wolbachia-based wild-type CI. Strong CI levels correlate with higher levels of cif transgene expression in young males. Altogether, our results highlight that transgenic CI persists against common environmental pressures and may be relevant for future control applications involving the cifA and cifB transgenes.},
}
@article {pmid36303000,
year = {2022},
author = {Kache, PA and Santos-Vega, M and Stewart-Ibarra, AM and Cook, EM and Seto, KC and Diuk-Wasser, MA},
title = {Bridging landscape ecology and urban science to respond to the rising threat of mosquito-borne diseases.},
journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution},
volume = {6},
number = {11},
pages = {1601-1616},
pmid = {36303000},
issn = {2397-334X},
support = {U01 CK000509/CK/NCEZID CDC HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Aedes ; Ecology ; Urbanization ; *Vector Borne Diseases/prevention &amp; control ; },
abstract = {The prevalence of diseases borne by mosquitoes, particularly in the genus Aedes, is rising worldwide. This has been attributed, in part, to the dramatic rates of contemporary urbanization. While Aedes-borne disease risk varies within and between cities, few investigations use urban science-based approaches to examine how city structure and function contribute to vector or pathogen introduction and maintenance. Here, we integrate theories from complex adaptive systems, landscape ecology and urban geography to develop an urban systems framework for understanding Aedes-borne diseases. The framework establishes that cities comprise hierarchically structured patches of different land uses and characteristics. Properties of the patches (that is, composition) determine localized disease risk, while configuration and connectivity drive emergent patterns of pathogen spread. Complexity is added by incorporating individual and collective human social structures, considering how feedbacks among social actors and with the landscape drive risk and transmission. We discuss how these concepts apply to case studies of Aedes-borne disease from around the world. Ultimately, the framework strengthens existing theoretical and mixed qualitative-quantitative approaches, and advances considerations of how interventions including urban planning (for example, piped water provisioning) and emerging vector control strategies (for example, Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes) can be implemented to prevent and control the rising threat of Aedes-borne diseases.},
}
@article {pmid36299486,
year = {2022},
author = {Hargitai, D and Kenéz, L and Al-Lami, M and Szenczi, G and Lőrincz, P and Juhász, G},
title = {Autophagy controls Wolbachia infection upon bacterial damage and in aging Drosophila.},
journal = {Frontiers in cell and developmental biology},
volume = {10},
number = {},
pages = {976882},
pmid = {36299486},
issn = {2296-634X},
abstract = {Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process in eukaryotic cells that degrades intracellular components in lysosomes, often in an organelle-specific selective manner (mitophagy, ERphagy, etc). Cells also use autophagy as a defense mechanism, eliminating intracellular pathogens via selective degradation known as xenophagy. Wolbachia pipientis is a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium, which is one of the most common parasites on Earth affecting approximately half of terrestrial arthropods. Interestingly, infection grants the host resistance against other pathogens and modulates lifespan, so this bacterium resembles an endosymbiont. Here we demonstrate that Drosophila somatic cells normally degrade a subset of these bacterial cells, and autophagy is required for selective elimination of Wolbachia upon antibiotic damage. In line with these, Wolbachia overpopulates in autophagy-compromised animals during aging while its presence fails to affect host lifespan unlike in case of control flies. The autophagic degradation of Wolbachia thus represents a novel antibacterial mechanism that controls the propagation of this unique bacterium, behaving both as parasite and endosymbiont at the same time.},
}
@article {pmid36296267,
year = {2022},
author = {Ibrahim, YE and Paredes-Montero, JR and Al-Saleh, MA and Widyawan, A and He, R and El Komy, MH and Al Dhafer, HM and Kitchen, N and Gang, DR and Brown, JK},
title = {Characterization of the Asian Citrus Psyllid-'Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus' Pathosystem in Saudi Arabia Reveals Two Predominant CLas Lineages and One Asian Citrus Psyllid Vector Haplotype.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {10},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {36296267},
issn = {2076-2607},
abstract = {In Saudi Arabia (SA), the citrus greening disease is caused by 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas) transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Diaphorina citri. The origin and route(s) of the ACP-CLas pathosystem invasion in SA have not been studied. Adult ACP were collected from citrus trees in SA and differentiated by analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) and nuclear copper transporting protein (atox1) genes. A phylogenetic analysis of the Wolbachia spp. surface protein (wsp) gene was used to identify the ACP-associated Wolbachia spp. A phylogenetic analysis of the atox1 and mtCOI gene sequences revealed one predominant ACP haplotype most closely related to the Indian subcontinent founder populations. The detection and identification of CLas in citrus trees were carried out by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing of the 16S rDNA gene. The CLas-integrated prophage genomes were sequenced, annotated, and used to differentiate CLas populations. The ML and ASTRAL trees reconstructed with prophages type 1 and 2 genome sequences, separately and concatenated, resolved two major lineages, CLas-1 and -2. The CLas-1 clade, reported here for the first time, consisted of isolates from SA isolates and Pakistan. The CLas-2 sequences formed two groups, CLas-2-1 and -2-2, previously the 'Asiatic' and 'Floridian' strains, respectively. Members of CLas-2-1 originated from Southeast Asia, the USA, and other worldwide locations, while CLas-2-2 was identified only in Florida. This study provides the first snapshot into the status of the ACP-CLas pathosystem in SA. In addition, the results provide new insights into the pathosystem coevolution and global invasion histories of two ACP-CLas lineages with a predicted center of origin in South and Southeast Asia, respectively.},
}
@article {pmid36296233,
year = {2022},
author = {Ngnindji-Youdje, Y and Diarra, AZ and Lontsi-Demano, M and Tchuinkam, T and Parola, P},
title = {Detection of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ticks from Cattle in Western Highlands of Cameroon.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {10},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {36296233},
issn = {2076-2607},
abstract = {This study aimed to detect and identify microorganisms in ticks collected in the Western Highlands of Cameroon. Quantitative real-time and standard PCR assays, coupled with sequencing, were used. A total of 944 ticks collected from cattle in five distinct sites in Cameroon were selected for the analyses. They belonged to five genera (Amblyomma, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis, and Ixodes) and twelve species. Real-time PCR revealed that 23% (n = 218) of the ticks were positive for Rickettsia spp., 15% (n = 141) for bacteria of the Anaplasmataceae family, 3% (n = 29) for Piroplasmida, 0.5% (n = 5) for Coxiella burnetii, 0.4% (n = 4) for Borrelia spp., and 0.2% (n = 2) for Bartonella spp. The co-infection rate (3.4%, n = 32) involved mainly Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasmataceae. Of the Rickettsia spp. positive ticks, the targeted PCR and sequencing yielded Rickettsia africae (78.9%), Rickettsia aeschlimannii (6.4%), Rickettsia massiliae (7.8%), Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae (0.9%), and Rickettsia sp. (0.9%). Anaplasmataceae included Anaplasma marginale (4.3%), Anaplasma platys (1.4%), Anaplasma centrale (0.7%), Ehrlichia ruminantium (0.7%), Wolbachia sp., Candidatus Ehrlichia rustica (13.5%), Candidatus Ehrlichia urmitei (7%), and an uncultured Ehrlichia sp. (4.2%). Borrelia theileri was identified in one Rhipicephalus microplus tick. Unfortunately, Piroplasmida could not be identified to the species level. This study demonstrates that in Cameroon, ticks harbour a wide variety of microorganisms and present a risk of zoonotic diseases.},
}
@article {pmid36292897,
year = {2022},
author = {Pagendam, D and Elfekih, S and Nassar, MS and Nelson, S and Almalik, AM and Tawfik, EA and Al-Fageeh, MB and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {Spatio-Temporal Modelling Informing Wolbachia Replacement Releases in a Low Rainfall Climate.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {36292897},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Releases of Aedes aegypti carrying Wolbachia bacteria are known to suppress arbovirus transmission and reduce the incidence of vector-borne diseases. In planning for Wolbachia releases in the arid environment of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, we collected entomological data with ovitraps across a 7-month period in four locations. Herein, we show that mosquito presence in basements does not differ from that of non-basement areas of buildings. In modelling mosquito presence across the study sites, we found the spatial structure to be statistically significant in one of the four sites, while a significant spatial structure was found for egg production data across three of the four sites. The length scales of the spatial covariance functions fitted to the egg production data ranged from 143 m to 574 m, indicating that high productivity regions can be extensive in size. Rank-correlation analyses indicated that mosquito presence tended to persist from the dry to wet season, but that egg production ranks at locations could reverse. The data suggest that, in Jeddah, the quality of the local environment for breeding can vary over time. The data support the feasibility of dry season releases but with release numbers needing to be flexible depending on local rates of invasion.},
}
@article {pmid36292872,
year = {2022},
author = {Buchori, D and Mawan, A and Nurhayati, I and Aryati, A and Kusnanto, H and Hadi, UK},
title = {Risk Assessment on the Release of Wolbachia-Infected Aedes aegypti in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {36292872},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti is the latest technology that was developed to eliminate dengue fever. The Ministry of Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenristekdikti) established an expert group to identify future potential risks that may occur over a period of 30 years associated with the release of Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti. The risk assessment consisted of identifying different hazards that may have impacts on humans and the environment. From the consensus among the experts, there were 56 hazards identified and categorized into 4 components, namely, ecological matters, efficacy in mosquito management, economic and sociocultural issues, and public health standards. There were 19 hazards in the ecological group. The overall likelihood in the ecology of the mosquito is very low (0.05), with moderate consequence (0.74), which resulted in negligible risk. For the efficacy in mosquito management group, there were 12 hazards that resulted in very low likelihood (0.11) with high consequence (0.85). The overall risk for mosquito management efficacy was very low (0.09). There were 14 hazards identified in the public health standard with very low likelihood (0.07), moderate consequence (0.50) and negligible risk (0.04). Lastly, 13 hazards were identified in the economic and sociocultural group with low likelihood (0.01) but of moderate consequence (0.5), which resulted in a very low risk (0.09). The risk severity level of the four components leading to the endpoint risk of "cause more harm" due to releasing Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti is negligible (0.01).},
}
@article {pmid36271174,
year = {2022},
author = {Fallon, AM},
title = {Mitotically inactivated mosquito cells support robust Wolbachia infection and replication.},
journal = {In vitro cellular &amp; developmental biology. Animal},
volume = {58},
number = {9},
pages = {780-787},
pmid = {36271174},
issn = {1543-706X},
mesh = {Animals ; *Wolbachia ; *Aedes ; Cell Line ; Mammals ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular bacterium that infects many species of insects, and has been of particular interest in recent efforts to reduce disease transmission by mosquitoes. Two aspects of Wolbachia biology underlie its applications for insect control: first, the bacterium behaves as a natural gene drive agent and, second, when introduced into mosquitoes that do not harbor Wolbachia in nature, infection reduces survival of pathogens. These properties support efforts to explore the basic biology of Wolbachia in insect cell lines, which can produce sufficient infectious material for microbiological studies and microinjection into novel hosts. When introduced into naïve C7-10 Aedes albopictus mosquito cells, the yield of Wolbachia strain wStri improves, roughly in proportion to the size of the inoculum, as exponential growth of the host cell ceases. Wolbachia yields also increase when persistently infected C/wStri1 cells or naive, newly infected cells are treated with 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), which inhibits growth in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. These observations suggest that Wolbachia infection and replication are independent of exponential growth and mitosis of host cells. To explore yields of infectious bacteria in cells arrested prior to infection, I tested host cells pre-treated with mitomycin C, an agent that crosslinks DNA and prevents cell division that is used to produce "feeder layers" with mammalian cells. Yields of wStri per plate increased by about 50-fold relative to exponentially growing cells, and the multiplicity of infection necessary for a robust infection was reduced to a single bacterium per cell. These results suggest that Wolbachia infection and replication are supported by mitotically arrested cells and provide new insights into biological processes that influence maintenance of a widespread obligate intracellular bacterium.},
}
@article {pmid36270115,
year = {2022},
author = {Araújo, IM and Cordeiro, MD and Soares, RFP and Guterres, A and Sanavria, A and Baêta, BA and da Fonseca, AH},
title = {Survey of bacterial and protozoan agents in ticks and fleas found on wild animals in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.},
journal = {Ticks and tick-borne diseases},
volume = {13},
number = {6},
pages = {102037},
doi = {10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102037},
pmid = {36270115},
issn = {1877-9603},
abstract = {This study evaluates the presence of bacterial and protozoan agents in ticks and fleas found on wild animals in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These ectoparasites were collected on mammal species Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, Tapirus terrestris, Dicotyles tajacu, Didelphis aurita, Cuniculus paca, Cerdocyon thous, and Coendou prehensilis, and on the terrestrial bird Dromaius novaehollandiae. Ticks and fleas were identified morphologically using specific taxonomic keys. A total of 396 ticks and 54 fleas were tested via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., microorganisms of the order Piroplasmida and Anaplasmataceae family. This total is distributed among nine tick species of the genus Amblyomma and one flea species. Rickettsia bellii was detected in Amblyomma dubitatum and Amblyomma pacae; Rickettsia sp. strain AL was found in Amblyomma longirostre; Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest was found in Amblyomma ovale; and "Candidatus Rickettsia senegalensis" and Rickettsia felis were detected in Ctenocephalides felis felis. Wolbachia sp. was detected in C. f. felis, and Borrelia sp. was detected in Amblyomma calcaratum (here named Borrelia sp. strain Acalc110). All tested samples were negative for Ehrlichia spp. and microorganisms of the Piroplasmida order. This study detected a new bacterial strain, Borrelia sp. strain Acalc 110 (which is genetically close to B. miyamotoi and B. venezuelensis) and the Rickettsia sp. strain 19P, which is 100% similar to "Ca. R. senegalensis", a bacterium recently discovered and now being reported for the first time in Brazil.},
}
@article {pmid36250862,
year = {2022},
author = {Huggins, LG and Colella, V and Atapattu, U and Koehler, AV and Traub, RJ},
title = {Nanopore Sequencing Using the Full-Length 16S rRNA Gene for Detection of Blood-Borne Bacteria in Dogs Reveals a Novel Species of Hemotropic Mycoplasma.},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0308822},
doi = {10.1128/spectrum.03088-22},
pmid = {36250862},
issn = {2165-0497},
abstract = {Dogs across the globe are afflicted by diverse blood- and vector-borne bacteria (VBB), many of which cause severe disease and can be fatal. Diagnosis of VBB infections can be challenging due to the low concentration of bacteria in the blood, the frequent occurrence of coinfections, and the wide range of known, emerging, and potentially novel VBB species encounterable. Therefore, there is a need for diagnostics that address these challenges by being both sensitive and capable of detecting all VBB simultaneously. We detail the first employment of a nanopore-based sequencing methodology conducted on the Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION device to accurately elucidate the "hemobacteriome" from canine blood through sequencing of the full-length 16S rRNA gene. We detected a diverse range of important canine VBB, including Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys, Mycoplasma haemocanis, Bartonella clarridgeiae, "Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum", a novel species of hemotropic mycoplasma, and Wolbachia endosymbionts of filarial worms, indicative of filariasis. Our nanopore-based protocol was equivalent in sensitivity to both quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Illumina sequencing when benchmarked against these methods, achieving high agreement as defined by the kappa statistics (k > 0.81) for three key VBB. Utilizing the ability of the ONT' MinION device to sequence long read lengths provides an excellent alternative diagnostic method by which the hemobacteriome can be accurately characterized to the species level in a way previously unachievable using short reads. We envision our method to be translatable to multiple contexts, such as the detection of VBB in other vertebrate hosts, including humans, while the small size of the MinION device is highly amenable to field use. IMPORTANCE Blood- and vector-borne bacteria (VBB) can cause severe pathology and even be lethal for dogs in many regions across the globe. Accurate characterization of all the bacterial pathogens infecting a canine host is critical, as coinfections are common and emerging and novel pathogens that may go undetected by traditional diagnostics frequently arise. Deep sequencing using devices from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) provides a solution, as the long read lengths achievable provide species-level taxonomic identification of pathogens that previous short-read technologies could not accomplish. We developed a protocol using ONT' MinION sequencer to accurately detect and classify a wide spectrum of VBB from canine blood at a sensitivity comparable to that of regularly used diagnostics, such as qPCR. This protocol demonstrates great potential for use in biosurveillance and biosecurity operations for the detection of VBB in a range of vertebrate hosts, while the MinION sequencer's portability allows this method to be used easily in the field.},
}
@article {pmid36247321,
year = {2022},
author = {Tomaru, M and Takano-Shimizu-Kouno, T and Wakada, H},
title = {No Wolbachia infection was detected in Drosophila elegans collected from the wild in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan.},
journal = {microPublication biology},
volume = {2022},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {36247321},
issn = {2578-9430},
abstract = {Flower breeding, tropical and subtropical Drosophila elegans is distributed in the Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan (black morph) and in southern China, Philippines, Indonesia, and New Guinea (brown morph). Although reproductive and behavioral manipulations by Wolbachia are reported in many insect taxa, Wolbachia infection in D. elegans is unclear. There is only a report of no Wolbachia detected in a laboratory strain of brown morph. This PCR diagnosis study revealed no Wolbachia infection in D. elegans males collected from the wild in the Ryukyu Islands. We concluded that D. elegans black morph in the Ryukyu Islands is not infected with Wolbachia .},
}
@article {pmid36244506,
year = {2022},
author = {Djoukzoumka, S and Mahamat Hassane, H and Khan Payne, V and Ibrahim, MAM and Tagueu Kanté, S and Mouliom Mfopit, Y and Berger, P and Kelm, S and Simo, G},
title = {Sodalis glossinidius and Wolbachia infections in wild population of Glossina morsitans submorsitans caught in the area of Lake Iro in the south of Chad.},
journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology},
volume = {195},
number = {},
pages = {107835},
doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2022.107835},
pmid = {36244506},
issn = {1096-0805},
mesh = {Animals ; *Tsetse Flies/microbiology ; *Wolbachia ; Lakes ; Chad ; *Trypanosoma/genetics ; Symbiosis ; },
abstract = {Investigations on the bacterial fauna and their association with trypanosome infections in tsetse fly have revealed contrasting results. This study aimed to detect Wolbachia and S. glossinidius in wild populations of G. m. submorsistans and subsequently, understand the influence that these bacteria may have on the vectorial competence of this tsetse species. Tsetse flies were captured in the area of Lake Iro in the south of Chad using biconical traps. After DNA extraction from each tsetse fly, Sodalis glossinidius and Wolbachia were detected using specific primers. Sodalis glossinidius and Wolbachia infection rates were compared and association studies involving trypanosome infections and S. glossinidius or Wolbachia were performed. From 345 G. m. submorsitans analyzed, 9.0% and 14.5% were respectively infected with S. glossinidius and Wolbachia. Only 2.31% of all tsetse flies were co-infected by the 2 bacteria. Of all trypanosome-infected flies, 7.1% and 9.8% harbored, respectively, S. glossinidius and Wolbachia. No association was observed between Wolbachia and trypanosome infections while a significant association (r = 4.992; P = 0.025) was found between S. glossinidius and the presence of trypanosomes. A significant association (r = 3.147; P = 0.043) was also observed between S. glossinidius and T. simiae; and none with T. congolense or T. godfreyi. This study revealed S. glossinidius and Wolbachia in G. m. submorsitans of the area of lake Iro. It showed that co-infections between Wolbachia and S. glossinidius are rare in wild populations of G. m. submorsitans and that the tripartite associations vary according to trypanosome species as well as symbiotic mricroorganisms.},
}
@article {pmid36227923,
year = {2022},
author = {Hugo, LE and Rašić, G and Maynard, AJ and Ambrose, L and Liddington, C and Thomas, CJE and Nath, NS and Graham, M and Winterford, C and Wimalasiri-Yapa, BMCR and Xi, Z and Beebe, NW and Devine, GJ},
title = {Wolbachia wAlbB inhibit dengue and Zika infection in the mosquito Aedes aegypti with an Australian background.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {10},
pages = {e0010786},
pmid = {36227923},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Australia ; DNA ; *Dengue/prevention &amp; control ; *Dengue Virus/physiology ; Humans ; *Insecticides ; Male ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; *Zika Virus/genetics ; *Zika Virus Infection/prevention &amp; control ; },
abstract = {Biological control of mosquito vectors using the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia is an emerging strategy for the management of human arboviral diseases. We recently described the development of a strain of Aedes aegypti infected with the Wolbachia strain wAlbB (referred to as the wAlbB2-F4 strain) through simple backcrossing of wild type Australian mosquitoes with a wAlbB infected Ae. aegypti strain from the USA. Field releases of male wAlbB2-F4 mosquitoes resulted in the successful suppression of wild populations of mosquitoes in the trial sites by exploiting the strain's Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility. We now demonstrate that the strain is resistant to infection by dengue and Zika viruses and is genetically similar to endemic Queensland populations. There was a fourfold reduction in the proportion of wAlbB2-F4 mosquitoes that became infected following a blood meal containing dengue 2 virus (16.7%) compared to wild type mosquitoes (69.2%) and a 6-7 fold reduction in the proportion of wAlbB2-F4 mosquitoes producing virus in saliva following a blood meal containing an epidemic strain of Zika virus (8.7% in comparison to 58.3% in wild type mosquitoes). Restriction-site Associated DNA (RAD) sequencing revealed that wAlbB2-F4 mosquitoes have > 98% Australian ancestry, confirming the successful introduction of the wAlbB2 infection into the Australian genomic background through backcrossing. Genotypic and phenotypic analyses showed the wAlbB2-F4 strain retains the insecticide susceptible phenotype and genotype of native Australian mosquitoes. We demonstrate that the Wolbachia wAlbB2-F4, in addition to being suitable for population suppression programs, can also be effective in population replacement programs given its inhibition of virus infection in mosquitoes. The ease at which a target mosquito population can be transfected with wAlbB2, while retaining the genotypes and phenotypes of the target population, shows the utility of this strain for controlling the Ae. aegypti mosquitoes and the pathogens they transmit.},
}
@article {pmid36214563,
year = {2022},
author = {Zhou, JC and Zhao, X and Huo, LX and Shang, D and Dong, H and Zhang, LS},
title = {Wolbachia-Driven Memory Loss in a Parasitic Wasp Increases Superparasitism to Enhance Horizontal Transmission.},
journal = {mBio},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0236222},
doi = {10.1128/mbio.02362-22},
pmid = {36214563},
issn = {2150-7511},
abstract = {Horizontal transmission of the endosymbiont, Wolbachia, may occur during superparasitism when parasitoid females deposit a second clutch of eggs on a host. Wolbachia may increase the superparasitism tendency of Trichogramma wasps by depriving their memory. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of conditioning experience and memory inhibitors (actinomycin D [ACD] and anisomycin [ANI]) on memory capacity, and expressions of memory-related genes (CREB1 and PKA), and superparasitism frequency of Wolbachia-infected (TDW) and uninfected (TD) lines of Trichogramma dendrolimi after conditioning with lemon or peppermint odor. We detected the presence of Wolbachia in eggs, larvae, pre-pupae, pupae, and adults of Trichogramma by using fluorescence in situ hybridization. The results showed that TDW females had a more reduced memory capacity than TD females after conditioning. Compared with TD females, TDW females showed a higher proportion of superparasitism and a downregulation of CREB1 and PKA genes after conditioning. TD females fed ACD or ANI showed a higher tendency for superparasitism and a downregulation of CREB1 and PKA, along with memory loss after conditioning than TD females fed honey solution only. The presence of Wolbachia was detected in the anterior region of the larva, pre-pupa, and pupa, but was not found in the head of the adult. The results provide evidence of host behavioral manipulation of Wolbachia by depriving memory of host Trichogramma wasps based on Poulin' s criteria. These host behavioral changes led by Wolbachia may be caused by the virulence of Wolbachia on the nervous system of the host. IMPORTANCE The endosymbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia, live widely within cells of arthropods. Wolbachia are not only transmitted vertically from host mother to offspring, but are also transmitted horizontally among host individuals. Horizontal transmission is expected to occur during superparasitism when host parasitoid females deposit a clutch of eggs on a host previously parasitized by the same parasitoid species. Thus, a question is proposed regarding whether superparasitism behavior is a behavior modification induced by the symbiont to favor symbiont transmission. This study highlights behavioral mechanisms of Wolbachia-induced superparasitism in Trichogramma wasps and the manipulation of symbionts on host parasitoids.},
}
@article {pmid36205550,
year = {2022},
author = {Ant, TH and Mancini, MV and McNamara, CJ and Rainey, SM and Sinkins, SP},
title = {Wolbachia-Virus interactions and arbovirus control through population replacement in mosquitoes.},
journal = {Pathogens and global health},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-14},
doi = {10.1080/20477724.2022.2117939},
pmid = {36205550},
issn = {2047-7732},
abstract = {Following transfer into the primary arbovirus vector Aedes aegypti, several strains of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia have been shown to inhibit the transmission of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses, important human pathogens that cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In addition to pathogen inhibition, many Wolbachia strains manipulate host reproduction, resulting in an invasive capacity of the bacterium in insect populations. This has led to the deployment of Wolbachia as a dengue control tool, and trials have reported significant reductions in transmission in release areas. Here, we discuss the possible mechanisms of Wolbachia-virus inhibition and the implications for long-term success of dengue control. We also consider the evidence presented in several reports that Wolbachia may cause an enhancement of replication of certain viruses under particular conditions, and conclude that these should not cause any concerns with respect to the application of Wolbachia to arbovirus control.},
}
@article {pmid36201377,
year = {2022},
author = {Kiefer, JST and Schmidt, G and Krüsemer, R and Kaltenpoth, M and Engl, T},
title = {Wolbachia causes cytoplasmic incompatibility but not male-killing in a grain pest beetle.},
journal = {Molecular ecology},
volume = {31},
number = {24},
pages = {6570-6587},
doi = {10.1111/mec.16717},
pmid = {36201377},
issn = {1365-294X},
support = {CoG 819585/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Male ; Female ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; *Coleoptera/genetics/microbiology ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Cytoplasm/genetics/microbiology ; Symbiosis/genetics ; },
abstract = {The endosymbiotic Wolbachia is one of the most common intracellular bacteria known in arthropods and nematodes. Its ability for reproductive manipulation can cause unequal inheritance to male and female offspring, allowing the manipulator to spread, but potentially also impact the evolutionary dynamics of infected hosts. Estimated to be present in up to 66% of insect species, little is known about the phenotypic impact of Wolbachia within the order Coleoptera. Here, we describe the reproductive manipulation by the Wolbachia strain wSur harboured by the sawtoothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Coleoptera, Silvanidae), through a combination of genomics approaches and bioassays. The Wolbachia strain wSur belongs to supergroup B that contains well-described reproductive manipulators of insects and encodes a pair of cytoplasmic incompatibility factor (cif) genes, as well as multiple homologues of the WO-mediated killing (wmk) gene. A phylogenetic comparison with wmk homologues of wMel of Drosophila melanogaster identified 18 wmk copies in wSur, including one that is closely related to the wMel male-killing homologue. However, further analysis of this particular wmk gene revealed an eight-nucleotide deletion leading to a stop-codon and subsequent reading frame shift midsequence, probably rendering it nonfunctional. Concordantly, utilizing a Wolbachia-deprived O. surinamensis population and controlled mating pairs of wSur-infected and noninfected partners, we found no experimental evidence for male-killing. However, a significant ~50% reduction of hatching rates in hybrid crosses of uninfected females with infected males indicates that wSur is causing cytoplasmic incompatibility. Thus, Wolbachia also represents an important determinant of host fitness in Coleoptera.},
}
@article {pmid36200325,
year = {2022},
author = {Ross, PA and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {Fitness costs of Wolbachia shift in locally-adapted Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/1462-2920.16235},
pmid = {36200325},
issn = {1462-2920},
abstract = {Aedes aegypti mosquito eggs can remain quiescent for many months before hatching, allowing populations to persist through unfavourable conditions. A. aegypti infected with the Wolbachia strain wMel have been released in tropical and subtropical regions for dengue control. wMel reduces the viability of quiescent eggs, but this physiological cost might be expected to evolve in natural mosquito populations that frequently experience stressful conditions. We found that the cost of wMel infection differed consistently between mosquitoes collected from different locations and became weaker across laboratory generations, suggesting environment-specific adaptation of mosquitoes to the wMel infection. Reciprocal crossing experiments show that differences in the cost of wMel to quiescent egg viability were mainly due to mosquito genetic background and not Wolbachia origin. wMel-infected mosquitoes hatching from long-term quiescent eggs showed partial loss of cytoplasmic incompatibility and female infertility, highlighting additional costs of long-term quiescence. Our study provides the first evidence for a shift in Wolbachia phenotypic effects following deliberate field release and establishment and it highlights interactions between Wolbachia infections and mosquito genetic backgrounds. The unexpected changes in fitness costs observed here suggest potential tradeoffs with undescribed fitness benefits of the wMel infection.},
}
@article {pmid36192576,
year = {2022},
author = {Štarhová Serbina, L and Gajski, D and Malenovský, I and Corretto, E and Schuler, H and Dittmer, J},
title = {Wolbachia infection dynamics in a natural population of the pear psyllid Cacopsylla pyri (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) across its seasonal generations.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {16502},
pmid = {36192576},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; Female ; *Hemiptera/genetics ; Male ; Phylogeny ; *Pyrus ; Seasons ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is one of the most abundant intracellular symbionts of arthropods and has profound effects on host biology. Wolbachia transmission and host phenotypes often depend on its density within the host, which can be affected by multiple biotic and abiotic factors. However, very few studies measured Wolbachia density in natural host populations. Here, we describe Wolbachia in the pear psyllid Cacopsylla pyri from three populations in the Czech Republic. Using phylogenetic analyses based on wsp and multilocus sequence typing genes, we demonstrate that C. pyri harbours three new Wolbachia strains from supergroup B. A fourth Wolbachia strain from supergroup A was also detected in parasitised immatures of C. pyri, but likely came from a hymenopteran parasitoid. To obtain insights into natural Wolbachia infection dynamics, we quantified Wolbachia in psyllid individuals from the locality with the highest prevalence across an entire year, spanning several seasonal generations of the host. All tested females were infected and Wolbachia density remained stable across the entire period, suggesting a highly efficient vertical transmission and little influence from the environment and different host generations. In contrast, we observed a tendency towards reduced Wolbachia density in males which may suggest sex-related differences in Wolbachia-psyllid interactions.},
}
@article {pmid36182681,
year = {2022},
author = {Ooi, EE and Wilder-Smith, A},
title = {Externalities modulate the effectiveness of the Wolbachia release programme.},
journal = {The Lancet. Infectious diseases},
volume = {22},
number = {11},
pages = {1518-1519},
doi = {10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00497-2},
pmid = {36182681},
issn = {1474-4457},
mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Wolbachia ; *Aedes ; *Dengue ; },
}
@article {pmid36182679,
year = {2022},
author = {Ribeiro Dos Santos, G and Durovni, B and Saraceni, V and Souza Riback, TI and Pinto, SB and Anders, KL and Moreira, LA and Salje, H},
title = {Estimating the effect of the wMel release programme on the incidence of dengue and chikungunya in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a spatiotemporal modelling study.},
journal = {The Lancet. Infectious diseases},
volume = {22},
number = {11},
pages = {1587-1595},
pmid = {36182679},
issn = {1474-4457},
mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Chikungunya Fever/epidemiology/prevention &amp; control ; *Dengue Virus ; Incidence ; Brazil/epidemiology ; *Wolbachia ; *Aedes ; *Dengue/epidemiology/prevention &amp; control ; Mosquito Vectors ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Introgression of genetic material from species of the insect bacteria Wolbachia into populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes has been shown in randomised and non-randomised trials to reduce the incidence of dengue; however, evidence for the real-world effectiveness of large-scale deployments of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes for arboviral disease control in endemic settings is still scarce. A large Wolbachia (wMel strain) release programme was implemented in 2017 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We aimed to assess the effect of this programme on the incidence of dengue and chikungunya in the city.<br><br>METHODS: 67 million wMel-infected mosquitoes were released across 28&#x2009;489 locations over an area of 86&#xb7;8 km[2] in Rio de Janeiro between Aug 29, 2017 and Dec 27, 2019. Following releases, mosquitoes were trapped and the presence of wMel was recorded. In this spatiotemporal modelling study, we assessed the effect of the release programme on the incidence of dengue and chikungunya. We used spatiotemporally explicit mathematical models applied to geocoded dengue cases (N=283&#x2009;270) from 2010 to 2019 and chikungunya cases (N=57&#x2009;705) from 2016 to 2019.<br><br>FINDINGS: On average, 32% of mosquitoes collected from the release zones between 1 month and 29 months after the initial release tested positive for wMel. Reduced wMel introgression occurred in locations and seasonal periods in which cases of dengue and chikungunya were historically high, with a decrease to 25% of mosquitoes testing positive for wMel during months in which disease incidence was at its highest. Despite incomplete introgression, we found that the releases were associated with a 38% (95% CI 32-44) reduction in the incidence of dengue and a 10% (4-16) reduction in the incidence of chikungunya.<br><br>INTERPRETATION: Stable establishment of wMel in the geographically diverse, urban setting of Rio de Janeiro seems to be more complicated than has been observed elsewhere. However, even intermediate levels of wMel seem to reduce the incidence of disease caused by two arboviruses. These findings will help to guide future release programmes.<br><br>FUNDING: Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation and the European Research Council.},
}
@article {pmid36172295,
year = {2022},
author = {Tiwary, A and Babu, R and Sen, R and Raychoudhury, R},
title = {Bacterial supergroup-specific "cost" of Wolbachia infections in Nasonia vitripennis.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {12},
number = {9},
pages = {e9219},
pmid = {36172295},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {The maternally inherited endosymbiont, Wolbachia, is known to alter the reproductive biology of its arthropod hosts for its own benefit and can induce both positive and negative fitness effects in many hosts. Here, we describe the effects of the maintenance of two distinct Wolbachia infections, one each from supergroups A and B, on the parasitoid host Nasonia vitripennis. We compare the effect of Wolbachia infections on various traits between the uninfected, single A-infected, single B-infected, and double-infected lines with their cured versions. Contrary to some previous reports, our results suggest that there is a significant cost associated with the maintenance of Wolbachia infections where traits such as family size, fecundity, longevity, and rates of male copulation are compromised in Wolbachia-infected lines. The double Wolbachia infection has the most detrimental impact on the host as compared to single infections. Moreover, there is a supergroup-specific negative impact on these wasps as the supergroup B infection elicits the most pronounced negative effects. These negative effects can be attributed to a higher Wolbachia titer seen in the double and the single supergroup B infection lines when compared to supergroup A. Our findings raise important questions on the mechanism of survival and maintenance of these reproductive parasites in arthropod hosts.},
}
@article {pmid36169529,
year = {2022},
author = {Favoreto, AL and Carvalho, VR and Domingues, MM and Ribeiro, MF and Cavallini, G and Lawson, SA and Silva, WM and Zanuncio, JC and Wilcken, CF},
title = {Wolbachia pipientis: first detection in populations of Glycaspis brimblecombei (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) and Psyllaephagus bliteus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in Brazil.},
journal = {Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia},
volume = {82},
number = {},
pages = {e264475},
doi = {10.1590/1519-6984.264475},
pmid = {36169529},
issn = {1678-4375},
mesh = {Animals ; Brazil ; *Eucalyptus ; *Hemiptera ; Humans ; *Hymenoptera ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {The sucking insect, Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae), is originally from Australia and reduces the productivity of Eucalyptus crops. The parasitoid Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is the main agent used in the integrated management of G. brimblecombei. Endosymbionts, in insects, are important in the adaptation and protection of their hosts to the environment. The intracellular symbionts Wolbachia, induces reproductive changes such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, feminization, male death and parthenogenesis. The objective of this study was to report the first record of Wolbachia pipientis in populations of G. brimblecombei and of its parasitoid P. bliteus in the field in Brazil. Branches with adults of G. brimblecombei and P. bliteus were collected from eucalyptus trees in commercial farms in six Brazilian states and, after emergence, the insects obtained were frozen at -20 °C. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect the Wolbachia endosymbiont. Wolbachia pipientis was identified in individuals of G. brimblecombei and its parasitoid P. bliteus from populations of the counties of Agudos and Mogi-Guaçu (São Paulo State), Itamarandiba (Minas Gerais State) and São Jerônimo da Serra (Paraná State) in Brazil.},
}
@article {pmid36168763,
year = {2022},
author = {Dudzic, JP and Curtis, CI and Gowen, BE and Perlman, SJ},
title = {A highly divergent Wolbachia with a tiny genome in an insect-parasitic tylenchid nematode.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {289},
number = {1983},
pages = {20221518},
pmid = {36168763},
issn = {1471-2954},
mesh = {Animals ; Heme ; Insecta ; *Nematoda/genetics ; Symbiosis/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia symbionts are the most successful host-associated microbes on the planet, infecting arthropods and nematodes. Their role in nematodes is particularly enigmatic, with filarial nematode species either 100% infected and dependent on symbionts for reproduction and development, or not at all infected. We have discovered a highly divergent strain of Wolbachia in an insect-parasitic tylenchid nematode, Howardula sp., in a nematode clade that has not previously been known to harbour Wolbachia. While this nematode is 100% infected with Wolbachia, we did not detect it in related species. We sequenced the Howardula symbiont (wHow) genome and found that it is highly reduced, comprising only 550 kilobase pairs of DNA, approximately 35% smaller than the smallest Wolbachia nematode symbiont genomes. The wHow genome is a subset of all other Wolbachia genomes and has not acquired any new genetic information. While it has lost many genes, including genes involved in cell wall synthesis and cell division, it has retained the entire haem biosynthesis pathway, suggesting that haem supplementation is critical. wHow provides key insights into our understanding of what are the lower limits of Wolbachia cells, as well as the role of Wolbachia symbionts in the biology and convergent evolution of diverse parasitic nematodes.},
}
@article {pmid36165808,
year = {2022},
author = {Hussain, M and Bradshaw, T and Lee, M and Asgari, S},
title = {The Involvement of Atlastin in Dengue Virus and Wolbachia Infection in Aedes aegypti and Its Regulation by aae-miR-989.},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {10},
number = {5},
pages = {e0225822},
pmid = {36165808},
issn = {2165-0497},
mesh = {Animals ; *Aedes/microbiology/virology ; *Dengue ; *Dengue Virus/genetics/metabolism ; Furin/metabolism ; *MicroRNAs/genetics/metabolism ; Virus Replication/physiology ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-shaping atlastin proteins (ATLs) have been demonstrated to play a functional role during flavivirus replication in mammalian cells. For dengue virus (DENV), atlastin is required in the formation of the replication organelles and RNA replication, virion assembly, production of the infectious virus particles, and trafficking or directing the association of vesicle packets with furin. Here, we investigated the involvement of atlastin in DENV replication in the mosquito Aedes aegypti and explored the possibility of its manipulation by the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia to interfere with DENV replication. Results showed the expression of Ae. aegypti atlastin gene (AaATL) was upregulated in DENV-infected Aag2 cells, and its silencing led to reduced DENV replication. Contrary to our assumption that AaATL could be downregulated by Wolbachia, we did not find evidence for that in Wolbachia-infected cell lines, but this was the case in mosquitoes. Further, silencing AaATL did not have any effect on Wolbachia density. Our results also suggest that aae-miR-989 miRNA negatively regulates AaATL. The oversupply of the miRNA mimic led to reduced DENV replication consistent with the positive role of AaATL in DENV replication. Overall, the results favor AaATL's involvement in DENV replication; however, there is no support that the protein is involved in Wolbachia-mediated DENV inhibition. In addition, the results contribute to discerning further possible overlapping functions of ATLs in mosquitoes and mammalian cells. IMPORTANCE Atlastin is a protein associated with the endoplasmic reticulum and has been shown to play a role in replication of flaviviruses in mammalian cells. This study aimed to investigate the role of mosquito Aedes aegypti atlastin (AaATL) in dengue virus replication and maintenance of Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium, in the mosquito. Our results suggest that AaATL facilitates dengue virus replication in mosquito cells, considering silencing the gene led to reductions in virus replication and virion production. Further, AaATL was found to be regulated by a mosquito microRNA, aae-miR-989. Despite an effect on dengue virus, AaATL silencing did not affect Wolbachia replication and maintenance in mosquito cells. The results shed light on the role of atlastins in mosquito-pathogen interactions and their overlapping roles in mosquito and mammalian cells.},
}
@article {pmid36151871,
year = {2023},
author = {Bing, XL and Xia, CB and Ye, QT and Gong, X and Cui, JR and Peng, CW and Hong, XY},
title = {Wolbachia manipulates reproduction of spider mites by influencing herbivore salivary proteins.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {79},
number = {1},
pages = {315-323},
doi = {10.1002/ps.7201},
pmid = {36151871},
issn = {1526-4998},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The endosymbiont Wolbachia is known for manipulating host reproduction. Wolbachia also can affect host fitness by mediating interactions between plant and herbivores. However, it remains unclear whether saliva proteins are involved in this process.<br><br>RESULTS: We found that Wolbachia infection decreased the number of deposited eggs but increased the egg hatching rate in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), a cosmopolitan pest that infects >1000 species of plants. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that Wolbachia-infected mites upregulated the gene expression levels of many T.&#xa0;urticae salivary proteins including a cluster of Tetranychidae-specific, functionally uncharacterized SHOT1s (secreted host-responsive proteins of Tetranychidae). The SHOT1 genes were expressed more in the feeding stages (nymphs and adults) of mites than in eggs and highly enriched in the proterosomas. RNA interference experiments showed that knockdown of SHOT1s significantly decreased Wolbachia density, increased the number of deposited eggs and decreased the egg hatching rate.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Together, these results indicate that SHOT1s are positively correlated with Wolbachia density and account for Wolbachia-mediated phenotypes. Our results provide new evidence that herbivore salivary proteins are related to Wolbachia-mediated manipulations of host performance on plants. &#xa9; 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}
@article {pmid36149408,
year = {2022},
author = {Warecki, B and Titen, SWA and Alam, MS and Vega, G and Lemseffer, N and Hug, K and Minden, JS and Sullivan, W},
title = {Wolbachia action in the sperm produces developmentally deferred chromosome segregation defects during the Drosophila mid-blastula transition.},
journal = {eLife},
volume = {11},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {36149408},
issn = {2050-084X},
support = {R35 GM139595/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Blastula ; Chromatin ; Chromosome Segregation ; Cytoplasm ; Drosophila/genetics ; Female ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Male ; Semen ; Spermatozoa ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia, a vertically transmitted endosymbiont infecting many insects, spreads rapidly through uninfected populations by a mechanism known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In CI, a paternally delivered modification of the sperm leads to chromatin defects and lethality during and after the first mitosis of embryonic development in multiple species. However, whether CI-induced defects in later stage embryos are a consequence of the first division errors or caused by independent defects remains unresolved. To address this question, we focused on ~1/3 of embryos from CI crosses in Drosophila simulans that develop apparently normally through the first and subsequent pre-blastoderm divisions before exhibiting mitotic errors during the mid-blastula transition and gastrulation. We performed single embryo PCR and whole genome sequencing to find a large percentage of these developed CI-derived embryos bypass the first division defect. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we find increased chromosome segregation errors in gastrulating CI-derived embryos that had avoided the first division defect. Thus, Wolbachia action in the sperm induces developmentally deferred defects that are not a consequence of the first division errors. Like the immediate defect, the delayed defect is rescued through crosses to infected females. These studies inform current models on the molecular and cellular basis of CI.},
}
@article {pmid36147860,
year = {2022},
author = {Guo, L and Tang, C and Gao, C and Li, Z and Cheng, Y and Chen, J and Wang, T and Xu, J},
title = {Bacterial and fungal communities within and among geographic samples of the hemp pest Psylliodes attenuata from China.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {964735},
pmid = {36147860},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {The hemp flea beetle Psylliodes attenuata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Psylliodes) is a common pest of Cannabis sativa, including cultivars of both medicinal marijuana and industrial hemp. Both the larval and adult stages of this beetle can cause significant damages to C. sativa, resulting in substantial crop losses. At present, little is known about the bacterial and fungal community diversity among populations of this pest insect. In the present study, we obtained P. attenuata samples from nine field sites representing broad industrial hemp productions in China and analyzed their microbial communities using DNA metabarcoding. Bacterial sequences of all the samples were assigned to 3728 OTUs, which belonged to 45 phyla, 1058 genera and 1960 known species. The most common genera were Rickettsia, Wolbachia, and Candidatus_Brownia. Fungal sequences of all the samples were assigned to 910 OTUs, which belonged to 9 phyla, 308 genera and 464 known species. The most common fungal genera were Cladosporium, Cutaneotrichosporon, and Aspergillus. Principal coordinate analysis revealed a significant difference in the bacterial and fungal community structure among the nine P. attenuata populations. Understanding the microbial symbionts may provide clues to help develop potential biocontrol techniques against this pest.},
}
@article {pmid36147838,
year = {2022},
author = {Liu, YH and Ma, YM and Tian, HO and Yang, B and Han, WX and Zhao, WH and Chai, HL and Zhang, ZS and Wang, LF and Chen, L and Xing, Y and Ding, YL and Zhao, L},
title = {First determination of DNA virus and some additional bacteria from Melophagus ovinus (sheep ked) in Tibet, China.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {988136},
pmid = {36147838},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Melophagus ovinus (sheep ked) is one of the common ectoparasites in sheep. In addition to causing direct damage to the host through biting and sucking blood, sheep ked is a potential vector of helminths, protozoa, bacteria, and viruses. Sheep M. ovinus samples from three regions in Tibet were selected for DNA extraction. The 16S rDNA V3-V4 hypervariable region was amplified, after genomic DNA fragmentation, Illumina Hiseq libraries were constructed. The 16S rRNA sequencing and viral metagenomics sequencing were separately conducted on the Illumina Novaseq 6000 platform and molecular biology software and platforms were employed to analyze the sequencing data. Illumina PE250 sequencing results demonstrated that the dominant bacteria phylum in M. ovinus from Tibet, China was Proteobacteria, where 29 bacteria genera were annotated. The dominant bacterial genera were Bartonella, Wolbachia, and Arsenophonus; Bartonella chomelii, Wolbachia spp., and Arsenophonus spp. were the dominant bacterial species in M. ovinus from Tibet, China. We also detected Kluyvera intermedia, Corynebacterium maris DSM 45190, Planomicrobium okeanokoites, and Rhodococcus erythropolis, of which the relative abundance of Kluyvera intermedia was high. Illumina Hiseq sequencing results demonstrated that 4 virus orders were detected in M. ovinus from Tibet, China, and 3 samples were annotated into 29 families, 30 families, and 28 families of viruses, respectively. Virus families related to vertebrates and insects mainly included Mimiviridae, Marseilleviridae, Poxviridae, Ascoviridae, Iridoviridae, Baculoviridae, Hytrosaviridae, Nudiviridae, Polydnaviridae, Adomaviridae, Asfarviridae, Hepeviridae, Herpesviridae, and Retroviridae; at the species level, the relative abundance of Tupanvirus_soda_lake, Klosneuvirus_KNV1, and Indivirus_ILV1 was higher. African swine fever virus and many poxviruses from the family Poxviridae were detected, albeit their relative abundance was low. The dominant bacterial phylum of M. ovinus from Tibet, China was Proteobacteria, and the dominant bacterial genera were Bartonella, Wolbachia, and Arsenophonus, where 23 out of 29 annotated bacteria genera were first reported in M. ovinus. Kluyvera intermedia, Corynebacterium maris DSM 45190, Planomicrobium okeanokoites, and Rhodococcus erythropolis were detected for the first time. All DNA viruses detected in this study have been reported in M. ovinus for the first time.},
}
@article {pmid36138209,
year = {2022},
author = {Liu, Q and Zhang, H and Huang, X},
title = {Strong Linkage Between Symbiotic Bacterial Community and Host Age and Morph in a Hemipteran Social Insect.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {36138209},
issn = {1432-184X},
abstract = {The relationships between symbionts and insects are complex, and symbionts usually have diverse ecological and evolutionary effects on their hosts. The phloem sap-sucking aphids are good models to study the interactions between insects and symbiotic microorganisms. Although aphids usually exhibit remarkable life cycle complexity, most previous studies on symbiotic diversity sampled only apterous viviparous adult females or very few morphs. In this study, high-throughput 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing was used to assess the symbiotic bacterial communities of eleven morphs or developmental stages of the social aphid Pseudoregma bambucicola. We found there were significant differences in bacterial composition in response to different morphs and developmental stages, and for the first time, we revealed male aphids hosted very different symbiotic composition featured with low abundance of dominant symbionts but high diversity of total symbionts. The relative abundance of Pectobacterium showed relatively stable across different types of samples, while that of Wolbachia fluctuated greatly, indicating the former may have a consistent function in this species and the latter may provide specific function for certain morphs or developmental stages. Our study presents new evidence of complexity of symbiotic associations and indicates strong linkage between symbiotic bacterial community and host age and morph.},
}
@article {pmid36135489,
year = {2022},
author = {Andrianto, E and Kasai, A},
title = {Wolbachia in Black Spiny Whiteflies and Their New Parasitoid Wasp in Japan: Evidence of the Distinct Infection Status on Aleurocanthus camelliae Cryptic Species Complex.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {9},
pages = {},
pmid = {36135489},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Wolbachia, an alphaproteobacterial reproductive parasite, can cause profound mitochondrial divergence in insects, which might eventually be a part of cryptic speciation. Aleurocanthus camelliae is a cryptic species complex consisting of several morphospecies and/or haplotypes that are genetically different but morphologically indistinctive. However, little is known about the Wolbachia infection status in these tea and Citrus pests. Thus, this study aimed to profile the diversity and phenotypic characteristics of Wolbachia natural infections in the A. camelliae cryptic species complex. A monophyletic strain of Wolbachia that infected the A. camelliae cryptic species complex (wAlec) with different patterns was discovered. Whiteflies that are morphologically identical to Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Aleurocanthus cf. A. spiniferus in Eurya japonica and A. spiniferus in Citrus) were grouped into uninfected populations, whereas the fixed infection was detected in A. camelliae B1 from Theaceae. The rapid evolution of wAlec was also found to occur through a high recombination event, which produced subgroups A and B in wAlec. It may also be associated with the non-cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) phenotype of wAlec due to undetectable CI-related genes from phage WO (WOAlec). The current discovery of a novel cryptic species of A. camelliae led to a discussion about the oscillation hypothesis, which may provide insights on cryptic speciation, particularly on how specialization and host expansion have been recorded among these species. This study also identified a parasitoid wasp belonging to the genus Eretmocerus in A. camelliae, for the first time in Japan.},
}
@article {pmid36125236,
year = {2022},
author = {Brinker, P and Chen, F and Chehida, YB and Beukeboom, LW and Fontaine, MC and Salles, JF},
title = {Microbiome composition is shaped by geography and population structure in the parasitic wasp Asobara japonica, but not in the presence of the endosymbiont Wolbachia.},
journal = {Molecular ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/mec.16699},
pmid = {36125236},
issn = {1365-294X},
abstract = {The microbial community composition is crucial for diverse life-history traits in many organisms. However, we still lack a sufficient understanding of how the host microbiome is acquired and maintained, a pressing issue in times of global environmental change. Here we investigated to what extent host genotype, environmental conditions, and the endosymbiont Wolbachia influence the bacterial communities in the parasitic wasp Asobara japonica. We sampled multiple wasp populations across 10 locations in their natural distribution range in Japan and sequenced the host genome (whole genome sequencing) and microbiome (16S rRNA gene). We compared the host population structure and bacterial community composition of wasps that reproduce sexually and are uninfected with Wolbachia with wasps that reproduce asexually and carry Wolbachia. The bacterial communities in asexual wasps were highly similar due to a strong effect of Wolbachia rather than host genomic structure. In contrast, in sexual wasps, bacterial communities appear primarily shaped by a combination of population structure and environmental conditions. Our research highlights that multiple factors shape the bacterial communities of an organism and that the presence of a single endosymbiont can strongly alter their compositions. This information is crucial to understanding how organisms and their associated microbiome will react in the face of environmental change.},
}
@article {pmid36124585,
year = {2022},
author = {Chinnathambi, R and Rihan, FA},
title = {Analysis and control of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes using sterile-insect techniques with Wolbachia.},
journal = {Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE},
volume = {19},
number = {11},
pages = {11154-11171},
doi = {10.3934/mbe.2022520},
pmid = {36124585},
issn = {1551-0018},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Humans ; *Infertility ; Male ; Mosquito Control/methods ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Combining Sterile and Incompatible Insect techniques can significantly reduce mosquito populations and prevent the transmission of diseases between insects and humans. This paper describes impulsive differential equations for the control of a mosquito with Wolbachia. Several interesting conditions are created when sterile male mosquitoes are released impulsively, ensuring both open- and closed-loop control. To determine the wild mosquito population size in real-time, we propose an open-loop control system, which uses impulsive and constant releases of sterile male mosquitoes. A closed-loop control scheme is also being investigated, which specifies the release of sterile mosquitoes according to the size of the wild mosquito population. To eliminate or reduce a mosquito population below a certain threshold, the Sterile insect technique involves mass releases of sterile insects. Numerical simulations verify the theoretical results.},
}
@article {pmid36121852,
year = {2022},
author = {Martinez, J and Ant, TH and Murdochy, SM and Tong, L and da Silva Filipe, A and Sinkins, SP},
title = {Genome sequencing and comparative analysis of Wolbachia strain wAlbA reveals Wolbachia-associated plasmids are common.},
journal = {PLoS genetics},
volume = {18},
number = {9},
pages = {e1010406},
pmid = {36121852},
issn = {1553-7404},
support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {*Aedes/genetics ; Animals ; Plasmids/genetics ; Prophages/genetics ; Symbiosis/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia are widespread maternally-transmitted bacteria of arthropods that often spread by manipulating their host's reproduction through cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Their invasive potential is currently being harnessed in field trials aiming to control mosquito-borne diseases. Wolbachia genomes commonly harbour prophage regions encoding the cif genes which confer their ability to induce CI. Recently, a plasmid-like element was discovered in wPip, a Wolbachia strain infecting Culex mosquitoes; however, it is unclear how common such extra-chromosomal elements are in Wolbachia. Here we sequenced the complete genome of wAlbA, a strain of the symbiont found in Aedes albopictus, after eliminating the co-infecting and higher density wAlbB strain that previously made sequencing of wAlbA challenging. We show that wAlbA is associated with two new plasmids and identified additional Wolbachia plasmids and related chromosomal islands in over 20% of publicly available Wolbachia genome datasets. These plasmids encode a variety of accessory genes, including several phage-like DNA packaging genes as well as genes potentially contributing to host-symbiont interactions. In particular, we recovered divergent homologues of the cif genes in both Wolbachia- and Rickettsia-associated plasmids. Our results indicate that plasmids are common in Wolbachia and raise fundamental questions around their role in symbiosis. In addition, our comparative analysis provides useful information for the future development of genetic tools to manipulate and study Wolbachia symbionts.},
}
@article {pmid36117539,
year = {2022},
author = {Power, NR and Rugman-Jones, PF and Stouthamer, R and Ganjisaffar, F and Perring, TM},
title = {High temperature mortality of Wolbachia impacts the sex ratio of the parasitoid Ooencyrtus mirus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae).},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {10},
number = {},
pages = {e13912},
pmid = {36117539},
issn = {2167-8359},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia bacteria are estimated to occur in more than half of all insect species. In Hymenoptera, Wolbachia often manipulates its host's reproduction to its own advantage. Wolbachia is likely the reason that males are rare in the uniparental Ooencyrtus mirus Triapitsyn &amp; Power (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). The likelihood of producing male offspring can be increased by giving mothers a continuous supply of Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) host eggs to parasitize for 2-3 weeks, by feeding the parents antibiotics, or by rearing parent wasps at high temperatures; all variables that have been shown to correlate with depleting Wolbachia titers in other organisms. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether thelytoky in O. mirus is due to Wolbachia, and if so, at what time in development the sex change occurs. We also wished to determine if Wolbachia removal results in the production of intersexes, as in some other hymenopterans. Finally, mating behavior was observed to see if and where it breaks down as a result of the species becoming thelytokous.<br><br>METHODS: Females were collected from parental lines of O. mirus reared at 26, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 36&#xa0;&#xb0;C. The offspring of these females were reared at 26&#xa0;&#xb0;C, and their sex-ratio was determined. In a subsequent experiment, the parental generation was switched between 26&#xa0;&#xb0;C and 36&#xa0;&#xb0;C during development to narrow down the critical period at which changes occurred that subsequently affected the sex-ratio of their offspring.<br><br>RESULTS: The sex ratio was male biased in the offspring of O. mirus parents reared at 34&#xa0;&#xb0;C and 36&#xa0;&#xb0;C (high temperatures), even if the offspring themselves were reared at 26&#xa0;&#xb0;C. The constant temperature at which the percentage of males started to increase after two generations was 31&#xa0;&#xb0;C (10% males), rising to 39% males at 33&#xa0;&#xb0;C, and 100% males at 34&#xa0;&#xb0;C and 36&#xa0;&#xb0;C. Lasting more than 2 days, the critical period for the change toward a male biased sex ratio was during the second half of the parent's development. Molecular diagnostic assays confirmed that O. mirus females contain Wolbachia and males do not. Examination of preserved males and male-female pairs under a dissecting microscope showed no signs of intersex characters. Observation of the mating behavior of live O. mirus showed that males initiate courtship by drumming their antennae on a female's antennae, but after a few seconds, the females typically turn and walk away. However, a few instances of possible copulation were noted.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: As hypothesized, the results indicated that thelytoky in O. mirus is likely mediated by Wolbachia bacteria. To maximize the population growth rate without generating males, the best temperature for mass rearing this species is 30&#xa0;&#xb0;C.},
}
@article {pmid36114796,
year = {2022},
author = {Li, J and He, P and He, P and Li, Y and Wu, Y and Lu, Z and Li, X and Yang, Y and Wang, Y and Guo, J and Munir, S and He, Y},
title = {Potential of citrus endophyte Bacillus subtilis L1-21 in the control of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus in Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {78},
number = {12},
pages = {5164-5171},
doi = {10.1002/ps.7134},
pmid = {36114796},
issn = {1526-4998},
mesh = {Animals ; *Hemiptera/microbiology ; *Citrus/microbiology ; *Rhizobiaceae ; Endophytes ; Bacillus subtilis ; Liberibacter ; Insect Vectors/microbiology ; Plant Diseases/microbiology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), also known as Diaphorina citri, is the natural vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), which is responsible for Huanglongbing (HLB), a devastating citrus disease. Previously, the pathogen was successfully excluded from diseased citrus plants by using the indigenous endophyte Bacillus subtilis L1-21. However, the pathogen elimination and colonization potential of B. subtilis L1-21 in the carrier vector ACP, as well as the recruitment of native microbial communities of psyllid in the presence of endophytes, are still unknown.<br><br>RESULTS: Initially, we suggested that endophyte L1-21 reduced the CLas copies in ACP from 6.58&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10[6] to 5.04&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10[4] per insect after 48&#x2009;h, however, the pathogen copies remained stable in the negative control. The endophyte was stable for 48&#x2009;h after application. Among the bacterial genera those highlighted in ACP were Candidatus Liberibacter, Pseudomonas, Candidatus Profftella, Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum, Pantoea, Curtobacterium, Wolbachia, Actinomycetospora, and Bacillus. Interestingly, B. subtilis L1-21 easily colonizes the midgut of ACP but cannot be detected in eggs. When ACP with endophyte L1-21 was allowed to feed on new citrus leaves, the highest colonization was observed. We also found that psyllids carrying endophyte L1-21 after feeding on citrus leaves reduced the CLas copies in leaves on the 0, 3rd and 5th day from 8.18&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10,[4] 2.6&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10,[3] and 0 pathogen copies/g fresh midvein, respectively.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We propose that B. subtilis L1-21 is a native endophyte in citrus and psyllid, which efficiently reduces the CLas pathogen in both citrus and psyllids, provides a more protective effect by increasing the number of cultivable endophytes, and successfully colonizes the midgut of ACP. &#xa9; 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}
@article {pmid36112293,
year = {2022},
author = {Liu, Y and Yu, J and Li, J},
title = {A Mosquito Population Suppression Model by Releasing Wolbachia-Infected Males.},
journal = {Bulletin of mathematical biology},
volume = {84},
number = {11},
pages = {121},
pmid = {36112293},
issn = {1522-9602},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Male ; Mathematical Concepts ; Models, Biological ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Due to the role of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), releasing Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes into the wild becomes a very promising strategy to suppress the wild mosquito population. When developing a mosquito suppression strategy, our main concerns are how often, and in what amount, should Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes be released under different CI intensity conditions, so that the suppression is most effective and cost efficient. In this paper, we propose a mosquito population suppression model that incorporates suppression and self-recovery under different CI intensity conditions. We adopt the new modeling idea that only sexually active Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes are considered in the model and assume the releases of Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes are impulsive and periodic with period T. We particularly study the case where the release period is greater than the sexual lifespan of the Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes. We define the CI intensity threshold, mosquito release thresholds, and the release period threshold to characterize the model dynamics. The global and local asymptotic stability of the origin and the existence and stability of T-periodic solutions are investigated. Our findings provide useful guidance in designing practical release strategies to control wild mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid36110209,
year = {2022},
author = {Zhang, HD and Gao, J and Xing, D and Guo, XX and Li, CX and Dong, YD and Zheng, Z and Ma, Z and Wu, ZM and Zhu, XJ and Zhao, MH and Liu, QM and Yan, T and Chu, HL and Zhao, TY},
title = {Fine-scale genetic structure and wolbachia infection of aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Nanjing city, China.},
journal = {Frontiers in genetics},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {827655},
pmid = {36110209},
issn = {1664-8021},
abstract = {Background: Aedes albopictus is an indigenous primary vector of dengue and Zika viruses in China. Wolbachia is a gram-negative and common intracellular bacteria, which is maternally inherited endosymbionts and could expand their propagation in host populations by means of various manipulations. Compared with research on the dispersion of Ae. albopictus at the macrospatial level (mainly at the country or continent level), little is known about its variation and Wolbachia infection at the microspatial level, which is essential for its management. Meanwhile, no local cases of dengue fever have been recorded in the history of Nanjing, which implies that few adulticides have been applied in the city. Thus, the present study examines how the Ae. albopictus population varies and the Wolbachia infection status of each population among microspatial regions of Nanjing City. Methods: The genetic structure of 17 Aedes albopictus populations collected from urban, urban fringe, and rural regions of Nanjing City was investigated based on 9 microsatellite loci and the mitochondrial coxI gene. The Wolbachia infection status of each population was also assessed with Wolbachia A- and Wolbachia B-specific primers. Results: Nine out of 58 tested pairs of microsatellite markers were highly polymorphic, with a mean PIC value of 0.560, and these markers were therefore chosen for microsatellite genotyping analysis. The Na value of each Ae. albopictus population was very high, and the urban area populations (7.353 ± 4.975) showed a lower mean value than the urban fringe region populations (7.866 ± 5.010). A total of 19 coxI haplotypes were observed among 329 Ae. albopictus individuals via haplotype genotyping, with the highest diversity observed among the urban fringe Ae. albopictus populations (Hd = 0.456) and the lowest among the urban populations (Hd = 0.277). Each Ae. albopictus population showed significant departure from HWE, and significant population expansion was observed in only three populations from the urban (ZSL), urban fringe (HAJY), and rural areas (HSZY) (p < 0.05). Combined with DAPC analysis, all the Ae. albopictus populations were adequately allocated to two clades with significant genetic differences according to population structure analysis, and the best K value was equal to two. AMOVA results showed that most (96.18%) of the genetic variation detected in Ae. albopictus occurred within individuals (FIT = 0.22238, p < 0.0001), while no significant positive correlation was observed via isolation by distance (IBD) analysis (R [2] = 0.03262, p = 0.584). The TCS network of all haplotypes showed that haplotype 1 (H1) and haplotype 4 (H4) were the most frequent haplotypes among all populations, and the haplotype frequency significantly increased from urban regions (36.84%) to rural regions (68.42%). Frequent migration was observed among Ae. albopictus populations from rural to urban regions via the urban fringe region, with four direct migration routes between rural and urban regions. Furthermore, Wolbachia genotyping results showed that most of the individuals of each population were coinfected with Wolbachia A and Wolbachia B. The independent infection rate of Wolbachia A was slightly higher than that of Wolbachia B, and no significant differences were observed among different regions. Conclusion: In the microspatial environment of Nanjing City, the urban fringe region is an important region for the dispersion of Ae. albopictus populations between rural and urban areas, and Wolbachia A and Wolbachia B coinfection is the most common Wolbachia infection status in all Ae. albopictus populations among different regions.},
}
@article {pmid36085160,
year = {2022},
author = {Bishop, C and Hussain, M and Hugo, LE and Asgari, S},
title = {Analysis of Aedes aegypti microRNAs in response to Wolbachia wAlbB infection and their potential role in mosquito longevity.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {15245},
pmid = {36085160},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {*Aedes/genetics ; Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Drosophila ; Longevity/genetics ; *MicroRNAs/genetics ; Mosquito Vectors ; Tetracycline ; *Wolbachia ; *Zika Virus ; *Zika Virus Infection ; },
abstract = {The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of a range of medically important viruses including dengue, Zika, West Nile, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses. The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis wAlbB strain is a promising biocontrol agent for blocking viral transmission by Ae. aegypti. To predict the long-term efficacy of field applications, a thorough understanding of the interactions between symbiont, host, and pathogen is required. Wolbachia influences host physiology in a variety of ways including reproduction, immunity, metabolism, and longevity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression in eukaryotes and viruses. Several miRNAs are known to regulate biological processes in Drosophila and mosquitoes, including facilitating Wolbachia maintenance. We generated the first chromosomal map of Ae. aegypti miRNAs, and compared miRNA expression profiles between a wAlbB-transinfected Ae. aegypti mosquito line and a tetracycline cleared derivative, using deep small RNA-sequencing. We found limited modulation of miRNAs in response to wAlbB infection. Several miRNAs were modulated in response to age, some of which showed greater upregulation in wAlbB-infected mosquitoes than in tetracycline cleared ones. By selectively inhibiting some differentially expressed miRNAs, we identified miR-2946-3p and miR-317-3p as effecting mosquito longevity in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid36042402,
year = {2022},
author = {Twort, VG and Blande, D and Duplouy, A},
title = {One's trash is someone else's treasure: sequence read archives from Lepidoptera genomes provide material for genome reconstruction of their endosymbionts.},
journal = {BMC microbiology},
volume = {22},
number = {1},
pages = {209},
pmid = {36042402},
issn = {1471-2180},
mesh = {Animals ; *Lepidoptera ; Phylogeny ; *Spiroplasma/genetics ; Symbiosis/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Maternally inherited bacterial symbionts are extremely widespread in insects. They owe their success to their ability to promote their own transmission through various manipulations of their hosts' life-histories. Many symbionts however very often go undetected. Consequently, we have only a restricted idea of the true symbiont diversity in insects, which may hinder our understanding of even bigger questions in the field such as the evolution or establishment of symbiosis.<br><br>RESULTS: In this study, we screened publicly available Lepidoptera genomic material for two of the most common insect endosymbionts, namely Wolbachia and Spiroplasma, in 1904 entries, encompassing 106 distinct species. We compared the performance of two screening software, Kraken2 and MetaPhlAn2, to identify the bacterial infections and using a baiting approach we reconstruct endosymbiont genome assemblies. Of the 106 species screened, 20 (19%) and nine (8.5%) were found to be infected with either Wolbachia or Spiroplasma, respectively. Construction of partial symbiotic genomes and phylogenetic analyses suggested the Wolbachia strains from the supergroup B were the most prevalent type of symbionts, while Spiroplasma infections were scarce in the Lepidoptera species screened here.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that many of the host-symbiont associations remain largely unexplored, with the majority of associations we identify never being recorded before. This highlights the usefulness of public databases to explore the hidden diversity of symbiotic entities, allowing the development of hypotheses regarding host-symbiont associations. The ever-expanding genomic databases provide a diverse databank from which one can characterize and explore the true diversity of symbiotic entities.},
}
@article {pmid36040904,
year = {2022},
author = {Conjard, S and Meyer, DF and Aprelon, R and Pagès, N and Gros, O},
title = {Evidence of new strains of Wolbachia symbiont colonising semiaquatic bugs (Hemiptera: Gerroidea) in mangrove environment of the Lesser Antilles.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {17},
number = {8},
pages = {e0273668},
pmid = {36040904},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Arthropods/microbiology ; DNA, Bacterial ; *Heteroptera ; Phylogeny ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia Hertig, 1936 is an intracellular bacterial symbiont colonizing many arthropods. Of the studies done on the bacteria present in the superfamily Gerroidea Leach, 1815, no report of Wolbachia infection had yet been made. Thus, we checked the presence of Wolbachia in six Gerroidea species which colonize tropical aquatic environments by PCR using wsp primer set before sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. Insects were collected in the marine fringe of mangroves, in river estuaries, in swampy mangroves, and in ponds from Guadeloupe islands (Caribbean). Two new strains of Wolbachia were detected in these Gerroidea. They were named wLfran and wRmang. The wsp sequences suggest that the strains belong to the already described E supergroup or similar. wLfran is present in Limnogonus franciscanus Stål, 1859 and Rheumatobates trinitatis (China, 1943) while wRmang appears to be present exclusively in R. mangrovensis (China, 1943). Three other species were analysed, but did not appear to be infected: Brachymetra albinerva (Amyot &amp; Serville, 1843), Halobates micans Eschscheltz, 1822, and Microvelia pulchella Westwood, 1834. The results presented here highlight for the first time the presence of new intracellular Wolbachia strains in Gerroidea colonising tropical aquatic environments like mangrove habitats from inlands to sea shore.},
}
@article {pmid36037217,
year = {2022},
author = {Formisano, G and Iodice, L and Cascone, P and Sacco, A and Quarto, R and Cavalieri, V and Bosco, D and Guerrieri, E and Giorgini, M},
title = {Wolbachia infection and genetic diversity of Italian populations of Philaenus spumarius, the main vector of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {17},
number = {8},
pages = {e0272028},
pmid = {36037217},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; Europe ; Genetic Variation ; *Hemiptera/genetics/microbiology ; Insect Vectors/microbiology ; Italy ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Plant Diseases/microbiology ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; *Xylella/genetics ; },
abstract = {Philaenus spumarius is a cosmopolitan species that has become a major threat to European agriculture being recognized as the main vector of the introduced plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa, the agent of the "olive quick decline syndrome", a disease which is devastating olive orchards in southern Italy. Wolbachia are bacterial symbionts of many insects, frequently as reproductive parasites, sometime by establishing mutualistic relationships, able to spread within host populations. Philaenus spumarius harbors Wolbachia, but the role played by this symbiont is unknown and data on the infection prevalence within host populations are limited. Here, the Wolbachia infection rate was analyzed in relation to the geographic distribution and the genetic diversity of the Italian populations of P. spumarius. Analysis of the COI gene sequences revealed a geographically structured distribution of the three main mitochondrial lineages of P. spumarius. Wolbachia was detected in half of the populations sampled in northern Italy where most individuals belonged to the western-Mediterranean lineage. All populations sampled in southern and central Italy, where the individuals of the eastern-Mediterranean lineage were largely prevalent, were uninfected. Individuals of the north-eastern lineage were found only in populations from the Alps in the northernmost part of Italy, at high altitudes. In this area, Wolbachia infection reached the highest prevalence, with no difference between north-eastern and western-Mediterranean lineage. Analysis of molecular diversity of COI sequences suggested no significant effect of Wolbachia on population genetics of P. spumarius. Using the MLST approach, six new Wolbachia sequence types were identified. Using FISH, Wolbachia were observed within the host's reproductive tissues and salivary glands. Results obtained led us to discuss the role of Wolbachia in P. spumarius, the factors influencing the geographic distribution of the infection, and the exploitation of Wolbachia for the control of the vector insect to reduce the spread of X. fastidiosa.},
}
@article {pmid36012723,
year = {2022},
author = {Zong, Q and Mao, B and Zhang, HB and Wang, B and Yu, WJ and Wang, ZW and Wang, YF},
title = {Comparative Ubiquitome Analysis Reveals Deubiquitinating Effects Induced by Wolbachia Infection in Drosophila melanogaster.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {23},
number = {16},
pages = {},
pmid = {36012723},
issn = {1422-0067},
mesh = {Animals ; Cytoplasm/metabolism ; *Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; Female ; Male ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex/metabolism ; Semen ; Testis/metabolism ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {The endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria frequently cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in their insect hosts, where Wolbachia-infected males cross with uninfected females, leading to no or fewer progenies, indicating a paternal modification by Wolbachia. Recent studies have identified a Wolbachia protein, CidB, containing a DUB (deubiquitylating enzyme) domain, which can be loaded into host sperm nuclei and involved in CI, though the DUB activity is not necessary for CI in Drosophila melanogaster. To investigate whether and how Wolbachia affect protein ubiquitination in testes of male hosts and are thus involved in male fertility, we compared the protein and ubiquitinated protein expressions in D. melanogaster testes with and without Wolbachia. A total of 643 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and 309 differentially expressed ubiquitinated proteins (DEUPs) were identified to have at least a 1.5-fold change with a p-value of <0.05. Many DEPs were enriched in metabolic pathway, ribosome, RNA transport, and post-translational protein modification pathways. Many DEUPs were involved in metabolism, ribosome, and proteasome pathways. Notably, 98.1% DEUPs were downregulated in the presence of Wolbachia. Four genes coding for DEUPs in ubiquitin proteasome pathways were knocked down, respectively, in Wolbachia-free fly testes. Among them, Rpn6 and Rpn7 knockdown caused male sterility, with no mature sperm in seminal vesicles. These results reveal deubiquitylating effects induced by Wolbachia infection, suggesting that Wolbachia can widely deubiquitinate proteins that have crucial functions in male fertility of their hosts, but are not involved in CI. Our data provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of endosymbiont/host interactions and male fertility.},
}
@article {pmid36009794,
year = {2022},
author = {Suo, P and Wang, K and Yu, H and Fu, X and An, L and Bhowmick, B and Zhang, J and Han, Q},
title = {Seasonal Variation of Midgut Bacterial Diversity in Culexquinquefasciatus Populations in Haikou City, Hainan Province, China.},
journal = {Biology},
volume = {11},
number = {8},
pages = {},
pmid = {36009794},
issn = {2079-7737},
abstract = {Culex quinquefasciatus, one of the most significant mosquito vectors in the world, is widespread in most parts of southern China. A variety of diseases including Bancroft's filariasis, West Nile disease, and St. Louis encephalitis could be transmitted by the vector. Mosquitoes have been shown to host diverse bacterial communities that vary depending on environmental factors such as temperature and rainfall. In this work, 16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyze the seasonal variation of midgut bacterial diversity of Cx. Quinquefasciatus in Haikou City, Hainan Province, China. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum, accounting for 79.7% (autumn), 73% (winter), 80.4% (spring), and 84.5% (summer). The abundance of Bacteroidetes in autumn and winter was higher than in others. Interestingly, Epsilonbacteraeota, which only exists in autumn and winter, was discovered accidentally in the midgut. We speculated that this might participate in the nutritional supply of adult mosquitoes when temperatures drop. Wolbachia is the most abundant in autumn, accounting for 31.6% of bacteria. The content of Pantoea was highest in the summer group, which might be related to the enhancement of the ability of mosquitoes as temperatures increased. Pseudomonas is carried out as the highest level in winter. On the contrary, in spring and summer, the genus in highest abundance is Enterobacter. Acinetobacter enriches in the spring when it turns from cold to hot. By studying the diversity of midgut bacteria of Cx. quinquefasciatus, we can further understand the co-evolution of mosquitoes and their symbiotic microbes. This is necessary to discuss the seasonal variation of microorganisms and ultimately provide a new perspective for the control of Cx. quinquefasciatus to reduce the spread of the diseases which have notably vital practical significance for the effective prevention of Cx. quinquefasciatus.},
}
@article {pmid36005381,
year = {2022},
author = {Fallon, AM},
title = {From Mosquito Ovaries to Ecdysone; from Ecdysone to Wolbachia: One Woman's Career in Insect Biology.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {8},
pages = {},
pmid = {36005381},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {In anautogenous mosquitoes, synchronous development of terminal ovarian follicles after a blood meal provides an important model for studies on insect reproduction. Removal and implantation of ovaries, in vitro culture of dissected tissues and immunological assays for vitellogenin synthesis by the fat body showed that the Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera, Culicidae) mosquito ovary produces a factor essential for egg production. The discovery that the ovarian factor was the insect steroid hormone, ecdysone, provided a model for co-option of the larval hormones as reproductive hormones in adult insects. In later work on cultured mosquito cells, ecdysone was shown to arrest the cell cycle, resulting in an accumulation of diploid cells in G1, prior to initiation of DNA synthesis. Some mosquito species, such as Culex pipiens L. (Diptera, Culicidae), harbor the obligate intracellular bacterium, Wolbachia pipientis Hertig (Rickettsiales, Anaplasmataceae), in their reproductive tissues. When maintained in mosquito cell lines, Wolbachia abundance increases in ecdysone-arrested cells. This observation facilitated the recovery of high levels of Wolbachia from cultured cells for microinjection and genetic manipulation. In female Culex pipiens, it will be of interest to explore how hormonal cues that support initiation and progression of the vitellogenic cycle influence Wolbachia replication and transmission to subsequent generations via infected eggs.},
}
@article {pmid36005362,
year = {2022},
author = {Kyritsis, GA and Koskinioti, P and Bourtzis, K and Papadopoulos, NT},
title = {Effect of Wolbachia Infection and Adult Food on the Sexual Signaling of Males of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly Ceratitis capitata.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {8},
pages = {},
pmid = {36005362},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Sexual signaling is a fundamental component of sexual behavior of Ceratitis capitata that highly determines males' mating success. Nutritional status and age are dominant factors known to affect males' signaling performance and define the female decision to accept a male as a sexual partner. Wolbachia pipientis, a widespread endosymbiotic bacterium of insects and other arthropods, exerts several biological effects on its hosts. However, the effects of Wolbachia infection on the sexual behavior of medfly and the interaction between Wolbachia infection and adult food remain unexplored. This study was conducted to determine the effects of Wolbachia on sexual signaling of protein-fed and protein-deprived males. Our findings demonstrate that: (a) Wolbachia infection reduced male sexual signaling rates in both food regimes; (b) the negative effect of Wolbachia infection was more pronounced on protein-fed than protein-deprived males, and it was higher at younger ages, indicating that the bacterium regulates male sexual maturity; (c) Wolbachia infection alters the daily pattern of sexual signaling; and (d) protein deprivation bears significant descent on sexual signaling frequency of the uninfected males, whereas no difference was observed for the Wolbachia-infected males. The impact of our findings on the implementation of Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) or the combined SIT/IIT towards controlling insect pests is discussed.},
}
@article {pmid36003274,
year = {2022},
author = {Sharma, M and Kumar, V},
title = {Mosquito-larvicidal Binary (BinA/B) proteins for mosquito control programs -advancements, challenges, and possibilities.},
journal = {Current research in insect science},
volume = {2},
number = {},
pages = {100028},
pmid = {36003274},
issn = {2666-5158},
abstract = {The increasing global burden of mosquito-borne diseases require targeted, environmentally friendly, and sustainable approaches for effective vector control without endangering the non-target beneficial insect population. Biological interventions such as biopesticides, Wolbachia-mediated biological controls, or sterile insect techniques are used worldwide. Here we review Binary or BinAB toxin-the mosquito-larvicidal component of WHO-recognized Lysinibacillus sphaericus bacterium employed in mosquito control programs. Binary (BinAB) toxin is primarily responsible for the larvicidal effect of the bacterium. BinAB is a single-receptor-specific toxin and is effective against larvae of Culex and Anopheles, but not against Aedes aegypti. The receptor in Culex, the Cqm1 protein, has been extensively studied. It is a GPI-anchored amylomaltase and is located apically in the lipid rafts of the larval-midgut epithelium. The interaction of the toxin components with the receptor is crucial for the mosquito larvicidal activity of the BinAB toxin. Here we extend support for the pore formation model of BinAB toxin internalization and the role of toxin-glycan interactions in the endoplasmic reticulum in mediating larval death. BinAB is phylogenetically safe for humans, as Cqm1-like protein is not expected in the human proteome. This review aims to initiate targeted R&amp;D efforts, such as applying fusion technologies (chimera of BinA, chemical modification of BinA), for efficient mosquito control interventions. In addition, the review also examines other areas such as bioremediation and cancer therapeutics, in which L. sphaericus is proving useful and showing potential for further development.},
}
@article {pmid36003268,
year = {2022},
author = {Davies, OK and Dorey, JB and Stevens, MI and Gardner, MG and Bradford, TM and Schwarz, MP},
title = {Unparalleled mitochondrial heteroplasmy and Wolbachia co-infection in the non-model bee, Amphylaeus morosus.},
journal = {Current research in insect science},
volume = {2},
number = {},
pages = {100036},
pmid = {36003268},
issn = {2666-5158},
abstract = {Mitochondrial heteroplasmy is the occurrence of more than one type of mitochondrial DNA within a single individual. Although generally reported to occur in a small subset of individuals within a species, there are some instances of widespread heteroplasmy across entire populations. Amphylaeus morosus is an Australian native bee species in the diverse and cosmopolitan bee family Colletidae. This species has an extensive geographical range along the eastern Australian coast, from southern Queensland to western Victoria, covering approximately 2,000 km. Seventy individuals were collected from five localities across this geographical range and sequenced using Sanger sequencing for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. These data indicate that every individual had the same consistent heteroplasmic sites but no other nucleotide variation, suggesting two conserved and widespread heteroplasmic mitogenomes. Ion Torrent shotgun sequencing revealed that heteroplasmy occurred across multiple mitochondrial protein-coding genes and is unlikely explained by transposition of mitochondrial genes into the nuclear genome (NUMTs). DNA sequence data also demonstrated a consistent co-infection of Wolbachia across the A. morosus distribution with every individual infected with both bacterial strains. Our data are consistent with the presence of two mitogenomes within all individuals examined in this species and suggest a major divergence from standard patterns of mitochondrial inheritance. Because the host's mitogenome and the Wolbachia genome are genetically linked through maternal inheritance, we propose three possible hypotheses that could explain maintenance of the widespread and conserved co-occurring bacterial and mitochondrial genomes in this species.},
}
@article {pmid35992686,
year = {2022},
author = {Ma, TC and Guo, WJ and Wen, JB},
title = {Effects of feeding on different parts of Ailanthus altissima on the intestinal microbiota of Eucryptorrhynchus scrobiculatus and Eucryptorrhynchus brandti (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {899313},
pmid = {35992686},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Eucryptorrhynchus brandti and Eucryptorrhynchus scrobiculatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are two monophagous weevil pests that feed on Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle but differ in their diet niche. In the field, adults of E. brandti prefer to feed on the trunk of A. altissima, whereas adults of E. scrobiculatus prefer to feed on the tender parts. We conducted Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA to examine changes in bacterial diversity in the adults of these two weevil species after they fed on different parts of A. altissima (trunk, 2-3-year-old branches, annual branches, and petioles). Proteobacteria, Tenericutes, and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in E. brandti (relative abundance was 50.64, 41.56, and 5.63%, respectively) and E. scrobiculatus (relative abundance was 78.63, 11.91, and 7.41%, respectively). At the genus level, Spiroplasma, endosymbionts2, Unclassified Enterobacteriaceae, and Lactococcus were dominant in E. brandti, and Unclassified Enterobacteriaceae, Wolbachia and Spiroplasma, and endosymbionts2 were dominant in E. scrobiculatus. Linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis revealed microbial biomarkers in the different treatment group of adults of both weevil species. Adults of E. brandti may require the trunk, and adults of E. scrobiculatus may require the petioles and annual branches to maintain the high diversity of their gut microbes. The results of this study indicate that feeding on different parts of A. altissima affects the composition and function of the microbes of E. brandti and the microbial composition of E. scrobiculatus. Variation in the abundance of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma in E. brandti and E. scrobiculatus is associated with dietary niche changes, and this might explain the evolution of reproductive isolation between these two sibling weevil species.},
}
@article {pmid35992676,
year = {2022},
author = {Sadanandane, C and Gunasekaran, K and Panneer, D and Subbarao, SK and Rahi, M and Vijayakumar, B and Athithan, V and Sakthivel, A and Dinesh, S and Jambulingam, P},
title = {Studies on the fitness characteristics of wMel- and wAlbB-introgressed Aedes aegypti (Pud) lines in comparison with wMel- and wAlbB-transinfected Aedes aegypti (Aus) and wild-type Aedes aegypti (Pud) lines.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {947857},
pmid = {35992676},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Wolbachia, an intracellular maternally transmitted endosymbiont, has been shown to interfere with the replication of dengue virus in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The Wolbachia-transinfected Ae. aegypti has been currently released in many countries to test its effectiveness in preventing the transmission of dengue virus. ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre in collaboration with World Mosquito Program Monash University, Australia, has generated two new Wolbachia-introgressed Ae. aegypti Puducherry (Pud) lines via backcrossing Ae. aegypti females of Australian (Aus) strains, infected with wMel and wAlbB Wolbachia with wild-type Ae. aegypti Puducherry (Pud) males. Wolbachia infections are known to induce a fitness cost and confer benefit on the host mosquito populations that will influence spread of the Wolbachia into native wild mosquito populations during the field release. Hence, the induced fitness cost or benefit/advantage in the two newly generated Ae. aegypti (Pud) lines was assessed in the laboratory in comparison with the wild-type Ae. aegypti (Pud) strain. In addition, maternal transmission (MT) efficiency, induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), and insecticide resistance status of the two (Pud) lines were determined to assess the likely frequency of wMel and wAlbB infections in the native wild population after field invasion. The study shows that wMel and wAlbB infections did not induce any fitness cost on the two newly generated (Pud) lines. Rather, in terms of wing length, fecundity, egg hatch rate, and adult survival, the Wolbachia introgression conferred fitness benefits on the (Pud) lines compared to uninfected Wolbachia free wild Ae. aegypti population. wMel and wAlbB exhibited a high maternal transmission (99-100%) and induced nearly complete (98-100%) cytoplasmic incompatibility. Both the (Pud) lines were resistant to deltamethrin, malathion, DDT, and temephos, and the level of resistance was almost the same between the two lines as in the wild type. Overall, the stable association of wMel and wAlbB established with Ae. aegypti and the reproductive advantages of the (Pud) lines encourage a pilot release in the field for population replacement potential.},
}
@article {pmid35976120,
year = {2022},
author = {Shastry, V and Bell, KL and Buerkle, CA and Fordyce, JA and Forister, ML and Gompert, Z and Lebeis, SL and Lucas, LK and Marion, ZH and Nice, CC},
title = {A continental-scale survey of Wolbachia infections in blue butterflies reveals evidence of interspecific transfer and invasion dynamics.},
journal = {G3 (Bethesda, Md.)},
volume = {12},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {35976120},
issn = {2160-1836},
mesh = {Animals ; *Butterflies/genetics/microbiology ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Phylogeny ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Infections by maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts, especially Wolbachia, are common in insects and other invertebrates but infection dynamics across species ranges are largely under studied. Specifically, we lack a broad understanding of the origin of Wolbachia infections in novel hosts, and the historical and geographical dynamics of infections that are critical for identifying the factors governing their spread. We used Genotype-by-Sequencing data from previous population genomics studies for range-wide surveys of Wolbachia presence and genetic diversity in North American butterflies of the genus Lycaeides. As few as one sequence read identified by assembly to a Wolbachia reference genome provided high accuracy in detecting infections in host butterflies as determined by confirmatory PCR tests, and maximum accuracy was achieved with a threshold of only 5 sequence reads per host individual. Using this threshold, we detected Wolbachia in all but 2 of the 107 sampling localities spanning the continent, with infection frequencies within populations ranging from 0% to 100% of individuals, but with most localities having high infection frequencies (mean = 91% infection rate). Three major lineages of Wolbachia were identified as separate strains that appear to represent 3 separate invasions of Lycaeides butterflies by Wolbachia. Overall, we found extensive evidence for acquisition of Wolbachia through interspecific transfer between host lineages. Strain wLycC was confined to a single butterfly taxon, hybrid lineages derived from it, and closely adjacent populations in other taxa. While the other 2 strains were detected throughout the rest of the continent, strain wLycB almost always co-occurred with wLycA. Our demographic modeling suggests wLycB is a recent invasion. Within strain wLycA, the 2 most frequent haplotypes are confined almost exclusively to separate butterfly taxa with haplotype A1 observed largely in Lycaeides melissa and haplotype A2 observed most often in Lycaeides idas localities, consistent with either cladogenic mode of infection acquisition from a common ancestor or by hybridization and accompanying mutation. More than 1 major Wolbachia strain was observed in 15 localities. These results demonstrate the utility of using resequencing data from hosts to quantify Wolbachia genetic variation and infection frequency and provide evidence of multiple colonizations of novel hosts through hybridization between butterfly lineages and complex dynamics between Wolbachia strains.},
}
@article {pmid35967981,
year = {2022},
author = {Shropshire, JD and Hamant, E and Conner, WR and Cooper, BS},
title = {cifB-transcript levels largely explain cytoplasmic incompatibility variation across divergent Wolbachia.},
journal = {PNAS nexus},
volume = {1},
number = {3},
pages = {pgac099},
pmid = {35967981},
issn = {2752-6542},
support = {R35 GM124701/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {Divergent hosts often associate with intracellular microbes that influence their fitness. Maternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria are the most common of these endosymbionts, due largely to cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) that kills uninfected embryos fertilized by Wolbachia-infected males. Closely related infections in females rescue CI, providing a relative fitness advantage that drives Wolbachia to high frequencies. One prophage-associated gene (cifA) governs rescue, and two contribute to CI (cifA and cifB), but CI strength ranges from very strong to very weak for unknown reasons. Here, we investigate CI-strength variation and its mechanistic underpinnings in a phylogenetic context across 20 million years (MY) of Wolbachia evolution in Drosophila hosts diverged up to 50 MY. These Wolbachia encode diverse Cif proteins (100% to 7.4% pairwise similarity), and AlphaFold structural analyses suggest that CifB sequence similarities do not predict structural similarities. We demonstrate that cifB-transcript levels in testes explain CI strength across all but two focal systems. Despite phylogenetic discordance among cifs and the bulk of the Wolbachia genome, closely related Wolbachia tend to cause similar CI strengths and transcribe cifB at similar levels. This indicates that other non-cif regions of the Wolbachia genome modulate cif-transcript levels. CI strength also increases with the length of the host's larval life stage, presumably due to prolonged cif action. Our findings reveal that cifB-transcript levels largely explain CI strength, while highlighting other covariates. Elucidating CI's mechanism contributes to our understanding of Wolbachia spread in natural systems and to improving the efficacy of CI-based biocontrol of arboviruses and agricultural pests globally.},
}
@article {pmid35939432,
year = {2022},
author = {, },
title = {Retraction: Wolbachia Transcription Elongation Factor "Wol GreA" Interacts with α2ββ'σ Subunits of RNA Polymerase through Its Dimeric C-Terminal Domain.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {8},
pages = {e0010694},
pmid = {35939432},
issn = {1935-2735},
}
@article {pmid35925631,
year = {2022},
author = {Denton, JA and Joubert, DA and Goundar, AA and Gilles, JRL},
title = {International shipments of Wolbachia-infected mosquito eggs: towards the scaling-up of World Mosquito Program operations.},
journal = {Revue scientifique et technique (International Office of Epizootics)},
volume = {41},
number = {1},
pages = {91-99},
doi = {10.20506/rst.41.1.3306},
pmid = {35925631},
issn = {0253-1933},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Australia ; *Dengue/epidemiology/veterinary ; Mosquito Vectors ; Ovum ; Pest Control, Biological ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {The Wolbachia insect control method, employed by the World Mosquito Program (WMP), relies on introgressing Wolbachia through target Aedes aegypti populations to reduce the incidence of dengue. Since 2010, the WMP has been producing Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes at numerous sites across the globe for release in 11 countries. As the technology has matured, greater focus has been placed on mosquito production at larger central facilities for transport to remote release sites, both domestically and internationally. Of particular note is the production of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes at the WMP's Australian production facility for successful international deployments in Fiji, Vanuatu, Kiribati and Sri Lanka. This requires careful management of both production and supply-chain processes to ensure that the quality of the mosquito eggs, specifically the hatch rate and Wolbachia infection rate, is maintained. To ensure the cost-effectiveness and scalability of the Wolbachia method, these processes will be further refined to facilitate deployment from large centralised production facilities.},
}
@article {pmid35923389,
year = {2022},
author = {Tibbs-Cortes, LE and Tibbs-Cortes, BW and Schmitz-Esser, S},
title = {Tardigrade Community Microbiomes in North American Orchards Include Putative Endosymbionts and Plant Pathogens.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {866930},
pmid = {35923389},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {The microbiome of tardigrades, a phylum of microscopic animals best known for their ability to survive extreme conditions, is poorly studied worldwide and completely unknown in North America. An improved understanding of tardigrade-associated bacteria is particularly important because tardigrades have been shown to act as vectors of the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris in the laboratory. However, the potential role of tardigrades as reservoirs and vectors of phytopathogens has not been investigated further. This study analyzed the microbiota of tardigrades from six apple orchards in central Iowa, United States, and is the first analysis of the microbiota of North American tardigrades. It is also the first ever study of the tardigrade microbiome in an agricultural setting. We utilized 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to characterize the tardigrade community microbiome across four contrasts: location, substrate type (moss or lichen), collection year, and tardigrades vs. their substrate. Alpha diversity of the tardigrade community microbiome differed significantly by location and year of collection but not by substrate type. Our work also corroborated earlier findings, demonstrating that tardigrades harbor a distinct microbiota from their environment. We also identified tardigrade-associated taxa that belong to genera known to contain phytopathogens (Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, and the Pantoea/Erwinia complex). Finally, we observed members of the genera Rickettsia and Wolbachia in the tardigrade microbiome; because these are obligate intracellular genera, we consider these taxa to be putative endosymbionts of tardigrades. These results suggest the presence of putative endosymbionts and phytopathogens in the microbiota of wild tardigrades in North America.},
}
@article {pmid35916725,
year = {2022},
author = {Dereeper, A and Summo, M and Meyer, DF},
title = {PanExplorer: a web-based tool for exploratory analysis and visualization of bacterial pan-genomes.},
journal = {Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)},
volume = {38},
number = {18},
pages = {4412-4414},
pmid = {35916725},
issn = {1367-4811},
mesh = {*Genome, Bacterial ; Genomics ; Software ; *Libraries ; Internet ; },
abstract = {MOTIVATION: As pan-genome approaches are largely employed for bacterial comparative genomics and evolution analyses, but still difficult to be carried out by non-bioinformatician biologists, there is a need for an innovative tool facilitating the exploration of bacterial pan-genomes.<br><br>RESULTS: PanExplorer is a web application providing various genomic analyses and reports, giving intuitive views that enable a better understanding of bacterial pan-genomes. As an example, we produced the pan-genome for 121 Anaplasmataceae strains (including 30 Ehrlichia, 15 Anaplasma, 68 Wolbachia).<br><br>PanExplorer is written in Perl CGI and relies on several JavaScript libraries for visualization (hotmap.js, MauveViewer, CircosJS). It is freely available at http://panexplorer.southgreen.fr. The source code has been released in a GitHub repository https://github.com/SouthGreenPlatform/PanExplorer. A documentation section is available on PanExplorer website.},
}
@article {pmid35916448,
year = {2022},
author = {Wang, J and Gou, QY and Luo, GY and Hou, X and Liang, G and Shi, M},
title = {Total RNA sequencing of Phlebotomus chinensis sandflies in China revealed viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic microbes potentially pathogenic to humans.},
journal = {Emerging microbes &amp; infections},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {2080-2092},
pmid = {35916448},
issn = {2222-1751},
support = {U01 AI151810/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/genetics ; Eukaryota/genetics ; Humans ; Mammals ; *Phlebotomus/genetics ; *Phlebovirus/genetics ; *Psychodidae/genetics ; RNA ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; },
abstract = {Phlebotomus chinensis sandfly is a neglected insect vector in China that is well-known for carrying Leishmania. Recent studies have expanded its pathogen repertoire with two novel arthropod-borne phleboviruses capable of infecting humans and animals. Despite these discoveries, our knowledge of the general pathogen diversity and overall microbiome composition of this vector species is still very limited. Here we carried out a meta-transcriptomics analysis that revealed the actively replicating/transcribing RNA viruses, DNA viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotic microbes, namely, the "total microbiome", of several sandfly populations in China. Strikingly, "microbiome" made up 1.8% of total non-ribosomal RNA and comprised more than 87 species, among which 70 were novel, including divergent members of the genera Flavivirus and of the family Trypanosomatidae. Importantly, among these microbes we were able to reveal four distinguished types of human and/or mammalian pathogens, including two phleboviruses (hedi and wuxiang viruses), one novel Spotted fever group rickettsia, as well as a member of Leishmania donovani complex, among which hedi virus and Leishmania each had > 50% pool prevalence rate and relatively high abundance levels. Our study also showed the ubiquitous presence of an endosymbiont, namely Wolbachia, although no anti-viral or anti-pathogen effects were detected based on our data. In summary, our results uncovered the much un-explored diversity of microbes harboured by sandflies in China and demonstrated that high pathogen diversity and abundance are currently present in multiple populations, implying disease potential for exposed local human population or domestic animals.},
}
@article {pmid35914568,
year = {2022},
author = {Rosário, AAD and Dias-Lima, AG and Lambert, SM and Souza, BMPDS and Bravo, F},
title = {Identification and molecular characterization of Wolbachia strains and natural infection for Leishmania sp. in neotropical Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) species, leishmaniasis vectors.},
journal = {Acta tropica},
volume = {235},
number = {},
pages = {106624},
doi = {10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106624},
pmid = {35914568},
issn = {1873-6254},
mesh = {Animals ; Brazil ; Insect Vectors/parasitology ; *Leishmania infantum/genetics ; *Leishmaniasis ; *Parasites ; *Psychodidae/parasitology ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Recently, Wolbachia infection has been described in leishmaniasis vector sandflies. This endosymbiont bacterium is present in 60% of insects, and has been suggested as a mechanism of biological control of vector insects, because it causes a series of changes in the invertebrate host. In addition, recent studies have shown that this bacterium can prevent the development of parasites in vector insects. In this context, the present study aims to molecularly characterize the circulating strain of this bacterium in sandflies in the State of Bahia, Brazil, as well as the natural infection rate of Leishmania sp., and to evaluate the coinfection between Wolbachia and Leishmania. Seven hundred and forty-five (745) specimens of sandflies were collected in nine municipalities of Bahia, belonging to two species, Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz and Neiva, 1912) and Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes and Coutinho, 1939). The results confirm infection by the protozoan Leishmania infantum and Wolbachia in both species collected. The identified strain of Wolbachia in sandflies was wStv MI, known to lead to a phenotype of cytoplasmic incompatibility in vector insects.},
}
@article {pmid35913683,
year = {2022},
author = {Su, Y and Zheng, B and Zou, X},
title = {Wolbachia Dynamics in Mosquitoes with Incomplete CI and Imperfect Maternal Transmission by a DDE System.},
journal = {Bulletin of mathematical biology},
volume = {84},
number = {9},
pages = {95},
pmid = {35913683},
issn = {1522-9602},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene ; Mathematical Concepts ; Models, Biological ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {In this paper, we propose a delay differential equation model to describe the Wolbachia infection dynamics in mosquitoes in which the key factor of cytoplasmic incompactibility (CI) is incorporated in a more natural way than those in the literature. By analyzing the dynamics of the model, we are able to obtain some information on the impact of four important parameters: the competition capabilities of the wild mosquitoes and infected mosquitoes, the maternal transmission level and the CI level. The analytic results show that there are ranges of parameters that support competition exclusion principle, and there are also ranges of parameters that allow co-persistence for both wild and infected mosquitoes. These ranges account for the scenarios of failure of invasion, invasion and suppressing the wild mosquitoes, and invasion and replacing the wild mosquitoes. We also discuss some possible future problems both in mathematics and in modeling.},
}
@article {pmid35895627,
year = {2022},
author = {Calle-Tobón, A and Pérez-Pérez, J and Forero-Pineda, N and Chávez, OT and Rojas-Montoya, W and Rúa-Uribe, G and Gómez-Palacio, A},
title = {Local-scale virome depiction in Medellín, Colombia, supports significant differences between Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {17},
number = {7},
pages = {e0263143},
pmid = {35895627},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {*Aedes/classification/virology ; Animals ; Colombia ; *Insect Viruses/genetics ; Mosquito Vectors/virology ; *RNA Viruses/genetics ; *Virome/genetics ; Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Aedes spp. comprise the primary group of mosquitoes that transmit arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses to humans, and thus these insects pose a significant burden on public health worldwide. Advancements in next-generation sequencing and metagenomics have expanded our knowledge on the richness of RNA viruses harbored by arthropods such as Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Increasing evidence suggests that vector competence can be modified by the microbiome (comprising both bacteriome and virome) of mosquitoes present in endemic zones. Using an RNA-seq-based metataxonomic approach, this study determined the virome structure, Wolbachia presence and mitochondrial diversity of field-caught Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in Medellín, Colombia, a municipality with a high incidence of mosquito-transmitted arboviruses. The two species are sympatric, but their core viromes differed considerably in richness, diversity, and abundance; although the community of viral species identified was large and complex, the viromes were dominated by few virus species. BLAST searches of assembled contigs suggested that at least 17 virus species (16 of which are insect-specific viruses [ISVs]) infect the Ae. aegypti population. Dengue virus 3 was detected in one sample and it was the only pathogenic virus detected. In Ae. albopictus, up to 11 ISVs and one plant virus were detected. Therefore, the virome composition appears to be species-specific. The bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia was identified in all Ae. albopictus samples and in some Ae. aegypti samples collected after 2017. The presence of Wolbachia sp. in Ae. aegypti was not related to significant changes in the richness, diversity, or abundance of this mosquito's virome, although it was related to an increase in the abundance of Aedes aegypti To virus 2 (Metaviridae). The mitochondrial diversity of these mosquitoes suggested that the Ae. aegypti population underwent a change that started in the second half of 2017, which coincides with the release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Medellín, indicating that the population of wMel-infected mosquitoes released has introduced new alleles into the wild Ae. aegypti population of Medellín. However, additional studies are required on the dispersal speed and intergenerational stability of wMel in Medellín and nearby areas as well as on the introgression of genetic variants in the native mosquito population.},
}
@article {pmid35894613,
year = {2022},
author = {Guo, Y and Guo, J and Li, Y},
title = {Wolbachia wPip Blocks Zika Virus Transovarial Transmission in Aedes albopictus.},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {10},
number = {5},
pages = {e0263321},
pmid = {35894613},
issn = {2165-0497},
mesh = {Animals ; Male ; Female ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; *Aedes ; *Zika Virus ; *Zika Virus Infection/prevention &amp; control ; Mosquito Vectors/physiology ; Tetracyclines ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is being developed as a biological tool to suppress mosquito populations and/or interfere with their transmitted viruses. Adult males with an artificial Wolbachia infection have been released, successfully yielding population suppression in multiple field trials. The main characteristic of the artificial Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes used in the suppression program is the lower vector competence than that in native infected/uninfected mosquitoes in horizontal and vertical transmission. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the Aedes albopictus HC line infected with a trio of Wolbachia strains exhibited almost complete blockade of dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) in horizontal and vertical transmission. However, the extent to which Wolbachia inhibits virus transovarial transmission is unknown since no studies have been performed to determine whether Wolbachia protects ovarian cells against viral infection. Here, we employed ovarian cells of the Ae. albopictus GUA (a wild-type mosquito line superinfected with two native Wolbachia strains, wAlbA and wAlbB), HC, and GT lines (tetracycline-cured, Wolbachia-uninfected mosquitoes), which exhibit key traits, and compared them to better understand how Wolbachia inhibits ZIKV transovarial transmission. Our results showed that the infection rate of adult GT progeny was significantly higher than that of GUA progeny during the first and second gonotrophic cycles. In contrast, the infection rates of adult GT and GUA progeny were not significantly different during the third gonotrophic cycle. All examined adult HC progeny from three gonotrophic cycles were negative for ZIKV infection. A strong negative linear correlation existed between Wolbachia density and ZIKV load in the ovaries of mosquitoes. Although there is no obvious coexistence area in the ovaries for Wolbachia and ZIKV, host immune responses may play a role in Wolbachia blocking ZIKV expansion and maintenance in the ovaries of Ae. albopictus. These results will aid in understanding Wolbachia-ZIKV interactions in mosquitoes. IMPORTANCE Area-wide application of Wolbachia to suppress mosquito populations and their transmitted viruses has achieved success in multiple countries. However, the mass release of Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes involves a potential risk of accidentally releasing fertile females. In this study, we employed ovarian cells of the Ae. albopictus GUA, HC, and GT lines, which exhibit key traits, and compared them to better understand how Wolbachia inhibits ZIKV transovarial transmission. Our results showed an almost complete blockade of ZIKV transmission in HC female mosquitoes. Wolbachia in natively infected GUA mosquitoes negative affected ZIKV, and this interference was shown by slightly lower loads than those in HC mosquitoes. Overall, our work helps show how Wolbachia blocks ZIKV expansion and maintenance in the ovaries of Ae. albopictus and aids in understanding Wolbachia-ZIKV interactions in mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid35876309,
year = {2022},
author = {Schuler, H and Dittmer, J and Borruso, L and Galli, J and Fischnaller, S and Anfora, G and Rota-Stabelli, O and Weil, T and Janik, K},
title = {Investigating the microbial community of Cacopsylla spp. as potential factor in vector competence of phytoplasma.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology},
volume = {24},
number = {10},
pages = {4771-4786},
doi = {10.1111/1462-2920.16138},
pmid = {35876309},
issn = {1462-2920},
mesh = {Animals ; *Hemiptera/microbiology ; *Malus/microbiology ; *Microbiota/genetics ; *Phytoplasma/genetics ; Plant Diseases/microbiology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; },
abstract = {Phytoplasmas are obligatory intracellular bacteria that colonize the phloem of many plant species and cause hundreds of plant diseases worldwide. In nature, phytoplasmas are primarily transmitted by hemipteran vectors. While all phloem-feeding insects could in principle transmit phytoplasmas, only a limited number of species have been confirmed as vectors. Knowledge about factors that might determine the vector capacity is currently scarce. Here, we characterized the microbiomes of vector and non-vector species of apple proliferation (AP) phytoplasma 'Candidatus Phytoplasma mali' to investigate their potential role in the vector capacity of the host. We performed high-throughput 16S rRNA metabarcoding of the two principal AP-vectors Cacopsylla picta and Cacopsylla melanoneura and eight Cacopsylla species, which are not AP-vectors but co-occur in apple orchards. The microbiomes of all species are dominated by Carsonella, the primary endosymbiont of psyllids and a second uncharacterized Enterobacteriaceae endosymbiont. Each Cacopsylla species harboured a species-specific phylotype of both symbionts. Moreover, we investigated differences between the microbiomes of AP-vector versus non-vector species and identified the predominant endosymbionts but also Wolbachia and several minor taxa as potential indicator species. Our study highlights the importance of considering the microbiome in future investigations of potential factors influencing host vector competence. We investigated the potential role of symbiotic bacteria in the acquisition and transmission of phytoplasma. By comparing the two main psyillid vector species of Apple proliferation (AP) phytoplasma and eight co-occurring species, which are not able to vector AP-phytoplasma, we found differences in the microbial communities of AP-vector and non-vector species, which appear to be driven by the predominant symbionts in both vector species and Wolbachia and several minor taxa in the non-vector species. In contrast, infection with AP-phytoplasma did not affect microbiome composition in both vector species. Our study provides new insights into the endosymbiont diversity of Cacopsylla spp. and highlights the importance of considering the microbiome when investigating potential factors influencing host vector competence.},
}
@article {pmid35876244,
year = {2022},
author = {Sawadogo, SP and Kabore, DA and Tibiri, EB and Hughes, A and Gnankine, O and Quek, S and Diabaté, A and Ranson, H and Hughes, GL and Dabiré, RK},
title = {Lack of robust evidence for a Wolbachia infection in Anopheles gambiae from Burkina Faso.},
journal = {Medical and veterinary entomology},
volume = {36},
number = {3},
pages = {301-308},
doi = {10.1111/mve.12601},
pmid = {35876244},
issn = {1365-2915},
support = {MR/P027873/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Anopheles/genetics ; Burkina Faso ; *Malaria/veterinary ; Mosquito Vectors ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {The endosymbiont Wolbachia can have major effects on the reproductive fitness, and vectorial capacity of host insects and may provide new avenues to control mosquito-borne pathogens. Anopheles gambiae s.l is the major vector of malaria in Africa but the use of Wolbachia in this species has been limited by challenges in establishing stable transinfected lines and uncertainty around native infections. High frequencies of infection of Wolbachia have been previously reported in An. gambiae collected from the Valle du Kou region of Burkina Faso in 2011 and 2014. Here, we re-evaluated the occurrence of Wolbachia in natural samples, collected from Valle du Kou over a 12-year time span, and in addition, expanded sampling to other sites in Burkina Faso. Our results showed that, in contrast to earlier reports, Wolbachia is present at an extremely low prevalence in natural population of An. gambiae. From 5341 samples analysed, only 29 were positive for Wolbachia by nested PCR representing 0.54% of prevalence. No positive samples were found with regular PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons clustered across supergroup B, with some having similarity to sequences previously found in Anopheles from Burkina Faso. However, we cannot discount the possibility that the amplicon positive samples we detected were due to environmental contamination or were false positives. Regardless, the lack of a prominent native infection in An. gambiae s.l. is encouraging for applications utilizing Wolbachia transinfected mosquitoes for malaria control.},
}
@article {pmid35875588,
year = {2022},
author = {Chun, SJ and Cui, Y and Yoo, SH and Lee, JR},
title = {Organic Connection of Holobiont Components and the Essential Roles of Core Microbes in the Holobiont Formation of Feral Brassica napus.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {920759},
pmid = {35875588},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Brassica napus (Rapeseed) is an econfomically important oil-producing crop. The microbial interactions in the plant holobiont are fundamental to the understanding of plant growth and health. To investigate the microbial dynamics in the holobiont of feral B. napus, a total of 215 holobiont samples, comprised of bulk soil, primary root, lateral root, dead leaf, caulosphere, basal leaf, apical leaf, carposphere, and anthosphere, were collected from five different grassland sites in South Korea. The soil properties differed in different sampling sites, but prokaryotic communities were segregated according to plant holobiont components. The structures of the site-specific SparCC networks were similar across the regions. Recurrent patterns were found in the plant holobionts in the recurrent network. Ralstonia sp., Massilia sp., and Rhizobium clusters were observed consistently and were identified as core taxa in the phyllosphere, dead leaf microbiome, and rhizosphere, respectively. Arthropod-related microbes, such as Wolbachia sp., Gilliamella sp., and Corynebacteriales amplicon sequence variants, were found in the anthosphere. PICRUSt2 analysis revealed that microbes also possessed specific functions related to holobiont components, such as functions related to degradation pathways in the dead leaf microbiome. Structural equation modeling analysis showed the organic connections among holobiont components and the essential roles of the core microbes in the holobiont formations in natural ecosystem. Microbes coexisting in a specific plant showed relatively stable community structures, even though the regions and soil characteristics were different. Microbes in each plant component were organically connected to form their own plant holobiont. In addition, plant-related microbes, especially core microbes in each holobiont, showed recurrent interaction patterns that are essential to an understanding of the survival and coexistence of plant microbes in natural ecosystems.},
}
@article {pmid35873163,
year = {2022},
author = {Ramos, LFC and Martins, M and Murillo, JR and Domont, GB and de Oliveira, DMP and Nogueira, FCS and Maciel-de-Freitas, R and Junqueira, M},
title = {Interspecies Isobaric Labeling-Based Quantitative Proteomics Reveals Protein Changes in the Ovary of Aedes aegypti Coinfected With ZIKV and Wolbachia.},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {900608},
pmid = {35873163},
issn = {2235-2988},
mesh = {*Aedes/microbiology ; Animals ; *Coinfection ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Mosquito Vectors ; Ovary ; Proteomics ; *Wolbachia ; *Zika Virus ; *Zika Virus Infection ; },
abstract = {Zika is a vector-borne disease caused by an arbovirus (ZIKV) and overwhelmingly transmitted by Ae. aegypti. This disease is linked to adverse fetal outcomes, mostly microcephaly in newborns, and other clinical aspects such as acute febrile illness and neurologic complications, for example, Guillain-Barré syndrome. One of the most promising strategies to mitigate arbovirus transmission involves releasing Ae. aegypti mosquitoes carrying the maternally inherited endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia pipientis. The presence of Wolbachia is associated with a reduced susceptibility to arboviruses and a fitness cost in mosquito life-history traits such as fecundity and fertility. However, the mechanisms by which Wolbachia influences metabolic pathways leading to differences in egg production remains poorly known. To investigate the impact of coinfections on the reproductive tract of the mosquito, we applied an isobaric labeling-based quantitative proteomic strategy to investigate the influence of Wolbachia wMel and ZIKV infection in Ae. aegypti ovaries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most complete proteome of Ae. aegypti ovaries reported so far, with a total of 3913 proteins identified, were also able to quantify 1044 Wolbachia proteins in complex sample tissue of Ae. aegypti ovary. Furthermore, from a total of 480 mosquito proteins modulated in our study, we discuss proteins and pathways altered in Ae. aegypti during ZIKV infections, Wolbachia infections, coinfection Wolbachia/ZIKV, and compared with no infection, focusing on immune and reproductive aspects of Ae. aegypti. The modified aspects mainly were related to the immune priming enhancement by Wolbachia presence and the modulation of the Juvenile Hormone pathway caused by both microorganism's infection.},
}
@article {pmid35869302,
year = {2022},
author = {Mejia, AJ and Jimenez, L and Dutra, HLC and Perera, R and McGraw, EA},
title = {Attempts to use breeding approaches in Aedes aegypti to create lines with distinct and stable relative Wolbachia densities.},
journal = {Heredity},
volume = {129},
number = {4},
pages = {215-224},
pmid = {35869302},
issn = {1365-2540},
mesh = {*Aedes/genetics ; Animals ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics ; Specific Gravity ; Virus Replication ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; *Zika Virus ; *Zika Virus Infection ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is an insect endosymbiont being used for biological control in the mosquito Aedes aegypti because it causes cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and limits viral replication of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. While the genetic mechanism of pathogen blocking (PB) is not fully understood, the strength of both CI and PB are positively correlated with Wolbachia densities in the host. Wolbachia densities are determined by a combination of Wolbachia strain and insect genotype, as well as interactions with the environment. We employed both artificial selection and inbreeding with the goal of creating lines of Ae. aegypti with heritable and distinct Wolbachia densities so that we might better dissect the mechanism underlying PB. We were unable to shift the mean relative Wolbachia density in Ae. aegypti lines by either strategy, with relative densities instead tending to cycle over a narrow range. In lieu of this, we used Wolbachia densities in mosquito legs as predictors of relative densities in the remaining individual's carcass. Because we worked with outbred mosquitoes, our findings indicate either a lack of genetic variation in the mosquito for controlling relative density, natural selection against extreme densities, or a predominance of environmental factors affecting densities. Our study reveals that there are moderating forces acting on relative Wolbachia densities that may help to stabilize density phenotypes post field release. We also show a means to accurately bin vector carcasses into high and low categories for non-DNA omics-based studies of Wolbachia-mediated traits.},
}
@article {pmid35867318,
year = {2022},
author = {Sugimoto, TN and Watanabe, K and Akiduki, G and Imanishi, S and Mitsuhashi, W},
title = {A new continuous cell line from the pest insect, Anomala cuprea (Coleoptera; Scarabaeidae): emergence of contractile cells.},
journal = {In vitro cellular &amp; developmental biology. Animal},
volume = {58},
number = {7},
pages = {610-618},
pmid = {35867318},
issn = {1543-706X},
mesh = {Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Line ; *Coleoptera ; },
abstract = {Insect contractile cells frequently appear at an early phase of cell culture, but in most cases, they disappear before a continuous cell line is established, so the cell line ceases to contract. Continuous contractile insect cell lines are currently available from only one species each of Hymenoptera and Diptera. Here, we obtained a new cell line that contracted long after being established as a continuous cell line. The cell line contracted for a short period at an early phase of insect cell culture before a continuous cell line was established, but then did not contract again for several years. After this cell line entered the continuous growth phase, it produced spontaneously contractile tissues for about 4 mo but stopped contracting again. This is the first instance of a cell line that contracted after its establishment as a non-contractile continuous cell line. It is unclear whether the contractile cells survive or die after contraction ceases at an early phase of cell culture, and our results indicate that potential contractile cells survive for years after they stop to contract. The cells of this line sometimes produced complex contractile structures, such as sheet-like tissues. Only a few continuous cell lines have been derived from scarabaeid beetles. The new continuous cell line was derived from the culture of the fat bodies of the scarab beetle Anomala cuprea, which is a pest in the agriculture and forestry of Japan. The population doubling time of the new cell line was 2.5 d and thus it grows very rapidly among coleopteran continuous cell lines. Our new cell line will facilitate research on the physiology and pathology of Coleoptera, including scarab beetles, and may also contribute to research on invertebrate muscles.},
}
@article {pmid35862784,
year = {2022},
author = {Voronin, D and Makepeace, BL},
title = {Symbionts on the Brain: How Wolbachia Is Strictly Corralled in Some Neotropical Drosophila spp.},
journal = {mBio},
volume = {13},
number = {4},
pages = {e0118222},
pmid = {35862784},
issn = {2150-7511},
mesh = {Animals ; Brain ; Drosophila/microbiology ; Female ; *Nematoda ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is a heritable alphaproteobacterial symbiont of arthropods and nematodes, famous for its repertoire of host manipulations, including cytoplasmic incompatibility. To be vertically transmitted, Wolbachia must efficiently colonize the female germ line, although somatic tissues outside the gonads are also infected. In Drosophila spp., Wolbachia is usually distributed systemically in multiple regions of the adult fly, but in some neotropical hosts, Wolbachia's only somatic niches are cerebral bacteriocyte-like structures and the ovarian follicle cells. In their recent article, Strunov and colleagues (A. Strunov, K. Schmidt, M. Kapun, and W. J. Miller. mBio 13:e03863-21, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.03863-21) compared the development of Drosophila spp. with systemic or restricted infections and demonstrated that the restricted pattern is determined in early embryogenesis by an apparently novel autophagic process, involving intimate interactions of Wolbachia with the endoplasmic reticulum. This work has implications not only for the evolution of neotropical Drosophila spp. but also for our understanding of how Wolbachia infections are controlled in other native or artificial hosts.},
}
@article {pmid35859330,
year = {2022},
author = {Wang, W and Cui, W and Yang, H},
title = {Toward an accurate mechanistic understanding of Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology},
volume = {24},
number = {10},
pages = {4519-4532},
doi = {10.1111/1462-2920.16125},
pmid = {35859330},
issn = {1462-2920},
mesh = {Animals ; Cytoplasm/genetics ; Cytosol ; Female ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Reproduction ; Symbiosis/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia are the most successful intracellular bacteria in arthropods. They can manipulate host reproduction to favour infected females, which transmit Wolbachia to their progeny and increase the presence of Wolbachia in the population. The reproductive alterations caused by Wolbachia include feminization, parthenogenesis, male killing and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), among which CI is the most common. CI leads to embryonic lethality when Wolbachia-infected males mate with uninfected females or those infected with an incompatible strain. This lethality can be rescued if females are infected with a compatible strain. Although CI was described in the 1960s and its connection to Wolbachia was made in the 1970s, the genes responsible for CI, called CI factors, were not identified until recently. Since then, significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanism of CI using a combination of genetic, phylogenetic, biochemical and structural approaches. The detailed molecular mechanisms behind this fascinating endosymbiotic bacteria-induced phenotype have begun to emerge. Here, we summarize recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanism of CI, especially focusing on the recently solved CI factor structures and discussing what these new structures brought in terms of CI mechanism.},
}
@article {pmid35857094,
year = {2022},
author = {Rau, J and Werner, D and Beer, M and Höper, D and Kampen, H},
title = {The microbial RNA metagenome of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Germany.},
journal = {Parasitology research},
volume = {121},
number = {9},
pages = {2587-2599},
pmid = {35857094},
issn = {1432-1955},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Introduced Species ; Male ; Metagenome ; Mosquito Vectors ; RNA ; *Zika Virus ; *Zika Virus Infection ; },
abstract = {Aedes albopictus is a highly invasive mosquito species that has become widespread across the globe. In addition, it is an efficient vector of numerous pathogens of medical and veterinary importance, including dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. Among others, the vector potential of mosquitoes is influenced by their microbiome. However, this influence is very dynamic and can vary between individuals and life stages. To obtain a rough overview on the microbiome of Ae. albopictus populations in Germany, pooled female and pooled male individuals from seven German locations were investigated by total RNA sequencing. The mosquito specimens had been collected as larvae in the field and processed immediately after adult emergence, i.e. without females having fed on blood. RNA fragments with high degrees of identity to a large number of viruses and microorganisms were identified, including, for example, Wolbachia pipientis and Acinetobacter baumannii, with differences between male and female mosquitoes. Knowledge about the natural occurrence of microorganisms in mosquitoes may be translated into new approaches to vector control, for example W. pipientis can be exploited to manipulate mosquito reproduction and vector competence. The study results show how diverse the microbiome of Ae. albopictus can be, and the more so needs to be adequately analysed and interpreted.},
}
@article {pmid35853080,
year = {2022},
author = {Karimian, F and Koosha, M and Choubdar, N and Oshaghi, MA},
title = {Comparative analysis of the gut microbiota of sand fly vectors of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) in Iran; host-environment interplay shapes diversity.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {7},
pages = {e0010609},
pmid = {35853080},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/genetics ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Iran/epidemiology ; *Leishmaniasis, Visceral/epidemiology ; *Phlebotomus/parasitology ; *Psychodidae/parasitology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; },
abstract = {The development of Leishmania parasites within sand fly vectors occurs entirely in the insect gut lumen, in the presence of symbiotic and commensal bacteria. The impacts of host species and environment on the gut microbiome are currently poorly understood. We employed MiSeq sequencing of the V3-16S rRNA gene amplicons to characterize and compare the gut microbiota of field-collected populations of Phlebotomus kandelakii, P. perfiliewi, P. alexandri, and P. major, the primary or secondary vectors of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) in three distinct regions of Iran where ZVL is endemic. In total, 160,550 quality-filtered reads of the V3 region yielded a total of 72 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), belonging to 23 phyla, 47 classes, 91 orders, 131 families, and 335 genera. More than 50% of the bacteria identified were Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes (22%), Deinococcus-Thermus (9%), Actinobacteria (6%), and Bacteroidetes (5%). The core microbiome was dominated by eight genera: Acinetobacter, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Propionibacterium, Kocuria, and Corynebacterium. Wolbachia were found in P. alexandri and P. perfiliewi, while Asaia sp. was reported in P. perfiliewi. Substantial variations in the gut bacterial composition were found between geographically distinct populations of the same sand fly species, as well as between different species at the same location, suggesting that sand fly gut microbiota is shaped by both the host species and geographical location. Phlebotomus kandelakii and P. perfiliewi in the northwest, and P. alexandri in the south, the major ZVL vectors, harbor the highest bacterial diversity, suggesting a possible relationship between microbiome diversity and the capacity for parasite transmission. In addition, large numbers of gram-positive human or animal pathogens were found, suggesting that sand fly vectors of ZVL could pose a potential additional threat to livestock and humans in the region studied. The presence of Bacillus subtilis, Enterobacter cloacae, and Asaia sp suggests that these bacteria could be promising candidates for a paratransgenesis approach to the fight against Leishmaniasis.},
}
@article {pmid35849008,
year = {2022},
author = {Chaves, EB and Nascimento-Pereira, AC and Pinto, JLM and Rodrigues, BL and de Andrade, MS and Rêbelo, JMM},
title = {Detection of Wolbachia in Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the State of Maranhão, Brazil.},
journal = {Journal of medical entomology},
volume = {59},
number = {5},
pages = {1831-1836},
doi = {10.1093/jme/tjac092},
pmid = {35849008},
issn = {1938-2928},
mesh = {*Aedes/microbiology ; Animals ; *Anopheles/microbiology ; Brazil ; *Culex/microbiology ; *Culicidae/microbiology ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Recently, the endobacteria Wolbachia has emerged as a biological tool for the control of arboviruses. Thus, we investigated the rate of natural infection by Wolbachia in Culicidae species from Maranhão, Brazil. For this, we amplified the Wolbachia surface protein gene (wsp) from mosquitoes collected in six localities of Maranhão, and positive samples were subjected to new analysis using group-specific primers. In total, 448 specimens comprising 6 genera and 18 species of mosquitoes were analyzed. Wolbachia DNA was PCR-detected in 7 species, three of which are new records: Aedes scapularis (Rondani, 1848), Coquillettidia juxtamansonia (Chagas, 1907) and Cq. venezuelensis (Theobald, 1912), in addition to Ae. albopictus (Skuse, 1894) and Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823, which are commonly described as permissive to maintain this bacterium in natural environments, and two species of the subgenera Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) Blanchard, 1902 and Culex (Melanoconion) Theobald, 1903 which could not be identified at species level. The infection rate of all species ranged from 0 to 80%, and the average value was 16.5%. This study increases the knowledge about the prevalence of Wolbachia in the culicid fauna and may help in selecting strains for biological control purposes.},
}
@article {pmid35840683,
year = {2022},
author = {Hubert, J and Nesvorna, M and Bostlova, M and Sopko, B and Green, SJ and Phillips, TW},
title = {The Effect of Residual Pesticide Application on Microbiomes of the Storage Mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {35840683},
issn = {1432-184X},
abstract = {Arthropods can host well-developed microbial communities, and such microbes can degrade pesticides and confer tolerance to most types of pests. Two cultures of the stored-product mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae, one with a symbiotic microbiome containing Wolbachia and the other without Wolbachia, were compared on pesticide residue (organophosphate: pirimiphos-methyl and pyrethroid: deltamethrin, deltamethrin + piperonyl butoxide)-containing diets. The microbiomes from mite bodies, mite feces and debris from the spent mite diet were analyzed using barcode sequencing. Pesticide tolerance was different among mite cultures and organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides. The pesticide residues influenced the microbiome composition in both cultures but without any remarkable trend for mite cultures with and without Wolbachia. The most influenced bacterial taxa were Bartonella-like and Bacillus for both cultures and Wolbachia for the culture containing this symbiont. However, there was no direct evidence of any effect of Wolbachia on pesticide tolerance. The high pesticide concentration residues in diets reduced Wolbachia, Bartonella-like and Bacillus in mites of the symbiotic culture. This effect was low for Bartonella-like and Bacillus in the asymbiotic microbiome culture. The results showed that the microbiomes of mites are affected by pesticide residues in the diets, but the effect is not systemic. No actual detoxification effect by the microbiome was observed for the tested pesticides.},
}
@article {pmid35830425,
year = {2022},
author = {Wang, D and Zhang, Y and Xu, M and Sun, X and Cui, X and Wang, X and Liu, D},
title = {Dietary Bacillus licheniformis improves the effect of Astragalus membranaceus extract on blood glucose by regulating antioxidation activity and intestinal microbiota in InR[E19]/TM2 Drosophila melanogaster.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {17},
number = {7},
pages = {e0271177},
pmid = {35830425},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; Antioxidants/pharmacology ; Astragalus propinquus ; *Bacillus licheniformis/physiology ; Blood Glucose ; Diet ; Dietary Supplements/analysis ; Drosophila melanogaster/microbiology ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Male ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The diabetes mellitus prevalence is rapidly increasing in most parts of the world and has become a vital health problem. Probiotic and herbal foods are valuable in the treatment of diabetes.<br><br>METHODS AND PERFORMANCE: In this study, Bacillus licheniformis (BL) and Astragalus membranaceus extract (AE) were given with food to InR[E19]/TM2 Drosophila melanogaster, and the blood glucose, antioxidation activity and intestinal microbiota were investigated. The obtained results showed that BA (BL and AE combination) supplementation markedly decreased the blood glucose concentration compared with the standard diet control group, accompanied by significantly increased enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT), decreased MDA levels and prolonged lifespan of InR[E19]/TM2 D. melanogaster. The treatments with BL, AE and BA also ameliorated intestinal microbiota equilibrium by increasing the population of Lactobacillus and significantly decreasing the abundance of Wolbachia. In addition, clearly different evolutionary clusters were found among the control, BL, AE and BA-supplemented diets, and the beneficial microbiota, Lactobacillaceae and Acetobacter, were found to be significantly increased in male flies that were fed BA. These results indicated that dietary supplementation with AE combined with BL not only decreased blood glucose but also extended the lifespan, with CAT increasing, MDA decreasing, and intestinal microbiota improving in InR[E19]/TM2 D. melanogaster.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The obtained results showed that dietary supplementation with BL and AE, under the synergistic effect of BL and AE, not only prolonged the lifespan of InR[E19]/TM2 D. melanogaster, increased body weight, and improved the body's antiaging enzyme activity but also effectively improved the types and quantities of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal flora of InR[E19]/TM2 D. melanogaster to improve the characteristics of diabetes symptoms. This study provides scientific evidence for a safe and effective dietary therapeutic method for diabetes mellitus.},
}
@article {pmid35814684,
year = {2022},
author = {Barman, M and Samanta, S and Upadhyaya, G and Thakur, H and Chakraborty, S and Samanta, A and Tarafdar, J},
title = {Unraveling the Basis of Neonicotinoid Resistance in Whitefly Species Complex: Role of Endosymbiotic Bacteria and Insecticide Resistance Genes.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {901793},
pmid = {35814684},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Bemisia tabaci (whitefly) is one of the most detrimental agricultural insect pests and vectors of many plant viruses distributed worldwide. Knowledge of the distribution patterns and insecticide resistance of this cryptic species is crucial for its management. In this study, genetic variation of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (MtCoI) gene of B. tabaci was analyzed followed by a study of the infection profile of various endosymbionts in 26 whitefly populations collected from West Bengal, India. Phylogenetic analysis revealed Asia I as the major cryptic species (65.38%), followed by Asia II 5, China 3, and Asia II 7, which were diversified into 20 different haplotypes. In addition to the primary endosymbiont (C. poriera), each of the four whitefly species showed a variable population of three secondary endosymbionts, majorly Arsenophonus with the highest infection rate (73.07%), followed by Wolbachia and Rickettsia. Further phylogenetic analyses revealed the presence of two subgroups of Arsenophonus, viz., A1 and A2, and one each in Wolbachia (W1) and Rickettsia (R3). Resistance to thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, and acetamiprid insecticides was analyzed for a clear picture of pesticide resistance status. The highest susceptibility was noted toward thiamethoxam (LC50 = 5.36 mg/L), followed by imidacloprid and acetamiprid. The whitefly population from Purulia and Hooghly districts bearing Asia II 7 and Asia II 5 cryptic species, respectively, shows maximum resistance. The differences in mean relative titer of four symbiotic bacteria among field populations varied considerably; however, a significant positive linear correlation was observed between the resistance level and relative titer of Arsenophonus and Wolbachia in the case of imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, while only Wolbachia was found in case of acetamiprid. Expression analysis demonstrated differential upregulation of insecticide resistance genes with Purulia and Hooghly populations showing maximally upregulated P450 genes. Moreover, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid resistance ratio (RR) showed a significant correlation with CYP6CM1, CYP6DZ7, and CYP4C64 genes, while acetamiprid RR correlated with CYP6CX1, CYP6DW2, CYP6DZ7, and CYP4C64 genes. Taken together, these findings suggested that P450 mono-oxygenase and symbiotic bacteria together affected whitefly resistance to neonicotinoids. Hence, a symbiont-oriented management programme could be a better alternative to control or delay resistance development in whitefly and can be used for pesticide clean-up in an agricultural field.},
}
@article {pmid35802173,
year = {2022},
author = {Rocha, FP and Ronque, MUV and Lyra, ML and Bacci, M and Oliveira, PS},
title = {Habitat and Host Species Drive the Structure of Bacterial Communities of Two Neotropical Trap-Jaw Odontomachus Ants : Habitat and Host Species Drive the Structure of Bacterial Communities of Two Neotropical Trap-Jaw Odontomachus Ants.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {35802173},
issn = {1432-184X},
abstract = {Ants have long been known for their associations with other taxa, including macroscopic fungi and symbiotic bacteria. Recently, many ant species have had the composition and function of their bacterial communities investigated. Due to its behavioral and ecological diversity, the subfamily Ponerinae deserves more attention regarding its associated microbiota. Here, we used the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the bacterial communities of Odontomachus chelifer (ground-nesting) and Odontomachus hastatus (arboreal), two ponerine trap-jaw species commonly found in the Brazilian savanna ("Cerrado") and Atlantic rainforest. We investigated habitat effects (O. chelifer in the Cerrado and the Atlantic rainforest) and species-specific effects (both species in the Atlantic rainforest) on the bacterial communities' structure (composition and abundance) in two different body parts: cuticle and gaster. Bacterial communities differed in all populations studied. Cuticular communities were more diverse, while gaster communities presented variants common to other ants, including Wolbachia and Candidatus Tokpelaia hoelldoblerii. Odontomachus chelifer populations presented different communities in both body parts, highlighting the influence of habitat type. In the Atlantic rainforest, the outcome depended on the body part targeted. Cuticular communities were similar between species, reinforcing the habitat effect on bacterial communities, which are mainly composed of environmentally acquired taxa. Gaster communities, however, differed between the two Odontomachus species, suggesting species-specific effects and selective filters. Unclassified Firmicutes and uncultured Rhizobiales variants are the main components accounting for the observed differences. Our study indicates that both host species and habitat act synergistically, but to different degrees, to shape the bacterial communities in these Odontomachus species.},
}
@article {pmid35799282,
year = {2022},
author = {Gharabigloozare, Y and Bleidorn, C},
title = {Effect of high temperature on Wolbachia density and impact on cytoplasmic incompatibility in confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).},
journal = {BMC research notes},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {240},
pmid = {35799282},
issn = {1756-0500},
mesh = {Animals ; *Coleoptera ; Cytoplasm ; Temperature ; *Tribolium ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Environmental constraints, especially temperature, have been identified as a key in understanding host-symbiont relationships, as they can directly impact the fitness of the symbiont population and the host development. Here we investigated the effect of temperature during the host development on the density of intracellular bacteria of the Wolbachia, wTcon strain within the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum. The wTcon can induce a complete cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in T. confusum beetles; therefore, we observed the effect of heat stress on the symbiont-mediated CI.<br><br>RESULTS: The density of CI inducing Wolbachia in the Tribolium confusum is temperature-specific. Our observation of the beetles reared in five different temperatures (30-34&#xa0;&#xb0;C) measured the highest Wolbachia density at 30-31&#xa0;&#xb0;C and lowest at 34&#xa0;&#xb0;C within a single insect generation. In this species, changes in the density of Wolbachia related to higher temperature did not influence CI. However, the fertility of beetles reared in higher temperatures showed a substantial decrease in the number of laid and hatched eggs. Thus, we can confirm the effect of high temperature on lowering the wTcon density and no impact on induction of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in T. confusum beetles.},
}
@article {pmid35784453,
year = {2022},
author = {Wybouw, N and Mortier, F and Bonte, D},
title = {Interacting host modifier systems control Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in a haplodiploid mite.},
journal = {Evolution letters},
volume = {6},
number = {3},
pages = {255-265},
pmid = {35784453},
issn = {2056-3744},
abstract = {Reproductive parasites such as Wolbachia spread within host populations by inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI occurs when parasite-modified sperm fertilizes uninfected eggs and is typified by great variation in strength across biological systems. In haplodiploid hosts, CI has different phenotypic outcomes depending on whether the fertilized eggs die or develop into males. Genetic conflict theories predict the evolution of host modulation of CI, which in turn influences the stability of reproductive parasitism. However, despite the ubiquity of CI-inducing parasites in nature, there is scarce evidence for intraspecific host modulation of CI strength and phenotype. Here, we tested for intraspecific host modulation of Wolbachia-induced CI in haplodiploid Tetranychus urticae mites. Using a single CI-inducing Wolbachia variant and mitochondrion, a nuclear panel was created that consisted of infected and cured near-isogenic lines. We performed a highly replicated age-synchronized full diallel cross composed of incompatible and compatible control crosses. We uncovered host modifier systems that cause striking variation in CI strength when carried by infected T. urticae males. We observed a continuum of CI phenotypes in our crosses and identified strong intraspecific female modulation of the CI phenotype. Crosses established a recessive genetic basis for the maternal effect and were consistent with polygenic Mendelian inheritance. Both male and female modulation interacted with the genotype of the mating partner. Our findings identify spermatogenesis as an important target of selection for host modulation of CI strength and underscore the importance of maternal genetic effects for the CI phenotype. Our findings reveal that intraspecific host modulation of CI is underpinned by complex genetic architectures and confirm that the evolution of reproductive parasitism is contingent on host genetics.},
}
@article {pmid35767080,
year = {2022},
author = {Hong, YH and Mai, ZH and Li, CJ and Zheng, QY and Guo, LX},
title = {Microbial Diversity Analyses of Fertilized Thitarodes Eggs and Soil Provide New Clues About the Occurrence of Chinese Cordyceps.},
journal = {Current microbiology},
volume = {79},
number = {8},
pages = {229},
pmid = {35767080},
issn = {1432-0991},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/genetics ; *Cordyceps/genetics ; Humans ; *Hypocreales/genetics ; *Moths ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Soil ; Zygote ; },
abstract = {Chinese cordyceps is a well-known fungus-larva complex with medicinal and economic importance. At present the occurrence of Chinese cordyceps has not been fully illuminated. In this study, the microbial diversities of fertilized Thitarodes eggs from sites A (high occurrence rates of Chinese cordyceps), B (low occurrence rates), and C (no Chinese cordyceps) were analyzed using 16S rRNA and ITS gene-sequencing technique. The previous sequencing data of soil from the same sites were conjointly analyzed. The results showed that bacterial communities among the eggs were significantly different. The bacterial diversity and evenness were much higher on site A. Wolbachia was overwhelmingly predominant in the eggs of sites B and C, while Spiroplasma showed preference on site A. The fungal between-group differences in the eggs were not as significant as that of bacteria. Purpureocillium in Cordyceps-related families showed preference on site A. Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, and Purpureocillium were inferred to be closely related to Chinese cordyceps occurrence. Intra-kingdom and inter-kingdom network analyses suggest that closer correlations of microbial communities (especially closer fungal positive correlations) in fertilized eggs might promote Chinese cordyceps occurrence. Besides, metabolic pathway analysis showed that in fertilized eggs or soil the number of bacterial metabolic pathways with significant differences in every comparison between two sites was greater than that of fungi. Collectively, this study provides novel information about the occurrence of Chinese cordyceps, contributing to the large-scale artificial cultivation of Chinese cordyceps.},
}
@article {pmid35765190,
year = {2022},
author = {Weiland, SO and Detcharoen, M and Schlick-Steiner, BC and Steiner, FM},
title = {Analyses of locomotion, wing morphology, and microbiome in Drosophila nigrosparsa after recovery from antibiotics.},
journal = {MicrobiologyOpen},
volume = {11},
number = {3},
pages = {e1291},
pmid = {35765190},
issn = {2045-8827},
mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Drosophila ; Locomotion ; *Microbiota ; Tetracycline/pharmacology ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Antibiotics, such as tetracycline, have been frequently used to cure arthropods of Wolbachia endosymbionts. After the symbionts have been removed, the hosts must recover for some generations from the side effects of the antibiotics. However, most studies do not assess the direct and indirect longer-term effects of antibiotics used to remove Wolbachia, which may question the exact contribution of this endosymbiont to the effects observed. Here, we used the fly Drosophila nigrosparsa treated or not with tetracycline for three generations followed by two generations of recovery to investigate the effects of this antibiotic on the fly locomotion, wing morphology, and the gut microbiome. We found that antibiotic treatment did not affect fly locomotion two generations after being treated with the antibiotic. In addition, gut-microbiome restoration was tested as a more efficient solution to reduce the potential side effects of tetracycline on the microbiome. There was no significant difference in alpha diversity between gut restoration and other treatments, but the abundance of some bacterial taxa differed significantly between the gut-restoration treatment and the control. We conclude that in D. nigrosparsa the recovery period of two generations after being treated with the antibiotic is sufficient for locomotion, and suggest a general assessment of direct and indirect effects of antibiotics after a particular recovery time.},
}
@article {pmid35746601,
year = {2022},
author = {Soh, S and Ho, SH and Ong, J and Seah, A and Dickens, BS and Tan, KW and Koo, JR and Cook, AR and Sim, S and Tan, CH and Ng, LC and Lim, JT},
title = {Strategies to Mitigate Establishment under the Wolbachia Incompatible Insect Technique.},
journal = {Viruses},
volume = {14},
number = {6},
pages = {},
pmid = {35746601},
issn = {1999-4915},
mesh = {*Aedes/microbiology ; Animals ; Female ; Male ; Mosquito Control/methods ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology ; Population Dynamics ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {The Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) strategy involves the release of male mosquitoes infected with the bacterium Wolbachia. Regular releases of male Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes can lead to the suppression of mosquito populations, thereby reducing the risk of transmission of vector-borne diseases such as dengue. However, due to imperfect sex-sorting under IIT, fertile Wolbachia-infected female mosquitoes may potentially be unintentionally released into the environment, which may result in replacement and failure to suppress the mosquito populations. As such, mitigating Wolbachia establishment requires a combination of IIT with other strategies. We introduced a simple compartmental model to simulate ex-ante mosquito population dynamics subjected to a Wolbachia-IIT programme. In silico, we explored the risk of replacement, and strategies that could mitigate the establishment of the released Wolbachia strain in the mosquito population. Our results suggest that mitigation may be achieved through the application of a sterile insect technique. Our simulations indicate that these interventions do not override the intended wild type suppression of the IIT approach. These findings will inform policy makers of possible ways to mitigate the potential establishment of Wolbachia using the IIT population control strategy.},
}
@article {pmid35745561,
year = {2022},
author = {Beld, L and Jung, H and Bulman, CA and Rosa, BA and Fischer, PU and Janetka, JW and Lustigman, S and Sakanari, JA and Mitreva, M},
title = {Aspartyl Protease Inhibitors as Anti-Filarial Drugs.},
journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {11},
number = {6},
pages = {},
pmid = {35745561},
issn = {2076-0817},
support = {R01 AI159450/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {The current treatments for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis do not effectively kill the adult parasitic nematodes, allowing these chronic and debilitating diseases to persist in millions of people. Thus, the discovery of new drugs with macrofilaricidal potential to treat these filarial diseases is critical. To facilitate this need, we first investigated the effects of three aspartyl protease inhibitors (APIs) that are FDA-approved as HIV antiretroviral drugs on the adult filarial nematode, Brugia malayi and the endosymbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia. From the three hits, nelfinavir had the best potency with an IC50 value of 7.78 µM, followed by ritonavir and lopinavir with IC50 values of 14.3 µM and 16.9 µM, respectively. The three APIs have a direct effect on killing adult B. malayi after 6 days of exposure in vitro and did not affect the Wolbachia titers. Sequence conservation and stage-specific gene expression analysis identified Bm8660 as the most likely primary aspartic protease target for these drug(s). Immunolocalization using antibodies raised against the Bm8660 ortholog of Onchocerca volvulus showed it is strongly expressed in female B. malayi, especially in metabolically active tissues such as lateral and dorsal/ventral chords, hypodermis, and uterus tissue. Global transcriptional response analysis using adult female B. pahangi treated with APIs identified four additional aspartic proteases differentially regulated by the three effective drugs, as well as significant enrichment of various pathways including ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, protein kinases, and MAPK/AMPK/FoxO signaling. In vitro testing against the adult gastro-intestinal nematode Trichuris muris suggested broad-spectrum potential for these APIs. This study suggests that APIs may serve as new leads to be further explored for drug discovery to treat parasitic nematode infections.},
}
@article {pmid35737833,
year = {2022},
author = {Morrison, AC and Reiner, RC and Elson, WH and Astete, H and Guevara, C and Del Aguila, C and Bazan, I and Siles, C and Barrera, P and Kawiecki, AB and Barker, CM and Vasquez, GM and Escobedo-Vargas, K and Flores-Mendoza, C and Huaman, AA and Leguia, M and Silva, ME and Jenkins, SA and Campbell, WR and Abente, EJ and Hontz, RD and Paz-Soldan, VA and Grieco, JP and Lobo, NF and Scott, TW and Achee, NL},
title = {Efficacy of a spatial repellent for control of Aedes-borne virus transmission: A cluster-randomized trial in Iquitos, Peru.},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
volume = {119},
number = {26},
pages = {e2118283119},
pmid = {35737833},
issn = {1091-6490},
support = {P01 AI098670/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Adult ; *Aedes ; Animals ; Dengue/epidemiology/prevention &amp; control ; Humans ; *Insect Repellents ; *Mosquito Control/standards ; *Mosquito Vectors ; Peru/epidemiology ; *Vector Borne Diseases/epidemiology/prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Zika Virus ; Zika Virus Infection ; },
abstract = {Over half the world's population is at risk for viruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, such as dengue and Zika. The primary vector, Aedes aegypti, thrives in urban environments. Despite decades of effort, cases and geographic range of Aedes-borne viruses (ABVs) continue to expand. Rigorously proven vector control interventions that measure protective efficacy against ABV diseases are limited to Wolbachia in a single trial in Indonesia and do not include any chemical intervention. Spatial repellents, a new option for efficient deployment, are designed to decrease human exposure to ABVs by releasing active ingredients into the air that disrupt mosquito-human contact. A parallel, cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in Iquitos, Peru, to quantify the impact of a transfluthrin-based spatial repellent on human ABV infection. From 2,907 households across 26 clusters (13 per arm), 1,578 participants were assessed for seroconversion (primary endpoint) by survival analysis. Incidence of acute disease was calculated among 16,683 participants (secondary endpoint). Adult mosquito collections were conducted to compare Ae. aegypti abundance, blood-fed rate, and parity status through mixed-effect difference-in-difference analyses. The spatial repellent significantly reduced ABV infection by 34.1% (one-sided 95% CI lower limit, 6.9%; one-sided P value = 0.0236, z = 1.98). Aedes aegypti abundance and blood-fed rates were significantly reduced by 28.6 (95% CI 24.1%, ∞); z = -9.11) and 12.4% (95% CI 4.2%, ∞); z = -2.43), respectively. Our trial provides conclusive statistical evidence from an appropriately powered, preplanned cluster-randomized controlled clinical trial of the impact of a chemical intervention, in this case a spatial repellent, to reduce the risk of ABV transmission compared to a placebo.},
}
@article {pmid35735896,
year = {2022},
author = {Nian, X and Tao, X and Xiao, Z and Wang, D and He, Y},
title = {Effects of Sublethal Concentrations of Tetracycline Hydrochloride on the Biological Characteristics and Wolbachia Titer in Parthenogenesis Trichogramma pretiosum.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {6},
pages = {},
pmid = {35735896},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Trichogramma pretiosum Riley is an important natural enemy and biological control agent of lepidopteran pests. Wolbachia is an intracellular endosymbiont that induces parthenogenesis in the parasitoid T. pretiosum. In this paper, the sublethal effects of the antibiotic tetracycline hydrochloride on the development and reproduction of T. pretiosum were studied. Emerged females were fed with sublethal concentrations (LC5, LC15, and LC35) of tetracycline for ten generations. The biological parameters (longevity, parasitized eggs, and fecundity) of treated females significantly reduced compared with the control Moreover, the percentage of female offspring in the treatments significantly reduced, but the percentage of male offspring significantly increased. In addition, the Wolbachia titer sharply reduced after two generations of antibiotic treatments, but it could still be detected even after ten successive generations of antibiotic treatments, which indicated that Wolbachia was not completely removed by sublethal concentrations of tetracycline. The control lines with higher Wolbachia titers produced more female offspring than the tetracycline treatments with lower Wolbachia titers, indicating that the Wolbachia titer affected the sex determination of T. pretiosum. Our results show that sublethal concentrations of tetracycline had adverse effects on the development of T. pretiosum, and Wolbachia titers affected the sexual development of T. pretiosum eggs.},
}
@article {pmid35735886,
year = {2022},
author = {Yan, ZC and Qi, GY and Yao, TY and Li, YX},
title = {Mitochondrial Genomes of Two Asexual Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) Strains and Comparison with Their Sexual Relatives.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {6},
pages = {},
pmid = {35735886},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Despite its substantial costs, sexual reproduction dominates in animals. One popular explanation for the paradox of sex is that asexual reproduction is more likely to accumulate deleterious mutations than sexual reproduction. To test this hypothesis, we compared the mitogenomes of two asexual wasp strains, Trichogramma cacoeciae and T. pretiosum, to their sexual relatives. These two asexual strains represent two different transition mechanisms in Trichogramma from sexual to asexual reproduction. Asexual T. pretiosum is induced by Wolbachia, while T. cacoeciae presumably originated from interspecific hybridization. We sequenced and assembled complete mitochondrial genomes of asexual T. cacoeciae and T. pretiosum. Compared to four sexual relatives, we found no evidence of higher mutation accumulation in asexual Trichogramma mitogenomes than in their sexual relatives. We also did not detect any relaxed selection in asexual Trichogramma mitogenomes. In contrast, the intensified selection was detected in Nad1 and Nad4 of the asexual T. pretiosum mitogenome, suggesting more purifying selection. In summary, no higher mitochondrial mutation accumulation was detected in these two asexual Trichogramma strains. This study provides a basis for further investigating mitochondrial evolution and asexual reproduction in Trichogramma.},
}
@article {pmid35733096,
year = {2022},
author = {da Silva, H and Oliveira, TMP and Sabino, EC and Alonso, DP and Sallum, MAM},
title = {Bacterial diversity in Haemagogus leucocelaenus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Vale do Ribeira, São Paulo, Brazil.},
journal = {BMC microbiology},
volume = {22},
number = {1},
pages = {161},
pmid = {35733096},
issn = {1471-2180},
mesh = {Animals ; Brazil ; *Culicidae ; Humans ; *Mercury ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Yellow Fever ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are vectors that transmit numerous pathogens to humans and other vertebrates. Haemagogus leucocelaenus is a mosquito associated with transmission of yellow fever virus. The insect gut harbors a variety of microorganisms that can live and multiply within it, thus contributing to digestion, nutrition, and development of its host. The composition of bacterial communities in mosquitoes can be influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors. The goal of this study was to investigate the bacterial diversity of Hg. leucocelaenus and verify the differences between the bacterial communities in Hg. leucocelaenus from three different locations in the Atlantic tropical rain forest and southeastern state of São Paulo State, Brazil.<br><br>RESULTS: The phylum Proteobacteria was found in mosquitoes collected from the three selected study sites. More than 50% of the contigs belong to Wolbachia, followed by 5% Swaminathania, and 3% Acinetobacter. The genus Serratia was found in samples from two locations.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Wolbachia was reported for the first time in this species and may indicates that the vector competence of the populations of the species can vary along its geographical distribution area. The presence of Serratia might facilitate viral invasion caused by the disruption of the midgut barrier via action of the SmEnhancin protein, which digests the mucins present in the intestinal epithelium.},
}
@article {pmid35730939,
year = {2022},
author = {Jones, MW and Fricke, LC and Thorpe, CJ and Vander Esch, LO and Lindsey, ARI},
title = {Infection Dynamics of Cotransmitted Reproductive Symbionts Are Mediated by Sex, Tissue, and Development.},
journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology},
volume = {88},
number = {13},
pages = {e0052922},
pmid = {35730939},
issn = {1098-5336},
mesh = {Animals ; *Coinfection ; Drosophila/microbiology ; Insecta ; Reproduction ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; },
abstract = {One of the most prevalent intracellular infections on earth is with Wolbachia, a bacterium in the Rickettsiales that infects a range of insects, crustaceans, chelicerates, and nematodes. Wolbachia is maternally transmitted to offspring and has profound effects on the reproduction and physiology of its hosts, which can result in reproductive isolation, altered vectorial capacity, mitochondrial sweeps, and even host speciation. Some populations stably harbor multiple Wolbachia strains, which can further contribute to reproductive isolation and altered host physiology. However, almost nothing is known about the requirements for multiple intracellular microbes to be stably maintained across generations while they likely compete for space and resources. Here, we use a coinfection of two Wolbachia strains ("wHa" and "wNo") in Drosophila simulans to define the infection and transmission dynamics of an evolutionarily stable double infection. We find that a combination of sex, tissue, and host development contributes to the infection dynamics of the two microbes and that these infections exhibit a degree of niche partitioning across host tissues. wHa is present at a significantly higher titer than wNo in most tissues and developmental stages, but wNo is uniquely dominant in ovaries. Unexpectedly, the ratio of wHa to wNo in embryos does not reflect those observed in the ovaries, indicative of strain-specific transmission dynamics. Understanding how Wolbachia strains interact to establish and maintain stable infections has important implications for the development and effective implementation of Wolbachia-based vector biocontrol strategies, as well as more broadly defining how cooperation and conflict shape intracellular communities. IMPORTANCEWolbachia is a maternally transmitted intracellular bacterium that manipulates the reproduction and physiology of arthropods, resulting in drastic effects on the fitness, evolution, and even speciation of its hosts. Some hosts naturally harbor multiple strains of Wolbachia that are stably transmitted across generations, but almost nothing is known about the factors that limit or promote these coinfections, which can have profound effects on the host's biology and evolution and are under consideration as an insect-management tool. Here, we define the infection dynamics of a known stably transmitted double infection in Drosophila simulans with an eye toward understanding the patterns of infection that might facilitate compatibility between the two microbes. We find that a combination of sex, tissue, and development all contributes to infection dynamics of the coinfection.},
}
@article {pmid35730490,
year = {2022},
author = {Krome, AK and Becker, T and Kehraus, S and Schiefer, A and Gütschow, M and Chaverra-Muñoz, L and Hüttel, S and Jansen, R and Stadler, M and Ehrens, A and Pogorevc, D and Müller, R and Hübner, MP and Hesterkamp, T and Pfarr, K and Hoerauf, A and Wagner, KG and König, GM},
title = {Corallopyronin A: antimicrobial discovery to preclinical development.},
journal = {Natural product reports},
volume = {39},
number = {9},
pages = {1705-1720},
doi = {10.1039/d2np00012a},
pmid = {35730490},
issn = {1460-4752},
mesh = {Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; *Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology ; *Biological Products/pharmacology ; Humans ; Lactones ; Water ; },
abstract = {Covering: August 1984 up to January 2022Worldwide, increasing morbidity and mortality due to antibiotic-resistant microbial infections has been observed. Therefore, better prevention and control of infectious diseases, as well as appropriate use of approved antibacterial drugs are crucial. There is also an urgent need for the continuous development and supply of novel antibiotics. Thus, identifying new antibiotics and their further development is once again a priority of natural product research. The antibiotic corallopyronin A was discovered in the 1980s in the culture broth of the Myxobacterium Corallococcus coralloides and serves, in the context of this review, as a show case for the development of a naturally occurring antibiotic compound. The review demonstrates how a hard to obtain, barely water soluble and unstable compound such as corallopyronin A can be developed making use of sophisticated production and formulation approaches. Corallopyronin A is a bacterial DNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor with a new target site and one of the few representatives of this class currently in preclinical development. Efficacy against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, e.g., Chlamydia trachomatis, Orientia tsutsugamushi, Staphylococcus aureus, and Wolbachia has been demonstrated. Due to its highly effective in vivo depletion of Wolbachia, which are essential endobacteria of most filarial nematode species, and its robust macrofilaricidal efficacy, corallopyronin A was selected as a preclinical candidate for the treatment of human filarial infections. This review highlights the discovery and production optimization approaches for corallopyronin A, as well as, recent preclinical efficacy results demonstrating a robust macrofilaricidal effect of the anti-Wolbachia candidate, and the solid formulation strategy which enhances the stability as well as the bioavailability of corallopyronin A.},
}
@article {pmid35729601,
year = {2022},
author = {Gunasekaran, K and Sadanandane, C and Panneer, D and Kumar, A and Rahi, M and Dinesh, S and Vijayakumar, B and Krishnaraja, M and Subbarao, SK and Jambulingam, P},
title = {Sensitivity of wMel and wAlbB Wolbachia infections in Aedes aegypti Puducherry (Indian) strains to heat stress during larval development.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {221},
pmid = {35729601},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Female ; Heat-Shock Response ; Larva ; Male ; Mosquito Vectors ; Water ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Puducherry, India, developed two colonies of Aedes aegypti infected with wMel and wAlbB Wolbacia strains called Ae. aegypti (Pud) lines for dengue control. The sensitivity of wMel and wAlbB strains in Ae. aegypti (Pud) lines to heat stress was studied.<br><br>METHODS: wMel and wAlbB infected and uninfected Ae. aegypti larvae (first to fourth instars) were reared in the laboratory to adults at 26&#xa0;&#xb0;C, 30&#xa0;&#xb0;C, 36&#xa0;&#xb0;C and 40&#xa0;&#xb0;C constant temperatures and also 26-30&#xa0;&#xb0;C, 26-36&#xa0;&#xb0;C and 26-40&#xa0;&#xb0;C diurnal cyclic temperatures. The adults were tested for Wolbachia infection. Experiments were also carried out rearing the larvae under simulated field conditions in summer (April and June) under sunlight using fully open and half open bowls and also under sunlight and natural shade.<br><br>RESULTS: At 36&#xa0;&#xb0;C and 40&#xa0;&#xb0;C constant temperatures, complete larval mortality was observed. At 30&#xa0;&#xb0;C and 26&#xa0;&#xb0;C, no larval mortality occurred, but Wolbachia density was relatively low in wMel infected males compared to control (maintained at 26&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;1&#xa0;&#xb0;C). At diurnal cyclic temperature of 26-40&#xa0;&#xb0;C, Wolbachia density was reduced in males of both the (Pud) lines, but not in females. At 26-36&#xa0;&#xb0;C, reduction in Wolbachia density was observed in wMel males but not in wAlbB males. At 26-30&#xa0;&#xb0;C, no significant reduction in Wolbachia density was observed with wMel and wAlbB strains. In simulated field conditions (April), under sunlight, the daytime water temperature reached a maximum of 35.7&#xa0;&#xb0;C in both full and half open bowls. No larval mortality occurred. Wolbachia frequency and density was reduced in wMel-infected Ae. aegypti (Pud) males from both type of bowls and in females from full open bowls, and in wAlbB males from half open bowls. In June, rearing of larvae under sunlight, the first-instar larvae experienced a maximum daytime water temperature of&#x2009;>&#x2009;38&#xa0;&#xb0;C that caused complete mortality. No larval mortality was observed in bowls kept under shade (<&#x2009;32&#xa0;&#xb0;C).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Exposure of larvae to higher rearing temperatures in the laboratory and simulated-field conditions reduced the densities of wMel and wAlbB strains particularly in males, but the impact was more pronounced for wMel strain. The actual effect of heat stress on the stability of these two Wolbachia strains needs to be tested under natural field conditions.},
}
@article {pmid35726500,
year = {2022},
author = {Dzul-Rosado, K and Maldonado-Borges, JI and Puerto-Manzano, FI and Lammoglia-Villagómez, MA and Becker, I and Sánchez-Montes, S},
title = {First exploratory study of bacterial pathogens and endosymbionts in head lice from a Mayan community in southern Mexico.},
journal = {Zoonoses and public health},
volume = {69},
number = {6},
pages = {729-736},
doi = {10.1111/zph.12982},
pmid = {35726500},
issn = {1863-2378},
mesh = {*Acinetobacter/genetics ; Animals ; Bacteria/genetics ; DNA ; Humans ; *Lice Infestations/epidemiology/veterinary ; Mexico/epidemiology ; *Pediculus/genetics/microbiology ; Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {Lice represent one of the most neglected group of vectors worldwide, particularly in Latin America. Records of bacterial agents related to head lice are non-existent in this region of the continent. Many of these communities often do not have adequate access to public services and/or health protection. The normalization of this condition prevents them from manifesting discomfort, such as bites and itching, which further aggravates the situation, as they can be vectors of important diseases. For this reason, the aim of this work was to identify the richness of bacterial pathogens (Acinetobacter, Bartonella, and Rickettsia) and endosymbionts (Wolbachia) in head lice of paediatric patients from the indigenous municipality of Hoctun, Yucatan, Mexico. DNA extraction was performed using the QIAamp DNA Mini Kit. For the detection of bacterial pathogens, fragments of the gltA, rpoB, and 16S rDNA genes were amplified. For the detection of Wolbachia, the wsp gene was amplified. Of the 28 lice analysed, the presence of two genera of bacterial pathogens was detected Acinetobacter (42.9% = 12/28) and Bartonella (7.14% = 2/28). We also detected the endosymbiont Wolbachia (71.42% = 20/28). Our results showed that DNA from three bacteria species (Acinetobacter baumannii, Bartonella quintana, and Wolbachia pipientis) was present with frequencies ranging from 3.57% to 71.42%. This work represents the first exploratory study of the diversity of agents associated with head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) in Mexico and Latin America. Due to the findings generated in the present study, it is important to perform surveillance of head lice populations to identify the degree of spread of these pathogens and their impact on populations in the region.},
}
@article {pmid35724982,
year = {2022},
author = {Faulk, C},
title = {De novo sequencing, diploid assembly, and annotation of the black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus, and its symbionts by one person for $1000, using nanopore sequencing.},
journal = {Nucleic acids research},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/nar/gkac510},
pmid = {35724982},
issn = {1362-4962},
abstract = {The black carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) is a pest species found widely throughout North America. From a single individual I used long-read nanopore sequencing to assemble a phased diploid genome of 306 Mb and 60X coverage, with quality assessed by a 97.0% BUSCO score, improving upon other ant assemblies. The mitochondrial genome reveals minor rearrangements from other ants. The reads also allowed assembly of parasitic and symbiont genomes. I include a complete Wolbachia bacterial assembly with a size of 1.2 Mb, as well as a commensal symbiont Blochmannia pennsylvanicus, at 791 kb. DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation were measured at base-pair resolution level from the same reads and confirmed extremely low levels seen in the Formicidae family. There was moderate heterozygosity, with 0.16% of bases being biallelic from the parental haplotypes. Protein prediction yielded 14 415 amino acid sequences with 95.8% BUSCO score and 86% matching to previously known proteins. All assemblies were derived from a single MinION flow cell generating 20 Gb of sequence for a cost of $1047 including consumable reagents. Adding fixed costs for equipment brings the total for an ant-sized genome to less than $5000. All analyses were performed in 1 week on a single desktop computer.},
}
@article {pmid35723456,
year = {2022},
author = {Chen, L and Xiao, Q and Shi, M and Cheng, J and Wu, J},
title = {Detecting Wolbachia Strain wAlbB in Aedes albopictus Cell Lines.},
journal = {Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE},
volume = {},
number = {184},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3791/63662},
pmid = {35723456},
issn = {1940-087X},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Mosquito Vectors ; *RNA Viruses ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; },
abstract = {As a maternally harbored endosymbiont, Wolbachia infects large proportions of insect populations. Studies have recently reported the successful regulation of RNA virus transmission using Wolbachia-transfected mosquitoes. Key strategies to control viruses include the manipulation of host reproduction via cytoplasmic incompatibility and the inhibition of viral transcripts via immune priming and competition for host-derived resources. However, the underlying mechanisms of the responses of Wolbachia-transfected mosquitoes to viral infection are poorly understood. This paper presents a protocol for the in vitro identification of Wolbachia infection at the nucleic acid and protein levels in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Aa23 cells to enhance the understanding of the interactions between Wolbachia and its insect vectors. Through the combined use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative PCR, western blot, and immunological analytical methods, a standard morphologic protocol has been described for the detection of Wolbachia-infected cells that is more accurate than the use of a single method. This approach may also be applied to the detection of Wolbachia infection in other insect taxa.},
}
@article {pmid35715692,
year = {2022},
author = {Hickin, ML and Kakumanu, ML and Schal, C},
title = {Effects of Wolbachia elimination and B-vitamin supplementation on bed bug development and reproduction.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {10270},
pmid = {35715692},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; *Bedbugs ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Nymph ; Reproduction ; *Vitamin B Complex/pharmacology ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Obligate blood feeders, such as Cimex lectularius (common bed bug), have symbiotic associations with nutritional endosymbionts that produce B-vitamins. To quantify the symbiont's contribution to host fitness in these obligate mutualisms, the symbiont must be eliminated and its absence rigorously confirmed. We developed and validated procedures for complete elimination of Wolbachia (Wb) in bed bugs and quantified development and reproduction in bed bugs with and without Wb and with and without B-vitamins supplementation. Aposymbiotic bed bugs had slower nymphal development, reduced adult survivorship, smaller adult size, fewer eggs per female, and lower hatch rate than bed bugs that harbored Wb. In aposymbiotic bed bugs that were fed B-vitamins-supplemented blood, nymph development time, adult survivorship and hatch rate recovered to control levels, but adult size and egg number only partially recovered. These results underscore the nutritional dependence of bed bugs on their Wb symbiont and suggest that Wb may provide additional nutritional benefits beyond the B-vitamin mix that we investigated.},
}
@article {pmid35708345,
year = {2022},
author = {Ettinger, CL and Byrne, FJ and Redak, RA and Stajich, JE},
title = {Metagenome-Assembled Genomes of Bacterial Symbionts Associated with Insecticide-Resistant and -Susceptible Individuals of the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis).},
journal = {Microbiology resource announcements},
volume = {11},
number = {7},
pages = {e0050622},
pmid = {35708345},
issn = {2576-098X},
abstract = {The role of microbes in insecticide resistance is an emerging question. Here, we describe six metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) associated with the glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis [Germar, 1821]) (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae). MAGs representing the obligate symbionts Candidatus Sulcia muelleri and Candidatus Baumannia cicadellinicola and the facultative symbiont Wolbachia were obtained from imidacloprid-resistant and imidacloprid-susceptible sharpshooters.},
}
@article {pmid35701454,
year = {2022},
author = {Dufault, SM and Tanamas, SK and Indriani, C and Utarini, A and Ahmad, RA and Jewell, NP and Simmons, CP and Anders, KL},
title = {Disruption of spatiotemporal clustering in dengue cases by wMel Wolbachia in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {9890},
pmid = {35701454},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {R01AI148127/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; /WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Cluster Analysis ; *Dengue ; *Dengue Virus/genetics ; Humans ; Indonesia/epidemiology ; Pest Control, Biological ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Dengue exhibits focal clustering in households and neighborhoods, driven by local mosquito population dynamics, human population immunity, and fine scale human and mosquito movement. We tested the hypothesis that spatiotemporal clustering of homotypic dengue cases is disrupted by introduction of the arbovirus-blocking bacterium Wolbachia (wMel-strain) into the Aedes aegypti mosquito population. We analysed 318 serotyped and geolocated dengue cases (and 5921 test-negative controls) from a randomized controlled trial in Yogyakarta, Indonesia of wMel deployments. We find evidence of spatial clustering up to 300 m among the 265 dengue cases (3083 controls) in the untreated trial arm. Participant pairs enrolled within 30 days and 50 m had a 4.7-fold increase (compared to 95% CI on permutation-based null distribution: 0.1, 1.2) in the odds of being homotypic (i.e. potentially transmission-related) as compared to pairs occurring at any distance. In contrast, we find no evidence of spatiotemporal clustering among the 53 dengue cases (2838 controls) resident in the wMel-treated arm. Introgression of wMel Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti mosquito populations interrupts focal dengue virus transmission leading to reduced case incidence; the true intervention effect may be greater than the 77% efficacy measured in the primary analysis of the Yogyakarta trial.},
}
@article {pmid35699129,
year = {2022},
author = {Mulenga, GM and Namangala, B and Gummow, B},
title = {Prevalence of trypanosomes and selected symbionts in tsetse species of eastern Zambia.},
journal = {Parasitology},
volume = {149},
number = {11},
pages = {1406-1410},
doi = {10.1017/S0031182022000804},
pmid = {35699129},
issn = {1469-8161},
mesh = {Animals ; Enterobacteriaceae/genetics ; Insect Vectors/parasitology ; Prevalence ; *Trypanosoma/genetics ; *Trypanosomiasis, African/parasitology ; *Tsetse Flies/parasitology ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; Zambia/epidemiology ; },
abstract = {Insect symbionts have attracted attention for their potential use as anti-parasitic gene products in arthropod disease vectors. While tsetse species of the Luangwa valley have been extensively studied, less is known about the prevalence of symbionts and their interactions with the trypanosome parasite. Polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the presence of Wolbachia and Sodalis bacteria, in tsetse flies infected with trypanosomes (Trypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei). Out of 278 captured tsetse flies in eastern Zambia, 95.3% (n = 265, 95% CI = 92.8–97.8) carried endosymbionts: Wolbachia (79.1%, 95% CI 73.9–83.8) and Sodalis (86.3%, 95% CI 81.7–90.1). Overall, trypanosome prevalence was 25.5% (n = 71, 95% CI = 20.4–30.7), 10.8% (n = 30, 95% CI 7.1–14.4) for T. brucei, 1.4% (n = 4, 95% CI = 0.4–3.6) for both T. congolense and T. vivax, and 0.7% (n = 2, 95% CI 0.1–2.6) for T. b. rhodesiense. Out of 240 tsetse flies that were infected with Sodalis, trypanosome infection was reported in 40 tsetse flies (16.7%, 95% CI = 12.0–21.4) while 37 (16.8%, 95% CI 11.9–21.8) of the 220 Wolbachia infected tsetse flies were infected with trypanosomes. There was 1.3 times likelihood of T. brucei infection to be present when Wolbachia was present and 1.7 likelihood of T. brucei infection when Sodalis was present. Overall findings suggest absence of correlation between the presence of tsetse endosymbionts and tsetse with trypanosome infection. Lastly, the presence of pathogenic trypanosomes in tsetse species examined provided insights into the risk communities face, and the importance of African trypanosomiasis in the area.},
}
@article {pmid35687421,
year = {2022},
author = {Vörös, K and Becker, Z and Kónya, R and Arany-Tóth, A and Farkas, R},
title = {Application of Moxidectin and Ultrasound-Aided Injection of Melarsomine During the American Heartworm Society Recommended Treatment Protocol in Dirofilaria immitis Infected Dogs.},
journal = {Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.)},
volume = {22},
number = {7},
pages = {382-390},
doi = {10.1089/vbz.2021.0108},
pmid = {35687421},
issn = {1557-7759},
mesh = {Animals ; Arsenicals ; Clinical Protocols ; Dexamethasone/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; *Dirofilaria immitis ; *Dirofilariasis/diagnosis/drug therapy ; *Dog Diseases/drug therapy ; Dogs ; Doxycycline/therapeutic use ; *Filaricides/therapeutic use ; Macrolides/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Triazines ; },
abstract = {The American Heartworm Society (AHS) recommends the three-dose alternate melarsomine therapeutic regimen, together with a macrocyclic lactone (ML) to reduce new infections and eliminate susceptible larvae and doxycycline against Wolbachia bacteria. Till now, only reports on ivermectin as an ML exist in the frame of this protocol. Between 2014 and 2020, the AHS protocol was used in 44 heartworm-positive dogs. Microfilaremic dogs were pretreated with prednisolone and clopidogrel for 1 week before the first moxidectin application. Moxidectin was applied on the 1st, 30th, 60th, and 90th therapeutic days. On the first day, dexamethasone and chloropyramine were used to avoid potential adverse effects caused by the destroyed microfilariae. During the 1st-28th days, doxycycline 10 mg/kg BID was given with probiotics. Adult heartworms were destroyed with melarsomine on the 60th, 90[th], and 91st days. Butorphanol and dexamethasone were given just before melarsomine injections. The depth of the intramuscular injection site was determined by ultrasound examination of the lumbar muscles. From the 60th day, dalteparin was applied for 10 days to decrease the chance of pulmonary thromboembolism. Moxidectin did not cause adverse reactions, even in microfilaremic dogs. Gastrointestinal side effects of doxycycline were observed in three (6%) dogs, they recovered after symptomatic therapy and by lowering the initial dose to 5 mg/kg BID. Transient anorexia and diarrhea were found in one (2%), and coughing and mild dyspnea in one (2%) animal as systemic post-therapeutic complications of melarsomine. No local side effects were observed in 13 (30%) dogs, mild local side effects occurred in 29 (66%) patients, and severe local swelling in 2 (4%) cases. All dogs recovered clinically by the 120th day and no microfilaremia was seen that time. An antigen test performed in 37/44 animals on the 271st day was also negative in all cases.},
}
@article {pmid35686927,
year = {2022},
author = {Kamiyama, T and Shimada-Niwa, Y and Tanaka, H and Katayama, M and Kuwabara, T and Mori, H and Kunihisa, A and Itoh, T and Toyoda, A and Niwa, R},
title = {Whole-genome sequencing analysis and protocol for RNA interference of the endoparasitoid wasp Asobara japonica.},
journal = {DNA research : an international journal for rapid publication of reports on genes and genomes},
volume = {29},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {35686927},
issn = {1756-1663},
mesh = {Animals ; Drosophila/genetics ; Female ; Larva/parasitology ; Molecular Sequence Annotation ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Double-Stranded/genetics ; *Wasps/genetics ; },
abstract = {Asobara japonica is an endoparasitic wasp that parasitizes Drosophila flies. It synthesizes various toxic components in the venom gland and injects them into host larvae during oviposition. To identify and characterize these toxic components for enabling parasitism, we performed the whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and devised a protocol for RNA interference (RNAi) with A. japonica. Because it has a parthenogenetic lineage due to Wolbachia infection, we generated a clonal strain from a single wasp to obtain highly homogenous genomic DNA. The WGS analysis revealed that the estimated genome size was 322 Mb with a heterozygosity of 0.132%. We also performed RNA-seq analyses for gene annotation. Based on the qualified WGS platform, we cloned ebony-Aj, which encodes the enzyme N-β-alanyl dopamine synthetase, which is involved in melanin production. The microinjection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting ebony-Aj led to body colour changes in adult wasps, phenocopying ebony-Dm mutants. Furthermore, we identified putative venom genes as a target of RNAi, confirming that dsRNA injection-based RNAi specifically suppressed the expression of the target gene in wasp adults. Taken together, our results provide a powerful genetic toolkit for studying the molecular mechanisms of parasitism.},
}
@article {pmid35686658,
year = {2022},
author = {Szklarzewicz, T and Kalandyk-Kołodziejczyk, M and Michalik, A},
title = {Ovary structure and symbiotic associates of a ground mealybug, Rhizoecus albidus (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha: Rhizoecidae) and their phylogenetic implications.},
journal = {Journal of anatomy},
volume = {241},
number = {3},
pages = {860-872},
pmid = {35686658},
issn = {1469-7580},
mesh = {Animals ; Female ; *Hemiptera/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry/microbiology ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Ovary/anatomy &amp; histology ; Phylogeny ; Symbiosis ; },
abstract = {The ovary structure and the organization of its symbiotic system of the ground mealybug, Rhizoecus albidus (Rhizoecidae), were examined by means of microscopic and molecular methods. Each of the paired elongated ovaries of R. albidus is composed of circa one hundred short telotrophic-meroistic ovarioles, which are radially arranged along the distal part of the lateral oviduct. Analysis of serial sections revealed that each ovariole contains four germ cells: three trophocytes (nurse cells) occupying the tropharium and a single oocyte in the vitellarium. The ovaries are accompanied by giant cells termed bacteriocytes which are tightly packed with large pleomorphic bacteria. Their identity as Brownia rhizoecola (Bacteroidetes) was confirmed by means of amplicon sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques. Moreover, to our knowledge, this is the first report on the morphology and ultrastructure of the Brownia rhizoecola bacterium. In the bacteriocyte cytoplasm bacteria Brownia co-reside with sporadic rod-shaped smaller bacteria, namely Wolbachia (Proteobacteria: Alphaproteobacteria). Both symbionts are transmitted to the next generation vertically (maternally), that is, via female germline cells. We documented that, at the time when ovarioles contain oocytes at the vitellogenic stage, these symbionts leave the bacteriocytes and move toward the neck region of ovarioles (i.e. the region between tropharium and vitellarium). Next, the bacteria enter the cytoplasm of follicular cells surrounding the basal part of the tropharium, leave them and enter the space between the follicular epithelium and surface of the nutritive cord connecting the tropharium and vitellarium. Finally, they gather in the deep depression of the oolemma at the anterior pole of the oocyte in the form of a 'symbiont ball'. Our results provide further arguments strongly supporting the validity of the recent changes in the classification of mealybugs, which involved excluding ground mealybugs from the Pseudococcidae family and raising them to the rank of their own family Rhizoecidae.},
}
@article {pmid35678877,
year = {2022},
author = {Araújo, NJS and Macêdo, MJF and de Morais, LP and da Cunha, FAB and de Matos, YMLS and de Almeida, RS and Braga, MFBM and Coutinho, HDM},
title = {Control of arboviruses vectors using biological control by Wolbachia pipientis: a short review.},
journal = {Archives of microbiology},
volume = {204},
number = {7},
pages = {376},
pmid = {35678877},
issn = {1432-072X},
mesh = {Animals ; *Arboviruses ; Insect Vectors/microbiology ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {The number of arbovirus cases has increased in recent years, demonstrating a need for investing in effective control actions. Among these actions, are strategies using biological control vectors, a field where Wolbachia pipientis has shown itself as useful. Wolbachia pipientis, an obligatory intracellular Gram-negative bacteria, which parasites arthropods naturally or through laboratory-induced infections, is capable of manipulating the reproduction of its host. A systematic literature review gathering studies on this bacteria over last 10 years (2007-2021) was performed given its important role in the reduction of insect disease vectors. 111 articles were found, from which 78 were used in this study. Information on the Wolbachia biology, mechanism of action and potential for the biological control of insect disease vectors was gathered. The present study may contribute to the knowledge surrounding the bacterium, as well as stimulate the production of other studies with the same theme.},
}
@article {pmid35678697,
year = {2022},
author = {Withers, AJ and Rice, A and de Boer, J and Donkersley, P and Pearson, AJ and Chipabika, G and Karangwa, P and Uzayisenga, B and Mensah, BA and Mensah, SA and Nkunika, POY and Kachigamba, D and Smith, JA and Jones, CM and Wilson, K},
title = {The distribution of covert microbial natural enemies of a globally invasive crop pest, fall armyworm, in Africa: Enemy release and spillover events.},
journal = {The Journal of animal ecology},
volume = {91},
number = {9},
pages = {1826-1841},
pmid = {35678697},
issn = {1365-2656},
mesh = {Animals ; Introduced Species ; Kenya ; *Nucleopolyhedroviruses ; Spodoptera ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Invasive species pose a significant threat to biodiversity and agriculture world-wide. Natural enemies play an important part in controlling pest populations, yet we understand very little about the presence and prevalence of natural enemies during the early invasion stages. Microbial natural enemies of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda are known in its native region, however, they have not yet been identified in Africa where fall armyworm has been an invasive crop pest since 2016. Larval samples were screened from Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, Sudan and Ghana for the presence of four different microbial natural enemies; two nucleopolyhedroviruses, Spodoptera frugiperda NPV (SfMNPV) and Spodoptera exempta NPV (SpexNPV); the fungal pathogen Metarhizium rileyi; and the bacterium Wolbachia. This study aimed to identify which microbial pathogens are present in invasive fall armyworm, and determine the geographical, meteorological and temporal variables that influence prevalence. Within 3 years of arrival, fall armyworm was exposed to all four microbial natural enemies. SfMNPV probably arrived with fall armyworm from the Americas, but this is the first putative evidence of host spillover from Spodoptera exempta (African armyworm) to fall armyworm for the endemic pathogen SpexNPV and for Wolbachia. It is also the first confirmed incidence of M. rileyi infecting fall armyworm in Africa. Natural enemies were localised, with variation being observed both nationally and temporally. The prevalence of SfMNPV (the most common natural enemy) was predominantly explained by variables associated with the weather; declining with increasing rainfall and increasing with temperature. However, virus prevalence also increased as the growing season progressed. The infection of an invasive species with a natural enemy from its native range and novel pathogens specific to its new range has important consequences for understanding the population ecology of invasive species and insect-pathogen interactions. Additionally, while it is widely known that temporal and geographic factors affect insect populations, this study reveals that these are important in understanding the distribution of microbial natural enemies associated with invasive pests during the early stages of invasion, and provide baseline data for future studies.},
}
@article {pmid35671755,
year = {2022},
author = {Tvedte, ES and Gasser, M and Zhao, X and Tallon, LJ and Sadzewicz, L and Bromley, RE and Chung, M and Mattick, J and Sparklin, BC and Dunning Hotopp, JC},
title = {Accumulation of endosymbiont genomes in an insect autosome followed by endosymbiont replacement.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {32},
number = {12},
pages = {2786-2795.e5},
pmid = {35671755},
issn = {1879-0445},
support = {R01 CA206188/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; U19 AI110820/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Chromosomes ; Drosophila/genetics/microbiology ; Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; Genome ; Symbiosis/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Eukaryotic genomes can acquire bacterial DNA via lateral gene transfer (LGT).[1] A prominent source of LGT is Wolbachia,[2] a widespread endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes that is transmitted maternally through female germline cells.[3,4] The DNA transfer from the Wolbachia endosymbiont wAna to Drosophila ananassae is extensive[5-7] and has been localized to chromosome 4, contributing to chromosome expansion in this lineage.[6] As has happened frequently with claims of bacteria-to-eukaryote LGT, the contribution of wAna transfers to the expanded size of D. ananassae chromosome 4 has been specifically contested[8] owing to an assembly where Wolbachia sequences were classified as contaminants and removed.[9] Here, long-read sequencing with DNA from a Wolbachia-cured line enabled assembly of 4.9 Mbp of nuclear Wolbachia transfers (nuwts) in D. ananassae and a 24-kbp nuclear mitochondrial transfer. The nuwts are <8,000 years old in at least two locations in chromosome 4 with at least one whole-genome integration followed by rapid extensive duplication of most of the genome with regions that have up to 10 copies. The genes in nuwts are accumulating small indels and mobile element insertions. Among the highly duplicated genes are cifA and cifB, two genes associated with Wolbachia-mediated Drosophila cytoplasmic incompatibility. The wAna strain that was the source of nuwts was subsequently replaced by a different wAna endosymbiont. Direct RNA Nanopore sequencing of Wolbachia-cured lines identified nuwt transcripts, including spliced transcripts, but functionality, if any, remains elusive.},
}
@article {pmid35671324,
year = {2022},
author = {Marriott, AE and Furlong Silva, J and Pionnier, N and Sjoberg, H and Archer, J and Steven, A and Kempf, D and Taylor, MJ and Turner, JD},
title = {A mouse infection model and long-term lymphatic endothelium co-culture system to evaluate drugs against adult Brugia malayi.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {6},
pages = {e0010474},
pmid = {35671324},
issn = {1935-2735},
support = {NC/M00175X/1/NC3RS_/National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Brugia malayi ; Coculture Techniques ; Disease Models, Animal ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium, Lymphatic ; Female ; Interleukin-5 ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {The development of new drugs targeting adult-stage lymphatic filarial nematodes is hindered by the lack of a robust long-term in vitro culture model. Testing potential direct-acting and anti-Wolbachia therapeutic candidates against adult lymphatic filariae in vitro requires their propagation via chronic infection of gerbils. We evaluated Brugia malayi parasite burden data from male Mongolian gerbils compared with two immune-deficient mouse strains highly susceptible to B. malayi: CB.17 Severe-Combined Immmuno-Deficient (SCID) and interleukin-4 receptor alpha, interleukin-5 double knockout (IL-4Rα-/-IL-5-/-) mice. Adult worms generated in IL-4Rα-/-IL-5-/- mice were tested with different feeder cells (human embryonic kidney cells, human adult dermal lymphatic endothelial cells and human THP-1 monocyte differentiated macrophages) and comparative cell-free conditions to optimise and validate a long-term in vitro culture system. Cultured parasites were compared against those isolated from mice using motility scoring, metabolic viability assay (MTT), ex vivo microfilariae release assay and Wolbachia content by qPCR. A selected culture system was validated as a drug screen using reference anti-Wolbachia (doxycycline, ABBV-4083 / flubentylosin) or direct-acting compounds (flubendazole, suramin). BALB/c IL-4Rα-/-IL-5-/- or CB.17 SCID mice were superior to Mongolian gerbils in generating adult worms and supporting in vivo persistence for periods of up to 52 weeks. Adult females retrieved from BALB/c IL-4Rα-/-IL-5-/- mice could be cultured for up to 21 days in the presence of a lymphatic endothelial cell co-culture system with comparable motility, metabolic activity and Wolbachia titres to those maintained in vivo. Drug studies confirmed significant Wolbachia depletions or direct macrofilaricidal activities could be discerned when female B. malayi were cultured for 14 days. We therefore demonstrate a novel methodology to generate adult B. malayi in vivo and accurately evaluate drug efficacy ex vivo which may be adopted for drug screening with the dual benefit of reducing overall animal use and improving anti-filarial drug development.},
}
@article {pmid35668540,
year = {2022},
author = {Sarwar, MS and Jahan, N and Ali, A and Yousaf, HK and Munzoor, I},
title = {Establishment of Wolbachia infection in Aedes aegypti from Pakistan via embryonic microinjection and semi-field evaluation of general fitness of resultant mosquito population.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {191},
pmid = {35668540},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {*Aedes/microbiology ; Animals ; *Dengue/prevention &amp; control ; Female ; Male ; Microinjections ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology ; Pakistan ; Pest Control, Biological ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that is mainly spread by Aedes aegypti. It is prevalent on five continents, predominantly in tropical and sub-tropical zones across the world. Wolbachia bacteria have been extensively used in vector control strategies worldwide. The focus of the current study was to obtain a natural population of Ae. aegypti harbouring Wolbachia and to determine the impact of this bacteria on the new host in a semi-field environment.<br><br>METHODS: Wolbachia-infected Aedes&#xa0;albopictus was collected from the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, and Wolbachia were successfully introduced into laboratory-reared Ae.&#xa0;aegypti via embryonic microinjection. The stable vertical transmission of wAlbB in the host population was observed for eight generations, and the impact of Wolbachia on the general fitness of the host was evaluated in semi-field conditions.<br><br>RESULTS: In the laboratory and semi-field experiments, wAlbB Wolbachia presented a strong cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) effect, evidenced as zero egg hatching, in crosses between Wolbachia-infected males and wild (uninfected) females of Ae. aegypti. Wolbachia infection had no noticeable impact on the general fitness (P&#x2009;>&#x2009;0.05), fecundity, body size (females and males) and mating competitiveness of the new host, Ae. aegypti.&#xa0;However, there was a significant decrease in female fertility (egg hatch) (P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). In addition, under starvation conditions, there was a remarkable decrease (P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001) in the life span of Wolbachia-infected females compared to uninfected females (4 vs. > 5 days, respectively).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Wolbachia strain wAlbB has a great potential to control the dengue vector in Ae. aegypti populations by producing 100% CI with a limited burden on its host in natural field conditions. This strain can be used as a biological tool against vector-borne diseases.},
}
@article {pmid35666732,
year = {2022},
author = {Bordenstein, SR and Bordenstein, SR},
title = {Widespread phages of endosymbionts: Phage WO genomics and the proposed taxonomic classification of Symbioviridae.},
journal = {PLoS genetics},
volume = {18},
number = {6},
pages = {e1010227},
pmid = {35666732},
issn = {1553-7404},
support = {R01 AI132581/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI143725/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Arthropods ; *Bacteriophages/genetics ; Eukaryota ; Genomics ; Symbiosis/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia are the most common obligate, intracellular bacteria in animals. They exist worldwide in arthropod and nematode hosts in which they commonly act as reproductive parasites or mutualists, respectively. Bacteriophage WO, the largest of Wolbachia's mobile elements, includes reproductive parasitism genes, serves as a hotspot for genetic divergence and genomic rearrangement of the bacterial chromosome, and uniquely encodes a Eukaryotic Association Module with eukaryotic-like genes and an ensemble of putative host interaction genes. Despite WO's relevance to genome evolution, selfish genetics, and symbiotic applications, relatively little is known about its origin, host range, diversification, and taxonomic classification. Here we analyze the most comprehensive set of 150 Wolbachia and phage WO assemblies to provide a framework for discretely organizing and naming integrated phage WO genomes. We demonstrate that WO is principally in arthropod Wolbachia with relatives in diverse endosymbionts and metagenomes, organized into four variants related by gene synteny, often oriented opposite the putative origin of replication in the Wolbachia chromosome, and the large serine recombinase is an ideal typing tool to distinguish the four variants. We identify a novel, putative lytic cassette and WO's association with a conserved eleven gene island, termed Undecim Cluster, that is enriched with virulence-like genes. Finally, we evaluate WO-like Islands in the Wolbachia genome and discuss a new model in which Octomom, a notable WO-like Island, arose from a split with WO. Together, these findings establish the first comprehensive Linnaean taxonomic classification of endosymbiont phages, including non-Wolbachia phages from aquatic environments, that includes a new family and two new genera to capture the collective relatedness of these viruses.},
}
@article {pmid35664841,
year = {2022},
author = {Montoya-Alonso, JA and García Rodríguez, SN and Carretón, E and Rodríguez Escolar, I and Costa-Rodríguez, N and Matos, JI and Morchón, R},
title = {Seroprevalence of Feline Heartworm in Spain: Completing the Epidemiological Puzzle of a Neglected Disease in the Cat.},
journal = {Frontiers in veterinary science},
volume = {9},
number = {},
pages = {900371},
pmid = {35664841},
issn = {2297-1769},
abstract = {Feline heartworm is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis. It is a cosmopolitan disease that is continuously expanding. Spain is considered an endemic country; however, although there are many published studies in dogs, feline heartworm has been poorly studied in this country. Thus, the objective was to analyze the exposure to D. immitis throughout Spain to complete the epidemiological map in the feline species. For this, 6,588 feline serum samples were analyzed for the presence of D. immitis antigens and antibodies against D. immitis and Wolbachia. The results were analyzed according to sex, age, breed, habitat, origin (owned or shelter cats), presence of clinical signs, use of preventive, location and climatology. The results showed a prevalence of 0.5% and a seroprevalence of 9.4%. The highest antibody seroprevalences were reported in the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands (19.2 and 16%, respectively), as well as in the autonomous communities located on the Mediterranean coast (9.2-11.2%). Seropositive cats were found in both indoor and outdoor cats, and from 6 months of age. Furthermore, only 5.8% of cats received regular prophylactic treatment. The results show that feline dirofilariasis is widely distributed throughout the national territory and corroborate that, where infected dogs are present, there are cats exposed to the parasite. It is necessary to implement efficient awareness and prophylaxis measures to control the incidence and expansion of feline heartworm in Spain.},
}
@article {pmid35652239,
year = {2022},
author = {Powell, JR},
title = {Modifying mosquitoes to suppress disease transmission: Is the long wait over?.},
journal = {Genetics},
volume = {221},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {35652239},
issn = {1943-2631},
mesh = {*Aedes/genetics ; Animals ; *Dengue/epidemiology/prevention &amp; control ; *Dengue Virus ; Humans ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {For more than 50 years it has been a dream of medical entomologists and public health workers to control diseases like malaria and dengue fever by modifying, through genetics and other methods, the arthropods that transmit them to humans. A brief synopsis of the history of these efforts as applied to mosquitoes is presented; none proved to be effective in reducing disease prevalence. Only in the last few years have novel approaches been developed or proposed that indicate the long wait may be over. Three recent developments are particularly promising: CRISPR-Cas9 driven genetic modification, shifting naturally occurring allele frequencies, and microbe-based modifications. The last is the furthest along in implementation. Dengue fever incidence has been reduced between 40% and 96% in 4 different regions of the world where Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti have been established in the field. It is not yet clear how sustainable such control programs will prove to be, but there is good reason for optimism. In light of this, the time is ripe for reinvigorated research on vectors, especially genetics. Vector-borne diseases primarily affect under-developed countries and thus have not received the attention they deserve from wealthier countries with well-developed and funded biomedical research establishments.},
}
@article {pmid35644356,
year = {2022},
author = {Arguni, E and Indriani, C and Rahayu, A and Supriyati, E and Yohan, B and Hayati, RF and Wardana, S and Tantowijoyo, W and Anshari, MR and Rahayu, E and Rubangi, and Ahmad, RA and Utarini, A and Simmons, CP and Sasmono, RT},
title = {Dengue virus population genetics in Yogyakarta, Indonesia prior to city-wide Wolbachia deployment.},
journal = {Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases},
volume = {102},
number = {},
pages = {105308},
doi = {10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105308},
pmid = {35644356},
issn = {1567-7257},
mesh = {Animals ; Cities ; *Culicidae ; *Dengue/epidemiology ; *Dengue Virus ; Genetics, Population ; Genotype ; Humans ; Indonesia/epidemiology ; Phylogeny ; Serogroup ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Dengue has been endemic in Yogyakarta, Indonesia for decades. Here, we report the dengue epidemiology, entomology, and virology in Yogyakarta in 2016-2017, prior to the commencement of the Applying Wolbachia to Eliminate Dengue (AWED) randomized trial. Dengue epidemiological data were compiled and blood samples from dengue-suspected patients were tested for dengue virus (DENV). Ae. aegypti mosquito samples were caught from the field using BG-Sentinel traps and tested for the presence of DENV infection. Sequencing of the DENV E gene was used to determine the phylogeny and genotypes of circulating DENV. Within the last decade, the 2016-2017 dengue incidence was considered very high. Among the 649 plasma samples collected between March 2016-February 2017; and 36,910 mosquito samples collected between December 2016-May 2017, a total of 197 and 38 samples were DENV-positive by qRT-PCR, respectively. All four DENV serotypes were detected, with DENV-3 (n = 88; 44.67%) and DENV-1 (n = 87; 44.16%) as the predominant serotype, followed by DENV-4 (n = 12; 6.09%) and DENV-2 (n = 10; 5.08%). The Yogyakarta DENV-1 isolates were classified into Genotype I and IV, while DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4 isolates were classified into the Cosmopolitan genotype, Genotype I, and Genotype II, respectively. Yogyakarta DENV isolates were closely related to Indonesian strains from neighboring Javanese cities, consistent with the endemic circulation of DENV on this highly populous island. Our study provides comprehensive baseline information on the DENV population genetic characteristics in Yogyakarta, which are useful as baseline data for the AWED trial and the future DENV surveillance in the city in the presence of a Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti population.},
}
@article {pmid35631057,
year = {2022},
author = {Lee, E and Hien Nguyen, T and Yen Nguyen, T and Nam Vu, S and Duong Tran, N and Trung Nghia, L and Mai Vien, Q and Dong Nguyen, T and Kriiger Loterio, R and Iturbe-Ormaetxe, I and Flores, HA and O'Neill, SL and Anh Dang, D and Simmons, CP and Fraser, JE},
title = {Transient Introgression of Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti Populations Does Not Elicit an Antibody Response to Wolbachia Surface Protein in Community Members.},
journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {11},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {35631057},
issn = {2076-0817},
support = {102591/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacterium that can restrict the transmission of human pathogenic viruses by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Recent field trials have shown that dengue incidence is significantly reduced when Wolbachia is introgressed into the local Ae. aegypti population. Female Ae. aegypti are anautogenous and feed on human blood to produce viable eggs. Herein, we tested whether people who reside on Tri Nguyen Island (TNI), Vietnam developed antibodies to Wolbachia Surface Protein (WSP) following release of Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti, as a measure of exposure to Wolbachia. Paired blood samples were collected from 105 participants before and after mosquito releases and anti-WSP titres were measured by ELISA. We determined no change in anti-WSP titres after ~30 weeks of high levels of Wolbachia-Ae. aegypti on TNI. These data suggest that humans are not exposed to the major Wolbachia surface antigen, WSP, following introgression of Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes.},
}
@article {pmid35630383,
year = {2022},
author = {Csorba, AB and Fora, CG and Bálint, J and Felföldi, T and Szabó, A and Máthé, I and Loxdale, HD and Kentelky, E and Nyárádi, II and Balog, A},
title = {Endosymbiotic Bacterial Diversity of Corn Leaf Aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Associated with Maize Management Systems.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {10},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {35630383},
issn = {2076-2607},
abstract = {In this study, different maize fields cultivated under different management systems were sampled to test corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis, populations in terms of total and endosymbiotic bacterial diversity. Corn leaf aphid natural populations were collected from traditionally managed maize fields grown under high agricultural and natural landscape diversity as well as conventionally treated high-input agricultural fields grown in monoculture and with fertilizers use, hence with low natural landscape diversity. Total bacterial community assessment by DNA sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. In total, 365 bacterial genera were identified and 6 endosymbiont taxa. A high abundance of the primary endosymbiont Buchnera and secondary symbionts Serratia and Wolbachia were detected in all maize crops. Their frequency was found to be correlated with the maize management system used, probably with fertilizer input. Three other facultative endosymbionts ("Candidatus Hamiltonella", an uncultured Rickettsiales genus, and Spiroplasma) were also recorded at different frequencies under the two management regimes. Principal components analyses revealed that the relative contribution of the obligate and dominant symbiont Buchnera to the aphid endosymbiotic bacterial community was 72%, whereas for the managed system this was only 16.3%. When facultative symbionts alone were considered, the effect of management system revealed a DNA diversity of 23.3%.},
}
@article {pmid35623398,
year = {2022},
author = {Agarwal, A and Sarma, DK and Chaurasia, D and Maan, HS},
title = {Novel molecular approaches to combat vectors and vector-borne viruses: Special focus on RNA interference (RNAi) mechanisms.},
journal = {Acta tropica},
volume = {233},
number = {},
pages = {106539},
doi = {10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106539},
pmid = {35623398},
issn = {1873-6254},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; *Chikungunya Fever ; Mosquito Vectors ; RNA Interference ; *Zika Virus/genetics ; *Zika Virus Infection ; },
abstract = {Vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya, zika, yellow fever etc pose significant burden among the infectious diseases globally, especially in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Globalization, deforestation, urbanization, climate change, uncontrolled population growth, inadequate waste management and poor vector-management infrastructure have all contributed to the expansion of vector habitats and subsequent increase in vector-borne diseases throughout the world. Conventional vector control methods, such as use of insecticides, have significant negative environmental repercussions in addition to developing resistance in vectors. Till date, a very few vaccines or antiviral therapies have been approved for the treatment of vector borne diseases. In this review, we have discussed emerging molecular approaches like CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas-9, sterile insect technique (SIT), release of insects carrying a dominant lethal (RIDL), Wolbachia (virus transmission blocking) and RNA interference (RNAi) to combat vector and vector-borne viruses. Due to the extensive advancements in RNAi research, a special focus has been given on its types, biogenesis, mechanism of action, delivery and experimental studies evaluating their application as anti-mosquito and anti-viral agent. These technologies appear to be highly promising in terms of contributing to vector control and antiviral drug development, and hence can be used to reduce global vector and vector-borne disease burden.},
}
@article {pmid35618926,
year = {2022},
author = {Bouyer, J and Maiga, H and Vreysen, MJB},
title = {Assessing the efficiency of Verily's automated process for production and release of male Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.},
journal = {Nature biotechnology},
volume = {40},
number = {10},
pages = {1441-1442},
pmid = {35618926},
issn = {1546-1696},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Male ; Mosquito Control ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Wolbachia ; },
}
@article {pmid35618925,
year = {2022},
author = {Crawford, JE and Hopkins, KC and Buchman, A and Zha, T and Howell, P and Kakani, E and Ohm, JR and Snoad, N and Upson, L and Holeman, J and Massaro, P and Dobson, SL and Mulligan, FS and White, BJ},
title = {Reply to: Assessing the efficiency of Verily's automated process for production and release of male Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.},
journal = {Nature biotechnology},
volume = {40},
number = {10},
pages = {1443-1446},
pmid = {35618925},
issn = {1546-1696},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Male ; Mosquito Control ; *Wolbachia ; },
}
@article {pmid35615502,
year = {2022},
author = {Wang, L and Li, C and Wang, X and Wang, G and Shang, S and Dou, Z and Luo, Y},
title = {Gut Lignocellulose Activity and Microbiota in Asian Longhorned Beetle and Their Predicted Contribution to Larval Nutrition.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {899865},
pmid = {35615502},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Anoplophora glabripennis (Asian longhorned beetle) is a wood-boring pest that can inhabit a wide range of healthy deciduous host trees in native and invaded areas. The gut microbiota plays important roles in the acquisition of nutrients for the growth and development of A. glabripennis larvae. Herein, we investigated the larval gut structure and studied the lignocellulose activity and microbial communities of the larval gut following feeding on different host trees. The larval gut was divided into foregut, midgut, and hindgut, of which the midgut is the longest, forming a single loop under itself. Microbial community composition and lignocellulose activity in larval gut extracts were correlated with host tree species. A. glabripennis larvae fed on the preferred host (Populus gansuensis) had higher lignocellulose activity and microbial diversity than larvae reared on either a secondary host (Salix babylonica) or a resistant host (Populus alba var. pyramidalis). Wolbachia was the most dominant bacteria in the gut of larvae fed on S. babylonica and P. alba var. pyramidalis, while Enterococcus and Gibbsiella were the most dominant in larvae fed on P. gansuensis, followed by Wolbachia. The lignocellulose-degrading fungus Fusarium solani was dominant in the larval gut fed on different host trees. Functional predictions of microbial communities in the larval gut fed on different resistant host trees suggested that they all play a role in degrading lignocellulose, detoxification, and fixing nitrogen, which likely contribute to the ability of these larvae to thrive in a broad range of host tree species.},
}
@article {pmid35613073,
year = {2022},
author = {Harumoto, T and Fukatsu, T},
title = {Perplexing dynamics of Wolbachia proteins for cytoplasmic incompatibility.},
journal = {PLoS biology},
volume = {20},
number = {5},
pages = {e3001644},
pmid = {35613073},
issn = {1545-7885},
mesh = {Cytoplasm ; Cytosol ; Humans ; Male ; Prophages ; Spermatozoa ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {The mechanism of symbiont-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) has been a long-standing mystery. A new study on Wolbachia's Cif proteins in PLOS Biology provides supportive evidence for the "Host modification model," although the alternative "Toxin-antidote model" is still in the running.},
}
@article {pmid35610655,
year = {2022},
author = {Waymire, E and Duddu, S and Yared, S and Getachew, D and Dengela, D and Bordenstein, SR and Balkew, M and Zohdy, S and Irish, SR and Carter, TE},
title = {Wolbachia 16S rRNA haplotypes detected in wild Anopheles stephensi in eastern Ethiopia.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {178},
pmid = {35610655},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {Animals ; *Anopheles/genetics ; Ethiopia/epidemiology ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; *Malaria ; *Malaria, Falciparum/epidemiology ; *Malaria, Vivax ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: About two out of three Ethiopians are at risk of malaria, a disease caused by the parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Anopheles stephensi, an invasive vector typically found in South Asia and the Middle East, was recently found to be distributed across eastern and central Ethiopia and is capable of transmitting both P. falciparum and P. vivax. The detection of this vector in the Horn of Africa (HOA) coupled with widespread insecticide resistance requires that new methods of vector control be investigated in order to control the spread of malaria. Wolbachia, a naturally occurring endosymbiotic bacterium of mosquitoes, has been identified as a potential vector control tool that can be explored for the control of malaria transmission. Wolbachia could be used to control the mosquito population through suppression or potentially decrease malaria transmission through population replacement. However, the presence of Wolbachia in wild An. stephensi in eastern Ethiopia is unknown. This study aimed to identify the presence and diversity of Wolbachia in An. stephensi across eastern Ethiopia.<br><br>METHODS: DNA was extracted from An. stephensi collected from eastern Ethiopia in 2018 and screened for Wolbachia using a 16S targeted PCR assay, as well as multilocus strain typing (MLST) PCR assays. Haplotype and phylogenetic analysis of the sequenced 16S amplicons were conducted to compare with Wolbachia from countries across Africa and Asia.<br><br>RESULTS: Twenty out of the 184 mosquitoes screened were positive for Wolbachia, with multiple haplotypes detected. In addition, phylogenetic analysis revealed two superclades, representing Wolbachia supergroups A and B (bootstrap values of 81 and 72, respectively) with no significant grouping of geographic location or species. A subclade with a bootstrap value of 89 separates the Ethiopian haplotype 2 from other sequences in that superclade.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide the first evidence of natural Wolbachia populations in wild An. stephensi in the HOA. They also identify the need for further research to confirm the endosymbiotic relationship between Wolbachia and An. stephensi and to investigate its utility for malaria control in the HOA.},
}
@article {pmid35609042,
year = {2022},
author = {Kaur, R and Leigh, BA and Ritchie, IT and Bordenstein, SR},
title = {The Cif proteins from Wolbachia prophage WO modify sperm genome integrity to establish cytoplasmic incompatibility.},
journal = {PLoS biology},
volume = {20},
number = {5},
pages = {e3001584},
pmid = {35609042},
issn = {1545-7885},
support = {R01 AI132581/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI143725/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; F32 AI140694/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Cytoplasm/metabolism ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; Female ; Male ; Prophages/genetics ; Protamines/metabolism ; Spermatozoa ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Inherited microorganisms can selfishly manipulate host reproduction to drive through populations. In Drosophila melanogaster, germline expression of the native Wolbachia prophage WO proteins CifA and CifB cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in which embryos from infected males and uninfected females suffer catastrophic mitotic defects and lethality; however, in infected females, CifA expression rescues the embryonic lethality and thus imparts a fitness advantage to the maternally transmitted Wolbachia. Despite widespread relevance to sex determination, evolution, and vector control, the mechanisms underlying when and how CI impairs male reproduction remain unknown and a topic of debate. Here, we use cytochemical, microscopic, and transgenic assays in D. melanogaster to demonstrate that CifA and CifB proteins of wMel localize to nuclear DNA throughout the process of spermatogenesis. Cif proteins cause abnormal histone retention in elongating spermatids and protamine deficiency in mature sperms that travel to the female reproductive tract with Cif proteins. Notably, protamine gene knockouts enhance wild-type CI. In ovaries, CifA localizes to germ cell nuclei and cytoplasm of early-stage egg chambers; however, Cifs are absent in late-stage oocytes and subsequently in fertilized embryos. Finally, CI and rescue are contingent upon a newly annotated CifA bipartite nuclear localization sequence. Together, our results strongly support the Host modification model of CI in which Cifs initially modify the paternal and maternal gametes to bestow CI-defining embryonic lethality and rescue.},
}
@article {pmid35602266,
year = {2021},
author = {Hien, NT and Anh, DD and Le, NH and Yen, NT and Phong, TV and Nam, VS and Duong, TN and Nguyen, NB and Huong, DTT and Hung, LQ and Trinh, CNT and Hoang, NV and Mai, VQ and Nghia, LT and Dong, NT and Tho, LH and Kutcher, S and Hurst, TP and Montgomery, JL and Woolfit, M and Rances, E and Kyrylos, P and L Anders, K and Nguyen, L and Brown-Kenyon, J and Caird, A and McLean, BJ and Iturbe-Ormaetxe, I and Ritchie, SA and O'Neill, SL and Ryan, PA},
title = {Environmental factors influence the local establishment of Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in two small communities in central Vietnam.},
journal = {Gates open research},
volume = {5},
number = {},
pages = {147},
pmid = {35602266},
issn = {2572-4754},
abstract = {Background: The wMel strain of Wolbachia has been successfully introduced into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and subsequently shown to reduce transmission of dengue and other pathogens, under both laboratory and field conditions. Here we describe the entomological outcomes of wMel Wolbachia mosquito releases in two small communities in Nha Trang City in central Vietnam. Methods: The wMel strain of Wolbachia was backcrossed into local Aedes aegypti genotype and mosquito releases were undertaken by community members or by staff. Field monitoring was undertaken to track Wolbachia establishment in local Ae. aegypti mosquito populations. Ecological studies were undertaken to assess relationships between environmental factors and the spatial and temporal variability in Wolbachia infection prevalence in mosquitoes. Results: Releases of wMel Wolbachia Ae. aegypti mosquitoes in two small communities in Nha Trang City resulted in the initial establishment of Wolbachia in the local Ae. aegypti mosquito populations, followed by seasonal fluctuations in Wolbachia prevalence. There was significant small-scale spatial heterogeneity in Wolbachia infection prevalence in the Tri Nguyen Village site, resulting in the loss of wMel Wolbachia infection in mosquitoes in north and center areas, despite Wolbachia prevalence remaining high in mosquitoes in the south area. In the second site, Vinh Luong Ward, Wolbachia has persisted at a high level in mosquitoes throughout this site despite similar seasonal fluctuations in wMel Wolbachia prevalence. Conclusion: Seasonal variation in Wolbachia infection prevalence in mosquitoes was associated with elevated temperature conditions, and was possibly due to imperfect maternal transmission of Wolbachia. Heterogeneity in Wolbachia infection prevalence was found throughout one site, and indicates additional factors may influence Wolbachia establishment.},
}
@article {pmid35604942,
year = {2022},
author = {Ørsted, M and Yashiro, E and Hoffmann, AA and Kristensen, TN},
title = {Population bottlenecks constrain host microbiome diversity and genetic variation impeding fitness.},
journal = {PLoS genetics},
volume = {18},
number = {5},
pages = {e1010206},
pmid = {35604942},
issn = {1553-7404},
mesh = {Animals ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; *Genetic Fitness ; Genetic Variation ; *Microbiota/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; },
abstract = {It is becoming increasingly clear that microbial symbionts influence key aspects of their host's fitness, and vice versa. This may fundamentally change our thinking about how microbes and hosts interact in influencing fitness and adaptation to changing environments. Here we explore how reductions in population size commonly experienced by threatened species influence microbiome diversity. Consequences of such reductions are normally interpreted in terms of a loss of genetic variation, increased inbreeding and associated inbreeding depression. However, fitness effects of population bottlenecks might also be mediated through microbiome diversity, such as through loss of functionally important microbes. Here we utilise 50 Drosophila melanogaster lines with different histories of population bottlenecks to explore these questions. The lines were phenotyped for egg-to-adult viability and their genomes sequenced to estimate genetic variation. The bacterial 16S rRNA gene was amplified in these lines to investigate microbial diversity. We found that 1) host population bottlenecks constrained microbiome richness and diversity, 2) core microbiomes of hosts with low genetic variation were constituted from subsets of microbiomes found in flies with higher genetic variation, 3) both microbiome diversity and host genetic variation contributed to host population fitness, 4) connectivity and robustness of bacterial networks was low in the inbred lines regardless of host genetic variation, 5) reduced microbial diversity was associated with weaker evolutionary responses of hosts in stressful environments, and 6) these effects were unrelated to Wolbachia density. These findings suggest that population bottlenecks reduce hologenomic variation (combined host and microbial genetic variation). Thus, while the current biodiversity crisis focuses on population sizes and genetic variation of eukaryotes, an additional focal point should be the microbial diversity carried by the eukaryotes, which in turn may influence host fitness and adaptability with consequences for the persistence of populations.},
}
@article {pmid35602967,
year = {2022},
author = {Pollmann, M and Moore, LD and Krimmer, E and D'Alvise, P and Hasselmann, M and Perlman, SJ and Ballinger, MJ and Steidle, JLM and Gottlieb, Y},
title = {Highly transmissible cytoplasmic incompatibility by the extracellular insect symbiont Spiroplasma.},
journal = {iScience},
volume = {25},
number = {5},
pages = {104335},
pmid = {35602967},
issn = {2589-0042},
abstract = {Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is a form of reproductive manipulation caused by maternally inherited endosymbionts infecting arthropods, like Wolbachia, whereby matings between infected males and uninfected females produce few or no offspring. We report the discovery of a new CI symbiont, a strain of Spiroplasma causing CI in the parasitoid wasp Lariophagus distinguendus. Its extracellular occurrence enabled us to establish CI in uninfected adult insects by transferring Spiroplasma-infected hemolymph. We sequenced the CI-Spiroplasma genome and did not find any homologues of any of the cif genes discovered to cause CI in Wolbachia, suggesting independent evolution of CI. Instead, the genome contains other potential CI-causing candidate genes, such as homologues of high-mobility group (HMG) box proteins that are crucial in eukaryotic development but rare in bacterial genomes. Spiroplasma's extracellular nature and broad host range encompassing medically and agriculturally important arthropods make it a promising tool to study CI and its applications.},
}
@article {pmid35602212,
year = {2021},
author = {Cunha, A},
title = {Trojan mosquitoes control dengue.},
journal = {Communications medicine},
volume = {1},
number = {},
pages = {17},
pmid = {35602212},
issn = {2730-664X},
abstract = {Dengue virus is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and causes the disease known as dengue. In a trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Utarini and colleagues report that release of wolbachia-infected A. aegypti populations in a dengue endemic area reduces the number of symptomatic cases and of hospitalisations.},
}
@article {pmid35598650,
year = {2022},
author = {Louzada-Flores, VN and Kramer, L and Brianti, E and Napoli, E and Mendoza-Roldan, JA and Bezerra-Santos, MA and Latrofa, MS and Otranto, D},
title = {Treatment with doxycycline is associated with complete clearance of circulating Wolbachia DNA in Dirofilaria immitis-naturally infected dogs.},
journal = {Acta tropica},
volume = {232},
number = {},
pages = {106513},
doi = {10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106513},
pmid = {35598650},
issn = {1873-6254},
mesh = {Animals ; *Cell-Free Nucleic Acids ; *Dirofilaria immitis/genetics ; *Dirofilariasis/drug therapy ; *Dog Diseases/parasitology ; Dogs ; Doxycycline/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are endosymbionts of parasitic filarial nematodes, including Dirofilaria immitis, and are a target for the treatment of canine heartworm disease. In the present study, 53 naturally-infected dogs were divided in three groups, based on their positivity to D. immitis by antigen and Knott tests, to assess the efficacy of doxycycline treatment in eliminating Wolbachia from circulating blood. At T0, dogs that scored positive to both tests (G1) or to antigen only (G2) were submitted to doxycycline (10 mg/kg BID PO) treatment and to 10% Imidacloprid + 2.5% Moxidectin (Advocate®), while those negative to both tests (G3) received only 10% Imidacloprid + 2.5% Moxidectin (Advocate®). All dogs were followed-up for one year, monthly treated with Advocate® and regularly monitored by antigen and Knott tests. During the whole period, all blood samples were screened for Wolbachia-D. immitis DNA load by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). At T0, 88.2% of the microfilariemic dogs were positive for Wolbachia DNA, while none of the dogs from G2 or G3 were positive. Wolbachia DNA was no longer detectable in dogs from G1 following 1 month of doxycycline treatment and microfilariae (mfs) were cleared at T2. All dogs from the G1 and G2 were negative for D. immitis antigen at 12 months. Results of this study suggest that successful elimination of mfs by doxycycline is associated with complete clearance of Wolbachia DNA in D. immitis-naturally infected dogs.},
}
@article {pmid35581290,
year = {2022},
author = {Gomes, TMFF and Wallau, GL and Loreto, ELS},
title = {Multiple long-range host shifts of major Wolbachia supergroups infecting arthropods.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {8131},
pmid = {35581290},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; *Arthropods/genetics/microbiology ; Female ; Insecta/microbiology ; Phylogeny ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is a genus of intracellular bacterial endosymbionts found in 20-66% of all insect species and a range of other invertebrates. It is classified as a single species, Wolbachia pipientis, divided into supergroups A to U, with supergroups A and B infecting arthropods exclusively. Wolbachia is transmitted mainly via vertical transmission through female oocytes, but can also be transmitted across different taxa by host shift (HS): the direct transmission of Wolbachia cells between organisms without involving vertically transmitted gametic cells. To assess the HS contribution, we recovered 50 orthologous genes from over 1000 Wolbachia genomes, reconstructed their phylogeny and calculated gene similarity. Of 15 supergroup A Wolbachia lineages, 10 have similarities ranging from 95 to 99.9%, while their hosts' similarities are around 60 to 80%. For supergroup B, four out of eight lineages, which infect diverse and distantly-related organisms such as Acari, Hemiptera and Diptera, showed similarities from 93 to 97%. These results show that Wolbachia genomes have a much higher similarity when compared to their hosts' genes, which is a major indicator of HS. Our comparative genomic analysis suggests that, at least for supergroups A and B, HS is more frequent than expected, occurring even between distantly-related species.},
}
@article {pmid35560029,
year = {2022},
author = {Thayanukul, P and Lertanantawong, B and Sirawaraporn, W and Charasmongkolcharoen, S and Chaibun, T and Jittungdee, R and Kittayapong, P},
title = {Simple, sensitive, and cost-effective detection of wAlbB Wolbachia in Aedes mosquitoes, using loop mediated isothermal amplification combined with the electrochemical biosensing method.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {5},
pages = {e0009600},
pmid = {35560029},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {*Aedes/genetics ; Animals ; *Arbovirus Infections ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Humans ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ; Mosquito Vectors ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia is an endosymbiont bacterium generally found in about 40% of insects, including mosquitoes, but it is absent in Aedes aegypti which is an important vector of several arboviral diseases. The evidence that Wolbachia trans-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes lost their vectorial competence and became less capable of transmitting arboviruses to human hosts highlights the potential of using Wolbachia-based approaches for prevention and control of arboviral diseases. Recently, release of Wolbachia trans-infected Ae. aegypti has been deployed widely in many countries for the control of mosquito-borne viral diseases. Field surveillance and monitoring of Wolbachia presence in released mosquitoes is important for the success of these control programs. So far, a number of studies have reported the development of loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays to detect Wolbachia in mosquitoes, but the methods still have some specificity and cost issues.<br><br>We describe here the development of a LAMP assay combined with the DNA strand displacement-based electrochemical sensor (BIOSENSOR) method to detect wAlbB Wolbachia in trans-infected Ae. aegypti. Our developed LAMP primers used a low-cost dye detecting system and 4 oligo nucleotide primers which can reduce the cost of analysis while the specificity is comparable to the previous methods. The detection capacity of our LAMP technique was 1.4 nM and the detection limit reduced to 2.2 fM when combined with the BIOSENSOR. Our study demonstrates that a BIOSENSOR can also be applied as a stand-alone method for detecting Wolbachia; and it showed high sensitivity when used with the crude DNA extracts of macerated mosquito samples without DNA purification.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that both LAMP and BIOSENSOR, either used in combination or stand-alone, are robust and sensitive. The methods have good potential for routine detection of Wolbachia in mosquitoes during field surveillance and monitoring of Wolbachia-based release programs, especially in countries with limited resources.},
}
@article {pmid35547116,
year = {2022},
author = {Weyandt, N and Aghdam, SA and Brown, AMV},
title = {Discovery of Early-Branching Wolbachia Reveals Functional Enrichment on Horizontally Transferred Genes.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {867392},
pmid = {35547116},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Wolbachia is a widespread endosymbiont of insects and filarial nematodes that profoundly influences host biology. Wolbachia has also been reported in rhizosphere hosts, where its diversity and function remain poorly characterized. The discovery that plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) host Wolbachia strains with unknown roles is of interest evolutionarily, ecologically, and for agriculture as a potential target for developing new biological controls. The goal of this study was to screen communities for PPN endosymbionts and analyze genes and genomic patterns that might indicate their role. Genome assemblies revealed 1 out of 16 sampled sites had nematode communities hosting a Wolbachia strain, designated wTex, that has highly diverged as one of the early supergroup L strains. Genome features, gene repertoires, and absence of known genes for cytoplasmic incompatibility, riboflavin, biotin, and other biosynthetic functions placed wTex between mutualist C + D strains and reproductive parasite A + B strains. Functional terms enriched in group L included protoporphyrinogen IX, thiamine, lysine, fatty acid, and cellular amino acid biosynthesis, while dN/dS analysis suggested the strongest purifying selection on arginine and lysine metabolism, and vitamin B6, heme, and zinc ion binding, suggesting these as candidate roles in PPN Wolbachia. Higher dN/dS pathways between group L, wPni from aphids, wFol from springtails, and wCfeT from cat fleas suggested distinct functional changes characterizing these early Wolbachia host transitions. PPN Wolbachia had several putative horizontally transferred genes, including a lysine biosynthesis operon like that of the mitochondrial symbiont Midichloria, a spirochete-like thiamine synthesis operon shared only with wCfeT, an ATP/ADP carrier important in Rickettsia, and a eukaryote-like gene that may mediate plant systemic acquired resistance through the lysine-to-pipecolic acid system. The Discovery of group L-like variants from global rhizosphere databases suggests diverse PPN Wolbachia strains remain to be discovered. These findings support the hypothesis of plant-specialization as key to shaping early Wolbachia evolution and present new functional hypotheses, demonstrating promise for future genomics-based rhizosphere screens.},
}
@article {pmid35539006,
year = {2022},
author = {Ugbe, FA and Shallangwa, GA and Uzairu, A and Abdulkadir, I},
title = {Theoretical modeling and design of some pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives as Wolbachia inhibitors, targeting lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.},
journal = {In silico pharmacology},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {8},
pmid = {35539006},
issn = {2193-9616},
abstract = {Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis are two common filarial diseases caused by a group of parasitic nematodes called filarial worms, which play host to the bacteria organism Wolbachia. One good treatment approach seeks Wolbachia as drug target. Here, a QSAR study was conducted to investigate the anti-wolbachia activities (pEC50) of 52 pyrazolopyrimidine analogues, while using the built model to predict the pEC50 values of the newly designed analogues. Density Functional Theory was used for the structural optimization, while the model building was based on Genetic Function Algorithm approach. The built QSAR model was validated thus: R[2] = 0.8104, R[2] adj = 0.7629, Q[2] cv = 0.6981, R[2] test = 0.7501 and cRp[2] = 0.7476. The predicted pEC50 of all newly designed compounds were higher than that of the template (43). The new compounds were; observed to pass the drug-likeness criteria, uniformly distributed to the brain, and found to be non-mutagenic. Also, the new compounds and the reference drug (doxycycline), were docked onto Ovarian Tumor (OTU) deubiquitinase receptor (PDB ID: 6W9O) using iGEMDOCK tool. This protein is known to help Wolbachia subvert host ubiquitin signaling. The resulting binding scores of the newly designed compounds except A5 were higher than that of doxycycline, while the protein-ligand interactions were majorly characterized by Hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interaction types. Therefore, the newly designed molecules could be developed as potential drug candidates for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.},
}
@article {pmid35538383,
year = {2022},
author = {Fallon, AM},
title = {Muramidase, nuclease, or hypothetical protein genes intervene between paired genes encoding DNA packaging terminase and portal proteins in Wolbachia phages and prophages.},
journal = {Virus genes},
volume = {58},
number = {4},
pages = {327-349},
pmid = {35538383},
issn = {1572-994X},
mesh = {*Bacteriophages/genetics ; DNA Packaging ; Endodeoxyribonucleases ; Muramidase/genetics ; Prophages/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Genomes of the obligate intracellular alpha proteobacterium Wolbachia pipientis often encode prophage-like regions, and in a few cases, purified particles have been recovered. Because the structure of a conserved WO phage genome has been difficult to establish, we examined paired terminase and portal genes in Wolbachia phages and prophages, relative to those encoded by the gene transfer agent RcGTA from the free-living alpha proteobacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. Terminase and portal proteins from Wolbachia have higher similarity to orthologs encoded by RcGTA than to orthologs encoded by bacteriophage lambda. In lambdoid phages, these proteins play key roles in assembly of mature phage particles, while in less well-studied gene transfer agents, terminase and portal proteins package random fragments of bacterial DNA, which could confound elucidation of WO phage genomes. In WO phages and prophages, terminase genes followed by a short gpW gene may be separated from the downstream portal gene by open-reading frames encoding a GH_25 hydrolase/muramidase, a PD-(D/E)XK nuclease, a hypothetical protein and/or a RelE/ParE toxin-antitoxin module. These aspects of gene organization, coupled with evidence for a low, non-inducible yield of WO phages, and the small size of WO phage particles described in the literature raise the possibility that Wolbachia prophage regions participate in processes that extend beyond conventional bacteriophage lysogeny and lytic replication. These intervening genes, and their possible relation to functions associated with GTAs, may contribute to variability among WO phage genomes recovered from physical particles and impact the ability of WO phages to act as transducing agents.},
}
@article {pmid35532932,
year = {2022},
author = {Strunov, A and Lerch, S and Blanckenhorn, WU and Miller, WJ and Kapun, M},
title = {Complex effects of environment and Wolbachia infections on the life history of Drosophila melanogaster hosts.},
journal = {Journal of evolutionary biology},
volume = {35},
number = {6},
pages = {788-802},
pmid = {35532932},
issn = {1420-9101},
mesh = {Animals ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; Female ; Fertility ; Longevity ; Male ; Reproduction ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia bacteria are common endosymbionts of many arthropods found in gonads and various somatic tissues. They manipulate host reproduction to enhance their transmission and confer complex effects on fitness-related traits. Some of these effects can serve to increase the survival and transmission efficiency of Wolbachia in the host population. The Wolbachia-Drosophila melanogaster system represents a powerful model to study the evolutionary dynamics of host-microbe interactions and infections. Over the past decades, there has been a replacement of the ancestral wMelCS Wolbachia variant by the more recent wMel variant in worldwide D. melanogaster populations, but the reasons remain unknown. To investigate how environmental change and genetic variation of the symbiont affect host developmental and adult life-history traits, we compared effects of both Wolbachia variants and uninfected controls in wild-caught D. melanogaster strains at three developmental temperatures. While Wolbachia did not influence any developmental life-history traits, we found that both lifespan and fecundity of host females were increased without apparent fitness trade-offs. Interestingly, wMelCS-infected flies were more fecund than uninfected and wMel-infected flies. By contrast, males infected with wMel died sooner, indicating sex-specific effects of infection that are specific to the Wolbachia variant. Our study uncovered complex temperature-specific effects of Wolbachia infections, which suggests that symbiont-host interactions in nature are strongly dependent on the genotypes of both partners and the thermal environment.},
}
@article {pmid35531293,
year = {2022},
author = {Gao, S and Ren, YS and Su, CY and Zhu, DH},
title = {High Levels of Multiple Phage WO Infections and Its Evolutionary Dynamics Associated With Wolbachia-Infected Butterflies.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {865227},
pmid = {35531293},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Wolbachia is a maternally inherited bacterium that is widely distributed among arthropods, in which it manipulates the reproduction of its hosts. Phage WO is the only bacteriophage known to infect Wolbachia, and may provide benefit to its host or arthropods. We screened for the presence of phage WO in Wolbachia-infected butterfly species for the first time, to investigate their diversity and evolutionary dynamics. All Wolbachia-infected butterfly species, including members of the families Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, and Pieridae, were found to harbor phage WO. Interestingly, 84% of 19 butterfly species, which were infected with a single Wolbachia strain harbored high levels of multiple phage types (ranging from 3 to 17 types), another three species harbored one or two phage types. For Wolbachia strains (ST-41, ST-19, ST-125 and ST-374) shared among various butterfly species, their host insects all harbored multiple phage types, while two Wolbachia strains (ST-297 and ST-wPcau) were found to infect one butterfly species, whose insect hosts harbored a single phage type, suggesting that horizontal transfer of Wolbachia between insects increased the likelihood of exposure to phages, resulting in increased phage genetic diversity. Twelve horizontal transmission events of phage WO were found, which shared common phage WO types among different Wolbachia strains associated with butterflies. Most horizontal transfer events involved different Wolbachia supergroups (A and B). Horizontal acquisition of phage WO might also occur between eukaryotes without Wolbachia transfer. Furthermore, 22 putative recombination events were identified in 13 of 16 butterfly species which harbored multiple phage types. These results showed that horizontal transfer of Wolbachia caused it to be exposed to the phage gene pool, and that horizontal transmission of phage WO, as well as intragenic recombination were important dynamics for phage WO genome evolution, which effectively promoted the high level of phage WO diversity associated with butterflies.},
}
@article {pmid35526745,
year = {2022},
author = {Nascimento da Silva, J and Calixto Conceição, C and Cristina Ramos de Brito, G and Costa Santos, D and Martins da Silva, R and Arcanjo, A and Henrique Ferreira Sorgine, M and de Oliveira, PL and Andrade Moreira, L and da Silva Vaz, I and Logullo, C},
title = {Wolbachia pipientis modulates metabolism and immunity during Aedes fluviatilis oogenesis.},
journal = {Insect biochemistry and molecular biology},
volume = {146},
number = {},
pages = {103776},
doi = {10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103776},
pmid = {35526745},
issn = {1879-0240},
mesh = {*Aedes/microbiology ; Animals ; Oogenesis ; Symbiosis/physiology ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis is a maternally transmitted bacterium that mostly colonizes arthropods, including the mosquito Aedes fluviatilis, potentially affecting different aspects of host physiology. This intracellular bacterium prefers gonadal tissue cells, interfering with the reproductive cycle of insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and nematodes. Wolbachia's ability to modulate the host's reproduction is related to its success in prevalence and frequency. Infecting oocytes is essential for vertical propagation, ensuring its presence in the germline. The mosquito Ae. fluviatilis is a natural host for this bacterium and therefore represents an excellent experimental model in the effort to understand host-symbiont interactions and the mutual metabolic regulation. The aim of this study was to comparatively describe metabolic changes in naturally Wolbachia-infected and uninfected ovaries of Ae. fluviatilis during the vitellogenic period of oogenesis, thus increasing the knowledge about Wolbachia parasitic/symbiotic mechanisms.},
}
@article {pmid35489839,
year = {2022},
author = {Reyna-Lara, A and Soriano-Paños, D and Arias-Castro, JH and Martínez, HJ and Gómez-Gardeñes, J},
title = {A metapopulation approach to identify targets for Wolbachia-based dengue control.},
journal = {Chaos (Woodbury, N.Y.)},
volume = {32},
number = {4},
pages = {041105},
doi = {10.1063/5.0087435},
pmid = {35489839},
issn = {1089-7682},
mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Chikungunya Fever/epidemiology/*prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Dengue/epidemiology/*prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Humans ; Mosquito Control/economics ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology ; Wolbachia/growth &amp; development/*physiology ; Zika Virus Infection/epidemiology/*prevention &amp; control/transmission ; },
abstract = {Over the last decade, the release of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti into the natural habitat of this mosquito species has become the most sustainable and long-lasting technique to prevent and control vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, zika, or chikungunya. However, the limited resources to generate such mosquitoes and their effective distribution in large areas dominated by the Aedes aegypti vector represent a challenge for policymakers. Here, we introduce a mathematical framework for the spread of dengue in which competition between wild and Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, the cross-contagion patterns between humans and vectors, the heterogeneous distribution of the human population in different areas, and the mobility flows between them are combined. Our framework allows us to identify the most effective areas for the release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to achieve a large decrease in the global dengue prevalence.},
}
@article {pmid35488963,
year = {2022},
author = {Wangkeeree, J and Suwanchaisri, K and Roddee, J and Hanboonsong, Y},
title = {Selective Elimination of Wolbachia from the Leafhopper Yamatotettix flavovittatus Matsumura.},
journal = {Current microbiology},
volume = {79},
number = {6},
pages = {173},
pmid = {35488963},
issn = {1432-0991},
mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; *Hemiptera/microbiology ; Rifampin/pharmacology ; Tetracycline/pharmacology ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia infections affect the reproductive system and various biological traits of the host insect. There is a high frequency of Wolbachia infection in the leafhopper Yamatotettix flavovittatus Matsumura. To investigate the potential roles of Wolbachia in the host, it is important to generate a non-Wolbachia-infected line. The efficacy of antibiotics in eliminating Wolbachia from Y. flavovittatus remains unknown. This leafhopper harbors the mutualistic bacterium Candidatus Sulcia muelleri, which has an important function in the biological traits. The presence of Ca. S. muelleri raises a major concern regarding the use of antibiotics. We selectively eliminated Wolbachia, considering the influence of antibiotics on leafhopper survival and Ca. S. muelleri prevalence. The effect of artificial diets containing different doses of tetracycline and rifampicin on survival was optimized; high dose (0.5 mg/ml) of antibiotics induces a high mortality. A concentration of 0.2 mg/ml was chosen for the subsequent experiments. Antibiotic treatments significantly reduced the Wolbachia infection, and the Wolbachia density in the treated leafhoppers sharply declined. Wolbachia recurred in tetracycline-treated offspring, regardless of antibiotic exposure. However, Wolbachia is unable to be transmitted and restored in rifampicin-treated offspring. The dose and treatment duration had no significant effect on the infection and density of Ca. S. muelleri in the antibiotic-treated offspring. In conclusion, Wolbachia in Y. flavovittatus was stably eliminated using rifampicin, and the Wolbachia-free line was generated at least two generations after treatment. This report provides additional experimental procedures for removing Wolbachia from insects, particularly in host species with the coexistence of Ca. S. muelleri.},
}
@article {pmid35471983,
year = {2022},
author = {Martín-Park, A and Che-Mendoza, A and Contreras-Perera, Y and Pérez-Carrillo, S and Puerta-Guardo, H and Villegas-Chim, J and Guillermo-May, G and Medina-Barreiro, A and Delfín-González, H and Méndez-Vales, R and Vázquez-Narvaez, S and Palacio-Vargas, J and Correa-Morales, F and Ayora-Talavera, G and Pavía-Ruz, N and Liang, X and Fu, P and Zhang, D and Wang, X and Toledo-Romaní, ME and Xi, Z and Vázquez-Prokopec, G and Manrique-Saide, P},
title = {Pilot trial using mass field-releases of sterile males produced with the incompatible and sterile insect techniques as part of integrated Aedes aegypti control in Mexico.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {e0010324},
pmid = {35471983},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; *Infertility, Male ; Insecta ; Male ; Mexico ; Mosquito Control/methods ; Mosquito Vectors ; Pilot Projects ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The combination of Wolbachia-based incompatible insect technique (IIT) and radiation-based sterile insect technique (SIT) can be used for population suppression of Aedes aegypti. Our main objective was to evaluate whether open-field mass-releases of wAlbB-infected Ae. aegypti males, as part of an Integrated Vector Management (IVM) plan led by the Mexican Ministry of Health, could suppress natural populations of Ae. aegypti in urbanized settings in south Mexico.<br><br>We implemented a controlled before-and-after quasi-experimental study in two suburban localities of Yucatan (Mexico): San Pedro Chimay (SPC), which received IIT-SIT, and San Antonio Tahdzibich&#xe9;n used as control. Release of wAlbB Ae. aegypti males at SPC extended for 6 months (July-December 2019), covering the period of higher Ae. aegypti abundance. Entomological indicators included egg hatching rates and outdoor/indoor adult females collected at the release and control sites. Approximately 1,270,000 lab-produced wAlbB-infected Ae. aegypti males were released in the 50-ha treatment area (2,000 wAlbB Ae. aegypti males per hectare twice a week in two different release days, totaling 200,000 male mosquitoes per week). The efficacy of IIT-SIT in suppressing indoor female Ae. aegypti density (quantified from a generalized linear mixed model showing a statistically significant reduction in treatment versus control areas) was 90.9% a month after initiation of the suppression phase, 47.7% two months after (when number of released males was reduced in 50% to match local abundance), 61.4% four months after (when initial number of released males was re-established), 88.4% five months after and 89.4% at six months after the initiation of the suppression phase. A proportional, but lower, reduction in outdoor female Ae. aegypti was also quantified (range, 50.0-75.2% suppression).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study, the first open-field pilot implementation of Wolbachia IIT-SIT in Mexico and Latin-America, confirms that inundative male releases can significantly reduce natural populations of Ae. aegypti. More importantly, we present successful pilot results of the integration of Wolbachia IIT-SIT within a IVM plan implemented by Ministry of Health personnel.},
}
@article {pmid35463816,
year = {2022},
author = {Ehrens, A and Hoerauf, A and Hübner, MP},
title = {Current perspective of new anti-Wolbachial and direct-acting macrofilaricidal drugs as treatment strategies for human filariasis.},
journal = {GMS infectious diseases},
volume = {10},
number = {},
pages = {Doc02},
pmid = {35463816},
issn = {2195-8831},
abstract = {Filarial diseases like lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis belong to the Neglected Tropical Diseases and remain a public health problem in endemic countries. Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis can lead to stigmatizing pathologies and present a socio-economic burden for affected people and their endemic countries. Current treatment recommendations by the WHO include mass drug administration with ivermectin for the treatment of onchocerciasis and a combination of ivermectin, albendazole and diethylcarbamazine (DEC) for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis in areas that are not co-endemic for onchocerciasis or loiasis. Limitations of these treatment strategies are due to potential severe adverse events in onchocerciasis and loiasis patients following DEC or ivermectin treatment, respectively, the lack of a macrofilaricidal efficacy of those drugs and the risk of drug resistance development. Thus, to achieve the elimination of transmission of onchocerciasis and the elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem by 2030, the WHO defined in its roadmap that new alternative treatment strategies with macrofilaricidal compounds are required. Within a collaboration of the non-profit organizations Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, and partners from academia and industry, several new promising macrofilaricidal drug candidates were identified, which will be discussed in this review.},
}
@article {pmid35458433,
year = {2022},
author = {Stica, CJ and Barrero, RA and Murray, RZ and Devine, GJ and Phillips, MJ and Frentiu, FD},
title = {Global Evolutionary History and Dynamics of Dengue Viruses Inferred from Whole Genome Sequences.},
journal = {Viruses},
volume = {14},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {35458433},
issn = {1999-4915},
mesh = {*Dengue ; *Dengue Virus ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Viral ; Genotype ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Dengue is an arboviral disease caused by dengue virus (DENV), leading to approximately 25,000 deaths/year and with over 40% of the world's population at risk. Increased international travel and trade, poorly regulated urban expansion, and warming global temperatures have expanded the geographic range and incidence of the virus in recent decades. This study used phylogenetic and selection pressure analyses to investigate trends in DENV evolution, using whole genome coding sequences from publicly available databases alongside newly sequenced isolates collected between 1963-1997 from Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Results revealed very similar phylogenetic relationships when using the envelope gene and the whole genome coding sequences. Although DENV evolution is predominantly driven by negative selection, a number of amino acid sites undergoing positive selection were found across the genome, with the majority located in the envelope and NS5 genes. Some genotypes appear to be diversifying faster than others within each serotype. The results from this research improve our understanding of DENV evolution, with implications for disease control efforts such as Wolbachia-based biocontrol and vaccine design.},
}
@article {pmid35446252,
year = {2022},
author = {Quek, S and Cerdeira, L and Jeffries, CL and Tomlinson, S and Walker, T and Hughes, GL and Heinz, E},
title = {Wolbachia endosymbionts in two Anopheles species indicates independent acquisitions and lack of prophage elements.},
journal = {Microbial genomics},
volume = {8},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {35446252},
issn = {2057-5858},
support = {BB/V011278/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; 217303/Z/19/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 101285/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; BB/T001240/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; R01 AI116811/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI138074/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; /WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Anopheles ; Prophages/genetics ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is a genus of obligate bacterial endosymbionts that infect a diverse range of arthropod species as well as filarial nematodes, with its single described species, Wolbachia pipientis , divided into several ‘supergroups’ based on multilocus sequence typing. Wolbachia strains in mosquitoes have been shown to inhibit the transmission of human pathogens, including Plasmodium malaria parasites and arboviruses. Despite their large host range, Wolbachia strains within the major malaria vectors of the Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus complexes appear at low density, established solely on PCR-based methods. Questions have been raised as to whether this represents a true endosymbiotic relationship. However, recent definitive evidence for two distinct, high-density strains of supergroup B Wolbachia within Anopheles demeilloni and Anopheles moucheti has opened exciting possibilities to explore naturally occurring Wolbachia endosymbionts in Anopheles for biocontrol strategies to block Plasmodium transmission. Here, we utilize genomic analyses to demonstrate that both Wolbachia strains have retained all key metabolic and transport pathways despite their smaller genome size, with this reduction potentially attributable to degenerated prophage regions. Even with this reduction, we confirmed the presence of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) factor genes within both strains, with wAnD maintaining intact copies of these genes while the cifB gene was interrupted in wAnM, so functional analysis is required to determine whether wAnM can induce CI. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis indicates that these Wolbachia strains may have been introduced into these two Anopheles species via horizontal transmission events, rather than by ancestral acquisition and subsequent loss events in the Anopheles gambiae species complex. These are the first Wolbachia genomes, to our knowledge, that enable us to study the relationship between natural strain Plasmodium malaria parasites and their anopheline hosts.},
}
@article {pmid35442957,
year = {2022},
author = {Tantowijoyo, W and Tanamas, SK and Nurhayati, I and Setyawan, S and Budiwati, N and Fitriana, I and Ernesia, I and Wardana, DS and Supriyati, E and Arguni, E and Meitika, Y and Prabowo, E and Andari, B and Green, BR and Hodgson, L and Rancès, E and Ryan, PA and O'Neill, SL and Anders, KL and Ansari, MR and Indriani, C and Ahmad, RA and Utarini, A and Simmons, CP},
title = {Aedes aegypti abundance and insecticide resistance profiles in the Applying Wolbachia to Eliminate Dengue trial.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {e0010284},
pmid = {35442957},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; *Dengue/epidemiology/prevention &amp; control ; *Dengue Virus ; Insecticide Resistance ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {The Applying Wolbachia to Eliminate Dengue (AWED) trial was a parallel cluster randomised trial that demonstrated Wolbachia (wMel) introgression into Ae. aegypti populations reduced dengue incidence. In this predefined substudy, we compared between treatment arms, the relative abundance of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus before, during and after wMel-introgression. Between March 2015 and March 2020, 60,084 BG trap collections yielded 478,254 Ae. aegypti and 17,623 Ae. albopictus. Between treatment arms there was no measurable difference in Ae. aegypti relative abundance before or after wMel-deployments, with a count ratio of 0.96 (95% CI 0.76, 1.21) and 1.00 (95% CI 0.85, 1.17) respectively. More Ae. aegypti were caught per trap per week in the wMel-intervention arm compared to the control arm during wMel deployments (count ratio 1.23 (95% CI 1.03, 1.46)). Between treatment arms there was no measurable difference in the Ae. albopictus population size before, during or after wMel-deployment (overall count ratio 1.10 (95% CI 0.89, 1.35)). We also compared insecticide resistance phenotypes of Ae. aegypti in the first and second years after wMel-deployments. Ae. aegypti field populations from wMel-treated and untreated arms were similarly resistant to malathion (0.8%), permethrin (1.25%) and cyfluthrin (0.15%) in year 1 and year 2 of the trial. In summary, we found no between-arm differences in the relative abundance of Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus prior to or after wMel introgression, and no between-arm difference in Ae. aegypti insecticide resistance phenotypes. These data suggest neither Aedes abundance, nor insecticide resistance, confounded the epidemiological outcomes of the AWED trial.},
}
@article {pmid35437949,
year = {2022},
author = {Zhou, JC and Shang, D and Qian, Q and Zhang, C and Zhang, LS and Dong, H},
title = {Penetrance during Wolbachia-mediated parthenogenesis of Trichogramma wasps is reduced by continuous oviposition, associated with exhaustion of Wolbachia titers in ovary and offspring eggs.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {78},
number = {7},
pages = {3080-3089},
doi = {10.1002/ps.6934},
pmid = {35437949},
issn = {1526-4998},
mesh = {Animals ; Female ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Ovary ; Oviposition ; Parthenogenesis ; Penetrance ; *Wasps/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Thelytokous Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma wasps are superior to bisexual uninfected wasps regarding biological control programs. However, continuous oviposition weakens the parthenogenesis-inducing (PI) strength of Wolbachia. Whether this reduced PI strength relates to decreases in the titer of Wolbachia in the ovary and offspring eggs of Trichogramma remains unclear. Here, using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) methods, we investigated how the penetrance of Wolbachia-mediated parthenogenesis, Wolbachia density, and distributions of two Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma species, T. pretiosum (TP) and T. dendrolimi (TD), were influenced by different host access treatments [newly-emerged virgin females (NE), 7-day-old females without access to host eggs (NAH), and 7-day-old virgin females with access to host eggs (AH)].<br><br>RESULTS: Continuous oviposition decreased Wolbachia PI strength and titers in TP and TD. Continuous oviposition in AH decreased Wolbachia titers in abdomen and offspring eggs of TP and TD females, compared with NAH and NE; NAH had a lower thorax Wolbachia titer than NE. The numbers of parasitized host eggs and offspring wasps, and emergence rates of offspring deposited by AH were lower than those of NE and NAH, for either species.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Weakened PI strength, driven by continuous oviposition in Trichogramma wasps, is associated with Wolbachia titer exhaustion in ovary and offspring eggs. Wolbachia density is dependent on PI strength in Trichogramma wasps, highlighting the side effects of continuous oviposition regarding thelytokous Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma in biological control programs. &#xa9; 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}
@article {pmid35432921,
year = {2022},
author = {Darwell, CT and Souto-Vilarós, D and Michalek, J and Boutsi, S and Isua, B and Sisol, M and Kuyaiva, T and Weiblen, G and Křivan, V and Novotny, V and Segar, ST},
title = {Predicting distributions of Wolbachia strains through host ecological contact-Who's manipulating whom?.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {12},
number = {4},
pages = {e8826},
pmid = {35432921},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Reproductive isolation in response to divergent selection is often mediated via third-party interactions. Under these conditions, speciation is inextricably linked to ecological context. We present a novel framework for understanding arthropod speciation as mediated by Wolbachia, a microbial endosymbiont capable of causing host cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). We predict that sympatric host sister-species harbor paraphyletic Wolbachia strains that provide CI, while well-defined congeners in ecological contact and recently diverged noninteracting congeners are uninfected due to Wolbachia redundancy. We argue that Wolbachia provides an adaptive advantage when coupled with reduced hybrid fitness, facilitating assortative mating between co-occurring divergent phenotypes-the contact contingency hypothesis. To test this, we applied a predictive algorithm to empirical pollinating fig wasp data, achieving up to 91.60% accuracy. We further postulate that observed temporal decay of Wolbachia incidence results from adaptive host purging-adaptive decay hypothesis-but implementation failed to predict systematic patterns. We then account for post-zygotic offspring mortality during CI mating, modeling fitness clines across developmental resources-the fecundity trade-off hypothesis. This model regularly favored CI despite fecundity losses. We demonstrate that a rules-based algorithm accurately predicts Wolbachia infection status. This has implications among other systems where closely related sympatric species encounter adaptive disadvantage through hybridization.},
}
@article {pmid35420439,
year = {2022},
author = {Rohkin Shalom, S and Weiss, B and Lalzar, M and Kaltenpoth, M and Chiel, E},
title = {Abundance and Localization of Symbiotic Bacterial Communities in the Fly Parasitoid Spalangia cameroni.},
journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology},
volume = {88},
number = {9},
pages = {e0254921},
pmid = {35420439},
issn = {1098-5336},
mesh = {Animals ; Enterobacteriaceae/genetics ; Female ; *Gammaproteobacteria ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Male ; *Rickettsia/genetics ; Symbiosis/physiology ; *Wasps/microbiology ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; },
abstract = {Multicellular eukaryotes often host multiple microbial symbionts that may cooperate or compete for host resources, such as space and nutrients. Here, we studied the abundances and localization of four bacterial symbionts, Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Sodalis, and Arsenophonus, in the parasitic wasp Spalangia cameroni. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR), we measured the symbionts' titers in wasps that harbor different combinations of these symbionts. We found that the titer of each symbiont decreased as the number of symbiont species in the community increased. Symbionts' titers were higher in females than in males. Rickettsia was the most abundant symbiont in all the communities, followed by Sodalis and Wolbachia. The titers of these three symbionts were positively correlated in some of the colonies. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was in line with the qPCR results: Rickettsia, Wolbachia, and Sodalis were observed in high densities in multiple organs, including brain, muscles, gut, Malpighian tubules, fat body, ovaries, and testes, while Arsenophonus was localized to fewer organs and in lower densities. Sodalis and Arsenophonus were observed in ovarian follicle cells but not within oocytes or laid eggs. This study highlights the connection between symbionts' abundance and localization. We discuss the possible connections between our findings to symbiont transmission success. IMPORTANCE Many insects carry intracellular bacterial symbionts (bacteria that reside within the cells of the insect). When multiple symbiont species cohabit in a host, they may compete or cooperate for space, nutrients, and transmission, and the nature of such interactions would be reflected in the abundance of each symbiont species. Given the widespread occurrence of coinfections with maternally transmitted symbionts in insects, it is important to learn more about how they interact, where they are localized, and how these two aspects affect their co-occurrence within individual insects. Here, we studied the abundance and the localization of four symbionts, Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Sodalis, and Arsenophonus, that cohabit the parasitic wasp Spalangia cameroni. We found that symbionts' titers differed between symbiotic communities. These results were corroborated by microscopy, which shows differential localization patterns. We discuss the findings in the contexts of community ecology, possible symbiont-symbiont interactions, and host control mechanisms that may shape the symbiotic community structure.},
}
@article {pmid35417447,
year = {2022},
author = {Yang, Q and Chung, J and Robinson, KL and Schmidt, TL and Ross, PA and Liang, J and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {Sex-specific distribution and classification of Wolbachia infections and mitochondrial DNA haplogroups in Aedes albopictus from the Indo-Pacific.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {e0010139},
pmid = {35417447},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {*Aedes/genetics ; Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; *Dengue/epidemiology ; Female ; Male ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {The arbovirus vector Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) is common throughout the Indo-Pacific region, where most global dengue transmission occurs. We analysed population genomic data and tested for cryptic species in 160 Ae. albopictus sampled from 16 locations across this region. We found no evidence of cryptic Ae. albopictus but found multiple intraspecific COI haplotypes partitioned into groups representing three Asian lineages: East Asia, Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Papua New Guinea (PNG), Vanuatu and Christmas Island shared recent coancestry, and Indonesia and Timor-Leste were likely invaded from East Asia. We used a machine learning trained on morphologically sexed samples to classify sexes using multiple genetic features and then characterized the wAlbA and wAlbB Wolbachia infections in 664 other samples. The wAlbA and wAlbB infections as detected by qPCR showed markedly different patterns in the sexes. For females, most populations had a very high double infection incidence, with 67% being the lowest value (from Timor-Leste). For males, the incidence of double infections ranged from 100% (PNG) to 0% (Vanuatu). Only 6 females were infected solely by the wAlbA infection, while rare uninfected mosquitoes were found in both sexes. The wAlbA and wAlbB densities varied significantly among populations. For mosquitoes from Torres Strait and Vietnam, the wAlbB density was similar in single-infected and superinfected (wAlbA and wAlbB) mosquitoes. There was a positive association between wAlbA and wAlbB infection densities in superinfected Ae. albopictus. Our findings provide no evidence of cryptic species of Ae. albopictus in the region and suggest site-specific factors influencing the incidence of Wolbachia infections and their densities. We also demonstrate the usefulness of ddRAD tag depths as sex-specific mosquito markers. The results provide baseline data for the exploitation of Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in dengue control.},
}
@article {pmid35417002,
year = {2022},
author = {Tamarozzi, F and Rodari, P and Salas-Coronas, J and Bottieau, E and Salvador, F and Soriano-Pérez, MJ and Cabeza-Barrera, MI and Van Esbroeck, M and Treviño, B and Buonfrate, D and Gobbi, FG},
title = {A large case series of travel-related Mansonella perstans (vector-borne filarial nematode): a TropNet study in Europe.},
journal = {Journal of travel medicine},
volume = {29},
number = {7},
pages = {},
pmid = {35417002},
issn = {1708-8305},
mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Mansonella ; *Mansonelliasis/diagnosis/drug therapy/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Travel ; Mebendazole/therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Travel-Related Illness ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Infection with Mansonella perstans is a neglected filariasis, widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, characterized by an elusive clinical picture; treatment for mansonellosis is not standardized. This retrospective study aimed to describe the clinical features, treatment schemes and evolution, of a large cohort of imported cases of M. perstans infection seen in four European centres for tropical diseases.<br><br>METHODS: Mansonella perstans infections, diagnosed by identification of blood microfilariae in migrants, expatriates and travellers, collected between 1994 and 2018, were retrospectively analysed. Data concerning demographics, clinical history and laboratory examinations at diagnosis and at follow-up time points were retrieved.<br><br>RESULTS: A total of 392 patients were included in the study. Of the 281 patients for whom information on symptoms could be retrieved, 150 (53.4%) reported symptoms, abdominal pain and itching being the most frequent. Positive serology and eosinophilia were present in 84.4% and 66.1%, respectively, of those patients for whom these data were available. Concomitant parasitic infections were reported in 23.5% of patients. Treatment, administered to 325 patients (82.9%), was extremely heterogeneous between and within centres; the most commonly used regimen was mebendazole 100&#xa0;mg twice a day for 1 month. A total of 256 (65.3%) patients attended a first follow-up, median 3&#xa0;months (interquartile range 2-12) after the first visit; 83.1% of patients having received treatment based on mebendazole and/or doxycycline, targeting Wolbachia, became amicrofilaremic, 41.1-78.4% of whom within 12&#xa0;months from single treatment.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Lack of specific symptoms, together with the inconstant positivity of parasitological and antibody-based assays in the infected population, makes the clinical suspicion and screening for mansonellosis particularly difficult. Prospective studies evaluating prevalence of infection in migrants from endemic areas, infection-specific morbidity, presence of Wolbachia endosymbionts in M. perstans populations from different geographical areas and efficacy of treatment regimens are absolutely needed to optimize the clinical management of infection.},
}
@article {pmid35414231,
year = {2022},
author = {Hornett, EA and Kageyama, D and Hurst, GDD},
title = {Sex determination systems as the interface between male-killing bacteria and their hosts.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {289},
number = {1972},
pages = {20212781},
pmid = {35414231},
issn = {1471-2954},
mesh = {Animals ; *Arthropods/microbiology ; Bacteria/genetics ; Male ; Sex Ratio ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; },
abstract = {Arthropods host a range of sex-ratio-distorting selfish elements, including diverse maternally inherited endosymbionts that solely kill infected males. Male-killing heritable microbes are common, reach high frequency, but until recently have been poorly understood in terms of the host-microbe interaction. Additionally, while male killing should generate strong selection for host resistance, evidence of this has been scant. The interface of the microbe with host sex determination is integral to the understanding of how death is sex limited and how hosts can evolve evasion of male killing. We first review current knowledge of the mechanisms diverse endosymbionts use to induce male-specific death. We then examine recent evidence that these agents do produce intense selection for host nuclear suppressor elements. We argue, from our understanding of male-killing mechanisms, that suppression will commonly involve evolution of the host sex determination pathways and that the host's response to male-killing microbes thus represents an unrecognized driver of the diversity of arthropod sex determination. Further work is required to identify the genes and mechanisms responsible for male-killing suppression, which will both determine the components of sex determination (or other) systems associated with suppressor evolution, and allow insight into the mechanism of male killing itself.},
}
@article {pmid35413938,
year = {2022},
author = {Mejia, AJ and Dutra, HLC and Jones, MJ and Perera, R and McGraw, EA},
title = {Cross-tissue and generation predictability of relative Wolbachia densities in the mosquito Aedes aegypti.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {128},
pmid = {35413938},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {*Aedes/physiology ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mosquito Vectors/physiology ; Specific Gravity ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; *Zika Virus ; *Zika Virus Infection ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The insect endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia is being deployed in field populations of the mosquito Aedes aegypti for biological control. This microbe prevents the replication of human disease-causing viruses inside the vector, including dengue, Zika and chikungunya. Relative Wolbachia densities may in part predict the strength of this 'viral blocking' effect. Additionally, Wolbachia densities may affect the strength of the reproductive manipulations it induces, including cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), maternal inheritance rates or induced fitness effects in the insect host. High rates of CI and maternal inheritance and low rates of fitness effects are also key to the successful spreading of Wolbachia through vector populations and its successful use in biocontrol. The factors that control Wolbachia densities are not completely understood.<br><br>METHODS: We used quantitative PCR-based methods to estimate relative density of the Wolbachia wAlbB strain in both the somatic and reproductive tissues of adult male and female mosquitoes, as well as in eggs. Using correlation analyses, we assessed whether densities in one tissue predict those in others within the same individual, but also across generations.<br><br>RESULTS: We found little relationship among the relative Wolbachia densities of different tissues in the same host. The results also show that there was very little relationship between Wolbachia densities in parents and those in offspring, both in the same and different tissues. The one exception was with ovary-egg relationships, where there was a strong positive association. Relative Wolbachia densities in reproductive tissues were always greater than those in the somatic tissues. Additionally, the densities were consistent in females over their lifetime regardless of tissue, whereas they were generally higher and more variable in males, particularly in the testes.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that either stochastic processes or local tissue-based physiologies are more likely factors dictating Wolbachia densities in Ae. aegypti individuals, rather than shared embryonic environments or heritable genetic effects of the mosquito genome. These findings have implications for understanding how relative Wolbachia densities may evolve and/or be maintained over the long term in Ae. aegypti.},
}
@article {pmid35400954,
year = {2022},
author = {Thengchaisri, N and Inpankaew, T and Arthitwong, S and Steiner, JM and Sattasathuchana, P},
title = {Molecular prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis and Wolbachia infections in pet and semi-domesticated cats in Bangkok, Thailand.},
journal = {Veterinary world},
volume = {15},
number = {2},
pages = {239-243},
pmid = {35400954},
issn = {0972-8988},
abstract = {BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although cats are not natural hosts for heartworm infections (Dirofilaria immitis), evidence suggests that feline heartworm disease can be detrimental because of a severe inflammatory response. Recent studies have found that infection with bacteria of the genus Wolbachia is the principal cause of acute inflammatory filaria disease; nonetheless, the prevalence of cats naturally infected with heartworms and Wolbachia remains unclear. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and current distribution of feline heartworm disease and its association with Wolbachia infection in pet and semi-domesticated cats in Bangkok, Thailand.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 260 cats (130 pet cats and 130 semi-domesticated cats) were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were placed into ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid tubes for hematological analysis and DNA extraction. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to analyze samples for the presence of D. immitis and Wolbachia infections.<br><br>RESULTS: The prevalence (95% confidence interval [CI]) of D. immitis infection in pet, semi-domesticated, and all cats were 3.9% (1.3-8.8%), 27.7% (20.2-36.2%), and 19.6% (15.0-25.0%), respectively. The prevalence (95% CI) of Wolbachia infection in pet, semi-domesticated, and all cats were 18.5% (12.2-26.2%), 31.5% (23.7-40.3%), and 25.0% (19.9-30.7%), respectively. The prevalence of D. immitis and Wolbachia infections in semi-domesticated cats was significantly higher than in pet cats (p=0.002 and p=0.022, respectively). There was a significant association between D. immitis and Wolbachia infections (p<0.001). There was also a significant association between D. immitis infection and the presence of eosinophilia (p<0.045).<br><br>CONCLUSION: From the PCR analysis, it can be concluded that semi-domesticated cats were at higher risk for D. immitis infection than pet cats. There was a significant association between positive D. immitis infection and positive Wolbachia infection. Combinations of anthelmintic and antimicrobial therapy should be considered in heartworm-positive cats.},
}
@article {pmid35381817,
year = {2021},
author = {Mohanty, I and Rath, A and Pradhan, N and Panda, BB and Mohapatra, PK and Hazra, RK},
title = {Prevalence and transmission potential of Wolbachia in Aedes albopictus population circulating in endemic coastal districts of Odisha, India.},
journal = {Journal of vector borne diseases},
volume = {58},
number = {4},
pages = {297-305},
doi = {10.4103/0972-9062.313967},
pmid = {35381817},
issn = {0972-9062},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; *Dengue/epidemiology/prevention &amp; control ; Mosquito Vectors ; Prevalence ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia, known for its reproductive manipulation capabilities in insects, are being implemented to control dengue and chikungunya. To understand Wolbachia biology and its utility as a bio-control for vector mosquito's populations, we investigated its dissemination pattern in field in collected Ae. albopictus along with its maternal transmission efficacy over generations in regions of endemic dengue (DENV) transmission. Field collected Ae. albopictus were subjected to PCR for Wolbachia screening. Overall mean Wolbachia infection frequency in Ae. albopictus was found out to be 87.3% wherein a trend was observed in the pattern of maternal transmission across generations. χ[2] for trend revealed a significant variation between Wolbachia infections and non-infections in Ae. albopictus generations. Linear regression analysis revealed the involvement of a strong negative correlation, implying that overall Wolbachia infection tends to decrease in places with high dengue cases.The reduction in Wolbachia infection frequency may be attributed to several environmental factors with the probability of being the cause for endemicity of dengue in the studied areas.This study reports on the transmission efficacy of naturally occurring Wolbachia in successive generations of Ae. albopictus and its correlation with dengue cases in clusters of Odisha, India. Studying the transmission trend of Wolbachia along with transovarial transmission of DENV might be indicative towards the interplay of Wolbachia infection in presence/absence of DENV.},
}
@article {pmid35377795,
year = {2022},
author = {Quek, S and Cook, DAN and Wu, Y and Marriott, AE and Steven, A and Johnston, KL and Ford, L and Archer, J and Hemingway, J and Ward, SA and Wagstaff, SC and Turner, JD and Taylor, MJ},
title = {Wolbachia depletion blocks transmission of lymphatic filariasis by preventing chitinase-dependent parasite exsheathment.},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
volume = {119},
number = {15},
pages = {e2120003119},
pmid = {35377795},
issn = {1091-6490},
mesh = {Animals ; *Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; *Chitinases/genetics ; *Elephantiasis, Filarial/transmission ; Humans ; *Microfilariae/enzymology/growth &amp; development/microbiology ; Mosquito Vectors/parasitology ; *Wolbachia/drug effects/genetics ; },
abstract = {Lymphatic filariasis is a vector-borne neglected tropical disease prioritized for global elimination. The filarial nematodes that cause the disease host a symbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia, which has been targeted using antibiotics, leading to cessation of parasite embryogenesis, waning of circulating larvae (microfilariae [mf]), and gradual cure of adult infection. One of the benefits of the anti-Wolbachia mode of action is that it avoids the rapid killing of mf, which can drive inflammatory adverse events. However, mf depleted of Wolbachia persist for several months in circulation, and thus patients treated with antibiotics are assumed to remain at risk for transmitting infections. Here, we show that Wolbachia-depleted mf rapidly lose the capacity to develop in the mosquito vector through a defect in exsheathment and inability to migrate through the gut wall. Transcriptomic and Western blotting analyses demonstrate that chitinase, an enzyme essential for mf exsheathment, is down-regulated in Wolbachia-depleted mf and correlates with their inability to exsheath and escape the mosquito midgut. Supplementation of in vitro cultures of Wolbachia-depleted mf with chitinase enzymes restores their ability to exsheath to a similar level to that observed in untreated mf. Our findings elucidate a mechanism of rapid transmission-blocking activity of filariasis after depletion of Wolbachia and adds to the broad range of biological processes of filarial nematodes that are dependent on Wolbachia symbiosis.},
}
@article {pmid35373850,
year = {2022},
author = {Ajendra, J and Allen, JE},
title = {Neutrophils: Friend or foe in Filariasis?.},
journal = {Parasite immunology},
volume = {44},
number = {6},
pages = {e12918},
doi = {10.1111/pim.12918},
pmid = {35373850},
issn = {1365-3024},
support = {MR/V011235/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; 106898/A/15/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Elephantiasis, Filarial ; *Filarioidea ; Humans ; Immunity ; Mice ; Neutrophils ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Infection with the filarial nematodes that cause diseases such as lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis represent major public health challenges. With millions of people at risk of infection, new strategies for treatment or prevention are urgently needed. More complete understanding of the host immune system's ability to control and eliminate the infection is an important step towards fighting these debilitating infectious diseases. Neutrophils are innate immune cells that are rapidly recruited to inflamed or infected tissues and while considered primarily anti-microbial, there is increasing recognition of their role in helminth infections. Filarial nematodes present a unique situation, as many species harbour the bacterial endosymbiont, Wolbachia. The unexpected involvement of neutrophils during filarial infections has been revealed both in human diseases and animal studies, with strong evidence for recruitment by Wolbachia. This present review will introduce the different human filarial diseases and discuss neutrophil involvement in both protective immune responses, but also in the exacerbation of pathology. Additionally, we will highlight the contributions of the murine model of filariasis, Litomosoides sigmodontis. While several studies have revealed the importance of neutrophils in these parasite infections, we will also draw attention to many questions that remain to be answered.},
}
@article {pmid35369485,
year = {2022},
author = {Hussain, S and Perveen, N and Hussain, A and Song, B and Aziz, MU and Zeb, J and Li, J and George, D and Cabezas-Cruz, A and Sparagano, O},
title = {The Symbiotic Continuum Within Ticks: Opportunities for Disease Control.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {854803},
pmid = {35369485},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Among blood-sucking arthropods, ticks are recognized as being of prime global importance because of their role as vectors of pathogens affecting human and animal health. Ticks carry a variety of pathogenic, commensal, and symbiotic microorganisms. For the latter, studies are available concerning the detection of endosymbionts, but their role in the physiology and ecology of ticks remains largely unexplored. This review paper focuses on tick endosymbionts of the genera Coxiella, Rickettsia, Francisella, Midichloria, and Wolbachia, and their impact on ticks and tick-pathogen interactions that drive disease risk. Tick endosymbionts can affect tick physiology by influencing nutritional adaptation, fitness, and immunity. Further, symbionts may influence disease ecology, as they interact with tick-borne pathogens and can facilitate or compete with pathogen development within the vector tissues. Rickettsial symbionts are frequently found in ticks of the genera of Ixodes, Amblyomma, and Dermacentor with relatively lower occurrence in Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis, and Hyalomma ticks, while Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLEs) were reported infecting almost all tick species tested. Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLEs) have been identified in tick genera such as Dermacentor, Amblyomma, Ornithodoros, Ixodes, and Hyalomma, whereas Wolbachia sp. has been detected in Ixodes, Amblyomma, Hyalomma, and Rhipicephalus tick genera. Notably, CLEs and FLEs are obligate endosymbionts essential for tick survival and development through the life cycle. American dog ticks showed greater motility when infected with Rickettsia, indirectly influencing infection risk, providing evidence of a relationship between tick endosymbionts and tick-vectored pathogens. The widespread occurrence of endosymbionts across the tick phylogeny and evidence of their functional roles in ticks and interference with tick-borne pathogens suggests a significant contribution to tick evolution and/or vector competence. We currently understand relatively little on how these endosymbionts influence tick parasitism, vector capacity, pathogen transmission and colonization, and ultimately on how they influence tick-borne disease dynamics. Filling this knowledge gap represents a major challenge for future research.},
}
@article {pmid35364056,
year = {2022},
author = {Andreychuk, S and Yakob, L},
title = {Mathematical modelling to assess the feasibility of Wolbachia in malaria vector biocontrol.},
journal = {Journal of theoretical biology},
volume = {542},
number = {},
pages = {111110},
doi = {10.1016/j.jtbi.2022.111110},
pmid = {35364056},
issn = {1095-8541},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; *Anopheles ; Feasibility Studies ; *Malaria ; Models, Theoretical ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Releasing mosquitoes transinfected with the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia is a novel strategy for interrupting vector-borne pathogen transmission. Following its success in controlling arboviruses spread by Aedes aegypti, this technology is being adapted for anopheline malaria vectors. However, antagonistic interactions between Wolbachia and naturally resident Asaia bacteria in malaria vectors have been demonstrated experimentally, potentially jeopardising Wolbachia biocontrol. We developed the first mathematical model accounting for interspecific competition between endosymbionts to assess the feasibility of this novel strategy for controlling malaria. First, Asaia prevalences among natural mosquito populations were compared with simulations parametrized with rates of Asaia transmission reported from laboratory studies. Discrepancies between projections and natural Asaia prevalences indicated potential overestimation of Asaia transmissibility in artificial laboratory settings. With parametrization that matches natural Asaia prevalence, simulations identified redundancies in Asaia's many infection routes (vertical, sexual and environmental). This resilience was only overcome when Wolbachia conferred very high resistance to environmental infection with Asaia, resulting in Wolbachia fixation and Asaia exclusion. Wolbachia's simulated spread was prevented when its maternal transmission was impeded in coinfected mosquitoes and the pre-control Asaia prevalence was beyond a threshold of 60-75%. This theoretical assessment highlights critical next steps in laboratory experiments to inform this strategy's feasibility.},
}
@article {pmid35359740,
year = {2022},
author = {Salgueiro, J and Nussenbaum, AL and Milla, FH and Asimakis, E and Goane, L and Ruiz, MJ and Bachmann, GE and Vera, MT and Stathopoulou, P and Bourtzis, K and Deutscher, AT and Lanzavecchia, SB and Tsiamis, G and Segura, DF},
title = {Analysis of the Gut Bacterial Community of Wild Larvae of Anastrepha fraterculus sp. 1: Effect of Host Fruit, Environment, and Prominent Stable Associations of the Genera Wolbachia, Tatumella, and Enterobacter.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {822990},
pmid = {35359740},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {The genus Anastrepha (Diptera Tephritidae) includes some of the most important fruit fly pests in the Americas. Here, we studied the gut bacterial community of 3rd instar larvae of Anastrepha fraterculus sp. 1 through Next Generation Sequencing (lllumina) of the V3-V4 hypervariable region within the 16S rRNA gene. Gut bacterial communities were compared between host species (guava and peach), and geographical origins (Concordia and Horco Molle in Argentina) representing distinct ecological scenarios. In addition, we explored the effect of spatial scale by comparing the samples collected from different trees within each geographic origin and host species. We also addressed the effect of fruit size on bacterial diversity. The gut bacterial community was affected both by host species and geographic origin. At smaller spatial scales, the gut bacterial profile differed among trees of the same species and location at least in one host-location combination. There was no effect of fruit size on the larval gut bacteriome. Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) assigned to Wolbachia, Tatumella and Enterobacter were identified in all samples examined, which suggest potential, non-transient symbioses. Better knowledge on the larval gut bacteriome contributes valuable information to develop sustainable control strategies against A. fraterculus targeting key symbionts as the Achilles' heel to control this important fruit fly pest.},
}
@article {pmid35357208,
year = {2022},
author = {Strunov, A and Schmidt, K and Kapun, M and Miller, WJ},
title = {Restriction of Wolbachia Bacteria in Early Embryogenesis of Neotropical Drosophila Species via Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mediated Autophagy.},
journal = {mBio},
volume = {13},
number = {2},
pages = {e0386321},
pmid = {35357208},
issn = {2150-7511},
mesh = {Animals ; Autophagy ; Drosophila/microbiology ; Embryonic Development ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia are maternally transmitted intracellular bacteria that are not only restricted to the reproductive organs but also found in various somatic tissues of their native hosts. The abundance of the endosymbiont in the soma, usually a dead end for vertically transmitted bacteria, causes a multitude of effects on life history traits of their hosts, which are still not well understood. Thus, deciphering the host-symbiont interactions on a cellular level throughout a host's life cycle is of great importance to understand their homeostatic nature, persistence, and spreading success. Using fluorescent and transmission electron microscopy, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of Wolbachia tropism in soma and germ line of six Drosophila species at the intracellular level during host development. Our data uncovered diagnostic patterns of infections to embryonic primordial germ cells and to particular cells of the soma in three different neotropical Drosophila species that have apparently evolved independently. We further found that restricted patterns of Wolbachia tropism are determined in early embryogenesis via selective autophagy, and their spatially restricted infection patterns are preserved in adult flies. We observed tight interactions of Wolbachia with membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum, which might play a scaffolding role for autophagosome formation and subsequent elimination of the endosymbiont. Finally, by analyzing D. simulans lines transinfected with nonnative Wolbachia, we uncovered that the host genetic background regulates tissue tropism of infection. Our data demonstrate a novel and peculiar mechanism to limit and spatially restrict bacterial infection in the soma during a very early stage of host development. IMPORTANCE All organisms are living in close and intimate interactions with microbes that cause conflicts but also cooperation between both unequal genetic partners due to their different innate interests of primarily enhancing their own fitness. However, stable symbioses often result in homeostatic interaction, named mutualism, by balancing costs and benefits, where both partners profit. Mechanisms that have evolved to balance and stably maintain homeostasis in mutualistic relationships are still quite understudied; one strategy is to "domesticate" potentially beneficial symbionts by actively controlling their replication rate below a critical and, hence, costly threshold, and/or to spatially and temporally restrict their localization in the host organism, which, in the latter case, in its most extreme form, is the formation of a specialized housing organ for the microbe (bacteriome). However, questions remain: how do these mutualistic associations become established in their first place, and what are the mechanisms for symbiont control and restriction in their early stages? Here, we have uncovered an unprecedented symbiont control mechanism in neotropical Drosophila species during early embryogenesis. The fruit fly evolved selective autophagy to restrict and control the proliferation of its intracellular endosymbiont Wolbachia in a defined subset of the stem cells as soon as the host's zygotic genome is activated.},
}
@article {pmid35353007,
year = {2022},
author = {Li, TP and Zhou, CY and Wang, MK and Zha, SS and Chen, J and Bing, XL and Hoffmann, AA and Hong, XY},
title = {Endosymbionts Reduce Microbiome Diversity and Modify Host Metabolism and Fecundity in the Planthopper Sogatella furcifera.},
journal = {mSystems},
volume = {7},
number = {2},
pages = {e0151621},
pmid = {35353007},
issn = {2379-5077},
abstract = {Endosymbionts can strongly affect bacterial microbiota in pests. The white-backed planthopper Sogatella furcifera, a notorious pest in rice, is usually co-infected with Cardinium and Wolbachia, but the effects of these endosymbionts together or individually on the host microbiome and fecundity are unclear. Here, we established three S. furcifera lines (Cardinium and Wolbachia double-infected, Cardinium single-infected, and both-uninfected lines) backcrossed to a common nuclear background and found that single and double infections reduced bacterial diversity and changed bacterial community structure across nymph and adult stages and across adult tissues. The endosymbionts differed in densities between adults and nymphs as well as across adult tissues, with the distribution of Cardinium affected by Wolbachia. Both the single infection and particularly the double infection reduced host fecundity. Lines also differed in levels of metabolites, some of which may influence fecundity (e.g., arginine biosynthesis and nicotinamide metabolism). Cardinium in the single-infected line upregulated metabolic levels, while Wolbachia in the double-infected line appeared to mainly downregulate them. Association analysis pointed to possible connections between various bacteria and differential metabolites. These results reveal that Cardinium by itself and in combination with Wolbachia affect bacterial microbiota and levels of metabolites, with likely effects on host fecundity. Many of the effects of these metabolically limited endosymbionts that are dependent on the hosts may be exerted through manipulation of the microbiome. IMPORTANCE Endosymbionts can profoundly affect the nutrition, immunity, development, and reproduction of insect hosts, but the effects of multiple endosymbiont infections on microbiota and the interaction of these effects with insect host fitness are not well known. By establishing S. furcifera lines with different endosymbiont infection status, we found that Cardinium and the combined Cardinium + Wolbachia infections differentially reduced bacterial diversity as well as changing bacterial community structure and affecting metabolism, which may connect to negative fitness effects of the endosymbionts on their host. These results established the connections between reduced bacterial diversity, decreased fecundity and metabolic responses in S. furcifera.},
}
@article {pmid35350856,
year = {2022},
author = {Katlav, A and Cook, JM and Riegler, M},
title = {Common endosymbionts affect host fitness and sex allocation via egg size provisioning.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {289},
number = {1971},
pages = {20212582},
pmid = {35350856},
issn = {1471-2954},
mesh = {Animals ; *Arthropods ; Bacteroidetes ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Reproduction ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {It is hard to overemphasize the importance of endosymbionts in arthropod biology, ecology and evolution. Some endosymbionts can complement host metabolic function or provide defence against pathogens; others, such as ubiquitous Wolbachia and Cardinium, have evolved strategies to manipulate host reproduction. A common reproductive manipulation strategy is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) between differently infected individuals which can result in female mortality or male development of fertilized eggs in haplodiploid hosts. Recently, an additional role of endosymbionts has been recognized in the modification of sex allocation in sexually reproducing haplodiploids. This was theoretically expected due to the maternal inheritance of endosymbionts and natural selection for them to increase infected female production, yet the underlying mechanism remained unknown. Here, we tested whether and how Cardinium and Wolbachia causing different CI types interact to increase female production in a haplodiploid thrips species where sex allocation depends on both maternal condition and egg size provisioning. We found that Cardinium augmented female production by increasing maternal fitness and egg size, thereby boosting fertilization rate and offspring fitness. Wolbachia, in contrast, reduced the beneficial effects of Cardinium. Our results demonstrate different invasion strategies and antagonistic effects of endosymbiotic bacteria on host fitness and evolution of sex allocation.},
}
@article {pmid35349818,
year = {2022},
author = {Hochstrasser, M},
title = {Cytoplasmic incompatibility: A Wolbachia toxin-antidote mechanism comes into view.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {32},
number = {6},
pages = {R287-R289},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.014},
pmid = {35349818},
issn = {1879-0445},
mesh = {Animals ; Antidotes ; Cytoplasm ; Cytosol ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {The Wolbachia cidA and cidB genes promote bacterial endosymbiont inheritance through the host female germline. CidB is now shown to load into maturing sperm nuclei. Following fertilization, it disrupts paternal chromosome condensation, triggering embryonic arrest if not countered by CidA in Wolbachia-infected eggs.},
}
@article {pmid35346758,
year = {2022},
author = {Bazzocchi, C and Genchi, M and Lucchetti, C and Cafiso, A and Ciuca, L and McCall, J and Kramer, LH and Vismarra, A},
title = {Transporter gene expression and Wolbachia quantification in adults of Dirofilaria immitis treated in vitro with ivermectin or moxidectin alone or in combination with doxycycline for 12 h.},
journal = {Molecular and biochemical parasitology},
volume = {249},
number = {},
pages = {111475},
doi = {10.1016/j.molbiopara.2022.111475},
pmid = {35346758},
issn = {1872-9428},
mesh = {Animals ; *Dirofilaria immitis/genetics ; *Dog Diseases/drug therapy/parasitology/prevention &amp; control ; Dogs ; Doxycycline/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Ivermectin/pharmacology ; Macrolides ; Male ; Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Due to their marked larvicidal activity, macrocyclic lactones (MLs) are used for the prevention of heartworm disease (Dirofilaria immitis) in dogs. They have also been shown to eliminate adult parasites after long-term administration, with a so-called "slow-kill" effect. In addition, recent studies have established that a combination of doxycycline, which eliminates the endosymbiont Wolbachia, and MLs has superior adulticide effects when compared to MLs alone. It has been hypothesized that the apparent synergism between doxycycline/MLs may be due to interaction with drug efflux transport proteins. The aim of the present study was to evaluate gene expression of several transport proteins in D. immitis adults treated in vitro either with doxycycline alone, ivermectin alone, moxidectin alone, or a combination of ivermectin or moxidectin with doxycycline for 12 h. Quantitative PCR analysis showed a sex-dependent response to treatments. In female worms, Dim-pgp-10, Dim-haf-1 and Dim-haf-5 were upregulated compared to controls with doxycycline alone and when combined with ivermectin. Moxidectin did not induce any changes in gene expression. In males, moxidectin administered alone induced a slight increase in Dim-pgp-10, Dim-pgp-11and Di-avr-14, while ivermectin in combination with doxycycline produced significant upregulation of the ML receptor Di-avr-14. These results suggest possible synergism between the two drug classes and different susceptibility of males vs. females to adulticide effects.},
}
@article {pmid35346038,
year = {2022},
author = {Queffelec, J and Postma, A and Allison, JD and Slippers, B},
title = {Remnants of horizontal transfers of Wolbachia genes in a Wolbachia-free woodwasp.},
journal = {BMC ecology and evolution},
volume = {22},
number = {1},
pages = {36},
pmid = {35346038},
issn = {2730-7182},
mesh = {Animals ; *Nematoda ; *Pinus ; *Wasps/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia is a bacterial endosymbiont of many arthropod and nematode species. Due to its capacity to alter host biology, Wolbachia plays an important role in arthropod and nematode ecology and evolution. Sirex noctilio is a woodwasp causing economic loss in pine plantations of the Southern Hemisphere. An investigation into the genome of this wasp revealed the presence of Wolbachia sequences. Due to the potential impact of Wolbachia on the populations of this wasp, as well as its potential use as a biological control agent against invasive insects, this discovery warranted investigation.<br><br>RESULTS: In this study we first investigated the presence of Wolbachia in S. noctilio and demonstrated that South African populations of the wasp are unlikely to be infected. We then screened the full genome of S. noctilio and found 12 Wolbachia pseudogenes. Most of these genes constitute building blocks of various transposable elements originating from the Wolbachia genome. Finally, we demonstrate that these genes are distributed in all South African populations of the wasp.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide evidence that S. noctilio might be compatible with a Wolbachia infection and that the bacteria could potentially be used in the future to regulate invasive populations of the wasp. Understanding the mechanisms that led to a loss of Wolbachia infection in S. noctilio could indicate which host species or host population should be sampled to find a Wolbachia strain that could be used as a biological control against S. noctilio.},
}
@article {pmid35338196,
year = {2022},
author = {Wendt, M and Kulanek, D and Varga, Z and Rákosy, L and Schmitt, T},
title = {Pronounced mito-nuclear discordance and various Wolbachia infections in the water ringlet Erebia pronoe have resulted in a complex phylogeographic structure.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {5175},
pmid = {35338196},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; *Butterflies/genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Genetic Variation ; *MELAS Syndrome ; Male ; Phylogeny ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Several morphological and mitochondrial lineages of the alpine ringlet butterfly species Erebia pronoe have been described, indicating a complex phylogenetic structure. However, the existing data were insufficient and allow neither a reconstruction of the biogeographic history, nor an assessment of the genetic lineages. Therefore, we analysed mitochondrial (COI, NDI) and nuclear (EF1α, RPS5) gene sequences and compared them with sequences from the sister species Erebia melas. Additionally, we combined this information with morphometric data of the male genitalia and the infection patterns with Wolbachia strains, based on a WSP analysis. We obtained a distinct phylogeographic structure within the E. pronoe-melas complex with eight well-distinguishable geographic groups, but also a remarkable mito-nuclear discordance. The mito-nuclear discordance in E. melas and E. pronoe glottis can be explained by different ages of Wolbachia infections with different Wolbachia strains, associated selective sweeps, and hybridisation inhibition. Additionally, we found indications for incipient speciation of E. pronoe glottis in the Pyrenees and a pronounced range dynamic within and among the other high mountain systems of Europe. Our results emphasize the importance of combined approaches in reconstructing biogeographic patterns and evaluating phylogeographic splits.},
}
@article {pmid35338130,
year = {2022},
author = {Wang, H and Xiao, Y and Chen, X and Zhang, M and Sun, G and Wang, F and Wang, L and Zhang, H and Zhang, X and Yang, X and Li, W and Wei, Y and Yao, D and Zhang, B and Li, J and Cui, W and Wang, F and Chen, C and Shen, W and Su, D and Bai, F and Huang, J and Ye, S and Zhang, L and Ji, X and Wang, W and Wang, Z and Hochstrasser, M and Yang, H},
title = {Crystal Structures of Wolbachia CidA and CidB Reveal Determinants of Bacteria-induced Cytoplasmic Incompatibility and Rescue.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {1608},
pmid = {35338130},
issn = {2041-1723},
support = {R35 GM136325/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R37 GM046904/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM046904/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Cytoplasm/genetics ; Cytosol ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; Female ; Male ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; Symbiosis/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics/metabolism ; },
abstract = {Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) results when Wolbachia bacteria-infected male insects mate with uninfected females, leading to embryonic lethality. "Rescue" of viability occurs if the female harbors the same Wolbachia strain. CI is caused by linked pairs of Wolbachia genes called CI factors (CifA and CifB). The co-evolution of CifA-CifB pairs may account in part for the incompatibility patterns documented in insects infected with different Wolbachia strains, but the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we use X-ray crystallography and AlphaFold to analyze the CI factors from Wolbachia strain wMel called CidA[wMel] and CidB[wMel]. Substituting CidA[wMel] interface residues with those from CidA[wPip] (from strain wPip) enables the mutant protein to bind CidB[wPip] and rescue CidB[wPip]-induced yeast growth defects, supporting the importance of CifA-CifB interaction in CI rescue. Sequence divergence in CidA[wPip] and CidB[wPip] proteins affects their pairwise interactions, which may help explain the complex incompatibility patterns of mosquitoes infected with different wPip strains.},
}
@article {pmid35336091,
year = {2022},
author = {Petrone, JR and Muñoz-Beristain, A and Glusberger, PR and Russell, JT and Triplett, EW},
title = {Unamplified, Long-Read Metagenomic Sequencing Approach to Close Endosymbiont Genomes of Low-Biomass Insect Populations.},
journal = {Microorganisms},
volume = {10},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {35336091},
issn = {2076-2607},
abstract = {With the current advancements in DNA sequencing technology, the limiting factor in long-read metagenomic assemblies is now the quantity and quality of input DNA. Although these requirements can be met through the use of axenic bacterial cultures or large amounts of biological material, insect systems that contain unculturable bacteria or that contain a low amount of available DNA cannot fully utilize the benefits of third-generation sequencing. The citrus greening disease insect vector Diaphorina citri is an example that exhibits both of these limitations. Although endosymbiont genomes have mostly been closed after the short-read sequencing of amplified template DNA, creating de novo long-read genomes from the unamplified DNA of an insect population may benefit communities using bioinformatics to study insect pathosystems. Here all four genomes of the infected D. citri microbiome were sequenced to closure using unamplified template DNA and two long-read sequencing technologies. Avoiding amplification bias and using long reads to assemble the bacterial genomes allowed for the circularization of the Wolbachia endosymbiont of Diaphorina citri for the first time and paralleled the annotation context of all four reference genomes without utilizing a traditional hybrid assembly. The strategies detailed here are suitable for the sequencing of other insect systems for which the input DNA, time, and cost are an issue.},
}
@article {pmid35335697,
year = {2022},
author = {Allman, MJ and Slack, AJ and Abello, NP and Lin, YH and O'Neill, SL and Robinson, AJ and Flores, HA and Joubert, DA},
title = {Trash to Treasure: How Insect Protein and Waste Containers Can Improve the Environmental Footprint of Mosquito Egg Releases.},
journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {11},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {35335697},
issn = {2076-0817},
abstract = {Release and subsequent establishment of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti in native mosquito populations has successfully reduced mosquito-borne disease incidence. While this is promising, further development is required to ensure that this method is scalable and sustainable. Egg release is a beneficial technique that requires reduced onsite resources and increases community acceptance; however, its incidental ecological impacts must be considered to ensure sustainability. In this study, we tested a more environmentally friendly mosquito rearing and release approach through the encapsulation of diet and egg mixtures and the subsequent utilization of waste containers to hatch and release mosquitoes. An ecologically friendly diet mix was specifically developed and tested for use in capsules, and we demonstrated that using either cricket or black soldier fly meal as a substitute for beef liver powder had no adverse effects on fitness or Wolbachia density. We further encapsulated both the egg and diet mixes and demonstrated no loss in viability. To address the potential of increased waste generation through disposable mosquito release containers, we tested reusing commonly found waste containers (aluminum and tin cans, PET, and glass bottles) as an alternative, conducting a case study in Kiribati to assess the concept's cultural, political, and economic applicability. Our results showed that mosquito emergence and fitness was maintained with a variety of containers, including when tested in the field, compared to control containers, and that there are opportunities to implement this method in the Pacific Islands in a way that is culturally considerate and cost-effective.},
}
@article {pmid35323577,
year = {2022},
author = {Kaczmarczyk-Ziemba, A and Kucharczyk, H and Kucharczyk, M and Kucharska, K},
title = {Integrative Insight into Relationships between Florivorous Thrips Haplothrips leucanthemi and H. niger (Insecta, Thysanoptera).},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {35323577},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Haplothrips niger is recognized as a parthenogenetic form of H. leucanthemi and is also considered to be a pest in clover-seed plantations. On the contrary, some researchers highlight the distinctiveness of H. niger and H. leucanthemi. Taking into account these two points of view, as well as the lack of molecular studies investigating the relationship between the mentioned thrips, we decided to perform analyses of both mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear markers (28S and ITS2) to determine the genetic diversity of H. leucanthemi and H. niger. Additionally, as a part of an integrative approach, we determined and analyzed their microbiota profiles, based on high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results of the molecular analyses revealed high intraspecific diversity of H. leucanthemi and did not support the distinctiveness of H. niger. The identified microbiota profiles were similar in both species and the performed analyses also did not support the distinctiveness of H. niger. Significant differences were, in turn, observed between H. leucanthemi and H. niger larvae. Moreover, two known endosymbiotic bacteria were found in the analyzed microbiota profiles (i.e., Wolbachia and Rickettsia). Nevertheless, these symbionts were not predominantly found in the bacterial communities that are associated with H. niger and thus, its impact on the parthenogenetic mode of its reproduction seems less likely.},
}
@article {pmid35319146,
year = {2022},
author = {Gu, X and Ross, PA and Rodriguez-Andres, J and Robinson, KL and Yang, Q and Lau, MJ and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {A wMel Wolbachia variant in Aedes aegypti from field-collected Drosophila melanogaster with increased phenotypic stability under heat stress.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology},
volume = {24},
number = {4},
pages = {2119-2135},
pmid = {35319146},
issn = {1462-2920},
mesh = {*Aedes/genetics ; Animals ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; Heat-Shock Response ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Mosquito-borne diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Population replacement strategies involving the wMel strain of Wolbachia are being used widely to control mosquito-borne diseases. However, these strategies may be influenced by temperature because wMel is vulnerable to heat. wMel infections in Drosophila melanogaster are genetically diverse, but few transinfections of wMel variants have been generated in Aedes aegypti. Here, we successfully transferred a wMel variant (termed wMelM) originating from a field-collected D. melanogaster into Ae. aegypti. The new wMelM variant (clade I) is genetically distinct from the original wMel transinfection (clade III), and there are no genomic differences between wMelM in its original and transinfected host. We compared wMelM with wMel in its effects on host fitness, temperature tolerance, Wolbachia density, vector competence, cytoplasmic incompatibility and maternal transmission under heat stress in a controlled background. wMelM showed a higher heat tolerance than wMel, likely due to higher overall densities within the mosquito. Both wMel variants had minimal host fitness costs, complete cytoplasmic incompatibility and maternal transmission, and dengue virus blocking under laboratory conditions. Our results highlight phenotypic differences between Wolbachia variants and wMelM shows potential as an alternative strain in areas with strong seasonal temperature fluctuations.},
}
@article {pmid35318403,
year = {2022},
author = {Soh, LS and Veera Singham, G},
title = {Bacterial symbionts influence host susceptibility to fenitrothion and imidacloprid in the obligate hematophagous bed bug, Cimex hemipterus.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {4919},
pmid = {35318403},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; *Bedbugs/physiology ; *Ectoparasitic Infestations ; Fenitrothion ; Humans ; Insecticide Resistance ; *Insecticides/pharmacology ; Neonicotinoids ; Nitro Compounds ; *Pyrethrins/pharmacology ; Rifampin/pharmacology ; },
abstract = {The use of insecticides remains important in managing pest insects. Over the years, many insects manifested physiological and behavioral modifications resulting in reduced efficacy of insecticides targeted against them. Emerging evidence suggests that bacterial symbionts could modulate susceptibility of host insects against insecticides. Here, we explore the influence of host microbiota in affecting the susceptibility of insect host against different insecticides in the blood-sucking bed bug, Cimex hemipterus. Rifampicin antibiotic treatment resulted in increased susceptibility to fenitrothion and imidacloprid, but not against deltamethrin. Meanwhile, the host fitness parameters measured in the present study were not significantly affected by rifampicin treatment, suggesting the role of bacterial symbionts influencing susceptibility against the insecticides. 16S metagenomics sequencing revealed a drastic shift in the composition of several bacterial taxa following rifampicin treatment. The highly abundant Alphaproteobacteria (Wolbachia > 90%) and Gammaproteobacteria (Yersinia > 6%) in control bed bugs were significantly suppressed and replaced by Actinobacteria, Bacilli, and Betaproteobacteria in the rifampicin treated F1 bed bugs, suggesting possibilities of Wolbachia mediating insecticide susceptibility in C. hemipterus. However, no significant changes in the total esterase, GST, and P450 activities were observed following rifampicin treatment, indicating yet unknown bacterial mechanisms explaining the observed phenomena. Re-inoculation of microbial content from control individuals regained the tolerance of rifampicin treated bed bugs to imidacloprid and fenitrothion. This study provides a foundation for a symbiont-mediated mechanism in influencing insecticide susceptibility that was previously unknown to bed bugs.},
}
@article {pmid35314082,
year = {2022},
author = {Wang, GH and Du, J and Chu, CY and Madhav, M and Hughes, GL and Champer, J},
title = {Symbionts and gene drive: two strategies to combat vector-borne disease.},
journal = {Trends in genetics : TIG},
volume = {38},
number = {7},
pages = {708-723},
doi = {10.1016/j.tig.2022.02.013},
pmid = {35314082},
issn = {0168-9525},
support = {NIHR2000907/DH_/Department of Health/United Kingdom ; BB/T001240/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; V011278/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Culicidae/genetics ; *Gene Drive Technology ; *Malaria/genetics/prevention &amp; control ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Mosquitoes bring global health problems by transmitting parasites and viruses such as malaria and dengue. Unfortunately, current insecticide-based control strategies are only moderately effective because of high cost and resistance. Thus, scalable, sustainable, and cost-effective strategies are needed for mosquito-borne disease control. Symbiont-based and genome engineering-based approaches provide new tools that show promise for meeting these criteria, enabling modification or suppression approaches. Symbiotic bacteria like Wolbachia are maternally inherited and manipulate mosquito host reproduction to enhance their vertical transmission. Genome engineering-based gene drive methods, in which mosquitoes are genetically altered to spread drive alleles throughout wild populations, are also proving to be a potentially powerful approach in the laboratory. Here, we review the latest developments in both symbionts and gene drive-based methods. We describe some notable similarities, as well as distinctions and obstacles, relating to these promising technologies.},
}
@article {pmid35303931,
year = {2022},
author = {Hosseini, SH and Manshori-Ghaishghorshagh, F and Ramezani, M and Nayebzadeh, H and Ahoo, MB and Eslamian, A and Soltani, M and Jamshidi, S and Bezerra-Santos, MA and Jalousian, F and Sazmand, A and Otranto, D},
title = {Canine microfilaraemia in some regions of Iran.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {90},
pmid = {35303931},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {Animals ; *Dirofilaria immitis/genetics ; *Dirofilaria repens/genetics ; *Dog Diseases/parasitology ; Dogs ; Iran/epidemiology ; Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens are vector-borne zoonotic parasites which affect mainly dogs and humans worldwide. In Iran, information about the distribution of those nematodes is scant in several regions. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of these filarial parasites in stray dogs from five Iranian provinces where no information about these parasites is available.<br><br>METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 344 stray dogs in five provinces of Iran (i.e. Mazandaran, Gilan, Esfahan, Qazvin and Loresan). The presence of microfilariae was assessed using direct smear, modified Knott's test, molecular detection of filarial DNA (cox1 gene) and Wolbachia endosymbiont of parasitic nematodes (ftsZ gene) by conventional PCR (cPCR).&#xa0;All of the PCR products were sequenced and phylogenetic&#xa0;analysis was&#xa0;performed.<br><br>RESULTS: In total, 75 dogs (21.8%) were found to be positive for D. immitis by cPCR. Infection was detected in all provinces, with the highest prevalence in Gilan province (22/28; 78.6%). Acanthocheilonema reconditum was diagnosed in five dogs (1.4%) from three provinces (i.e. Esfahan, Mazandaran, Gilan). Two dogs were infected with both parasites and three were only infected with A. reconditum. Dirofilaria repens infection was not found in the examined population. Representative sequences of the D. immitis cox1 gene from dogs from the northern provinces (Mazandaran, Gilan, Qazvin) were grouped together and distinctly separate from the ones from western and central provinces (Lorestan and Esfahan), suggesting that different nematode populations are present in the country.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The data reported herein fill existing gaps in knowledge about canine filarial infection in two Iranian provinces and record the highest prevalence of D. immitis ever reported in the country (i.e. 78.6%). A geographical review of the literature about Dirofilaria spp. and A. reconditum infections in dogs and humans has also been summarized, indicating that D. immitis and D. repens are distributed in 22 of 31 provinces in Iran, whereas A. reconditum is present in fewer regions. Effective control strategies are advocated for owned dogs, and a national program for the management of stray dogs is needed to minimize the risk of infection in animals and humans.},
}
@article {pmid35294495,
year = {2022},
author = {Bhattacharya, T and Yan, L and Crawford, JM and Zaher, H and Newton, ILG and Hardy, RW},
title = {Differential viral RNA methylation contributes to pathogen blocking in Wolbachia-colonized arthropods.},
journal = {PLoS pathogens},
volume = {18},
number = {3},
pages = {e1010393},
pmid = {35294495},
issn = {1553-7374},
support = {R01 AI144430/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM112641/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI153785/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {5-Methylcytosine/metabolism ; *Aedes ; *Alphavirus/genetics ; Animals ; *Arthropods/genetics ; *Flavivirus/genetics ; Methylation ; Methyltransferases/genetics/metabolism ; RNA, Viral/genetics/metabolism ; Virus Replication ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; },
abstract = {Arthropod endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis is part of a global biocontrol strategy to reduce the replication of mosquito-borne RNA viruses such as alphaviruses. We previously demonstrated the importance of a host cytosine methyltransferase, DNMT2, in Drosophila and viral RNA as a cellular target during pathogen-blocking. Here we report a role for DNMT2 in Wolbachia-induced alphavirus inhibition in Aedes species. Expression of DNMT2 in mosquito tissues, including the salivary glands, is elevated upon virus infection. Notably, this is suppressed in Wolbachia-colonized animals, coincident with reduced virus replication and decreased infectivity of progeny virus. Ectopic expression of DNMT2 in cultured Aedes cells is proviral, increasing progeny virus infectivity, and this effect of DNMT2 on virus replication and infectivity is dependent on its methyltransferase activity. Finally, examining the effects of Wolbachia on modifications of viral RNA by LC-MS show a decrease in the amount of 5-methylcytosine modification consistent with the down-regulation of DNMT2 in Wolbachia colonized mosquito cells and animals. Collectively, our findings support the conclusion that disruption of 5-methylcytosine modification of viral RNA is a vital mechanism operative in pathogen blocking. These data also emphasize the essential role of epitranscriptomic modifications in regulating fundamental alphavirus replication and transmission processes.},
}
@article {pmid35292086,
year = {2022},
author = {Weck, BC and Serpa, MCA and Ramos, VN and Luz, HR and Costa, FB and Ramirez, DG and Benatti, HR and Piovezan, U and Szabó, MPJ and Marcili, A and Krawczak, FS and Muñoz-Leal, S and Labruna, MB},
title = {Novel genotypes of Hepatozoon spp. in small mammals, Brazil.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {87},
pmid = {35292086},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {Animals ; Brazil/epidemiology ; *Carnivora ; *Eucoccidiida/genetics ; Haplotypes ; Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Small mammals (rodents and marsupials) have been poorly explored for the occurrence of apicomplexan (genus Hepatozoon and genera of the order Piroplasmorida) and Anaplasmataceae agents in Brazil. Thus, this study investigated the occurrence of Hepatozoon spp., Piroplasmorida, and Anaplasmataceae agents in small mammals in seven forest fragments in Brazil.<br><br>METHODS: During 2015-2018, small mammals were captured in six forest fragments in the State of S&#xe3;o Paulo (Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes) and one fragment in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul (Pantanal biome). Mammal blood, liver, spleen, and lung samples were tested molecularly for the presence of DNA of Hepatozoon, Piroplasmorida, and Anaplasmataceae agents.<br><br>RESULTS: A total of 524 mammals were captured, comprising seven species of marsupials, 14 rodents, two carnivores, and one Cingulata. Four novel haplotypes (1, 2, 3, 4) of Hepatozoon spp. were detected in small mammals from different biomes. In S&#xe3;o Paulo state, haplotype 1 was detected in rodents from Cerrado and a transition area of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, whereas haplotype 2 was detected in rodents from the Atlantic Forest biome. On the other hand, haplotypes 3 and 4 were restricted to rodents and marsupials, respectively, from the Pantanal biome of Mato Grosso do Sul. No host species shared more than one haplotype. Despite these distinct geographical and host associations, our phylogenetic analyses indicated that the four Hepatozoon haplotypes belonged to the same clade that contained nearly all haplotypes previously reported on rodents and marsupials, in addition to several reptile-associated haplotypes from different parts of the world. No mammal samples yielded detectable DNA of Piroplasmorida agents. On the other hand, the Anaplasmataceae-targeted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay amplified a sequence 100% identical to the Wolbachia pipientis endosymbiont of the rodent filarid Litomosoides galizai.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We report a variety of Hepatozoon haplotypes associated with small mammals in three Brazilian biomes: Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, and Pantanal. Through phylogenetic analyses, the Hepatozoon agents grouped in the rodent-marsupial-reptile large clade of Hepatozoon spp. from the world. The detection of a W. pipientis associated with the rodent filarid L. galizai indicates that the rodent was infected by filarial nematodes.},
}
@article {pmid35286393,
year = {2022},
author = {Ndiaye, EHI and Diatta, G and Diarra, AZ and Berenger, JM and Bassene, H and Mediannikov, O and Bouganali, C and Sokhna, C and Parola, P},
title = {Morphological, Molecular and MALDI-TOF MS Identification of Bedbugs and Associated Wolbachia Species in Rural Senegal.},
journal = {Journal of medical entomology},
volume = {59},
number = {3},
pages = {1019-1032},
doi = {10.1093/jme/tjac019},
pmid = {35286393},
issn = {1938-2928},
mesh = {Animals ; *Bedbugs/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Ectoparasitic Infestations ; Senegal ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Bed bugs are known to carry several microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of bed bug infestation in two rural areas of Senegal and determine the species present in the population. A screening was conducted to detect some arthropod associated pathogenic bacteria in bed bugs and to evaluate the prevalence of endosymbiont carriage. One survey took place in 17 villages in Niakhar and two surveys in Dielmo and Ndiop and surroundings area in the same 20 villages. Bed bugs collected were identified morphologically and by MALDI-TOF MS tools. Microorganisms screening was performed by qPCR and confirmed by sequencing. During the survey in the Niakhar region, only one household 1/255 (0.4%) in the village of Ngayokhem was found infested by bed bugs. In a monitoring survey of the surroundings of Dielmo and Ndiop area, high prevalence was found during the two rounds of surveys in 65/314 (21%) in 16/20 villages (January-March) and 93/351 (26%) in 19/20 villages (December). All bed bugs were morphologically identified as the species Cimex hemipterus, of which 285/1,637 (17%) were randomly selected for MALDI-TOF MS analysis and bacteria screening. Among the Bacteria tested only Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria, Rickettsiales, Rickettsiaceae) DNA was found in 248/276 (90%) of the bedbugs. We briefly describe a high level of non-generalized bed bug infestation in rural Senegal and the diversity of Wolbachia strains carried by C. hemipterus. This study opens perspectives for raising household awareness of bed bug infestations and possibilities for appropriate control.},
}
@article {pmid35271765,
year = {2022},
author = {Mao, B and Zhang, W and Zheng, Y and Li, D and Chen, MY and Wang, YF},
title = {Comparative phosphoproteomics reveal new candidates in the regulation of spermatogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster.},
journal = {Insect science},
volume = {29},
number = {6},
pages = {1703-1720},
doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.13031},
pmid = {35271765},
issn = {1744-7917},
mesh = {Female ; Male ; Animals ; *Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; Proteomics ; Semen ; Spermatogenesis ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; Phosphoproteins ; },
abstract = {The most common phenotype induced by the endosymbiont Wolbachia in insects is cytoplasmic incompatibility, where none or fewer progenies can be produced when Wolbachia-infected males mate with uninfected females. This suggests that some modifications are induced in host sperms during spermatogenesis by Wolbachia. To identify the proteins whose phosphorylation states play essential roles in male reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster, we applied isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based proteomic strategy combined with titanium dioxide (TiO2) enrichment to compare the phosphoproteome of Wolbachia-infected with that of uninfected male reproductive systems in D. melanogaster. We identified 182 phosphopeptides, defining 140 phosphoproteins, that have at least a 1.2 fold change in abundance with a P-value of <0.05. Most of the differentially abundant phosphoproteins (DAPPs) were associated with microtubule cytoskeleton organization and spermatid differentiation. The DAPPs included proteins already known to be associated with spermatogenesis, as well as many not previously studied during this process. Six genes coding for DAPPs were knocked down, respectively, in Wolbachia-free fly testes. Among them, Slmap knockdown caused the most severe damage in spermatogenesis, with no mature sperm observed in seminal vesicles. Immunofluorescence staining showed that the formation of individualization complex composed of actin cones was completely disrupted. These results suggest that Wolbachia may induce wide changes in the abundance of phosphorylated proteins which are closely related to male reproduction. By identifying phospho-modulated proteins we also provide a significant candidate set for future studies on their roles in spermatogenesis.},
}
@article {pmid35266572,
year = {2022},
author = {Matthews, ML and Covey, HO and Drolet, BS and Brelsfoard, CL},
title = {Wolbachia wAlbB inhibits bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic fever viruses in Culicoides midge cells.},
journal = {Medical and veterinary entomology},
volume = {36},
number = {3},
pages = {320-328},
pmid = {35266572},
issn = {1365-2915},
mesh = {Animals ; *Bluetongue ; *Bluetongue virus/physiology ; *Ceratopogonidae/physiology ; *Dengue Virus/genetics ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Sheep ; *Sheep Diseases ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Culicoides midges are hematophagous insects that transmit arboviruses of veterinary importance. These viruses include bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic fever virus (EHDV). The endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis Hertig spreads rapidly through insect host populations and has been demonstrated to inhibit viral pathogen transmission in multiple mosquito vectors. Here, we have demonstrated a replication inhibitory effect on BTV and EHDV in a Wolbachia (wAlbB strain)-infected Culicoides sonorensis Wirth and Jones W8 cell line. Viral replication was significantly reduced by day 5 for BTV and by day 2 for EHDV as detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) of the non-structural NS3 gene of both viruses. Evaluation of innate cellular immune responses as a cause of the inhibitory effect showed responses associated with BTV but not with EHDV infection. Wolbachia density also did not play a role in the observed pathogen inhibitory effects, and an alternative hypothesis is suggested. Applications of Wolbachia-mediated pathogen interference to impact disease transmission by Culicoides midges are discussed.},
}
@article {pmid35264574,
year = {2022},
author = {Klimov, PB and Chetverikov, PE and Dodueva, IE and Vishnyakov, AE and Bolton, SJ and Paponova, SS and Lutova, LA and Tolstikov, AV},
title = {Symbiotic bacteria of the gall-inducing mite Fragariocoptes setiger (Eriophyoidea) and phylogenomic resolution of the eriophyoid position among Acari.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {3811},
pmid = {35264574},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria ; Biological Evolution ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; *Mites/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Plants ; },
abstract = {Eriophyoid mites represent a hyperdiverse, phytophagous lineage with an unclear phylogenetic position. These mites have succeeded in colonizing nearly every seed plant species, and this evolutionary success was in part due to the mites' ability to induce galls in plants. A gall is a unique niche that provides the inducer of this modification with vital resources. The exact mechanism of gall formation is still not understood, even as to whether it is endogenic (mites directly cause galls) or exogenic (symbiotic microorganisms are involved). Here we (i) investigate the phylogenetic affinities of eriophyoids and (ii) use comparative metagenomics to test the hypothesis that the endosymbionts of eriophyoid mites are involved in gall formation. Our phylogenomic analysis robustly inferred eriophyoids as closely related to Nematalycidae, a group of deep-soil mites belonging to Endeostigmata. Our comparative metagenomics, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and electron microscopy experiments identified two candidate endosymbiotic bacteria shared across samples, however, it is unlikely that they are gall inducers (morphotype1: novel Wolbachia, morphotype2: possibly Agrobacterium tumefaciens). We also detected an array of plant pathogens associated with galls that may be vectored by the mites, and we determined a mite pathogenic virus (Betabaculovirus) that could be tested for using in biocontrol of agricultural pest mites.},
}
@article {pmid35256789,
year = {2022},
author = {Adams, KL and Abernathy, DG and Willett, BC and Selland, EK and Itoe, MA and Catteruccia, F},
title = {Author Correction: Wolbachia cifB induces cytoplasmic incompatibility in the malaria mosquito vector.},
journal = {Nature microbiology},
volume = {7},
number = {4},
pages = {600},
doi = {10.1038/s41564-022-01098-9},
pmid = {35256789},
issn = {2058-5276},
}
@article {pmid35252033,
year = {2022},
author = {Yu, S and Wang, J and Luo, X and Zheng, H and Wang, L and Yang, X and Wang, Y},
title = {Transmission-Blocking Strategies Against Malaria Parasites During Their Mosquito Stages.},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {820650},
pmid = {35252033},
issn = {2235-2988},
mesh = {Animals ; *Culicidae ; Humans ; *Malaria/prevention &amp; control ; *Malaria, Falciparum/parasitology ; *Parasites ; Plasmodium falciparum ; },
abstract = {Malaria is still the most widespread parasitic disease and causes the most infections globally. Owing to improvements in sanitary conditions and various intervention measures, including the use of antimalarial drugs, the malaria epidemic in many regions of the world has improved significantly in the past 10 years. However, people living in certain underdeveloped areas are still under threat. Even in some well-controlled areas, the decline in malaria infection rates has stagnated or the rates have rebounded because of the emergence and spread of drug-resistant malaria parasites. Thus, new malaria control methods must be developed. As the spread of the Plasmodium parasite is dependent on the part of its life cycle that occurs in mosquitoes, to eliminate the possibility of malaria infections, transmission-blocking strategies against the mosquito stage should be the first choice. In fact, after the gametocyte enters the mosquito body, it undergoes a series of transformation processes over a short period, thus providing numerous potential blocking targets. Many research groups have carried out studies based on targeting the blocking of transmission during the mosquito phase and have achieved excellent results. Meanwhile, the direct killing of mosquitoes could also significantly reduce the probability of malaria infections. Microorganisms that display complex interactions with Plasmodium, such as Wolbachia and gut flora, have shown observable transmission-blocking potential. These could be used as a biological control strategy and play an important part in blocking the transmission of malaria.},
}
@article {pmid35247466,
year = {2022},
author = {Bojko, J and McCoy, KA and Blakeslee, AMH},
title = {'Candidatus Mellornella promiscua' n. gen. n. sp. (Alphaproteobacteria: Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae): An intracytoplasmic, hepatopancreatic, pathogen of the flatback mud crab, Eurypanopeus depressus.},
journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology},
volume = {190},
number = {},
pages = {107737},
doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2022.107737},
pmid = {35247466},
issn = {1096-0805},
mesh = {*Alphaproteobacteria/genetics ; *Anaplasmataceae/genetics ; Animals ; *Brachyura/genetics ; Ecosystem ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Rickettsiales/genetics ; },
abstract = {Bacterial pathogens are a long-standing threat to the longevity and survival of crustacean hosts. Their presence and continuing emergence require close monitoring to understand their impact on fished, cultured, and wild crustacean populations. We describe a new bacterial pathogen belonging to the Anaplasmataceae family (Alphaproteobacteria: Rickettsiales), providing pathological, ultrastructural, phylogenetic, and genomic evidence to determine a candidate genus and species ('Candidatus Mellornella promiscua'). This bacterium was found to infect the mud crab, Eurypanopeus depressus, on the North Carolina coastline (USA) at a prevalence of 10.8%. 'Candidatus Mellornella promiscua' was often observed in co-infection with the rhizocephalan barnacle, Loxothylacus panopaei. The bacterium was only found in the hepatopancreas of the mud crab host, causing cytoplasmic hypertrophy, tubule necrosis, large plaques within the cytoplasm of the host cell, and an abundance of sex-pili. The circular genome of the bacterium is 1,013,119 bp and encodes 939 genes in total. Phylogenetically, the new bacterium branches within the Anaplasmataceae. The genome is dissimilar from other described bacteria, with 16S gene similarity observed at a maximum of 85.3% to a Wolbachia endosymbiont. We explore this novel bacterial pathogen using genomic, phylogenetic, ultrastructural, and pathological methods, discussing these results in light of current bacterial taxonomy, similarity to other bacterial pathogens, and the potential impact upon the surrounding disease ecology of the host and benthic ecosystem.},
}
@article {pmid35237407,
year = {2022},
author = {Vatandoost, H and Hanafi-Bojd, AA and Nikpoor, F and Raeisi, A and Abai, MR and Zaim, M},
title = {Situation of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors in the World Health Organization of Eastern Mediterranean region 1990-2020.},
journal = {Toxicology research},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {1-21},
pmid = {35237407},
issn = {2045-452X},
abstract = {Malaria is the most important mosquito-borne disease, which is transmitted by Anopheles species. According to the recent report of World Health Organization, there were an estimated 229 million malaria cases in 2019 in 87 malaria endemic countries. There are several vector control method specially using pesticides. The aim of this study was to collect all the data about insecticide resistant of malaria vectors in the Eastern Mediterranean region countries. In this study, all the published papers related to insecticide resistance of malaria vectors in the region were collected and resistant status of vectors in the countries was mapped. Resistance to different insecticide classes such as pyrethroids, organophosphate, organochlorine and carbamates were evaluated using World Health Organization guidelines. Results showed a wide variety of susceptibility/resistance status to these chemicals according to the location, historical context of pesticide used, genetic background of vectors, age and abdominal conditions of adults may play a role in the susceptibility status of these species to different insecticides. The results of this study is providing a guideline for countries to manage their vector control activities against insecticide resistance of malaria vectors and provide novel approaches such as male sterility, using Wolbachia, using new insecticide with new mode of action.},
}
@article {pmid35237241,
year = {2021},
author = {Li, J and Wei, X and Huang, D and Xiao, J},
title = {The Phylosymbiosis Pattern Between the Fig Wasps of the Same Genus and Their Associated Microbiota.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {800190},
pmid = {35237241},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Microbial communities can be critical for many metazoans, which can lead to the observation of phylosymbiosis with phylogenetically related species sharing similar microbial communities. Most of the previous studies on phylosymbiosis were conducted across the host families or genera. However, it is unclear whether the phylosymbiosis signal is still prevalent at lower taxonomic levels. In this study, 54 individuals from six species of the fig wasp genus Ceratosolen (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) collected from nine natural populations and their associated microbiota were investigated. The fig wasp species were morphologically identified and further determined by mitochondrial CO1 gene fragments and nuclear ITS2 sequences, and the V4 region of 16S rRNA gene was sequenced to analyze the bacterial communities. The results suggest a significant positive correlation between host genetic characteristics and microbial diversity characteristics, indicating the phylosymbiosis signal between the phylogeny of insect hosts and the associated microbiota in the lower classification level within a genus. Moreover, we found that the endosymbiotic Wolbachia carried by fig wasps led to a decrease in bacterial diversity of host-associated microbial communities. This study contributes to our understanding of the role of host phylogeny, as well as the role of endosymbionts in shaping the host-associated microbial community.},
}
@article {pmid35236394,
year = {2022},
author = {Collins, MH and Potter, GE and Hitchings, MDT and Butler, E and Wiles, M and Kennedy, JK and Pinto, SB and Teixeira, ABM and Casanovas-Massana, A and Rouphael, NG and Deye, GA and Simmons, CP and Moreira, LA and Nogueira, ML and Cummings, DAT and Ko, AI and Teixeira, MM and Edupuganti, S},
title = {EVITA Dengue: a cluster-randomized controlled trial to EValuate the efficacy of Wolbachia-InfecTed Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in reducing the incidence of Arboviral infection in Brazil.},
journal = {Trials},
volume = {23},
number = {1},
pages = {185},
pmid = {35236394},
issn = {1745-6215},
support = {UL1 TR001863/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Brazil/epidemiology ; Child ; *Dengue/epidemiology/prevention &amp; control ; *Dengue Virus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Wolbachia ; *Zika Virus ; *Zika Virus Infection/epidemiology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti including dengue, Zika, and chikungunya are a major global health problem, with over 2.5 billion at risk for dengue alone. There are no licensed antivirals for these infections, and safe and effective vaccines are not yet widely available. Thus, prevention of arbovirus transmission by vector modification is a novel approach being pursued by multiple researchers. However, the field needs high-quality evidence derived from randomized, controlled trials upon which to base the implementation and maintenance of vector control programs. Here, we report the EVITA Dengue trial design (DMID 17-0111), which assesses the efficacy in decreasing arbovirus transmission of an innovative approach developed by the World Mosquito Program for vector modification of Aedes mosquitoes by Wolbachia pipientis.<br><br>METHODS: DMID 17-0111 is a cluster-randomized trial in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with clusters defined by primary school catchment areas. Clusters (n = 58) will be randomized 1:1 to intervention (release of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes) vs. control (no release). Standard vector control activities (i.e., insecticides and education campaigns for reduction of mosquito breeding sites) will continue as per current practice in the municipality. Participants (n = 3480, 60 per cluster) are children aged 6-11&#x2009;years enrolled in the cluster-defining school and living within the cluster boundaries who will undergo annual serologic surveillance for arboviral infection. The primary objective is to compare sero-incidence of arboviral infection between arms.<br><br>DISCUSSION: DMID 17-0111 aims to determine the efficacy of Wolbachia-infected mosquito releases in reducing human infections by arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti and will complement the mounting evidence for this method from large-scale field releases and ongoing trials. The trial also represents a critical step towards robustness and rigor for how vector control methods are assessed, including the simultaneous measurement and correlation of entomologic and epidemiologic outcomes. Data from this trial will inform further the development of novel vector control methods.<br><br>TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04514107 . Registered on 17 August 2020 Primary sponsor: National Institute of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.},
}
@article {pmid35231415,
year = {2022},
author = {Stuckert, AMM and Matute, DR},
title = {Evolution: Environmental conditions determine how Wolbachia interacts with its host.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {32},
number = {4},
pages = {R178-R180},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.010},
pmid = {35231415},
issn = {1879-0445},
mesh = {Animals ; *Arthropods ; Drosophila melanogaster/microbiology ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is a genus of globally distributed endosymbiotic bacteria found in thousands of species of arthropods and nematodes. One strain, wMel, has spread globally but varies dramatically in frequency. In a new paper, Hague et al. discovered that the interaction of host genotype, symbiont genotype, and environment explains natural wMel variation.},
}
@article {pmid35229443,
year = {2022},
author = {Ashraf, HJ and Ramos Aguila, LC and Akutse, KS and Ilyas, M and Abbasi, A and Li, X and Wang, L},
title = {Comparative microbiome analysis of Diaphorina citri and its associated parasitoids Tamarixia radiata and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis reveals Wolbachia as a dominant endosymbiont.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology},
volume = {24},
number = {3},
pages = {1638-1652},
doi = {10.1111/1462-2920.15948},
pmid = {35229443},
issn = {1462-2920},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria ; *Citrus/microbiology ; *Hemiptera/microbiology ; *Microbiota ; *Wasps ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Microbiome analysis in a host-parasitoid interaction network was conducted to compare the taxonomic composition of bacterial communities of Diaphornia citri, Tamarixia radiata, and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis. The comparative analysis revealed differences in the composition and diversity of the symbiont populations across the host and its associated parasitoids. Proteobacteria was the most dominant phylum, representing 67.80% of the total bacterial community, while Candidatus Profftella armature and Wolbachia were the dominant genera across the host and parasitoids. There were clear differences observed in alpha and beta diversity of microbiota through the host and its associated parasitoids. The function prediction of bacterial communities and Pearson correlation analysis showed that specific bacterial communities displayed positive correlations with the carbohydrate metabolism pathway. Furthermore, when symbiotic bacteria were eliminated using a broad-spectrum antibiotic, tetracycline hydrochloride, the parasitoids' median survival time and longevity were significantly reduced. We confirmed the physiological effects of symbiotic bacteria on the fitness of parasitoids and demonstrated the effect of antibiotics in decreasing the food intake and measurement of amino acids in the hemolymph. This study sheds light on basic information about the mutualism between parasitoids and bacteria, which may be a potential source for biocontrol strategies for citrus psyllid, especially D. citri.},
}
@article {pmid35209944,
year = {2022},
author = {Moretti, R and Lampazzi, E and Damiani, C and Fabbri, G and Lombardi, G and Pioli, C and Desiderio, A and Serrao, A and Calvitti, M},
title = {Increased biting rate and decreased Wolbachia density in irradiated Aedes mosquitoes.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {67},
pmid = {35209944},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {*Aedes/microbiology ; Animals ; Female ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; *Infertility, Male ; Male ; Mosquito Control/methods ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Releasing considerable numbers of radiation-sterilized males is a promising strategy to suppress mosquito vectors. However, releases may also include small percentages of biting females, which translate to non-negligible numbers when releases are large. Currently, the effects of irradiation on host-seeking and host-biting behaviors have not been exhaustively investigated. Information is also lacking regarding the effects of sterilizing treatment on the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia, which is known to affect the vector competence of infected mosquitos.<br><br>METHODS: To ascertain the effects of irradiation on females, the pupae of two Aedes albopictus strains, differing in their natural or artificial Wolbachia infection type, and Aedes aegypti-which is not infected by Wolbachia-were treated with various doses of X-rays and monitored for key fitness parameters and biting behavior over a period of 2 weeks. The effect of radiation on Wolbachia was investigated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis.<br><br>RESULTS: Partial Aedes albopictus female sterility was achieved at 28&#xa0;Gy, but the number of weekly bites more than doubled compared to that of the controls. Radiation doses of 35 and 45&#xa0;Gy completely inhibited progeny production but did not significantly affect the survival or flight ability of Ae. albopictus females and caused a tripling of the number of bites per female per week (compared to untreated controls). These results were also confirmed in Ae. aegypti after treatment at 50&#xa0;Gy. Wolbachia density decreased significantly in 45-Gy-irradiated females, with the greatest decreases in the early irradiation group (26&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;2-h-old pupae). Wolbachia density also decreased as adults aged. This trend was confirmed in ovaries but not in extra-ovarian tissues. FISH analysis showed a strongly reduced Wolbachia-specific fluorescence in the ovaries of 13&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;1-day-old females.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, under sterile insect technique (SIT) programs, the vector capacity of a target population could increase with the frequency of the irradiated females co-released with the sterile males due to an increased biting rate. In the context of successful suppression, the related safety issues are expected to be generally negligible, but they should be conservatively evaluated when large-scale programs relying on imperfect sexing and high overflooding release ratios are run for long periods in areas endemic for arboviral diseases. Also, the effects of irradiation on the vector competence deserve further investigation.},
}
@article {pmid35206789,
year = {2022},
author = {Damiani, C and Cappelli, A and Comandatore, F and Montarsi, F and Serrao, A and Michelutti, A and Bertola, M and Mancini, MV and Ricci, I and Bandi, C and Favia, G},
title = {Wolbachia in Aedes koreicus: Rare Detections and Possible Implications.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {2},
pages = {},
pmid = {35206789},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {The emerging distribution of new alien mosquito species was recently described in Europe. In addition to the invasion of Aedes albopictus, several studies have focused on monitoring and controlling other invasive Aedes species, as Aedes koreicus and Aedes japonicus. Considering the increasing development of insecticide resistance in Aedes mosquitoes, new control strategies, including the use of bacterial host symbionts, are proposed. However, little is known about the bacterial communities associated with these species, thus the identification of possible candidates for Symbiotic Control is currently limited. The characterization of the natural microbiota of field-collected Ae. koreicus mosquitoes from North-East Italy through PCR screening, identified native infections of Wolbachia in this species that is also largely colonized by Asaia bacteria. Since Asaia and Wolbachia are proposed as novel tools for Symbiotic Control, our study supports their use for innovative control strategies against new invasive species. Although the presence of Asaia was previously characterized in Ae. koreicus, our study characterized this Wolbachia strain, also inferring its phylogenetic position. The co-presence of Wolbachia and Asaia may provide additional information about microbial competition in mosquito, and to select suitable phenotypes for the suppression of pathogen transmission and for the manipulation of host reproduction in Ae. koreicus.},
}
@article {pmid35206699,
year = {2022},
author = {Ilinsky, Y and Lapshina, V and Verzhutsky, D and Fedorova, Y and Medvedev, S},
title = {Genetic Evidence of an Isolation Barrier between Flea Subspecies of Citellophilus tesquorum (Wagner, 1898) (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae).},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {2},
pages = {},
pmid = {35206699},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {This study investigated the relationship between two subspecies of the Citellophilus tesquorum flea, C. t. altaicus and C. t. sungaris, which are vectors of the bacterium Yersinia pestis that causes human plague across the vast territories of the Palearctic. Adult fleas were collected from 16 localities and 11 populations in 2019 and 2020. Specimens were morphologically verified for subspecies status and analysed for mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA, nuclear ribosomal cluster internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and ITS2, and Wolbachia-infection status. Our results demonstrated a genetic difference between C. t. altaicus and C. t. sungaris. According to mitochondrial data, the genetic distance between clades of C. t. altaicus and C. t. sungaris was comparable with the species divergence of the genus Callopsylla, which is closely related to Citellophilus. All studied populations of C. t. altaicus were Wolbachia-infected, whereas all studied populations of C. t. sungaris were symbiont-free. Data for ITS1 and ITS2 had much lower phylogenetic signals than mitochondrial data; however, diagnostic substitutions for C. t. altaicus and C. t. sungaris delimitation were also revealed. Analysis of a hardly accessible report on cross experiments allowed us to conclude the partial postzygotic isolation between these subspecies. Taken together, the molecular-genetic, geographical, morphological, and reproductive isolation findings verified that C. t. altaicus and C. t. sungaris subspecies could be considered as different species.},
}
@article {pmid35196357,
year = {2022},
author = {Ross, PA and Robinson, KL and Yang, Q and Callahan, AG and Schmidt, TL and Axford, JK and Coquilleau, MP and Staunton, KM and Townsend, M and Ritchie, SA and Lau, MJ and Gu, X and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {A decade of stability for wMel Wolbachia in natural Aedes aegypti populations.},
journal = {PLoS pathogens},
volume = {18},
number = {2},
pages = {e1010256},
pmid = {35196357},
issn = {1553-7374},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; *Arboviruses ; Australia ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia endosymbionts are being released in many countries for arbovirus control. The wMel strain of Wolbachia blocks Aedes-borne virus transmission and can spread throughout mosquito populations by inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying wMel were first released into the field in Cairns, Australia, over a decade ago, and with wider releases have resulted in the near elimination of local dengue transmission. The long-term stability of Wolbachia effects is critical for ongoing disease suppression, requiring tracking of phenotypic and genomic changes in Wolbachia infections following releases. We used a combination of field surveys, phenotypic assessments, and Wolbachia genome sequencing to show that wMel has remained stable in its effects for up to a decade in Australian Ae. aegypti populations. Phenotypic comparisons of wMel-infected and uninfected mosquitoes from near-field and long-term laboratory populations suggest limited changes in the effects of wMel on mosquito fitness. Treating mosquitoes with antibiotics used to cure the wMel infection had limited effects on fitness in the next generation, supporting the use of tetracycline for generating uninfected mosquitoes without off-target effects. wMel has a temporally stable within-host density and continues to induce complete cytoplasmic incompatibility. A comparison of wMel genomes from pre-release (2010) and nine years post-release (2020) populations show few genomic differences and little divergence between release locations, consistent with the lack of phenotypic changes. These results indicate that releases of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes for population replacement are likely to be effective for many years, but ongoing monitoring remains important to track potential evolutionary changes.},
}
@article {pmid35192040,
year = {2022},
author = {Detcharoen, M and Nilsai, A},
title = {Low Endosymbiont Incidence in Drosophila Species Across Peninsula Thailand.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {35192040},
issn = {1432-184X},
abstract = {Arthropods are known to harbor several endosymbionts, such as Cardinium, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma, and Wolbachia. Wolbachia, for example, are the most widespread known endosymbionts in the world, which are found in about half of all arthropod species. To increase their transmission, these endosymbionts must manipulate their hosts in several ways such as cytoplasmic incompatibility and male killing. In tropical regions, endosymbiont diversity has not been studied exhaustively. Here, we checked four endosymbionts, including Cardinium, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma, and Wolbachia, in eleven Drosophila species found in Thai Peninsula. The Wolbachia strain wRi-like was found in all populations of Drosophila ananassae and Drosophila simulans. Furthermore, we found two new strains, wMalA and wMalB, in two populations of Drosophila malerkotliana. Besides Wolbachia, we did not find any of the above endosymbionts in all fly species. This work reveals the hidden diversity of endosymbionts in Drosophila and is the first exhaustive study on Drosophila in the region.},
}
@article {pmid35183553,
year = {2022},
author = {Konecka, E},
title = {Fifty shades of bacterial endosymbionts and some of them still remain a mystery: Wolbachia and Cardinium in oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida).},
journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology},
volume = {189},
number = {},
pages = {107733},
doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2022.107733},
pmid = {35183553},
issn = {1096-0805},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria ; Bacteroidetes ; *Mites/microbiology ; Phylogeny ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is the most abundant intracellular symbiont among terrestrial Arthropoda. This bacterium together with other microorganisms, i.e., Cardinium, gained fame mainly as the causative agent of host sex-ratio distortion. Across the impressive diversity of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida), the microbes have been found in both parthenogenetic (Oppiella nova, Ceratozetes thienemanni, Hypochthonius rufulus) as well as sexually-reproducing (Gustavia microcephala, Achipteria coleoptrata, Microzetorchestes emeryi, Damaeus onustus) species. Wolbachia found in Oribatida represents supergroup E and is related to bacterial endosymbionts of springtails (Hexapoda: Collembola). Cardinium identified in O. nova and M. emeryi belongs to phylogenetic group A. In turn, Cardinium from A. coleoptrata constitutes a new separate group E. The occurrence of these bacterial endosymbionts in parthenogenetic and sexual oribatid mites species may suggests a different function other than manipulating host reproduction. Indeed, endosymbionts may have various "shades" of functions in invertebrate hosts, some of which cannot be excluded in the oribatid mites, e.g., enriching a nutrient-limited diet with B vitamins or contributing to host adaptation to colder and harsher climates. Nevertheless, the mystery behind the roles of bacteria in Oribatida still needs required to be unraveled.},
}
@article {pmid35175127,
year = {2022},
author = {Gharabigloozare, Y and Wähling, A and Bleidorn, C},
title = {Whole-Genome Sequence of the Wolbachia Strain wTcon, an Endosymbiont of the Confused Flour Beetle, Tribolium confusum.},
journal = {Microbiology resource announcements},
volume = {11},
number = {2},
pages = {e0114421},
pmid = {35175127},
issn = {2576-098X},
abstract = {Up to 60% of insects are infected with symbiont intracellular alphaproteobacteria of the genus Wolbachia, which are often able to manipulate their host's reproduction. Here, we report the annotated draft genome sequence of strain wTcon from the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum, based on long- and short-read sequence data. The assembled genome is located on 12 contigs with a total size of 1,418,452 bp.},
}
@article {pmid35172009,
year = {2022},
author = {Rutins, I and Schannauer, S and Orellana, S and Laukhuff, H and Lang, E and Becker, T and McKinney, E and Thomas, K and Tilden, V and Swartz, M and Blair, JE},
title = {Genetic Diversity and Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) Prevalence Within a Remnant Population of Regal Fritillary, Argynnis idalia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), in South-Central Pennsylvania.},
journal = {Journal of insect science (Online)},
volume = {22},
number = {1},
pages = {},
pmid = {35172009},
issn = {1536-2442},
mesh = {Animals ; *Butterflies/genetics/microbiology ; Female ; Genetic Variation ; Pennsylvania ; Prevalence ; United States ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Eastern populations of the North American regal fritillary, Argynnis idalia Drury (1773), have been largely extirpated over the past half century. Here we report on the last remaining population of eastern regal fritillaries, located within a military installation in south-central Pennsylvania. Samples were obtained from field specimens during two years of annual monitoring, and from females collected for captive rearing over a five year period. Nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial sequence data do not suggest subdivision within this population, but excess nuclear homozygosity indicates negative impacts on genetic diversity likely due to small population size and potential inbreeding effects. Molecular assays did not detect Wolbachia endosymbionts in field specimens of regal fritillary, but sympatric Argynnis sister species showed high prevalence of Wolbachia infected individuals. Our results inform ongoing conservation and reintroduction projects, designed to protect the last remaining regal fritillary population from extirpation in the eastern United States.},
}
@article {pmid35171977,
year = {2022},
author = {Gagalova, KK and Whitehill, JGA and Culibrk, L and Lin, D and Lévesque-Tremblay, V and Keeling, CI and Coombe, L and Yuen, MMS and Birol, I and Bohlmann, J and Jones, SJM},
title = {The genome of the forest insect pest Pissodes strobi reveals genome expansion and evidence of a Wolbachia endosymbiont.},
journal = {G3 (Bethesda, Md.)},
volume = {12},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {35171977},
issn = {2160-1836},
mesh = {Animals ; Forests ; Insecta ; *Picea/genetics ; *Weevils/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {The highly diverse insect family of true weevils, Curculionidae, includes many agricultural and forest pests. Pissodes strobi, commonly known as the spruce weevil or white pine weevil, is a major pest of spruce and pine forests in North America. Pissodes strobi larvae feed on the apical shoots of young trees, causing stunted growth and can destroy regenerating spruce or pine forests. Here, we describe the nuclear and mitochondrial Pissodes strobi genomes and their annotations, as well as the genome of an apparent Wolbachia endosymbiont. We report a substantial expansion of the weevil nuclear genome, relative to other Curculionidae species, possibly driven by an abundance of class II DNA transposons. The endosymbiont observed belongs to a group (supergroup A) of Wolbachia species that generally form parasitic relationships with their arthropod host.},
}
@article {pmid35166193,
year = {2022},
author = {Yan, R and Sun, Q},
title = {Uniqueness and stability of periodic solutions for an interactive wild and Wolbachia-infected male mosquito model.},
journal = {Journal of biological dynamics},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {254-276},
doi = {10.1080/17513758.2022.2037760},
pmid = {35166193},
issn = {1751-3766},
mesh = {Animals ; *Culicidae ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Mosquito Vectors ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {We investigate a mosquito population suppression model, which includes the release of Wolbachia-infected males causing incomplete cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). The model consists of two sub-equations by considering the density-dependent birth rate of wild mosquitoes. By assuming the release waiting period T is larger than the sexual lifespan T¯ of Wolbachia-infected males, we derive four thresholds: the CI intensity threshold sh∗, the release amount thresholds g∗ and c∗, and the waiting period threshold T∗. From a biological view, we assume sh>sh∗ throughout the paper. When g∗<c<c∗, we prove the origin E0 is locally asymptotically stable iff T<T∗, and the model admits a unique T-periodic solution iff T≥T∗, which is globally asymptotically stable. When c≥c∗, we show the origin E0 is globally asymptotically stable iff T≤T∗, and the model has a unique T-periodic solution iff T>T∗, which is globally asymptotically stable. Our theoretical results are confirmed by numerical simulations.},
}
@article {pmid35162074,
year = {2022},
author = {Skinner, KM and Underwood, J and Ghosh, A and Oliva Chavez, AS and Brelsfoard, CL},
title = {Wolbachia Impacts Anaplasma Infection in Ixodes scapularis Tick Cells.},
journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health},
volume = {19},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {35162074},
issn = {1660-4601},
mesh = {*Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; *Anaplasmosis ; Animals ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; *Ixodes/microbiology ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {The specific interactions of members of tick bacterial microbiota and their effects on pathogen transmission remains relatively unexplored. Here, we introduced a novel Wolbachia infection type into Ixodes scapularis tick cells and examined the antipathogenic effects on the intracellular pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum. An increase in A. phagocytophilum replication was observed in Wolbachia-infected tick cells. However, Wolbachia infection densities decreased when cells were serially passaged and ultimately the infection was lost. Host-cell immune response was also examined as an additional factor that could have affected A. phagocytophilum replication in Wolbachia-infected cells. In early passages post-Wolbachia infection, a decreased immune response was observed, but in later passages of cells with low Wolbachia densities, there was no change in the immune response. The results are discussed in relation to the importance of studying the interactions of the tick microbiota, the host cell, and the pathogen and the development of novel tick and tick-borne disease-control approaches.},
}
@article {pmid35140881,
year = {2022},
author = {Schrieke, H and Maignien, L and Constancias, F and Trigodet, F and Chakloute, S and Rakotoarivony, I and Marie, A and L'Ambert, G and Makoundou, P and Pages, N and Murat Eren, A and Weill, M and Sicard, M and Reveillaud, J},
title = {The mosquito microbiome includes habitat-specific but rare symbionts.},
journal = {Computational and structural biotechnology journal},
volume = {20},
number = {},
pages = {410-420},
pmid = {35140881},
issn = {2001-0370},
abstract = {Microbial communities are known to influence mosquito lifestyles by modifying essential metabolic and behavioral processes that affect reproduction, development, immunity, digestion, egg survival, and the ability to transmit pathogens. Many studies have used 16S rRNA gene amplicons to characterize mosquito microbiota and investigate factors that influence host-microbiota dynamics. However, a relatively low taxonomic resolution due to clustering methods based on arbitrary threshold and the overall dominance of Wolbachia or Asaia symbionts obscured the investigation of rare members of mosquito microbiota in previous studies. Here, we used high resolution Shannon entropy-based oligotyping approach to analyze the microbiota of Culex pipiens, Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes individuals from continental Southern France and overseas Guadeloupe as well as from laboratories with or without antibiotics treatment. Our experimental design that resulted in a series of mosquito samples with a gradient of Wolbachia density and relative abundance along with high-resolution analyses of amplicon sequences enabled the recovery of a robust signal from typically less accessible bacterial taxa. Our data confirm species-specific mosquito-bacteria associations with geography as a primary factor that influences bacterial community structure. But interestingly, they also reveal co-occurring symbiotic bacterial variants within single individuals for both Elizabethkingia and Erwinia genera, distinct and specific Asaia and Chryseobacterium in continental and overseas territories, and a putative rare Wolbachia variant. Overall, our study reveals the presence of previously overlooked microdiversity and multiple closely related symbiotic strains within mosquito individuals with a remarkable habitat-specificity.},
}
@article {pmid35135613,
year = {2022},
author = {Zhang, XL and Deng, YP and Yang, T and Li, LY and Cheng, TY and Liu, GH and Duan, DY},
title = {Metagenomics of the midgut microbiome of Rhipicephalus microplus from China.},
journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {48},
pmid = {35135613},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {*Anaplasmosis ; Animals ; Cattle ; *Cattle Diseases ; Female ; Metagenomics ; *Microbiota/genetics ; *Rhipicephalus/genetics ; *Tick Infestations/veterinary ; *Tick-Borne Diseases ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Ticks, which are ectoparasites of animals, may carry multiple pathogens. The cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus is an important bovine parasite in China. However, the midgut microbiome of R. microplus from China has not been characterized via metagenomic methods.<br><br>METHODS: Rhipicephalus microplus were collected from cattle in the city of Changsha in Hunan province, China. The DNA of the midgut contents was extracted from fully engorged adult female R. microplus. A DNA library was constructed and sequenced using an Illumina HiSeq sequencing platform. SOAPdenovo software was used to assemble and analyze the clean data. The latent class analysis algorithm applied to system classification by MEGAN software was used to annotate the information on the species' sequences. DIAMOND software was used to compare unigenes with the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, and functional annotation was carried out based on the results of the comparison.<br><br>RESULTS: The dominant phyla in the five samples were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. Streptococcus, Mycobacterium, Anaplasma, Enterococcus, Shigella, Lactobacillus, Brachyspira, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Bacillus, and Lactococcus were the dominant genera in the five samples. The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia was also detected in all of the samples. Mycobacterium malmesburyense, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Enterococcus faecium, Shigella sonnei, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus casei, Brachyspira hampsonii, Pseudomonas syringae, Enterobacter cloacae, and Lactococcus garvieae were the dominant species in the five samples. In addition to these bacterial species, we also detected some eukaryotes, such as Rhizophagus irregularis, Enterospora canceri, Smittium culicis, Zancudomyces culisetae, Trachipleistophora hominis, and viruses such as orf virus, human endogenous retrovirus type W, enzootic nasal tumor virus of goats, bovine retrovirus CH15, and galidia endogenous retrovirus in all of the samples at the species level. The results of the annotated KEGG pathway predictions for the gene functions of the midgut microflora of R. microplus indicated genes involved in lipid and amino acid metabolism, infectious diseases (e.g., Streptococcus pneumonia infection, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, Shigella sonnei infection, Salmonella enterica infection, and pathogenic Escherichia coli infection), and cancer.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that the midgut microbiome of R. microplus is not only composed of a large number of bacteria, but that a portion also comprises eukaryotes and viruses. The data presented here enhance our understanding of this tick's midgut microbiome and provide fundamental information for the control of ticks and tick-borne diseases.},
}
@article {pmid35134330,
year = {2022},
author = {Horard, B and Terretaz, K and Gosselin-Grenet, AS and Sobry, H and Sicard, M and Landmann, F and Loppin, B},
title = {Paternal transmission of the Wolbachia CidB toxin underlies cytoplasmic incompatibility.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {32},
number = {6},
pages = {1319-1331.e5},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.052},
pmid = {35134330},
issn = {1879-0445},
mesh = {Animals ; *Culex/genetics ; Cytoplasm ; Cytosol ; Drosophila ; Male ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia are widespread endosymbiotic bacteria that manipulate the reproduction of arthropods through a diversity of cellular mechanisms. In cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), a sterility syndrome originally discovered in the mosquito Culex pipiens, uninfected eggs fertilized by sperm from infected males are selectively killed during embryo development following the abortive segregation of paternal chromosomes in the zygote. Despite the recent discovery of Wolbachia CI factor (cif) genes, the mechanism by which they control the fate of paternal chromosomes at fertilization remains unknown. Here, we have analyzed the cytological distribution and cellular impact of CidA and CidB, a pair of Cif proteins from the Culex-infecting Wolbachia strain wPip. We show that expression of CidB in Drosophila S2R+ cells induces apoptosis unless CidA is co-expressed and associated with its partner. In transgenic Drosophila testes, both effectors colocalize in germ cells until the histone-to-protamine transition in which only CidB is retained in maturing spermatid nuclei. We further show that CidB is similarly targeted to maturing sperm of naturally infected Culex mosquitoes. At fertilization, CidB associates with paternal DNA regions exhibiting DNA replication stress, as a likely cause of incomplete replication of paternal chromosomes at the onset of the first mitosis. Importantly, we demonstrate that inactivation of the deubiquitylase activity of CidB does not abolish its cell toxicity or its ability to induce CI in Drosophila. Our study thus demonstrates that CI functions as a transgenerational toxin-antidote system and suggests that CidB acts by poisoning paternal DNA replication in incompatible crosses.},
}
@article {pmid35134226,
year = {2022},
author = {Colgan, TJ and Arce, AN and Gill, RJ and Ramos Rodrigues, A and Kanteh, A and Duncan, EJ and Li, L and Chittka, L and Wurm, Y},
title = {Genomic Signatures of Recent Adaptation in a Wild Bumblebee.},
journal = {Molecular biology and evolution},
volume = {39},
number = {2},
pages = {},
pmid = {35134226},
issn = {1537-1719},
support = {BB/K004204/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB/T015683/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Bees/genetics ; *Ecosystem ; *Genomics ; },
abstract = {Environmental changes threaten insect pollinators, creating risks for agriculture and ecosystem stability. Despite their importance, we know little about how wild insects respond to environmental pressures. To understand the genomic bases of adaptation in an ecologically important pollinator, we analyzed genomes of Bombus terrestris bumblebees collected across Great Britain. We reveal extensive genetic diversity within this population, and strong signatures of recent adaptation throughout the genome affecting key processes including neurobiology and wing development. We also discover unusual features of the genome, including a region containing 53 genes that lacks genetic diversity in many bee species, and a horizontal gene transfer from a Wolbachia bacteria. Overall, the genetic diversity we observe and how it is distributed throughout the genome and the population should support the resilience of this important pollinator species to ongoing and future selective pressures. Applying our approach to more species should help understand how they can differ in their adaptive potential, and to develop conservation strategies for those most at risk.},
}
@article {pmid35132164,
year = {2022},
author = {Xu, W and Wang, Y and Wang, YH and Zhang, YN and Wang, JF},
title = {Diversity and dynamics of bacteria at the Chrysomya megacephala pupal stage revealed by third-generation sequencing.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {2006},
pmid = {35132164},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteroidetes/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; Calliphoridae/*microbiology ; Erysipelothrix/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Firmicutes/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; Forensic Entomology ; Gammaproteobacteria/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; *Microbiota/genetics/physiology ; Proteobacteria/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; Pupa/*microbiology ; RNA, Bacterial/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, RNA/*methods ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; },
abstract = {Characterization of the microbial community is essential for understanding the symbiotic relationships between microbes and host insects. Chrysomya megacephala is a vital resource, a forensic insect, a pollinator, and a vector for enteric bacteria, protozoa, helminths, and viruses. However, research on its microbial community is incomprehensive, particularly at the pupal stage, which comprises approximately half of the entire larval development stage and is important entomological evidence in forensic medicine. For the first time, this study investigated the bacterial communities of C. megacephala pupae at different ages using third-generation sequencing technology. The results showed that C. megacephala has a diverse and dynamic bacterial community. Cluster analysis at ≥ 97% similarity produced 154 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that belonged to 10 different phyla and were distributed into 15 classes, 28 orders, 50 families, 88 genera, and 130 species. Overall, the number of bacterial OTUs increased with the development of pupae, and the relative abundance of Wolbachia in the Day5 group was significantly lower than that in the other groups. Within the pupal stage, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla of bacteria. At the genus level, Wolbachia and Ignatzschineria coexisted, a rarely known feature. In addition, we found Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, the etiological agent of swine erysipelas, which is rarely identified in insects. This study enriches the understanding of the microbial community of C. megacephala and provides a reference for better utilization and control of C. megacephala.},
}
@article {pmid35127567,
year = {2021},
author = {Mao, W and Zeng, Q and She, L and Yuan, H and Luo, Y and Wang, R and She, Y and Wang, W and Wang, C and Pan, X},
title = {Wolbachia Utilizes lncRNAs to Activate the Anti-Dengue Toll Pathway and Balance Reactive Oxygen Species Stress in Aedes aegypti Through a Competitive Endogenous RNA Network.},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
volume = {11},
number = {},
pages = {823403},
pmid = {35127567},
issn = {2235-2988},
mesh = {*Aedes/genetics ; Animals ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; *MicroRNAs/genetics ; *RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics/metabolism ; RNA, Messenger/genetics ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA), a class of RNA molecules without protein coding potential, are more than 200 nucleotides in length and widely present in a variety of species. Although increasing progress in regard to the determination of lncRNA function has been made in vertebrates, Aedes aegypti lncRNAs were only identified recently and the functions of few lncRNAs have been annotated so far. Herein, the genome-wide alteration of the lncRNA expression profile trigged by Wolbachia wAlbB infection was investigated by comparing A. aegypti Aag2 cells and W-Aag2 cells infected with Wolbachia wAlbB. Based on lncRNA sequencing, 3035 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE lncRNAs) in total were identified upon Wolbachia infection, which were further validated by quantitative PCR. The constructed co-expression network of DE lncRNAs and mRNAs revealed that Wolbachia-induced DE lncRNAs were highly enriched in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway via trans-activity, according to the KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. In addition, the established competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network identifies the DE lncRNAs enriched in cellular oxidant detoxification based on GO enrichment analysis. Furthermore, silencing of aae-lnc-7598, the significantly up-regulated lncRNA with the highest fold change induced by Wolbachia, caused a significant reduction of antioxidant catalase 1B (CAT1B) gene expression as well as the enhancement of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in living cells. These findings indicate that Wolbachia manipulates lncRNA to balance intracellular ROS stress and ensure its endosymbiosis in host A. aegypti. Notably, the function assay demonstrated that aae-lnc-0165 suppressed by Wolbachia could induce expression of the REL1 gene, the key regulator of downstream Toll pathway, through the sequence-specific binding of aae-miR-980-5p, which contributes to the activation of Toll pathway. Moreover, the depletion of aae-lnc-0165 caused the suppression of mitochondrial ROS levels in living cells. Our data reveal that Wolbachia activates the anti-dengue Toll pathway through a lncRNA-ceRNA pattern. Taken together, our finding suggested that Wolbachia utilizes lncRNAs to activate host anti-dengue Toll pathway via a ceRNA network. Moreover, Wolbachia employs lncRNAs to ensure ROS homeostasis for ROS-based anti-dengue defense through either trans-regulation or the ceRNA network. This study identifies novel potential molecular biomarkers for prevention and control of epidemic dengue.},
}
@article {pmid35127140,
year = {2022},
author = {Turelli, M and Barton, NH},
title = {Why did the Wolbachia transinfection cross the road? drift, deterministic dynamics, and disease control.},
journal = {Evolution letters},
volume = {6},
number = {1},
pages = {92-105},
pmid = {35127140},
issn = {2056-3744},
abstract = {Maternally inherited Wolbachia transinfections are being introduced into natural mosquito populations to reduce the transmission of dengue, Zika, and other arboviruses. Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility provides a frequency-dependent reproductive advantage to infected females that can spread transinfections within and among populations. However, because transinfections generally reduce host fitness, they tend to spread within populations only after their frequency exceeds a critical threshold. This produces bistability with stable equilibrium frequencies at both 0 and 1, analogous to the bistability produced by underdominance between alleles or karyotypes and by population dynamics under Allee effects. Here, we analyze how stochastic frequency variation produced by finite population size can facilitate the local spread of variants with bistable dynamics into areas where invasion is unexpected from deterministic models. Our exemplar is the establishment of wMel Wolbachia in the Aedes aegypti population of Pyramid Estates (PE), a small community in far north Queensland, Australia. In 2011, wMel was stably introduced into Gordonvale, separated from PE by barriers to A. aegypti dispersal. After nearly 6 years during which wMel was observed only at low frequencies in PE, corresponding to an apparent equilibrium between immigration and selection, wMel rose to fixation by 2018. Using analytic approximations and statistical analyses, we demonstrate that the observed fixation of wMel at PE is consistent with both stochastic transition past an unstable threshold frequency and deterministic transformation produced by steady immigration at a rate just above the threshold required for deterministic invasion. The indeterminacy results from a delicate balance of parameters needed to produce the delayed transition observed. Our analyses suggest that once Wolbachia transinfections are established locally through systematic introductions, stochastic "threshold crossing" is likely to only minimally enhance spatial spread, providing a local ratchet that slightly-but systematically-aids area-wide transformation of disease-vector populations in heterogeneous landscapes.},
}
@article {pmid35126329,
year = {2021},
author = {Zheng, Z and Zhao, M and Zhang, Z and Hu, X and Xu, Y and Wei, C and He, H},
title = {Lactic Acid Bacteria Are Prevalent in the Infrabuccal Pockets and Crops of Ants That Prefer Aphid Honeydew.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {785016},
pmid = {35126329},
issn = {1664-302X},
abstract = {Ants are evolutionarily successful species and occupy diverse trophic and habitat niches on the earth. To fulfill dietary requirements, ants have established commensalism with both sap-feeding insects and bacteria. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to characterize the bacterial composition and structure of the digestive tracts in three species of Formica ants and Lasius niger (Linnaeus)-species that predominantly feed on honeydew secreted by aphids. We found that bacterial communities displayed species- and colony-level signatures, and that bacterial communities in the infrabuccal pockets and crops were different from those in the midguts and hindguts. Lactobacillus and Wolbachia were dominant in the infrabuccal pockets and crops of workers, whereas Wolbachia was dominant in the midguts, hindguts and brood (larvae, pupae and cocoons). To learn more about the dominant Lactobacillus in ants, we assessed its prevalence in a wide range of aphid-tending ants using diagnostic PCR. We found that Lactobacillus was more prevalent in Formicinae than in Myrmicinae species. We also isolated four strains of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, Lactobacillus lindneri, Weissella cibaria and Fructobacillus sp.) from the infrabuccal pockets and crops of aphid-tending ants using a culture-dependent method. Two predominant lactic acid bacterial isolates, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis (La2) and Weissella cibaria (La3), exhibited abilities in catabolizing sugars (sucrose, trehalose, melezitose and raffinose) known to be constituents of hemipteran honeydew. These findings contribute to further understanding the association between ants, aphids and bacteria, and provide additional information on the function of lactic acid bacteria in ants.},
}
@article {pmid35124699,
year = {2022},
author = {Doremus, MR and Stouthamer, CM and Kelly, SE and Schmitz-Esser, S and Hunter, MS},
title = {Quality over quantity: unraveling the contributions to cytoplasmic incompatibility caused by two coinfecting Cardinium symbionts.},
journal = {Heredity},
volume = {128},
number = {3},
pages = {187-195},
pmid = {35124699},
issn = {1365-2540},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteroidetes/genetics ; Cytoplasm/microbiology ; Female ; Male ; Reproduction ; Symbiosis ; *Wasps/genetics/microbiology ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is a common form of reproductive sabotage caused by maternally inherited bacterial symbionts of arthropods. CI is a two-step manipulation: first, the symbiont modifies sperm in male hosts which results in the death of fertilized, uninfected embryos. Second, when females are infected with a compatible strain, the symbiont reverses sperm modification in the fertilized egg, allowing offspring of infected females to survive and spread the symbiont to high frequencies in a population. Although CI plays a role in arthropod evolution, the mechanism of CI is unknown for many symbionts. Cardinium hertigii is a common CI-inducing symbiont of arthropods, including parasitoid wasps like Encarsia partenopea. This wasp harbors two Cardinium strains, cEina2 and cEina3, and exhibits strong CI. The strains infect wasps at different densities, with the cEina3 present at a lower density than cEina2, and it was previously not known which strain caused CI. By differentially curing wasps of cEina3, we found that this low-density symbiont is responsible for CI and modifies males during their pupal stage. cEina2 does not modify host reproduction and may spread by 'hitchhiking' with cEina3 CI or by conferring an unknown benefit. The cEina3 strain also shows a unique localization pattern in male reproductive tissues. Instead of infecting sperm like other CI-inducing symbionts, cEina3 cells are found in somatic cells at the testis base and around the seminal vesicle. This may allow the low-density cEina3 to efficiently modify host males and suggests that cEina3 uses a different modification strategy than sperm-infecting CI symbionts.},
}
@article {pmid35124068,
year = {2022},
author = {Alonso, AC and Stein, M and Matías Hisgen, C and Micieli, MV},
title = {Abiotic factors affecting the prevalence of Wolbachia (Rickettsiaceae) in immature Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Culicidae).},
journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology},
volume = {189},
number = {},
pages = {107730},
doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2022.107730},
pmid = {35124068},
issn = {1096-0805},
mesh = {*Aedes/microbiology ; Animals ; Prevalence ; *Rickettsiaceae ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is a genus of gram-negative endosymbiotic bacterium of maternal transmission, located mainly in the gonads of arthropods, including mosquitoes such as Aedes albopictus. The current distribution of Ae. albopictus in Argentina is restricted to the subtropical northeastern region of the country. Here, we studied the seasonal prevalence of Wolbachia detected in Ae. albopictus larvae and the relationship between the abiotic factors of the larval microhabitat and the infection status, in Eldorado city, Misiones province, subtropical region. The prevalence of Wolbachia infection found was 76.89% (n = 312). From the total samples examined, 52.80% (n = 214) showed double infection with the wAlbA/wAlbB strains, 23.84% (n = 97) infection only with wAlbB, and 0.25% (n = 1) only with wAlbA. The prevalence of double infection did not present statistically significant differences between the sites studied. For single infection, the lowest prevalence value of the wAlbB strain (13.33%) was found in the natural park, whereas the highest was found in the family dwellings and cemeteries. Tire repair shops showed an intermediate value. The wAlbA single infection was identified once. Our results also showed an association between temperature and slightly turbid waters with exposure to the sun in the larval habitats and the probability of infection by Wolbachia.},
}
@article {pmid35116014,
year = {2021},
author = {Gendrin, M and Favia, G and Herren, JK},
title = {Editorial: Microbiota: A Consequential Third Wheel in the Mosquito-Pathogen Relationship.},
journal = {Frontiers in microbiology},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {811880},
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2021.811880},
pmid = {35116014},
issn = {1664-302X},
}
@article {pmid35115867,
year = {2022},
author = {Raupach, MJ and Rulik, B and Spelda, J},
title = {Surprisingly high genetic divergence of the mitochondrial DNA barcode fragment (COI) within Central European woodlice species (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea).},
journal = {ZooKeys},
volume = {1082},
number = {},
pages = {103-125},
pmid = {35115867},
issn = {1313-2989},
abstract = {DNA barcoding has become the most popular approach for species identification in recent years. As part of the German Barcode of Life project, the first DNA barcode library for terrestrial and freshwater isopods from Germany is presented. The analyzed barcode library included 38 terrestrial (78% of the documented species of Germany) and five freshwater (63%) species. A total of 513 new barcodes was generated and 518 DNA barcodes were analyzed. This analysis revealed surprisingly high intraspecific genetic distances for numerous species, with a maximum of 29.4% for Platyarthrushoffmannseggii Brandt, 1833. The number of BINs per species ranged from one (32 species, 68%) to a maximum of six for Trachelipusrathkii (Brandt, 1833). In spite of such high intraspecific variability, interspecific distances with values between 12.6% and 29.8% allowed a valid species assignment of all analyzed isopods. The observed high intraspecific distances presumably result from phylogeographic events, Wolbachia infections, atypical mitochondrial DNAs, heteroplasmy, or various combinations of these factors. Our study represents the first step in generating an extensive reference library of DNA barcodes for terrestrial and freshwater isopods for future molecular biodiversity assessment studies.},
}
@article {pmid35115648,
year = {2022},
author = {Katlav, A and Nguyen, DT and Morrow, JL and Spooner-Hart, RN and Riegler, M},
title = {Endosymbionts moderate constrained sex allocation in a haplodiploid thrips species in a temperature-sensitive way.},
journal = {Heredity},
volume = {128},
number = {3},
pages = {169-177},
pmid = {35115648},
issn = {1365-2540},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteroidetes ; Female ; Male ; Sex Ratio ; Symbiosis/genetics ; Temperature ; *Thysanoptera/genetics/microbiology ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts that affect host fitness are common in nature. Some endosymbionts colonise host populations by reproductive manipulations (such as cytoplasmic incompatibility; CI) that increase the reproductive fitness of infected over uninfected females. Theory predicts that CI-inducing endosymbionts in haplodiploid hosts may also influence sex allocation, including in compatible crosses, however, empirical evidence for this is scarce. We examined the role of two common CI-inducing endosymbionts, Cardinium and Wolbachia, in the sex allocation of Pezothrips kellyanus, a haplodiploid thrips species with a split sex ratio. In this species, irrespective of infection status, some mated females are constrained to produce extremely male-biased broods, whereas other females produce extremely female-biased broods. We analysed brood sex ratio of females mated with males of the same infection status at two temperatures. We found that at 20 °C the frequency of constrained sex allocation in coinfected pairs was reduced by 27% when compared to uninfected pairs. However, at 25 °C the constrained sex allocation frequency increased and became similar between coinfected and uninfected pairs, resulting in more male-biased population sex ratios at the higher temperature. This temperature-dependent pattern occurred without changes in endosymbiont densities and compatibility. Our findings indicate that endosymbionts affect sex ratios of haplodiploid hosts beyond the commonly recognised reproductive manipulations by causing female-biased sex allocation in a temperature-dependent fashion. This may contribute to a higher transmission efficiency of CI-inducing endosymbionts and is consistent with previous models that predict that CI by itself is less efficient in driving endosymbiont invasions in haplodiploid hosts.},
}
@article {pmid35112745,
year = {2022},
author = {Sigle, LT and Jones, M and Novelo, M and Ford, SA and Urakova, N and Lymperopoulos, K and Sayre, RT and Xi, Z and Rasgon, JL and McGraw, EA},
title = {Assessing Aedes aegypti candidate genes during viral infection and Wolbachia-mediated pathogen blocking.},
journal = {Insect molecular biology},
volume = {31},
number = {3},
pages = {356-368},
pmid = {35112745},
issn = {1365-2583},
support = {R01 AI143758/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {*Aedes/genetics ; Animals ; *Chikungunya virus ; *Dengue Virus/genetics ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics ; *Virus Diseases ; *Wolbachia/physiology ; },
abstract = {One approach to control dengue virus transmission is the symbiont Wolbachia, which limits viral infection in mosquitoes. Despite plans for its widespread use in Aedes aegypti, Wolbachia's mode of action remains poorly understood. Many studies suggest that the mechanism is likely multifaceted, involving aspects of immunity, cellular stress and nutritional competition. A previous study from our group used artificial selection to identify a new mosquito candidate gene related to viral blocking; alpha-mannosidase-2a (alpha-Mann-2a) with a predicted role in protein glycosylation. Protein glycosylation pathways tend to be involved in complex host-viral interactions; however, the function of alpha-mannosidases has not been described in mosquito-virus interactions. We examined alpha-Mann-2a expression in response to virus and Wolbachia infections and whether reduced gene expression, caused by RNA interference, affected viral loads. We show that dengue virus (DENV) infection affects the expression of alpha-Mann-2a in a tissue- and time-dependent manner, whereas Wolbachia infection had no effect. In the midgut, DENV prevalence increased following knockdown of alpha-Mann-2a expression in Wolbachia-free mosquitoes, suggesting that alpha-Mann-2a interferes with infection. Expression knockdown had the same effect on the togavirus chikungunya virus, indicating that alpha-Mann-2a may have broad antivirus effects in the midgut. Interestingly, we were unable to knockdown the expression in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. We also provide evidence that alpha-Mann-2a may affect the transcriptional level of another gene predicted to be involved in viral blocking and cell adhesion; cadherin87a. These data support the hypothesis that glycosylation and adhesion pathways may broadly be involved in viral infection in Ae. aegypti.},
}
@article {pmid35092614,
year = {2022},
author = {Rodrigues, LR and Zélé, F and Santos, I and Magalhães, S},
title = {No evidence for the evolution of mating behavior in spider mites due to Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility.},
journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution},
volume = {76},
number = {3},
pages = {623-635},
doi = {10.1111/evo.14429},
pmid = {35092614},
issn = {1558-5646},
mesh = {Animals ; *Arthropods ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Male ; Reproduction ; *Tetranychidae/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Arthropods are often infected with Wolbachia inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), whereby crosses between uninfected females and infected males yield unviable fertilized offspring. Although uninfected females benefit from avoiding mating with Wolbachia-infected males, this behavior is not always present in host populations and its evolution may hinge upon various factors. Here, we used spider mites to test whether CI could select for mate preference in uninfected females in absence of kin recognition. We found that uninfected females from several field-derived populations showed no preference for infected or uninfected males, nor evolved a preference after being exposed to CI for 12-15 generations by maintaining uninfected females with both infected and uninfected males (i.e., stable "infection polymorphism"). This suggests that Wolbachia-mediated mate choice evolution may require very specific conditions in spider mites. However, after experimental evolution, the copulation duration of Wolbachia-infected control males was significantly higher than that of uninfected control males, but not than that of uninfected males from the "infection polymorphism" regime. This result illustrates how gene flow may oppose Wolbachia-driven divergence between infected and uninfected hosts in natural populations.},
}
@article {pmid35073749,
year = {2022},
author = {Sun, G and Zhang, M and Chen, H and Hochstrasser, M},
title = {The CinB Nuclease from wNo Wolbachia Is Sufficient for Induction of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility in Drosophila.},
journal = {mBio},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {e0317721},
pmid = {35073749},
issn = {2150-7511},
support = {R35 GM136325/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular bacterium that can alter reproduction of its arthropod hosts, often through a mechanism called cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In CI, uninfected females fertilized by infected males yield few offspring, but if both are similarly infected, normal embryo viability results (called "rescue"). CI factors (Cifs) responsible for CI are pairs of proteins encoded by linked genes. The downstream gene in each pair encodes either a deubiquitylase (CidB) or a nuclease (CinB). The upstream gene products, CidA and CinA, bind their cognate enzymes with high specificity. Expression of CidB or CinB in yeast inhibits growth, but growth is rescued by expression of the cognate CifA protein. By contrast, transgenic Drosophila male germ line expression of both cifA and cifB was reported to be necessary to induce CI-like embryonic arrest; cifA expression alone in females is sufficient for rescue. This pattern, seen with genes from several Wolbachia strains, has been called the "2-by-1" model. Here, we show that male germ line expression of the cinB gene alone, from a distinct clade of cif genes from wNo Wolbachia, is sufficient to induce nearly complete loss of embryo viability. This male sterility is fully rescued by cognate cinA[w][No] expression in the female germ line. The proteins behave similarly in yeast. CinB[w][No] toxicity depends on its nuclease active site. These results demonstrate that highly divergent CinB nucleases can induce CI, that rescue by cognate CifA factors is a general feature of Wolbachia CI systems, and that CifA is not strictly required in males for CI induction. IMPORTANCE Wolbachia bacteria live within the cells of many insects. Like mitochondria, they are only inherited from females. Wolbachia often increases the number of infected females to promote spread of infection using a type of male sterility called cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI): when uninfected females mate with infected males, most embryos die; if both are similarly infected, embryos develop normally, giving infected females an advantage in producing offspring. CI is being used against disease-carrying mosquitoes and agricultural pests. Wolbachia proteins called CifA and CifB, which bind one another, cause CI, but how they work has been unclear. Here, we show that a CifB protein singly produced in fruit fly males causes sterility in crosses to normal females, but this is rescued if the females produce the CifA partner. These findings clarify a broad range of observations on CI and will allow more rational approaches to using it for insect control.},
}
@article {pmid35069682,
year = {2021},
author = {Rašić, G and Lobo, NF and Jeffrey Gutiérrez, EH and Sánchez C, HM and Marshall, JM},
title = {Monitoring Needs for Gene Drive Mosquito Projects: Lessons From Vector Control Field Trials and Invasive Species.},
journal = {Frontiers in genetics},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {780327},
pmid = {35069682},
issn = {1664-8021},
abstract = {As gene drive mosquito projects advance from contained laboratory testing to semi-field testing and small-scale field trials, there is a need to assess monitoring requirements to: i) assist with the effective introduction of the gene drive system at field sites, and ii) detect unintended spread of gene drive mosquitoes beyond trial sites, or resistance mechanisms and non-functional effector genes that spread within trial and intervention sites. This is of particular importance for non-localized gene drive projects, as the potential scale of intervention means that monitoring is expected to be more costly than research, development and deployment. Regarding monitoring needs for population replacement systems, lessons may be learned from experiences with Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, and for population suppression systems, from experiences with releases of genetically sterile male mosquitoes. For population suppression systems, assessing monitoring requirements for tracking population size and detecting rare resistant alleles are priorities, while for population replacement systems, allele frequencies must be tracked, and pressing concerns include detection of gene drive alleles with non-functional effector genes, and resistance of pathogens to functional effector genes. For spread to unintended areas, open questions relate to the optimal density and placement of traps and frequency of sampling in order to detect gene drive alleles, drive-resistant alleles or non-functional effector genes while they can still be effectively managed. Invasive species management programs face similar questions, and lessons may be learned from these experiences. We explore these monitoring needs for gene drive mosquito projects progressing through the phases of pre-release, release and post-release.},
}
@article {pmid35068955,
year = {2021},
author = {Urfer, K and Spasojevic, T and Klopfstein, S and Baur, H and Lasut, L and Kropf, C},
title = {Incongruent molecular and morphological variation in the crab spider Synemaglobosum (Araneae, Thomisidae) in Europe.},
journal = {ZooKeys},
volume = {1078},
number = {},
pages = {107-134},
pmid = {35068955},
issn = {1313-2989},
abstract = {Establishing species boundaries is one of the challenges taxonomists around the world have been tackling for centuries. The relation between intraspecific and interspecific variability is still under discussion and in many taxa it remains understudied. Here the hypothesis of single versus multiple species of the crab spider Synemaglobosum (Fabricius) is tested. The wide distribution range as well as its high morphological variability makes this species an interesting candidate for re-evaluation using an integrative approach. This study combines information from barcoding, phylogenetic reconstruction based on mitochondrial CO1 and ITS2 of more than 60 specimens collected over a wide range of European localities, and morphology. The findings show deep clades with up to 6% mean pairwise distance in the CO1 barcode without any biogeographical pattern. The nuclear ITS2 gene did not support the CO1 clades. Morphological assessment of somatic and genital characters in males and females and a morphometric analysis of the male palp uncovered high intraspecific variation that does not match the CO1 or ITS2 phylogenies or biogeography either. Screening for endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria was conducted and only a single infected specimen was found. Several scenarios might explain these inconsistent patterns. While the deep divergences in the barcoding marker might suggest cryptic or ongoing speciation or geographical isolation in the past, the lack of congruent variation in the nuclear ITS2 gene or the studied morphological character systems, especially the male palp, indicates that S.globosum might simply be highly polymorphic both in terms of its mtDNA and morphology. Therefore, more data on ecology and behaviour and full genome sequences are necessary to ultimately resolve this taxonomically intriguing case.},
}
@article {pmid35068604,
year = {2022},
author = {Sureshan, SC and Mohideen, HS and Nair, TS},
title = {Gut Metagenomic Profiling of Gossypol Induced Oxycarenus laetus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) Reveals Gossypol Tolerating Bacterial Species.},
journal = {Indian journal of microbiology},
volume = {62},
number = {1},
pages = {54-60},
pmid = {35068604},
issn = {0046-8991},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Oxycarenus laetus is a cotton pest that primarily feeds on seeds that are rich in gossypol. Though gossypol is toxic to general herbivores, O. laetus does not show such complications and instead grows and reproduces well on cotton plants compared to its other hosts. In this study, we have fed O. laetus with natural and induced gossypol-based diets to explore the difference in its gut microbiota. We performed NGS 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform and analyzed the data using the QIIME2 pipeline supplemented with Greengenes and EZBioCloud reference databases. We also used culture-based methods to identify a few abundant gut bacteria present in O. laetus. Enterococcus faecalis, Wolbachia bourtzisii, Wolbachia pipientis, Corynebacterium glyciniphilum, Staphylococcus sciuri, and Kocuria rosea were some of the major species that formed the core gut microbiome of O. laetus. We have also observed that some species were present only in the sample with the highest concentration of gossypol, signifying that they might have the potential to degrade gossypol.<br><br>SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12088-021-00964-0.},
}
@article {pmid35067743,
year = {2022},
author = {Lozano-Sardaneta, YN and Jacobo-Olvera, E and Ruiz-Tovar, K and Sánchez-Montes, S and Rodríguez-Rojas, JJ and Fernández-Figueroa, EA and Roldán-Fernández, SG and Rodriguez-Martinez, LM and Dzul-Manzanilla, F and Correa-Morales, F and Treviño-Garza, N and Díaz-Albíter, HM and Zwetsch, A and Valadas, SYOB and Nilce-Silveira, A and Becker, I and Huerta, H},
title = {Detection of Wolbachia and Leishmania DNA in sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) from a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tabasco, Mexico.},
journal = {Parasitology research},
volume = {121},
number = {2},
pages = {513-520},
pmid = {35067743},
issn = {1432-1955},
mesh = {Animals ; DNA ; Female ; Insect Vectors ; *Leishmania/genetics ; *Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous ; Mexico ; *Psychodidae/genetics ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Phlebotomine sand flies are the main vectors of Leishmania genus species worldwide; therefore, the detection of some reproductive parasites, such as Wolbachia, has been considered a possible strategy for biological control. In Mexico, leishmaniasis cases have been recorded in 25 states, yet only two sand fly species have been related to Wolbachia spp. Although the state of Tabasco has a high number of leishmaniasis cases, only few studies have been done on sand fly species. The aim of this study was to analyze the diversity of sand fly species and to detect Wolbachia spp. and/or Leishmania spp. in the captured specimens. Sand flies were collected at the locality of Huimango, Tabasco, Mexico, during October 2019, using nine light traps (CDC) and two Shannon traps per night. The specimens were identified and females were analyzed by PCR for the DNA detection for pathogens. A total of 193 sand fly specimens belonging to five species were morphologically identified. Pintomyia ovallesi was the most abundant species (76.84%), followed by Micropygomyia cayennensis (6.40%). Furthermore, first records of four sand fly species were established for the state of Tabasco, thereby increasing the species richness in the state from four to eight. We observed a natural infection rate of 9.7% (10/103) for Leishmania and 0.91% (1/103) for Wolbachia. The importance of conducting entomological surveys in endemic areas of leishmaniasis in Mexico is highlighted, to determine whether other sand fly species may be potential vectors of Leishmania spp., and if some Wolbachia strains could be relevant for the control of leishmaniasis.},
}
@article {pmid35066589,
year = {2022},
author = {Hidayanti, AK and Gazali, A and Tagami, Y},
title = {Effect of Quorum Sensing Inducers and Inhibitors on Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Induced by Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) in American Serpentine Leafminer (Diptera: Agromyzidae): Potential Tool for the Incompatible Insect Technique.},
journal = {Journal of insect science (Online)},
volume = {22},
number = {1},
pages = {},
pmid = {35066589},
issn = {1536-2442},
mesh = {Animals ; *Diptera/microbiology ; Ovum ; *Pest Control, Biological ; *Quorum Sensing ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Agricultural crops around the world are attacked by approximately 3,000-10,000 species of pest insect. There is increasing interest in resolving this problem using environmentally friendly approaches. Wolbachia (Hertig), an insect endosymbiont, can modulate host reproduction and offspring sex through cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). The incompatible insect technique (IIT) based on CI-Wolbachia is a promising biological control method. Previous studies have reported an association between CI and Wolbachia density, which may involve a quorum sensing (QS) mechanism. In this study, we investigated the effect of manipulating QS in Wolbachia using several chemicals including 3O-C12-HSL; C2HSL; spermidine (QS inducers), 4-phenylbutanoyl; and 4-NPO (QS inhibitors) on American serpentine leafminer (Liriomyza trifolii [Burgess]), an agricultural pest. The results showed that inducing QS with 3O-C12-HSL decreased the proportion of hatched eggs and increased Wolbachia density, whereas QS inhibition with 4-phenylbutanoyl had the opposite effects. Thus, manipulating QS in Wolbachia can alter cell density and the proportion of hatched eggs in the host L. trifolii, thereby reducing the number of insect progeny. These findings provide evidence supporting the potential efficacy of the IIT based on CI-Wolbachia for the environmentally friendly control of insect pest populations.},
}
@article {pmid35064627,
year = {2022},
author = {Li, TP and Zhou, CY and Gong, JT and Xi, Z and Hong, XY},
title = {Recently introduced Wolbachia reduces bacterial species richness and reshapes bacterial community structure in Nilaparvata lugens.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {78},
number = {5},
pages = {1881-1894},
doi = {10.1002/ps.6806},
pmid = {35064627},
issn = {1526-4998},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria ; *Hemiptera/microbiology ; Humans ; *Microbiota ; Nymph/microbiology ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia has been developed as an effective tool to suppress insect pests and arbovirus transmission. Recently, the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, a serious agricultural pest, has been successfully transinfected with Wolbachia wStri strain from Laodelphax striatellus. However, before conducting the field experiments, the impacts of wStri on the bacterial microbiota in N. lugens and how it differs from native Wolbachia wLug strain have not been clarified.<br><br>RESULTS: Here, we found that wStri reduced bacterial diversity and shaped bacterial community structure more than wLug in both developmental stage and different adult tissues. Overall, the relative abundance of Wolbachia was negatively correlated with bacterial diversity, but the bacterial diversity gradually decreased only when the relative abundance of Wolbachia was higher than 60%. Further analysis found that wStri reduced species richness of other bacteria but not their evenness. wStri infection also affected many bacterial functions (e.g., amino acid metabolism &amp; signaling and cellular processes) in the developmental stages, with a stronger effect than wLug in nymphs. Moreover, although Wolbachia occupied a high relative abundance in infected individuals, Acinetobacter was consistently a core part of microbiome.<br><br>CONCLUSION: These results showed the significant impacts of recently introduced wStri on bacterial microbiota in N. lugens, with the effects differing from native wLug. This study will aid in understanding the relationship between Wolbachia, its host and the host's microbiota, and provide a reference for future field experiments.},
}
@article {pmid35059821,
year = {2022},
author = {Mancini, E and Sabatelli, S and Hu, Y and Frasca, S and Di Giulio, A and Audisio, P and Brown, CD and Russell, JA and Trizzino, M},
title = {Uncovering Active Bacterial Symbionts in Three Species of Pollen-feeding Beetles (Nitidulidae: Meligethinae).},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {35059821},
issn = {1432-184X},
abstract = {Microbial symbionts enable many phytophagous insects to specialize on plant-based diets through a range of metabolic services. Pollen comprises one-plant tissue consumed by such herbivores. While rich in lipids and proteins, its nutrient content is often imbalanced and difficult-to-access due to a digestibly recalcitrant cell wall. Pollen quality can be further degraded by harmful allelochemicals. To identify microbes that may aid in palynivory, we performed cDNA-based 16S rRNA metabarcoding on three related pollen beetles (Nitidulidae: Meligethinae) exhibiting different dietary breadths: Brassicogethes aeneus, B. matronalis, and Meligethes atratus. Nine bacterial symbionts (i.e., 97% OTUs) exhibited high metabolic activity during active feeding. Subsequent PCR surveys revealed varying prevalence of those from three Rickettsialles genera-Lariskella, Rickettsia, and Wolbachia-within beetle populations. Our findings lay the groundwork for future studies on the influence of phylogeny and diet on palynivorous insect microbiomes, and roles of symbionts in the use of challenging diets.},
}
@article {pmid35055992,
year = {2021},
author = {Efon Ekangouo, A and Nana Djeunga, HC and Sempere, G and Kamgno, J and Njiokou, F and Moundipa Fewou, P and Geiger, A},
title = {Bacteriome Diversity of Blackflies' Gut and Association with Onchocerca volvulus, the Causative Agent of Onchocerciasis in Mbam Valley (Center Region, Cameroon).},
journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {},
pmid = {35055992},
issn = {2076-0817},
abstract = {Vector control using larvicides is the main alternative strategy to address limits of preventive chemotherapy using ivermectin for the control of onchocerciasis. However, it remains substantially limited by implementation difficulties, ecological concerns and the resistance of vector populations. Therefore, efficient and environmentally safe alternative control strategies are still needed. This study explores the composition of the blackfly bacteriome and its variability in the presence of Onchocerca volvulus infection, in order to determine their potential as a novel vector control-based approach to fight onchocerciasis. An entomological survey of a collection of samples was performed in the Bafia health district, a historical endemic focus for onchocerciasis in Cameroon. A total of 1270 blackflies were dissected and the infection rate was 10.1%, indicative of ongoing transmission of onchocerciasis in the surveyed communities. Sequencing process of blackflies' gut DNA for bacteria screening revealed 14 phyla and 123 genera, highlighting the diversity of gut blackflies bacterial communities. Eight bacteria formed the core of blackfly bacteriome and Wolbachia was the predominant genus with 73.4% of relative abundance of blackflies' gut bacterial communities. Acidomonas and Roseanomas genera were significantly abundant among infected blackflies (p = 0.01), whereas other genera such as Brevibacterium and Fructobacillus were associated with the absence of infection (p = 0.0009). Differences in gut bacterial distribution of blackflies according to their infection status by the parasite suggest a causal relationship between the bacteriome composition and the onset of blackflies' infection by O. volvulus or vice versa. Blackfly native bacteria are then potentially involved in infection by O. volvulus, either by facilitating or preventing the parasite infestation of the vector. These bacteria represent an interesting potential as a biological tool/target for a novel approach of vector control to fight onchocerciasis.},
}
@article {pmid35055852,
year = {2021},
author = {Du, S and Ye, F and Wang, Q and Liang, Y and Wan, W and Guo, J and Liu, W},
title = {Multiple Data Demonstrate That Bacteria Regulating Reproduction Could Be Not the Cause for the Thelytoky of Diglyphus&amp;nbsp;wani (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae).},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {},
pmid = {35055852},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {In Hymenoptera parasitoids, the reproductive mode is arrhenotoky, while a few species reproduce by thelytoky. The thelytoky of Hymenoptera parasitoids is generally genetically determined by the parasitoids themselves or induced by bacteria, including Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Rickettsia. Diglyphus&amp;nbsp;wani (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a recently reported thelytokous species is a main parasitoid attacking agromyzid leafminers. To assess whether endosymbionts induce thelytoky in D.&amp;nbsp;wani, we performed universal PCR detection and sequenced the V3-V4 region of 16S ribosomal RNA gene. In addition, bacteria were removed through high-temperature and antibiotic treatments, and the localized bacteria were detected using FISH. Based on general PCR detection, Wolbachia, Cardinium, Rickettsia, Arsenophonus, Spiroplasma, and Microsporidia were absent in laboratory and field individuals of thelytokous D.&amp;nbsp;wani. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the dominant endosymbionts in thelytokous D.&amp;nbsp;wani were not reproductive manipulators. High-temperature and antibiotic treatment for five consecutive generations cannot reverse the thelytokous pattern of D.&amp;nbsp;wani, and no male offspring were produced. Moreover, no bacterial spots were found in the ovaries of D.&amp;nbsp;wani. Thus, it is considered that the thelytoky of D. wani does not result in the presence of endosymbionts. This species is thus the second reported eulophid parasitoid whose thelytoky appears not to be associated with endosymbionts.},
}
@article {pmid35055844,
year = {2021},
author = {Aryaprema, VS and Qualls, WA and Dobson, KL and Dobson, SL and Xue, RD},
title = {The Effects of Boric Acid Sugar Bait on Wolbachia Trans-Infected Male Aedes albopictus (ZAP Males[®]) in Laboratory Conditions.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {},
pmid = {35055844},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {The field release of Wolbachia trans-infected male mosquitoes, as well as the use of toxic sugar baits, is a novel and promising candidate technique for integrated mosquito management programs. However, the methods of action of the two techniques may not be complementary, because the Wolbachia method releases mosquitoes into the environment expecting a wild population reduction in subsequent generations while the toxic baits are intended to reduce the wild population by killing mosquitoes. This laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of boric acid toxic sugar baits on Wolbachia trans-infected male Aedes albopictus, relative to wild-type Ae. albopictus males. Wolbachia trans-infected (ZAP male[®]) and the wild-type Ae. albopictus males were exposed separately to 1% boric acid in a 10% sucrose solution in BugDorms. In the control test, the two groups were exposed to 10% sucrose solution without boric acid. Percent mortalities were counted for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h post exposure periods. The results show that 1% boric acid toxic sugar bait can effectively kill ZAP males under laboratory conditions, and the effectiveness was significantly higher after 24 h and 48 h, compared to wild-type male Ae. albopictus. This finding will help in planning and coordinating integrated mosquito management programs, including both Wolbachia trans-infected mosquito releases and the use of toxic sugar baits against Ae. albopictus.},
}
@article {pmid35055035,
year = {2022},
author = {Ilinsky, Y and Demenkova, M and Bykov, R and Bugrov, A},
title = {Narrow Genetic Diversity of Wolbachia Symbionts in Acrididae Grasshopper Hosts (Insecta, Orthoptera).},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {23},
number = {2},
pages = {},
pmid = {35055035},
issn = {1422-0067},
mesh = {Animals ; Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; *Genetic Variation ; Grasshoppers/*microbiology ; Insecta/microbiology ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/*classification/*genetics ; },
abstract = {Bacteria of the Wolbachia genus are maternally inherited symbionts of Nematoda and numerous Arthropoda hosts. There are approximately 20 lineages of Wolbachia, which are called supergroups, and they are designated alphabetically. Wolbachia strains of the supergroups A and B are predominant in arthropods, especially in insects, and supergroup F seems to rank third. Host taxa have been studied very unevenly for Wolbachia symbionts, and here, we turn to one of largely unexplored insect families: Acrididae. On the basis of five genes subject to multilocus sequence typing, we investigated the incidence and genetic diversity of Wolbachia in 41 species belonging three subfamilies (Gomphocerinae, Oedipodinae, and Podisminae) collected in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Russia, and Japan, making 501 specimens in total. Our results revealed a high incidence and very narrow genetic diversity of Wolbachia. Although only the strains belonging to supergroups A and B are commonly present in present, the Acrididae hosts here proved to be infected with supergroups B and F without A-supergroup variants. The only trace of an A-supergroup lineage was noted in one case of an inter-supergroup recombinant haplotype, where the ftsZ gene came from supergroup A, and the others from supergroup B. Variation in the Wolbachia haplotypes in Acrididae hosts within supergroups B and F was extremely low. A comprehensive genetic analysis of Wolbachia diversity confirmed specific features of the Wolbachia allelic set in Acrididae hosts. This result can help to elucidate the crucial issue of Wolbachia biology: the route(s) and mechanism(s) of Wolbachia horizontal transmission.},
}
@article {pmid35030199,
year = {2022},
author = {Aikawa, T and Maehara, N and Ichihara, Y and Masuya, H and Nakamura, K and Anbutsu, H},
title = {Cytoplasmic incompatibility in the semivoltine longicorn beetle Acalolepta fraudatrix (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) double infected with Wolbachia.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {17},
number = {1},
pages = {e0261928},
pmid = {35030199},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; Coleoptera/*microbiology/ultrastructure ; DNA, Bacterial/*genetics ; Far East ; Female ; Male ; RNA, Bacterial/*genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/*genetics ; *Wolbachia/classification/genetics/ultrastructure ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia are obligatory endosymbiotic α-proteobacteria found in many arthropods. They are maternally inherited, and can induce reproductive alterations in the hosts. Despite considerable recent progress in studies on the associations between Wolbachia and various taxonomic groups of insects, none of the researches have revealed the effects of Wolbachia on longicorn beetles as the host insect. Acalolepta fraudatrix is a forest longicorn beetle that is distributed in East Asia. In this study, the relationship between Wolbachia and A. fraudatrix was investigated. Out of two populations of A. fraudatrix screened for Wolbachia using the genes ftsZ, wsp, and 16S rRNA, only one of the populations showed detection of all three genes indicating the presence of Wolbachia. Electron microscopy and fluorescent in situ hybridization also confirmed that the A. fraudatrix population was infected with Wolbachia. Sequencing the wsp genes derived from single insects revealed that two strains of Wolbachia coexisted in the insects based on the detection of two different sequences of the wsp gene. We designated these strains as wFra1 and wFra2. The bacterial titers of wFra1 were nearly 2-fold and 3-fold higher than wFra2 in the testes and ovaries, respectively. The two strains of Wolbachia in the insects were completely eliminated by rearing the insects on artificial diets containing 1% concentration of tetracycline for 1 generation. Reciprocal crosses between Wolbachia-infected and Wolbachia-uninfected A. fraudatrix demonstrated that only eggs produced by the crosses between Wolbachia-infected males and Wolbachia-uninfected females did not hatch, indicating that Wolbachia infecting A. fraudatrix causes cytoplasmic incompatibility in the host insect. This is the first report showing the effect of Wolbachia on reproductive function in a longicorn beetle, A. fraudatrix.},
}
@article {pmid35029964,
year = {2022},
author = {Rybnicky, GA and Dixon, RA and Kuhn, RM and Karim, AS and Jewett, MC},
title = {Development of a Freeze-Dried CRISPR-Cas12 Sensor for Detecting Wolbachia in the Secondary Science Classroom.},
journal = {ACS synthetic biology},
volume = {11},
number = {2},
pages = {835-842},
doi = {10.1021/acssynbio.1c00503},
pmid = {35029964},
issn = {2161-5063},
mesh = {Biotechnology ; CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics ; Gene Editing ; Genetic Engineering ; Humans ; Synthetic Biology/education ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Training the future synthetic biology workforce requires the opportunity for students to be exposed to biotechnology concepts and activities in secondary education. Detecting Wolbachia bacteria in arthropods using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become a common way for secondary students to investigate and apply recombinant DNA technology in the science classroom. Despite this important activity, cutting-edge biotechnologies such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-based diagnostics have yet to be widely implemented in the classroom. To address this gap, we present a freeze-dried CRISPR-Cas12 sensing reaction to complement traditional recombinant DNA technology education and teach synthetic biology concepts. The reactions accurately detect Wolbachia from arthropod-derived PCR samples in under 2 h and can be stored at room temperature for over a month without appreciable degradation. The reactions are easy-to-use and cost less than $40 to implement for a classroom of 22 students including the cost of reusable equipment. We see these freeze-dried CRISPR-Cas12 reactions as an accessible way to incorporate synthetic biology education into the existing biology curriculum, which will expand biology educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.},
}
@article {pmid35027704,
year = {2022},
author = {Hofer, U},
title = {Wolbachia likes it hot.},
journal = {Nature reviews. Microbiology},
volume = {20},
number = {3},
pages = {126},
pmid = {35027704},
issn = {1740-1534},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
}
@article {pmid35019223,
year = {2022},
author = {Richardson, KM and Schiffer, M and Ross, PA and Thia, JA and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {Characterization of the first Wolbachia from the genus Scaptodrosophila, a male-killer from the rainforest species S. claytoni.},
journal = {Insect science},
volume = {29},
number = {5},
pages = {1401-1413},
doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.13000},
pmid = {35019223},
issn = {1744-7917},
mesh = {Animals ; Drosophila/genetics ; Female ; Male ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; Rainforest ; Tetracyclines ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {The Scaptodrosophila genus represents a large group of drosophilids with a worldwide distribution and a predominance of species in Australia, but there is little information on the presence and impacts of Wolbachia endosymbionts in this group. Here we describe the first Wolbachia infection from this group, wClay isolated from Scaptodrosophila claytoni (van Klinken), a species from the east coast of Australia. The infection is polymorphic in natural populations, occurring at a frequency of around 6%-10%. wClay causes male killing, producing female-biased lines; most lines showed 100% male killing, though in 1 line it was <80%. The lines need to be maintained through the introduction of males unless the infection is removed by tetracycline treatment. wClay is transmitted at a high fidelity (98.6%) through the maternal lineage and has been stable in 2 laboratory lines across 24 generations, suggesting it is likely to persist in populations. The infection has not been previously described but is closely related to the male-killing Wolbachia recently described from Drosophila pandora based on multilocus sequence typing and the wsp gene. Male-killing Wolbachia are likely to be common in drosophilids but remain difficult to detect because the infections can often be at a low frequency.},
}
@article {pmid35015769,
year = {2022},
author = {Liu, WL and Yu, HY and Chen, YX and Chen, BY and Leaw, SN and Lin, CH and Su, MP and Tsai, LS and Chen, Y and Shiao, SH and Xi, Z and Jang, AC and Chen, CH},
title = {Lab-scale characterization and semi-field trials of Wolbachia Strain wAlbB in a Taiwan Wolbachia introgressed Ae. aegypti strain.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {e0010084},
pmid = {35015769},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Biological Control Agents/administration &amp; dosage ; Dengue/*prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Dengue Virus/isolation &amp; purification ; Female ; Male ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/virology ; Pest Control, Biological/*methods ; Taiwan ; Wolbachia/classification/*metabolism ; Zygote/microbiology ; },
abstract = {Dengue fever is one of the most severe viral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, with traditional approaches of disease control proving insufficient to prevent significant disease burden. Release of Wolbachia-transinfected mosquitoes offers a promising alternative control methodologies; Wolbachia-transinfected female Aedes aegypti demonstrate reduced dengue virus transmission, whilst Wolbachia-transinfected males cause zygotic lethality when crossed with uninfected females, providing a method for suppressing mosquito populations. Although highly promising, the delicate nature of population control strategies and differences between local species populations means that controlled releases of Wolbachia-transinfected mosquitoes cannot be performed without extensive testing on specific local Ae. aegypti populations. In order to investigate the potential for using Wolbachia to suppress local Ae. aegypti populations in Taiwan, we performed lab-based and semi-field fitness trials. We first transinfected the Wolbachia strain wAlbB into a local Ae. aegypti population (wAlbB-Tw) and found no significant changes in lifespan, fecundity and fertility when compared to controls. In the laboratory, we found that as the proportion of released male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia was increased, population suppression could reach up to 100%. Equivalent experiments in semi-field experiments found suppression rates of up to 70%. The release of different ratios of wAlbB-Tw males in the semi-field system provided an estimate of the optimal size of male releases. Our results indicate that wAlbB-Tw has significant potential for use in vector control strategies aimed at Ae. aegypti population suppression in Taiwan. Open field release trials are now necessary to confirm that wAlbB-Tw mediated suppression is feasible in natural environments.},
}
@article {pmid35013476,
year = {2022},
author = {Towett-Kirui, S and Morrow, JL and Riegler, M},
title = {Substantial rearrangements, single nucleotide frameshift deletion and low diversity in mitogenome of Wolbachia-infected strepsipteran endoparasitoid in comparison to its tephritid hosts.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {477},
pmid = {35013476},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; Australia ; Frameshift Mutation ; Gene Rearrangement ; *Genome, Insect ; *Genome, Mitochondrial ; Insect Proteins/genetics ; Sequence Deletion ; Tephritidae/classification/*genetics/*microbiology/physiology ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; },
abstract = {Insect mitogenome organisation is highly conserved, yet, some insects, especially with parasitic life cycles, have rearranged mitogenomes. Furthermore, intraspecific mitochondrial diversity can be reduced by fitness-affecting bacterial endosymbionts like Wolbachia due to their maternal coinheritance with mitochondria. We have sequenced mitogenomes of the Wolbachia-infected endoparasitoid Dipterophagus daci (Strepsiptera: Halictophagidae) and four of its 22 known tephritid fruit fly host species using total genomic extracts of parasitised flies collected across > 700 km in Australia. This halictophagid mitogenome revealed extensive rearrangements relative to the four fly mitogenomes which exhibited the ancestral insect mitogenome pattern. Compared to the only four available other strepsipteran mitogenomes, the D. daci mitogenome had additional transpositions of one rRNA and two tRNA genes, and a single nucleotide frameshift deletion in nad5 requiring translational frameshifting or, alternatively, resulting in a large protein truncation. Dipterophagus daci displays an almost completely endoparasitic life cycle when compared to Strepsiptera that have maintained the ancestral state of free-living adults. Our results support the hypothesis that the transition to extreme endoparasitism evolved together with increased levels of mitogenome changes. Furthermore, intraspecific mitogenome diversity was substantially smaller in D. daci than the parasitised flies suggesting Wolbachia reduced mitochondrial diversity because of a role in D. daci fitness.},
}
@article {pmid35006317,
year = {2022},
author = {Schlabe, S and Korir, P and Lämmer, C and Landmann, F and Dubben, B and Koschel, M and Albers, A and Debrah, LB and Debrah, AY and Hübner, MP and Pfarr, K and Klarmann-Schulz, U and Hoerauf, A},
title = {A qPCR to quantify Wolbachia from few Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae as a surrogate for adult worm histology in clinical trials of antiwolbachial drugs.},
journal = {Parasitology research},
volume = {121},
number = {4},
pages = {1199-1206},
pmid = {35006317},
issn = {1432-1955},
mesh = {Animals ; *Filarioidea ; Humans ; *Intestinal Volvulus ; Microfilariae ; Onchocerca ; *Onchocerca volvulus/genetics ; *Onchocerciasis/drug therapy ; Reproducibility of Results ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {The filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus causes onchocerciasis (river blindness), a neglected tropical disease affecting 21 million people, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Targeting the endosymbiont Wolbachia with antibiotics leads to permanent sterilization and killing of adult worms. The gold standard to assess Wolbachia depletion is the histological examination of adult worms in nodules beginning at 6 months post-treatment. However, nodules can only be used once, limiting the time points to monitor Wolbachia depletion. A diagnostic to longitudinally monitor Wolbachia depletion from microfilariae (MF) at more frequent intervals < 6 months post-treatment would accelerate clinical trials of antiwolbachials. We developed a TaqMan qPCR amplifying the single-copy gene wOvftsZ to quantify Wolbachia from as few as one MF that had migrated from skin biopsies and compared quantification using circular and linearized plasmids or synthetic dsDNA (gBlock®). qPCR for MF from the rodent nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis was used to support the reproducibility and validate the principle. The qPCR using as few as 2 MF from O. volvulus and L. sigmodontis reproducibly quantified Wolbachia. Use of a linearized plasmid standard or synthesized dsDNA resulted in numbers of Wolbachia/MF congruent with biologically plausible estimates in O. volvulus and L. sigmodontis MF. The qPCR assay yielded a median of 48.8 (range 1.5-280.5) Wolbachia/O. volvulus MF. The qPCR is a sensitive tool for quantifying Wolbachia in a few MF from skin biopsies and allows for establishing the qPCR as a surrogate parameter for monitoring Wolbachia depletion in adult worms of new antiwolbachial candidates.},
}
@article {pmid35006065,
year = {2022},
author = {Leitner, M and Etebari, K and Asgari, S},
title = {Transcriptional response of Wolbachia-transinfected Aedes aegypti mosquito cells to dengue virus at early stages of infection.},
journal = {The Journal of general virology},
volume = {103},
number = {1},
pages = {},
pmid = {35006065},
issn = {1465-2099},
mesh = {Aedes/microbiology/*virology ; Animals ; Dengue/*virology ; Dengue Virus/*genetics/physiology ; Host Microbial Interactions ; Humans ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology/virology ; RNA, Long Noncoding ; Sumoylation ; Virus Replication ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; },
abstract = {Mosquito-borne flaviviruses are responsible for viral infections and represent a considerable public health burden. Aedes aegypti is the principal vector of dengue virus (DENV), therefore understanding the intrinsic virus-host interactions is vital, particularly in the presence of the endosymbiont Wolbachia, which blocks virus replication in mosquitoes. Here, we examined the transcriptional response of Wolbachia-transinfected Ae. aegypti Aag2 cells to DENV infection. We identified differentially expressed immune genes that play a key role in the activation of anti-viral defence such as the Toll and immune deficiency pathways. Further, genes encoding cytosine and N[6]-adenosine methyltransferases and SUMOylation, involved in post-transcriptional modifications, an antioxidant enzyme, and heat-shock response were up-regulated at the early stages of DENV infection and are reported here for the first time. Additionally, several long non-coding RNAs were among the differentially regulated genes. Our results provide insight into Wolbachia-transinfected Ae. aegypti's initial virus recognition and transcriptional response to DENV infection.},
}
@article {pmid34996906,
year = {2022},
author = {Neupane, S and Bonilla, SI and Manalo, AM and Pelz-Stelinski, KS},
title = {Complete de novo assembly of Wolbachia endosymbiont of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) using long-read genome sequencing.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {125},
pmid = {34996906},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; Cell Line ; *Chromosomes, Bacterial ; DNA, Bacterial/*genetics ; DNA, Circular/*genetics ; *Genes, Bacterial ; *Genome, Bacterial ; Hemiptera/*microbiology ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Symbiosis ; *Whole Genome Sequencing ; Wolbachia/*genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia, a gram-negative [Formula: see text]-proteobacterium, is an endosymbiont found in some arthropods and nematodes. Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, the vector of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas), are naturally infected with a strain of Wolbachia (wDi), which has been shown to colocalize with the bacteria pathogens CLas, the pathogen associated with huanglongbing (HLB) disease of citrus. The relationship between wDi and CLas is poorly understood in part because the complete genome of wDi has not been available. Using high-quality long-read PacBio circular consensus sequences, we present the largest complete circular wDi genome among supergroup-B members. The assembled circular chromosome is 1.52 megabases with 95.7% genome completeness with contamination of 1.45%, as assessed by checkM. We identified Insertion Sequences (ISs) and prophage genes scattered throughout the genomes. The proteins were annotated using Pfam, eggNOG, and COG that assigned unique domains and functions. The wDi genome was compared with previously sequenced Wolbachia genomes using pangenome and phylogenetic analyses. The availability of a complete circular chromosome of wDi will facilitate understanding of its role within the insect vector, which may assist in developing tools for disease management. This information also provides a baseline for understanding phylogenetic relationships among Wolbachia of other insect vectors.},
}
@article {pmid34996376,
year = {2022},
author = {Nakabachi, A and Inoue, H and Hirose, Y},
title = {Microbiome analyses of 12 psyllid species of the family Psyllidae identified various bacteria including Fukatsuia and Serratia symbiotica, known as secondary symbionts of aphids.},
journal = {BMC microbiology},
volume = {22},
number = {1},
pages = {15},
pmid = {34996376},
issn = {1471-2180},
mesh = {Animals ; Aphids/microbiology ; Gammaproteobacteria/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; Hemiptera/classification/*microbiology ; Liberibacter/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; *Microbiota ; Phylogeny ; Plant Diseases/microbiology/parasitology ; Rickettsia/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Serratia/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) comprise a group of plant sap-sucking insects that includes important agricultural pests. They have close associations not only with plant pathogens, but also with various microbes, including obligate mutualists and facultative symbionts. Recent studies are revealing that interactions among such bacterial populations are important for psyllid biology and host plant pathology. In the present study, to obtain further insight into the ecological and evolutionary behaviors of bacteria in Psylloidea, we analyzed the microbiomes of 12 psyllid species belonging to the family Psyllidae (11 from Psyllinae and one from Macrocorsinae), using high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.<br><br>RESULTS: The analysis showed that all 12 psyllids have the primary symbiont, Candidatus Carsonella ruddii (Gammaproteobacteria: Oceanospirillales), and at least one secondary symbiont. The majority of the secondary symbionts were gammaproteobacteria, especially those of the family Enterobacteriaceae (order: Enterobacteriales). Among them, symbionts belonging to "endosymbionts3", which is a genus-level monophyletic group assigned by the SILVA rRNA database, were the most prevalent and were found in 9 of 11 Psyllinae species. Ca. Fukatsuia symbiotica and Serratia symbiotica, which were recognized only as secondary symbionts of aphids, were also identified. In addition to other Enterobacteriaceae bacteria, including Arsenophonus, Sodalis, and "endosymbionts2", which is another genus-level clade, Pseudomonas (Pseudomonadales: Pseudomonadaceae) and Diplorickettsia (Diplorickettsiales: Diplorickettsiaceae) were identified. Regarding Alphaproteobacteria, the potential plant pathogen Ca. Liberibacter europaeus (Rhizobiales: Rhizobiaceae) was detected for the first time in Anomoneura mori (Psyllinae), a mulberry pest. Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) and Rickettsia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), plausible host reproduction manipulators that are potential tools to control pest insects, were also detected.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The present study identified various bacterial symbionts including previously unexpected lineages in psyllids, suggesting considerable interspecific transfer of arthropod symbionts. The findings provide deeper insights into the evolution of interactions among insects, bacteria, and plants, which may be exploited to facilitate the control of pest psyllids in the future.},
}
@article {pmid34969947,
year = {2021},
author = {Ghanavi, HR and Twort, VG and Duplouy, A},
title = {Exploring bycatch diversity of organisms in whole genome sequencing of Erebidae moths (Lepidoptera).},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {24499},
pmid = {34969947},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/genetics ; Genome, Insect ; Lepidoptera/genetics/physiology ; Moths/*genetics/*microbiology/physiology ; *Symbiosis ; Whole Genome Sequencing ; Wolbachia/genetics/physiology ; },
abstract = {Models estimate that up to 80% of all butterfly and moth species host vertically transmitted endosymbiotic microorganisms, which can affect the host fitness, metabolism, reproduction, population dynamics, and genetic diversity, among others. The supporting empirical data are however currently highly biased towards the generally more colourful butterflies, and include less information about moths. Additionally, studies of symbiotic partners of Lepidoptera predominantly focus on the common bacterium Wolbachia pipientis, while infections by other inherited microbial partners have more rarely been investigated. Here, we mine the whole genome sequence data of 47 species of Erebidae moths, with the aims to both inform on the diversity of symbionts potentially associated with this Lepidoptera group, and discuss the potential of metagenomic approaches to inform on host associated microbiome diversity. Based on the result of Kraken2 and MetaPhlAn2 analyses, we found clear evidence of the presence of Wolbachia in four species. Our result also suggests the presence of three other bacterial symbionts (Burkholderia spp., Sodalis spp. and Arsenophonus spp.) in three other moth species. Additionally, we recovered genomic material from bracovirus in about half of our samples. The detection of the latter, usually found in mutualistic association to braconid parasitoid wasps, may inform on host-parasite interactions that take place in the natural habitat of the Erebidae moths, suggesting either contamination with material from species of the host community network, or horizontal transfer of members of the microbiome between interacting species.},
}
@article {pmid34965003,
year = {2022},
author = {Xu, P and Rice, A and Li, T and Wang, J and Yang, X and Yuan, H and Graham, RI and Wilson, K},
title = {Partiti-like viruses from African armyworm increase larval and pupal mortality of a novel host: the Egyptian cotton leafworm.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {78},
number = {4},
pages = {1529-1537},
doi = {10.1002/ps.6771},
pmid = {34965003},
issn = {1526-4998},
mesh = {Animals ; *Baculoviridae ; Egypt ; Larva ; Pupa ; Spodoptera ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The general principle of using microbes from one species to manage a different pest species has a clear precedent in the large-scale release of mosquitoes carrying a Wolbachia bacterium derived from Drosophila flies. New technologies will facilitate the discovery of microbes that can be used in a similar way. Previously, we found three novel partiti-like viruses in the African armyworm (Spodoptera exempta). To investigate further the utility and consistency of host shift of insect viruses as a potential pest management tool, we tested the interaction between the partiti-like viruses and another novel host, the Egyptian cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis).<br><br>RESULT: We found that all three partiti-like viruses appeared to be harmful to the novel host S. littoralis, by causing increased larval and pupal mortality. No effect was observed on host fecundity, and partiti-like virus infection did not impact host susceptibility when challenged with another pathogen, the baculovirus SpliNPV. Transcriptome analysis of partiti-like virus-infected and noninfected S. littoralis indicated that the viruses could impact host gene-expression profiles of S. littoralis, but they impact different pathways to the two other Spodoptera species through effects on pathways related to immunity (Jak-STAT/Toll and Imd) and reproduction (insulin signaling/insect hormones).<br><br>CONCLUSION: Taken together with the previous findings in the novel host S. frugiperda, these results indicate a parasitic relationship between the partiti-like viruses and novel insect hosts, suggesting a possible use and novel pest management strategy through the artificial host shift of novel viruses. &#xa9; 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}
@article {pmid34960705,
year = {2021},
author = {Paradkar, PN and Sahasrabudhe, PR and Ghag Sawant, M and Mukherjee, S and Blasdell, KR},
title = {Towards Integrated Management of Dengue in Mumbai.},
journal = {Viruses},
volume = {13},
number = {12},
pages = {},
pmid = {34960705},
issn = {1999-4915},
mesh = {Animals ; Cities ; Community Participation ; Dengue/diagnosis/*epidemiology/*prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Disease Notification ; *Disease Outbreaks/prevention &amp; control ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Humans ; India/epidemiology ; Mosquito Control ; Mosquito Vectors ; Urban Health ; },
abstract = {With increasing urbanisation, the dengue disease burden is on the rise in India, especially in large cities such as Mumbai. Current dengue surveillance in Mumbai includes municipal corporation carrying out specific activities to reduce mosquito breeding sites and the use of insecticides to suppress the adult mosquito populations. Clinical cases remain either underreported or misreported due to the restriction to government clinics, missing the large private health care sector. There is a need for an integrated approach to manage dengue outbreaks in Mumbai. There are various novel strategies available for use that can be utilised to improve disease detection, mosquito surveillance, and control of mosquito-borne diseases. These novel technologies are discussed in this manuscript. Given the complex ecosystem of mosquito-borne diseases in Mumbai, integrating data obtained from these technologies would support the ongoing mosquito control measures in Mumbai.},
}
@article {pmid34954414,
year = {2022},
author = {Namias, A and Sicard, M and Weill, M and Charlat, S},
title = {From Wolbachia genomics to phenotype: molecular models of cytoplasmic incompatibility must account for the multiplicity of compatibility types.},
journal = {Current opinion in insect science},
volume = {49},
number = {},
pages = {78-84},
doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2021.12.005},
pmid = {34954414},
issn = {2214-5753},
mesh = {Animals ; Antidotes ; Genomics ; Male ; Models, Molecular ; Phenotype ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia endosymbionts commonly induce cytoplasmic incompatibility, making infected males' sperm lethal to the embryos unless these are rescued by the same bacterium, inherited from their mother. Causal genes were recently identified but two families of mechanistic models are still opposed. In the toxin-antidote model, interaction between the toxin and the antidote is required for rescuing the embryos. In host modification models, a host factor is misregulated in sperm and rescue occurs through compensation or withdrawal of this modification. While these models have been thoroughly discussed, the multiplicity of compatibility types, that is, the existence of many mutually incompatible strains, as seen in Culex mosquitoes, has not received sufficient attention. To explain such a fact, host modification models must posit that the same embryonic defects can be induced and rescued through a large variety of host targets. Conversely, the toxin-antidote model simply accommodates this pattern in a lock-key fashion, through variations in the toxin-antidote interaction sites.},
}
@article {pmid34953157,
year = {2022},
author = {Røed, ES and Engelstädter, J},
title = {Cytoplasmic incompatibility in hybrid zones: infection dynamics and resistance evolution.},
journal = {Journal of evolutionary biology},
volume = {35},
number = {2},
pages = {240-253},
doi = {10.1111/jeb.13974},
pmid = {34953157},
issn = {1420-9101},
mesh = {Animals ; *Arthropods ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Male ; Reproduction ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Cytoplasmic incompatibility is an endosymbiont-induced mating incompatibility common in arthropods. Unidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility impairs crosses between infected males and uninfected females, whereas bidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility occurs when two host lineages are infected with reciprocally incompatible endosymbionts. Bidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility is unstable in unstructured populations, but may be stable in hybrid zones. Stable coexistence of incompatible host lineages should generate frequent incompatible crosses. Therefore, hosts are expected to be under selection to resist their endosymbionts. Here, we formulate a mathematical model of hybrid zones where two bidirectionally incompatible host lineages meet. We expand this model to consider the invasion of a hypothetical resistance allele. To corroborate our mathematical predictions, we test each prediction with stochastic, individual-based simulations. Our models suggest that hybrid zones may sustain stable coinfections of bidirectionally incompatible endosymbiont strains. Over a range of conditions, hosts are under selection for resistance against cytoplasmic incompatibility. Under asymmetric migration, a resistance allele can facilitate infection turnover and subsequently either persist or become lost. The predictions we present may inform our understanding of the cophylogenetic relationship between the endosymbiont Wolbachia and its hosts.},
}
@article {pmid34949167,
year = {2021},
author = {Arham, AF and Amin, L and Mustapa, MAC and Mahadi, Z and Yaacob, M and Ibrahim, M},
title = {Determinants of stakeholders' attitudes and intentions toward supporting the use of Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquitoes for dengue control.},
journal = {BMC public health},
volume = {21},
number = {1},
pages = {2314},
pmid = {34949167},
issn = {1471-2458},
mesh = {*Aedes ; Animals ; Attitude ; *Dengue/prevention &amp; control ; Humans ; Intention ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: A recent approach in controlling dengue is by using the Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquito (WiAM). The approach has been reported to be more effective than traditional methods, such as fogging. Therefore, it is imperative to assess the factors predicting its acceptance among stakeholders before implementing this technology more widely in Malaysia.<br><br>METHODS: The survey data were collected from two primary stakeholder groups using a stratified random sampling technique. The two primary stakeholder groups were scientists (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;202) and the public (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;197) in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia, a hot spot area known for the high rate of dengue cases. The respondents answered questions on a seven-point Likert scale survey regarding trust in key players, attitudes toward nature versus materialism, religiosity, perceived benefits, perceived risks, attitudes, and intentions. The data were analyzed using Smart Partial Least Square (SmartPLS) software (version 3.2.6) to determine the predictors influencing attitudes and intentions to support the use of WiAM technology.<br><br>RESULTS: The results indicated a strong positive relationship between attitudes and intentions to support the use of WiAM (&#x3b2;&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.676, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). The most important significant predictor for attitudes was perceived benefits (&#x3b2;&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.493, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001), followed by perceived risks (&#x3b2;&#x2009;=&#x2009;-&#x2009;0.080, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.048). Trust in key players, attitudes toward nature versus material, and religiosity had indirect relationships with attitudes through the perceived benefits and risks.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The identified predictors can serve as indicators for the decision-making process regarding WiAM implementation in Malaysia and other developing countries with similar demographics and cultures.},
}
@article {pmid34940221,
year = {2021},
author = {Bamou, R and Diarra, AZ and Mayi, MPA and Djiappi-Tchamen, B and Antonio-Nkondjio, C and Parola, P},
title = {Wolbachia Detection in Field-Collected Mosquitoes from Cameroon.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {12},
number = {12},
pages = {},
pmid = {34940221},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Wolbachia spp., known to be maternally inherited intracellular bacteria, are widespread among arthropods, including mosquitoes. Our study assessed the presence and prevalence of Wolbachia infection in wild mosquitoes collected in Cameroon, using the combination of 23s rRNA Anaplasmatacea and 16s rRNA Wolbachia genes. Mosquitoes that were positive for Wolbachia were sequenced for subsequent phylogenetic analysis. Out of a total of 1740 individual mosquitoes belonging to 22 species and five genera screened, 33 mosquitoes (1.87%) belonging to eight species (namely, Aedes albopictus, A. contigus, Culex quinquefasciatus, C. perfuscus, C. wigglesworthi, C. duttoni, Anopheles paludis and Coquillettidia sp.) were found to be positive for Wolbachia infections. Wolbachia spp. were absent in A. gambiae and A. aegypti, the main vectors of malaria and dengue, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S RNA sequences showed they belong mainly to two distinct subgroups (A and B). This study reports the presence of Wolbachia in about eight species of mosquitoes in Cameroon and suggests that future characterisation of the strains is needed.},
}
@article {pmid34940211,
year = {2021},
author = {Beribaka, M and Jelić, M and Tanasković, M and Lazić, C and Stamenković-Radak, M},
title = {Life History Traits in Two Drosophila Species Differently Affected by Microbiota Diversity under Lead Exposure.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {12},
number = {12},
pages = {},
pmid = {34940211},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {Life history traits determine the persistence and reproduction of each species. Factors that can affect life history traits are numerous and can be of different origin. We investigated the influence of population origin and heavy metal exposure on microbiota diversity and two life history traits, egg-to-adult viability and developmental time, in Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila subobscura, grown in the laboratory on a lead (II) acetate-saturated substrate. We used 24 samples, 8 larval and 16 adult samples (two species × two substrates × two populations × two sexes). The composition of microbiota was determined by sequencing (NGS) of the V3-V4 variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. The population origin showed a significant influence on life history traits, though each trait in the two species was affected differentially. Reduced viability in D. melanogaster could be a cost of fast development, decrease in Lactobacillus abundance and the presence of Wolbachia. The heavy metal exposure in D. subobscura caused shifts in developmental time but maintained the egg-to-adult viability at a similar level. Microbiota diversity indicated that the Komagataeibacter could be a valuable member of D. subobscura microbiota in overcoming the environmental stress. Research on the impact of microbiota on the adaptive response to heavy metals and consequently the potential tradeoffs among different life history traits is of great importance in evolutionary research.},
}
@article {pmid34940142,
year = {2021},
author = {Jiang, RX and Shang, F and Jiang, HB and Dou, W and Cernava, T and Wang, JJ},
title = {The Influence of Temperature and Host Gender on Bacterial Communities in the Asian Citrus Psyllid.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {12},
number = {12},
pages = {},
pmid = {34940142},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {The Asian citrus psyllid, D. citri Kuwayama is the primary vector for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), which causes a destructive disease in citrus plants. Bacterial symbionts are important determinants of insect physiology, and they can be impacted by many external factors. Temperature is an important abiotic factor affecting insect physiology, and it is also known that differences in symbiont proportions may vary in different insect genders. To date, it is unclear how the symbionts of D. citri are affected by temperature and gender. This study used high-throughput sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA amplicons to determine how temperature and gender affect the bacterial communities present in D. citri. We identified 27 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) belonging to 10 orders, seven classes, and five phyla. The dominant phylum was Proteobacteria (99.93%). Other phyla, including Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Deinococcota, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteriota, were less abundant (<0.1%). Profftella (71.77-81.59%) and Wolbachia (18.39-28.22%) were the predominant taxa in all samples. Under high-temperature treatment, Profftella was more common in females, while Wolbachia had a higher abundance in males. In males, Profftella was more abundant under low-temperature treatments than under high-temperature treatments. In contrast, Wolbachia showed a higher abundance under high-temperature treatments than under low-temperature treatments. An RT-qPCR (quantitative real-time PCR) approach confirmed the results obtained with high-throughput DNA sequencing. Our results provide a basis for understanding the co-adaptation of D. citri and its symbionts to environmental temperature stress.},
}
@article {pmid34933167,
year = {2022},
author = {Aouadi, N and Benkacimi, L and Zan Diarra, A and Laroche, M and Bérenger, JM and Bitam, I and Parola, P},
title = {Microorganisms associated with the North African hedgehog Atelerix algirus and its parasitizing arthropods in Algeria.},
journal = {Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases},
volume = {80},
number = {},
pages = {101726},
doi = {10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101726},
pmid = {34933167},
issn = {1878-1667},
mesh = {Algeria/epidemiology ; Animals ; *Arthropods ; Hedgehogs ; *Rhipicephalus sanguineus ; *Siphonaptera ; },
abstract = {Hedgehogs are small mammals. They are potential reservoirs of various zoonotic agents. This study was conducted in Bouira, a north-central region of Algeria. A total of 21 Atelerix algirus corpses were picked up on roadsides and gardens. Hedgehog kidneys, spleens and ectoparasites were collected. Twelve hedgehogs were infested with ectoparasites, including Archaeopsylla erinacei, Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. and Haemaphysalis erinacei. Hedgehog organs and randomly selected arthropods were screened for microorganisms using molecular methods. Coxiella burnetii was detected in kidneys, spleens, A. erinacei, Hae. erinacei and Rh. sanguineus s.l. Leptospira interrogans was detected in kidneys. Rickettsia felis and Rickettsia massiliae were detected respectively in A. erinacei and in Rh. sanguineus s.l. DNA of an uncultivated Rickettsia spp. was found in Hae. erinacei. Wolbachia spp. DNA was detected in fleas. The DNA of potential new Bartonella and Ehrlichia species were found respectively in fleas and ticks. This study highlights the presence of DNA from a broad range of microorganisms in hedgehogs and their ectoparasites that may be responsible for zoonoses in Algeria.},
}
@article {pmid34928947,
year = {2021},
author = {Vivero-Gomez, RJ and Castañeda-Monsalve, VA and Atencia, MC and Hoyos-Lopez, R and Hurst, GD and Cadavid-Restrepo, G and Moreno-Herrera, CX},
title = {Molecular phylogeny of heritable symbionts and microbiota diversity analysis in phlebotominae sand flies and Culex nigripalpus from Colombia.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {15},
number = {12},
pages = {e0009942},
pmid = {34928947},
issn = {1935-2735},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteroidetes/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; Biodiversity ; Colombia ; Culex/*microbiology/physiology ; *Microbiota ; Microsporidia/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; *Phylogeny ; Psychodidae/*microbiology/physiology ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Secondary symbionts of insects include a range of bacteria and fungi that perform various functional roles on their hosts, such as fitness, tolerance to heat stress, susceptibility to insecticides and effects on reproduction. These endosymbionts could have the potential to shape microbial communites and high potential to develop strategies for mosquito-borne disease control.<br><br>The relative frequency and molecular phylogeny of Wolbachia, Microsporidia and Cardinium were determined of phlebotomine sand flies and mosquitoes in two regions from Colombia. Illumina Miseq using the 16S rRNA gene as a biomarker was conducted to examine the microbiota. Different percentages of natural infection by Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Microsporidia in phlebotomines and mosquitoes were detected. Phylogenetic analysis of Wolbachia shows putative new strains of Lutzomyia gomezi (wLgom), Brumptomyia hamata (wBrham), and a putative new group associated with Culex nigripalpus (Cnig) from the Andean region, located in Supergroup A and Supergroup B, respectively. The sequences of Microsporidia were obtained of Pi. pia and Cx. nigripalpus, which are located on phylogeny in the IV clade (terrestrial origin). The Cardinium of Tr. triramula and Ps. shannoni were located in group C next to Culicoides sequences while Cardinium of Mi. cayennensis formed two putative new subgroups of Cardinium in group A. In total were obtained 550 bacterial amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) and 189 taxa to the genus level. The microbiota profiles of Sand flies and mosquitoes showed mainly at the phylum level to Proteobacteria (67.6%), Firmicutes (17.9%) and Actinobacteria (7.4%). High percentages of relative abundance for Wolbachia (30%-83%) in Lu. gomezi, Ev. dubitans, Mi. micropyga, Br. hamata, and Cx. nigripalpus were found. ASVs assigned as Microsporidia were found in greater abundance in Pi. pia (23%) and Cx. nigripalpus (11%). An important finding is the detection of Rickettsia in Pi. pia (58,8%) and Bartonella sp. in Cx. nigripalpus.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We found that Wolbachia infection significantly decreased the alpha diversity and negatively impacts the number of taxa on sand flies and Culex nigripalpus. The Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) is consistent, which showed statistically significant differences (PERMANOVA, F = 2.4744; R2 = 0.18363; p-value = 0.007) between the microbiota of sand flies and mosquitoes depending on its origin, host and possibly for the abundance of some endosymbionts (Wolbachia, Rickettsia).},
}
@article {pmid34919808,
year = {2022},
author = {Hague, MTJ and Shropshire, JD and Caldwell, CN and Statz, JP and Stanek, KA and Conner, WR and Cooper, BS},
title = {Temperature effects on cellular host-microbe interactions explain continent-wide endosymbiont prevalence.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {32},
number = {4},
pages = {878-888.e8},
pmid = {34919808},
issn = {1879-0445},
support = {R35 GM124701/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; Host Microbial Interactions ; Prevalence ; Temperature ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; },
abstract = {Endosymbioses influence host physiology, reproduction, and fitness, but these relationships require efficient microbe transmission between host generations to persist. Maternally transmitted Wolbachia are the most common known endosymbionts,[1] but their frequencies vary widely within and among host populations for unknown reasons.[2][,][3] Here, we integrate genomic, cellular, and phenotypic analyses with mathematical models to provide an unexpectedly simple explanation for global wMel Wolbachia prevalence in Drosophila melanogaster. Cooling temperatures decrease wMel cellular abundance at a key stage of host oogenesis, producing temperature-dependent variation in maternal transmission that plausibly explains latitudinal clines of wMel frequencies on multiple continents. wMel sampled from a temperate climate targets the germline more efficiently in the cold than a recently differentiated tropical variant (∼2,200 years ago), indicative of rapid wMel adaptation to climate. Genomic analyses identify a very narrow list of wMel alleles-most notably, a derived stop codon in the major Wolbachia surface protein WspB-that underlie thermal sensitivity of cellular Wolbachia abundance and covary with temperature globally. Decoupling temperate wMel and host genomes further reduces transmission in the cold, a pattern that is characteristic of host-microbe co-adaptation to a temperate climate. Complex interactions among Wolbachia, hosts, and the environment (GxGxE) mediate wMel cellular abundance and maternal transmission, implicating temperature as a key determinant of Wolbachia spread and equilibrium frequencies, in conjunction with Wolbachia effects on host fitness and reproduction.[4][,][5] Our results motivate the strategic use of locally selected wMel variants for Wolbachia-based biocontrol efforts, which protect millions of individuals from arboviruses that cause human disease.[6].},
}
@article {pmid34906084,
year = {2021},
author = {Lau, MJ and Schmidt, TL and Yang, Q and Chung, J and Sankey, L and Ross, PA and Hoffmann, AA},
title = {Genetic stability of Aedes aegypti populations following invasion by wMel Wolbachia.},
journal = {BMC genomics},
volume = {22},
number = {1},
pages = {894},
pmid = {34906084},
issn = {1471-2164},
mesh = {*Aedes/genetics ; Animals ; *Arboviruses ; *Wolbachia/genetics ; *Zika Virus ; *Zika Virus Infection ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia wMel is the most commonly used strain in rear and release strategies for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that aim to inhibit the transmission of arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, Chikungunya and yellow fever. However, the long-term establishment of wMel in natural Ae. aegypti populations raises concerns that interactions between Wolbachia wMel and Ae. aegypti may lead to changes in the host genome, which could affect useful attributes of Wolbachia that allow it to invade and suppress disease transmission.<br><br>RESULTS: We applied an evolve-and-resequence approach to study genome-wide genetic changes in Ae. aegypti from the Cairns region, Australia, where Wolbachia wMel was first introduced more than 10&#x2009;years ago. Mosquito samples were collected at three different time points in Gordonvale, Australia, covering the phase before (2010) and after (2013 and 2018) Wolbachia releases. An additional three locations where Wolbachia replacement happened at different times across the last decade were also sampled in 2018. We found that the genomes of mosquito populations mostly remained stable after Wolbachia release, with population differences tending to reflect the geographic location of the populations rather than Wolbachia infection status. However, outlier analysis suggests that Wolbachia may have had an influence on some genes related to immune response, development, recognition and behavior.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Ae. aegypti populations remained geographically distinct after Wolbachia wMel releases in North Australia despite their Wolbachia infection status. At some specific genomic loci, we found signs of selection associated with Wolbachia, suggesting potential evolutionary impacts can happen in the future and further monitoring is warranted.},
}
@article {pmid34903056,
year = {2021},
author = {Shropshire, JD and Hamant, E and Cooper, BS},
title = {Male Age and Wolbachia Dynamics: Investigating How Fast and Why Bacterial Densities and Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Strengths Vary.},
journal = {mBio},
volume = {12},
number = {6},
pages = {e0299821},
pmid = {34903056},
issn = {2150-7511},
support = {R35 GM124701/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Cytoplasm/genetics/*microbiology ; Drosophila/genetics/immunology/*microbiology/physiology ; Drosophila melanogaster ; Female ; Male ; Species Specificity ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/genetics/*physiology ; },
abstract = {Endosymbionts can influence host reproduction and fitness to favor their maternal transmission. For example, endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria often cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) that kills uninfected embryos fertilized by Wolbachia-modified sperm. Infected females can rescue CI, providing them a relative fitness advantage. Wolbachia-induced CI strength varies widely and tends to decrease as host males age. Since strong CI drives Wolbachia to high equilibrium frequencies, understanding how fast and why CI strength declines with male age is crucial to explaining age-dependent CI's influence on Wolbachia prevalence. Here, we investigate if Wolbachia densities and/or CI gene (cif) expression covary with CI-strength variation and explore covariates of age-dependent Wolbachia-density variation in two classic CI systems. wRi CI strength decreases slowly with Drosophila simulans male age (6%/day), but wMel CI strength decreases very rapidly (19%/day), yielding statistically insignificant CI after only 3 days of Drosophila melanogaster adult emergence. Wolbachia densities and cif expression in testes decrease as wRi-infected males age, but both surprisingly increase as wMel-infected males age, and CI strength declines. We then tested if phage lysis, Octomom copy number (which impacts wMel density), or host immune expression covary with age-dependent wMel densities. Only host immune expression correlated with density. Together, our results identify how fast CI strength declines with male age in two model systems and reveal unique relationships between male age, Wolbachia densities, cif expression, and host immunity. We discuss new hypotheses about the basis of age-dependent CI strength and its contributions to Wolbachia prevalence. IMPORTANCEWolbachia bacteria are the most common animal-associated endosymbionts due in large part to their manipulation of host reproduction. Many Wolbachia cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) that kills uninfected host eggs. Infected eggs are protected from CI, favoring Wolbachia spread in natural systems and in transinfected mosquito populations where vector-control groups use strong CI to maintain pathogen-blocking Wolbachia at high frequencies for biocontrol of arboviruses. CI strength varies considerably in nature and declines as males age for unknown reasons. Here, we determine that CI strength weakens at different rates with age in two model symbioses. Wolbachia density and CI gene expression covary with wRi-induced CI strength in Drosophila simulans, but neither explain rapidly declining wMel-induced CI in aging D. melanogaster males. Patterns of host immune gene expression suggest a candidate mechanism behind age-dependent wMel densities. These findings inform how age-dependent CI may contribute to Wolbachia prevalence in natural systems and potentially in transinfected systems.},
}
@article {pmid34871301,
year = {2021},
author = {Sánchez-González, L and Adams, LE and Saavedra, R and Little, EM and Medina, NA and Major, CG and Bruck, M and Miranda, J and Rosado-Santiago, C and Ryff, K and Ortiz, M and Brown, G and Barrera, R and Pérez-Guerra, CL and Rivera-Amill, V and Paz-Bailey, G},
title = {Assessment of community support for Wolbachia-mediated population suppression as a control method for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in a community cohort in Puerto Rico.},
journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases},
volume = {15},
number = {12},
pages = {e0009966},
pmid = {34871301},
issn = {1935-2735},
support = {U01 CK000437/CK/NCEZID CDC HHS/United States ; U01 CK000580/CK/NCEZID CDC HHS/United States ; U01CK000580/ACL/ACL HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Adult ; Aedes/*microbiology/physiology ; Animals ; Cohort Studies ; Community Support/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology/physiology ; Sexual Behavior, Animal ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; Young Adult ; },
abstract = {Arboviral diseases transmitted by Aedes species mosquitoes pose an increasing public health challenge in tropical regions. Wolbachia-mediated population suppression (Wolbachia suppression) is a vector control method used to reduce Aedes mosquito populations by introducing male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia, a naturally occurring endosymbiotic bacterium. When Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes mate with female wild mosquitoes, the resulting eggs will not hatch. Public support is vital to the successful implementation and sustainability of vector control interventions. Communities Organized to Prevent Arboviruses (COPA) is a cohort study to determine the incidence of arboviral disease in Ponce, Puerto Rico and evaluate vector control methods. Focus groups were conducted with residents of COPA communities to gather their opinion on vector control methods; during 2018-2019, adult COPA participants were interviewed regarding their views on Wolbachia suppression; and a follow-up questionnaire was conducted among a subset of participants and non-participants residing in COPA communities. We analyzed factors associated with support for this method. Among 1,528 participants in the baseline survey, median age was 37 years and 63% were female. A total of 1,032 (68%) respondents supported Wolbachia suppression. Respondents with an income of $40,000 or more were 1.34 times as likely [95% CI: 1.03, 1.37] to support Wolbachia suppression than those who earned less than $40,000 annually. Respondents who reported repellant use were 1.19 times as likely to support Wolbachia suppression [95% CI: 1.03, 1.37]. A follow-up survey in 2020 showed that most COPA participants (86%) and non-participants living in COPA communities (84%) supported Wolbachia suppression during and after an educational campaign. The most frequent questions regarding this method were related to its impact on human and animal health, and the environment. Continuous community engagement and education efforts before and during the implementation of novel vector control interventions are necessary to increase and maintain community support.},
}
@article {pmid34865032,
year = {2021},
author = {Wangkeeree, J and Sanit, P and Roddee, J and Hanboonsong, Y},
title = {Population Dynamics of Wolbachia in the Leafhopper Vector Yamatotettix flavovittatus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae).},
journal = {Journal of insect science (Online)},
volume = {21},
number = {6},
pages = {},
pmid = {34865032},
issn = {1536-2442},
mesh = {Animals ; *Hemiptera/microbiology ; Population Dynamics ; Saccharum ; *Wolbachia ; },
abstract = {Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Alphaproteobacteria) infections induce abnormalities in the reproductive system and affect various biological traits of the host insects. The density of Wolbachia is one of the major parameters that influence induced phenotypes and interactions with the hosts. Wolbachia occurs naturally in populations of the leafhopper Yamatotettix flavovittatus Matsumura (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), which transmits phytoplasma that cause white leaf disease in sugarcane. However, the quantity and dynamics of Wolbachia in this leafhopper are not well understood. In the current study, we estimated the number of Wolbachia by absolute quantification of the copy number of wsp, which encodes the outer surface protein, using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This investigation was performed using natural populations and laboratory colonies from three lineages of leafhoppers (designated as UD, KK, and SK). There was no significant difference in the number of wsp copies in most of field-collected adults. During the immature developmental stages, there were differences in the dynamics of Wolbachia infection between the UD lineage and the other two lineages. However, the number of wsp copies increased in the early instar and plateaued in the later nymphal instars. Sex had no influence on the number of Wolbachia within the same lineages. The number of Wolbachia was relatively constant during the adult stage in the UD lineage but fluctuated in the other two lineages. In conclusion, the present data provide a framework for exploring the relationship between Wolbachia and the leafhopper and could facilitate future research into management strategies using Wolbachia.},
}
@article {pmid34864906,
year = {2022},
author = {Cooper, WR and Horton, DR and Swisher-Grimm, K and Krey, K and Wildung, MR},
title = {Bacterial Endosymbionts of Bactericera maculipennis and Three Mitochondrial Haplotypes of B. cockerelli (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae).},
journal = {Environmental entomology},
volume = {51},
number = {1},
pages = {94-107},
doi = {10.1093/ee/nvab133},
pmid = {34864906},
issn = {1938-2936},
mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/genetics ; Haplotypes ; *Hemiptera/microbiology ; Plant Diseases/microbiology ; *Rhizobiaceae ; *Solanum tuberosum/microbiology ; },
abstract = {Insects harbor bacterial endosymbionts that provide their hosts with nutritional benefit or with protection against natural enemies, plant defenses, insecticides, or abiotic stresses. We used directed sequencing of 16S rDNA to identify and compare endosymbionts of Bactericera maculipennis (Crawford) and the western, central, and northwestern haplotypes of B. cockerelli (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae). Both species are native to North America, are known to harbor the plant pathogen 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' and develop on shared host plants within the Convolvulaceae. The Old-World species Heterotrioza chenopodii (Reuter) (Psylloidea: Triozidae), now found in North America, was included as an outgroup. 16S sequencing confirmed that both Bactericera species harbor 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' and revealed that both species harbor unique strains of Wolbachia and Sodalis. However, the presence of Wolbachia and Sodalis varied among haplotypes of B. cockerelli. The central and western haplotypes harbored the sam