@article {pmid32491177, year = {2020}, author = {Adams, M and McBroome, J and Maurer, N and Pepper-Tunick, E and Saremi, NF and Green, RE and Vollmers, C and Corbett-Detig, RB}, title = {One fly-one genome: chromosome-scale genome assembly of a single outbred Drosophila melanogaster.}, journal = {Nucleic acids research}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkaa450}, pmid = {32491177}, issn = {1362-4962}, abstract = {A high quality genome assembly is a vital first step for the study of an organism. Recent advances in technology have made the creation of high quality chromosome scale assemblies feasible and low cost. However, the amount of input DNA needed for an assembly project can be a limiting factor for small organisms or precious samples. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of creating a chromosome scale assembly using a hybrid method for a low input sample, a single outbred Drosophila melanogaster. Our approach combines an Illumina shotgun library, Oxford nanopore long reads, and chromosome conformation capture for long range scaffolding. This single fly genome assembly has a N50 of 26 Mb, a length that encompasses entire chromosome arms, contains 95% of expected single copy orthologs, and a nearly complete assembly of this individual's Wolbachia endosymbiont. The methods described here enable the accurate and complete assembly of genomes from small, field collected organisms as well as precious clinical samples.}, }
@article {pmid32489617, year = {2020}, author = {Zélé, F and Altıntaş, M and Santos, I and Cakmak, I and Magalhães, S}, title = {Population-specific effect of Wolbachia on the cost of fungal infection in spider mites.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {10}, number = {9}, pages = {3868-3880}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.6015}, pmid = {32489617}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Many studies have revealed the ability of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia to protect its arthropod hosts against diverse pathogens. However, as Wolbachia may also increase the susceptibility of its host to infection, predicting the outcome of a particular Wolbachia-host-pathogen interaction remains elusive. Yet, understanding such interactions and their eco-evolutionary consequences is crucial for disease and pest control strategies. Moreover, how natural Wolbachia infections affect artificially introduced pathogens for biocontrol has never been studied. Tetranychus urticae spider mites are herbivorous crop pests, causing severe damage on numerous economically important crops. Due to the rapid evolution of pesticide resistance, biological control strategies using entomopathogenic fungi are being developed. However, although spider mites are infected with various Wolbachia strains worldwide, whether this endosymbiont protects them from fungi is as yet unknown. Here, we compared the survival of two populations, treated with antibiotics or naturally harboring different Wolbachia strains, after exposure to the fungal biocontrol agents Metarhizium brunneum and Beauveria bassiana. To control for potential effects of the bacterial community of spider mites, we also compared the susceptibility of two populations naturally uninfected by Wolbachia, treated with antibiotics or not. In one population, Wolbachia-infected mites had a better survival than uninfected ones in absence of fungi but not in their presence, whereas in the other population Wolbachia increased the mortality induced by B. bassiana. In one naturally Wolbachia-uninfected population, the antibiotic treatment increased the susceptibility of spider mites to M. brunneum, but it had no effect in the other treatments. These results suggest that natural Wolbachia infections may not hamper and may even improve the success of biological control using entomopathogenic fungi. However, they also draw caution on the generalization of such effects, given the complexity of within-host-pathogens interaction and the potential eco-evolutionary consequences of the use of biocontrol agents for Wolbachia-host associations.}, }
@article {pmid32489610, year = {2020}, author = {Detcharoen, M and Arthofer, W and Jiggins, FM and Steiner, FM and Schlick-Steiner, BC}, title = {Wolbachia affect behavior and possibly reproductive compatibility but not thermoresistance, fecundity, and morphology in a novel transinfected host, Drosophila nigrosparsa.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {10}, number = {10}, pages = {4457-4470}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.6212}, pmid = {32489610}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Wolbachia, intracellular endosymbionts, are estimated to infect about half of all arthropod species. These bacteria manipulate their hosts in various ways for their maximum benefits. The rising global temperature may accelerate species migration, and thus, horizontal transfer of Wolbachia may occur across species previously not in contact. We transinfected and then cured the alpine fly Drosophila nigrosparsa with Wolbachia strain wMel to study its effects on this species. We found low Wolbachia titer, possibly cytoplasmic incompatibility, and an increase in locomotion of both infected larvae and adults compared with cured ones. However, no change in fecundity, no impact on heat and cold tolerance, and no change in wing morphology were observed. Although Wolbachia increased locomotor activities in this species, we conclude that D. nigrosparsa may not benefit from the infection. Still, D. nigrosparsa can serve as a host for Wolbachia because vertical transmission is possible but may not be as high as in the native host of wMel, Drosophila melanogaster.}, }
@article {pmid32489376, year = {2020}, author = {Khanmohammadi, M and Akhlaghi, L and Razmjou, E and Falak, R and Zolfaghari Emameh, R and Mokhtarian, K and Arshadi, M and Tasbihi, M and Meamar, AR}, title = {Morphological Description, Phylogenetic and Molecular Analysis of Dirofilaria immitis Isolated from Dogs in the Northwest of Iran.}, journal = {Iranian journal of parasitology}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {57-66}, pmid = {32489376}, issn = {1735-7020}, abstract = {Background: Dirofilariasis is a globally distributed arthropod-borne parasitic disease of mainly canids and felids. We evaluated to extend the knowledge of morpho-molecular characteristics and outer ultrastructure of Dirofilaria immitis isolated from Northwest of Iran.<br><br>Methods: Overall, 67 filarial worms including 41 females and 26 males parasites were collected from the cardiovascular system of the 43 stray dogs in Meshkinshar, Ardebil Province, Northwest of Iran in 2017, and subjected to light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as carmine alum staining for morpho-molecular and identification. Molecular methods were used for confirmation of morphological findings by sequencing of Cyto-chrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene.<br><br>Results: The partial DNA sequencing of cox1 gene of adult parasites showed considerable homology and close proximity to the previously isolated from Kerman and Meshkinshahr, Iran. The lowest genetic variation and the highest intra-species variability was found in D. immitis and Dirofilaria repens, respectively. No similarity was identified between D. immitis nucleotide sequence and Wolbachia species as its endosymbiont bacteria.<br><br>Conclusion: The SEM technique is an excellent tool for differential recognition of the parasite surface morphology and molecular techniques could differentiate and identify Dirofilaria spp.}, }
@article {pmid32488484, year = {2020}, author = {Semiatizki, A and Weiss, B and Bagim, S and Rohkin-Shalom, S and Kaltenpoth, M and Chiel, E}, title = {Effects, interactions, and localization of Rickettsia and Wolbachia in the house fly parasitoid, Spalangia endius.}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-020-01520-x}, pmid = {32488484}, issn = {1432-184X}, support = {435/18//Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education of Israel/ ; CoG 819585/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, abstract = {Many insect species harbor facultative microbial symbionts that affect their biology in diverse ways. Here, we studied the effects, interactions, and localization of two bacterial symbionts-Wolbachia and Rickettsia-in the parasitoid Spalangia endius. We crossed between four S. endius colonies-Wolbachia only (W), Rickettsia only (R), both (WR), and none (aposymbiotic, APS) (16 possible crosses) and found that Wolbachia induces incomplete cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), both when the males are W or WR. Rickettsia did not cause reproductive manipulations and did not rescue the Wolbachia-induced CI. However, when R females were crossed with W or WR males, significantly less offspring were produced compared with that of control crosses. In non-CI crosses, the presence of Wolbachia in males caused a significant reduction in offspring numbers. Females' developmental time was significantly prolonged in the R colony, with adults starting to emerge one day later than the other colonies. Other fitness parameters did not differ significantly between the colonies. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization microscopy in females, we found that Wolbachia is localized alongside Rickettsia inside oocytes, follicle cells, and nurse cells in the ovaries. However, Rickettsia is distributed also in muscle cells all over the body, in ganglia, and even in the brain.}, }
@article {pmid32485988, year = {2020}, author = {Papadopoulos, C and Karas, PA and Vasileiadis, S and Ligda, P and Saratsis, A and Sotiraki, S and Karpouzas, DG}, title = {Host Species Determines the Composition of the Prokaryotic Microbiota in Phlebotomus Sandflies.}, journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {9}, number = {6}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/pathogens9060428}, pmid = {32485988}, issn = {2076-0817}, abstract = {Phlebotomine sandflies are vectors of the humans' and mammals' parasite Leishmania spp. Although the role of gut microbiome in the biological cycle of insects is acknowledged, we still know little about the factors modulating the composition of the gut microbiota of sandflies. We tested whether host species impose a strong structural effect on the gut microbiota of Phlebotomus spp. Sandflies were collected from the island of Leros, Greece, and classified to P.papatasi, P. neglectus, P.tobbi, and P.similis, all being negative to Leishmania spp. The prokaryotic gut microbiota was determined via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Phlebotomus species supported distinct microbial communities (p < 0.001). P.papatasi microbiota was the most distinct over-dominated by three Spiroplasma, Wolbachia and Paenibacillus operational taxonomic units (OTUs), while another Wolbachia OTU prevailed in P. neglectus. Conversely, the microbiota of P.tobbi and P.similis was composed of several less dominant OTUs. Archaea showed low presence with the dominant OTUs belonging to methanogenic Euryarcheota, ammonia-oxidizing Thaumarcheota, and Nanoarchaeota. We provide first insights into the composition of the bacterial and archaeal community of Phlebotomus sandflies and showed that, in the absence of Leishmania, host genotype is the major modulator of Phlebotomus sandfly gut microbiota.}, }
@article {pmid32477411, year = {2020}, author = {Mazzucco, R and Nolte, V and Vijayan, T and Schlötterer, C}, title = {Long-Term Dynamics Among Wolbachia Strains During Thermal Adaptation of Their Drosophila melanogaster Hosts.}, journal = {Frontiers in genetics}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {482}, doi = {10.3389/fgene.2020.00482}, pmid = {32477411}, issn = {1664-8021}, abstract = {Climate change is a major evolutionary force triggering thermal adaptation in a broad range of species. While the consequences of global warming are being studied for an increasing number of species, limited attention has been given to the evolutionary dynamics of endosymbionts in response to climate change. Here, we address this question by studying the dynamics of Wolbachia, a well-studied endosymbiont of Drosophila melanogaster. D. melanogaster populations infected with 13 different Wolbachia strains were exposed to novel hot and cold laboratory environments for up to 180 generations. The short-term dynamics suggested a temperature-related fitness difference resulting in the increase of clade V strains in the cold environment only. Our long-term analysis now uncovers that clade V dominates in all replicates after generation 60 irrespective of temperature treatment. We propose that adaptation of the Drosophila host to either temperature or Drosophila C virus (DCV) infection are the cause of the replicated, temporally non-concordant Wolbachia dynamics. Our study provides an interesting case demonstrating that even simple, well-controlled experiments can result in complex, but repeatable evolutionary dynamics, thus providing a cautionary note on too simple interpretations on the impact of climate change.}, }
@article {pmid32477320, year = {2020}, author = {Sharma, P and Rani, J and Chauhan, C and Kumari, S and Tevatiya, S and Das De, T and Savargaonkar, D and Pandey, KC and Dixit, R}, title = {Altered Gut Microbiota and Immunity Defines Plasmodium vivax Survival in Anopheles stephensi.}, journal = {Frontiers in immunology}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {609}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2020.00609}, pmid = {32477320}, issn = {1664-3224}, abstract = {Blood-feeding enriched gut-microbiota boosts mosquitoes' anti-Plasmodium immunity. Here, we ask how Plasmodium vivax alters gut-microbiota, anti-Plasmodial immunity, and impacts tripartite Plasmodium-mosquito-microbiota interactions in the gut lumen. We used a metagenomics and RNAseq strategy to address these questions. In naïve mosquitoes, Elizabethkingia meningitis and Pseudomonas spp. are the dominant bacteria and blood-feeding leads to a heightened detection of Elizabethkingia, Pseudomonas and Serratia 16S rRNA. A parallel RNAseq analysis of blood-fed midguts also shows the presence of Elizabethkingia-related transcripts. After, P. vivax infected blood-meal, however, we do not detect bacterial 16S rRNA until circa 36 h. Intriguingly, the transcriptional expression of a selected array of antimicrobial arsenal cecropins 1-2, defensin-1, and gambicin remained low during the first 36 h-a time frame when ookinetes/early oocysts invaded the gut. We conclude during the preinvasive phase, P. vivax outcompetes midgut-microbiota. This microbial suppression likely negates the impact of mosquito immunity which in turn may enhance the survival of P. vivax. Detection of sequences matching to mosquito-associated Wolbachia opens a new inquiry for its exploration as an agent for &quot;paratransgenesis-based&quot; mosquito control.}, }
@article {pmid32473140, year = {2020}, author = {Burki, T}, title = {Wolbachia, a bacterium fighting on our side.}, journal = {The Lancet. Infectious diseases}, volume = {20}, number = {6}, pages = {662-663}, doi = {10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30384-4}, pmid = {32473140}, issn = {1474-4457}, }
@article {pmid32471038, year = {2020}, author = {Tseng, SP and Hsu, PW and Lee, CC and Wetterer, JK and Hugel, S and Wu, LH and Lee, CY and Yoshimura, T and Yang, CS}, title = {Evidence for Common Horizontal Transmission of Wolbachia among Ants and Ant Crickets: Kleptoparasitism Added to the List.}, journal = {Microorganisms}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/microorganisms8060805}, pmid = {32471038}, issn = {2076-2607}, support = {N/A//Kyoto University/ ; }, abstract = {While Wolbachia, an intracellular bacterial symbiont, is primarily transmitted maternally in arthropods, horizontal transmission between species has been commonly documented. We examined kleptoparasitism as a potential mechanism for Wolbachia horizontal transmission, using ant crickets and their host ants as the model system. We compared prevalence and diversity of Wolbachia across multiple ant cricket species with different degrees of host specificity/integration level. Our analyses revealed at least three cases of inter-ordinal Wolbachia transfer among ant and ant crickets, and also showed that ant cricket species with high host-integration and host-specificity tend to harbor a higher Wolbachia prevalence and diversity than other types of ant crickets. This study provides empirical evidence that distribution of Wolbachia across ant crickets is largely attributable to horizontal transmission, but also elucidates the role of intimate ecological association in successful Wolbachia horizontal transmission.}, }
@article {pmid32458175, year = {2020}, author = {Zhang, X and Liu, Q and Zhu, H}, title = {Modeling and dynamics of Wolbachia-infected male releases and mating competition on mosquito control.}, journal = {Journal of mathematical biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00285-020-01509-7}, pmid = {32458175}, issn = {1432-1416}, support = {61772017//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; No. SWU019046//Doctoral Fund of Southwest University/ ; }, abstract = {Despite centuries of continuous efforts, mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) remain enormous health threat of human life worldwide. Lately, the USA government has approved an innovative technology of releasing Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes to suppress the wild mosquito population. In this paper we first introduce a stage-structured model for natural mosquitos, then we establish a new model considering the releasing of Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes and the mating competition between the natural male mosquitoes and infected males on the suppression of natural mosquitoes. Dynamical analysis of the two models, including the existence and local stability of the equilibria and bifurcation analysis, reveals the existence of a forward bifurcation or a backward bifurcation with multiple attractors. Moreover, globally dynamical properties are further explored by using Lyapunov function and theory of monotone operators, respectively. Our findings suggest that infected male augmentation itself cannot always guarantee the success of population eradication, but leads to three possible levels of population suppression, so we define the corresponding suppression rate and estimate the minimum release ratio for population eradication. Furthermore, we study how the release ratio of infected males and natural ones, mating competition, the rate of cytoplasmic incompatibility and the basic offspring number affect the suppression rate of natural mosquitoes. Our results show that the successful eradication relies on assessing the reproductive capacity of natural mosquitoes, a selection of suitable Wolbachia strains and an appropriate release amount of infected males. This study will be helpful for public health authorities in designing proper strategies to control vector mosquitoes and prevent the epidemics of MBDs.}, }
@article {pmid32456036, year = {2020}, author = {Yen, PS and Failloux, AB}, title = {A Review: Wolbachia-Based Population Replacement for Mosquito Control Shares Common Points with Genetically Modified Control Approaches.}, journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {9}, number = {5}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/pathogens9050404}, pmid = {32456036}, issn = {2076-0817}, support = {n_ANR-10-LABX-62-IBEID//French Government's Investissement d'Avenir program, Laboratoire d'Excellence &quot;Integrative Biology of Emerging Infectious Diseases, IBEID&quot;/ ; NHRI-PP-108-0324-01-17-07//National Health Research Institutes/ ; }, abstract = {The growing expansion of mosquito vectors has made mosquito-borne arboviral diseases a global threat to public health, and the lack of licensed vaccines and treatments highlight the urgent need for efficient mosquito vector control. Compared to genetically modified control strategies, the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia, endowing a pathogen-blocking phenotype, is considered an environmentally friendly strategy to replace the target population for controlling arboviral diseases. However, the incomplete knowledge regarding the pathogen-blocking mechanism weakens the reliability of a Wolbachia-based population replacement strategy. Wolbachia infections are also vulnerable to environmental factors, temperature, and host diet, affecting their densities in mosquitoes and thus the virus-blocking phenotype. Here, we review the properties of the Wolbachia strategy as an approach to control mosquito populations in comparison with genetically modified control methods. Both strategies tend to limit arbovirus infections but increase the risk of selecting arbovirus escape mutants, rendering these strategies less reliable.}, }
@article {pmid32455576, year = {2020}, author = {Laidoudi, Y and Marie, JL and Tahir, D and Watier-Grillot, S and Mediannikov, O and Davoust, B}, title = {Detection of Canine Vector-Borne Filariasis and Their Wolbachia Endosymbionts in French Guiana.}, journal = {Microorganisms}, volume = {8}, number = {5}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/microorganisms8050770}, pmid = {32455576}, issn = {2076-2607}, abstract = {In French Guiana, canine heartworm disease is well known, but the diversity of filarial parasites of dogs remains largely unknown. A total of 98 canine blood samples from Cayenne and Kourou were assessed by a blood wet mount preparation, heartworm antigen test and molecular exploration of filarioid and Wolbachia DNAs, followed by a multiplex species-specific qPCR's identification and a subsequent sequencing analysis. Thereafter, a phylogeny based on maximum likelihood was carried out to facilitate specific identification. Five dogs were microfilaremic. Heartworm antigens were detected in 15 (15.3%) dogs. Of these, six (6.1%) were considered as occult infections as neither microfilariae nor Dirofilaria immitis DNA were detected. The 11 (11.2%) D. immitis isolates corresponded to a low virulent strain. Six of the D. immitis isolates were positive for Wolbachia endosymbionts of D. immitis belonging to the clade C DNA. Acanthocheilonema reconditum DNA was detected in 3 (3.1%) samples. Of these latter, one was found co-infected with the Brugia sp. genotype and the DNA of the clade D of the Wolbachia endosymbiont of Brugia species. This latter was also detected in two filarioid DNA-free samples. Finally, two samples were positive for Cercopithifilaria bainae genotype, which is distinct from those identified in Europe. The present study highlights the urgent need to implement chemoprophylaxis associated with anti-Wolbachia drugs to control these potential zoonoses.}, }
@article {pmid32450914, year = {2020}, author = {Anders, KL and Indriani, C and Ahmad, RA and Tantowijoyo, W and Arguni, E and Andari, B and Jewell, NP and Dufault, SM and Ryan, PA and Tanamas, SK and Rancès, E and O'Neill, SL and Simmons, CP and Utarini, A}, title = {Update to the AWED (Applying Wolbachia to Eliminate Dengue) trial study protocol: a cluster randomised controlled trial in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.}, journal = {Trials}, volume = {21}, number = {1}, pages = {429}, doi = {10.1186/s13063-020-04367-2}, pmid = {32450914}, issn = {1745-6215}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The AWED (Applying Wolbachia to Eliminate Dengue) trial is a parallel, two-arm, non-blinded cluster randomised controlled trial that is under way in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, with the aim of measuring the efficacy of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti deployments in reducing dengue incidence in an endemic setting. Enrolment began in January 2018 and is ongoing. The original study protocol was published in April 2018. Here, we describe amendments that have been made to the study protocol since commencement of the trial.<br><br>METHODS: The key protocol amendments are (1) a revised study duration with planned end of participant enrolment in August 2020, (2) the addition of new secondary objectives (i) to estimate serotype-specific efficacy of the Wolbachia intervention and (ii) to compare Ae. aegypti abundance in intervention versus untreated clusters, (3) an additional exposure classification for the per-protocol analysis where the Wolbachia exposure index is calculated using only the cluster-level Wolbachia prevalence in the participant's cluster of residence, (4) power re-estimation using a multinomial sampling method that better accounts for randomness in sampling, and (5) the addition of two trial stopping rules to address the potential for persistently low rates of virologically confirmed dengue case enrolment and Wolbachia contamination into untreated clusters. Additional minor changes to the protocol are also described.<br><br>DISCUSSION: The findings from this study will provide the first experimental evidence for the efficacy of Wolbachia in reducing dengue incidence. Enrolment in the trial will conclude this year (2020) and results will be reported shortly thereafter.<br><br>TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03055585. Registered on 14 February 2017. Last updated 22 March 2020.}, }
@article {pmid32443976, year = {2020}, author = {Manzano-Marín, A}, title = {No evidence for Wolbachia as a nutritional co-obligate endosymbiont in the aphid Pentalonia nigronervosa.}, journal = {Microbiome}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {72}, doi = {10.1186/s40168-020-00865-2}, pmid = {32443976}, issn = {2049-2618}, abstract = {Obligate symbiotic associations are present in a wide variety of animals with a nutrient-restricted diet. Aphids (hemiptera: Aphididae) almost-universally host Buchnera aphidicola bacteria in specialised organs (called bacteriomes). These bacteria supply the aphid with essential nutrients lacking from their diet (i.e. essential amino acids and some B vitamins). Some aphid lineages, such as species from the Lacninae subfamily, have evolved co-obligate associations with secondary endosymbionts, deriving from a loss of biotin- and riboflavin-biosynthetic genes. In this study, I re-analyse previously published sequencing data from the banana aphid Pentalonia nigronervosa. I show that the metabolic inference results from De Clerck et al. (Microbiome 3:63, 2015) are incorrect and possibly arise from the use of inadequate methods. Additionally, I discuss how the seemingly biased interpretation of their antibiotic treatment analyses together with an incorrect genome-based metabolic inference resulted in the erroneous suggestion &quot;that a co-obligatory symbiosis between B. aphidicola and Wolbachia occurs in the banana aphid&quot;.}, }
@article {pmid32442441, year = {2020}, author = {Górzyńska, K}, title = {Effects of the Clonostachys epichloë fungal hyperparasite on the symbiotic -interaction between Botanophila spp. flies and Epichloë sp. fungus.}, journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {107396}, doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2020.107396}, pmid = {32442441}, issn = {1096-0805}, abstract = {Botanophila spp. flies are associated with Epichloë spp. fungi in a symbiotic relationship in which the flies benefit from stromata as a food source for both adults and larvae, and the fungus benefits from the transfer of conidia by the flies, resulting in fertilization. Derogations from this pattern indicate that the Epichloë-Botanophila interaction cannot be clearly defined. The situation may be complicated by reports of new elements of the interaction, e.g., Wolbachia bacteria present in Botanophila larvae. The present study investigates the impact of Clonostachys epichloë (Speg.) Schroers, the fungal hyperparasite of Epichloë stromata, on the Botanophila-Epichloë interaction. The interaction between C. epichloë and Botanophila spp. flies associated with Epichloë typhina subsp. clarkii (J.F. White) Leuchtm. &amp; Schardl stromata was studied in the Holcus lanatus L. grass population. C. epichloë was present on 76.5% of stromata, covering on average 44.8 ± 32.1% of its surface and influencing the final perithecial coverage to the same extent as larval feeding. C. epichloë began to appear on stromata much later than the fly eggs and did not affect the preference for Botanophila egg laying. On the other hand, C. epichloë reduced larval hatching success and increased the mortality of the larvae. Clonostachys was responsible for 76.0% of all deaths, overgrowing brood chambers, and its mycelium was present both on and within larvae in all cases. Overall, as a result of the presence of C. epichloë, the number of Botanophila fly offspring decreased by 52.7%. Of the 26 surviving larvae, 10 (38.5%) were affected by C. epichloë, and their weight was significantly lower than that of unaffected larvae. Results show that C. epichloë, a new element of the interaction between E. typhina fungus and Botanophila flies, negatively affects both fungal reproduction and the offspring success of flies. This is the first report on the entomopathogenic activity of C. epichloë against Epichloë-associated Botanophila flies.}, }
@article {pmid32413992, year = {2020}, author = {Ndii, MZ}, title = {Modelling the Use of Vaccine and Wolbachia on Dengue Transmission Dynamics.}, journal = {Tropical medicine and infectious disease}, volume = {5}, number = {2}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/tropicalmed5020078}, pmid = {32413992}, issn = {2414-6366}, support = {48/UN.17.19/PL/2019//Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan/ ; }, abstract = {The use of vaccine and Wolbachia has been proposed as strategies against dengue. Research showed that the Wolbachia intervention is highly effective in areas with low to moderate transmission levels. On the other hand, the use of vaccine is strongly effective when it is implemented on seropositive individuals and areas with high transmission levels. The question that arises is could the combination of both strategies result in higher reduction in the number of dengue cases? This paper seeks to answer the aforementioned question by the use of a mathematical model. A deterministic model in the presence of vaccine and Wolbachia has been developed and analysed. Numerical simulations were presented and public health implications were discussed. The results showed that the performance of Wolbachia in reducing the number of dengue cases is better than that of vaccination if the vaccine efficacy is low, otherwise, the use of vaccine is sufficient to reduce dengue incidence and hence the combination of Wolbachia and vaccine is not necessary.}, }
@article {pmid32406757, year = {2020}, author = {Nugent, CM and Elliott, TA and Ratnasingham, S and Adamowicz, SJ}, title = {coil: an R package for cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) DNA barcode data cleaning, translation, and error evaluation.}, journal = {Genome}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {1-15}, doi = {10.1139/gen-2019-0206}, pmid = {32406757}, issn = {1480-3321}, abstract = {Biological conclusions based on DNA barcoding and metabarcoding analyses can be strongly influenced by the methods utilized for data generation and curation, leading to varying levels of success in the separation of biological variation from experimental error. The 5' region of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI-5P) is the most common barcode gene for animals, with conserved structure and function that allows for biologically informed error identification. Here, we present coil (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=coil), an R package for the pre-processing and frameshift error assessment of COI-5P animal barcode and metabarcode sequence data. The package contains functions for placement of barcodes into a common reading frame, accurate translation of sequences to amino acids, and highlighting insertion and deletion errors. The analysis of 10 000 barcode sequences of varying quality demonstrated how coil can place barcode sequences in reading frame and distinguish sequences containing indel errors from error-free sequences with greater than 97.5% accuracy. Package limitations were tested through the analysis of COI-5P sequences from the plant and fungal kingdoms as well as the analysis of potential contaminants: nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes and Wolbachia COI-5P sequences. Results demonstrated that coil is a strong technical error identification method but is not reliable for detecting all biological contaminants.}, }
@article {pmid32402821, year = {2020}, author = {Zumaquero, L and Simón, F and Carretón, E and Hernández, I and Sandoval, C and Morchón, R}, title = {Prevalence of canine and human dirofilariosis in Puebla, Mexico.}, journal = {Veterinary parasitology}, volume = {282}, number = {}, pages = {109098}, doi = {10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109098}, pmid = {32402821}, issn = {1873-2550}, abstract = {The objective of this work was to determine the risk of exposure to Dirofilaria immitis in the stray dog population and people living in the metropolitan area of Puebla City, Mexico, using serologic methods. A total of 283 blood salmples were collected from dogs and 254 salmples from people. The canine samples were analyzed using a commercial kit to detect D. immitis antigens and the Knott test to detect microfilariae. Human samples were analyzed by ELISAs to detect antibodies against D. immitis and Wolbachia anti-WSP, as well as Western blot to identify specific bands of the parasite in the adult antigenic extract of D. immitis. Positive results were represented on a GIS map that included layers with geoenvironmental information relevant to parasite transmission in the study area. The prevalence of D. immitis in the canine stray population was 2.12 %, with positive cases found in individuals aged 1-10 years. Human seroprevalence was established at 5.11 %, with women and men similarly affected. By age, a significantly higher seroprevalence was observed in younger individuals (<18 years) than in the rest of the population. The geolocation of the results showed that positive cases were found in the environment (within 2 km) of potentially favorable areas for mosquito breeding. The importance of human influence in the creation and maintenance of favorable conditions for the transmission of canine and human dirofilariosis within an urban area is highlighted, both by the lack of environmental sanitation and by the absence of measures to limit or eliminate the canine reservoir population.}, }
@article {pmid32391935, year = {2020}, author = {Kaur, R and Martinez, J and Rota-Stabelli, O and Jiggins, FM and Miller, WJ}, title = {Age, tissue, genotype and virus infection regulate Wolbachia levels in Drosophila.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/mec.15462}, pmid = {32391935}, issn = {1365-294X}, abstract = {The bacterial symbiont Wolbachia can protect insects against viral pathogens, and the varying levels of antiviral protection are correlated with the endosymbiont load within the insects. To understand why Wolbachia strains differ in their antiviral effects, we investigated the factors controlling Wolbachia density in five closely related strains in their natural Drosophila hosts. We found that Wolbachia density varied greatly across different tissues and between flies of different ages, and these effects depended on the host-symbiont association. Some endosymbionts maintained largely stable densities as flies aged while others increased, and these effects in turn depended on the tissue being examined. Measuring Wolbachia rRNA levels in response to viral infection, we found that viral infection itself also altered Wolbachia levels, with FHV causing substantial reductions in symbiont loads late in the infection. This effect, however, was virus-specific as DCV had little impact on Wolbachia in all of the five host systems. Since viruses have strong tissue tropisms and antiviral protection is thought to be cell-autonomous, these effects are likely to affect the virus-blocking phenomenon. However, we were unable to find any evidence of a correlation between Wolbachia and viral titers within the same tissues. We conclude that Wolbachia levels within flies are regulated in a complex host-symbiont-virus dependent manner and this trinity is likely to influence the antiviral effects of Wolbachia.}, }
@article {pmid32388920, year = {2020}, author = {Zhu, YX and Song, ZR and Song, YL and Hong, XY}, title = {Double infection of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma alters induced plant defense and spider mite fecundity.}, journal = {Pest management science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/ps.5886}, pmid = {32388920}, issn = {1526-4998}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Herbivore-associated bacterial symbionts can change plant physiology and influence the herbivore's fitness. The spider mite Tetranychus truncatus is a notorious pest harboring various bacterial symbionts, however, the effect of bacterial symbionts on host plant physiology remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether infection with the endosymbionts Wolbachia and Spiroplasma altered spider mite performance on particular tomato plants and affected the plant induced defenses.<br><br>RESULTS: Wolbachia and Spiroplasma were mainly located at the gnathosoma and ovaries of spider mite hosts. Wolbachia and Spiroplasma significantly improved spider mite reproductive performance in cultivated and wild-type tomato. However, in jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA)-deficient plants, there were no significant differences in the reproduction between Wolbachia and Spiroplasma-infected and uninfected spider mites. The results indicated that the reproduction benefits conferred by endosymbionts may relate to plant defenses. Both Wolbachia and Spiroplasma-infected and uninfected spider mites induced similar levels of JA and SA accumulation in tomato, whereas tomato plants damaged by Wolbachia and Spiroplasma-infected spider mites showed lower the expression levels of the JA and SA-responsive genes than those damaged by uninfected spider mites. Additionally, Wolbachia and Spiroplasma-infected mites consumed much tomato amino acid compared to uninfected spider mites, which may have contributed to host fecundity.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the reproduction benefits conferred by endosymbionts may be associated with changes in plant defense parameters and the concentrations of plant amino acids. The results highlight the importance of endosymbionts in the interactions between spider mites and their host plants. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.}, }
@article {pmid32384776, year = {2020}, author = {Bryant, KN and Newton, ILG}, title = {The Intracellular Symbiont Wolbachia pipientis Enhances Recombination in a Dose-Dependent Manner.}, journal = {Insects}, volume = {11}, number = {5}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/insects11050284}, pmid = {32384776}, issn = {2075-4450}, support = {1456545//National Science Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis is an intracellular alphaproteobacterium that infects 40%-60% of insect species and is well known for host reproductive manipulations. Although Wolbachia are primarily maternally transmitted, evidence of horizontal transmission can be found in incongruent host-symbiont phylogenies and recent acquisitions of the same Wolbachia strain by distantly related species. Parasitoids and predator-prey interactions may indeed facilitate the transfer of Wolbachia between insect lineages, but it is likely that Wolbachia are acquired via introgression in many cases. Many hypotheses exist to explain Wolbachia prevalence and penetrance, such as nutritional supplementation, protection from parasites, protection from viruses, or direct reproductive parasitism. Using classical genetics, we show that Wolbachia increase recombination in infected lineages across two genomic intervals. This increase in recombination is titer-dependent as the wMelPop variant, which infects at higher load in Drosophila melanogaster, increases recombination 5% more than the wMel variant. In addition, we also show that Spiroplasma poulsonii, another bacterial intracellular symbiont of D. melanogaster, does not induce an increase in recombination. Our results suggest that Wolbachia infection specifically alters its host's recombination landscape in a dose-dependent manner.}, }
@article {pmid32358830, year = {2020}, author = {Sandoval-Mojica, AF and Altman, S and Hunter, WB and Pelz-Stelinski, KS}, title = {Peptide Conjugated Morpholinos for Management of The Huanglongbing Pathosystem.}, journal = {Pest management science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/ps.5877}, pmid = {32358830}, issn = {1526-4998}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas) is the causal agent of the devastating citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB) and is transmitted by the insect vector Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae). A potential approach for treating CLas infection is the use of synthetic nucleic acid-like oligomers to silence bacterial gene expression. Peptide conjugated morpholinos (PPMOs) targeting essential genes in CLas and the psyllid vector's endosymbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia (wDi), were evaluated using in vitro and in vivo assays.<br><br>RESULTS: Expression of the wDi gyrA gene was significantly reduced following incubation of Wolbachia cells with PPMOs. In addition, the viability of isolated wDi cells was greatly reduced when treated with PPMOs as compared to untreated cells. Feeding D. citri adults with a complementary PPMO (CLgyrA-14) significantly reduced the expression of CLas gyrA gene by 70%. CLas relative density was significantly lower in the psyllids fed with CLgyrA-14, when compared to untreated insects. Psyllids that were treated with CLgyrA-14 were less successful in transmitting the pathogen into uninfected plants, compared to untreated insects.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The expression of essential genes in the D. citri symbiont, Wolbachia, and the HLB pathogen were suppressed in response to PPMO treatments. This study demonstrates the potential of PPMOs as a novel strategy for management of bacterial pathogens of fruit trees, such as HLB. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.}, }
@article {pmid32340230, year = {2020}, author = {Dahmana, H and Mediannikov, O}, title = {Mosquito-Borne Diseases Emergence/Resurgence and How to Effectively Control It Biologically.}, journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {9}, number = {4}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/pathogens9040310}, pmid = {32340230}, issn = {2076-0817}, abstract = {Deadly pathogens and parasites are transmitted by vectors and the mosquito is considered the most threatening vector in public health, transmitting these pathogens to humans and animals. We are currently witnessing the emergence/resurgence in new regions/populations of the most important mosquito-borne diseases, such as arboviruses and malaria. This resurgence may be the consequence of numerous complex parameters, but the major cause remains the mismanagement of insecticide use and the emergence of resistance. Biological control programmes have rendered promising results but several highly effective techniques, such as genetic manipulation, remain insufficiently considered as a control mechanism. Currently, new strategies based on attractive toxic sugar baits and new agents, such as Wolbachia and Asaia, are being intensively studied for potential use as alternatives to chemicals. Research into new insecticides, Insect Growth Regulators, and repellent compounds is pressing, and the improvement of biological strategies may provide key solutions to prevent outbreaks, decrease the danger to at-risk populations, and mitigate resistance.}, }
@article {pmid32339445, year = {2020}, author = {Lv, N and Peng, J and Chen, XY and Guo, CF and Sang, W and Wang, XM and Ahmed, MZ and Xu, YY and Qiu, BL}, title = {Antagonistic interaction between male-killing and cytoplasmic incompatibility induced by Cardinium and Wolbachia in the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci.}, journal = {Insect science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.12793}, pmid = {32339445}, issn = {1744-7917}, abstract = {Cardinium and Wolbachia are maternally inherited bacterial symbionts of arthropods that can manipulate host reproduction by increasing the fitness of infected females. Here, we report that Cardinium and Wolbachia coinfection induced male-killing and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) when they coexisted in a cryptic species of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Asia II7. Cardinium and Wolbachia symbionts were either singly or simultaneously localized in the bacteriocytes placed in the abdomen of B. tabaci nymphs and adults. Cardinium-Wolbachia coinfection induced male-killing and resulted in a higher female sex ratio in the intraspecific amphigenetic progeny of Asia II7 ICWH and ICWL lines; interestingly, male-killing induction was enhanced with increased Cardinium titer. Moreover, single infection of Wolbachia induced partial CI in the Asia II7 IW line and resulted in reduced fecundity, higher embryonic mortality, and lower female sex ratio. The uninfected Asia II7 IU line had significantly higher fecundity, lower embryonic and nymphal mortalities, and a lower level of CI than both the Wolbachia-infected Asia II7 IW line and the Cardinium-Wolbachia-coinfected Asia II7 ICWH line. Our findings indicate that Cardinium-Wolbachia coinfection induced male-killing, which may have had antagonistic effects on Wolbachia-induced CI in the Asia II7 whiteflies. For the first time, our study revealed that B. tabaci Asia II7 reproduction is co-manipulated by Cardinium and Wolbachia endosymbionts. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.}, }
@article {pmid31780533, year = {2019}, author = {Servick, K}, title = {Bacteria-armed mosquitoes make dent in dengue.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {366}, number = {6469}, pages = {1056}, doi = {10.1126/science.366.6469.1056}, pmid = {31780533}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Dengue/*prevention &amp; control ; *Dengue Virus ; *Wolbachia ; }, }
@article {pmid32314037, year = {2020}, author = {Yang, J and Wei, S and Su, D and Zhang, Z and Chen, S and Luo, Z and Shen, X and Lai, Y and Jamil, A and Tong, J and Cui, X}, title = {Comparison of the Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Community Structure and Diversity Between Powdery Mildew-Infected and Noninfected Strawberry Plants in a Greenhouse by High-Throughput Sequencing Technology.}, journal = {Current microbiology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00284-020-01948-x}, pmid = {32314037}, issn = {1432-0991}, support = {31660089//The National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 31960220//The National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, abstract = {The aim of this study was to compare the microbial community structure and diversity in powdery mildew-infected and noninfected strawberry plant rhizosphere soils in the greenhouse based on variations in the 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 and fungal ITS2 regions by Illumina amplicon sequencing. Powdery mildew infection reduced the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and prokaryotic and fungal community richness/diversity indexes in the rhizosphere soils compared with those in healthy plant soils. Furthermore, 3543 prokaryotic and 581 fungal OTUs were obtained at the 97% similarity level. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi were the dominant bacterial phyla; Woesearchaeota_DHVEG-6, Bathyarchaeota, and Thaumarchaeota were the dominant archaea; and Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, unclassified_fungi, and Zygomycota were the dominant fungal phyla. Their proportions differed significantly among samples. Wolbachia, Devosia, Pseudolabrys, Streptomyces, and Rhizomicrobium were the most abundant bacterial genera; their proportions differed significantly among samples. Most Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and 'norank' group members might be potential antagonistic microorganisms of powdery mildew pathogens, and Wolbachia and Rickettsia might be pathogen-transmitting vectors. Microascus, Clitopilus, and Ciliophora were the dominant fungi, and their community structures and abundances significantly differed among samples. Microascus, Talaromyces, Zopfiella, and Cryptococcus were relatively more abundant in the powdery mildew-infected strawberry plant rhizosphere soils. Fusarium, Trichoderma, Clitopilus, and 'unclassified' group members may be potential antagonistic populations. The results suggested that powdery mildew-infected strawberry fruits and plants cannot be consumed. This report is the first study to illustrate differences in the rhizosphere soil prokaryotic and fungal communities between powdery mildew-infected and noninfected strawberry plants in a greenhouse.}, }
@article {pmid32314003, year = {2020}, author = {Parker, ES and Newton, ILG and Moczek, AP}, title = {(My Microbiome) Would Walk 10,000 miles: Maintenance and Turnover of Microbial Communities in Introduced Dung Beetles.}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-020-01514-9}, pmid = {32314003}, issn = {1432-184X}, support = {1901680//Division of Integrative Organismal Systems/ ; 1256689//Division of Integrative Organismal Systems/ ; 61369//John Templeton Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {Host-associated microbes facilitate diverse biotic and abiotic interactions between hosts and their environments. Experimental alterations of host-associated microbial communities frequently decrease host fitness, yet much less is known about if and how host-microbiome interactions are altered by natural perturbations, such as introduction events. Here, we begin to assess this question in Onthophagus dung beetles, a species-rich and geographically widely distributed genus whose members rely on vertically transmitted microbiota to support normal development. Specifically, we investigated to what extent microbiome community membership shifts during host introduction events and the relative significance of ancestral associations and novel environmental conditions in the structuring of microbial communities of introduced host species. Our results demonstrate that both evolutionary history and local environmental forces structure the microbial communities of these animals, but that their relative importance is shaped by the specific circumstances that characterize individual introduction events. Furthermore, we identify microbial taxa such as Dysgonomonas that may constitute members of the core Onthophagus microbiome regardless of host population or species, but also Wolbachia which associates with Onthophagus beetles in a species or even population-specific manner. We discuss the implications of our results for our understanding of the evolutionary ecology of symbiosis in dung beetles and beyond.}, }
@article {pmid32307514, year = {2020}, author = {Lau, MJ and Ross, PA and Endersby-Harshman, NM and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Impacts of Low Temperatures on Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae)-Infected Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).}, journal = {Journal of medical entomology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/jme/tjaa074}, pmid = {32307514}, issn = {1938-2928}, abstract = {In recent decades, the occurrence and distribution of arboviral diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes has increased. In a new control strategy, populations of mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia are being released to replace existing populations and suppress arboviral disease transmission. The success of this strategy can be affected by high temperature exposure, but the impact of low temperatures on Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti is unclear, even though low temperatures restrict the abundance and distribution of this species. In this study, we considered low temperature cycles relevant to the spring season that are close to the distribution limits of Ae. aegypti, and tested the effects of these temperature cycles on Ae. aegypti, Wolbachia strains wMel and wAlbB, and Wolbachia phage WO. Low temperatures influenced Ae. aegypti life-history traits, including pupation, adult eclosion, and fertility. The Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, especially wAlbB, performed better than uninfected mosquitoes. Temperature shift experiments revealed that low temperature effects on life history and Wolbachia density depended on the life stage of exposure. Wolbachia density was suppressed at low temperatures but densities recovered with adult age. In wMel Wolbachia there were no low temperature effects specific to Wolbachia phage WO. The findings suggest that Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti are not adversely affected by low temperatures, indicating that the Wolbachia replacement strategy is suitable for areas experiencing cool temperatures seasonally.}, }
@article {pmid32302295, year = {2020}, author = {Tantowijoyo, W and Andari, B and Arguni, E and Budiwati, N and Nurhayati, I and Fitriana, I and Ernesia, I and Daniwijaya, EW and Supriyati, E and Yusdiana, DH and Victorius, M and Wardana, DS and Ardiansyah, H and Ahmad, RA and Ryan, PA and Simmons, CP and Hoffmann, AA and Rancès, E and Turley, AP and Johnson, P and Utarini, A and O'Neill, SL}, title = {Stable establishment of wMel Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti populations in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {14}, number = {4}, pages = {e0008157}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0008157}, pmid = {32302295}, issn = {1935-2735}, abstract = {The successful establishment of the wMel strain of Wolbachia for the control of arbovirus transmission by Aedes aegypti has been proposed and is being implemented in a number of countries. Here we describe the successful establishment of the wMel strain of Wolbachia in four sites in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. We demonstrate that Wolbachia can be successfully introgressed after transient releases of wMel-infected eggs or adult mosquitoes. We demonstrate that the approach is acceptable to communities and that Wolbachia maintains itself in the mosquito population once deployed. Finally, our data show that spreading rates of Wolbachia in the Indonesian setting are slow which may reflect more limited dispersal of Aedes aegypti than seen in other sites such as Cairns, Australia.}, }
@article {pmid32298447, year = {2020}, author = {Seifert, B}, title = {The Gene and Gene Expression (GAGE) species concept - an universal approach for all eukaryotic organisms.}, journal = {Systematic biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/sysbio/syaa032}, pmid = {32298447}, issn = {1076-836X}, abstract = {The Gene and Gene Expression (GAGE) species concept, a new version of the Pragmatic Species Concept of Seifert (2014), is proposed as a concept applicable to any described recent or fossil eukaryotic organism independent from its mode of reproduction or evolutionary history. In addition to presenting the concept as such, the paper also provides practical recommendations for taxonomists when delimiting species and describing taxa. The wording of the new concept contains a heading core sentence plus five attached sentences addressing essential conditions for its translation into a sound taxonomic practice: &quot;Species are separable clusters that have passed a threshold of evolutionary divergence and are exclusively defined by nuclear DNA sequences and/or their expression products. Nuclear DNA sequences and their expression products are different character systems but have a highly correlated indicative function. Character systems with the least risk of epigenetic or ontogenetic modification have superior indicative value when conflicts between character systems of integrative studies arise. All character systems have to be described by an adequate numerics allowing cluster formation and determination of thresholds. Thresholds for each character system should be fixed by consensus among the experts under the principle of avoiding oversplitting or lumping. Clusters must not be the expression of intraspecific polymorphism.&quot; Recognizing the distortions and conflicts caused to taxonomy through barcoding or through assessment on the basis of association with other organisms, the GAGE species concept strongly downgrades the use of cytoplasmic DNA of endosymbiotic origin (mtDNA, cpDNA) or DNA of closely associated microbes (e.g. Wolbachia bacteria) for final taxonomic decision making. Recognizing the distortion of phylogenies by the high frequency of reticulate evolution, it is argued that delimiting and naming species has to be separated from constructing bifurcating phylogenetic trees.}, }
@article {pmid32282862, year = {2020}, author = {Flores, HA and Taneja de Bruyne, J and O'Donnell, TB and Tuyet Nhu, V and Thi Giang, N and Thi Xuan Trang, H and Thi Thuy Van, H and Thi Long, V and Thi Dui, L and Le Anh Huy, H and Thi Le Duyen, H and Thi Van Thuy, N and Thanh Phong, N and Van Vinh Chau, N and Thi Hue Kien, D and Thuy Vi, T and Wills, B and O'Neill, SL and Simmons, CP and Carrington, LB}, title = {Multiple Wolbachia strains provide comparative levels of protection against dengue virus infection in Aedes aegypti.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {16}, number = {4}, pages = {e1008433}, doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1008433}, pmid = {32282862}, issn = {1553-7374}, abstract = {The insect bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is being introgressed into Aedes aegypti populations as an intervention against the transmission of medically important arboviruses. Here we compare Ae. aegypti mosquitoes infected with wMelCS or wAlbB to the widely used wMel Wolbachia strain on an Australian nuclear genetic background for their susceptibility to infection by dengue virus (DENV) genotypes spanning all four serotypes. All Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes were more resistant to intrathoracic DENV challenge than their wildtype counterparts. Blocking of DENV replication was greatest by wMelCS. Conversely, wAlbB-infected mosquitoes were more susceptible to whole body infection than wMel and wMelCS. We extended these findings via mosquito oral feeding experiments, using viremic blood from 36 acute, hospitalised dengue cases in Vietnam, additionally including wMel and wildtype mosquitoes on a Vietnamese nuclear genetic background. As above, wAlbB was less effective at blocking DENV replication in the abdomen compared to wMel and wMelCS. The transmission potential of all Wolbachia-infected mosquito lines (measured by the presence/absence of infectious DENV in mosquito saliva) after 14 days, was significantly reduced compared to their wildtype counterparts, and lowest for wMelCS and wAlbB. These data support the use of wAlbB and wMelCS strains for introgression field trials and the biocontrol of DENV transmission. Furthermore, despite observing significant differences in transmission potential between wildtype mosquitoes from Australia and Vietnam, no difference was observed between wMel-infected mosquitoes from each background suggesting that Wolbachia may override any underlying variation in DENV transmission potential.}, }
@article {pmid32278312, year = {2020}, author = {Patterson, EI and Villinger, J and Muthoni, JN and Dobel-Ober, L and Hughes, GL}, title = {Exploiting insect-specific viruses as a novel strategy to control vector-borne disease.}, journal = {Current opinion in insect science}, volume = {39}, number = {}, pages = {50-56}, doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2020.02.005}, pmid = {32278312}, issn = {2214-5753}, abstract = {Novel insect-specific viruses (ISVs) are being discovered in many important vectors due to advances in sequencing technology and a growing awareness of the virome. Several in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that ISVs are capable of modulating pathogenic arboviruses. In addition, there is growing evidence that both vertical and horizonal transmission strategies maintain ISVs in vector populations. As such there is potential to exploit ISVs for stand-alone vector control strategies and deploying them in synergy with other symbiont control approaches such as Wolbachia-mediated control. However, before the applied potential can be realized, a greater understanding of their basic biology is required, including their species range, ability to be maintained and transmitted in native and non-native vector hosts, and the effect of infection on a range of pathogens.}, }
@article {pmid31348717, year = {2019}, author = {Speer, KA and Luetke, E and Bush, E and Sheth, B and Gerace, A and Quicksall, Z and Miyamoto, M and Dick, CW and Dittmar, K and Albury, N and Reed, DL}, title = {A Fly on the Cave Wall: Parasite Genetics Reveal Fine-scale Dispersal Patterns of Bats.}, journal = {The Journal of parasitology}, volume = {105}, number = {4}, pages = {555-566}, pmid = {31348717}, issn = {1937-2345}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Alleles ; Animal Distribution/*physiology ; Animals ; Bahamas ; Bayes Theorem ; Chiroptera/*parasitology/*physiology ; Cluster Analysis ; Consensus Sequence ; DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry ; Diptera/genetics/microbiology/*physiology ; Ectoparasitic Infestations/parasitology/*veterinary ; Electron Transport Complex IV/chemistry/genetics ; Host-Parasite Interactions ; Markov Chains ; Sequence Alignment/veterinary ; Wolbachia/physiology ; }, abstract = {Dispersal influences the evolution and adaptation of organisms, but it can be difficult to detect. Host-specific parasites provide information about the dispersal of their hosts and may be valuable for examining host dispersal that does not result in gene flow or that has low signals of gene flow. We examined the population connectivity of the buffy flower bat, Erophylla sezekorni (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae), and its associated obligate ectoparasite, Trichobius frequens (Diptera: Streblidae), across a narrow oceanic channel in The Bahamas that has previously been implicated as a barrier to dispersal in bats. Due to the horizontal transmission of T. frequens, we were able to test the hypothesis that bats are dispersing across this channel, but this dispersal does not result in gene flow, occurs rarely, or started occurring recently. We developed novel microsatellite markers for the family Streblidae in combination with previously developed markers for bats to genotype individuals from 4 islands in The Bahamas. We provide evidence for a single population of the host, E. sezekorni, but 2 populations of its bat flies, potentially indicating a recent reduction of gene flow in E. sezekorni, rare dispersal, or infrequent transportation of bat flies with their hosts. Despite high population differentiation in bat flies indicated by microsatellites, mitochondrial DNA shows no polymorphism, suggesting that bacterial reproductive parasites may be contributing to mitochondrial DNA sweeps. Parasites, including bat flies, provide independent information about their hosts and can be used to test hypotheses of host dispersal that may be difficult to assess using host genetics alone.}, }
@article {pmid32265562, year = {2020}, author = {Crawford, JE and Clarke, DW and Criswell, V and Desnoyer, M and Cornel, D and Deegan, B and Gong, K and Hopkins, KC and Howell, P and Hyde, JS and Livni, J and Behling, C and Benza, R and Chen, W and Dobson, KL and Eldershaw, C and Greeley, D and Han, Y and Hughes, B and Kakani, E and Karbowski, J and Kitchell, A and Lee, E and Lin, T and Liu, J and Lozano, M and MacDonald, W and Mains, JW and Metlitz, M and Mitchell, SN and Moore, D and Ohm, JR and Parkes, K and Porshnikoff, A and Robuck, C and Sheridan, M and Sobecki, R and Smith, P and Stevenson, J and Sullivan, J and Wasson, B and Weakley, AM and Wilhelm, M and Won, J and Yasunaga, A and Chan, WC and Holeman, J and Snoad, N and Upson, L and Zha, T and Dobson, SL and Mulligan, FS and Massaro, P and White, BJ}, title = {Efficient production of male Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes enables large-scale suppression of wild populations.}, journal = {Nature biotechnology}, volume = {38}, number = {4}, pages = {482-492}, doi = {10.1038/s41587-020-0471-x}, pmid = {32265562}, issn = {1546-1696}, abstract = {The range of the mosquito Aedes aegypti continues to expand, putting more than two billion people at risk of arboviral infection. The sterile insect technique (SIT) has been used to successfully combat agricultural pests at large scale, but not mosquitoes, mainly because of challenges with consistent production and distribution of high-quality male mosquitoes. We describe automated processes to rear and release millions of competitive, sterile male Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, and use of these males in a large-scale suppression trial in Fresno County, California. In 2018, we released 14.4 million males across three replicate neighborhoods encompassing 293 hectares. At peak mosquito season, the number of female mosquitoes was 95.5% lower (95% CI, 93.6-96.9) in release areas compared to non-release areas, with the most geographically isolated neighborhood reaching a 99% reduction. This work demonstrates the high efficacy of mosquito SIT in an area ninefold larger than in previous similar trials, supporting the potential of this approach in public health and nuisance-mosquito eradication programs.}, }
@article {pmid32253286, year = {2020}, author = {Singh, R and Linksvayer, TA}, title = {Wolbachia-infected ant colonies have increased reproductive investment and an accelerated life cycle.}, journal = {The Journal of experimental biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1242/jeb.220079}, pmid = {32253286}, issn = {1477-9145}, abstract = {Wolbachia is a widespread group of maternally-transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria that often manipulates the reproductive strategy and life history of its hosts to favor its own transmission. Wolbachia mediated phenotypic effects are well characterized in solitary hosts, but effects in social hosts are unclear. The invasive pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis, shows natural variation in Wolbachia infection between colonies and can be readily bred under laboratory conditions. We previously showed that Wolbachia-infected pharaoh ant colonies had more queen-biased sex ratios than uninfected colonies, which is expected to favor the spread of maternally-transmitted Wolbachia Here, we further characterize the effects of Wolbachia on the short- and longer-term reproductive and life history traits of pharaoh ant colonies. First, we characterized the reproductive differences between naturally infected and uninfected colonies at three discrete time points and found that infected colonies had higher reproductive investment (i.e. infected colonies produced more new queens), particularly when existing colony queens were three months old. Next, we compared the long-term growth and reproduction dynamics of infected and uninfected colonies across their whole life cycle. Infected colonies had increased colony-level growth and early colony reproduction, resulting in a shorter colony life cycle, when compared to uninfected colonies.}, }
@article {pmid32243448, year = {2020}, author = {Ross, PA and Axford, JK and Callahan, AG and Richardson, KM and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Persistent deleterious effects of a deleterious Wolbachia infection.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {14}, number = {4}, pages = {e0008204}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0008204}, pmid = {32243448}, issn = {1935-2735}, abstract = {Wolbachia are being used to reduce dengue transmission by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes around the world. To date releases have mostly involved Wolbachia strains with limited fitness effects but strains with larger fitness costs could be used to suppress mosquito populations. However, such infections are expected to evolve towards decreased deleterious effects. Here we investigate potential evolutionary changes in the wMelPop infection transferred from Drosophila melanogaster to Aedes aegypti more than ten years (~120 generations) ago. We show that most deleterious effects of this infection have persisted despite strong selection to ameliorate them. The wMelPop-PGYP infection is difficult to maintain in laboratory colonies, likely due to the persistent deleterious effects coupled with occasional maternal transmission leakage. Furthermore, female mosquitoes can be scored incorrectly as infected due to transmission of Wolbachia through mating. Infection loss in colonies was not associated with evolutionary changes in the nuclear background. These findings suggest that Wolbachia transinfections with deleterious effects may have stable phenotypes which could ensure their long-term effectiveness if released in natural populations to reduce population size.}, }
@article {pmid32211166, year = {2020}, author = {Paredes-Montero, JR and Zia-Ur-Rehman, M and Hameed, U and Haider, MS and Herrmann, HW and Brown, JK}, title = {Genetic variability, community structure, and horizontal transfer of endosymbionts among three Asia II-Bemisia tabaci mitotypes in Pakistan.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {10}, number = {6}, pages = {2928-2943}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.6107}, pmid = {32211166}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Endosymbionts associated with the whitefly Bemisia tabaci cryptic species are known to contribute to host fitness and environmental adaptation. The genetic diversity and population complexity were investigated for endosymbiont communities of B. tabaci occupying different micro-environments in Pakistan. Mitotypes of B. tabaci were identified by comparative sequence analysis of the mitochondria cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) gene sequence. Whitefly mitotypes belonged to the Asia II-1, -5, and -7 mitotypes of the Asia II major clade. The whitefly-endosymbiont communities were characterized based on 16S ribosomal RNA operational taxonomic unit (OTU) assignments, resulting in 43 OTUs. Most of the OTUs occurred in the Asia II-1 and II-7 mitotypes (r2 = .9, p < .005), while the Asia II-5 microbiome was less complex. The microbiome OTU groups were mitotype-specific, clustering with a basis in phylogeographical distribution and the corresponding ecological niche of their whitefly host, suggesting mitotype-microbiome co-adaptation. The primary endosymbiont Portiera was represented by a single, highly homologous OTU (0%-0.67% divergence). Two of six Arsenophonus OTUs were uniquely associated with Asia II-5 and -7, and one occurred exclusively in Asia II-1, two only in Asia II-5, and one in both Asia II-1 and -7. Four other secondary endosymbionts, Cardinium, Hemipteriphilus, Rickettsia, and Wolbachia OTUs, were found at ≤29% frequencies. The most prevalent Arsenophonus OTU was found in all three Asia II mitotypes (55% frequency), whereas the same strain of Cardinium and Wolbachia was found in both Asia II-1 and -5, and a single Hemipteriphilus OTU occurred in Asia II-1 and -7. This pattern is indicative of horizontal transfer, suggestive of a proximity between mitotypes sufficient for gene flow at overlapping mitotype ecological niches.}, }
@article {pmid32207826, year = {2020}, author = {Guz, N and Arshad, M and Cagatay, NS and Dageri, A and Ullah, MI}, title = {Detection of Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) and Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Rhizobiales: Rhizobiaceae) Associated With Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae) Collected From Citrus reticulata (Sapindales: Rutaceae) and Alternate Host, Cordia myxa (Boraginales: Boraginaceae).}, journal = {Journal of economic entomology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/jee/toaa043}, pmid = {32207826}, issn = {1938-291X}, abstract = {The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), is an important insect pest of the citrus crop worldwide. It vectors the pathogen 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas) that causes a serious disease known as citrus greening. Here, we tested the infection frequency of Wolbachia and CLas from 100 D. citri individuals collected from two host plants belonging to families Rutaceae (Citrus reticulata Blanco) and Boraginaceae (Cordia myxa L.) using molecular methods. The following trend of endosymbionts infection in adult D. citri was found; 85.4% (35/41) by Wolbachia, and 19.5% (8/41) by CLas collected from C. reticulata plants and 65.4% (17/26) by Wolbachia, and 15.4% (4/26) by CLas in case of C. myxa plant. However, 61.5% (8/13) nymphs collected from C. reticulata and 20.0% (4/20) collected from C. myxa plants were infected by Wolbachia, while no nymph was infected by CLas collected from either host plants. Findings from this work represent the first report of CLas presence in D. citri feeding on C. myxa plants. By studying the presence of CLas with other endosymbiotic bacteria, future basic and applied research to develop control strategies can be prioritized.}, }
@article {pmid32198842, year = {2020}, author = {Bing, XL and Zhao, DS and Peng, CW and Huang, HJ and Hong, XY}, title = {Similarities and spatial variations of bacterial and fungal communities in field rice planthopper (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) populationsh.}, journal = {Insect science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.12782}, pmid = {32198842}, issn = {1744-7917}, abstract = {Rice planthoppers are notorious plant sap-feeding pests that cause serious damage. While several microbes in rice planthoppers have been broadly characterized, the abundance and diversity of bacteria and fungi in field planthoppers are largely unknown. This study investigated the bacterial and fungal community compositions of Chinese wild rice planthoppers Laodelphax striatellus and Sogatella furcifera using parallel 16S rRNA gene amplicon and internal transcribed space region sequencing. The bacteria varied significantly between the species and were partitioned significantly by sexes, tissues and host environments in each species. The majority of bacteria were affiliated with the genera Wolbachia, Cardinium, Rickettsia and Pantoea. The abundance of Wolbachia was negatively correlated with that of Cardinium in both planthopper species. Compared with bacteria, the abundance and diversity of fungi did not differ between sexes but both were enriched in the gut. The bacterial community as a whole showed no significant correlation with the fungal community. The majority of fungi were related to Sarocladium, Alternaria, Malassezia, Aspergillus and Curvularia. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that these fungi were closely related to botanic symbionts or pathogens. Our results provide novel insights into the bacteria and fungi of rice planthoppers. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.}, }
@article {pmid32191724, year = {2020}, author = {Dionysopoulou, NK and Papanastasiou, SA and Kyritsis, GA and Papadopoulos, NT}, title = {Effect of host fruit, temperature and Wolbachia infection on survival and development of Ceratitis capitata immature stages.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {15}, number = {3}, pages = {e0229727}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0229727}, pmid = {32191724}, issn = {1932-6203}, abstract = {The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), holds an impressive record of successful invasions promoted by the growth and development of international fruit trade. Hence, survival of immatures within infested fruit that are subjected to various conditions during transportation seems to be a crucial feature that promotes invasion success. Wolbachia pipientis is a common endosymbiont of insects and other arthropods generating several biological effects on its hosts. Existing information report the influence of Wolbachia on the fitness traits of insect host species, including the Mediterranean fruit fly. However, little is known regarding effects of Wolbachia infection on immature development in different host fruits and temperatures. This study was conducted to determine the development and survival of immature stages of four different Mediterranean fruit fly populations, either infected or uninfected with Wolbachia, in two hosts (apples, bitter oranges) under three constant temperatures (15, 25 and 30°C), constant relative humidity (45-55 ± 5%), and a photoperiod of 14L:10D. Our findings demonstrate both differential response of two fruit fly lines to Wolbachia infection and differential effects of the two Wolbachia strains on the same Mediterranean fruit fly line. Larva-to-pupa and larva-to-adult survival followed similar patterns and varied a lot among the four medfly populations, the two host fruits and the different temperatures. Pupation rates and larval developmental time were higher for larvae implanted in apples compared to bitter oranges. The survival rates of wildish medflies were higher than those of the laboratory adapted ones, particularly in bitter oranges. The Wolbachia infected medflies, expressed lower survival rates and higher developmental times, especially the wCer4 infected line. High temperatures constrained immature development and were lethal for the Wolbachia infected wCer4 medfly line. Lower temperatures inferred longer developmental times to immature stages of all medfly populations tested, in both host fruits. Implications on the ecology and survival of the fly in nature are discussed.}, }
@article {pmid32189066, year = {2020}, author = {Fallon, AM}, title = {Computational evidence for antitoxins associated with RelE/ParE, RatA, Fic, and AbiEii-family toxins in Wolbachia genomes.}, journal = {Molecular genetics and genomics : MGG}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00438-020-01662-0}, pmid = {32189066}, issn = {1617-4623}, abstract = {Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative alpha-proteobacterium that has diverse effects on reproduction of arthropod hosts, including cytoplasmic incompatibility, male killing, feminization, and parthenogenesis. Some of these effects have important potential for control of insect pests, including mosquitoes that vector pathogens of humans. In mosquitoes, and in most other arthropods, elimination of Wolbachia by antibiotic treatment has no effect on host survival and reverses the Wolbachia-associated phenotype. Elimination of Wolbachia strain wFol, which enables parthenogenetic reproduction of the Collembolan, Folsomia candida, would result in population extinction. However, F. candida adults remain viable and resume reproduction when antibiotics are removed, suggesting that wFol survives antibiotic treatment in a quiescent persister state similar to that induced by chromosomally encoded toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules in free-living bacteria. Computational approaches were used to document the presence of antitoxin genes upstream of Wolbachia RelE/ParE, Fic, and AbiEii toxin genes. Moreover, this analysis revealed that Wolbachia RatA toxin is encoded by a single copy gene associated with an ssrS noncoding RNA gene. Documentation of potentially functional TA modules expands our understanding of the metabolic capabilities of Wolbachia, and provides an explanation for variable and sometimes contradictory results of antibiotic treatments. The presence of chromosomal TA modules in Wolbachia genomes suggests that wFol, and potentially other strains of Wolbachia, can enter a quiescent persister state.}, }
@article {pmid32187233, year = {2020}, author = {Wu, X and Lindsey, ARI and Chatterjee, P and Werren, JH and Stouthamer, R and Yi, SV}, title = {Distinct epigenomic and transcriptomic modifications associated with Wolbachia-mediated asexuality.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {16}, number = {3}, pages = {e1008397}, doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1008397}, pmid = {32187233}, issn = {1553-7374}, abstract = {Wolbachia are maternally transmitted intracellular bacteria that induce a range of pathogenic and fitness-altering effects on insect and nematode hosts. In parasitoid wasps of the genus Trichogramma, Wolbachia infection induces asexual production of females, thus increasing transmission of Wolbachia. It has been hypothesized that Wolbachia infection accompanies a modification of the host epigenome. However, to date, data on genome-wide epigenomic changes associated with Wolbachia are limited, and are often confounded by background genetic differences. Here, we took sexually reproducing Trichogramma free of Wolbachia and introgressed their genome into a Wolbachia-infected cytoplasm, converting them to Wolbachia-mediated asexuality. Wolbachia was then cured from replicates of these introgressed lines, allowing us to examine the genome-wide effects of wasps newly converted to asexual reproduction while controlling for genetic background. We thus identified gene expression and DNA methylation changes associated with Wolbachia-infection. We found no overlaps between differentially expressed genes and differentially methylated genes, indicating that Wolbachia-infection associated DNA methylation change does not directly modulate levels of gene expression. Furthermore, genes affected by these mechanisms exhibit distinct evolutionary histories. Genes differentially methylated due to the infection tended to be evolutionarily conserved. In contrast, differentially expressed genes were significantly more likely to be unique to the Trichogramma lineage, suggesting host-specific transcriptomic responses to infection. Nevertheless, we identified several novel aspects of Wolbachia-associated DNA methylation changes. Differentially methylated genes included those involved in oocyte development and chromosome segregation. Interestingly, Wolbachia-infection was associated with higher levels of DNA methylation. Additionally, Wolbachia infection reduced overall variability in gene expression, even after accounting for the effect of DNA methylation. We also identified specific cases where alternative exon usage was associated with DNA methylation changes with Wolbachia infection. These results begin to reveal distinct genes and molecular pathways subject to Wolbachia induced epigenetic modification and/or host responses to Wolbachia-infection.}, }
@article {pmid32174906, year = {2020}, author = {van den Bosch, TJM and Welte, CU}, title = {The Microbial Diversity of Cabbage Pest Delia radicum Across Multiple Life Stages.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {315}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2020.00315}, pmid = {32174906}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {The cabbage root fly Delia radicum is a worldwide pest that causes yield losses of many common cabbage crops. The bacteria associated with D. radicum are suggested to influence the pest status of their host. In this study, we characterized insect-associated bacteria of D. radicum across multiple life stages and of their diet plant (turnip, Brassica rapa subsp. rapa) by sequencing the V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA genes using the Illumina MiSeq platform. In total, over 1.2M paired-end reads were obtained, identifying 1006 bacterial amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) in samples obtained from the eggs, larvae, pupae and adults of D. radicum, as well as turnips that were either fresh or infested with D. radicum larvae. The microbial community in D. radicum was dominated by Wolbachia, a common endosymbiont of arthropods which we found in all of the investigated insect samples, with the pupal stage having the highest relative abundance. Moderate amounts of Firmicutes were found only in adult D. radicum flies, but not in previous life stages. Actinobacteria were mostly found on the eggs and on the skin of fresh plants on which the eggs were deposited. These plants also harbored a large amount of Pseudomonas. The bacterial diversity of the healthy turnip was low, whereas the microbial community of decaying turnips that were heavily infested by D. radicum larvae and showing symptoms of advanced soft rot was characterized by a high bacterial diversity. Taken together, this work provides insights into the bacterial communities associated with the cabbage pest D. radicum and its associated disease symptoms.}, }
@article {pmid32168905, year = {2020}, author = {Rossitto De Marchi, B and Smith, HA}, title = {Bacterial Endosymbiont Diversity Among Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Populations in Florida.}, journal = {Insects}, volume = {11}, number = {3}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/insects11030179}, pmid = {32168905}, issn = {2075-4450}, abstract = {The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a pest of many economically important agricultural crops and a vector of plant viruses. Bemisia tabaci harbors facultative endosymbiont species that have been implicated in pest status, including tolerance to insecticides, virus transmission efficiency and tolerance to high-temperatures. The facultative endosymbionts reported in B. tabaci include Arsenophonus, Hamiltonella, Wolbachia, Cardinium, Fritschea and Rickettsia. We collected whitefly populations from weed and crop hosts in south Florida and identified the whitefly species as well as the facultative endosymbionts present in these populations by molecular analysis. In addition, a phylogenetic analysis of whiteflies and their endosymbionts was performed. The only facultative endosymbionts found among the B. tabaci populations collected in Florida were Hamiltonella and Rickettsia. The phylogenetic analysis revealed the low genetic diversity of whiteflies and their endosymbionts. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree clustered Rickettsia from Florida in the R1 genetic group. The results will aid to understand the role of the bacterial endosymbionts in the whitefly host.}, }
@article {pmid32164779, year = {2020}, author = {Hu, Y and Xi, Z and Liu, X and Wang, J and Guo, Y and Ren, D and Wu, H and Wang, X and Chen, B and Liu, Q}, title = {Correction to: Identification and molecular characterization of Wolbachia strains in natural populations of Aedes albopictus in China.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {124}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-020-3917-6}, pmid = {32164779}, issn = {1756-3305}, abstract = {Following publication of the original article [1], the corresponding author flagged that the article had published with two errors.}, }
@article {pmid32163151, year = {2020}, author = {Morrow, JL and Schneider, DI and Klasson, L and Janitz, C and Miller, WJ and Riegler, M}, title = {Parallel sequencing of Wolbachia wCer2 from donor and novel hosts reveals multiple incompatibility factors and genome stability after host transfers.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/gbe/evaa050}, pmid = {32163151}, issn = {1759-6653}, abstract = {The application of Wolbachia in insect pest and vector control requires the establishment of genotypically stable host associations. The cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) inducing Wolbachia strain wCer2 naturally occurs in the cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi as co-infection with other strains and was transferred to other fruit flies by embryonic microinjections. We obtained wCer2 genome data from its native and three novel hosts, Drosophila simulans, Drosophila melanogaster and Ceratitis capitata and assessed its genome stability, characteristics and CI factor (cif) genes. De novo assembly was successful from Wolbachia cell-enriched singly infected D. simulans embryos, with minimal host and other bacterial genome traces. The low yield of Wolbachia sequence reads from total genomic extracts of one multiply infected R. cerasi pupa and one singly infected C. capitata adult limited de novo assemblies but was sufficient for comparative analyses. Across hosts wCer2 was stable in genome synteny and content. Polymorphic nucleotide sites were found in wCer2 of each host, however only one nucleotide was different between R. cerasi and C. capitata, and none between replicated D. simulans lines. The wCer2 genome is highly similar to wAu (D. simulans), wMel (D. melanogaster) and wRec (Drosophila recens). In contrast to wMel and wRec (each with one cif gene pair) and wAu (without any cif genes), wCer2 has three pairs of Type I cif genes and one Type IV cifB gene without a cifA complement. This may explain previously reported CI patterns of wCer2, including incomplete rescue of its own CI modification in three novel host species.}, }
@article {pmid32155143, year = {2020}, author = {Mancini, MV and Herd, CS and Ant, TH and Murdochy, SM and Sinkins, SP}, title = {Wolbachia strain wAu efficiently blocks arbovirus transmission in Aedes albopictus.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, pages = {e0007926}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007926}, pmid = {32155143}, issn = {1935-2735}, abstract = {The global incidence of arboviral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika, has increased dramatically in recent decades. The release of Aedes aegypti carrying the maternally inherited symbiont Wolbachia as an intervention to control arboviruses is being trialled in several countries. However, these efforts are compromised in many endemic regions due to the co-localization of the secondary vector Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito. Ae. albopictus has an expanding global distribution following incursions into a number of new territories. To date, only the wMel and wPip strains of Wolbachia have been reported to be transferred into and characterized in this vector. A Wolbachia strain naturally infecting Drosophila simulans, wAu, was selected for transfer into a Malaysian Ae. albopictus line to create a novel triple-strain infection. The newly generated line showed self-compatibility, moderate fitness cost and complete resistance to Zika and dengue infections.}, }
@article {pmid32144639, year = {2020}, author = {Duan, DY and Liu, GH and Cheng, TY}, title = {Microbiome analysis of the saliva and midgut from partially or fully engorged female adult Dermacentor silvarum ticks in China.}, journal = {Experimental &amp; applied acarology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s10493-020-00478-2}, pmid = {32144639}, issn = {1572-9702}, support = {No. 2018JJ2167//the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, China/ ; No. SYL201802016//the Double First-Class Construction Project of Hunan Agricultural University/ ; No. 18QN24//the Youth Science Foundation of Hunan Agricultural University/ ; No. 31902294//the National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China/ ; }, abstract = {Dermacentor silvarum is widely distributed in northern China and transmits several pathogens that cause diseases in humans and domestic animals. We analysed the comprehensive bacterial community of the saliva and midgut from partially and fully engorged female adult D. silvarum. Dermacentor silvarum samples were collected from Guyuan, China. Bacterial DNA was extracted from the saliva and midgut contents of partially or fully engorged female adult D. silvarum. Sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA genes was performed using the IonS5TMXL platform. The bacterial diversity in saliva was higher than in the midgut. The bacterial diversity of saliva from fully engorged ticks was greater than in partially engorged tick saliva. The bacterial diversity in midguts from partially engorged ticks was greater than in fully engorged tick midguts. Proteobacteria was the most dominant bacterial phylum in all of the samples. Twenty-nine bacterial genera were detected in all of the samples. Rickettsia, Anaplasma, and Stenotrophomonas were the main genera. The symbionts Coxiella, Arsenophonus, and Wolbachia were also detected in all of the samples. Eight bacterial species were identified in all of the experimental samples. Anaplasma marginale was reported for the first time in D. silvarum.}, }
@article {pmid32144396, year = {2020}, author = {Epis, S and Varotto-Boccazzi, I and Crotti, E and Damiani, C and Giovati, L and Mandrioli, M and Biggiogera, M and Gabrieli, P and Genchi, M and Polonelli, L and Daffonchio, D and Favia, G and Bandi, C}, title = {Chimeric symbionts expressing a Wolbachia protein stimulate mosquito immunity and inhibit filarial parasite development.}, journal = {Communications biology}, volume = {3}, number = {1}, pages = {105}, doi = {10.1038/s42003-020-0835-2}, pmid = {32144396}, issn = {2399-3642}, abstract = {Wolbachia can reduce the capability of mosquitoes to transmit infectious diseases to humans and is currently exploited in campaigns for the control of arboviruses, like dengue and Zika. Under the assumption that Wolbachia-mediated activation of insect immunity plays a role in the reduction of mosquito vectorial capacity, we focused our attention on the Wolbachia surface protein (WSP), a potential inductor of innate immunity. We hypothesized that the heterologous expression of this protein in gut- and tissue-associated symbionts may reduce parasite transmission. We thus engineered the mosquito bacterial symbiont Asaia to express WSP (AsaiaWSP). AsaiaWSP induced activation of the host immune response in Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, and inhibited the development of the heartworm parasite Dirofilaria immitis in Ae. aegypti. These results consolidate previous evidence on the immune-stimulating property of WSP and make AsaiaWSP worth of further investigations as a potential tool for the control of mosquito-borne diseases.}, }
@article {pmid32142516, year = {2020}, author = {O'Driscoll, M and Imai, N and Ferguson, NM and Hadinegoro, SR and Satari, HI and Tam, CC and Dorigatti, I}, title = {Spatiotemporal variability in dengue transmission intensity in Jakarta, Indonesia.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, pages = {e0008102}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0008102}, pmid = {32142516}, issn = {1935-2735}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Approximately 70% of the global burden of dengue disease occurs on the Asian continent, where many large urban centres provide optimal environments for sustained endemic transmission and periodic epidemic cycles. Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is a densely populated megacity with hyperendemic dengue transmission. Characterization of the spatiotemporal distribution of dengue transmission intensity is of key importance for optimal implementation of novel control and prevention programmes, including vaccination. In this paper we use mathematical models to provide the first detailed description of spatial and temporal variability in dengue transmission intensity in Jakarta.<br><br>We applied catalytic models in a Bayesian framework to age-stratified dengue case notification data to estimate dengue force of infection and reporting probabilities in 42 subdistricts of Jakarta. The model was fitted to yearly and average annual data covering a 10-year period between 2008 and 2017. We estimated a long-term average annual transmission intensity of 0.130 (95%CrI: 0.129-0.131) per year in Jakarta province, ranging from 0.090 (95%CrI: 0.077-0.103) to 0.164 (95%CrI: 0.153-0.174) across subdistricts. Annual average transmission intensity in Jakarta province during the 10-year period ranged from 0.012 (95%CrI: 0.011-0.013) in 2017 to 0.124 (95%CrI: 0.121-0.128) in 2016.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: While the absolute number of dengue case notifications cannot be relied upon as a measure of endemicity, the age-distribution of reported dengue cases provides valuable insights into the underlying nature of transmission. Our estimates from yearly and average annual case notification data represent the first detailed estimates of dengue transmission intensity in Jakarta's subdistricts. These will be important to consider when assessing the population-level impact and cost-effectiveness of potential control and prevention programmes in Jakarta province, such as the controlled release of Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes and vaccination.}, }
@article {pmid32141700, year = {2020}, author = {Glowska, E and Filutowska, ZK and Dabert, M and Gerth, M}, title = {Microbial composition of enigmatic bird parasites: Wolbachia and Spiroplasma are the most important bacterial associates of quill mites (Acariformes: Syringophilidae).}, journal = {MicrobiologyOpen}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {e964}, doi = {10.1002/mbo3.964}, pmid = {32141700}, issn = {2045-8827}, support = {[#2015/19/D/NZ8/00191 (EG)]//Narodowe Centrum Nauki/ ; [(H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 703379) (MG)]//Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship of the European Commission/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The microbiome is an integral component of many animal species, potentially affecting behavior, physiology, and other biological properties. Despite this importance, bacterial communities remain vastly understudied in many groups of invertebrates, including mites. Quill mites (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) are a poorly known group of permanent bird ectoparasites that occupy quills of feathers and feed on bird subcutaneous tissue and fluids. Most of the known species have strongly female-biased sex ratio, and it was hypothesized that this is caused by endosymbiotic bacteria. Previously, Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Foggie) and a high diversity of Wolbachia strains were detected in quill mites via targeted PCR screens. Here, we use an unbiased 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing approach to determine other bacteria that potentially impact quill mite biology.<br><br>RESULTS: We performed 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of 126 quill mite individuals from eleven species parasitizing twelve species (four families) of passeriform birds. In addition to Wolbachia, we found Spiroplasma as potential symbiont of quill mites. Consistently, high Spiroplasma titers were only found in individuals of two mite species associated with finches of the genus Carduelis, suggesting a history of horizontal transfers of Spiroplasma via the bird host. Furthermore, there was evidence for Spiroplasma negatively affecting Wolbachia titers. We found no evidence for the previously reported Anaplasma in quill mites, but detected sequences of high similarity to the potential pathogens Brucella and Bartonella at low abundances. Other amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) could be assigned to a diverse number of bacterial taxa, including several that were previously isolated from bird skin. Further, many frequently found ASVs were assigned to taxa that show a very broad distribution with no strong prior evidence for symbiotic association with animals. We interpret these findings as evidence for a scarcity of resident microbial associates (other than inherited symbionts) in quill mites.}, }
@article {pmid32138145, year = {2020}, author = {Bubici, G and Prigigallo, MI and Garganese, F and Nugnes, F and Jansen, M and Porcelli, F}, title = {First Report of Aleurocanthus spiniferus on Ailanthus altissima: Profiling of the Insect Microbiome and MicroRNAs.}, journal = {Insects}, volume = {11}, number = {3}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/insects11030161}, pmid = {32138145}, issn = {2075-4450}, support = {CoBIAs/AGG2016//Apulia region, Italy/ ; }, abstract = {We report the first occurrence of the orange spiny whitefly (Aleurocanthus spiniferus; OSW) on the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) in Bari, Apulia region, Italy. After our first observation in 2016, the infestation recurred regularly during the following years and expanded to the neighboring trees. Since then, we have also found the insect on numerous patches of the tree of heaven and other plant species in the Bari province. Nevertheless, the tree of heaven was not particularly threatened by the insect, so that a possible contribution by OSW for the control of such an invasive plant cannot be hypothesized hitherto. This work was also aimed at profiling the microbiome of OSW feeding on A. altissima. For this purpose, we used the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and the deep sequencing of small RNAs (sRNAs). Both techniques unveiled the presence of &quot;Candidatus Portiera&quot; (primary endosymbiont), Wolbachia sp. and Rickettsia sp., endosymbionts already reported for other Aleyrodidae. Deep sequencing data were analyzed by four computational pipelines in order to understand the reliability of the detection of fungi, bacteria, and viruses: Kraken, Kaiju, Velvet, and VelvetOptimiser. Some contigs assembled by Velvet or VelvetOptimiser were associated with insects, but not necessarily in the Aleurocanthus genus or Aleyrodidae family, suggesting the non-specificity of sRNAs or possible traces of parasitoids in the sample (e.g., Eretmocerus sp.). Finally, deep sequencing data were used to describe the microtranscriptome of OSW: 56 canonical and at least four high-confidence novel microRNAs (miRNAs) were identified. The overall miRNA abundance in OSW was in agreement with previous works on Bemisia tabaci, and bantam-3p, miR-276a-3p, miR-317-3p, miR-750-3p, and mir-8-3p were the most represented miRNAs.}, }
@article {pmid32132880, year = {2020}, author = {Nikolouli, K and Sassù, F and Mouton, L and Stauffer, C and Bourtzis, K}, title = {Combining sterile and incompatible insect techniques for the population suppression of Drosophila suzukii.}, journal = {Journal of pest science}, volume = {93}, number = {2}, pages = {647-661}, doi = {10.1007/s10340-020-01199-6}, pmid = {32132880}, issn = {1612-4758}, abstract = {The spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, has recently invaded Europe and the Americas, and it is a major threat for a wide variety of commercial soft fruits both in open field and greenhouse production systems. D. suzukii infests a wide range of ripening fruits, leading to substantial yield and revenue losses. As the application of insecticides close to the harvest period poses great concerns, the development of an efficient environment-friendly control approach to fight D. suzukii is necessary. In this study, we exploited the sterile insect technique (SIT) in combination with Wolbachia symbiosis as a population suppression approach that can constitute a potential component of an area-wide integrated pest management program. We aimed to establish a combined SIT/incompatible insect technique (IIT) protocol that would require lower irradiation doses as a complementary tool for D. suzukii management. Two D. suzukii lines trans-infected with the Wolbachia wHa and wTei strains were irradiated at doses four times less than usual (e.g., 45 Gy), and the egg hatching and adult emergence were determined. Our results indicated that wHa and wTei females as well as wHa males were sterile at this low dose. The longevity, adult emergence and flight ability of adults were evaluated, and no major effect caused by irradiation was detected. Our data indicate that a SIT/IIT protocol can be a competent approach for D. suzukii management.}, }
@article {pmid32130504, year = {2020}, author = {Gallo-Franco, JJ and Toro-Perea, N}, title = {Variations in the Bacterial Communities in Anastrepha obliqua (Diptera: Tephritidae) According to the Insect Life Stage and Host Plant.}, journal = {Current microbiology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00284-020-01939-y}, pmid = {32130504}, issn = {1432-0991}, abstract = {Insects have established close relationships with a wide variety of microorganisms, which play a key role in insect ecology and evolution. Fruit flies in the Tephritidae family have economic importance at the global level, including species such as Anastrepha obliqua, which is an important pest in the neotropical region. Although several studies have been performed on the microbiota associated with fruit flies, there are still large gaps in our knowledge about the bacterial communities on the genus Anastrepha. During this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to characterize the bacterial communities of the polyphagous fly A. obliqua, and we evaluated the effect of the life stage (larvae and adults) and host plant (three plant species) on the structure of these communities. Our results show that the bacterial communities in A. obliqua appears to be structured according to the insect life stage and the host plant. The predominant genera belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria were Wolbachia and Enterobacter in both larvae and adults, and they displayed differences in abundance between them, with Wolbachia sp. being more abundant in larvae and Enterobacter sp. being more abundant in adults. Differences in the structures of the bacterial communities were also observed according to the host plant with higher abundance of Enterobacter and Acetobacter bacteria in mango and plum fruits. Based on our results, it can be hypothesized that the bacterial communities on A. obliqua reorganize according to the needs of these insects during their different life stages and could also play an important role in the establishment of this fly species on different host plants. This study represents the first approach to understanding microorganism-insect interactions in fruit flies in Colombia.}, }
@article {pmid32128956, year = {2020}, author = {Li, Y and Liu, X and Wang, N and Zhang, Y and Hoffmann, A and Guo, H}, title = {Background-dependent Wolbachia-mediated insecticide resistance in Laodelphax striatellus.}, journal = {Environmental microbiology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1462-2920.14974}, pmid = {32128956}, issn = {1462-2920}, abstract = {While facultative endosymbionts are now known to protect insect hosts against pathogens and parasitoids, the effects of endosymbionts on insecticide resistance are still unclear. Here we show that Wolbachia are associated with increased resistance to the commonly used insecticide, buprofezin, in the small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus) in some genetic backgrounds while having no effect in other backgrounds. In three Wolbachia-infected lines from experimental buprofezin-resistant strains and one line from a buprofezin-susceptible line established from Chuxiong, Yunnan province, China, susceptibility to buprofezin increased after removal of Wolbachia. An increase in susceptibility was also evident in a Wolbachia-infected line established from a field population in Rugao, Jiangsu province. However, no increase was evident in two field populations from Nanjing and Fengxian, Jiangsu province, China. When Wolbachia was introgressed into different genetic backgrounds, followed by Wolbachia removal, the data pointed to Wolbachia effects that depend on the nuclear background as well as on the Wolbachia strain. However, there was no relationship between Wolbachia density and the component of buprofezin resistance associated with the symbiont. The results suggest that Wolbachia effects associated with chemical resistance are complex and unpredictable, but also that they can be substantial. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.}, }
@article {pmid32126342, year = {2020}, author = {Turner, JD and Marriott, AE and Hong, D and O' Neill, P and Ward, SA and Taylor, MJ}, title = {Novel anti-Wolbachia drugs, a new approach in the treatment and prevention of veterinary filariasis?.}, journal = {Veterinary parasitology}, volume = {279}, number = {}, pages = {109057}, doi = {10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109057}, pmid = {32126342}, issn = {1873-2550}, abstract = {Filarial nematodes are tissue-dwelling parasitic worms that can cause a range of disfiguring pathologies in humans and potentially lethal infections of companion animals. The bacterial endosymbiont, Wolbachia, is present within most human and veterinary filarial pathogens, including the causative agent of heartworm disease, Dirofilaria immitis. Doxycycline-mediated drug targeting of Wolbachia leads to sterility, clearance of microfilariae and gradual death of adult filariae. This mode of action is attractive in the treatment of filariasis because it avoids severe host inflammatory adverse reactions invoked by rapid-killing anthelmintic agents. However, doxycycline needs to be taken for four weeks to exert curative activity. In this review, we discuss the evidence that Wolbachia drug targeting is efficacious in blocking filarial larval development as well as in the treatment of chronic filarial disease. We present the current portfolio of next-generation anti-Wolbachia candidates discovered through phenotypic screening of chemical libraries and validated in a range of in vitro and in vivo filarial infection models. Several novel chemotypes have been identified with selected narrow-spectrum anti-Wolbachia specificity and superior time-to-kill kinetics compared with doxycycline. We discuss the opportunities of developing these novel anti-Wolbachia agents as either cures, adjunct therapies or new preventatives for the treatment of veterinary filariasis.}, }
@article {pmid32123899, year = {2020}, author = {Ourry, M and Lopez, V and Hervé, M and Lebreton, L and Mougel, C and Outreman, Y and Poinsot, D and Cortesero, AM}, title = {Long lasting effects of antibiotics on bacterial communities of adult flies.}, journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiaa028}, pmid = {32123899}, issn = {1574-6941}, abstract = {Insect symbionts benefit their host and their study requires large spectrum antibiotic use like tetracycline to weaken or suppress symbiotic communities. While antibiotics have a negative impact on insect fitness, little is known about antibiotic effects on insect microbial communities and how long they last. We characterized the bacterial communities of adult cabbage root fly Delia radicum in a Wolbachia-free population, evaluated the effect of tetracycline treatment on these communities over several generations. Three D. radicum generations were used: the first and second generation flies either ingested tetracycline or not, while the third generation flies were untreated but differed with their parents and/or grand-parents that had or had not been treated. Fly bacterial communities were sequenced using a 16S rRNA gene. Tetracycline decreased fly bacterial diversity and induced modifications in both bacterial abundance and relative frequencies, still visible on untreated offspring which parents and/or grandparents had been treated therefore demonstrating long lasting trans-generational effects on animal microbiomes after antibiotic treatment. Flies with an antibiotic history shared bacterial genera, potentially tetracycline-resistant and heritable. Next, the transmission should be investigated by comparing several insect development stages and plant compartments to assess vertical and horizontal transmissions of D. radicum bacterial communities.}, }
@article {pmid32112519, year = {2020}, author = {Zhou, JC and Liu, QQ and Wang, QR and Ning, SF and Che, WN and Dong, H}, title = {Optimal clutch size for quality control of bisexual and Wolbachia-infected thelytokous lines of Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) mass reared on eggs of a substitutive host, Antheraea pernyi Guérin-Méneville (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae).}, journal = {Pest management science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/ps.5805}, pmid = {32112519}, issn = {1526-4998}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Trichogramma dendrolimi has been widely used in augmentative biocontrol of lepidopteran pests in China. In mass production of T. dendrolimi using Antheraea pernyi eggs as substitutive hosts, which are large in size, clutch size is a parameter of importance to produce high quality parasitoids. Here, we aimed to determine the optimal clutch size for the bisexual Wolbachia-infected line (TdB) and Wolbachia-infected thelytokous line (TdT) of T. dendrolimi reared on A. pernyi eggs.<br><br>RESULTS: A medium clutch size of 42.75-62.27 for TdB and 52.93-57.14 for TdT was optimal to maximize fitness-correlated traits of parasitoid individual. The optimal clutch sizes with maximized parameters included adult emergence rate, adult body size, adult longevity, fecudity, and sum of fecundity of all females per brood were 58.31 (86.00%), 42.75 (231.11 μm), 50.92 (2.69 d), 62.27 (150.89 eggs), and 83.25 (7926.33 eggs) for TdB and 57.14 (94.54%), 52.93 (236.97 μm), 53.64 (2.62 d), 56.80 (161.01 eggs), and 70.10 (8579.71 eggs) for TdT. The Wolbachia-infected thelytokous line had a shorter adult longevity, longer development time, and higher adult emergence rate than did its non-infected bisexual counterpart.<br><br>CONCLUSION: A medium brood size in a A. pernyi egg host was optimal to produce offspring parasitoids with higher fitness parameters for both bisexual Wolbachia-uninfected and thelytokous Wolbachia-infected lines of T. dendrolimi. The determination of optimal clutch size for T. dendrolimi will provide the reference for the quality control of T. dendrolimi production and improvement of the field performance of the wasps. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.}, }
@article {pmid32092972, year = {2020}, author = {Kaczmarczyk-Ziemba, A and Zagaja, M and Wagner, GK and Pietrykowska-Tudruj, E and Staniec, B}, title = {First Insight into Microbiome Profiles of Myrmecophilous Beetles and Their Host, Red Wood Ant Formica polyctena (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)-A Case Study.}, journal = {Insects}, volume = {11}, number = {2}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/insects11020134}, pmid = {32092972}, issn = {2075-4450}, support = {EZ.0290.1.28.2017//State Forests National Forest Holding/ ; NB 520-3/2017//Polesie National Park/ ; }, abstract = {Formica polyctena belongs to the red wood ant species group. Its nests provide a stable, food rich, and temperature and humidity controlled environment, utilized by a wide range of species, called myrmecophiles. Here, we used the high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene on the Illumina platform for identification of the microbiome profiles of six selected myrmecophilous beetles (Dendrophilus pygmaeus, Leptacinus formicetorum, Monotoma angusticollis, Myrmechixenus subterraneus, Ptenidium formicetorum and Thiasophila angulata) and their host F. polyctena. Analyzed bacterial communities consisted of a total of 23 phyla, among which Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes were the most abundant. Two known endosymbionts-Wolbachia and Rickettsia-were found in the analyzed microbiome profiles and Wolbachia was dominant in bacterial communities associated with F. polyctena, M. subterraneus, L. formicetorum and P. formicetorum (>90% of reads). In turn, M. angusticollis was co-infected with both Wolbachia and Rickettsia, while in the microbiome of T. angulata, the dominance of Rickettsia has been observed. The relationships among the microbiome profiles were complex, and no relative abundance pattern common to all myrmecophilous beetles tested was observed. However, some subtle, species-specific patterns have been observed for bacterial communities associated with D. pygmaeus, M. angusticollis, and T. angulata.}, }
@article {pmid32091199, year = {2020}, author = {Hawryluk, N}, title = {Macrofilaricides: An Unmet Medical Need for Filarial Diseases.}, journal = {ACS infectious diseases}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00469}, pmid = {32091199}, issn = {2373-8227}, abstract = {Neglected parasitic helminth diseases, such as onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis, affect an estimated 145 million people worldwide, creating a serious health burden in endemic areas such as sub-Saharan Africa and India. Although these diseases are not usually lethal, infections caused by Onchocerca volvulus (onchocerciasis) and Wuchereria/Brugia (LF) cause severe debilitation and chronic disability to infected individuals. The adult worms responsible for infection can reproduce from 5 to up to 14 years, releasing millions of microfilariae, juvenile worms, over an infected individual's lifetime. The current treatments for controlling human filarial infections is focused on killing microfilariae, the earliest larval stage. Currently, there is an unmet medical need for treatments consisting of a macrofilaricidal regimen, one that targets the adult stage of the parasite, increases the rate of elimination, allows for safe use in co-endemic regions of O. volvulus and L. loa, and provides a rapid method to resolve reinfections. Herein, recent approaches for targeting human filarial diseases are discussed including direct acting agents to target parasitic nematodes and anti-bacterial approaches to target the endosymbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia. Keywords: filariasis, onchocerciasis, Wolbachia, microfilaria, macrofilaria, Loa loa.}, }
@article {pmid32078642, year = {2020}, author = {Zhang, D and Wang, Y and He, K and Yang, Q and Gong, M and Ji, M and Chen, L}, title = {Wolbachia limits pathogen infections through induction of host innate immune responses.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {15}, number = {2}, pages = {e0226736}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0226736}, pmid = {32078642}, issn = {1932-6203}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia has been reported to suppress a variety of pathogen infections in mosquitoes, but the mechanism is undefined. Two possibilities have been proposed. One is that Wolbachia activates host immune responses, and the other one is that Wolbachia competes with pathogens for limited nutrients.<br><br>In this study, we compared host immune responses and the densities of two different strains of Wolbachia in naturally occurring parental and artificially created hybrid host genetic backgrounds. No significant difference in Wolbachia density was found between these hosts. We found that Wolbachia could activate host innate immune responses when the host genetic profile was different from that of its natural host. When these hosts were challenged with pathogenic bacteria, mosquitoes in new host-Wolbachia symbioses had a higher survival rate than in old host-Wolbachia symbioses.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The presence of Wolbachia per se does not necessarily affect pathogen infections, suggesting that a competition for limited nutrients is not the main reason for Wolbachia-mediated pathogen suppression. Instead, host immune responses are responsible for it. The elucidation of an immunity nature of PI is important to guide future practice: Wolbachia may be genetically engineered to be more immunogenic, it is desired to search and isolate more strains of Wolbachia, and test more host-Wolbachia symbioses for future applications. Our results also suggest Wolbachia-based PI may be applied to naturally Wolbachia-infected mosquito populations, and extend to the control of a broader range of mosquito-borne diseases.}, }
@article {pmid32076535, year = {2020}, author = {Ross, PA and Callahan, AG and Yang, Q and Jasper, M and Arif, MAK and Afizah, AN and Nazni, WA and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {An elusive endosymbiont: Does Wolbachia occur naturally in Aedes aegypti?.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {10}, number = {3}, pages = {1581-1591}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.6012}, pmid = {32076535}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria found within many insect species. Aedes mosquitoes experimentally infected with Wolbachia are being released into the field for Aedes-borne disease control. These Wolbachia infections induce cytoplasmic incompatibility which is used to suppress populations through incompatible matings or replace populations through the reproductive advantage provided by this mechanism. However, the presence of naturally occurring Wolbachia in target populations could interfere with both population replacement and suppression programs depending on the compatibility patterns between strains. Aedes aegypti were thought to not harbor Wolbachia naturally but several recent studies have detected Wolbachia in natural populations of this mosquito. We therefore review the evidence for natural Wolbachia infections in A. aegypti to date and discuss limitations of these studies. We draw on research from other mosquito species to outline the potential implications of natural Wolbachia infections in A. aegypti for disease control. To validate previous reports, we obtained a laboratory population of A. aegypti from New Mexico, USA, that harbors a natural Wolbachia infection, and we conducted field surveys in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where a natural Wolbachia infection has also been reported. However, we were unable to detect Wolbachia in both the laboratory and field populations. Because the presence of naturally occurring Wolbachia in A. aegypti could have profound implications for Wolbachia-based disease control programs, it is important to continue to accurately assess the Wolbachia status of target Aedes populations.}, }
@article {pmid32066253, year = {2020}, author = {Tan, FHP and Liu, G and Lau, SA and Jaafar, MH and Park, YH and Azzam, G and Li, Y and Liong, MT}, title = {Lactobacillus probiotics improved the gut microbiota profile of a Drosophila melanogaster Alzheimer's disease model and alleviated neurodegeneration in the eye.}, journal = {Beneficial microbes}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {79-89}, doi = {10.3920/BM2019.0086}, pmid = {32066253}, issn = {1876-2891}, abstract = {Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive disease and one of the most common forms of neurodegenerative disorders. Emerging evidence is supporting the use of various strategies that modulate gut microbiota to exert neurological and psychological changes. This includes the utilisation of probiotics as a natural and dietary intervention for brain health. Here, we showed the potential AD-reversal effects of Lactobacillus probiotics through feeding to our Drosophila melanogaster AD model. The administration of Lactobacillus strains was able to rescue the rough eye phenotype (REP) seen in AD-induced Drosophila, with a more prominent effect observed upon the administration of Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 (DR7). Furthermore, we analysed the gut microbiota of the AD-induced Drosophila and found elevated levels of Wolbachia. The administration of DR7 restored the gut microbiota diversity of AD-induced Drosophila with a significant reduction in Wolbachia's relative abundance, accompanied by an increase of Stenotrophomonas and Acetobacter. Through functional predictive analyses, Wolbachia was predicted to be positively correlated with neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's, Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases, while Stenotrophomonas was negatively correlated with these neurodegenerative disorders. Altogether, our data exhibited DR7's ability to ameliorate the AD effects in our AD-induced Drosophila. Thus, we propose that Wolbachia be used as a potential biomarker for AD.}, }
@article {pmid32058670, year = {2020}, author = {Madhav, M and Brown, G and Morgan, JAT and Asgari, S and McGraw, EA and Munderloh, UG and Kurtti, TJ and James, P}, title = {Wolbachia successfully replicate in a newly established horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) cell line.}, journal = {Pest management science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/ps.5785}, pmid = {32058670}, issn = {1526-4998}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Haematobia spp., horn flies (HF) and buffalo flies (BF), are economically important ectoparasites of dairy and beef cattle. Control of these flies relies mainly on the treatment of cattle with chemical insecticides. However, the development of resistance to commonly used compounds is compromising the effectiveness of these treatments and alternative methods of control are required. Wolbachia are maternally transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria of arthropods that cause various reproductive distortions and fitness effects, making them a potential candidate for use in the biological control of pests. The first step towards this is the establishment and adaptation of xenobiotic infections of Wolbachia in target host cell lines.<br><br>RESULTS: Here we report the successful establishment of a continuous HF cell line (HIE-18) from embryonic cells and its stable transinfection with Wolbachia strains wAlbB native to mosquitoes, and wMel and wMelPop native to Drosophila melanogaster. The HIE-18 cells were typically round and diploid with ten chromosomes (2n = 10) or tetraploid with 20 chromosomes (4n = 20) with a doubling time of 67.2 h. Wolbachia density decreased significantly in the HIE-18 cells in the first 48 h of infection, possibly due to overexpression of antimicrobial peptides through the Imd immune signalling pathway. However, density recovered after this time and HIE-18 cell lines stably infected with the three strains of Wolbachia have now each been subcultured more than 50 times as persistently infected lines.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The amenability of HF cells to infection with different strains of Wolbachia and the establishment of stable sustaining infections suggests the potential for use of Wolbachia in novel approaches for the control of Haematobia spp. Further, the availability of the HIE-18 cell line will provide an important resource for the study of genetics, host-parasite interactions and chemical resistance in Haematobia populations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.}, }
@article {pmid32053259, year = {2020}, author = {Vaught, RC and Voigt, S and Dobler, R and Clancy, DJ and Reinhardt, K and Dowling, DK}, title = {Interactions between cytoplasmic and nuclear genomes confer sex-specific effects on lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster.}, journal = {Journal of evolutionary biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/jeb.13605}, pmid = {32053259}, issn = {1420-9101}, abstract = {Genetic variation outside of the cell nucleus can affect the phenotype. The cytoplasm is home to the mitochondria, and in arthropods often hosts intracellular bacteria such as Wolbachia. While numerous studies have implicated epistatic interactions between cytoplasmic and nuclear genetic variation as mediators of phenotypic expression, two questions remain. Firstly, it remains unclear whether outcomes of cyto-nuclear interactions will manifest differently across the sexes, as might be predicted given that cytoplasmic genomes are screened by natural selection only through females as a consequence of their maternal inheritance. Secondly, the relative contribution of mitochondrial genetic variation to other cytoplasmic sources of variation, such as Wolbachia infection, in shaping phenotypic outcomes of cyto-nuclear interactions remains unknown. Here, we address these questions, creating a fully-crossed set of replicated cyto-nuclear populations derived from three geographically distinct populations of Drosophila melanogaster, measuring the lifespan of males and females from each population. We observed that cyto-nuclear interactions shape lifespan, and that the outcomes of these interactions differ across the sexes. Yet, we found no evidence that placing the cytoplasms from one population alongside the nuclear background of others (generating putative cyto-nuclear mismatches) leads to decreased lifespan in either sex. Although it was difficult to partition mitochondrial from Wolbachia effects, our results suggest at least some of the cytoplasmic genotypic contribution to lifespan was directly mediated by an effect of sequence variation in the mtDNA. Future work should explore the degree to which cyto-nuclear interactions result in sex differences in expression of other components of organismal life-history.}, }
@article {pmid32052099, year = {2020}, author = {Nakabachi, A and Malenovský, I and Gjonov, I and Hirose, Y}, title = {16S rRNA Sequencing Detected Profftella, Liberibacter, Wolbachia, and Diplorickettsia from Relatives of the Asian Citrus Psyllid.}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-020-01491-z}, pmid = {32052099}, issn = {1432-184X}, support = {KAKENHI grant number 26292174//the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; NA//Tatematsu Foundation/ ; NA//Nagase Science and Technology Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {The Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) is a serious pest of citrus species worldwide because it transmits Candidatus Liberibacter spp. (Alphaproteobacteria: Rhizobiales), the causative agents of the incurable citrus disease, huanglongbing or greening disease. Diaphorina citri possesses a specialized organ called a bacteriome, which harbors vertically transmitted intracellular mutualists, Ca. Carsonella ruddii (Gammaproteobacteria: Oceanospirillales) and Ca. Profftella armatura (Gammaproteobacteria: Betaproteobacteriales). Whereas Carsonella is a typical nutritional symbiont, Profftella is an unprecedented type of toxin-producing defensive symbiont, unusually sharing organelle-like features with nutritional symbionts. Additionally, many D. citri strains are infected with Wolbachia, which manipulate reproduction in various arthropod hosts. In the present study, in an effort to obtain insights into the evolution of symbioses between Diaphorina and bacteria, microbiomes of psyllids closely related to D. citri were investigated. Bacterial populations of Diaphorina cf. continua and Diaphorina lycii were analyzed using Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and compared with data obtained from D. citri. The analysis revealed that all three Diaphorina spp. harbor Profftella as well as Carsonella lineages, implying that Profftella is widespread within the genus Diaphorina. Moreover, the analysis identified Ca. Liberibacter europaeus and Diplorickettsia sp. (Gammaproteobacteria: Diplorickettsiales) in D. cf. continua, and a total of four Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria: Rickettsiales) lineages in the three psyllid species. These results provide deeper insights into the interactions among insects, bacteria, and plants, which would eventually help to better manage horticulture.}, }
@article {pmid32047292, year = {2020}, author = {Zélé, F and Santos, I and Matos, M and Weill, M and Vavre, F and Magalhães, S}, title = {Endosymbiont diversity in natural populations of Tetranychus mites is rapidly lost under laboratory conditions.}, journal = {Heredity}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1038/s41437-020-0297-9}, pmid = {32047292}, issn = {1365-2540}, abstract = {Although the diversity of bacterial endosymbionts in arthropods is well documented, whether and how such diversity is maintained remains an open question. We investigated the temporal changes occurring in the prevalence and composition of endosymbionts after transferring natural populations of Tetranychus spider mites from the field to the laboratory. These populations, belonging to three different Tetranychus species (T. urticae, T. ludeni and T. evansi) carried variable infection frequencies of Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Rickettsia. We report a rapid change of the infection status of these populations after only 6 months of laboratory rearing, with an apparent loss of Rickettsia and Cardinium, while Wolbachia apparently either reached fixation or was lost. We show that Wolbachia had variable effects on host longevity and fecundity, and induced variable levels of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in each fully infected population, despite no sequence divergence in the markers used and full CI rescue between all populations. This suggests that such effects are largely dependent upon the host genotype. Subsequently, we used these data to parameterize a theoretical model for the invasion of CI-inducing symbionts in haplodiploids, which shows that symbiont effects are sufficient to explain their dynamics in the laboratory. This further suggests that symbiont diversity and prevalence in the field are likely maintained by environmental heterogeneity, which is reduced in the laboratory. Overall, this study highlights the lability of endosymbiont infections and draws attention to the limitations of laboratory studies to understand host-symbiont interactions in natural populations.}, }
@article {pmid32043447, year = {2020}, author = {Lechner, AM and Gastager, H and Kern, JM and Wagner, B and Tappe, D}, title = {Case Report: Successful Treatment of a Patient with Microfilaremic Dirofilariasis Using Doxycycline.}, journal = {The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.4269/ajtmh.19-0744}, pmid = {32043447}, issn = {1476-1645}, abstract = {We report the case of a 56-year-old woman with microfilaremic dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria repens, which is a very rare condition in humans. Of note, just one of six large-volume blood samples of this patient was positive for microfilariae. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the parasite gene determined the geographic origin of the causative helminth. The patient was treated successfully with doxycycline. This drug was chosen because of the patient's reluctance to the use of ivermectin and to provide an anthelmintic effect by targeting the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia present in most filarial species.}, }
@article {pmid32041638, year = {2020}, author = {Ekwudu, O and Devine, GJ and Aaskov, JG and Frentiu, FD}, title = {Wolbachia strain wAlbB blocks replication of flaviviruses and alphaviruses in mosquito cell culture.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {54}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-020-3936-3}, pmid = {32041638}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {APP1020817//National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia/ ; Internal grant//Queensland University of Technology/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia pipientis are bacterial endosymbionts of arthropods currently being implemented as biocontrol agents to reduce the global burden of arboviral diseases. Some strains of Wolbachia, when introduced into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, reduce or block the replication of RNA viruses pathogenic to humans. The wAlbB strain of Wolbachia was originally isolated from Aedes albopictus, and when transinfected into Ae. aegypti, persists in mosquitoes under high temperature conditions longer than other strains. The utility of wAlbB to block a broad spectrum of RNA viruses has received limited attention. Here we test the ability of wAlbB to reduce or block the replication of a range of Flavivirus and Alphavirus species in cell culture.<br><br>METHODS: The C6/36 mosquito cell line was stably infected with the wAlbB strain using the shell-vial technique. The replication of dengue, West Nile and three strains of Zika (genus Flavivirus), and Ross River, Barmah Forest and Sindbis (genus Alphavirus) viruses was compared in wAlbB-infected cells with Wolbachia-free controls. Infectious virus titres were determined using either immunofocus or plaque assays. A general linear model was used to test for significant differences in replication between flaviviruses and alphaviruses.<br><br>RESULTS: Titres of all viruses were significantly reduced in cell cultures infected with wAlbB versus Wolbachia-free controls. The magnitude of reduction in virus yields varied among virus species and, within species, also among the strains utilized.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that wAlbB infection of arthropods could be used to reduce transmission of a wide range of pathogenic RNA viruses.}, }
@article {pmid32041484, year = {2020}, author = {Nazareth, T and Craveiro, I and Moutinho, A and Seixas, G and Gonçalves, C and Gonçalves, L and Teodósio, R and Sousa, CA}, title = {What happens when we modify mosquitoes for disease prevention? A systematic review.}, journal = {Emerging microbes &amp; infections}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {348-365}, doi = {10.1080/22221751.2020.1722035}, pmid = {32041484}, issn = {2222-1751}, abstract = {The release of modified mosquitoes to suppress/replace vectors constitutes a promising tool for vector control and disease prevention. Evidence regarding these innovative modification techniques is scarce and disperse. This work conducted a systematic review, gathering and analysing research articles from PubMed and Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde databases whose results report efficacy and non-target effects of using modified insects for disease prevention, until 2016. More than 1500 publications were screened and 349 were analysed. Only 12/3.4% articles reported field-based evidence and 41/11.7% covered modification strategies' post-release efficacy. Variability in the effective results (90/25.7%) questioned its reproducibility in different settings. We also found publications reporting reversal outcomes 38/10.9%, (e.g. post-release increase of vector population). Ecological effects were also reported, such as horizontal transfer events (54/15.5%), and worsening pathogenesis induced by natural wolbachia (10/2.9%). Present work revealed promising outcomes of modifying strategies. However, it also revealed a need for field-based evidence mainly regarding epidemiologic and long-term impact. It pointed out some eventual irreversible and important effects that must not be ignored when considering open-field releases, and that may constitute constraints to generate the missing field evidence. Present work constitutes a baseline of knowledge, offering also a methodological approach that may facilitate future updates.}, }
@article {pmid32040182, year = {2020}, author = {Shang, F and Niu, J and Ding, BY and Wang, JJ}, title = {Comparative Insight into the Bacterial Communities in Alate and Apterous Morphs of Brown Citrus Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae).}, journal = {Journal of economic entomology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/jee/toaa016}, pmid = {32040182}, issn = {1938-291X}, abstract = {Wing polyphenism (alate and apterous morphs) in aphids is a trade-off between dispersal and reproduction. How bacterial communities are associated with wing polyphenism in aphids is still not clearly understood. This study used 16S rRNA sequencing to examine the differences in diversity of the bacterial community between alate and apterous morphs in Aphis citricidus, the main vector of the Citrus tristeza virus. Eighty-one operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 37 orders, 34 classes, and 13 phyla were identified from all samples. Among these OTUs, Wolbachia (79.17%), Buchnera (17.64%), and Pseudomonas (2.99%) were the dominant bacterial genera. The diversity of symbionts varied between the two morphs; apterous morphs had more bacterial diversity (69 OTUs belonging to 45 families, 21 classes, and 12 phyla) than alate morphs (45 OTUs belonging to 36 families, 15 classes, and 10 phyla). In addition, the abundance of five OTUs was significantly different between two morphs. Among these OTUs, two Pseudomonas species (Pseudomonas_brenneri [OTU21] and unclassified_Pseudomonas [OTU13]) represented a high proportion (3.93% and 2.06%) in alate morphs but were present in low abundance (0.006% and 0.002%) in apterous morphs. RT-qPCR showed consistent results with high-throughput DNA sequencing. The preliminary survey showed the difference in composition and frequency of bacteria between alate and apterous morphs. Thus, the results contribute to anew insight of microorganisms that may be involved in wing dimorphism and helpful for controlling the dispersal of this pest through artificial elimination or reinfection of bacterial symbionts or targeting symbiosis-related host genes by RNA interference in future.}, }
@article {pmid32030839, year = {2020}, author = {Hundertmark, A and Goodacre, SL and Brookfield, JFY}, title = {Alternative evolutionary outcomes following endosymbiont-mediated selection on male mating preference alleles.}, journal = {Journal of evolutionary biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/jeb.13602}, pmid = {32030839}, issn = {1420-9101}, abstract = {In many arthropods, intracellular bacteria, such as those of the genus Wolbachia, may spread through host populations as a result of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Here, there is sterility or reduced fertility in crosses between infected males and uninfected females. As the bacterium is maternally-inherited, the reduced fertility of uninfected females increases the frequency of the infection. If the transmission fidelity of the bacterium is less than 100%, the bacterium cannot invade from a low frequency, but if its frequency exceeds a threshold, it increases to a high, stable, equilibrium frequency. We explore the expected evolutionary dynamics of mutant alleles that cause their male bearers to avoid mating with uninfected females. For alleles which create this avoidance behaviour conditional upon the male being infected, there is a wide zone of parameter space that allows the preference allele to drive Wolbachia from the population when it would otherwise stably persist. There is also a wide zone of parameter space that allows a joint stable equilibrium for the Wolbachia and a polymorphism for the preference allele. When the male's avoidance of uninfected females is unconditional, the preference allele's effect on Wolbachia frequency is reduced, but there is a narrow range of values for the transmission rate and CI fertility that allow an unconditional preference allele to drive Wolbachia from the population, in a process driven by positive linkage disequilibrium between Wolbachia and the preference allele. The possibility of the evolution of preference could hamper attempts to manipulate wild populations through Wolbachia introductions.}, }
@article {pmid32028994, year = {2020}, author = {Uni, S and Mat Udin, AS and Agatsuma, T and Junker, K and Saijuntha, W and Bunchom, N and Fukuda, M and Martin, C and Lefoulon, E and Labat, A and Khan, FAA and Low, VL and Cheah, PL and Lim, YA and Ramli, R and Belabut, DM and Zainuri, NA and Matsubayashi, M and Omar, H and Bhassu, S and Uga, S and Hashim, R and Takaoka, H and Azirun, MS}, title = {Description, molecular characteristics and Wolbachia endosymbionts of Onchocerca borneensis Uni, Mat Udin &amp; Takaoka n. sp. (Nematoda: Filarioidea) from the Bornean bearded pig Sus barbatus Müller (Cetartiodactyla: Suidae) of Sarawak, Malaysia.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {50}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-020-3907-8}, pmid = {32028994}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {FRGS EP020-2012//The Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The genus Onchocerca Diesing, 1841 includes species of medical importance, such as O. volvulus (Leuckart, 1893), which causes river blindness in the tropics. Recently, zoonotic onchocercosis has been reported in humans worldwide. In Japan, O. dewittei japonica Uni, Bain &amp; Takaoka, 2001 from wild boars is a causative agent for this zoonosis. Many filarioid nematodes are infected with Wolbachia endosymbionts which exhibit various evolutionary relationships with their hosts. While investigating the filarial fauna of Borneo, we discovered an undescribed Onchocerca species in the bearded pig Sus barbatus Müller (Cetartiodactyla: Suidae).<br><br>METHODS: We isolated Onchocerca specimens from bearded pigs and examined their morphology. For comparative material, we collected fresh specimens of O. d. dewittei Bain, Ramachandran, Petter &amp; Mak, 1977 from banded pigs (S. scrofa vittatus Boie) in Peninsular Malaysia. Partial sequences of three different genes (two mitochondrial genes, cox1 and 12S rRNA, and one nuclear ITS region) of these filarioids were analysed. By multi-locus sequence analyses based on six genes (16S rDNA, ftsZ, dnaA, coxA, fbpA and gatB) of Wolbachia, we determined the supergroups in the specimens from bearded pigs and those of O. d. dewittei.<br><br>RESULTS: Onchocerca borneensis Uni, Mat Udin &amp; Takaoka n. sp. is described on the basis of morphological characteristics and its genetic divergence from congeners. Molecular characteristics of the new species revealed its close evolutionary relationship with O. d. dewittei. Calculated p-distance for the cox1 gene sequences between O. borneensis n. sp. and O. d. dewittei was 5.9%, while that between O. d. dewittei and O. d. japonica was 7.6%. No intraspecific genetic variation was found for the new species. Wolbachia strains identified in the new species and O. d. dewittei belonged to supergroup C and are closely related.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our molecular analyses of filarioids from Asian suids indicate that the new species is sister to O. d. dewittei. On the basis of its morphological and molecular characteristics, we propose to elevate O. d. japonica to species level as O. japonica Uni, Bain &amp; Takaoka, 2001. Coevolutionary relationships exist between the Wolbachia strains and their filarial hosts in Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia.}, }
@article {pmid32024068, year = {2020}, author = {de Jesus, CP and Dias, FBS and Villela, DMA and Maciel-de-Freitas, R}, title = {Ovitraps Provide a Reliable Estimate of Wolbachia Frequency during wMelBr Strain Deployment in a Geographically Isolated Aedes aegypti Population.}, journal = {Insects}, volume = {11}, number = {2}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/insects11020092}, pmid = {32024068}, issn = {2075-4450}, support = {001//Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior/ ; }, abstract = {Deployment of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying the endosymbiont bacterium Wolbachia has been identified as a promising strategy to reduce dengue, chikungunya, and Zika transmission. We investigated whether sampling larvae from ovitraps can provide reliable estimates on Wolbachia frequency during releases, as compared to the expensive adult-based BG-Sentinel. We conducted pilot releases in a semi-field system (SFS) divided into six cages of 21 m2, each with five ovitraps. Five treatments were chosen to represent different points of a hypothetical invasion curve: 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% of Wolbachia frequency. Collected eggs were counted and hatched, and the individuals from a net sample of 27% of larvae per treatment were screened for Wolbachia presence by RT-qPCR. Ovitrap positioning had no effect on egg hatching rate. Treatment strongly affected the number of eggs collected and also the hatching rate, especially when Wolbachia was at a 10% frequency. A second observation was done during the release of Wolbachia in Rio under a population replacement approach when bacterium frequency was estimated using 30 BG-Sentinel traps and 45 ovitraps simultaneously. By individually screening 35% (N = 3904) of larvae collected by RT-qPCR, we were able to produce a similar invasion curve to the one observed when all adults were individually screened. If sampling is reduced to 20%, monitoring Wolbachia frequency with 45 ovitraps would be roughly half the cost of screening all adult mosquitoes captured by 30 BG-Sentinels. Our findings support the scale-up of Wolbachia releases, especially in areas with limited resources to afford massive trapping with BG-Sentinel traps.}, }
@article {pmid32014020, year = {2020}, author = {Woodhams, DC and Bletz, MC and Becker, CG and Bender, HA and Buitrago-Rosas, D and Diebboll, H and Huynh, R and Kearns, PJ and Kueneman, J and Kurosawa, E and LaBumbard, BC and Lyons, C and McNally, K and Schliep, K and Shankar, N and Tokash-Peters, AG and Vences, M and Whetstone, R}, title = {Host-associated microbiomes are predicted by immune system complexity and climate.}, journal = {Genome biology}, volume = {21}, number = {1}, pages = {23}, doi = {10.1186/s13059-019-1908-8}, pmid = {32014020}, issn = {1474-760X}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Host-associated microbiomes, the microorganisms occurring inside and on host surfaces, influence evolutionary, immunological, and ecological processes. Interactions between host and microbiome affect metabolism and contribute to host adaptation to changing environments. Meta-analyses of host-associated bacterial communities have the potential to elucidate global-scale patterns of microbial community structure and function. It is possible that host surface-associated (external) microbiomes respond more strongly to variations in environmental factors, whereas internal microbiomes are more tightly linked to host factors.<br><br>RESULTS: Here, we use the dataset from the Earth Microbiome Project and accumulate data from 50 additional studies totaling 654 host species and over 15,000 samples to examine global-scale patterns of bacterial diversity and function. We analyze microbiomes from non-captive hosts sampled from natural habitats and find patterns with bioclimate and geophysical factors, as well as land use, host phylogeny, and trophic level/diet. Specifically, external microbiomes are best explained by variations in mean daily temperature range and precipitation seasonality. In contrast, internal microbiomes are best explained by host factors such as phylogeny/immune complexity and trophic level/diet, plus climate.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Internal microbiomes are predominantly associated with top-down effects, while climatic factors are stronger determinants of microbiomes on host external surfaces. Host immunity may act on microbiome diversity through top-down regulation analogous to predators in non-microbial ecosystems. Noting gaps in geographic and host sampling, this combined dataset represents a global baseline available for interrogation by future microbial ecology studies.}, }
@article {pmid31351474, year = {2019}, author = {Singh, JA}, title = {Informed consent and community engagement in open field research: lessons for gene drive science.}, journal = {BMC medical ethics}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {54}, doi = {10.1186/s12910-019-0389-3}, pmid = {31351474}, issn = {1472-6939}, mesh = {Animals ; *Communicable Disease Control/methods ; *Community Participation ; Community-Based Participatory Research/*ethics/methods/standards ; Culicidae/genetics ; Dengue/prevention &amp; control ; Disease Transmission, Infectious/prevention &amp; control ; Gene Drive Technology/*ethics/methods ; Humans ; *Informed Consent/ethics/standards ; Mosquito Control/ethics/methods ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic/ethics ; Trust ; Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The development of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system has generated new possibilities for the use of gene drive constructs to reduce or suppress mosquito populations to levels that do not support disease transmission. Despite this prospect, social resistance to genetically modified organisms remains high. Gene drive open field research thus raises important questions regarding what is owed to those who may not consent to such research, or those could be affected by the proposed research, but whose consent is not solicited. The precise circumstances under which informed consent must be obtained, and from whom, requires careful consideration. Furthermore, appropriate engagement processes should be central to any introduction of genetically modified mosquitos in proposed target settings.<br><br>DISCUSSION: In this work, international guidance documents on informed consent and engagement are reviewed and applied to the genetically modified mosquito research context. Five analogous research endeavours that involve area-wide / open field experiments are reviewed. The approach of each in respect to the solicitation of individual informed consent and community engagement are highlighted.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: While the solicitation of individual informed consent in host settings of gene drive field trials may not be possible or feasible in some instances, local community and stakeholder engagement will be key to building trust towards the proposed conduct of such research. In this regard, the approaches taken by investigators and sponsors of political science field research and weather modification field research should be avoided. Rather, proponents of gene drive field research should look to the Eliminate Dengue field trials, cluster randomised trials, and pragmatic clinical trials for guidance regarding how the solicitation of individual informed consent of host communities ought to be managed, and how these communities ought to be engaged.}, }
@article {pmid31996463, year = {2020}, author = {Cattarino, L and Rodriguez-Barraquer, I and Imai, N and Cummings, DAT and Ferguson, NM}, title = {Mapping global variation in dengue transmission intensity.}, journal = {Science translational medicine}, volume = {12}, number = {528}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1126/scitranslmed.aax4144}, pmid = {31996463}, issn = {1946-6242}, abstract = {Intervention planning for dengue requires reliable estimates of dengue transmission intensity. However, current maps of dengue risk provide estimates of disease burden or the boundaries of endemicity rather than transmission intensity. We therefore developed a global high-resolution map of dengue transmission intensity by fitting environmentally driven geospatial models to geolocated force of infection estimates derived from cross-sectional serological surveys and routine case surveillance data. We assessed the impact of interventions on dengue transmission and disease using Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes and the Sanofi-Pasteur vaccine as specific examples. We predicted high transmission intensity in all continents straddling the tropics, with hot spots in South America (Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil), Africa (western and central African countries), and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines). We estimated that 105 [95% confidence interval (CI), 95 to 114] million dengue infections occur each year with 51 (95% CI, 32 to 66) million febrile disease cases. Our analysis suggests that transmission-blocking interventions such as Wolbachia, even at intermediate efficacy (50% transmission reduction), might reduce global annual disease incidence by up to 90%. The Sanofi-Pasteur vaccine, targeting only seropositive recipients, might reduce global annual disease incidence by 20 to 30%, with the greatest impact in high-transmission settings. The transmission intensity map presented here, and made available for download, may help further assessment of the impact of dengue control interventions and prioritization of global public health efforts.}, }
@article {pmid31477173, year = {2019}, author = {Attardo, GM and Abd-Alla, AMM and Acosta-Serrano, A and Allen, JE and Bateta, R and Benoit, JB and Bourtzis, K and Caers, J and Caljon, G and Christensen, MB and Farrow, DW and Friedrich, M and Hua-Van, A and Jennings, EC and Larkin, DM and Lawson, D and Lehane, MJ and Lenis, VP and Lowy-Gallego, E and Macharia, RW and Malacrida, AR and Marco, HG and Masiga, D and Maslen, GL and Matetovici, I and Meisel, RP and Meki, I and Michalkova, V and Miller, WJ and Minx, P and Mireji, PO and Ometto, L and Parker, AG and Rio, R and Rose, C and Rosendale, AJ and Rota-Stabelli, O and Savini, G and Schoofs, L and Scolari, F and Swain, MT and Takáč, P and Tomlinson, C and Tsiamis, G and Van Den Abbeele, J and Vigneron, A and Wang, J and Warren, WC and Waterhouse, RM and Weirauch, MT and Weiss, BL and Wilson, RK and Zhao, X and Aksoy, S}, title = {Comparative genomic analysis of six Glossina genomes, vectors of African trypanosomes.}, journal = {Genome biology}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {187}, doi = {10.1186/s13059-019-1768-2}, pmid = {31477173}, issn = {1474-760X}, support = {D43 TW007391/TW/FIC NIH HHS/United States ; U01AI115648/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R01AI051584/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R03TW008413/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R03TW009444/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R21AI109263//National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/International ; U54HG003079/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; DNA Transposable Elements/genetics ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Genes, Insect ; Genes, X-Linked ; *Genome, Insect ; *Genomics ; Geography ; Insect Proteins/genetics ; Insect Vectors/*genetics ; Male ; Mutagenesis, Insertional/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid/genetics ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Synteny/genetics ; Trypanosoma/*parasitology ; Tsetse Flies/*genetics ; Wolbachia/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Tsetse flies (Glossina sp.) are the vectors of human and animal trypanosomiasis throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Tsetse flies are distinguished from other Diptera by unique adaptations, including lactation and the birthing of live young (obligate viviparity), a vertebrate blood-specific diet by both sexes, and obligate bacterial symbiosis. This work describes the comparative analysis of six Glossina genomes representing three sub-genera: Morsitans (G. morsitans morsitans, G. pallidipes, G. austeni), Palpalis (G. palpalis, G. fuscipes), and Fusca (G. brevipalpis) which represent different habitats, host preferences, and vectorial capacity.<br><br>RESULTS: Genomic analyses validate established evolutionary relationships and sub-genera. Syntenic analysis of Glossina relative to Drosophila melanogaster shows reduced structural conservation across the sex-linked X chromosome. Sex-linked scaffolds show increased rates of female-specific gene expression and lower evolutionary rates relative to autosome associated genes. Tsetse-specific genes are enriched in protease, odorant-binding, and helicase activities. Lactation-associated genes are conserved across all Glossina species while male seminal proteins are rapidly evolving. Olfactory and gustatory genes are reduced across the genus relative to other insects. Vision-associated Rhodopsin genes show conservation of motion detection/tracking functions and variance in the Rhodopsin detecting colors in the blue wavelength ranges.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Expanded genomic discoveries reveal the genetics underlying Glossina biology and provide a rich body of knowledge for basic science and disease control. They also provide insight into the evolutionary biology underlying novel adaptations and are relevant to applied aspects of vector control such as trap design and discovery of novel pest and disease control strategies.}, }
@article {pmid30933079, year = {2019}, author = {Yang, S and Zhao, Y and Yu, J and Fan, Z and Gong, ST and Tang, H and Pan, L}, title = {Establishment of Viral Infection and Analysis of Host-Virus Interaction in Drosophila Melanogaster.}, journal = {Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE}, volume = {}, number = {145}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3791/58845}, pmid = {30933079}, issn = {1940-087X}, mesh = {Animals ; Antiviral Agents/metabolism ; Drosophila Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Drosophila melanogaster/*virology ; *Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Immunity, Innate/immunology ; Mutation/genetics ; RNA Interference ; Reproducibility of Results ; Signal Transduction ; Viral Load ; Virus Diseases/immunology/*virology ; Viruses/metabolism ; Wolbachia/physiology ; }, abstract = {Virus spreading is a major cause of epidemic diseases. Thus, understanding the interaction between the virus and the host is very important to extend our knowledge of prevention and treatment of viral infection. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has proven to be one of the most efficient and productive model organisms to screen for antiviral factors and investigate virus-host interaction, due to powerful genetic tools and highly conserved innate immune signaling pathways. The procedure described here demonstrates a nano-injection method to establish viral infection and induce systemic antiviral responses in adult flies. The precise control of the viral injection dose in this method enables high experimental reproducibility. Protocols described in this study include the preparation of flies and the virus, the injection method, survival rate analysis, the virus load measurement, and an antiviral pathway assessment. The influence effects of viral infection by the flies' background were mentioned here. This infection method is easy to perform and quantitatively repeatable; it can be applied to screen for host/viral factors involved in virus-host interaction and to dissect the crosstalk between innate immune signaling and other biological pathways in response to viral infection.}, }
@article {pmid31986143, year = {2020}, author = {Ehrens, A and Lunde, CS and Jacobs, RT and Struever, D and Koschel, M and Frohberger, SJ and Lenz, F and Fendler, M and Turner, JD and Ward, SA and Taylor, MJ and Freund, YR and Stefanakis, R and Easom, E and Li, X and Plattner, JJ and Hoerauf, A and Hübner, MP}, title = {In vivo efficacy of the boron-pleuromutilin AN11251 against Wolbachia of the rodent filarial nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {e0007957}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007957}, pmid = {31986143}, issn = {1935-2735}, abstract = {The elimination of filarial diseases such as onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis is hampered by the lack of a macrofilaricidal-adult worm killing-drug. In the present study, we tested the in vivo efficacy of AN11251, a boron-pleuromutilin that targets endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria from filarial nematodes and compared its efficacy to doxycycline and rifampicin. Doxycycline and rifampicin were previously shown to deplete Wolbachia endosymbionts leading to a permanent sterilization of the female adult filariae and adult worm death in human clinical studies. Twice-daily oral treatment of Litomosoides sigmodontis-infected mice with 200 mg/kg AN11251 for 10 days achieved a Wolbachia depletion > 99.9% in the adult worms, exceeding the Wolbachia reduction by 10-day treatments with bioequivalent human doses of doxycycline and a similar reduction as high-dose rifampicin (35 mg/kg). Wolbachia reductions of > 99% were also accomplished by 14 days of oral AN11251 at a lower twice-daily dose (50 mg/kg) or once-per-day 200 mg/kg AN11251 treatments. The combinations tested of AN11251 with doxycycline had no clear beneficial impact on Wolbachia depletion, achieving a > 97% Wolbachia reduction with 7 days of treatment. These results indicate that AN11251 is superior to doxycycline and comparable to high-dose rifampicin in the L. sigmodontis mouse model, allowing treatment regimens as short as 10-14 days. Therefore, AN11251 represents a promising pre-clinical candidate that was identified in the L. sigmodontis model, and could be further evaluated and developed as potential clinical candidate for human lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.}, }
@article {pmid31971938, year = {2020}, author = {Ross, PA and Axford, JK and Yang, Q and Staunton, KM and Ritchie, SA and Richardson, KM and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Heatwaves cause fluctuations in wMel Wolbachia densities and frequencies in Aedes aegypti.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {e0007958}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007958}, pmid = {31971938}, issn = {1935-2735}, abstract = {Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with the wMel strain of Wolbachia are being released into natural mosquito populations in the tropics as a way of reducing dengue transmission. High temperatures adversely affect wMel, reducing Wolbachia density and cytoplasmic incompatibility in some larval habitats that experience large temperature fluctuations. We monitored the impact of a 43.6°C heatwave on the wMel infection in a natural population in Cairns, Australia, where wMel was first released in 2011 and has persisted at a high frequency. Wolbachia infection frequencies in the month following the heatwave were reduced to 83% in larvae sampled directly from field habitats and 88% in eggs collected from ovitraps, but recovered to be near 100% four months later. Effects of the heatwave on wMel appeared to be stage-specific and delayed, with reduced frequencies and densities in field-collected larvae and adults reared from ovitraps but higher frequencies in field-collected adults. Laboratory experiments showed that the effects of heatwaves on cytoplasmic incompatibility and density are life stage-specific, with first instar larvae being the most vulnerable to temperature effects. Our results indicate that heatwaves in wMel-infected populations will have only temporary effects on Wolbachia frequencies and density once the infection has established in the population. Our results are relevant to ongoing releases of wMel-infected Ae. aegypti in several tropical countries.}, }
@article {pmid31961929, year = {2020}, author = {Covey, H and Hall, RH and Krafsur, A and Matthews, ML and Shults, PT and Brelsfoard, CL}, title = {Cryptic Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) Detection and Prevalence in Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Midge Populations in the United States.}, journal = {Journal of medical entomology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/jme/tjaa003}, pmid = {31961929}, issn = {1938-2928}, abstract = {Culicoides midges vector numerous veterinary and human pathogens. Many of these diseases lack effective therapeutic treatments or vaccines to limit transmission. The only effective approach to limit disease transmission is vector control. However, current vector control for Culicoides midges is complicated by the biology of many Culicoides species and is not always effective at reducing midge populations and impacting disease transmission. The endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis Hertig may offer an alternative control approach to limit disease transmission and affect Culicoides populations. Here the detection of Wolbachia infections in nine species of Culicoides midges is reported. Infections were detected at low densities using qPCR. Wolbachia infections were confirmed with the sequencing of a partial region of the 16S gene. Fluorescence in situ hybridization of Culicoides sonorensis Wirth and Jones adults and dissected ovaries confirm the presence of Wolbachia infections in an important vector of Bluetongue and Epizootic hemorrhagic disease viruses. The presence of Wolbachia in Culicoides populations in the United States suggests the need for further investigation of Wolbachia as a strategy to limit transmission of diseases vectored by Culicoides midges.}, }
@article {pmid31958110, year = {2020}, author = {Bing, XL and Zhao, DS and Sun, JT and Zhang, KJ and Hong, XY}, title = {Genomic analysis of Wolbachia from Laodelphax striatellus (Delphacidae, Hemiptera) reveals insights into its &quot;Jekyll and Hyde&quot; mode of infection pattern.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/gbe/evaa006}, pmid = {31958110}, issn = {1759-6653}, abstract = {Wolbachia is a widely distributed intracellular bacterial endosymbiont among invertebrates. The wStriCN, the Wolbachia strain that naturally infects an agricultural pest Laodelphax striatellus, has a &quot;Jekyll and Hyde&quot; mode of infection pattern with positive and negative effects: it kills many offspring by inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) but also significantly increases host fecundity at the same time. In this study, we assembled the draft genome of wStriCN and compared it to other Wolbachia genomes to look for clues to its Jekyll and Hyde characteristics. The assembled wStriCN draft genome is 1.79 Mb in size, which is the largest Wolbachia genome in supergroup B. Phylogenomic analysis showed wStriCN is closest to Wolbachia from Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri. These strains formed a mono-phylogentic clade within supergroup B. Compared to other Wolbachia genomes, wStriCN contains the most diverse insertion sequence families, the largest amount of prophage sequences and the most ankyrin domain protein coding genes. The wStriCN genome encodes components of multiple secretion systems, including Types I, II, IV, VI, Sec and Tac. We detected three pairs of homologs for CI factors CifA and CifB. These proteins harbor the catalytic domains responsible for CI phenotypes but are phylogenetically and structurally distinct from all known Cif proteins. The genome retains pathways for synthesizing biotin and riboflavin, which may explain the beneficial roles of wStriCN in its host planthoppers, which feed on nutrient-poor plant sap. Altogether, the genomic sequencing of wStriCN provides insight into understanding the phylogeny and biology of Wolbachia.}, }
@article {pmid31956742, year = {2020}, author = {Zhang, H and Lui, R}, title = {Releasing Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti to prevent the spread of dengue virus: A mathematical study.}, journal = {Infectious Disease Modelling}, volume = {5}, number = {}, pages = {142-160}, doi = {10.1016/j.idm.2019.12.004}, pmid = {31956742}, issn = {2468-0427}, abstract = {Wolbachia is a bacterium that is present in 60% of insects but it is not generally found in Aedes aegypti, the primary vector responsible for the transmission of dengue virus, Zika virus, and other human diseases caused by RNA viruses. Wolbachia has been shown to stop the growth of a variety of RNA viruses in Drosophila and in mosquitoes. Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti have both reproductive advantages and disadvantages over wild types. If Wolbachia-infected females are fertilized by either normal or infected males, the offspring are healthy and Wolbachia-positive. On the other hand, if Wolbachia-negative females are fertilized by Wolbachia-positive males, the offspring do not hatch. This phenomenon is called cytoplasmic incompatibility. Thus, Wolbachia-positive females have a reproductive advantage, and the Wolbachia is expanded in the population. On the other hand, Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes lay fewer eggs and generally have a shorter lifespan. In recent years, scientists have successfully released these Wolbachia-adapted mosquitoes into the wild in several countries and have achieved a high level of replacement with Wolbachia-positive mosquitoes. Here, we propose a minimal mathematical model to investigate the feasibility of such a release method. The model has five steady-states two of which are locally asymptotically stable. One of these stable steady-states has no Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes while for the other steady-state, all mosquitoes are infected with Wolbachia. We apply optimal control theory to find a release method that will drive the mosquito population close to the steady-state with only Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in a two-year time period. Because some of the model parameters cannot be accurately measured or predicted, we also perform uncertainty and sensitivity analysis to quantify how variations in our model parameters affect our results.}, }
@article {pmid31942975, year = {2020}, author = {Zhu, YX and Song, ZR and Huo, SM and Yang, K and Hong, XY}, title = {Variation in the microbiome of the spider mite Tetranychus truncatus with sex, instar, and endosymbiont infection.}, journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiaa004}, pmid = {31942975}, issn = {1574-6941}, abstract = {Most arthropod-associated bacterial communities play a crucial role in host functional traits, whose structure could be dominated by endosymbionts. The spider mite Tetranychus truncatus is a notorious agricultural pest harboring various endosymbionts, yet the effects of endosymbionts on spider mite microbiota remain largely unknown. Here, using deep sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we characterized the microbiota of male and female T. truncatus with different endosymbionts (Wolbachia and Spiroplasma) across different developmental stages. Although the spider mite microbiota composition varied across the different developmental stages, Proteobacteria were the most dominant bacteria harbored in all samples. Positive relationships among related OTUs dominated the significant coassociation networks among bacteria. Moreover, the spider mites coinfected with Wolbachia and Spiroplasma had a significantly higher daily fecundity and juvenile survival rate than the singly infected or uninfected spider mites. The possible function of spider-mite associated bacteria was discussed. Our results highlight the dynamics of spider mite microbiotas across different life stages, and the potential role of endosymbionts in shaping the microbiota of spider mites and improving host fitness.}, }
@article {pmid31937677, year = {2020}, author = {Perlmutter, JI and Meyers, JE and Bordenstein, SR}, title = {Transgenic Testing Does Not Support a Role for Additional Candidate Genes in Wolbachia Male Killing or Cytoplasmic Incompatibility.}, journal = {mSystems}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1128/mSystems.00658-19}, pmid = {31937677}, issn = {2379-5077}, abstract = {Endosymbiotic bacteria in the genus Wolbachia remarkably infect nearly half of all arthropod species. They spread in part because of manipulations of host sexual reproduction that enhance the maternal transmission of the bacteria, including male killing (death of infected males) and unidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI; death of offspring from infected fathers and uninfected mothers). Recent discoveries identified several genes in prophage WO of Wolbachia (wmk, cifA, and cifB) that fully or partially recapitulate male killing or CI when transgenically expressed in Drosophila melanogaster However, it is not yet fully resolved if other gene candidates contribute to these phenotypes. Here, we transgenically tested 10 additional gene candidates for their involvement in male killing and/or CI. The results show that despite sequence and protein architecture similarities or comparative associations with reproductive parasitism, transgenic expression of the candidates does not recapitulate male killing or CI. Sequence analysis across Wmk and its closest relatives reveals amino acids that may be important to its function. In addition, evidence is presented to propose new hypotheses regarding the relationship between wmk transcript length and its ability to kill a given host, as well as copy number of wmk homologs within a bacterial strain, which may be predictive of host resistance. Together, these analyses continue to build the evidence for identification of wmk, cifA, and cifB as the major genes that have thus far been shown to cause reproductive parasitism in Wolbachia, and the transgenic resources provide a basis for further functional study of phage WO genes.IMPORTANCEWolbachia are widespread bacterial endosymbionts that manipulate the reproduction of diverse arthropods to spread through a population and can substantially shape host evolution. Recently, reports identified three prophage WO genes (wmk, cifA, and cifB) that transgenically recapitulate many aspects of reproductive manipulation in Drosophila melanogaster Here, we transgenically tested 10 additional gene candidates for CI and/or male killing in flies. The results yield no evidence for the involvement of these gene candidates in reproductive parasitism, bolstering the evidence for identification of the cif and wmk genes as the major factors involved in their phenotypes. In addition, evidence supports new hypotheses for prediction of male-killing phenotypes or lack thereof based on wmk transcript length and copy number. These experiments inform efforts to understand the full basis of reproductive parasitism for basic and applied purposes and lay the foundation for future work on the function of an interesting group of Wolbachia and phage WO genes.}, }
@article {pmid31937373, year = {2020}, author = {Hu, Y and Xi, Z and Liu, X and Wang, J and Guo, Y and Ren, D and Wu, H and Wang, X and Chen, B and Liu, Q}, title = {Identification and molecular characterization of Wolbachia strains in natural populations of Aedes albopictus in China.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {28}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-020-3899-4}, pmid = {31937373}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {Grant no. 81273139//National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)/ ; Grant no. 2016YFC1200802//National Major Research and Development Program/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Aedes albopictus is naturally infected with Wolbachia spp., maternally transmitted bacteria that influence the reproduction of hosts. However, little is known regarding the prevalence of infection, multiple infection status, and the relationship between Wolbachia density and dengue outbreaks in different regions. Here, we assessed Wolbachia infection in natural populations of Ae. albopictus in China and compared Wolbachia density between regions with similar climates, without dengue and with either imported or local dengue.<br><br>RESULTS: To explore the prevalence of Wolbachia infection, Wolbachia DNA was detected in mosquito samples via PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene and the surface protein gene wsp. We found that 93.36% of Ae. albopictus in China were positive for Wolbachia. After sequencing gatB, coxA, hcpA, ftsZ, fbpA and wsp genes of Wolbachia strains, we identified a new sequence type (ST) of wAlbB (464/465). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that wAlbA and wAlbB strains formed a cluster with strains from other mosquitoes in a wsp-based maximum likelihood (ML) tree. However, in a ML tree based on multilocus sequence typing (MLST), wAlbB STs (464/465) did not form a cluster with Wolbachia strains from other mosquitoes. To better understand the association between Wolbachia spp. and dengue infection, the prevalence of Wolbachia in Ae. albopictus from different regions (containing local dengue cases, imported dengue cases and no dengue cases) was determined. We found that the prevalence of Wolbachia was lower in regions with only imported dengue cases.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The natural prevalence of Wolbachia infections in China was much lower than in other countries or regions. The phylogenetic relationships among Wolbachia spp. isolated from field-collected Ae. albopictus reflected the presence of dominant and stable strains. However, wAlbB (464/465) and Wolbachia strains did not form a clade with Wolbachia strains from other mosquitoes. Moreover, lower densities of Wolbachia in regions with only imported dengue cases suggest a relationship between fluctuations in Wolbachia density in field-collected Ae. albopictus and the potential for dengue invasion into these regions.}, }
@article {pmid31927646, year = {2020}, author = {Bezerra-Santos, MA and Nogueira, BCF and Yamatogi, RS and Ramos, RAN and Galhardo, JA and Campos, AK}, title = {Ticks, fleas and endosymbionts in the ectoparasite fauna of the black-eared opossum Dipelphis aurita in Brazil.}, journal = {Experimental &amp; applied acarology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s10493-020-00468-4}, pmid = {31927646}, issn = {1572-9702}, abstract = {Ticks and fleas are essential vectors of pathogens that affect humans and animals, and among their hosts, synanthropic animals such as the black-eared opossum, Didelphis aurita, play a role in public health due to their ability to move between urban centers and forested areas in Brazil. This study aimed to assess the ectoparasite fauna of D. aurita, as well as the presence of pathogens and endosymbionts in ticks and fleas. Opossums (n = 58) captured in Tomahawk livetraps were examined for ectoparasites, and their blood sampled for further analysis. Additionally, spleen samples were collected in individuals found dead. Samples were PCR screened for Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., Anaplasmataceae, and Babesia spp. Two tick species were morphologically identified as Ixodes loricatus 24/58 (41.4%) and Amblyomma sculptum 1/58 (1.7%). For fleas, Ctenocephalides felis was detected in 60.3% (35/58) of the animals, and Xenopsylla cheopis in 5.2% (3/58). PCR analysis detected Anaplasmataceae DNA in 34% (16/47) of pooled samples of C. felis, and in 66.7% (2/3) pooled samples of X. cheopis. Sequence analysis revealed Wolbachia pipientis symbiont in all positive samples. Tick, blood and spleen samples were all negative for the microorganisms assessed. These findings suggest that these arthropods circulate among wildlife and urban environments, which may implicate in their participation in the cycle of zoonotic pathogens among opossums, humans and companion animals.}, }
@article {pmid31926932, year = {2020}, author = {Li, Y and Liu, X}, title = {Modeling and control of mosquito-borne diseases with Wolbachia and insecticides.}, journal = {Theoretical population biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1016/j.tpb.2019.12.007}, pmid = {31926932}, issn = {1096-0325}, abstract = {Mosquitoes cause more human suffering than any other organism. It is estimated that over one million people worldwide die from mosquito-borne diseases every year. With the continuous efforts of many researchers, Wolbachia gets more and more attention due to its characteristics of maternal transmission in mosquito population and it may cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) which makes healthy females cannot fertilize normally after mating with infected males. In this paper, mathematical model is established to study Wolbachia transmission in mosquito population, and an integrated mosquito control strategy is explored. Firstly, a classical ordinary differential system with general birth and death rate functions is established to describe the maternal transmission and CI effect. It is shown that the replacement strategy that the Wolbachia-uninfected mosquitoes are replaced by the infected ones is determined by the initial infection frequency. And Wolbachia spreads more easily for greater maternal transmission and CI rate. Moreover, all the wild mosquitoes will eventually be infected with Wolbachia if the maternal transmission is complete. Secondly, an impulsive state feedback control model is constructed to describe the integrated mosquito control. Besides Wolbachia, insecticides are sprayed when the quantity of mosquitoes reaches some Economic Threshold. The existence and stability of Wolbachia replacement periodic solution are discussed. Finally, some discussions are done and the future research directions are prospected.}, }
@article {pmid31921019, year = {2019}, author = {Alfano, N and Tagliapietra, V and Rosso, F and Manica, M and Arnoldi, D and Pindo, M and Rizzoli, A}, title = {Changes in Microbiota Across Developmental Stages of Aedes koreicus, an Invasive Mosquito Vector in Europe: Indications for Microbiota-Based Control Strategies.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {2832}, pmid = {31921019}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Since it has been understood that gut microbiota of vector mosquitoes can influence their vector competence, efforts have been undertaken to develop new control strategies based on host microbiota manipulation, and aimed at suppressing the vector population or replacing it with a less competent one. For the proper design of such control strategies it is necessary to know the microbiota composition of the target vector species, how it is acquired, and how it changes throughout the host's life cycle. In this study, 16S rRNA amplicon high-throughput sequencing was used to characterize the changes in microbiota from the aquatic environment (larval breeding sites) to the different developmental stages of field-collected Aedes koreicus in Italy, an emerging invasive mosquito species in Europe and a potential vector of several pathogens. The bacterial communities of the aquatic breeding sites, larvae, pupae and adults showed distinctive structures to one another. Indeed, 84% of community members were unique to a given sample type. Nevertheless, almost 40% of the sequences generated were assigned to bacteria detected in all sample types, suggesting the importance of bacteria transstadially transmitted from water to the adult stage in constituting mosquito microbiota. Among these, genus C39 largely constituted water microbiota, family Burkholderiaceae was the most abundant in larvae and pupae, and genus Asaia dominated adult communities. In addition, Asaia constituted a core microbiota across all sample types. Our results suggest that the microbiota of Ae. koreicus mosquitoes is composed by a community which derives from the aquatic bacteria of the larval breeding sites, is then filtered by the larval gut, where only certain members are able to persist, rearranged by metamorphosis and finally modified by the change in diet at the adult stage. Understanding how the microbiota of Ae. koreicus changes through the mosquito life cycle represents a first step in selecting bacterial candidates for use in microbiota-based intervention measures for this species. The properties which Asaia exhibits in this species, such as dominance, high prevalence and transstadial transmission, prevent the use of Wolbachia but make Asaia an ideal candidate for paratransgenesis.}, }
@article {pmid31919396, year = {2020}, author = {Garcia, GA and Hoffmann, AA and Maciel-de-Freitas, R and Villela, DAM}, title = {Aedes aegypti insecticide resistance underlies the success (and failure) of Wolbachia population replacement.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {63}, pmid = {31919396}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {Print Fiocruz//Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior/ ; Print Fiocruz//Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior/ ; }, abstract = {Mosquitoes that carry Wolbachia endosymbionts may help control the spread of arboviral diseases, such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya. Wolbachia frequencies systematically increase only when the frequency-dependent advantage due to cytoplasmic incompatibility exceeds frequency-independent costs, which may be intrinsic to the Wolbachia and/or can be associated with the genetic background into which Wolbachia are introduced. Costs depend on field conditions such as the environmental pesticide load. Introduced mosquitoes need adequate protection against insecticides to ensure survival after release. We model how insecticide resistance of transinfected mosquitoes determines the success of local Wolbachia introductions and link our theoretical results to field data. Two Ae. aegypti laboratory strains carrying Wolbachia were released in an isolated district of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: wMelBr (susceptible to pyrethroids) and wMelRio (resistant to pyrethroids). Our models elucidate why releases of the susceptible strain failed to result in Wolbachia establishment, while releases of the resistant strain led to Wolbachia transforming the native Ae. aegypti population. The results highlight the importance of matching insecticide resistance levels in release stocks to those in the target natural populations during Wolbachia deployment.}, }
@article {pmid31912447, year = {2020}, author = {Reeves, DD and Price, SL and Ramalho, MO and Moreau, CS}, title = {The Diversity and Distribution of Wolbachia, Rhizobiales, and Ophiocordyceps Within the Widespread Neotropical Turtle Ant, Cephalotes atratus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).}, journal = {Neotropical entomology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s13744-019-00735-z}, pmid = {31912447}, issn = {1678-8052}, support = {NSF DBI 1559779//National Science Foundation Research Experience/ ; NSF DEB 1900357//National Science Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {Ants are an ecologically and evolutionarily diverse group, and they harbor a wide range of symbiotic microbial communities that often greatly affect their biology. Turtle ants (genus Cephalotes) engage in mutualistic relationships with gut bacteria and are exploited by microbial parasites. Studies have shown that associations among these microbial lineages and the turtle ant hosts vary geographically. However, these studies have been limited, and thorough within-species analyses of the variation and structure of these microbial communities have yet to be conducted. The giant turtle ant, Cephalotes atratus (Linnaeus 1758), is a geographically widespread, genetically diverse Neotropical species that has been sampled extensively across its geographic range, making it ideal for analysis of microbial associations. In this study, we verified the presence, genetic variation, and geographic patterns at the individual, colony, and population level of three microbial groups associated with the giant turtle ant: Wolbachia, a genus of facultative bacteria which are often parasitic, affecting host reproduction; Rhizobiales, a mutualistic order of bacteria hypothesized to be an obligate nutritional symbiont in turtle ants; and Ophiocordyceps, a genus of endoparasitic fungi infecting many arthropod species by manipulating their behavior for fungal reproduction. In this study, we found varying degrees of prevalence for two distantly related genotypes (haplogroups) of Wolbachia and high degree of prevalence of Rhizobiales across colonies with little genetic variation. In addition, we found low occurrence of Ophiocordyceps. This study highlights a key first step in understanding the diversity, distribution, and prevalence of the microbial community of C. atratus.}, }
@article {pmid31910374, year = {2020}, author = {Chrostek, E and Hurst, GDD and McGraw, EA}, title = {Infectious Diseases: Antiviral Wolbachia Limits Dengue in Malaysia.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {30}, number = {1}, pages = {R30-R32}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.046}, pmid = {31910374}, issn = {1879-0445}, abstract = {Vector-borne viral diseases pose an urgent public health challenge, particularly in the tropics. Field releases of mosquitoes carrying bacterial symbionts that reduce vector competence are ongoing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Early results show that wAlbB Wolbachia can persist in mosquitoes in urban settings and decrease dengue incidence in humans.}, }
@article {pmid31900308, year = {2020}, author = {Madhav, M and Parry, R and Morgan, JAT and James, P and Asgari, S}, title = {Wolbachia endosymbiont of the horn fly Haematobia irritans irritans: a supergroup A strain with multiple horizontally acquired cytoplasmic incompatibility genes.}, journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1128/AEM.02589-19}, pmid = {31900308}, issn = {1098-5336}, abstract = {The horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans, is a hematophagous parasite of livestock distributed throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Welfare losses on livestock due to horn fly infestation are estimated to cost between USD 1-2.5 billion annually in North America and Brazil. The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is a maternally inherited manipulator of reproductive biology in arthropods and naturally infects laboratory colonies of horn flies from Kerrville, USA and Alberta, Canada, but has also been identified in wild-caught samples from Canada, USA, Mexico and Hungary. Re-assembly of PacBio long-read and Illumina genomic DNA libraries from the Kerrville H. i. irritans genome project allowed for a complete and circularised 1.3 Mb Wolbachia genome (wIrr). Annotation of wIrr yielded 1249 coding genes, 34 tRNAs, three rRNAs, and five prophage regions. Comparative genomics and whole genome Bayesian evolutionary analysis of wIrr compared to published Wolbachia genomes suggests that wIrr is most closely related to and diverged from Wolbachia supergroup A strains known to infect Drosophila spp. Whole-genome synteny analyses between wIrr and closely related genomes indicates that wIrr has undergone significant genome rearrangements while maintaining high nucleotide identity. Comparative analysis of the cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) genes of wIrr suggests two phylogenetically distinct CI loci and acquisition of another CifB homolog from phylogenetically distant supergroup A Wolbachia strains suggesting horizontal acquisition of these loci. The wIrr genome provides a resource for future examination of the impact Wolbachia may have in both biocontrol and potential insecticide resistance of horn flies.Importance Horn flies, Haematobia irritans irritans, are obligate hematophagous parasites of cattle having significant effects on production and animal welfare. Control of horn flies mainly relies on the use of insecticides, but issues with resistance have increased interest in development of alternative means of control. Wolbachia pipientis is an endosymbiont bacterium known to have a range of effects on host reproduction such as induction of cytoplasmic incompatibility, feminization, male killing, and also impacts on vector transmission. These characteristics of Wolbachia have been exploited in biological control approaches for a range of insect pests. Here we report the assembly and annotation of the circular genome of the Wolbachia strain of the Kerrville, USA horn fly (wIrr). Annotation of wIrr suggests its unique features including the horizontal acquisition of additional transcriptionally active cytoplasmic incompatibility loci. This study will provide the foundation for future Wolbachia-induced biological effect studies for control of horn flies.}, }
@article {pmid31874958, year = {2019}, author = {Lefoulon, E and Vaisman, N and Frydman, HM and Sun, L and Voland, L and Foster, JM and Slatko, BE}, title = {Author Correction: Large Enriched Fragment Targeted Sequencing (LEFT-SEQ) Applied to Capture of Wolbachia Genomes.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {20184}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-55305-5}, pmid = {31874958}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.}, }
@article {pmid31870298, year = {2019}, author = {Asimakis, ED and Doudoumis, V and Hadapad, AB and Hire, RS and Batargias, C and Niu, C and Khan, M and Bourtzis, K and Tsiamis, G}, title = {Detection and characterization of bacterial endosymbionts in Southeast Asian tephritid fruit fly populations.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {19}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {290}, doi = {10.1186/s12866-019-1653-x}, pmid = {31870298}, issn = {1471-2180}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Various endosymbiotic bacteria, including Wolbachia of the Alphaproteobacteria, infect a wide range of insects and are capable of inducing reproductive abnormalities to their hosts such as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), parthenogenesis, feminization and male-killing. These extended phenotypes can be potentially exploited in enhancing environmentally friendly methods, such as the sterile insect technique (SIT), for controlling natural populations of agricultural pests. The goal of the present study is to investigate the presence of Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, Arsenophonus and Cardinium among Bactrocera, Dacus and Zeugodacus flies of Southeast Asian populations, and to genotype any detected Wolbachia strains.<br><br>RESULTS: A specific 16S rRNA PCR assay was used to investigate the presence of reproductive parasites in natural populations of nine different tephritid species originating from three Asian countries, Bangladesh, China and India. Wolbachia infections were identified in Bactrocera dorsalis, B. correcta, B. scutellaris and B. zonata, with 12.2-42.9% occurrence, Entomoplasmatales in B. dorsalis, B. correcta, B. scutellaris, B. zonata, Zeugodacus cucurbitae and Z. tau (0.8-14.3%) and Cardinium in B. dorsalis and Z. tau (0.9-5.8%), while none of the species tested, harbored infections with Arsenophonus. Infected populations showed a medium (between 10 and 90%) or low (< 10%) prevalence, ranging from 3 to 80% for Wolbachia, 2 to 33% for Entomoplasmatales and 5 to 45% for Cardinium. Wolbachia and Entomoplasmatales infections were found both in tropical and subtropical populations, the former mostly in India and the latter in various regions of India and Bangladesh. Cardinium infections were identified in both countries but only in subtropical populations. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of Wolbachia with some strains belonging either to supergroup B or supergroup A. Sequence analysis revealed deletions of variable length and nucleotide variation in three Wolbachia genes. Spiroplasma strains were characterized as citri-chrysopicola-mirum and ixodetis strains while the remaining Entomoplasmatales to the Mycoides-Entomoplasmataceae clade. Cardinium strains were characterized as group A, similar to strains infecting Encarsia pergandiella.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that in the Southeast natural populations examined, supergroup A Wolbachia strain infections were the most common, followed by Entomoplasmatales and Cardinium. In terms of diversity, most strains of each bacterial genus detected clustered in a common group. Interestingly, the deletions detected in three Wolbachia genes were either new or similar to those of previously identified pseudogenes that were integrated in the host genome indicating putative horizontal gene transfer events in B. dorsalis, B. correcta and B. zonata.}, }
@article {pmid31870290, year = {2019}, author = {Conte, CA and Segura, DF and Milla, FH and Augustinos, A and Cladera, JL and Bourtzis, K and Lanzavecchia, SB}, title = {Wolbachia infection in Argentinean populations of Anastrepha fraterculus sp1: preliminary evidence of sex ratio distortion by one of two strains.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {19}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {289}, doi = {10.1186/s12866-019-1652-y}, pmid = {31870290}, issn = {1471-2180}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia, one of the most abundant taxa of intracellular Alphaproteobacteria, is widespread among arthropods and filarial nematodes. The presence of these maternally inherited bacteria is associated with modifications of host fitness, including a variety of reproductive abnormalities, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, thelytokous parthenogenesis, host feminization and male-killing. Wolbachia has attracted much interest for its role in biological, ecological and evolutionary processes as well as for its potential use in novel and environmentally-friendly strategies for the control of insect pests and disease vectors including a major agricultural pest, the South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae).<br><br>RESULTS: We used wsp, 16S rRNA and a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme including gatB, coxA, hcpA, fbpA, and ftsZ genes to detect and characterize the Wolbachia infection in laboratory strains and wild populations of A. fraterculus from Argentina. Wolbachia was found in all A. fraterculus individuals studied. Nucleotide sequences analysis of wsp gene allowed the identification of two Wolbachia nucleotide variants (named wAfraCast1_A and wAfraCast2_A). After the analysis of 76 individuals, a high prevalence of the wAfraCast2_A variant was found both, in laboratory (82%) and wild populations (95%). MLST analysis identified both Wolbachia genetic variants as sequence type 13. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated MLST datasets clustered wAfraCast1/2_A in the supergroup A. Paired-crossing experiments among single infected laboratory strains showed a phenotype specifically associated to wAfraCast1_A that includes slight detrimental effects on larval survival, a female-biased sex ratio; suggesting the induction of male-killing phenomena, and a decreased proportion of females producing descendants that appears attributable to the lack of sperm in their spermathecae.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We detected and characterized at the molecular level two wsp gene sequence variants of Wolbachia both in laboratory and wild populations of A. fraterculus sp.1 from Argentina. Crossing experiments on singly-infected A. fraterculus strains showed evidence of a male killing-like mechanism potentially associated to the wAfraCast1_A - A. fraterculus interactions. Further mating experiments including antibiotic treatments and the analysis of early and late immature stages of descendants will contribute to our understanding of the phenotypes elicited by the Wolbachia variant wAfraCast1_A in A. fraterculus sp.1.}, }
@article {pmid31869759, year = {2019}, author = {Hübner, MP and Gunderson, E and Vogel, I and Bulman, CA and Lim, KC and Koschel, M and Ehrens, A and Frohberger, SJ and Fendler, M and Tricoche, N and Voronin, D and Steven, A and Chi, V and Bakowski, MA and Woods, AK and Petrassi, HM and McNamara, CW and Beerntsen, B and Chappell, L and Sullivan, W and Taylor, MJ and Turner, JD and Hoerauf, A and Lustigman, S and Sakanari, JA}, title = {Short-course quinazoline drug treatments are effective in the Litomosoides sigmodontis and Brugia pahangi jird models.}, journal = {International journal for parasitology. Drugs and drug resistance}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {18-27}, pmid = {31869759}, issn = {2211-3207}, abstract = {The quinazolines CBR417 and CBR490 were previously shown to be potent anti-wolbachials that deplete Wolbachia endosymbionts of filarial nematodes and present promising pre-clinical candidates for human filarial diseases such as onchocerciasis. In the present study we tested both candidates in two models of chronic filarial infection, namely the Litomosoides sigmodontis and Brugia pahangi jird model and assessed their long-term effect on Wolbachia depletion, microfilariae counts and filarial embryogenesis 16-18 weeks after treatment initiation (wpt). Once per day (QD) oral treatment with CBR417 (50 mg/kg) for 4 days or twice per day (BID) with CBR490 (25 mg/kg) for 7 days during patent L. sigmodontis infection reduced the Wolbachia load by >99% and completely cleared peripheral microfilaremia from 10-14 wpt. Similarly, 7 days of QD treatments (40 mg/kg) with CBR417 or CBR490 cleared >99% of Wolbachia from B. pahangi and reduced peritoneal microfilariae counts by 93% in the case of CBR417 treatment. Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated intensive damage to the B. pahangi ovaries following CBR417 treatment and in accordance filarial embryogenesis was inhibited in both models after CBR417 or CBR490 treatment. Suboptimal treatment regimens of CBR417 or CBR490 did not lead to a maintained reduction of the microfilariae and Wolbachia load. In conclusion, CBR417 or CBR490 are pre-clinical candidates for filarial diseases, which achieve long-term clearance of Wolbachia endosymbionts of filarial nematodes, inhibit filarial embryogenesis and clear microfilaremia with treatments as short as 7 days.}, }
@article {pmid31863009, year = {2019}, author = {Fauver, JR and Martin, J and Weil, GJ and Mitreva, M and Fischer, PU}, title = {De novo Assembly of the Brugia malayi Genome Using Long Reads from a Single MinION Flowcell.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {19521}, pmid = {31863009}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {R01 AI081803/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Filarial nematode infections cause a substantial global disease burden. Genomic studies of filarial worms can improve our understanding of their biology and epidemiology. However, genomic information from field isolates is limited and available reference genomes are often discontinuous. Single molecule sequencing technologies can reduce the cost of genome sequencing and long reads produced from these devices can improve the contiguity and completeness of genome assemblies. In addition, these new technologies can make generation and analysis of large numbers of field isolates feasible. In this study, we assessed the performance of the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION for sequencing and assembling the genome of Brugia malayi, a human parasite widely used in filariasis research. Using data from a single MinION flowcell, a 90.3 Mb nuclear genome was assembled into 202 contigs with an N50 of 2.4 Mb. This assembly covered 96.9% of the well-defined B. malayi reference genome with 99.2% identity. The complete mitochondrial genome was obtained with individual reads and the nearly complete genome of the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia was assembled alongside the nuclear genome. Long-read data from the MinION produced an assembly that approached the quality of a well-established reference genome using comparably fewer resources.}, }
@article {pmid31847836, year = {2019}, author = {Kyritsis, GA and Augustinos, AA and Livadaras, I and Cáceres, C and Bourtzis, K and Papadopoulos, NT}, title = {Medfly-Wolbachia symbiosis: genotype x genotype interactions determine host's life history traits under mass rearing conditions.}, journal = {BMC biotechnology}, volume = {19}, number = {Suppl 2}, pages = {96}, pmid = {31847836}, issn = {1472-6750}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia pipientis is a widespread, obligatory intracellular and maternally inherited bacterium, that induces a wide range of reproductive alterations to its hosts. Cytoplasmic Incompatibility (CI) is causing embryonic lethality, the most common of them. Despite that Wolbachia-borne sterility has been proposed as an environmental friendly pest control method (Incompatible Insect Technique, IIT) since 1970s, the fact that Wolbachia modifies important fitness components of its hosts sets severe barriers to IIT implementation. Mass rearing of Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (medfly), is highly optimized given that this pest is a model species regarding the implementation of another sterility based pest control method, the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). We used the medfly-Wolbachia symbiotic association, as a model system, to study the effect of two different Wolbachia strains, on the life history traits of 2 C. capitata lines with different genomic background.<br><br>RESULTS: Wolbachia effects are regulated by both C. capitata genetic background and the Wolbachia strain. Wolbachia infection reduces fertility rates in both C. capitata genetic backgrounds and shortens the pre-pupa developmental duration in the GSS strain. On the other hand, regardless of the strain of Wolbachia (wCer2, wCer4) infection does not affect either the sex ratio or the longevity of adults. wCer4 infection imposed a reduction in females' fecundity but wCer2 did not. Male mating competitiveness, adults flight ability and longevity under water and food deprivation were affected by both the genetic background of medfly and the strain of Wolbachia (genotype by genotype interaction).<br><br>CONCLUSION: Wolbachia infection could alter important life history traits of mass-reared C. capitata lines and therefore the response of each genotype on the Wolbachia infection should be considered toward ensuring the productivity of the Wolbachia-infected insects under mass-rearing conditions.}, }
@article {pmid31847764, year = {2019}, author = {Wedell, N and Price, TAR and Lindholm, AK}, title = {Gene drive: progress and prospects.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {286}, number = {1917}, pages = {20192709}, pmid = {31847764}, issn = {1471-2954}, abstract = {Gene drive is a naturally occurring phenomenon in which selfish genetic elements manipulate gametogenesis and reproduction to increase their own transmission to the next generation. Currently, there is great excitement about the potential of harnessing such systems to control major pest and vector populations. If synthetic gene drive systems can be constructed and applied to key species, they may be able to rapidly spread either modifying or eliminating the targeted populations. This approach has been lauded as a revolutionary and efficient mechanism to control insect-borne diseases and crop pests. Driving endosymbionts have already been deployed to combat the transmission of dengue and Zika virus in mosquitoes. However, there are a variety of barriers to successfully implementing gene drive techniques in wild populations. There is a risk that targeted organisms will rapidly evolve an ability to suppress the synthetic drive system, rendering it ineffective. There are also potential risks of synthetic gene drivers invading non-target species or populations. This Special Feature covers the current state of affairs regarding both natural and synthetic gene drive systems with the aim to identify knowledge gaps. By understanding how natural drive systems spread through populations, we may be able to better predict the outcomes of synthetic drive release.}, }
@article {pmid31846415, year = {2019}, author = {Bishop, C and Parry, R and Asgari, S}, title = {Effect of Wolbachia wAlbB on a positive-sense RNA negev-like virus: a novel virus persistently infecting Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and cells.}, journal = {The Journal of general virology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1099/jgv.0.001361}, pmid = {31846415}, issn = {1465-2099}, abstract = {The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the primary vector of several medically important arboviruses. The endosymbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia pipientis, has emerged as a means of blocking transmission of arboviruses such as dengue and Zika viruses. One Wolbachia strain that has shown potential in field trials is wAlbB, a naturally occurring Wolbachia strain of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus. When transinfected into Ae. aegypti, wAlbB exhibits strong virus inhibition. In addition to modulating arboviruses, Wolbachia also modulates some insect-specific viruses. Here, we explored the effect of Wolbachia on the virome of the Ae. albopictus cell line Aa23 naturally infected with wAlbB and also a stably transinfected recipient Ae. aegypti cell line (Aag2.wAlbB). RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis on both cell lines revealed an 11 kb genome of a single-stranded positive-sense RNA negev-like virus related to the recently proposed negevirus taxon. We denoted this novel virus as Aedes albopictus negev-like virus (AalNLV). Tetracycline clearance of Wolbachia from Aa23 cells did not significantly affect AalNLV levels, while in Aag2.wAlbB cells, a significant increase in virus genome RNA copies was observed. We further investigated the inhibitory effect of wAlbB on AalNLV and another positive-sense RNA virus, cell fusing agent virus, which is present in Aag2 cells and known to be suppressed by Wolbachia. wAlbB suppressed both viruses, with the effect on AalNLV being more striking. The findings from this study further supplement our understanding of the complex interaction between Wolbachia, host and virome.}, }
@article {pmid31843539, year = {2020}, author = {Li, C and He, M and Yun, Y and Peng, Y}, title = {Co-infection with Wolbachia and Cardinium may promote the synthesis of fat and free amino acids in a small spider, Hylyphantes graminicola.}, journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology}, volume = {169}, number = {}, pages = {107307}, doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2019.107307}, pmid = {31843539}, issn = {1096-0805}, abstract = {Associations between endosymbiotic bacteria and their hosts are widespread in nature and have been demonstrated extensively; however, only a few studies have examined how facultative symbionts affect host nutrition and metabolism. To gain insight into the associations between facultative symbionts and host nutrition and metabolic activity, we detected endosymbiotic infection in a small spider species, Hylyphantes graminicola, and established two infectious strains, i.e., W-C+ (Wolbachia negative, Cardinium positive) and W+C+ (Wolbachia positive, Cardinium positive). We then determined the content of fat and free amino acids in W-C+ and W+C+ spiders, respectively. We also detected the transcriptome of H. graminicola and the expression of genes involved in fat and amino acid metabolism at different host ages. Results showed that fat content in W+C+ spiders was higher than that in W-C+ spiders, and free amino acid content was higher in W+C+ males than W-C+ males, with no difference observed in females. Transcriptome analysis identified 144 (W-C+ vs W+C+) differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Moreover, the expression of five genes involved in fat and amino acid metabolism were significantly up-regulated in the third, fourth, and fifth instar stages in W+C+ spiders. This study indicated that Wolbachia and Cardinium co-infection had a pivotal effect on fat and amino acid synthesis in hosts. Moreover, our results provide strong evidence explaining the long-term coexistence of hosts and endosymbionts.}, }
@article {pmid31840281, year = {2019}, author = {Duan, DY and Zhou, HM and Cheng, TY}, title = {Comparative analysis of microbial community in the whole body and midgut from fully engorged and unfed female adult Melophagus ovinus.}, journal = {Medical and veterinary entomology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/mve.12424}, pmid = {31840281}, issn = {1365-2915}, support = {31902294//the National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China/ ; 2018JJ2167//the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, China/ ; 18QN24//the Youth Science Foundation of Hunan Agricultural University/ ; SYL201802016//the Double First-Class Construction Project of Hunan Agricultural University/ ; 43321503//Animal Ethics Committee of Hunan Agricultural University/ ; }, abstract = {Melophagus ovinus is a type of ectoparasite infesting sheep. Data regarding the comprehensive bacterial community associated with the whole body and midgut of M. ovinus under different engorged statuses are required. Melophagus ovinus were collected from the city of Jiuquan, China. Bacterial DNA was extracted from the whole body and midgut of fully engorged female adults, or newly hatched and unfed adult female M. ovinus. The 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 hypervariable regions were sequenced using the IonS5™XL platform (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, U.S.A.). The whole body bacterial diversity of the newly hatched, unfed adult females was greater compared with that of the other three samples. Proteobacteria was the dominant bacterial phylum in all of the samples. Of the 42 total bacterial genera present in all of the experimental samples, Arsenophonus, Bartonella and Wolbachia were the dominant genera. The relative abundance of Arsenophonus in midgut was greater than that in the whole body. The relative abundance of Bartonella in fully engorged adults was far greater than those in newly hatched, unfed adults. The relative abundance of Wolbachia was highest in the whole body of newly hatched, unfed adults. Seventeen bacterial species were identified in all experimental samples. Bartonella chomelii, Streptococcus hyointestinalis and Escherichia coli were the first species reported in M. ovinus.}, }
@article {pmid31828225, year = {2019}, author = {Sawasdichai, S and Chaumeau, V and Dah, T and Kulabkeeree, T and Kajeechiwa, L and Phanaphadungtham, M and Trakoolchengkaew, M and Kittiphanakun, P and Akararungrot, Y and Oo, K and Delmas, G and White, NJ and Nosten, FH}, title = {Detection of diverse Wolbachia 16S rRNA sequences at low titers from malaria vectors in Kayin state, Myanmar.}, journal = {Wellcome open research}, volume = {4}, number = {}, pages = {11}, pmid = {31828225}, issn = {2398-502X}, abstract = {Background: Natural Wolbachia infections in malaria mosquitoes were recently reported in Africa, and negatively correlated with the development of Plasmodium falciparum in the vectors. The occurrence and effects of Wolbachia infections outside Africa have not been described and may have been underestimated. Methods: Mosquitoes were collected by human-landing catch during May and June 2017 in ten villages in Kayin state, Myanmar. Closely related species of malaria vectors were identified with molecular assays. 16S rRNA Wolbachia DNA sequences were detected with quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Low titer of Wolbachia DNA was detected in 13/370 samples in six malaria vector species. Sequences were diverse and different from those described in the African malaria mosquitoes. Conclusion: The detection of Wolbachia DNA in malaria mosquitoes from Kayin state warrants further investigations to understand better the ecology and biology of Anopheles- Wolbachia interactions in Southeast Asia.}, }
@article {pmid31822714, year = {2019}, author = {Li, K and Stanojević, M and Stamenković, G and Ilić, B and Paunović, M and Lu, M and Pešić, B and Đurić Maslovara, I and Siljic, M and Cirkovic, V and Zhang, Y}, title = {Insight into diversity of bacteria belonging to the order Rickettsiales in 9 arthropods species collected in Serbia.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {18680}, pmid = {31822714}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Rickettsiales bacteria in arthropods play a significant role in both public health and arthropod ecology. However, the extensive genetic diversity of Rickettsiales endosymbionts of arthropods is still to be discovered. In 2016, 515 arthropods belonging to 9 species of four classes (Insecta, Chilopoda, Diplopoda and Arachnida) were collected in Serbia. The presence and genetic diversity of Rickettsiales bacteria were evaluated by characterizing the 16S rRNA (rrs), citrate synthase (gltA) and heat shock protein (groEL) genes. The presence of various Rickettsiales bacteria was identified in the majority of tested arthropod species. The results revealed co-circulation of five recognized Rickettsiales species including Rickettsia, Ehrlichia and Wolbachia, as well as four tentative novel species, including one tentative novel genus named Neowolbachia. These results suggest the remarkable genetic diversity of Rickettsiales bacteria in certain arthropod species in this region. Furthermore, the high prevalence of spotted fever group Rickettsia in Ixodes ricinus ticks highlights the potential public health risk of human Rickettsia infection.}, }
@article {pmid31820073, year = {2019}, author = {Arai, H and Lin, SR and Nakai, M and Kunimi, Y and Inoue, MN}, title = {Closely Related Male-Killing and Nonmale-Killing Wolbachia Strains in the Oriental Tea Tortrix Homona magnanima.}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-019-01469-6}, pmid = {31820073}, issn = {1432-184X}, abstract = {Wolbachia are inherited intracellular bacteria that cause male-specific death in some arthropods, called male-killing. To date, three Wolbachia strains have been identified in the oriental tea tortrix Homona magnanima (Tortricidae, Lepidoptera); however, none of these caused male-killing in the Japanese population. Here, we describe a male-killing Wolbachia strain in Taiwanese H. magnanima. From field-collected H. magnanima, two female-biased host lines were established, and antibiotic treatments revealed Wolbachia (wHm-t) as the causative agent of male-killing. The wsp and MLST genes in wHm-t are identical to corresponding genes in the nonmale-killing strain wHm-c from the Japanese population, implying a close relationship of the two strains. Crossing the Japanese and Taiwanese H. magnanima revealed that Wolbachia genotype rather than the host genetic background was responsible for the presence of the male-killing phenotype. Quantitative PCR analyses revealed that the density of wHm-t was higher than that of other Wolbachia strains in H. magnanima, including wHm-c. The densities of wHm-t were also heterogeneous between host lines. Notably, wHm-t in the low-density and high-density lines carried identical wsp and MLST genes but had distinct lethal patterns. Furthermore, over 90% of field-collected lines of H. magnanima in Taiwan were infected with wHm-t, although not all host lines harboring wHm-t showed male-killing. The host lines that showed male-killing harbored a high density of Wolbachia compared to the host lines that did not show male-killing. Thus, the differences in the phenotypes appear to be dependent on biological and genetic characteristics of closely related Wolbachia strains.}, }
@article {pmid31811033, year = {2019}, author = {Li, TP and Zhou, CY and Zha, SS and Gong, JT and Xi, Z and Hoffmann, AA and Hong, XY}, title = {Stable Establishment of Cardinium in the Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata lugens despite Decreased Host Fitness.}, journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1128/AEM.02509-19}, pmid = {31811033}, issn = {1098-5336}, abstract = {The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera), is a major pest of rice crops in Asia. Artificial transinfections of Wolbachia have recently been used for reducing host impacts, but transinfections have not yet been undertaken with another important endosymbiont, Cardinium This endosymbiont can manipulate the reproduction of hosts through phenotypes such as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), which is strong in the related white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera). Here, we stably infected N. lugens with Cardinium from S. furcifera and showed that it exhibits perfect maternal transmission in N. lugens The density of Cardinium varied across developmental stages and tissues of its transinfected host. Cardinium did not induce strong CI in N. lugens, likely due to its low density in testicles. The infection did decrease fecundity and hatching rate in the transinfected host, but a decrease in fecundity was not apparent when transinfected females mated with Wolbachia infected males. The experiments show the feasibility of transferring Cardinium endosymbionts across hosts, but the deleterious effects of Cardinium on N. lugens limit its potential to spread in wild populations of N. lugens in the absence of strong CI.IMPORTANCE In this study, we established a Cardinium-infected N. lugens line that possessed complete maternal transmission. Cardinium had a widespread distribution in tissues of N. lugens, and this infection can decrease the fecundity and hatching rate of the host. Our findings emphasize the feasibility of transinfection of Cardinium in insects, and this expands the range of endosymbionts that could be manipulated for pest control.}, }
@article {pmid31805300, year = {2020}, author = {Liu, Y and Fan, ZY and An, X and Shi, PQ and Ahmed, MZ and Qiu, BL}, title = {A single-pair method to screen Rickettsia-infected and uninfected whitefly Bemisia tabaci populations.}, journal = {Journal of microbiological methods}, volume = {168}, number = {}, pages = {105797}, doi = {10.1016/j.mimet.2019.105797}, pmid = {31805300}, issn = {1872-8359}, abstract = {Bacterial endosymbionts such as Rickettsia and Wolbachia play prominent roles in the development and behaviour of their insect hosts, such as whiteflies, aphids, psyllids and mealybugs. Accumulating studies have emphasized the importance of establishing experimental insect populations that are either lacking or bearing certain species of endosymbionts, because they are the basis in which to reveal the biological role of individual symbionts. In this study, using Rickettsia as an example, we explored a &quot;single-pair screening&quot; method to establish Rickettsia infected and uninfected populations of whitefly Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 for further experimental use. The original host population had a relatively low infection rate of Rickettsia (< 35%). When B. tabaci adults newly emerged, unmated males and females were randomly selected, and released into a leaf cage that covered a healthy plant leaf in order to oviposit F1 generation eggs. Following 6 days of oviposition, the parents were recaptured and used for PCR detection. The F1 progeny, for which parents were either Rickettsia positive or negative, were used to produce the F2 generation, and similarly in turn for the F3, F4 and F5 generations respectively; if the infection status of Rickettsia was consistent in the F1 to F5 generations, then the populations can be used as Rickettsia positive or negative lines for further experiments. In addition, our phylogenetic analyses revealed that Rickettsia has high fidelity during the maternal transmission in different generations.}, }
@article {pmid31801631, year = {2019}, author = {Wanji, S and Nji, TM and Hamill, L and Dean, L and Ozano, K and Njouendou, AJ and Abong, RA and Obie, ED and Amuam, A and Ekanya, R and Ndongmo, WPC and Ndzeshang, BL and Fung, EG and Nnamdi, DB and Nkimbeng, DA and Teghen, S and Kah, E and Piotrowski, H and Forrer, A and Khan, JAM and Woode, ME and Niessen, L and Watson, V and Njoumemi, Z and Murdoch, ME and Thomson, R and Theobald, S and Enyong, P and Turner, JD and Taylor, MJ}, title = {Implementation of test-and-treat with doxycycline and temephos ground larviciding as alternative strategies for accelerating onchocerciasis elimination in an area of loiasis co-endemicity: the COUNTDOWN consortium multi-disciplinary study protocol.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {574}, pmid = {31801631}, issn = {1756-3305}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Onchocerciasis is a priority neglected tropical disease targeted for elimination by 2025. The standard strategy to combat onchocerciasis is annual Community-Directed Treatment with ivermectin (CDTi). Yet, high prevalence rates and transmission persist following > 12 rounds in South-West Cameroon. Challenges include programme coverage, adherence to, and acceptability of ivermectin in an area of Loa loa co-endemicity. Loiasis patients harbouring heavy infections are at risk of potentially fatal serious adverse events following CDTi. Alternative strategies are therefore needed to achieve onchocerciasis elimination where CDTi effectiveness is suboptimal.<br><br>METHODS/DESIGN: We designed an implementation study to evaluate integrating World Health Organisation-endorsed alternative strategies for the elimination of onchocerciasis, namely test-and-treat with the macrofilaricide, doxycycline (TTd), and ground larviciding for suppression of blackfly vectors with the organophosphate temephos. A community-based controlled before-after intervention study will be conducted among > 2000 participants in 20 intervention (Meme River Basin) and 10 control (Indian River Basin) communities. The primary outcome measure is O. volvulus prevalence at follow-up 18-months post-treatment. The study involves four inter-disciplinary components: parasitology, entomology, applied social sciences and health economics. Onchocerciasis skin infection will be diagnosed by skin biopsy and Loa loa infection will be diagnosed by parasitological examination of finger-prick blood samples. A simultaneous clinical skin disease assessment will be made. Eligible skin-snip-positive individuals will be offered directly-observed treatment for 5 weeks with 100 mg/day doxycycline. Transmission assessments of onchocerciasis in the communities will be collected post-human landing catch of the local biting blackfly vector prior to ground larviciding with temephos every week (0.3 l/m3) until biting rate falls below 5/person/day. Qualitative research, including in-depth interviews and focus-group discussions will be used to assess acceptability and feasibility of the implemented alternative strategies among intervention recipients and providers. Health economics will assess the cost-effectiveness of the implemented interventions.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Using a multidisciplinary approach, we aim to assess the effectiveness of TTd, alone or in combination with ground larviciding, following a single intervention round and scrutinise the acceptability and feasibility of implementing at scale in similar hotspots of onchocerciasis infection, to accelerate onchocerciasis elimination.}, }
@article {pmid31799614, year = {2019}, author = {Staunton, KM and Rohde, BB and Townsend, M and Liu, J and Desnoyer, M and Howell, P and Amos, B and Crawford, J and Snoad, N and Ritchie, SA}, title = {Investigating Male Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Attraction to Different Oviposition Containers Using Various Configurations of the Sound Gravid Aedes Trap.}, journal = {Journal of medical entomology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/jme/tjz229}, pmid = {31799614}, issn = {1938-2928}, abstract = {Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), the primary vectors of the arboviruses dengue virus and Zika virus, continue to expand their global distributions. In efforts to better control such species, several mosquito control programs are investigating the efficacy of rearing and releasing millions of altered male Aedes throughout landscapes to reduce populations and disease transmission risk. Unfortunately, little is known about Ae. aegypti, especially male, dispersal behaviors within urban habitats. We deployed Sound-producing Gravid Aedes Traps (SGATs) in Cairns, northern Australia, to investigate male Ae. aegypti attraction to various oviposition container configurations. The traps were arranged to include: 1) water only, 2) organically infused water, 3) infused water and L3 larvae, 4) infused water and a human-scented lure, and lastly 5) no water or olfactory attractant (dry). Our data suggest that males were more attracted to SGATs representing active larval sites than potential larval sites, but were equally attracted to dry SGATs relative to those containing water and/or infusion. Additionally, we found that female Ae. aegypti were equally attracted to wet SGATs, with or without infusion, but not dry ones. These results suggest that male Ae. aegypti within northern Australia are more attracted to active larval sites and equally attracted to dry containers as wet or infused ones. Additionally, female Ae. aegypti are unlikely to enter dry containers. Such findings contribute to our understanding of potentially attractive features for local and released Ae. aegypti throughout the northern Australian urban landscape.}, }
@article {pmid31797888, year = {2019}, author = {Devescovi, F and Conte, CA and Augustinos, A and Martinez, EIC and Segura, DF and Caceres, C and Lanzavecchia, SB and Bourtzis, K}, title = {Symbionts do not affect the mating incompatibility between the Brazilian-1 and Peruvian morphotypes of the Anastrepha fraterculus cryptic species complex.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {18319}, pmid = {31797888}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {17041//International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)/ ; 2013-0054//Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina | Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (National Agency for Science and Technology, Argentina)/ ; }, abstract = {The South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus, is clearly undergoing a speciation process. Among others, two of their morphotypes, the Brazilian-1 and Peruvian, have accumulated differences in pre- and post-zygotic mechanisms resulting in a degree of reproductive isolation. Both harbor a different strain of Wolbachia, which is a widespread endosymbiotic bacterium among many invertebrates producing a range of reproductive effects. In this paper, we studied the role of this bacterium as one of the factors involved in such isolation process. Infected and cured laboratory colonies were used to test pre- and post-zygotic effects, with special emphasis in uni- and bi-directional cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). We showed that Wolbachia is the only known reproductive symbiont present in these morphotypes. Wolbachia reduced the ability for embryonic development in crosses involving cured females and infected males within each morphotype (uni-directional CI). This inhibition showed to be more effective in the Peruvian morphotype. Bi-directional CI was not evidenced, suggesting the presence of compatible Wolbachia strains. We conclude that Wolbachia is not directly involved in the speciation process of these morphotypes. Other mechanisms rather than CI should be explored in order to explain the reduced mating compatibility between the Brazilian-1 and Peruvian morphotypes.}, }
@article {pmid31796568, year = {2019}, author = {Chung, M and Teigen, LE and Libro, S and Bromley, RE and Olley, D and Kumar, N and Sadzewicz, L and Tallon, LJ and Mahurkar, A and Foster, JM and Michalski, ML and Dunning Hotopp, JC}, title = {Drug Repurposing of Bromodomain Inhibitors as Potential Novel Therapeutic Leads for Lymphatic Filariasis Guided by Multispecies Transcriptomics.}, journal = {mSystems}, volume = {4}, number = {6}, pages = {}, pmid = {31796568}, issn = {2379-5077}, abstract = {To better understand the transcriptomic interplay of organisms associated with lymphatic filariasis, we conducted multispecies transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) on the filarial nematode Brugia malayi, its Wolbachia endosymbiont wBm, and its laboratory vector Aedes aegypti across the entire B. malayi life cycle. In wBm, transcription of the noncoding 6S RNA suggests that it may be a regulator of bacterial cell growth, as its transcript levels correlate with bacterial replication rates. For A. aegypti, the transcriptional response reflects the stress that B. malayi infection exerts on the mosquito with indicators of increased energy demand. In B. malayi, expression modules associated with adult female samples consistently contained an overrepresentation of genes involved in chromatin remodeling, such as the bromodomain-containing proteins. All bromodomain-containing proteins encoded by B. malayi were observed to be upregulated in the adult female, embryo, and microfilaria life stages, including 2 members of the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) protein family. The BET inhibitor JQ1(+), originally developed as a cancer therapeutic, caused lethality of adult worms in vitro, suggesting that it may be a potential therapeutic that can be repurposed for treating lymphatic filariasis.IMPORTANCE The current treatment regimen for lymphatic filariasis is mostly microfilaricidal. In an effort to identify new drug candidates for lymphatic filariasis, we conducted a three-way transcriptomics/systems biology study of one of the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis, Brugia malayi, its Wolbachia endosymbiont wBm, and its vector host Aedes aegypti at 16 distinct B. malayi life stages. B. malayi upregulates the expression of bromodomain-containing proteins in the adult female, embryo, and microfilaria stages. In vitro, we find that the existing cancer therapeutic JQ1(+), which is a bromodomain and extraterminal protein inhibitor, has adulticidal activity in B. malayi.}, }
@article {pmid31793429, year = {2019}, author = {Fontes-Sousa, AP and Silvestre-Ferreira, AC and Carretón, E and Esteves-Guimarães, J and Maia-Rocha, C and Oliveira, P and Lobo, L and Morchón, R and Araújo, F and Simón, F and Montoya-Alonso, JA}, title = {Exposure of humans to the zoonotic nematode Dirofilaria immitis in Northern Portugal.}, journal = {Epidemiology and infection}, volume = {147}, number = {}, pages = {e282}, pmid = {31793429}, issn = {1469-4409}, abstract = {Dirofilariosis caused by Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) is a zoonosis, considered an endemic disease of dogs and cats in several countries of Western Europe, including Portugal. This study assesses the levels of D. immitis exposure in humans from Northern Portugal, to which end, 668 inhabitants of several districts belonging to two different climate areas (Csa: Bragança, Vila Real and Csb: Aveiro, Braga, Porto, Viseu) were tested for anti-D. immitis and anti-Wolbachia surface proteins (WSP) antibodies. The overall prevalence of seropositivity to both anti-D. immitis and WSP antibodies was 6.1%, which demonstrated the risk of infection with D. immitis in humans living in Northern Portugal. This study, carried out in a Western European country, contributes to the characterisation of the risk of infection with D. immitis among human population in this region of the continent. From a One Health point of view, the results of the current work also support the close relationship between dogs and people as a risk factor for human infection.}, }
@article {pmid31792331, year = {2019}, author = {Zhou, JC and Li, YY and Liu, QQ and Ning, SF and Che, WN and Cong, B and Dong, H}, title = {Effects of temperature and superparasitism on quality and characteristics of thelytokous Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) during mass rearing.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {18114}, pmid = {31792331}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Thelytokous Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma spp. are widely used egg parasitoids against lepidopteran pests in biological control programs. Wolbachia may manipulate host wasps for superparasitism and is sensitive to temperature. To explore effects of temperature and superparasitism, we compared fitness parameters and Wolbachia-mediated phenotype of thelytokous Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma dendrolimi between those emerging from superparasitised or single-parasitised hosts at 17, 21, 25, or 29 °C. Infected mothers of T. dendrolimi showed reduced superparasitism and parasitism increased with temperature. Wolbachia titre decreased with temperature when females emerged from singly-parasitised hosts, but there was no correlation in superparasitised hosts. Females showed higher Wolbachia titres at 21, 25, or 29 °C when developing from superparasitised hosts. The daily male ratio of offspring increased with temperature, and the day-age threshold for 5%, 50%, or 95% daily male ratio decreased with temperature in both parasitism forms. Females that emerged from superparasitised hosts had a shorter life span and reduced fecundity. These results indicate that Wolbachia may affect host behaviour by increasing superparasitism to enhance its spread, but this has negative effects on thelytokous Wolbachia-infected T. dendrolimi.}, }
@article {pmid31786246, year = {2019}, author = {Hotterbeekx, A and Raimon, S and Abd-Elfarag, G and Carter, JY and Sebit, W and Suliman, A and Siewe Fodjo, JN and De Witte, P and Logora, MY and Colebunders, R and Kumar-Singh, S}, title = {Onchocerca volvulus is not detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of persons with onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy.}, journal = {International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases}, volume = {91}, number = {}, pages = {119-123}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijid.2019.11.029}, pmid = {31786246}, issn = {1878-3511}, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological evidence links onchocerciasis with the development of epilepsy. The aim of this study was to detect Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae or its bacterial endosymbiont, Wolbachia, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of persons with onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE).<br><br>METHODS: Thirteen persons with OAE and O. volvulus skin snip densities of >80 microfilariae were recruited in Maridi County (South Sudan) and their CSF obtained. Cytospin centrifuged preparations of CSF were examined by light microscopy for the presence of O. volvulus microfilariae. DNA was extracted from CSF to detect O. volvulus (O-150 repeat) by quantitative real-time PCR, and Wolbachia (FtsZ gene) by standard PCR. To further investigate whether CSF from onchocerciasis-infected participants could induce seizures, 3- and 7-day old zebrafish larvae were injected with the CSF intracardially and intraperitoneally, respectively. For other zebrafish larvae, CSF was added directly to the larval medium.<br><br>RESULTS: No microfilariae, parasite DNA, or Wolbachia DNA were detected in any of the CSF samples by light microscopy or PCR. All zebrafish survived the procedures and none developed seizures.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The absence of O. volvulus in the CSF suggests that OAE is likely not caused by direct parasite invasion into the central nervous system, but by another phenomenon triggered by O. volvulus infection.}, }
@article {pmid31785205, year = {2019}, author = {Ullah, MS and Kamimura, T and Gotoh, T}, title = {Effects of Temperature on Demographic Parameters of Bryobia praetiosa (Acari: Tetranychidae).}, journal = {Journal of economic entomology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/jee/toz294}, pmid = {31785205}, issn = {1938-291X}, abstract = {The clover mite, Bryobia praetiosa Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is an agricultural pest, as well as a frequent invader of hospitals and homes. However, its adaptability to different temperatures is not well understood. We used age- and stage-specific life tables to investigate the effects of temperature on demographic parameters of B. praetiosa from 15 to 35°C under a long-day photoperiod (16:8 [L:D] h). The clover mite is a thelytokous species (consisting of only females) due to its infection with the symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia. The egg-to-adult development time of female B. praetiosa decreased as the temperature increased from 15 to 32.5°C. At 35°C, females laid eggs, but no eggs hatched. The lower thermal threshold (t0) and the thermal constant (K) for egg-to-adult females were 8.7°C and 274.1 degree-days, respectively. The intrinsic optimum temperature (TØ) was 22.4°C. The oviposition period decreased with increasing temperature. Fecundity was highest at 20°C and extremely low at 30°C. The net reproductive rate (R0) decreased as the temperature increased from 15 to 30°C, but no significant difference was observed between 15 and 20°C. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) varied from 0.0721/d at 15°C to 0.1679/d at 25°C, and then decreased to 0.1203/d at 30°C. These results should be useful in developing management strategies for B. praetiosa.}, }
@article {pmid31780680, year = {2019}, author = {Vivero, RJ and Villegas-Plazas, M and Cadavid-Restrepo, GE and Herrera, CXM and Uribe, SI and Junca, H}, title = {Wild specimens of sand fly phlebotomine Lutzomyia evansi, vector of leishmaniasis, show high abundance of Methylobacterium and natural carriage of Wolbachia and Cardinium types in the midgut microbiome.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {17746}, pmid = {31780680}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Phlebotomine sand flies are remarkable vectors of several etiologic agents (virus, bacterial, trypanosomatid Leishmania), posing a heavy health burden for human populations mainly located at developing countries. Their intestinal microbiota is involved in a wide range of biological and physiological processes, and could exclude or facilitate such transmission of pathogens. In this study, we investigated the Eubacterial microbiome from digestive tracts of Lu. evansi adults structure using 16S rRNA gene sequence amplicon high throughput sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) obtained from digestive tracts of Lu. evansi adults. The samples were collected at two locations with high incidence of the disease in humans: peri-urban and forest ecosystems from the department of Sucre, Colombia. 289,068 quality-filtered reads of V4 region of 16S rRNA gene were obtained and clustered into 1,762 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with 97% similarity. Regarding eubacterial diversity, 14 bacterial phyla and 2 new candidate phyla were found to be consistently associated with the gut microbiome content. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant phyla in all the samples and the core microbiome was particularly dominated by Methylobacterium genus. Methylobacterium species, are known to have mutualistic relationships with some plants and are involved in shaping the microbial community in the phyllosphere. As a remarkable feature, OTUs classified as Wolbachia spp. were found abundant on peri-urban ecosystem samples, in adult male (OTUs n = 776) and unfed female (OTUs n = 324). Furthermore, our results provide evidence of OTUs classified as Cardinium endosymbiont in relative abundance, notably higher with respect to Wolbachia. The variation in insect gut microbiota may be determined by the environment as also for the type of feeding. Our findings increase the richness of the microbiota associated with Lu. evansi. In this study, OTUs of Methylobacterium found in Lu. evansi was higher in engorged females, suggesting that there are interactions between microbes from plant sources, blood nutrients and the parasites they transmit during the blood intake.}, }
@article {pmid31775631, year = {2019}, author = {Stouthamer, CM and Kelly, SE and Mann, E and Schmitz-Esser, S and Hunter, MS}, title = {Development of a multi-locus sequence typing system helps reveal the evolution of Cardinium hertigii, a reproductive manipulator symbiont of insects.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, pages = {266}, pmid = {31775631}, issn = {1471-2180}, support = {IOS-1256905//National Science Foundation (US)/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Cardinium is an intracellular bacterial symbiont in the phylum Bacteroidetes that is found in many different species of arthropods and some nematodes. This symbiont is known to be able to induce three reproductive manipulation phenotypes, including cytoplasmic incompatibility. Placing individual strains of Cardinium within a larger evolutionary context has been challenging because only two, relatively slowly evolving genes, 16S rRNA gene and Gyrase B, have been used to generate phylogenetic trees, and consequently, the relationship of different strains has been elucidated in only its roughest form.<br><br>RESULTS: We developed a Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) system that provides researchers with three new genes in addition to Gyrase B for inferring phylogenies and delineating Cardinium strains. From our Cardinium phylogeny, we confirmed the presence of a new group D, a Cardinium clade that resides in the arachnid order harvestmen (Opiliones). Many Cardinium clades appear to display a high degree of host affinity, while some show evidence of host shifts to phylogenetically distant hosts, likely associated with ecological opportunity. Like the unrelated reproductive manipulator Wolbachia, the Cardinium phylogeny also shows no clear phylogenetic signal associated with particular reproductive manipulations.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The Cardinium phylogeny shows evidence of diversification within particular host lineages, and also of host shifts among trophic levels within parasitoid-host communities. Like Wolbachia, the relatedness of Cardinium strains does not necessarily predict their reproductive phenotypes. Lastly, the genetic tools proposed in this study may help future authors to characterize new strains and add to our understanding of Cardinium evolution.}, }
@article {pmid31774393, year = {2019}, author = {Beckmann, JF and Sharma, GD and Mendez, L and Chen, H and Hochstrasser, M}, title = {The Wolbachia cytoplasmic incompatibility enzyme CidB targets nuclear import and protamine-histone exchange factors.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {31774393}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {1015922//USDA/International ; GM046904/GF/NIH HHS/United States ; GM053756/GF/NIH HHS/United States ; SEED Grant//Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station/International ; }, abstract = {Intracellular Wolbachia bacteria manipulate arthropod reproduction to promote their own inheritance. The most prevalent mechanism, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), traces to a Wolbachia deubiquitylase, CidB, and CidA. CidB has properties of a toxin, while CidA binds CidB and rescues embryonic viability. CidB is also toxic to yeast where we identified both host effects and high-copy suppressors of toxicity. The strongest suppressor was karyopherin-α, a nuclear-import receptor; this required nuclear localization-signal binding. A protein-interaction screen of Drosophila extracts using a substrate-trapping catalytic mutant, CidB*, also identified karyopherin-α; the P32 protamine-histone exchange factor bound as well. When CidB* bound CidA, these host protein interactions disappeared. These associations would place CidB at the zygotic male pronucleus where CI defects first manifest. Overexpression of karyopherin-α, P32, or CidA in female flies suppressed CI. We propose that CidB targets nuclear-protein import and protamine-histone exchange and that CidA rescues embryos by restricting CidB access to its targets.}, }
@article {pmid31769394, year = {2020}, author = {Lau, MJ and Endersby-Harshman, NM and Axford, JK and Ritchie, SA and Hoffmann, AA and Ross, PA}, title = {Measuring the Host-Seeking Ability of Aedes aegypti Destined for Field Release.}, journal = {The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene}, volume = {102}, number = {1}, pages = {223-231}, doi = {10.4269/ajtmh.19-0510}, pmid = {31769394}, issn = {1476-1645}, abstract = {Host seeking is an essential process in mosquito reproduction. Field releases of modified mosquitoes for population replacement rely on successful host seeking by female mosquitoes, but host-seeking ability is rarely tested in a realistic context. We tested the host-seeking ability of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes using a semi-field system. Females with different Wolbachia infection types (wMel-, wAlbB-infected, and uninfected) or from different origins (laboratory and field) were released at one end of a semi-field cage and recaptured as they landed on human experimenters 15 m away. Mosquitoes from each population were then identified with molecular tools or through minimal dusting with fluorescent powder. Wolbachia-infected and uninfected populations had similar average durations to landing and overall recapture proportions, as did laboratory and field-sourced Ae. aegypti. These results indicate that the host-seeking ability of mosquitoes is not negatively affected by Wolbachia infection or long-term laboratory maintenance. This method provides an approach to study the host-seeking ability of mosquitoes in a realistic setting, which will be useful when evaluating strains of mosquitoes that are planned for releases into the field to suppress arbovirus transmission.}, }
@article {pmid31767943, year = {2019}, author = {Ju, JF and Bing, XL and Zhao, DS and Guo, Y and Xi, Z and Hoffmann, AA and Zhang, KJ and Huang, HJ and Gong, JT and Zhang, X and Hong, XY}, title = {Wolbachia supplement biotin and riboflavin to enhance reproduction in planthoppers.}, journal = {The ISME journal}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1038/s41396-019-0559-9}, pmid = {31767943}, issn = {1751-7370}, support = {31672035 and 31871976//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; }, abstract = {Symbiont-mediated nutritional mutualisms can contribute to the host fitness of insects, especially for those that feed exclusively on nutritionally unbalanced diets. Here, we elucidate the importance of B group vitamins in the association of endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia with two plant-sap feeding insects, the small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén), and the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål). Infected planthoppers of both species laid more eggs than uninfected planthoppers, while the experimental transfer of Wolbachia into uninfected lines of one planthopper species rescued this fecundity deficit. The genomic analysis showed that Wolbachia strains from the two planthopper species encoded complete biosynthesis operons for biotin and riboflavin, while a metabolic analysis revealed that Wolbachia-infected planthoppers of both species had higher titers of biotin and riboflavin. Furthermore, experimental supplementation of food with a mixture of biotin and riboflavin recovered the fecundity deficit of Wolbachia-uninfected planthoppers. In addition, comparative genomic analysis suggested that the riboflavin synthesis genes are conserved among Wolbachia supergroups. Biotin operons are rare in Wolbachia, and those described share a recent ancestor that may have been horizontally transferred from Cardinium bacteria. Our research demonstrates a type of mutualism that involves a facultative interaction between Wolbachia and plant-sap feeding insects involving vitamin Bs.}, }
@article {pmid31767914, year = {2019}, author = {Liu, QQ and Zhou, JC and Zhang, C and Ning, SF and Duan, LJ and Dong, H}, title = {Co-occurrence of thelytokous and bisexual Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in a natural population.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {17480}, pmid = {31767914}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Trichogramma dendrolimi is one of the most successful biocontrol agents in China. However, an inundative condition is necessary to obtain acceptable parasitism effect. A good solution to this is the application of its thelytokous counterparts which unfortunately are scarce in field. We here report the first case of a natural T. dendrolimi population in China comprising both bisexual wasps and an extremely low proportion of thelytokous wasps. These two forms of T. dendrolimi are phylogenetically related based on the reconstructions of ITS-2 and COI genes. Also, the phylogenetic results suggested a potentially Wolbachia-drived ITS-2 variation. The expression of thelytoky was hardly affected by temperature, which might help control Asian corn borer and Dendrolimus punctatus. Wolbachia are responsible for current thelytoky according to phylogenetic analyses, antibiotic treatment and introgression experiment. We also present the third case of paternal sex ratio chromosome that restrains the expansion of Wolbachia. Moreover, the low frequency of thelytoky may be common in natural populations. Consequently if for biological control it is determined that a thelytokous strain is to be preferred, then large number of field collected females should be set up as isofemale lines, to detect the rare thelytoky.}, }
@article {pmid31763192, year = {2019}, author = {Lucchetti, C and Genchi, M and Venco, L and Bazzocchi, C and Kramer, LH and Vismarra, A}, title = {Optimized protocol for DNA/RNA co-extraction from adults of Dirofilaria immitis.}, journal = {MethodsX}, volume = {6}, number = {}, pages = {2601-2605}, pmid = {31763192}, issn = {2215-0161}, abstract = {Dirofilaria immitis, the etiologic agent of canine heartworm disease, like several other filarial nematodes, harbors the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia. To investigate metabolic and functional pathways of D. immitis and Wolbachia individually, along with their interactions, the use of both transcriptomic and genome analysis has becoming increasingly popular. Although several commercial kits are available for the single extraction of either DNA or RNA, no specific protocol has been described for simultaneous extraction of DNA and RNA from such a large organism like an adult D. immitis, where female worms generally reach ∼25 cm in length. More importantly, adult worms of D. immitis can only be obtained either through necropsy of experimentally infected dogs or by minimally-invasive surgical heartworm removal of naturally infected dogs. This makes each individual worm sample extremely important. Thus, in the context of a project aimed at the evaluation of both gene expression analysis and Wolbachia population assessment following different treatments, an optimized protocol for co-extraction of DNA and RNA from a single sample of adult D. immitis has been developed. •An optimized method for DNA/RNA co-extraction from large size nematodes using TRIzol® reagent.•Allows maximum exploitation of unique samples as adults of D. immitis.}, }
@article {pmid31761702, year = {2019}, author = {Nazni, WA and Hoffmann, AA and NoorAfizah, A and Cheong, YL and Mancini, MV and Golding, N and Kamarul, GMR and Arif, MAK and Thohir, H and NurSyamimi, H and ZatilAqmar, MZ and NurRuqqayah, M and NorSyazwani, A and Faiz, A and Irfan, FMN and Rubaaini, S and Nuradila, N and Nizam, NMN and Irwan, SM and Endersby-Harshman, NM and White, VL and Ant, TH and Herd, CS and Hasnor, AH and AbuBakar, R and Hapsah, DM and Khadijah, K and Kamilan, D and Lee, SC and Paid, YM and Fadzilah, K and Topek, O and Gill, BS and Lee, HL and Sinkins, SP}, title = {Establishment of Wolbachia Strain wAlbB in Malaysian Populations of Aedes aegypti for Dengue Control.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {29}, number = {24}, pages = {4241-4248.e5}, pmid = {31761702}, issn = {1879-0445}, abstract = {Dengue has enormous health impacts globally. A novel approach to decrease dengue incidence involves the introduction of Wolbachia endosymbionts that block dengue virus transmission into populations of the primary vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The wMel Wolbachia strain has previously been trialed in open releases of Ae. aegypti; however, the wAlbB strain has been shown to maintain higher density than wMel at high larval rearing temperatures. Releases of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes carrying wAlbB were carried out in 6 diverse sites in greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with high endemic dengue transmission. The strain was successfully established and maintained at very high population frequency at some sites or persisted with additional releases following fluctuations at other sites. Based on passive case monitoring, reduced human dengue incidence was observed in the release sites when compared to control sites. The wAlbB strain of Wolbachia provides a promising option as a tool for dengue control, particularly in very hot climates.}, }
@article {pmid31750894, year = {2019}, author = {López-Madrigal, S and Duarte, EH}, title = {Titer regulation in arthropod-Wolbachia symbioses.}, journal = {FEMS microbiology letters}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/femsle/fnz232}, pmid = {31750894}, issn = {1574-6968}, abstract = {Symbiosis between intracellular bacteria (endosymbionts) and animals are widespread. The alphaproteobacterium Wolbachia pipientis is known to maintain a variety of symbiotic associations, ranging from mutualism to parasitism, with a wide range of invertebrates. Wolbachia infection might deeply affect host fitness (e.g. reproductive manipulation, antiviral protection), which is thought to explain its high prevalence in nature. Bacterial loads significantly influence both the infection dynamics and the extent of bacteria-induced host phenotypes. Hence, fine regulation of bacterial titers is considered as a milestone in host-endosymbiont interplay. Here we review both environmental and biological factors modulating Wolbachia titers in arthropods.}, }
@article {pmid31747432, year = {2019}, author = {Jasper, ME and Yang, Q and Ross, PA and Endersby-Harshman, N and Bell, N and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {A LAMP assay for the rapid and robust assessment of Wolbachia infection in Aedes aegypti under field and laboratory conditions.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {11}, pages = {e0225321}, pmid = {31747432}, issn = {1932-6203}, abstract = {With Wolbachia-based arbovirus control programs being scaled and operationalised around the world, cost effective and reliable detection of Wolbachia in field samples and laboratory stocks is essential for quality control. Here we validate a modified loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for routine scoring of Wolbachia in mosquitoes from laboratory cultures and the field, applicable to any setting. We show that this assay is a rapid and robust method for highly sensitive and specific detection of wAlbB Wolbachia infection within Aedes aegypti under a variety of conditions. We test the quantitative nature of the assay by evaluating pooled mixtures of Wolbachia-infected and uninfected mosquitoes and show that it is capable of estimating infection frequencies, potentially circumventing the need to perform large-scale individual analysis for wAlbB infection status in the course of field monitoring. These results indicate that LAMP assays are useful for routine screening particularly under field conditions away from laboratory facilities.}, }
@article {pmid31736900, year = {2019}, author = {Zhao, C and Zhao, H and Zhang, S and Luo, J and Zhu, X and Wang, L and Zhao, P and Hua, H and Cui, J}, title = {The Developmental Stage Symbionts of the Pea Aphid-Feeding Chrysoperla sinica (Tjeder).}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {2454}, pmid = {31736900}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Chrysoperla sinica (Tjeder) is widely recognized as an important holometabolous natural enemy of various insect pests in different cropping systems and as a non-target surrogate in environmental risk assessment of Bt rice (i.e., genetically modified rice to express a toxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis). Like other complex organisms, abundant microbes live inside C. sinica; however, to date, microbiome composition and diversity of the whole life cycle in C. sinica has not yet been well characterized. In the current study, we analyze the composition and biodiversity of microbiota across the whole life cycle of C. sinica by using high-throughput Illumina sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Collectively, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes dominated the microenvironment at all stages, but their relative abundances fluctuated by host developmental stage. Interestingly, eggs, neonates, and adults shared similar microbes, including an abundance of Rickettsia and Wolbachia. After larva feeding, Staphylococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Serratia were enriched in larvae and pupa, suggesting that food may serve as a major factor contributing to altered microbial community divergence at different developmental stages. Our findings demonstrated that C. sinica harbor a variety of bacteria, and that dynamic changes in community composition and relative abundances of members of its microbiome occur during different life cycle stages. Evaluating the role of these bacterial symbionts in this natural enemy may assist in developing environmental risk assessments and novel biological control strategies.}, }
@article {pmid31726321, year = {2019}, author = {Ote, M and Yamamoto, D}, title = {Impact of Wolbachia infection on Drosophila female germline stem cells.}, journal = {Current opinion in insect science}, volume = {37}, number = {}, pages = {8-15}, doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2019.10.001}, pmid = {31726321}, issn = {2214-5753}, abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis, one of the most dominant insect-symbiotic bacteria, highjacks the female germline of insects for its own propagation across host generations. Such strict dependence on female gametes in trans-generational propagation has driven Wolbachia to devise ingenious strategies to enhance female fertility. In Drosophila melanogaster females with female-sterile mutant alleles of the master sex-determining gene Sex-lethal (Sxl), Wolbachia colonizing female germline stem cells (GSCs) support the maintenance of GSCs, thereby rescuing the defective ovarian development. In the germ cell cytoplasm, Wolbachia are often found in proximity to ribonucleoprotein-complex processing bodies (P bodies), where the Wolbachia-derived protein TomO interacts with RNAs encoding Nanos and Orb proteins, which support the GSC maintenance and oocyte polarization, respectively. Thus, manipulation of host RNA is the key to successful vertical transmission of Wolbachia.}, }
@article {pmid31723729, year = {2019}, author = {, }, title = {The World Health Organization 2030 goals for onchocerciasis: Insights and perspectives from mathematical modelling: NTD Modelling Consortium Onchocerciasis Group.}, journal = {Gates open research}, volume = {3}, number = {}, pages = {1545}, pmid = {31723729}, issn = {2572-4754}, abstract = {The World Health Organization (WHO) has embarked on a consultation process to refine the 2030 goals for priority neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), onchocerciasis among them. Current goals include elimination of transmission (EOT) by 2020 in Latin America, Yemen and selected African countries. The new goals propose that, by 2030, EOT be verified in 10 countries; mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin be stopped in at least one focus in 34 countries; and that the proportion of the population no longer in need of MDA be equal or greater than 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% in at least 16, 14, 12, and 10 countries, respectively. The NTD Modelling Consortium onchocerciasis teams have used EPIONCHO and ONCHOSIM to provide modelling insights into these goals. EOT appears feasible in low-moderate endemic areas with long-term MDA at high coverage (≥75%), but uncertain in areas of higher endemicity, poor coverage and adherence, and where MDA has not yet, or only recently, started. Countries will have different proportions of their endemic areas classified according to these categories, and this distribution of pre-intervention prevalence and MDA duration and programmatic success will determine the feasibility of achieving the proposed MDA cessation goals. Highly endemic areas would benefit from switching to biannual or quarterly MDA and implementing vector control where possible (determining optimal frequency and duration of anti-vectorial interventions requires more research). Areas without loiasis that have not yet initiated MDA should implement biannual (preferably with moxidectin) or quarterly MDA from the start. Areas with loiasis not previously treated would benefit from implementing test-and(not)-treat-based interventions, vector control, and anti- Wolbachia therapies, but their success will depend on the levels of screening and coverage achieved and sustained. The diagnostic performance of IgG4 Ov16 serology for assessing EOT is currently uncertain. Verification of EOT requires novel diagnostics at the individual- and population-levels.}, }
@article {pmid31715700, year = {2019}, author = {Yin, X and Zhao, S and Yan, B and Tian, Y and Ba, T and Zhang, J and Wang, Y}, title = {Bartonella rochalimae, B. grahamii, B. elizabethae, and Wolbachia spp. in Fleas from Wild Rodents near the China-Kazakhstan Border.}, journal = {The Korean journal of parasitology}, volume = {57}, number = {5}, pages = {553-559}, pmid = {31715700}, issn = {1738-0006}, support = {2016IK264//General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine/ ; 81560338//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2018ZX10101002-007//National Key Research and Development Program of China/ ; }, abstract = {The Alataw Pass, near the Ebinur Lake Wetland (northwest of China) and Taldykorgan (east of Kazakhstan), is a natural habitat for wild rodents. To date, little has been done on the surveillance of Bartonella spp. and Wolbachia spp. from fleas in the region. Here we molecularly detected Bartonella spp. and Wolbachia spp. in wild rodent fleas during January and October of 2016 along the Alataw Pass-Kazakhstan border. A total of 1,706 fleas belonging to 10 species were collected from 6 rodent species. Among the 10 flea species, 4 were found to be positive for Wolbachia, and 5 flea species were positive for Bartonella. Molecular analysis indicated that i) B. rochalimae was firstly identified in Xenopsylla gerbilli minax and X. conforms conforms, ii) B. grahamii was firstly identified in X. gerbilli minax, and iii) B. elizabethae was firstly detected in Coptopsylla lamellifer ardua, Paradoxopsyllus repandus, and Nosopsyllus laeviceps laeviceps. Additionally, 3 Wolbachia endosymbionts were firstly found in X. gerbilli minax, X. conforms conforms, P. repandus, and N. laeviceps laeviceps. BLASTn analysis indicated 3 Bartonella species showed genotypic variation. Phylogenetic analysis revealed 3 Wolbachia endosymbionts were clustered into the non-Siphonaptera Wolbachia group. These findings extend our knowledge of the geographical distribution and carriers of B. rochalimae, B. grahamii, B. elizabethae, and Wolbachia spp. In the future, there is a need for China-Kazakhstan cooperation to strengthen the surveillance of flea-borne pathogens in wildlife.}, }
@article {pmid31709323, year = {2019}, author = {Adekunle, AI and Meehan, MT and McBryde, ES}, title = {Mathematical analysis of a Wolbachia invasive model with imperfect maternal transmission and loss of Wolbachia infection.}, journal = {Infectious Disease Modelling}, volume = {4}, number = {}, pages = {265-285}, pmid = {31709323}, issn = {2468-0427}, abstract = {Arboviral infections, especially dengue, continue to cause significant health burden in their endemic regions. One of the strategies to tackle these infections is to replace the main vector agent, Ae. aegypti, with the ones incapable of transmitting the virus. Wolbachia, an intracellular bacterium, has shown promise in achieving this goal. However, key factors such as imperfect maternal transmission, loss of Wolbachia infection, reduced reproductive capacity and shortened life-span affect the dynamics of Wolbachia in different forms in the Ae. aegypti population. In this study, we developed a Wolbachia transmission dynamic model adjusting for imperfect maternal transmission and loss of Wolbachia infection. The invasive reproductive number that determines the likelihood of replacement of the Wolbachia-uninfected (WU) population is derived and with it, we established the local and global stability of the equilibrium points. This analysis clearly shows that cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) does not guarantee establishment of the Wolbachia-infected (WI) mosquitoes as imperfect maternal transmission and loss of Wolbachia infection could outweigh the gains from CI. Optimal release programs depending on the level of imperfect maternal transmission and loss of Wolbachia infection are shown. Hence, it is left to decision makers to either aim for replacement or co-existence of both populations.}, }
@article {pmid31699757, year = {2019}, author = {Basting, PJ and Bergman, CM}, title = {Complete Genome Assemblies for Three Variants of the Wolbachia Endosymbiont of Drosophila melanogaster.}, journal = {Microbiology resource announcements}, volume = {8}, number = {45}, pages = {}, pmid = {31699757}, issn = {2576-098X}, abstract = {Here, we report genome assemblies for three strains of Wolbachia pipientis, assembled from unenriched, unfiltered long-read shotgun sequencing data of geographically distinct strains of Drosophila melanogaster Our simple methodology can be applied to long-read data sets of other Wolbachia-infected species with limited Wolbachia-host lateral gene transfers to produce complete assemblies for this important model symbiont.}, }
@article {pmid31698562, year = {2019}, author = {Almeida, L and Duprez, MG and Privat, Y and Vauchelet, N}, title = {Mosquito population control strategies for fighting against arboviruses.}, journal = {Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE}, volume = {16}, number = {6}, pages = {6274-6297}, doi = {10.3934/mbe.2019313}, pmid = {31698562}, issn = {1551-0018}, abstract = {In the fight against vector-borne arboviruses, an important strategy of control of epidemic consists in controlling the population of the vector, Aedes mosquitoes in this case. Among possible actions, two techniques consist either in releasing sterile mosquitoes to reduce the size of the population (Sterile Insect Technique) or in replacing the wild population by one carrying a bacteria, called Wolbachia, blocking the transmission of viruses from insects to humans. This article addresses the issue of optimizing the dissemination protocol for each of these strategies, in order to get as close as possible to these objectives. Starting from a mathematical model describing population dynamics, we study the control problem and introduce the cost function standing for population replacement and sterile insect technique. Then, we establish some properties of the optimal control and illustrate them with numerical simulations.}, }
@article {pmid31698114, year = {2019}, author = {Karut, K and Castle, SJ and Karut, ŞT and Karaca, MM}, title = {Secondary endosymbiont diversity of Bemisia tabaci and its parasitoids.}, journal = {Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases}, volume = {78}, number = {}, pages = {104104}, doi = {10.1016/j.meegid.2019.104104}, pmid = {31698114}, issn = {1567-7257}, abstract = {Cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is one of the most important insect pests worldwide. It is known as a species complex consisting of at least 40 cryptic species. Although there are substantial data regarding species composition, parasitoids and endosymbionts of B. tabaci, data on relationship between the pest, parasitoids and endosymbionts are very restricted. Therefore, in this study, secondary endosymbionts in populations of B. tabaci and their parasitoids collected from Turkey and the USA were determined by PCR-based DNA analysis. Whitefly populations in Turkey represented both Mediterranean (MED) and Middle East-Asia Minor1 (MEAM1) genotypes from single or mixed populations of both genotypes. Arsenophonus, Rickettsia and Wolbachia were found in MED, while Hamiltonella and Rickettsia in MEAM1. Whitefly populations collected from Arizona were all MEAM1 and dually infected with Hamiltonella and Rickettsia. The aphelinid parasitoids Encarsia lutea and Eretmocerus mundus predominated in all Turkish populations. While almost all En. lutea populations were infected with Wolbachia, no endosymbionts were detected in any Er. mundus. Parasitoid species and the pattern of secondary endosymbiont infection in Arizona populations were different with Rickettsia detected only from Encarsia sophia while both Rickettsia and Wolbachia were found in Eretmocerus species. As a result, four secondary endosymbionts, namely, Rickettsia, Hamiltonella, Arsenophonus and Wolbachia, were detected from B.tabaci and its parasitoids. Among them only Wolbachia and Rickettsia were found in both the pest and parasitoids. It is conclude that further studies should be pursued to determine effect of these endosymbionts on biology of the parasitoids and success in biological control of B. tabaci.}, }
@article {pmid31690673, year = {2019}, author = {Layton, EM and On, J and Perlmutter, JI and Bordenstein, SR and Shropshire, JD}, title = {Paternal Grandmother Age Affects the Strength of Wolbachia-Induced Cytoplasmic Incompatibility in Drosophila melanogaster.}, journal = {mBio}, volume = {10}, number = {6}, pages = {}, pmid = {31690673}, issn = {2150-7511}, support = {R01 AI132581/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 HD086833/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI133522/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; F31 AI143152/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia are obligate intracellular bacteria that are globally distributed in half of all arthropod species. As the most abundant maternally inherited microbe in animals, Wolbachia manipulate host reproduction via reproductive parasitism strategies, including cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI manifests as embryonic death when Wolbachia-modified sperm fertilize uninfected eggs but not maternally infected eggs. Thus, CI can provide a relative fitness advantage to Wolbachia-infected females and drive the infection through a population. In the genetic model Drosophila melanogaster, the Wolbachia strain wMel induces variable CI, making mechanistic studies in D. melanogaster cumbersome. Here, we demonstrate that sons of older paternal D. melanogaster grandmothers induce stronger CI than sons of younger paternal grandmothers, and we term this relationship the &quot;paternal grandmother age effect&quot; (PGAE). Moreover, the embryos and adult sons of older D. melanogaster grandmothers have higher Wolbachia densities, correlating with their ability to induce stronger CI. In addition, we report that Wolbachia density positively correlates with female age and decreases after mating, suggesting that females transmit Wolbachia loads that are proportional to their own titers. These findings reveal a transgenerational impact of age on wMel-induced CI, elucidate Wolbachia density dynamics in D. melanogaster, and provide a methodological advance to studies aimed at understanding wMel-induced CI in the D. melanogaster model.IMPORTANCE Unidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) results in a postfertilization incompatibility between Wolbachia-infected males and uninfected females. CI contributes to reproductive isolation between closely related species and is used in worldwide vector control programs to drastically lower arboviral vector population sizes or to replace populations that transmit arboviruses with those resistant to transmission. Despite decades of research on the factors that influence CI, penetrance is often variable under controlled laboratory conditions in various arthropods, suggesting that additional variables influence CI strength. Here, we demonstrate that paternal D. melanogaster grandmother age influences the strength of CI induced by their sons. Older D. melanogaster females have higher Wolbachia densities and produce offspring with higher Wolbachia densities that associate with stronger CI. This work reveals a multigenerational impact of age on CI and expands our understanding of host-Wolbachia interactions and the biology of CI induced by the Wolbachia strain infecting the most widely used arthropod model, D. melanogaster.}, }
@article {pmid31683719, year = {2019}, author = {Liang, Y and Hong, Y and Mai, Z and Zhu, Q and Guo, L}, title = {Internal and External Microbial Community of the Thitarodes Moth, the Host of Ophiocordyceps sinensis.}, journal = {Microorganisms}, volume = {7}, number = {11}, pages = {}, pmid = {31683719}, issn = {2076-2607}, support = {No. 2018A030313094//Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province/ ; No. 20185071521641//Social Science and Technology Development Project of Dongguan/ ; No. 81303155//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; No. 2018GkQNCX050//Project for Young Innovative Talents in Ordinary Higher University of Guangdong Province/ ; }, abstract = {Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a widely known medicinal entomogenous fungus, which parasitizes the soil-borne larva of Thitarodes (Hepialidae, Lepidoptera) distributed in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent areas. Previous research has involved artificial cultivation of Chinese cordyceps (the fungus-caterpillar complex), but it is difficult to achieve large-scale cultivation because the coupling relation between the crucial microbes and their hosts is not quite clear. To clarify the influence of the internal microbial community on the occurrence of Chinese cordyceps, in this study, the unfertilized eggs of Thitarodes of different sampling sites were chosen to analyze the bacterial and fungal communities via 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing for the first time. The results showed that for bacteria, 348 genera (dominant genera include Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, Carnobacterium, Sphingobium, and Acinetobacter) belonging to 26 phyla (dominant phyla include Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Tenericutes, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes), 58 classes, 84 orders, and 120 families were identified from 1294 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The dominant bacterial genus (Spiroplasma) may be an important bacterial factor promoting the occurrence of Chinese cordyceps. For fungi, 289 genera, mainly including Aureobasidium, Candida, and Cryptococcus, were identified, and they belonged to 5 phyla (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Glomeromycota, and Zygomycota), 26 classes, 82 orders, and 165 families. Eight bacterial OTUs and 12 fungal OTUs were shared among all of the detected samples and were considered as core species. Among them, Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, Carnobacterium, Aureobasidium, and Phoma may play important roles in helping the host larva to digest foods, adapt to extreme environments, or resist pathogens. On the other hand, the external (soil) microbial community was synchronously and comparatively analyzed. Comparative analysis revealed that external microbial factors might play a more significant role in the occurrence of Chinese cordyceps, owing to the significant differences revealed by α-diversity and β-diversity analyses among different groups. In summary, the results of this study may contribute to the large-scale cultivation of Chinese cordyceps.}, }
@article {pmid31667465, year = {2019}, author = {Ryan, PA and Turley, AP and Wilson, G and Hurst, TP and Retzki, K and Brown-Kenyon, J and Hodgson, L and Kenny, N and Cook, H and Montgomery, BL and Paton, CJ and Ritchie, SA and Hoffmann, AA and Jewell, NP and Tanamas, SK and Anders, KL and Simmons, CP and O'Neill, SL}, title = {Establishment of wMel Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and reduction of local dengue transmission in Cairns and surrounding locations in northern Queensland, Australia.}, journal = {Gates open research}, volume = {3}, number = {}, pages = {1547}, pmid = {31667465}, issn = {2572-4754}, abstract = {Background: The wMel strain of Wolbachia has been successfully introduced into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and subsequently shown in laboratory studies to reduce transmission of a range of viruses including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Mayaro viruses that cause human disease. Here we report the entomological and epidemiological outcomes of staged deployment of Wolbachia across nearly all significant dengue transmission risk areas in Australia. Methods: The wMel strain of Wolbachia was backcrossed into the local Aedes aegypti genotype (Cairns and Townsville backgrounds) and mosquitoes were released in the field by staff or via community assisted methods. Mosquito monitoring was undertaken and mosquitoes were screened for the presence of Wolbachia. Dengue case notifications were used to track dengue incidence in each location before and after releases. Results: Empirical analyses of the Wolbachia mosquito releases, including data on the density, frequency and duration of Wolbachia mosquito releases, indicate that Wolbachia can be readily established in local mosquito populations, using a variety of deployment options and over short release durations (mean release period 11 weeks, range 2-22 weeks). Importantly, Wolbachia frequencies have remained stable in mosquito populations since releases for up to 8 years. Analysis of dengue case notifications data demonstrates near-elimination of local dengue transmission for the past five years in locations where Wolbachia has been established. The regression model estimate of Wolbachia intervention effect from interrupted time series analyses of case notifications data prior to and after releases, indicated a 96% reduction in dengue incidence in Wolbachia treated populations (95% confidence interval: 84 - 99%). Conclusion: Deployment of the wMel strain of Wolbachia into local Ae. aegypti populations across the Australian regional cities of Cairns and most smaller regional communities with a past history of dengue has resulted in the reduction of local dengue transmission across all deployment areas.}, }
@article {pmid31665056, year = {2019}, author = {Kieran, TJ and Arnold, KMH and Thomas, JC and Varian, CP and Saldaña, A and Calzada, JE and Glenn, TC and Gottdenker, NL}, title = {Regional biogeography of microbiota composition in the Chagas disease vector Rhodnius pallescens.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {504}, pmid = {31665056}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {DGE-1545433//National Science Foundation/ ; COL11-043//Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Triatomine bugs are vectors of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. Rhodnius pallescens is a major vector of Chagas disease in Panama. Understanding the microbial ecology of disease vectors is important in the development of vector management strategies that target vector survival and fitness. In this study we examined the whole-body microbial composition of R. pallescens from three locations in Panama.<br><br>METHODS: We collected 89 R. pallescens specimens using Noireau traps in Attalea butyracea palms. We then extracted total DNA from whole-bodies of specimens and amplified bacterial microbiota using 16S rRNA metabarcoding PCR. The 16S libraries were sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq and analyzed using QIIME2 software.<br><br>RESULTS: We found Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes to be the most abundant bacterial phyla across all samples. Geographical location showed the largest difference in microbial composition with northern Veraguas Province having the most diversity and Panama Oeste Province localities being most similar to each other. Wolbachia was detected in high abundance (48-72%) at Panama Oeste area localities with a complete absence of detection in Veraguas Province. No significant differences in microbial composition were detected between triatomine age class, primary blood meal source, or T. cruzi infection status.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We found biogeographical regions differ in microbial composition among R. pallescens populations in Panama. While overall the microbiota has bacterial taxa consistent with previous studies in triatomine microbial ecology, locality differences are an important observation for future studies. Geographical heterogeneity in microbiomes of vectors is an important consideration for future developments that leverage microbiomes for disease control.}, }
@article {pmid31662085, year = {2019}, author = {Martinez, J and Bruner-Montero, G and Arunkumar, R and Smith, SCL and Day, JP and Longdon, B and Jiggins, FM}, title = {Virus evolution in Wolbachia-infected Drosophila.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {286}, number = {1914}, pages = {20192117}, pmid = {31662085}, issn = {1471-2954}, support = {094664//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 281668//European Research Council/International ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia, a common vertically transmitted symbiont, can protect insects against viral infection and prevent mosquitoes from transmitting viral pathogens. For this reason, Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are being released to prevent the transmission of dengue and other arboviruses. An important question for the long-term success of these programmes is whether viruses can evolve to escape the antiviral effects of Wolbachia. We have found that Wolbachia altered the outcome of competition between strains of the DCV virus in Drosophila. However, Wolbachia still effectively blocked the virus genotypes that were favoured in the presence of the symbiont. We conclude that Wolbachia did cause an evolutionary response in viruses, but this has little or no impact on the effectiveness of virus blocking.}, }
@article {pmid31659008, year = {2019}, author = {Newton, ILG and Rice, DW}, title = {The Jekyll and Hyde symbiont: could Wolbachia be a nutritional mutualist?.}, journal = {Journal of bacteriology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1128/JB.00589-19}, pmid = {31659008}, issn = {1098-5530}, abstract = {The most common intracellular symbiont on the planet -Wolbachia pipientis- is infamous largely for the reproductive manipulations induced in its host. However, more recent evidence suggests that this bacterium may also serve as a nutritional mutualist in certain host backgrounds and for certain metabolites. We performed a large-scale analysis of conserved gene content across all sequenced Wolbachia genomes to infer potential nutrients made by these symbionts. We review and critically evaluate the prior research supporting a beneficial role for Wolbachia and suggest future experiments to test hypotheses of metabolic provisioning.}, }
@article {pmid31658265, year = {2019}, author = {Kittayapong, P and Ninphanomchai, S and Limohpasmanee, W and Chansang, C and Chansang, U and Mongkalangoon, P}, title = {Combined sterile insect technique and incompatible insect technique: The first proof-of-concept to suppress Aedes aegypti vector populations in semi-rural settings in Thailand.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {10}, pages = {e0007771}, pmid = {31658265}, issn = {1935-2735}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Important arboviral diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus infections, are transmitted mainly by the Aedes aegypti vector. So far, controlling this vector species with current tools and strategies has not demonstrated sustainable and significant impacts. Our main objective was to evaluate whether open field release of sterile males, produced from combining the sterile insect technique using radiation with the insect incompatible technique through Wolbachia-induced incompatibility (SIT/IIT), could suppress natural populations of Ae. aegypti in semi-rural village settings in Thailand.<br><br>Irradiated Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti males produced by the SIT/IIT approach were completely sterile and were able to compete with the wild fertile ones. Open field release of these sterile males was conducted in an ecologically isolated village in Chachoengsao Province, eastern Thailand. House-to-house visit and media reports resulted in community acceptance and public awareness of the technology. During intervention, approximately 100-200 sterile males were released weekly in each household. After 6 months of sterile male release, a significant reduction (p<0.05) of the mean egg hatch rate (84%) and the mean number of females per household (97.30%) was achieved in the treatment areas when compared to the control ones.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study represents the first open field release of sterile Ae. aegypti males developed from a combined SIT/IIT approach. Entomological assessment using ovitraps, adult sticky traps, and portable vacuum aspirators confirmed the success in reducing natural populations of Ae. aegypti females in treated areas. Public awareness through media resulted in positive support for practical use of this strategy in wider areas. Further study using a systematic randomized trial is needed to determine whether this approach could have a significant impact on the diseases transmitted by Ae. aegypti vector.}, }
@article {pmid31649084, year = {2019}, author = {Gasser, MT and Chung, M and Bromley, RE and Nadendla, S and Dunning Hotopp, JC}, title = {Complete Genome Sequence of wAna, the Wolbachia Endosymbiont of Drosophila ananassae.}, journal = {Microbiology resource announcements}, volume = {8}, number = {43}, pages = {}, pmid = {31649084}, issn = {2576-098X}, support = {R01 CA206188/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; U19 AI110820/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Here, we present the complete genome sequence of the Wolbachia endosymbiont wAna, isolated from Drosophila ananassae and derived from Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing. We anticipate that this will aid in Wolbachia comparative genomics and the assembly of D. ananassae specifically in regions containing extensive lateral gene transfer events.}, }
@article {pmid31647706, year = {2019}, author = {Staunton, KM and Usher, L and Prachar, T and Ritchie, SA and Snoad, N and Johnson, BJ}, title = {A Novel Methodology For Recording Wing Beat Frequencies of Untethered Male and Female Aedes aegypti.}, journal = {Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association}, volume = {35}, number = {3}, pages = {169-177}, doi = {10.2987/18-6799.1}, pmid = {31647706}, issn = {1943-6270}, abstract = {Aedes aegypti is a vector of many significant arboviruses worldwide, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses. With vector control methodology pivoting toward rearing and releasing large numbers of insects for either population suppression or virus-blocking, economical remote (sentinel) surveillance methods for release tracking become increasingly necessary. Recent steps in this direction include advances in optical sensors that identify and classify insects based on their wing beat frequency (WBF). As these traps are being developed, there is a strong need to better understand the environmental and biological factors influencing mosquito WBFs. Here, we developed new untethered-subject methodology to detect changes in WBFs of male and female Ae. aegypti. This new methodology involves directing an ultrasonic transducer at a free-flying subject and measuring the Doppler shift of the reflected ultrasonic continuous wave signal. This system's utility was assessed by determining its ability to confirm previous reports on the effect of temperature, body size, and age on the WBFs generated from acoustic or optical-based experiments. The presented ultrasonic method successfully detected expected trends for each factor for both male and female Ae. aegypti without the need for subject manipulation and potential impediment of natural flight dynamics due to tethering. As a result, this ultrasonic methodology provides a new method for understanding the environmental and physiological determinants of male and female WBFs that can inform the design of remote mosquito surveillance systems.}, }
@article {pmid31644794, year = {2019}, author = {Chen, R and Su, X and Chen, J and Jiang, L and Qiao, GX}, title = {Wolbachia Infection in Two Species: Novel Views on the Colonization Ability of Wolbachia in Aphids.}, journal = {Environmental entomology}, volume = {48}, number = {6}, pages = {1388-1393}, doi = {10.1093/ee/nvz122}, pmid = {31644794}, issn = {1938-2936}, mesh = {Animals ; *Aphids ; China ; Geography ; *Infections ; *Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) is an intracellular symbiont residing in arthropods and filarial nematodes. Sixteen supergroups have been described from different host taxa. Four supergroups A, B, M, and N were found in aphids according to prior studies. The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, and the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, are typical polyphagous species with global distributions. We conducted an extensive and systematic survey of Wolbachia infections in these aphids from China. High incidences of Wolbachia infection were detected. The total infection incidence was 60% in A. gossypii and 88% in M. persicae. Both aphid species were infected with supergroups A, B and M. Different incidences of infection were observed among the seven geographical regions in China, which suggested a positive relationship between Wolbachia infections and the geographical distribution of aphid species. Furthermore, multiple infection patterns (M, B, A&amp;M, B&amp;M, and A&amp;B&amp;M) were observed. Infection patterns M and B&amp;M were detected in almost all populations. Patterns A&amp;B&amp;M and B showed geographical restriction in North China. Three factors can possibly influence the Wolbachia infection incidences and patterns: the geographical distribution, aphid species, and different supergroup types.}, }
@article {pmid31641465, year = {2019}, author = {Gómez-Zurita, J}, title = {Assessment of the role of Wolbachia in mtDNA paraphyly and the evolution of unisexuality in Calligrapha (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {19}, pages = {11198-11214}, pmid = {31641465}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Calligrapha is a New World leaf beetle genus that includes several unisexual species in northeastern North America. Each unisexual species had an independent hybrid origin involving different combinations of bisexual species. However, surprisingly, they all cluster in a single mtDNA clade and with some individuals of their parental species, which are in turn deeply polyphyletic for mtDNA. This pattern is suggestive of a selective sweep which, together with mtDNA taxonomic incongruence and occurrence of unisexuality in Calligrapha, led to hypothesize that Wolbachia might be responsible. I tested this hypothesis studying the correlation between diversity of Wolbachia and well-established mtDNA lineages in >500 specimens of two bisexual species of Calligrapha and their derived unisexual species. Wolbachia appears highly prevalent (83.4%), and fifteen new supergroup-A strains of the bacteria are characterized, belonging to three main classes: wCallA, occupying the whole species ranges, and wCallB and wCallC, narrowly parapatric, infecting beetles with highly divergent mtDNAs where they coexist. Most beetles (71.6%) carried double infections of wCallA with another sequence class. Bayesian inference of ancestral character states and association tests between bacterial diversity and the mtDNA genealogy show that each mtDNA lineage of Calligrapha has specific types of infection. Moreover, shifts can be explained by horizontal or vertical transfer from local populations to an expanding lineage and cytoplasmic incompatibility between wCallB and wCallC types, suggesting that the symbionts hitchhike with the host and are not responsible for selective mtDNA sweeps. Lack of evidence for sweeps and the fact that individuals in the unisexual clade are uninfected or infected by the widespread wCallA type indicate that Wolbachia does not induce unisexuality in Calligrapha, although they may manipulate host reproduction through cytoplasmic incompatibility.}, }
@article {pmid31632650, year = {2019}, author = {König, K and Zundel, P and Krimmer, E and König, C and Pollmann, M and Gottlieb, Y and Steidle, JLM}, title = {Reproductive isolation due to prezygotic isolation and postzygotic cytoplasmic incompatibility in parasitoid wasps.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {18}, pages = {10694-10706}, pmid = {31632650}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {The reproductive barriers that prevent gene flow between closely related species are a major topic in evolutionary research. Insect clades with parasitoid lifestyle are among the most species-rich insects and new species are constantly described, indicating that speciation occurs frequently in this group. However, there are only very few studies on speciation in parasitoids. We studied reproductive barriers in two lineages of Lariophagus distinguendus (Chalcidoidea: Hymenoptera), a parasitoid wasp of pest beetle larvae that occur in human environments. One of the two lineages occurs in households preferably attacking larvae of the drugstore beetle Stegobium paniceum (&quot;DB-lineage&quot;), the other in grain stores with larvae of the granary weevil Sitophilus granarius as main host (&quot;GW-lineage&quot;). Between two populations of the DB-lineage, we identified slight sexual isolation as intraspecific barrier. Between populations from both lineages, we found almost complete sexual isolation caused by female mate choice, and postzygotic isolation, which is partially caused by cytoplasmic incompatibility induced by so far undescribed endosymbionts which are not Wolbachia or Cardinium. Because separation between the two lineages is almost complete, they should be considered as separate species according to the biological species concept. This demonstrates that cryptic species within parasitoid Hymenoptera also occur in Central Europe in close contact to humans.}, }
@article {pmid31631529, year = {2019}, author = {Bi, J and Wang, YF}, title = {The effect of the endosymbiont Wolbachia on the behavior of insect hosts.}, journal = {Insect science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.12731}, pmid = {31631529}, issn = {1744-7917}, support = {31672352//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2017AHB050//International Cooperation Projects of Science and Technology of Hubei Province, China/ ; 2017AHB050//the International Cooperation Projects of Science and Technology of Hubei Province, China/ ; 31672352//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, abstract = {As one of the most successful intracellular symbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia can infect many arthropods and nematodes. Wolbachia infection usually affects the reproduction of their hosts to promote their own proliferation and transmission. Currently, most of the studies focus on the mechanisms of Wolbachia interactions with host reproduction. However, in addition to distribution in the reproductive tissues, Wolbachia also infect various somatic tissues of their hosts, including the brain. This raises the potential that Wolbachia may influence some somatic processes, such as behaviors in their hosts. So far, information about the effects of Wolbachia infection on host behavior is still very limited. The present review presents the current literature on different aspects of the influence of Wolbachia on various behaviors, including sleep, learning and memory, mating, feeding and aggression in their insect hosts. We then highlight ongoing scientific efforts in the field that need addressing to advance this field, which can have significant implications for further developing Wolbachia as environmentally friendly biocontrol agents to control insect-borne diseases and agricultural pests.}, }
@article {pmid31622546, year = {2020}, author = {Galis, F and van Alphen, JJM}, title = {Parthenogenesis and developmental constraints.}, journal = {Evolution &amp; development}, volume = {22}, number = {1-2}, pages = {205-217}, doi = {10.1111/ede.12324}, pmid = {31622546}, issn = {1525-142X}, abstract = {The absence of a paternal contribution in an unfertilized ovum presents two developmental constraints against the evolution of parthenogenesis. We discuss the constraint caused by the absence of a centrosome and the one caused by the missing set of chromosomes and how they have been broken in specific taxa. They are examples of only a few well-underpinned examples of developmental constraints acting at macro-evolutionary scales in animals. Breaking of the constraint of the missing chromosomes is the best understood and generally involves rare occasions of drastic changes of meiosis. These drastic changes can be best explained by having been induced, or at least facilitated, by sudden cytological events (e.g., repeated rounds of hybridization, endosymbiont infections, and contagious infections). Once the genetic and developmental machinery is in place for regular or obligate parthenogenesis, shifts to other types of parthenogenesis can apparently rather easily evolve, for example, from facultative to obligate parthenogenesis, or from pseudoarrhenotoky to haplodiploidy. We argue that the combination of the two developmental constraints forms a near-absolute barrier against the gradual evolution from sporadic to obligate or regular facultative parthenogenesis, which can probably explain why the occurrence of the highly advantageous mode of regular facultative parthenogenesis is so rare and entirely absent in vertebrates.}, }
@article {pmid31620116, year = {2019}, author = {Li, F and Hua, H and Ali, A and Hou, M}, title = {Characterization of a Bacterial Symbiont Asaia sp. in the White-Backed Planthopper, Sogatella furcifera, and Its Effects on Host Fitness.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {2179}, pmid = {31620116}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {The white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera Horváth (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is an economically significant rice insect pest that harbors a primary fungal yeast-like symbiont (YLS), and some secondary bacterial symbionts like Wolbachia and Cardinium. In the present study, an additional bacterial symbiont in WBPH was characterized. Phylogenetic analysis employing the 16S rRNA gene showed a bacterium closely related to Asaia of Nilaparvata lugens and Nysius expressus, and Asaia krungthepensis. TEM observation of the bacterium showed the typical morphology of Asaia sp. with signature filamentous structures in the nucleoid region. These results indicate that the bacterium belongs to Asaia. The Asaia bacterium was detected in all the tested individual adults and tissues of the laboratory WBPH population but showed varying infection rates (ca 45%) in the field collected WBPH populations. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that Asaia sp. were significantly more abundant in WBPH females than males, and mainly distributed in the guts, fatty bodies, and salivary glands. Asaia-infected WBPH were of shorter nymphal duration and heavier adult weight than Asaia-free WBPH, while Asaia-free WBPH comparatively fed more, indicating that Asaia plays a role in improving WBPH fitness through involvement in host's nutrient supply.}, }
@article {pmid31617302, year = {2019}, author = {Biwot, JC and Zhang, HB and Liu, C and Qiao, JX and Yu, XQ and Wang, YF}, title = {Wolbachia-induced expression of kenny gene in testes affects male fertility in Drosophila melanogaster.}, journal = {Insect science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.12730}, pmid = {31617302}, issn = {1744-7917}, support = {31672352//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia are Gram-negative endosymbionts that are known to cause embryonic lethality when infected male insects mate with uninfected females or with females carrying a different strain of Wolbachia, a situation characterized as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). However, the mechanism of CI is not yet fully understood, although recent studies on Drosophila melanogaster have achieved great progress. Here, we found that Wolbachia infection caused changes in the expressions of several immunity-related genes, including significant upregulation of kenny (key), in the testes of D. melanogaster. Overexpression of key in fly testes led to a significant decrease in egg hatch rates when these flies mate with wild-type females. Wolbachia-infected females could rescue this embryonic lethality. Furthermore, in key overexpressing testes terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling signal was significantly stronger than in the control testes, and the level of reactive oxygen species was significantly increased. Overexpression of key also resulted in alterations of some other immunity-related gene expressions, including the downregulation of Zn72D. Knockdown of Zn72D in fly testes also led to a significant decrease in egg hatch rates. These results suggest that Wolbachia might induce the defect in male host fertility by immunity-related pathways and thus cause an oxidative damage and cell death in male testes.}, }
@article {pmid31615889, year = {2019}, author = {Chen, H and Ronau, JA and Beckmann, JF and Hochstrasser, M}, title = {A Wolbachia nuclease and its binding partner provide a distinct mechanism for cytoplasmic incompatibility.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, number = {44}, pages = {22314-22321}, pmid = {31615889}, issn = {1091-6490}, abstract = {Wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria that infect nearly half of all arthropod species. This pandemic is due in part to their ability to increase their transmission through the female germline, most commonly by a mechanism called cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). The Wolbachia cid operon, encoding 2 proteins, CidA and CidB, the latter a deubiquitylating enzyme (DUB), recapitulates CI in transgenic Drosophila melanogaster However, some CI-inducing Wolbachia strains lack a DUB-encoding cid operon; it was therefore proposed that the related cin operon codes for an alternative CI system. Here we show that the Wolbachia cin operon encodes a nuclease, CinB, and a second protein, CinA, that tightly binds CinB. Recombinant CinB has nuclease activity against both single-stranded and double-stranded DNA but not RNA under the conditions tested. Expression of the cin operon in transgenic male flies induces male sterility and embryonic defects typical of CI. Importantly, transgenic CinA can rescue defects in egg-hatch rates when expressed in females. Expression of CinA also rescues CinB-induced growth defects in yeast. CinB has 2 PD-(D/E)xK nuclease domains, and both are required for nuclease activity and for toxicity in yeast and flies. Our data suggest a distinct mechanism for CI involving a nuclease toxin and highlight the central role of toxin-antidote operons in Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility.}, }
@article {pmid31615544, year = {2019}, author = {Ghosh, A and Jasperson, D and Cohnstaedt, LW and Brelsfoard, CL}, title = {Transfection of Culicoides sonorensis biting midge cell lines with Wolbachia pipientis.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {483}, pmid = {31615544}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {Start up funds//Texas Tech University/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Biting midges of the genus Culicoides vector multiple veterinary pathogens and are difficult to control. Endosymbionts particularly Wolbachia pipientis may offer an alternative to control populations of Culicoides and/or impact disease transmission in the form of population suppression or replacement strategies.<br><br>METHODS: Culicoides sonorensis cell lines were transfected with a Wolbachia infection using a modified shell vial technique. Infections were confirmed using PCR and cell localization using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The stability of Wolbachia infections and density was determined by qPCR. qPCR was also used to examine immune genes in the IMD, Toll and JACK/STAT pathways to determine if Wolbachia were associated with an immune response in infected cells.<br><br>RESULTS: Here we have transfected two Culicoides sonorensis cell lines (W3 and W8) with a Wolbachia infection (walbB) from donor Aedes albopictus Aa23 cells. PCR and FISH showed the presence of Wolbachia infections in both C. sonorensis cell lines. Infection densities were higher in the W8 cell lines when compared to W3. In stably infected cells, genes in the immune Toll, IMD and JAK/STAT pathways were upregulated, along with Attacin and an Attacin-like anti-microbial peptides.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The successful introduction of Wolbachia infections in C. sonorensis cell lines and the upregulation of immune genes, suggest the utility of using Wolbachia for a population replacement and/or population suppression approach to limit the transmission of C. sonorensis vectored diseases. Results support the further investigation of Wolbachia induced pathogen inhibitory effects in Wolbachia-infected C. sonorensis cell lines and the introduction of Wolbachia into C. sonorensis adults via embryonic microinjection to examine for reproductive phenotypes and host fitness effects of a novel Wolbachia infection.}, }
@article {pmid31608104, year = {2019}, author = {Tseng, SP and Wetterer, JK and Suarez, AV and Lee, CY and Yoshimura, T and Shoemaker, D and Yang, CS}, title = {Genetic Diversity and Wolbachia Infection Patterns in a Globally Distributed Invasive Ant.}, journal = {Frontiers in genetics}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {838}, pmid = {31608104}, issn = {1664-8021}, abstract = {Understanding the phylogeographic history of an invasive species may facilitate reconstructing the history and routes of its invasion. The longhorn crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis, is a ubiquitous agricultural and household pest throughout much of the tropics and subtropics, but little is known about the history of its spread. Here, we examine worldwide genetic variation in P. longicornis and its associated Wolbachia bacterial symbionts. Analyses of mtDNA sequences of 248 P. longicornis workers (one per colony) from 13 geographic regions reveal two highly diverged mtDNA clades that co-occur in most of the geographic regions. These two mtDNA clades are associated with different Wolbachia infection patterns, but are not congruent with patterns of nDNA (microsatellite) variation. Multilocus sequence typing reveals two distinct Wolbachia strains in P. longicornis, namely, wLonA and wLonF. The evolutionary histories of these two strains differ; wLonA appears to be primarily transmitted maternally, and patterns of mtDNA and nDNA variation and wLonA infection status are consistent with a relatively recent Wolbachia-induced selective sweep. In contrast, the observed patterns of mtDNA variation and wLonF infections suggest frequent horizontal transfer and losses of wLonF infections. The lack of nDNA structure among sampled geographic regions coupled with the finding that numerous mtDNA haplotypes are shared among regions implies that inadvertent long-distance movement through human commerce is common in P. longicornis and has shaped the genetic structure of this invasive ant worldwide.}, }
@article {pmid31603613, year = {2019}, author = {Caputo, B and Moretti, R and Manica, M and Serini, P and Lampazzi, E and Bonanni, M and Fabbri, G and Pichler, V and Della Torre, A and Calvitti, M}, title = {A bacterium against the tiger: preliminary evidence of fertility reduction after release of Aedes albopictus males with manipulated Wolbachia infection in an Italian urban area.}, journal = {Pest management science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/ps.5643}, pmid = {31603613}, issn = {1526-4998}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Novel tools are needed to reduce the nuisance and risk of exotic arbovirus transmission associated with the colonization of temperate regions by Aedes albopictus. The incompatible insect technique (IIT) is a population suppression approach based on cytoplasmic incompatibility between males with manipulated endosymbionts and wild females. Here, we present the results of the first field experiment in Europe to assess the capacity of an Ae. albopictus line (ARwP) deprived of its natural endosymbiont Wolbachia and transinfected with a Wolbachia strain from the mosquito Culex pipiens, to sterilize wild females.<br><br>RESULTS: We released ∼ 4500 ARwP males weekly for 6 weeks in a green area within urban Rome (Italy) and carried out egg (N = 13 442), female (N = 128) and male (N = 352) collections. Egg (N = 13 783) and female (N = 48) collections were also carried out at two untreated control sites. The percentage of viable eggs during release was, on average, significantly lower in treated sites than in control sites, with the greatest difference (16%) seen after the fourth release. The ARwP to wild male ratio in the release spots between day 3 after the first ARwP male release and day 7 after the last release was, on average, 7:10. Released males survived up to 2 weeks. Approximately 30% of females collected in the release spots showed 100% sterility and 20% showed strongly reduced fertility compared with control sites.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Results support the potential of IIT as a tool contributing to Ae. albopictus control in the urban context, and stress the need for larger field trials to evaluate the cost-efficacy of the approach in suppressing wild populations. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.}, }
@article {pmid31600190, year = {2019}, author = {Becking, T and Chebbi, MA and Giraud, I and Moumen, B and Laverré, T and Caubet, Y and Peccoud, J and Gilbert, C and Cordaux, R}, title = {Sex chromosomes control vertical transmission of feminizing Wolbachia symbionts in an isopod.}, journal = {PLoS biology}, volume = {17}, number = {10}, pages = {e3000438}, pmid = {31600190}, issn = {1545-7885}, abstract = {Microbial endosymbiosis is widespread in animals, with major ecological and evolutionary implications. Successful symbiosis relies on efficient vertical transmission through host generations. However, when symbionts negatively affect host fitness, hosts are expected to evolve suppression of symbiont effects or transmission. Here, we show that sex chromosomes control vertical transmission of feminizing Wolbachia endosymbionts in the isopod Armadillidium nasatum. Theory predicts that the invasion of an XY/XX species by cytoplasmic sex ratio distorters is unlikely because it leads to fixation of the unusual (and often lethal or infertile) YY genotype. We demonstrate that A. nasatum X and Y sex chromosomes are genetically highly similar and that YY individuals are viable and fertile, thereby enabling Wolbachia spread in this XY-XX species. Nevertheless, we show that Wolbachia cannot drive fixation of YY individuals, because infected YY females do not transmit Wolbachia to their offspring, unlike XX and XY females. The genetic basis fits the model of a Y-linked recessive allele (associated with an X-linked dominant allele), in which the homozygous state suppresses Wolbachia transmission. Moreover, production of all-male progenies by infected YY females restores a balanced sex ratio at the host population level. This suggests that blocking of Wolbachia transmission by YY females may have evolved to suppress feminization, thereby offering a whole new perspective on the evolutionary interplay between microbial symbionts and host sex chromosomes.}, }
@article {pmid31599711, year = {2019}, author = {Nainu, F and Trenerry, A and Johnson, KN}, title = {Wolbachia-mediated antiviral protection is cell-autonomous.}, journal = {The Journal of general virology}, volume = {100}, number = {11}, pages = {1587-1592}, doi = {10.1099/jgv.0.001342}, pmid = {31599711}, issn = {1465-2099}, abstract = {Vector-borne viral diseases pose significant risks to human health. To control the transmission of these viruses, a number of approaches are required. The ability of the intracellular bacteria Wolbachia to limit viral accumulation and transmission in some arthropod hosts, highlights its potential as a biocontrol agent. Whilst Wolbachia can reduce the transmission of several epidemiologically important viruses, protection is not consistent amongst all insects, viruses and strains of Wolbachia, which confounds elucidation of the mechanisms that underly this protection. Evidence of different mechanisms has emerged, but is not always consistent, suggesting the tripartite interaction may be complex. Here we provide evidence that Wolbachia-mediated antiviral protection is dependent on the presence of Wolbachia in individual cells, and cannot be conferred to surrounding cells. Our results suggest that protection is cell-autonomous, and this has several mechanistic implications, which can direct future research.}, }
@article {pmid31596462, year = {2019}, author = {Wang, X and Xiong, X and Cao, W and Zhang, C and Werren, JH and Wang, X}, title = {Genome Assembly of the A-Group Wolbachia in Nasonia oneida Using Linked-Reads Technology.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {11}, number = {10}, pages = {3008-3013}, pmid = {31596462}, issn = {1759-6653}, abstract = {Wolbachia are obligate intracellular bacteria which commonly infect various nematode and arthropod species. Genome sequences have been generated from arthropod samples following enrichment for the intracellular bacteria, and genomes have also been assembled from arthropod whole-genome sequencing projects. However, these methods remain challenging for infections that occur at low titers in hosts. Here we report the first Wolbachia genome assembled from host sequences using 10× Genomics linked-reads technology. The high read depth attainable by this method allows for recovery of intracellular bacteria that are at low concentrations. Based on the depth differences (714× for the insect and 59× for the bacterium), we assembled the genome of a Wolbachia in the parasitoid jewel wasp species Nasonia oneida. The final draft assembly consists of 1,293, 06 bp in 47 scaffolds with 1,114 coding genes and 97.01% genome completeness assessed by checkM. Comparisons of the five Multi Locus Sequence Typing genes revealed that the sequenced Wolbachia genome is the A1 strain (henceforth wOneA1) previously reported in N. oneida. Pyrosequencing confirms that the wasp strain lacks A2 and B types previously detected in this insect, which were likely lost during laboratory culturing. Assembling bacterial genomes from host genome projects can provide an effective method for sequencing bacterial genomes, even when the infections occur at low density in sampled tissues.}, }
@article {pmid31596027, year = {2019}, author = {Bing, XL and Lu, YJ and Xia, CB and Xia, X and Hong, XY}, title = {Transcriptome of Tetranychus urticae embryos reveals insights into Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility.}, journal = {Insect molecular biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/imb.12620}, pmid = {31596027}, issn = {1365-2583}, support = {31672035//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 31871976//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, abstract = {The endosymbiont Wolbachia is known for manipulating host reproduction in selfish ways. However, the molecular mechanisms have not yet been investigated in embryos. Here, we found that Wolbachia had no effect on the number of deposited eggs in Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) but caused two types of reproductive manipulation: killing uninfected female embryos via cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and increasing the hatching ratio of infected female embryos. RNA sequencing analyses showed that 145 genes were differentially expressed between Wolbachia-infected (WI) and Wolbachia-uninfected (WU) embryos. Wolbachia infection down-regulated messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of glutathione S-transferase that could buffer oxidative stress. In addition, 1613 and 294 genes were identified as CI-specific up-/down-regulated genes. Compared to WU and WI embryos, embryos of CI cross strongly expressed genes involved in transcription, translation, tissue morphogenesis, DNA damage and mRNA surveillance. In contrast, most of the genes associated with energy production and metabolism were down-regulated in the CI embryos compared to the WU and WI embryos, which provides some clues as to the cause of death of CI embryos. These results identify several genes that could be candidates for explaining Wolbachia-induced CI. Our data form a basis to help elucidate the molecular consequences of CI in embryos.}, }
@article {pmid31595328, year = {2019}, author = {Li, F and Li, P and Hua, H and Hou, M and Wang, F}, title = {Diversity, Tissue Localization, and Infection Pattern of Bacterial Symbionts of the White-Backed Planthopper, Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-019-01433-4}, pmid = {31595328}, issn = {1432-184X}, support = {2018YFD0200300//National Key R&amp;D Project of China/ ; 31371951//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, abstract = {The white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera (Horváth), is a destructive pest of rice. Bacterial symbionts play an important role in insect hosts, especially hemipteran hosts. This study was designed to examine the bacterial symbionts of the WBPH using 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. A total of 63 and 177 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified in females and males of three WBPH populations, respectively. These OTUs included bacteria of 75 genera from 11 phyla, where Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Asaia were the dominant genera, accounting for over 97.99% of all the symbiotic bacteria. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detected Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Asaia in the salivary glands, guts, testes, and eggs of the WBPH, indicating the potential for both horizontal and vertical transmission. Moreover, the infection pattern of the three dominant bacterial symbionts was detected in six WBPH populations. The frequencies of Wolbachia infection of females and Cardinium infection of both sexes were over 96.7%. Wolbachia infection of males ranged between 46.7 and 63.3%, which was significantly lower than that observed for females. Asaia infection of both sexes varied substantially among the populations. These results indicate that the complex host-symbiotic bacteria interaction is influenced by host sex and geographical origin and potentially by the transmission modes of the symbionts.}, }
@article {pmid31592190, year = {2019}, author = {Reynolds, LA and Hornett, EA and Jiggins, CD and Hurst, GDD}, title = {Suppression of Wolbachia-mediated male-killing in the butterfly Hypolimnas bolina involves a single genomic region.}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {7}, number = {}, pages = {e7677}, pmid = {31592190}, issn = {2167-8359}, abstract = {Background: Sex ratio distorting agents (maternally inherited symbionts and meiotically-driving sex chromosomes) are common in insects. When these agents rise to high frequencies they create strong population sex ratio bias and selection then favours mutations that act to restore the rare sex. Despite this strong selection pressure, the evolution of mutations that suppress sex ratio distorting elements appears to be constrained in many cases, where sex-biased populations persist for many generations. This scenario has been observed in the butterfly Hypolimnas bolina, where Wolbachia-mediated male killing endured for 800-1,000 generations across multiple populations before the evolution of suppression. Here we test the hypothesis that this evolutionary lag is the result of suppression being a multilocus trait requiring multiple mutations.<br><br>Methods: We developed genetic markers, based on conservation of synteny, for each H. bolina chromosome and verified coverage using recombinational mapping. We then used a Wolbachia-infected mapping family to assess each chromosome for the presence of loci required for male survival, as determined by the presence of markers in all surviving sons.<br><br>Results: Informative markers were obtained for each of the 31 chromosomes in H. bolina. The only marker that cosegregated with suppression was located on chromosome 25. A genomic region necessary for suppression has previously been located on this chromosome. We therefore conclude that a single genomic region of the H. bolina genome is necessary for male-killing suppression.<br><br>Discussion: The evolutionary lag observed in our system is not caused by a need for changes at multiple genomic locations. The findings favour hypotheses in which either multiple mutations are required within a single genomic region, or the suppressor mutation is a singularly rare event.}, }
@article {pmid31568486, year = {2019}, author = {Voronin, D and Schnall, E and Grote, A and Jawahar, S and Ali, W and Unnasch, TR and Ghedin, E and Lustigman, S}, title = {Pyruvate produced by Brugia spp. via glycolysis is essential for maintaining the mutualistic association between the parasite and its endosymbiont, Wolbachia.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {15}, number = {9}, pages = {e1008085}, pmid = {31568486}, issn = {1553-7374}, support = {R56 AI118936/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; T32 AI007180/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; F31 AI131527/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Human parasitic nematodes are the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) and onchocerciasis (river blindness), diseases that are endemic to more than 80 countries and that consistently rank in the top ten for the highest number of years lived with disability. These filarial nematodes have evolved an obligate mutualistic association with an intracellular bacterium, Wolbachia, a symbiont that is essential for the successful development, reproduction, and survival of adult filarial worms. Elimination of the bacteria causes adult worms to die, making Wolbachia a primary target for developing new interventional tools to combat filariases. To further explore Wolbachia as a promising indirect macrofilaricidal drug target, the essential cellular processes that define the symbiotic Wolbachia-host interactions need to be identified. Genomic analyses revealed that while filarial nematodes encode all the enzymes necessary for glycolysis, Wolbachia does not encode the genes for three glycolytic enzymes: hexokinase, 6-phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase. These enzymes are necessary for converting glucose into pyruvate. Wolbachia, however, has the full complement of genes required for gluconeogenesis starting with pyruvate, and for energy metabolism via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Therefore, we hypothesized that Wolbachia might depend on host glycolysis to maintain a mutualistic association with their parasitic host. We did conditional experiments in vitro that confirmed that glycolysis and its end-product, pyruvate, sustain this symbiotic relationship. Analysis of alternative sources of pyruvate within the worm indicated that the filarial lactate dehydrogenase could also regulate the local intracellular concentration of pyruvate in proximity to Wolbachia and thus help control bacterial growth via molecular interactions with the bacteria. Lastly, we have shown that the parasite's pyruvate kinase, the enzyme that performs the last step in glycolysis, could be a potential novel anti-filarial drug target. Establishing that glycolysis is an essential component of symbiosis in filarial worms could have a broader impact on research focused on other intracellular bacteria-host interactions where the role of glycolysis in supporting intracellular survival of bacteria has been reported.}, }
@article {pmid31568480, year = {2019}, author = {Gawande, SJ and Anandhan, S and Ingle, A and Roylawar, P and Khandagale, K and Gawai, T and Jacobson, A and Asokan, R and Singh, M}, title = {Microbiome profiling of the onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {9}, pages = {e0223281}, pmid = {31568480}, issn = {1932-6203}, abstract = {The gut microbial community structure of adult Thrips tabaci collected from 10 different agro-climatically diverse locations of India was characterized by using the Illumina MiSeq platform to amplify the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene of bacteria present in the sampled insects. Analyses were performed to study the bacterial communities associated with Thrips tabaci in India. The complete bacterial metagenome of T. tabaci was comprised of 1662 OTUs of which 62.25% belong to known and 37.7% of unidentified/unknown bacteria. These OTUs constituted 21 bacterial phyla of 276 identified genera. Phylum Proteobacteria was predominant, followed by Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria. Additionally, the occurrence of the reproductive endosymbiont, Wolbachia was detected at two locations (0.56%) of the total known OTUs. There is high variation in diversity and species richness among the different locations. Alpha-diversity metrics indicated the higher gut bacterial diversity at Bangalore and lowest at Rahuri whereas higher bacterial species richness at T. tabaci samples from Imphal and lowest at Jhalawar. Beta diversity analyses comparing bacterial communities between the samples showed distinct differences in bacterial community composition of T. tabaci samples from different locations. This paper also constitutes the first record of detailed bacterial communities associated with T. tabaci. The location-wise variation in microbial metagenome profile of T. tabaci suggests that bacterial diversity might be governed by its population genetic structure, environment and habitat.}, }
@article {pmid31566662, year = {2019}, author = {Detcharoen, M and Arthofer, W and Schlick-Steiner, BC and Steiner, FM}, title = {Wolbachia megadiversity: 99% of these microorganismic manipulators unknown.}, journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology}, volume = {95}, number = {11}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiz151}, pmid = {31566662}, issn = {1574-6941}, abstract = {Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria) are the most widespread endosymbionts of arthropods, manipulating their hosts by various means to maximize the number of host individuals infected. Based on quantitative analyzes of the published literature from Web of Science® and of DNA sequences of arthropod-hosted Wolbachia from GenBank, we made plausible that less than 1% of the expected 100 000 strains of Wolbachia in arthropods is known. Our findings suggest that more and globally better coordinated efforts in screening arthropods are needed to explore the true Wolbachia diversity and to help us understand the ecology and evolution of these host-endosymbiont interactions.}, }
@article {pmid31565105, year = {2019}, author = {Huang, K and Kelly, PJ and Zhang, J and Yang, Y and Liu, W and Kalalah, A and Wang, C}, title = {Molecular Detection of Bartonella spp. in China and St. Kitts.}, journal = {The Canadian journal of infectious diseases &amp; medical microbiology = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses et de la microbiologie medicale}, volume = {2019}, number = {}, pages = {3209013}, pmid = {31565105}, issn = {1712-9532}, abstract = {Bartonella are vector-borne hemotropic bacteria that infect a wide variety of hosts, including people. While there are PCR assays that can identify individual or groups of Bartonella, there is no reliable molecular method to simultaneously detect all species while maintaining genus specificity and sensitivity. By comparing highly conserved 16S rRNA sequences of the better-recognized Bartonella spp. on GenBank, we selected primers and probes for a genus-specific pan-Bartonella FRET-qPCR. Then, a gltA-based Bartonella PCR was established by selecting primers for a highly variable region of gltA, of which the sequenced amplicons could identify individual Bartonella spp. The pan-Bartonella FRET-qPCR did not detect negative controls (Brucella spp., Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, and Wolbachia) but reliably detected as few as two copies of the positive control (Bartonella henselae) per reaction. There was complete agreement between the pan-Bartonella FRET-qPCR and the gltA-based Bartonella PCR in detecting Bartonella in convenience test samples from China and St. Kitts: cats (26%; 81/310), Ctenocephalides felis (20%; 12/60), cattle (24%; 23/98), and donkeys (4%; 1/20). Sequencing of the gltA-based Bartonella PCR products revealed B. henselae (70%; 57/81) and B. clarridgeiae (30%; 24/81) in cats and C. felis (67%; 8/12, and 33%; 4/12, respectively) and B. bovis in cattle (23.5%; 23/98) and donkeys (4.0%; 1/24). The pan-Bartonella FRET-qPCR and gltA-based Bartonella PCR we developed are highly sensitive and specific in detecting recognized Bartonella spp. in a single reaction. The pan-Bartonella FRET-qPCR is convenient requiring no gel electrophoresis and providing copy numbers, while the gltA-based Bartonella PCR reliably differentiates individual Bartonella species. The use of these PCRs should greatly facilitate large-scale surveillance studies and the diagnosis of infections in clinical samples.}, }
@article {pmid31557154, year = {2019}, author = {Andersen, BJ and Rosa, BA and Kupritz, J and Meite, A and Serge, T and Hertz, MI and Curtis, K and King, CL and Mitreva, M and Fischer, PU and Weil, GJ}, title = {Systems analysis-based assessment of post-treatment adverse events in lymphatic filariasis.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {9}, pages = {e0007697}, pmid = {31557154}, issn = {1935-2735}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a neglected tropical disease, and the Global Program to Eliminate LF delivers mass drug administration (MDA) to 500 million people every year. Adverse events (AEs) are common after LF treatment.<br><br>To better understand the pathogenesis of AEs, we studied LF-patients from a treatment trial. Plasma levels of many filarial antigens increased post-treatment in individuals with AEs, and this is consistent with parasite death. Circulating immune complexes were not elevated in these participants, and the classical complement cascade was not activated. Multiple cytokines increased after treatment in persons with AEs. A transcriptomic analysis was performed for nine individuals with moderate systemic AEs and nine matched controls. Differential gene expression analysis identified a significant transcriptional signature associated with post-treatment AEs; 744 genes were upregulated. The transcriptional signature was enriched for TLR and NF-κB signaling. Increased expression of seven out of the top eight genes upregulated in persons with AEs were validated by qRT-PCR, including TLR2.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first global study of changes in gene expression associated with AEs after treatment of lymphatic filariasis. Changes in cytokines were consistent with prior studies and with the RNAseq data. These results suggest that Wolbachia lipoprotein is involved in AE development, because it activates TLR2-TLR6 and downstream NF-κB. Additionally, LPS Binding Protein (LBP, which shuttles lipoproteins to TLR2) increased post-treatment in individuals with AEs. Improved understanding of the pathogenesis of AEs may lead to improved management, increased MDA compliance, and accelerated LF elimination.}, }
@article {pmid31550397, year = {2019}, author = {Bonneau, M and Caputo, B and Ligier, A and Caparros, R and Unal, S and Perriat-Sanguinet, M and Arnoldi, D and Sicard, M and Weill, M}, title = {Variation in Wolbachia cidB gene, but not cidA, is associated with cytoplasmic incompatibility mod phenotype diversity in Culex pipiens.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {28}, number = {21}, pages = {4725-4736}, pmid = {31550397}, issn = {1365-294X}, support = {ANR-16- CE02-0006-01//Agence Nationale de la Recherche/ ; }, abstract = {Endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria are, to date, considered the most widespread symbionts in arthropods and are the cornerstone of major biological control strategies. Such a high prevalence is based on the ability of Wolbachia to manipulate their hosts' reproduction. One manipulation called cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is based on the death of the embryos generated by crosses between infected males and uninfected females or between individuals infected with incompatible Wolbachia strains. CI can be seen as a modification-rescue system (or mod-resc) in which paternal Wolbachia produce mod factors, inducing embryonic defects, unless the maternal Wolbachia produce compatible resc factors. Transgenic experiments in Drosophila melanogaster and Saccharomyces cerevisiae converged towards a model where the cidB Wolbachia gene is involved in the mod function while cidA is involved in the resc function. However, as cidA expression in Drosophila males was required to observe CI, it has been proposed that cidA could be involved in both resc and mod functions. A recent correlative study in natural Culex pipiens mosquito populations has revealed an association between specific cidA and cidB variations and changes in mod phenotype, also suggesting a role for both these genes in mod diversity. Here, by studying cidA and cidB genomic repertoires of individuals from newly sampled natural C. pipiens populations harbouring wPipIV strains from North Italy, we reinforce the link between cidB variation and mod phenotype variation fostering the involvement of cidB in the mod phenotype diversity. However, no association between any cidA variants or combination of cidA variants and mod phenotype variation was observed. Taken together our results in natural C. pipiens populations do not support the involvement of cidA in mod phenotype variation.}, }
@article {pmid31550003, year = {2019}, author = {Avtzis, DN and Schebeck, M and Petsopoulos, D and Memtsas, GI and Stauffer, C and Kavallieratos, NG and Athanassiou, CG and Boukouvala, MC}, title = {New Data on the Range Expansion of the Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) 'ENA clade' in Greece: The Role of Bacterial Endosymbionts.}, journal = {Journal of economic entomology}, volume = {112}, number = {6}, pages = {2761-2766}, doi = {10.1093/jee/toz216}, pmid = {31550003}, issn = {1938-291X}, support = {I 2604/FWF_/Austrian Science Fund FWF/Austria ; P 26749/FWF_/Austrian Science Fund FWF/Austria ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Greece ; Humans ; *Moths ; *Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {The pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermüller), is an important insect in the Mediterranean region, as it defoliates pines and its urticating hairs can cause allergic reactions in humans and animals. Moreover, this species exhibits an interesting genetic structure as recently a distinct East-North African mtDNA lineage ('ENA clade') has been described. This clade has been recently detected in Greek populations where it has currently expanded its range by replacing the 'endemic' T. pityocampa lineages. Here, we report new data on the rapid spread of 'ENA clade' in the Greek island Evoia in only a few years. As the underlying mechanisms of the 'ENA clade' range expansion has not been studied so far, we screened T. pityocampa for an infection with the heritable bacterial endosymbionts Wolbachia (Bacteria: Anaplasmataceae), Cardinium (Bacteria: Bacteroidaceae), Rickettsia (Bacteria: Rickettsiaceae) and Spiroplasma (Bacteria: Spiroplasmataceae). These bacteria can manipulate the reproduction of infected hosts, something that could potentially explain the rapid spread of 'ENA clade' lineage. Therefore, we screened 28 individuals that exhibited T. pityocampa 'ENA clade' and 'endemic' T. pityocampa haplotypes from nine populations scattered all over Greece. None of them was infected with any of the four endosymbionts, suggesting that these bacteria do not cause reproductive manipulations in T. pityocampa lineages and, thus, other factors should be explored in future research efforts.}, }
@article {pmid31549736, year = {2019}, author = {Ogawa, M and Takahashi, M and Matsutani, M and Takada, N and Noda, S and Saijo, M}, title = {Obligate intracellular bacteria diversity in unfed Leptotrombidium scutellare larvae highlights novel bacterial endosymbionts of mites.}, journal = {Microbiology and immunology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1348-0421.12745}, pmid = {31549736}, issn = {1348-0421}, support = {//&quot;OSIMO&quot; Foundation (Japan)/ ; }, abstract = {It is well known that the mite Leptotrombidium scutellare carries the pathogen of scrub typhus, Orientia tsutsugamushi. However, our understanding of other bacterial endosymbionts of mites is limited. This study investigated the diversity of the obligate intracellular bacteria carried by L. scutellare using 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis with next-generation sequencing. The results showed that the detected bacteria were classified into the genera Rickettsia, Wolbachia, and Rickettsiella and an unknown genus of the order Rickettsiales. For further classification of the detected bacteria, a representative read that was most closely related to the assigned taxonomic classification was subjected to homology search and phylogenic analysis. The results showed that some bacteria of the genus Rickettsia were identical or very close to the human pathogens Rickettsia akari, Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Rickettsia felis, and Rickettsia australis. The genetic distance between the genus Wolbachia bacteria in the present study and in previous reports is highly indicative that the bacteria in the present study can be classified as a new taxon of Wolbachia. This study detected obligate intracellular bacteria from unfed mites; thus, the mites did not acquire bacteria from infected animals or any other infectious sources. Finally, the present study demonstrated that various and novel bacterial endosymbionts of mites, in addition to O. tsutsugamushi, might uniquely evolve with the host mites throughout overlapping generations of the mite life cycle. The roles of the bacteria in mites and their pathogenicity should be further examined in studies based on bacterial isolation.}, }
@article {pmid30596205, year = {2018}, author = {O'Neill, SL and Ryan, PA and Turley, AP and Wilson, G and Retzki, K and Iturbe-Ormaetxe, I and Dong, Y and Kenny, N and Paton, CJ and Ritchie, SA and Brown-Kenyon, J and Stanford, D and Wittmeier, N and Jewell, NP and Tanamas, SK and Anders, KL and Simmons, CP}, title = {Scaled deployment of Wolbachia to protect the community from dengue and other Aedes transmitted arboviruses.}, journal = {Gates open research}, volume = {2}, number = {}, pages = {36}, doi = {10.12688/gatesopenres.12844.3}, pmid = {30596205}, issn = {2572-4754}, abstract = {Background: A number of new technologies are under development for the control of mosquito transmitted viruses, such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika that all require the release of modified mosquitoes into the environment. None of these technologies has been able to demonstrate evidence that they can be implemented at a scale beyond small pilots. Here we report the first successful citywide scaled deployment of Wolbachia in the northern Australian city of Townsville. Methods: The wMel strain of Wolbachia was backcrossed into a local Aedes aegypti genotype and mass reared mosquitoes were deployed as eggs using mosquito release containers (MRCs). In initial stages these releases were undertaken by program staff but in later stages this was replaced by direct community release including the development of a school program that saw children undertake releases. Mosquito monitoring was undertaken with Biogents Sentinel (BGS) traps and individual mosquitoes were screened for the presence of Wolbachia with a Taqman qPCR or LAMP diagnostic assay. Dengue case notifications from Queensland Health Communicable Disease Branch were used to track dengue cases in the city before and after release. Results: Wolbachia was successfully established into local Ae. aegypti mosquitoes across 66 km 2 in four stages over 28 months with full community support. A feature of the program was the development of a scaled approach to community engagement. Wolbachia frequencies have remained stable since deployment and to date no local dengue transmission has been confirmed in any area of Townsville after Wolbachia has established, despite local transmission events every year for the prior 13 years and an epidemiological context of increasing imported cases. Conclusion: Deployment of Wolbachia into Ae. aegypti populations can be readily scaled to areas of ~60km 2 quickly and cost effectively and appears in this context to be effective at stopping local dengue transmission.}, }
@article {pmid31534674, year = {2019}, author = {Sanaei, E and Husemann, M and Seiedy, M and Rethwisch, M and Tuda, M and Toshova, TB and Kim, MJ and Atanasova, D and Kim, I}, title = {Global genetic diversity, lineage distribution, and Wolbachia infection of the alfalfa weevil Hypera postica (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {17}, pages = {9546-9563}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.5474}, pmid = {31534674}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {The alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica) is a well-known example of a worldwide-distributed pest with high genetic variation. Based on the mitochondrial genes, the alfalfa weevil clusters into two main mitochondrial lineages. However, there is no clear picture of the global diversity and distribution of these lineages; neither the drivers of its diversification are known. However, it appears likely that historic demographic events including founder effects played a role. In addition, Wolbachia, a widespread intracellular parasite/symbiont, likely played an important role in the evolution of the species. Wolbachia infection so far was only detected in the Western lineage of H. postica with no information on the infecting strain, its frequency, and its consequences on the genetic diversity of the host. We here used a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear sequences of the host and sequence information on Wolbachia to document the distribution of strains and the degree of infection. The Eastern lineage has a higher genetic diversity and is found in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and eastern America, whereas the less diverse Western lineage is found in Central Europe and the western America. Both lineages are infected with the same common strain of Wolbachia belonging to Supergroup B. Based on neutrality tests, selection tests, and the current distribution and diversification of Wolbachia in H. postica, we suggested the Wolbachia infection did not shape genetic diversity of the host. The introduced populations in the United States are generally genetically less diverse, which is in line with founder effects.}, }
@article {pmid31530141, year = {2019}, author = {Dincă, V and Lee, KM and Vila, R and Mutanen, M}, title = {The conundrum of species delimitation: a genomic perspective on a mitogenetically super-variable butterfly.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {286}, number = {1911}, pages = {20191311}, pmid = {31530141}, issn = {1471-2954}, abstract = {The Palaearctic butterfly Melitaea didyma stands out as one of the most striking cases of intraspecific genetic differentiation detected in Lepidoptera: 11 partially sympatric mitochondrial lineages have been reported, displaying levels of divergence of up to 7.4%. To better understand the evolutionary processes underlying the diversity observed in mtDNA, we compared mtDNA and genome-wide SNP data using double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) results from 93 specimens of M. didyma ranging from Morocco to eastern Kazakhstan. We found that, between ddRADseq and mtDNA results, there is a match only in populations that probably remained allopatric for long periods of time. Other mtDNA lineages may have resulted from introgression events and were probably affected by Wolbachia infection. The five main ddRADseq clades supported by STRUCTURE were parapatric or allopatric and showed high pairwise FST values, but some were also estimated to display various levels of gene flow. Melitaea didyma represents one of the first cases of deep mtDNA splits among European butterflies assessed by a genome-wide DNA analysis and reveals that the interpretation of patterns remains challenging even when a high amount of genomic data is available. These findings actualize the ongoing debate of species delimitation in allopatry, an issue probably of relevance to a significant proportion of global biodiversity.}, }
@article {pmid31515862, year = {2019}, author = {Després, L}, title = {One, two or more species? Mitonuclear discordance and species delimitation.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {28}, number = {17}, pages = {3845-3847}, doi = {10.1111/mec.15211}, pmid = {31515862}, issn = {1365-294X}, abstract = {Delimiting species boundaries is central to understand ecological and evolutionary processes, and to monitor biodiversity patterns over time and space. Yet, most of our current knowledge on animal diversity and phylogeny relies on morphological and mitochondrial (mt) DNA variation, a popular molecular marker also used as a barcode to assign samples to species. For morphologically undistinguishable sympatric species (cryptic species), the congruence of several independent markers is necessary to define separate species. Nuclear markers are becoming more accessible, and have confirmed that cryptic species are widespread in all animal phyla (Fišer, Robinson, &amp; Malard, 2018). However, striking differences between the mitochondrial and nuclear variation patterns are also commonly found within single species. Mitonuclear discordance can result from incomplete lineage sorting, sex-biased dispersal, asymmetrical introgression, natural selection or Wolbachia-mediated genetic sweeps. But more generally, the distinct mode of transmission of these two types of markers (maternal vs. biparental) is sufficient to explain their distinct sensitivity to purely demographic events such as spatial range and population size fluctuations over time. In a From the Cover manuscript in this issue of Molecular Ecology, Hijonosa et al. (2019) show that highly divergent mtDNA lineages coexist in a widespread European butterfly (Figure 1). None of the hundreds of nuclear markers analyzed was associated with mt lineages, nor was Wolbachia variation. These findings rule out the presence of cryptic species but shed light on complex demographic history of lineage divergence/fusion during the Pleistocene climatic fluctuations, and pave the way to a better integration of both mt and nuclear information in demographic models.}, }
@article {pmid31513297, year = {2019}, author = {Schwartz, RA and Al-Qubati, Y and Zieleniewski, Ł and Shah, R and Kapila, R}, title = {Onchocerciasis (river blindness): larva-induced eczema (onchodermatitis) from an important oculocutaneous tropical disease spilling over into North America and Europe.}, journal = {International journal of dermatology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/ijd.14614}, pmid = {31513297}, issn = {1365-4632}, abstract = {Onchocerciasis is a leading cause of blindness in the world. It may be seen in temperate climates of the United States and Europe in immigrants and travelers from endemic regions, often linked to poverty and war. One should be aware of an incubation period that can be up to 15 months. In its early stage and throughout its course, onchocerciasis has noteworthy skin findings, facilitating diagnosis, as onchodermatitis resembles common eczema with variable degrees of papular, lichenoid, atrophic, and pigmentary alterations, features not suggestive if one is unaware of an individual's immigration and travel history. The same concept applies for the encysted worms (onchocercomas), as they tend to appear as common skin cysts and benign neoplasms. New methods can be employed to increase diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Ivermectin is the gold standard of therapy, the use of which has almost miraculously eliminated this disease from large areas of the earth. However, its effect remains isolated to microfilariae and can be devastating in those coinfected with Loa loa. Recently, the symbiotic relationship between adult worms and Wolbachia bacteria has been discovered and, with it, the possibility of adding doxycycline as a treatment option. We also discuss coinfection with HIV and other diseases.}, }
@article {pmid31507561, year = {2019}, author = {Meng, L and Li, X and Cheng, X and Zhang, H}, title = {16S rRNA Gene Sequencing Reveals a Shift in the Microbiota of Diaphorina citri During the Psyllid Life Cycle.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {1948}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2019.01948}, pmid = {31507561}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) is a major pest of citrus trees as it transmits Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). The composition of a host's microbiota can affect the evolution and ecological distribution of the host. This study monitored the compositional shifts in the citrus psyllid microbiota through all the life stages (egg, nymph 1-5 stages, and adult) by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and quantitative real-time PCR. There were clear differences in both α- and β-diversity of microbiota through the psyllid life stages. Microbiota diversity was markedly higher in the nymph 2-5 stages than in the adult, egg, and nymph 1 stages. Proteobacteria were dominant in all the life stages of D. citri, representing >97.5% of the total bacterial community, and Candidatus Profftella armature was the dominant genus in all the life stages. Data from the qPCR analysis showed an exponential increase in the populations of three D. citri endosymbionts: Candidatus Profftella armature, Candidatus Carsonella ruddii, and Wolbachia. The gut bacterium Pantoea was present in all the life stages, but it was markedly higher in the nymph 2-5 stages. The microbiota composition substantially differed among the egg-nymph 1, nymphs 2-5, and adult stages. Therefore, we successfully characterized the microbiota dynamics and thus identified a microbiota shift during the life cycle of D. citri by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and quantitative PCR. Moreover, 16S rRNA gene sequencing suggested that D. citri acquired the ability to bear CLas in the nymph 1 stage. This study enhances our understanding of microbial establishment in the developing D. citri and provides a reference resource for the identification of potential biocontrol approaches against this pest.}, }
@article {pmid31505135, year = {2019}, author = {Ross, PA and Turelli, M and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Evolutionary Ecology of Wolbachia Releases for Disease Control.}, journal = {Annual review of genetics}, volume = {53}, number = {}, pages = {93-116}, pmid = {31505135}, issn = {1545-2948}, support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; R01 GM104325/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic Alphaproteobacteria that can suppress insect-borne diseases through decreasing host virus transmission (population replacement) or through decreasing host population density (population suppression). We contrast natural Wolbachia infections in insect populations with Wolbachia transinfections in mosquitoes to gain insights into factors potentially affecting the long-term success of Wolbachia releases. Natural Wolbachia infections can spread rapidly, whereas the slow spread of transinfections is governed by deleterious effects on host fitness and demographic factors. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) generated by Wolbachia is central to both population replacement and suppression programs, but CI in nature can be variable and evolve, as can Wolbachia fitness effects and virus blocking. Wolbachia spread is also influenced by environmental factors that decrease Wolbachia titer and reduce maternal Wolbachia transmission frequency. More information is needed on the interactions between Wolbachia and host nuclear/mitochondrial genomes, the interaction between invasion success and local ecological factors, and the long-term stability of Wolbachia-mediated virus blocking.}, }
@article {pmid31504075, year = {2019}, author = {Perlmutter, JI and Bordenstein, SR and Unckless, RL and LePage, DP and Metcalf, JA and Hill, T and Martinez, J and Jiggins, FM and Bordenstein, SR}, title = {The phage gene wmk is a candidate for male killing by a bacterial endosymbiont.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {15}, number = {9}, pages = {e1007936}, doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1007936}, pmid = {31504075}, issn = {1553-7374}, support = {R21 AI133522/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 HD086833/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI132581/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R00 GM114714/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; WT094664MA/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia are the most widespread maternally-transmitted bacteria in the animal kingdom. Their global spread in arthropods and varied impacts on animal physiology, evolution, and vector control are in part due to parasitic drive systems that enhance the fitness of infected females, the transmitting sex of Wolbachia. Male killing is one common drive mechanism wherein the sons of infected females are selectively killed. Despite decades of research, the gene(s) underlying Wolbachia-induced male killing remain unknown. Here using comparative genomic, transgenic, and cytological approaches in fruit flies, we identify a candidate gene in the eukaryotic association module of Wolbachia prophage WO, termed WO-mediated killing (wmk), which transgenically causes male-specific lethality during early embryogenesis and cytological defects typical of the pathology of male killing. The discovery of wmk establishes new hypotheses for the potential role of phage genes in sex-specific lethality, including the control of arthropod pests and vectors.}, }
@article {pmid31500667, year = {2019}, author = {Fisher, ML and Levine, JF and Guy, JS and Mochizuki, H and Breen, M and Schal, C and Watson, DW}, title = {Lack of influence by endosymbiont Wolbachia on virus titer in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {436}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-019-3694-2}, pmid = {31500667}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {2016scholarship//W. M. Keck Foundation/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bedbugs/*microbiology/*virology ; Calicivirus, Feline/*growth &amp; development/*isolation &amp; purification ; *Microbial Interactions ; *Viral Load ; Wolbachia/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is an obligatory blood-feeding ectoparasite that requires a blood meal to molt and produce eggs. Their frequent biting to obtain blood meals and intimate association with humans increase the potential for disease transmission. However, despite more than 100 years of inquiry into bed bugs as potential disease vectors, they still have not been conclusively linked to any pathogen or disease. This ecological niche is extraordinarily rare, given that nearly every other blood-feeding arthropod is associated with some type of human or zoonotic disease. Bed bugs rely on the bacteria Wolbachia as an obligate endosymbiont to biosynthesize B vitamins, since they acquire a nutritionally deficient diet, but it is unknown if Wolbachia confers additional benefits to its bed bug host. In some insects, Wolbachia induces resistance to viruses such as Dengue, Chikungunya, West Nile, Drosophila C and Zika, and primes the insect immune system in other blood-feeding insects. Wolbachia might have evolved a similar role in its mutualistic association with the bed bug. In this study, we evaluated the influence of Wolbachia on virus replication within C. lectularius.<br><br>METHODS: We used feline calicivirus as a model pathogen. We fed 40 bed bugs from an established line of Wolbachia-cured and a line of Wolbachia-positive C. lectularius a virus-laden blood meal, and quantified the amount of virus over five time intervals post-feeding. The antibiotic rifampicin was used to cure bed bugs of Wolbachia.<br><br>RESULTS: There was a significant effect of time post-feeding, as the amount of virus declined by ~90% over 10 days in both groups, but no significant difference in virus titer was observed between the Wolbachia-positive and Wolbachia-cured groups.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that other mechanisms are involved in virus suppression within bed bugs, independent of the influence of Wolbachia, and our conclusions underscore the need for future research.}, }
@article {pmid31499724, year = {2019}, author = {Zheng, B and Chen, LH and Sun, QW}, title = {Analyzing the control of dengue by releasing Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes through a delay differential equation model.}, journal = {Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE}, volume = {16}, number = {5}, pages = {5531-5550}, doi = {10.3934/mbe.2019275}, pmid = {31499724}, issn = {1551-0018}, abstract = {To date, an innovative strategy to control dengue is to release Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes into wild areas to sterilize wild female mosquito vectors by cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). To investigate the efficacy of Wolbachia in blocking dengue virus transmission, we develop a deterministic mathematical model of human and mosquito populations in which one dengue serotype circulates. The delay differential equation model captures the respective extrinsic and intrinsic incu-bation periods (EIP and IIP) in the mosquito and human, as well as the maturation delay between mating and emergence of adult mosquitoes, which have received relatively little attention. We analyze the existence and stability of disease-free equilibria, and obtain a sufficient and necessary condition on the existence of the disease-endemic equilibrium. We also determine two threshold values of the release ratio $\theta$, denoted by $\theta_1^*$ and $\theta_2^*$ with $\theta_1^*>\theta_2^*$. When $\theta>\theta_1^*$, the mosquito population will be eradicated eventually. When $\theta_2^*<\theta < \theta_1^*$, a complete mosquito eradication becomes impossible, but virus eradication is ensured at the meantime. When $\theta<\theta_2^*$, the disease-endemic equilibrium emerges that allows dengue virus to circulate between humans and mosquitoes. We carry out sensitivity analysis of the threshold values in terms of the model parameters, and simulate several possible control strate-gies with different release ratios, which confirm the public awareness that reducing mosquito bites and killing adult mosquitoes are the most effective strategy to control the epidemic. Our model provides new insights on the effectiveness of Wolbachia in reducing dengue at a population level.}, }
@article {pmid31499687, year = {2019}, author = {Huang, MG and Tang, MX and Yu, JS and Zheng, B}, title = {The impact of mating competitiveness and incomplete cytoplasmic incompatibility on Wolbachia-driven mosquito population suppressio.}, journal = {Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE}, volume = {16}, number = {5}, pages = {4741-4757}, doi = {10.3934/mbe.2019238}, pmid = {31499687}, issn = {1551-0018}, abstract = {To control mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and Zika, {\it Wolbachia}-infected male mosquitoes have been released in open areas to suppress wild mosquito population driven by cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In this work, we initiate a preliminary assessment on how the CI intensity $\xi$, and the mating competitiveness $\mu$ of released males relative to wild males, impact the suppression efficacy by a delay differential equation model. Our analysis identifies a threshold CI intensity $\xi_0\in (0, 1)$ as an increasing function of the natural reproduction rate of the wild mosquitoes, and a threshold value $r^*$ for the ratio $r(t)$ between the numbers of released males and wild males. The population suppression fails when $\xi\le \xi_0$, and succeeds when $\xi>\xi_0$ and $r(t)\ge r^*$. Our analyses indicate that $\xi$ plays a more important role than $\mu$ in the population suppression. For instance, a slight decrease of $\xi$ from 1 to 0.92 is more devastating than halving $\mu$ from 1 to 0.5. In our estimation of the optimal starting date for infected male release to target a more than $95\%$ wild population reduction during the peak season of dengue in Guangzhou, we find that the optimal date is almost independent of $\mu$ but is sensitive to $\xi$. If CI is complete, then starting about two months ahead can be an optimal option for less financial and labor costs. A slight reduction in the CI intensity requires a considerably earlier starting date.}, }
@article {pmid31499668, year = {2019}, author = {Liu, YF and Sun, GW and Wang, L and Guo, ZM}, title = {Establishing Wolbachia in the wild mosquito population: The effects of wind and critical patch size.}, journal = {Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE}, volume = {16}, number = {5}, pages = {4399-4414}, doi = {10.3934/mbe.2019219}, pmid = {31499668}, issn = {1551-0018}, abstract = {Releasing mosquitoes with Wolbachia into the wild mosquito population is becoming the very promising strategy to control mosquito-borne infections. To investigate the effects of wind and critical patch size on the Wolbachia establishment in the wild mosquito population, in this paper, we propose a diffusion-reaction-advection system in a heterogeneous environment. By studying the related eigenvalue problems, we derive various conditions under which Wolbachia can fully establish in the entire wild mosquito population. Our findings may provide some useful insights on designing practical releasing strategies to control the mosquito population.}, }
@article {pmid31497407, year = {2019}, author = {Ning, SF and Zhou, JC and Liu, QQ and Zhao, Q and Dong, H}, title = {Gradual, temperature-induced change of secondary sexual characteristics in Trichogramma pretiosum infected with parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia.}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {7}, number = {}, pages = {e7567}, doi = {10.7717/peerj.7567}, pmid = {31497407}, issn = {2167-8359}, abstract = {Intersex is an intermediate stage of sexual differentiation in insects. Determining intersex morphology and the cause of its production will aid in the understanding of the mechanism of sexual differentiation in insects. In this paper, Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma pretiosum (T. preW+) that shows thelytokous parthenogenesis were used as subjects. In order to determine the causes of the T. preW+ intersex and the influence of parental generation temperature on gradual changes in secondary masculinization in intersex offspring, we examined the occurrence of intersex offspring (F1 and F2 generation) after the parental generations were treated with high temperature (27, 29, 31, and 33 °C) and described the external morphology of the intersexes. The results showed that the T. preW+ parental generation temperature is positively correlated with the probability of intersex offspring. The probability of F1 intersex is significantly higher than that of F2 intersex in different high temperature. The degree of secondary masculinization in T. preW+ intersexes increases as parental generation temperature increases. In addition, our study first identified 11 intersex types in T. preW+ and found that the primary and secondary sexual characteristics showed a regular distribution. We also found that the D type and H type of intersex have the highest frequency of appearance. The external genitalia of most intersexes were female, and only three intersex types have male external genitalia. Conclusions were ultimately obtained: Wolbachia is a direct factor that causes the occurrence of intersexes, while high temperature is an indirect factor that determines the external morphology of intersexes. The effects of high temperature on T. preW+ intersexes is passed through the parental generation to offspring, and this maternal effect weakens as the number of generations increases. In T. preW+ intersex individuals, most exhibit female primary sexual characteristics, and secondary sexual characteristics exhibit signs of masculinization.}, }
@article {pmid31496523, year = {2019}, author = {Wan Sulaiman, WA and Kamtchum-Tatuene, J and Mohamed, MH and Ramachandran, V and Ching, SM and Sazlly Lim, SM and Hashim, HZ and Inche Mat, LN and Hoo, FK and Basri, H}, title = {Anti-Wolbachia therapy for onchocerciasis &amp; lymphatic filariasis: Current perspectives.}, journal = {The Indian journal of medical research}, volume = {149}, number = {6}, pages = {706-714}, doi = {10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_454_17}, pmid = {31496523}, issn = {0971-5916}, abstract = {Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are human filarial diseases belonging to the group of neglected tropical diseases, leading to permanent and long-term disability in infected individuals in the endemic countries such as Africa and India. Microfilaricidal drugs such as ivermectin and albendazole have been used as the standard therapy in filariasis, although their efficacy in eliminating the diseases is not fully established. Anti-Wolbachia therapy employs antibiotics and is a promising approach showing potent macrofilaricidal activity and also prevents embryogenesis. This has translated to clinical benefits resulting in successful eradication of microfilarial burden, thus averting the risk of adverse events from target species as well as those due to co-infection with loiasis. Doxycycline shows potential as an anti-Wolbachia treatment, leading to the death of adult parasitic worms. It is readily available, cheap and safe to use in adult non-pregnant patients. Besides doxycycline, several other potential antibiotics are also being investigated for the treatment of LF and onchocerciasis. This review aims to discuss and summarise recent developments in the use of anti-Wolbachia drugs to treat onchocerciasis and LF.}, }
@article {pmid31495336, year = {2019}, author = {O'Reilly, KM and Hendrickx, E and Kharisma, DD and Wilastonegoro, NN and Carrington, LB and Elyazar, IRF and Kucharski, AJ and Lowe, R and Flasche, S and Pigott, DM and Reiner, RC and Edmunds, WJ and Hay, SI and Yakob, L and Shepard, DS and Brady, OJ}, title = {Estimating the burden of dengue and the impact of release of wMel Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Indonesia: a modelling study.}, journal = {BMC medicine}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, pages = {172}, doi = {10.1186/s12916-019-1396-4}, pmid = {31495336}, issn = {1741-7015}, support = {206471/Z/17/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 206250/Z/17/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 208812/Z/17/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Cost of Illness ; Dengue/epidemiology/*prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Dengue Virus ; Humans ; Indonesia/epidemiology ; *Models, Theoretical ; Pest Control, Biological/*methods ; *Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes reduce dengue virus transmission, and city-wide releases in Yogyakarta city, Indonesia, are showing promising entomological results. Accurate estimates of the burden of dengue, its spatial distribution and the potential impact of Wolbachia are critical in guiding funder and government decisions on its future wider use.<br><br>METHODS: Here, we combine multiple modelling methods for burden estimation to predict national case burden disaggregated by severity and map the distribution of burden across the country using three separate data sources. An ensemble of transmission models then predicts the estimated reduction in dengue transmission following a nationwide roll-out of wMel Wolbachia.<br><br>RESULTS: We estimate that 7.8 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 1.8-17.7 million) symptomatic dengue cases occurred in Indonesia in 2015 and were associated with 332,865 (UI 94,175-754,203) lost disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The majority of dengue's burden was due to non-severe cases that did not seek treatment or were challenging to diagnose in outpatient settings leading to substantial underreporting. Estimated burden was highly concentrated in a small number of large cities with 90% of dengue cases occurring in 15.3% of land area. Implementing a nationwide Wolbachia population replacement programme was estimated to avert 86.2% (UI 36.2-99.9%) of cases over a long-term average.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest interventions targeted to the highest burden cities can have a disproportionate impact on dengue burden. Area-wide interventions, such as Wolbachia, that are deployed based on the area covered could protect people more efficiently than individual-based interventions, such as vaccines, in such dense environments.}, }
@article {pmid31491378, year = {2019}, author = {Zheng, Y and Shen, W and Bi, J and Chen, MY and Wang, RF and Ai, H and Wang, YF}, title = {Small RNA analysis provides new insights into cytoplasmic incompatibility in Drosophila melanogaster induced by Wolbachia.}, journal = {Journal of insect physiology}, volume = {118}, number = {}, pages = {103938}, doi = {10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103938}, pmid = {31491378}, issn = {1879-1611}, abstract = {Wolbachia is a genus of endosymbiotic bacteria that induce a wide range of effects on their insect hosts. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is the most common phenotype mediated by Wolbachia and results in embryonic lethality when Wolbachia-infected males mate with uninfected females. Studies have revealed that bacteria can regulate many cellular processes in their hosts using small non-coding RNAs, so we investigated the involvement of small RNAs (sRNAs) in CI. Comparison of sRNA libraries between Wolbachia-infected and uninfected Drosophila melanogaster testes revealed 18 novel microRNAs (miRNAs), of which 12 were expressed specifically in Wolbachia-infected flies and one specifically in Wolbachia-uninfected flies. Furthermore, ten miRNAs showed differential expression, with four upregulated and six downregulated in Wolbachia-infected flies. Of the upregulated miRNAs, nov-miR-12 exhibited the highest upregulation in the testes of D. melanogaster. We then identified pipsqueak (psq) as the target gene of nov-miR-12 with the greatest complementarity in its 3' untranslated region (UTR). Wolbachia infection was correlated with reduced psq expression in D. melanogaster, and luciferase assays demonstrated that nov-miR-12 could downregulate psq through binding to its 3'UTR region. Knockdown of psq in Wolbachia-free fly testes significantly reduced egg hatching rate and mimicked the cellular abnormalities of Wolbachia-induced CI in embryos, including asynchronous nuclear division, chromatin bridging, and chromatin fragmentation. These results suggest that Wolbachia may induce CI in insect hosts by miRNA-mediated changes in host gene expression. Moreover, these findings reveal a potential molecular strategy for elucidating the complex interactions between endosymbionts and their insect hosts, such as Wolbachia-driven CI.}, }
@article {pmid31488182, year = {2019}, author = {Rohde, BB and Staunton, KM and Zeak, NC and Beebe, N and Snoad, N and Bondarenco, A and Liddington, C and Anderson, JA and Xiang, W and Mankin, RW and Ritchie, SA}, title = {Waterproof, low-cost, long-battery-life sound trap for surveillance of male Aedes aegypti for rear-and-release mosquito control programmes.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {417}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-019-3647-9}, pmid = {31488182}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {DGE 1315138//National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Sterile male rear-and-release programmes are of growing interest for controlling Aedes aegypti, including use an &quot;incompatible insect technique&quot; (IIT) to suppress transmission of dengue, Zika, and other viruses. Under IIT, males infected with Wolbachia are released into the suppression area to induce cytoplasmic incompatibility in uninfected populations. These and similar mosquito-release programmes require cost-effective field surveys of both sexes to optimize the locations, timing, and quantity of releases. Unfortunately, traps that sample male Ae. aegypti effectively are expensive and usually require mains power. Recently, an electronic lure was developed that attracts males using a 484 Hz sinusoidal tone mimicking the female wingbeat frequencies, broadcast in a 120 s on/off cycle. When deployed in commercially available gravid Aedes traps (GATs), the new combination, sound-GAT (SGAT), captures both males and females effectively. Given its success, there is interest in optimizing SGAT to reduce cost and power usage while maximizing catch rates.<br><br>METHODS: Options considered in this study included use of a smaller, lower-power microcontroller (Tiny) with either the original or a lower-cost speaker (lcS). A 30 s on/off cycle was tested in addition to the original 120 s cycle to minimize the potential that the longer cycle induced habituation. The original SGAT was compared against other traps incorporating the Tiny-based lures for mosquito capture in a large semi-field cage. The catch rates in waterproofed versions of this trap were then compared with catch rates in standard [BG-Sentinel 2 (BGS 2); Biogents AG, Regensburg, Germany] traps during an IIT field study in the Innisfail region of Queensland, Australia in 2017.<br><br>RESULTS: The system with a low-power microcontroller and low-cost speaker playing a 30 s tone (Tiny-lcS-30s) caught the highest proportion of males. The mean proportions of males caught in a semi-field cage were not significantly different among the original design and the four low-power, low-cost versions of the SGAT. During the IIT field study, the waterproofed version of the highest-rated, Tiny-lcS-30s SGAT captured male Ae. aegypti at similar rates as co-located BGS-2 traps.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Power- and cost-optimized, waterproofed versions of male Ae. aegypti acoustic lures in GATs are now available for field use in areas with sterile male mosquito rear-and-release programmes.}, }
@article {pmid31481018, year = {2019}, author = {Christensen, S and Camacho, M and Sharmin, Z and Momtaz, AJMZ and Perez, L and Navarro, G and Triana, J and Samarah, H and Turelli, M and Serbus, LR}, title = {Quantitative methods for assessing local and bodywide contributions to Wolbachia titer in maternal germline cells of Drosophila.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, pages = {206}, doi = {10.1186/s12866-019-1579-3}, pmid = {31481018}, issn = {1471-2180}, support = {R01 GM104325/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; 1656811//Division of Integrative Organismal Systems/ ; startup fund//Florida International University/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Little is known about how bacterial endosymbionts colonize host tissues. Because many insect endosymbionts are maternally transmitted, egg colonization is critical for endosymbiont success. Wolbachia bacteria, carried by approximately half of all insect species, provide an excellent model for characterizing endosymbiont infection dynamics. To date, technical limitations have precluded stepwise analysis of germline colonization by Wolbachia. It is not clear to what extent titer-altering effects are primarily mediated by growth rates of Wolbachia within cell lineages or migration of Wolbachia between cells.<br><br>RESULTS: The objective of this work is to inform mechanisms of germline colonization through use of optimized methodology. The approaches are framed in terms of nutritional impacts on Wolbachia. Yeast-rich diets in particular have been shown to suppress Wolbachia titer in the Drosophila melanogaster germline. To determine the extent of Wolbachia sensitivity to diet, we optimized 3-dimensional, multi-stage quantification of Wolbachia titer in maternal germline cells. Technical and statistical validation confirmed the identity of Wolbachia in vivo, the reproducibility of Wolbachia quantification and the statistical power to detect these effects. The data from adult feeding experiments demonstrated that germline Wolbachia titer is distinctly sensitive to yeast-rich host diets in late oogenesis. To investigate the physiological basis for these nutritional impacts, we optimized methodology for absolute Wolbachia quantification by real-time qPCR. We found that yeast-rich diets exerted no significant effect on bodywide Wolbachia titer, although ovarian titers were significantly reduced. This suggests that host diets affects Wolbachia distribution between the soma and late stage germline cells. Notably, relative qPCR methods distorted apparent wsp abundance, due to altered host DNA copy number in yeast-rich conditions. This highlights the importance of absolute quantification data for testing mechanistic hypotheses.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that absolute quantification of Wolbachia, using well-controlled cytological and qPCR-based methods, creates new opportunities to determine how bacterial abundance within the germline relates to bacterial distribution within the body. This methodology can be applied to further test germline infection dynamics in response to chemical treatments, genetic conditions, new host/endosymbiont combinations, or potentially adapted to analyze other cell and tissue types.}, }
@article {pmid31471686, year = {2019}, author = {Li, Y and Liu, X and Guo, H}, title = {Population Dynamics of Wolbachia in Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén) Under Successive Stress of Antibiotics.}, journal = {Current microbiology}, volume = {76}, number = {11}, pages = {1306-1312}, doi = {10.1007/s00284-019-01762-0}, pmid = {31471686}, issn = {1432-0991}, support = {31672027//the National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; cx(16)1001//the Independent Innovation Fund of Agricultural Science and Technology in Jiangsu province, China/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology ; Biodiversity ; Female ; Hemiptera/*microbiology ; Male ; Tetracycline/*pharmacology ; Wolbachia/*drug effects/growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia are the most common symbionts in arthropods; antibiotic treatment for eliminating the symbionts from their host is necessary to investigate the functions. Tetracycline antibiotics are widely used to remove endosymbiont Wolbachia from insect hosts. However, very little has been known on the effects of tetracycline on population size of Wolbachia in small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén), an important insect pest of rice in Asia. Here, we investigated the dynamics of Wolbachia population density in females and males of L. striatellus by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method. The Wolbachia density in females and males of L. striatellus all declined sharply after treatment with 2 mg/mL tetracycline for one generation, and continued to decrease to a level which could not be detected by both qPCR and diagnostic PCR after treated for another generation, then maintained at 0 in the following three generations with continuous antibiotic treatment. Wolbachia infection did not recover in L. striatellus after stopping tetracycline treatment for ten generations. This is the first report to precisely monitor the population dynamics of Wolbachia in L. striatellus during successive tetracycline treatment and after that. The results provide a useful method for evaluating the efficiency of artificial operation of endosymbionts.}, }
@article {pmid31469838, year = {2019}, author = {Jiménez, NE and Gerdtzen, ZP and Olivera-Nappa, Á and Salgado, JC and Conca, C}, title = {A systems biology approach for studying Wolbachia metabolism reveals points of interaction with its host in the context of arboviral infection.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {8}, pages = {e0007678}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007678}, pmid = {31469838}, issn = {1935-2735}, mesh = {Aedes/microbiology ; Animals ; Drosophila melanogaster/microbiology ; *Host Microbial Interactions ; Hymenoptera/microbiology ; *Symbiosis ; Systems Biology/methods ; Wolbachia/*growth &amp; development/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia are alpha-proteobacteria known to infect arthropods, which are of interest for disease control since they have been associated with improved resistance to viral infection. Although several genomes for different strains have been sequenced, there is little knowledge regarding the relationship between this bacterium and their hosts, particularly on their dependency for survival. Motivated by the potential applications on disease control, we developed genome-scale models of four Wolbachia strains known to infect arthropods: wAlbB (Aedes albopictus), wVitA (Nasonia vitripennis), wMel and wMelPop (Drosophila melanogaster). The obtained metabolic reconstructions exhibit a metabolism relying mainly on amino acids for energy production and biomass synthesis. A gap analysis was performed to detect metabolic candidates which could explain the endosymbiotic nature of this bacterium, finding that amino acids, requirements for ubiquinone precursors and provisioning of metabolites such as riboflavin could play a crucial role in this relationship. This work provides a systems biology perspective for studying the relationship of Wolbachia with its host and the development of new approaches for control of the spread of arboviral diseases. This approach, where metabolic gaps are key objects of study instead of just additions to complete a model, could be applied to other endosymbiotic bacteria of interest.}, }
@article {pmid31462916, year = {2019}, author = {Ayala, D and Akone-Ella, O and Rahola, N and Kengne, P and Ngangue, MF and Mezeme, F and Makanga, BK and Nigg, M and Costantini, C and Simard, F and Prugnolle, F and Roche, B and Duron, O and Paupy, C}, title = {Natural Wolbachia infections are common in the major malaria vectors in Central Africa.}, journal = {Evolutionary applications}, volume = {12}, number = {8}, pages = {1583-1594}, doi = {10.1111/eva.12804}, pmid = {31462916}, issn = {1752-4571}, abstract = {During the last decade, the endosymbiont bacterium Wolbachia has emerged as a biological tool for vector disease control. However, for long time, it was believed that Wolbachia was absent in natural populations of Anopheles. The recent discovery that species within the Anopheles gambiae complex host Wolbachia in natural conditions has opened new opportunities for malaria control research in Africa. Here, we investigated the prevalence and diversity of Wolbachia infection in 25 African Anopheles species in Gabon (Central Africa). Our results revealed the presence of Wolbachia in 16 of these species, including the major malaria vectors in this area. The infection prevalence varied greatly among species, confirming that sample size is a key factor to detect the infection. Moreover, our sequencing and phylogenetic analyses showed the important diversity of Wolbachia strains that infect Anopheles. Co-evolutionary analysis unveiled patterns of Wolbachia transmission within some Anopheles species, suggesting that past independent acquisition events were followed by co-cladogenesis. The large diversity of Wolbachia strains that infect natural populations of Anopheles offers a promising opportunity to select suitable phenotypes for suppressing Plasmodium transmission and/or manipulating Anopheles reproduction, which in turn could be used to reduce the malaria burden in Africa.}, }
@article {pmid31462331, year = {2019}, author = {Shi, C and Beller, L and Deboutte, W and Yinda, KC and Delang, L and Vega-Rúa, A and Failloux, AB and Matthijnssens, J}, title = {Stable distinct core eukaryotic viromes in different mosquito species from Guadeloupe, using single mosquito viral metagenomics.}, journal = {Microbiome}, volume = {7}, number = {1}, pages = {121}, doi = {10.1186/s40168-019-0734-2}, pmid = {31462331}, issn = {2049-2618}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Mosquitoes are the most important invertebrate viral vectors in humans and harbor a high diversity of understudied viruses, which has been shown in many mosquito virome studies in recent years. These studies generally performed metagenomics sequencing on pools of mosquitoes, without assessment of the viral diversity in individual mosquitoes. To address this issue, we applied our optimized viral metagenomics protocol (NetoVIR) to compare the virome of single and pooled Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes collected from different locations in Guadeloupe, in 2016 and 2017.<br><br>RESULTS: The total read number and viral reads proportion of samples containing a single mosquito have no significant difference compared with those of pools containing five mosquitoes, which proved the feasibility of using single mosquito for viral metagenomics. A comparative analysis of the virome revealed a higher abundance and more diverse eukaryotic virome in Aedes aegypti, whereas Culex quinquefasciatus harbors a richer and more diverse phageome. The majority of the identified eukaryotic viruses were mosquito-species specific. We further characterized the genomes of 11 novel eukaryotic viruses. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analyses of the six most abundant eukaryotic viruses indicated that the majority of individual mosquitoes were infected by several of the selected viruses with viral genome copies per mosquito ranging from 267 to 1.01 × 108 (median 7.5 × 106) for Ae. aegypti and 192 to 8.69 × 106 (median 4.87 × 104) for Cx. quinquefasciatus. Additionally, in Cx. quinquefasciatus, a number of phage contigs co-occurred with several marker genes of Wolbachia sp. strain wPip.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We firstly demonstrate the feasibility to use single mosquito for viral metagenomics, which can provide much more precise virome profiles of mosquito populations. Interspecific comparisons show striking differences in abundance and diversity between the viromes of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus. Those two mosquito species seem to have their own relatively stable &quot;core eukaryotic virome&quot;, which might have important implications for the competence to transmit important medically relevant arboviruses. The presence of Wolbachia in Cx. quinquefasciatus might explain (1) the lower overall viral load compared to Ae. aegypti, (2) the identification of multiple unknown phage contigs, and (3) the difference in competence for important human pathogens. How these viruses, phages, and bacteria influence the physiology and vector competence of mosquito hosts warrants further research.}, }
@article {pmid31451771, year = {2019}, author = {Ford, SA and Allen, SL and Ohm, JR and Sigle, LT and Sebastian, A and Albert, I and Chenoweth, SF and McGraw, EA}, title = {Selection on Aedes aegypti alters Wolbachia-mediated dengue virus blocking and fitness.}, journal = {Nature microbiology}, volume = {4}, number = {11}, pages = {1832-1839}, doi = {10.1038/s41564-019-0533-3}, pmid = {31451771}, issn = {2058-5276}, support = {APP1103804//Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)/ ; }, abstract = {The dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses are transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti and pose a substantial threat to global public health. Current vaccines and mosquito control strategies have limited efficacy, so novel interventions are needed1,2. Wolbachia are bacteria that inhabit insect cells and have been found to reduce viral infection-a phenotype that is referred to as viral 'blocking'3. Although not naturally found in A. aegypti4, Wolbachia were stably introduced into this mosquito in 20114,5 and were shown to reduce the transmission potential of dengue, Zika and chikungunya6,7. Subsequent field trials showed Wolbachia's ability to spread through A. aegypti populations and reduce the local incidence of dengue fever8. Despite these successes, the evolutionary stability of viral blocking is unknown. Here, we utilized artificial selection to reveal genetic variation in the mosquito that affects Wolbachia-mediated dengue blocking. We found that mosquitoes exhibiting weaker blocking also have reduced fitness, suggesting the potential for natural selection to maintain blocking. We also identified A. aegypti genes that affect blocking strength, shedding light on a possible mechanism for the trait. These results will inform the use of Wolbachia as biocontrol agents against mosquito-borne viruses and direct further research into measuring and improving their efficacy.}, }
@article {pmid31442887, year = {2019}, author = {Genchi, M and Vismarra, A and Lucchetti, C and Viglietti, A and Crosara, S and Gnudi, G and Quintavalla, C and Schaper, R and Kramer, L}, title = {Efficacy of imidacloprid 10%/moxidectin 2.5% spot on (Advocate®, Advantage Multi®) and doxycycline for the treatment of natural Dirofilaria immitis infections in dogs.}, journal = {Veterinary parasitology}, volume = {273}, number = {}, pages = {11-16}, doi = {10.1016/j.vetpar.2019.07.011}, pmid = {31442887}, issn = {1873-2550}, mesh = {Animals ; Antigens, Helminth/blood ; Arsenicals/therapeutic use ; Dirofilaria immitis ; Dirofilariasis/*drug therapy ; Dog Diseases/drug therapy ; Dogs ; Doxycycline/*therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Filaricides/therapeutic use ; Macrolides/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Neonicotinoids/*therapeutic use ; Nitro Compounds/*therapeutic use ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Triazines/therapeutic use ; }, abstract = {Heartworm infection (also known as dirofilariosis due to Dirofilaria immitis) in dogs causes chronic pulmonary disease that, if left untreated, can lead to right-side congestive heart failure. Currently, the only registered drug for adulticide therapy in dogs with heartworm disease (HWD) is melarsomine dihydrochloride. The recent targeting of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia, through antibiotic therapy of the infected host, has offered an interesting alternative for the treatment of HWD. Recent reports of the adulticide activity of an ivermectin/doxycycline combination protocol has lead the American Heartworm Society (AHS) to include in its guidelines that, in cases where arsenical therapy is not possible or is contraindicated, a monthly heartworm preventive along with doxycycline for a 4-week period might be considered. In the present study, 20 dogs with confirmed natural D. immitis infection were included following owner consent. Fourteen dogs were treated with a topical formulation containing 10% w/v imidacloprid and 2.5% w/v moxidectin (Advocate®, Advantage Multi®, Bayer), monthly for nine months, associated to doxycycline (10 mg/kg/BID) for the first 30 days. Six dogs were treated with melarsomine (Immiticide®, Merial) (2.5 mg/kg) at enrollment, followed one month later by two injections 24 h apart. The presence of circulating antigens and the number of microfilariae (mf) were evaluated at the moment of enrollment and then at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 18, 24 months post enrollment. Echocardiogram and radiographs were performed at month 0, 6, 12, 18, 24. Monthly moxidectin combined with 30 days of doxycycline eliminated circulating microfilariae within one month, thus breaking the transmission cycle very quickly. Furthermore, dogs treated with the combination protocol started to become negative for circulating antigens at 4 months from the beginning of treatment and all except one were antigen negative at 9 months. All dogs treated with melarsomine were antigen negative by 5 months from the beginning of the treatment. No dogs showed worsening of pulmonary patterns or criteria indicative of pulmonary hypertension 12 to 24 months after. For the criteria mf concentration, antigen concentration, radiography and echocardiography at 12, 18 and 24 months the non-inferiority for the moxidectin group could be proven for a non-inferiority margin of 15% for the rate difference. Dogs treated with moxidectin and doxycycline became negative for microfilariae and antigens sooner when compared to melarsomine in the present study and to dogs treated with doxycycline combined with ivermectin in studies previously published.}, }
@article {pmid31442178, year = {2019}, author = {Cohnstaedt, LW and Alfonso-Parra, C}, title = {2018 Highlights of Mosquito and Vector Biology and Control in Latin America.}, journal = {Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association}, volume = {35}, number = {1}, pages = {40-46}, doi = {10.2987/18-6769.1}, pmid = {31442178}, issn = {1943-6270}, abstract = {The 28th Annual Latin American Symposium presented by the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) was held as part of the 84th Annual Meeting of the AMCA held in Kansas City, MO, in February 2018. The Latin American Symposium promotes the participation of vector control specialists, public health workers, and academic members from Latin America and the sharing of scientific data between continents. Generally, presentations are in Spanish with simultaneous translation into English. The majority of presentation slides are in English to facilitate communication among all meeting attendees. This publication includes summaries of 14 oral presentations by participants from Colombia, Mexico, and the United States of America. Topics addressed in the 3 sessions of the symposium included: larval habitats, insecticide resistance, new Aedes mosquito traps, blood meal analysis and fitness outcomes, vertical transmission of dengue, and transstadial composition of midgut microbiota. Control techniques discussed included sterile insect technique (SIT) with radiation, SIT by Wolbachia, thermal fogging, ultra-low volume pesticide applications, indoor residual spraying, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis de Barjac (Bti), and Spinosad larval treatments. Presentations were also given on species composition and diversity of phlebotomine sand flies. Presentations were related to the vector species belonging to the mosquito genera, Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex as well as phlebotomine sand flies involved in the transmission of the causal agents of malaria, arboviruses (dengue, chikungunya, Zika), and leishmaniasis.}, }
@article {pmid31434963, year = {2019}, author = {Bennett, KL and Gómez-Martínez, C and Chin, Y and Saltonstall, K and McMillan, WO and Rovira, JR and Loaiza, JR}, title = {Dynamics and diversity of bacteria associated with the disease vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {12160}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-48414-8}, pmid = {31434963}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus develop in the same aquatic sites where they encounter microorganisms that influence their life history and capacity to transmit human arboviruses. Some bacteria such as Wolbachia are currently being considered for the control of Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. Yet little is known about the dynamics and diversity of Aedes-associated bacteria, including larval habitat features that shape their tempo-spatial distribution. We applied large-scale 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to 960 adults and larvae of both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes from 59 sampling sites widely distributed across nine provinces of Panama. We find both species share a limited, yet highly variable core microbiota, reflecting high stochasticity within their oviposition habitats. Despite sharing a large proportion of microbiota, Ae. aegypti harbours higher bacterial diversity than Ae. albopictus, primarily due to rarer bacterial groups at the larval stage. We find significant differences between the bacterial communities of larvae and adult mosquitoes, and among samples from metal and ceramic containers. However, we find little support for geography, water temperature and pH as predictors of bacterial associates. We report a low incidence of natural Wolbachia infection for both Aedes and its geographical distribution. This baseline information provides a foundation for studies on the functions and interactions of Aedes-associated bacteria with consequences for bio-control within Panama.}, }
@article {pmid31432763, year = {2019}, author = {Charlesworth, J and Weinert, LA and Araujo, EV and Welch, JJ}, title = {Wolbachia, Cardinium and climate: an analysis of global data.}, journal = {Biology letters}, volume = {15}, number = {8}, pages = {20190273}, doi = {10.1098/rsbl.2019.0273}, pmid = {31432763}, issn = {1744-957X}, support = {109385/Z/15/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Arthropods ; Bacteroidetes ; Insecta ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Bacterial endosymbionts are very common in terrestrial arthropods, but infection levels vary widely among populations. Experiments and within-species comparisons suggest that environmental temperature might be important in explaining this variation. To investigate the importance of temperature, at broad geographical and taxonomic scales, we extended a global database of terrestrial arthropods screened for Wolbachia and Cardinium. Our final dataset contained data from more than 117 000 arthropods (over 2500 species) screened for Wolbachia and more than 18 000 arthropods (over 800 species) screened for Cardinium, including samples from 137 different countries, with mean temperatures varying from -6.5 to 29.2°C. In insects and relatives, Cardinium infection showed a clear and consistent tendency to increase with temperature. For Wolbachia, a tendency to increase with temperature in temperate climates is counteracted by reduced prevalence in the tropics, resulting in a weak negative trend overall. We discuss the implications of these results for natural and introduced symbionts in regions affected by climate change.}, }
@article {pmid31430401, year = {2019}, author = {Mathé-Hubert, H and Kaech, H and Hertaeg, C and Jaenike, J and Vorburger, C}, title = {Nonrandom associations of maternally transmitted symbionts in insects: The roles of drift versus biased cotransmission and selection.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {28}, number = {24}, pages = {5330-5346}, doi = {10.1111/mec.15206}, pmid = {31430401}, issn = {1365-294X}, support = {CRSII3_154396//Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung/ ; 1144581//US National Science Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {Virtually all higher organisms form holobionts with associated microbiota. To understand the biology of holobionts we need to know how species assemble and interact. Controlled experiments are suited to study interactions between particular symbionts, but they only accommodate a tiny portion of the diversity within each species. Alternatively, interactions can be inferred by testing if associations among symbionts in the field are more or less frequent than expected under random assortment. However, random assortment may not be a valid null hypothesis for maternally transmitted symbionts since drift alone can result in associations. Here, we analyse a European field survey of endosymbionts in pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum), confirming that symbiont associations are pervasive. To interpret them, we develop a model simulating the effect of drift on symbiont associations. We show that drift induces apparently nonrandom assortment, even though horizontal transmissions and maternal transmission failures tend to randomise symbiont associations. We also use this model in the approximate Bayesian computation framework to revisit the association between Spiroplasma and Wolbachia in Drosophila neotestacea. New field data reported here reveal that this association has disappeared in the investigated location, yet a significant interaction between Spiroplasma and Wolbachia can still be inferred. Our study confirms that negative and positive associations are pervasive and often induced by symbiont-symbiont interactions. Nevertheless, some associations are also likely to be driven by drift. This possibility needs to be considered when performing such analyses, and our model is helpful for this purpose.}, }
@article {pmid31425852, year = {2019}, author = {Huang, HJ and Cui, JR and Chen, J and Bing, XL and Hong, XY}, title = {Proteomic analysis of Laodelphax striatellus gonads reveals proteins that may manipulate host reproduction by Wolbachia.}, journal = {Insect biochemistry and molecular biology}, volume = {113}, number = {}, pages = {103211}, doi = {10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.103211}, pmid = {31425852}, issn = {1879-0240}, mesh = {Animals ; Gonads/growth &amp; development/microbiology ; Hemiptera/genetics/growth &amp; development/*physiology ; Insect Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; Male ; Nymph/genetics/growth &amp; development ; Proteome ; Proteomics ; Reproduction ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that manipulate host reproduction by several mechanisms including cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). However, the underlying mechanisms of Wolbachia-induced CI are not entirely clear. Here, we monitored the Wolbachia distribution in the male gonads of the small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus, SBPH) at different development stages, and investigated the influence of Wolbachia on male gonads by a quantitative proteomic analysis. A total of 276 differentially expressed proteins were identified, with the majority of them participating in metabolism, modification, and reproduction. Knocking down the expression of outer dense fiber protein (ODFP) and venom allergen 5-like (VA5L) showed decreased egg reproduction, and these two genes might be responsible for Wolbachia improved fecundity in infected L. striatellus; whereas knocking down the expression of cytosol amino-peptidase-like (CAL) significantly decreased the egg hatch rate in Wolbachia-uninfected L. striatellus, but not in the Wolbachia-infected one. Considering that the mRNA/protein level of CAL was downregulated by Wolbachia infection and dsCAL treatment closely mimicked Wolbachia-induced CI, we presumed that CAL might be one of the factors determining the CI phenotype.}, }
@article {pmid31425566, year = {2019}, author = {Doremus, MR and Kelly, SE and Hunter, MS}, title = {Exposure to opposing temperature extremes causes comparable effects on Cardinium density but contrasting effects on Cardinium-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {15}, number = {8}, pages = {e1008022}, doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1008022}, pmid = {31425566}, issn = {1553-7374}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteroidetes/*physiology ; *Cold Temperature ; *Host-Pathogen Interactions ; *Hot Temperature ; *Reproduction ; Symbiosis ; Wasps/*microbiology ; }, abstract = {Terrestrial arthropods, including insects, commonly harbor maternally inherited intracellular symbionts that confer benefits to the host or manipulate host reproduction to favor infected female progeny. These symbionts may be especially vulnerable to thermal stress, potentially leading to destabilization of the symbiosis and imposing costs to the host. For example, increased temperatures can reduce the density of a common reproductive manipulator, Wolbachia, and the strength of its crossing incompatibility (cytoplasmic incompatibility, or CI) phenotype. Another manipulative symbiont, Cardinium hertigii, infects ~ 6-10% of Arthropods, and also can induce CI, but there is little homology between the molecular mechanisms of CI induced by Cardinium and Wolbachia. Here we investigated whether temperature disrupts the CI phenotype of Cardinium in a parasitic wasp host, Encarsia suzannae. We examined the effects of both warm (32°C day/ 29°C night) and cool (20°C day/ 17°C night) temperatures on Cardinium CI and found that both types of temperature stress modified aspects of this symbiosis. Warm temperatures reduced symbiont density, pupal developmental time, vertical transmission rate, and the strength of both CI modification and rescue. Cool temperatures also reduced symbiont density, however this resulted in stronger CI, likely due to cool temperatures prolonging the host pupal stage. The opposing effects of cool and warm-mediated reductions in symbiont density on the resulting CI phenotype indicates that CI strength may be independent of density in this system. Temperature stress also modified the CI phenotype only if it occurred during the pupal stage, highlighting the likely importance of this stage for CI induction in this symbiosis.}, }
@article {pmid31417112, year = {2019}, author = {Lorenzo-Carballa, MO and Torres-Cambas, Y and Heaton, K and Hurst, GDD and Charlat, S and Sherratt, TN and Van Gossum, H and Cordero-Rivera, A and Beatty, CD}, title = {Widespread Wolbachia infection in an insular radiation of damselflies (Odonata, Coenagrionidae).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {11933}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-47954-3}, pmid = {31417112}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Wolbachia is one of the most common endosymbionts found infecting arthropods. Theory predicts symbionts like Wolbachia will be more common in species radiations, as host shift events occur with greatest frequency between closely related species. Further, the presence of Wolbachia itself may engender reproductive isolation, and promote speciation of their hosts. Here we screened 178 individuals belonging to 30 species of the damselfly genera Nesobasis and Melanesobasis - species radiations endemic to the Fiji archipelago in the South Pacific - for Wolbachia, using multilocus sequence typing to characterize bacterial strains. Incidence of Wolbachia was 71% in Nesobasis and 40% in Melanesobasis, and prevalence was also high, with an average of 88% in the Nesobasis species screened. We identified a total of 25 Wolbachia strains, belonging to supergroups A, B and F, with some epidemic strains present in multiple species. The occurrence of Wolbachia in both males and females, and the similar global prevalence found in both sexes rules out any strong effect of Wolbachia on the primary sex-ratio, but are compatible with the phenotype of cytoplasmic incompatibility. Nesobasis has higher species richness than most endemic island damselfly genera, and we discuss the potential for endosymbiont-mediated speciation within this group.}, }
@article {pmid31416478, year = {2019}, author = {Gonçalves, DDS and Hooker, DJ and Dong, Y and Baran, N and Kyrylos, P and Iturbe-Ormaetxe, I and Simmons, CP and O'Neill, SL}, title = {Detecting wMel Wolbachia in field-collected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP).}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {404}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-019-3666-6}, pmid = {31416478}, issn = {1756-3305}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Colorimetry ; DNA Primers ; Genes, Bacterial ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology ; *Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; Queensland ; Wolbachia/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The World Mosquito Program uses Wolbachia pipientis for the biocontrol of arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Diagnostic testing for Wolbachia in laboratory colonies and in field-caught mosquito populations has typically employed PCR. New, simpler methods to diagnose Wolbachia infection in mosquitoes are required for large-scale operational use.<br><br>METHODS: Field-collected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes from North Queensland were tested using primers designed to detect the Wolbachia wsp gene, specific to the strain wMel. The results were analysed by colour change in the reaction mix. Furthermore, to confirm the efficiency of the LAMP assay, the results were compared to the gold-standard qPCR test.<br><br>RESULTS: A novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) colorimetric test for the wMel strain of Wolbachia was designed, developed and validated for use in a high-throughput setting. Against the standard qPCR test, the analytical sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic metrics were: sensitivity (99.6%), specificity (92.2%), positive predictive value (97.08%) and negative predictive value (99.30%).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We describe an alternative, novel and high-throughput method for diagnosing wMel Wolbachia infections in mosquitoes. This assay should support Wolbachia surveillance in both laboratory and field populations of Ae. aegypti.}, }
@article {pmid31411007, year = {2019}, author = {Zhu, YX and Song, ZR and Song, YL and Zhao, DS and Hong, XY}, title = {The microbiota in spider mite feces potentially reflects intestinal bacterial communities in the host.}, journal = {Insect science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.12716}, pmid = {31411007}, issn = {1744-7917}, support = {2019M651864//China Postdoctoral Science Foundation/ ; 31672035//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 31871976//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 31901888//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, abstract = {Microorganisms provide many physiological functions to herbivorous hosts. Spider mites (genus Tetranychus) are important agricultural pests throughout the world; however, the composition of the spider mite microbial community, especially gut microbiome, remains unclear. Here, we investigated the bacterial community in five spider mite species and their associated feces by deep sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The composition of the bacterial community was significantly different among the five prevalent spider mite species, and some bacterial symbionts showed host-species specificity. Moreover, the abundance of the bacterial community in spider mite feces was significantly higher than that in the corresponding spider mite samples. However, Flavobacterium was detected in all samples, and represent a &quot;core microbiome&quot;. Remarkably, the maternally inherited endosymbiont Wolbachia was detected in both spider mite and feces. Overall, these results offer insight into the complex community of symbionts in spider mites, and give a new direction for future studies.}, }
@article {pmid31409391, year = {2019}, author = {Lucchetti, C and Genchi, M and Venco, L and Menozzi, A and Serventi, P and Bertini, S and Bazzocchi, C and Kramer, LH and Vismarra, A}, title = {Differential ABC transporter gene expression in adult Dirofilaria immitis males and females following in vitro treatment with ivermectin, doxycycline or a combination of both.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {401}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-019-3645-y}, pmid = {31409391}, issn = {1756-3305}, mesh = {ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters/*genetics ; Animals ; Dirofilaria immitis/*drug effects/*genetics ; Dirofilariasis/parasitology ; Dogs ; Doxycycline/*pharmacology ; Drug Combinations ; Female ; Ivermectin/*pharmacology ; Male ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Combination doxycycline/macrocyclic lactone (ML) protocols have been shown to provide a more rapid adulticidal and microfilaricidal effect than either MLs or doxycycline alone, although female worms were reported to have a higher tolerance to treatments compared to male worms. The present study aimed to evaluate how ABC transporters may be involved in the synergic effect of the combination treatment. Adult worms of D. immitis were treated in vitro for 24 hours with doxycycline (DOXY), ivermectin (IVM) and a combination of both, and changes in the modulation of ABC transporter genes were measured. Levels of doxycycline inside different treatment media, post-treatment, were determined through HPLC analysis.<br><br>RESULTS: Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed the presence of changes in the modulation of ABC transporter genes evaluated in this study. In particular, in female worms, the combination treatment induced a substantial increase in gene expressions, especially of Dim-pgp-10 and Dim-haf-4; whereas in male worms, the greatest increase in gene expression was observed for Dim-pgp-10 and Dim-pgp-11 when treated with DMSO + IVM and DMSO + DOXY/IVM. HPLC analysis of the DOXY concentrations in the media after in vitro treatments of male worms showed a slight difference between the DMSO + DOXY samples and the combination (DMSO + DOXY + IVM), while no difference was observed among females.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are required to explain whether the modulation of cellular efflux plays a role, even partially, in the adulticide effect of doxycycline/macrocyclic lactone combinations in heartworm-infected dogs. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate P-gp expression in adult D. immitis.}, }
@article {pmid31407021, year = {2019}, author = {Bockoven, AA and Bondy, EC and Flores, MJ and Kelly, SE and Ravenscraft, AM and Hunter, MS}, title = {What Goes Up Might Come Down: the Spectacular Spread of an Endosymbiont Is Followed by Its Decline a Decade Later.}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-019-01417-4}, pmid = {31407021}, issn = {1432-184X}, support = {DEB-1020460//Division of Environmental Biology/ ; IOS-1256905//Division of Integrative Organismal Systems/ ; }, abstract = {Facultative, intracellular bacterial symbionts of arthropods may dramatically affect host biology and reproduction. The length of these symbiont-host associations may be thousands to millions of years, and while symbiont loss is predicted, there have been very few observations of a decline of symbiont infection rates. In a population of the sweet potato whitefly species (Bemisia tabaci MEAM1) in Arizona, USA, we documented the frequency decline of a strain of Rickettsia in the Rickettsia bellii clade from near-fixation in 2011 to 36% of whiteflies infected in 2017. In previous studies, Rickettsia had been shown to increase from 1 to 97% from 2000 to 2006 and remained at high frequency for at least five years. At that time, Rickettsia infection was associated with both fitness benefits and female bias. In the current study, we established matrilines of whiteflies from the field (2016, Rickettsia infection frequency = 58%) and studied (a) Rickettsia vertical transmission, (b) fitness and sex ratios associated with Rickettsia infection, (c) symbiont titer, and (d) bacterial communities within whiteflies. The vertical transmission rate was high, approximately 98%. Rickettsia infection in the matrilines was not associated with fitness benefits or sex ratio bias and appeared to be slightly costly, as more Rickettsia-infected individuals produced non-hatching eggs. Overall, the titer of Rickettsia in the matrilines was lower in 2016 than in the whiteflies collected in 2011, but the titer distribution appeared bimodal, with high- and low-titer lines, and constancy of the average titer within lines over three generations. We found neither association between Rickettsia titer and fitness benefits or sex ratio bias nor evidence that Rickettsia was replaced by another secondary symbiont. The change in the interaction between symbiont and host in 2016 whiteflies may explain the drop in symbiont frequency we observed.}, }
@article {pmid31397383, year = {2019}, author = {Anderson, ML and Rustin, RC and Eremeeva, ME}, title = {Pilot survey of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from southeastern Georgia, USA for Wolbachia and Rickettsia felis (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae).}, journal = {Journal of vector borne diseases}, volume = {56}, number = {2}, pages = {92-97}, doi = {10.4103/0972-9062.263714}, pmid = {31397383}, issn = {0972-9062}, mesh = {Animals ; Culicidae/*microbiology ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Female ; Genotype ; Georgia ; Male ; Pilot Projects ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Rickettsiaceae/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; Wolbachia/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {Background &amp; objectives: Mosquito surveillance is one of the critical functions of local health departments, particularly in the context of outbreaks of severe mosquito-borne viral infections. Unfortunately, some viral and parasitic infections transmitted by mosquitoes, manifests non-specific clinical symptoms which may actually be of rickettsial etiology, including Rickettsia felis infections. This study tested the hypothesis that mosquitoes from southeastern Georgia, USA may be infected with Rickettsia felis and Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium of the order Rickettsiales.<br><br>Methods: Specimens of the five most common mosquito species occurring in the region were collected using gravid and light-traps and identified using morphological keys. Mosquitoes were then pooled by species, sex, trap and collection site and their DNA was extracted. Molecular methods were used to confirm mosquito identification, and presence of Wolbachia and R. felis.<br><br>Results: Wolbachia DNA was detected in 90.8% of the mosquito pools tested, which included 98% pools of Cx. quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae), 95% pools of Ae. albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae), and 66.7% of pools of Cx. pipiens complex. Samples of An. punctipennis Say (Diptera: Culicidae) and An. crucians Wiedemann (Diptera: Culicidae) were tested negative for Wolbachia DNA. Three genotypes of Wolbachia sp. belonging to Group A (1 type) and Group B (2 types) were identified. DNA of R. felis was not found in any pool of mosquitoes tested.<br><br>This study provides a pilot data on the high presence of Wolbachia in Cx. quinque-fasciatus and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes prevalent in the study region. Whether the high prevalence of Wolbachia and its genetic diversity in mosquitoes affects the mosquitoes' susceptibility to R. felis infection in Georgia will need further evaluation.}, }
@article {pmid31396100, year = {2019}, author = {Liu, L and Zhang, KJ and Rong, X and Li, YY and Liu, H}, title = {Identification of Wolbachia-Responsive miRNAs in the Small Brown Planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus.}, journal = {Frontiers in physiology}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {928}, doi = {10.3389/fphys.2019.00928}, pmid = {31396100}, issn = {1664-042X}, abstract = {Laodelphax striatellus is naturally infected with the Wolbachia strain wStri, which induces strong cytoplasmic incompatibility of its host. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous non-coding small RNAs that play a critical role in the regulation of gene expression at post-transcriptional level in various biological processes. Despite various studies reporting that Wolbachia affects the miRNA expression of their hosts, the molecular mechanism underlying interactions between Wolbachia and their host miRNAs has not been well understood. In order to better understand the impact of Wolbachia infection on its host, we investigated the differentially expressed miRNAs between Wolbachia-infected and Wolbachia-uninfected strains of L. striatellus. Compared with uninfected strains, Wolbachia infection resulted in up-regulation of 18 miRNAs and down-regulation of 6 miRNAs in male, while 25 miRNAs were up-regulated and 15 miRNAs were down-regulated in female. The target genes of these differentially expressed miRNAs involved in immune response regulation, reproduction, redox homeostasis and ecdysteroidogenesis were also annotated in both sexes. We further verified the expression of several significantly differentially expressed miRNAs and their predicted target genes by qRT-PCR method. The results suggested that Wolbachia appears to reduce the expression of genes related to fertility in males and increase the expression of genes related to fecundity in females. At the same time, Wolbachia may enhance the expression of immune-related genes in both sexes. All of the results in this study may be helpful in further exploration of the molecular mechanisms by which Wolbachia affects on its hosts.}, }
@article {pmid31384012, year = {2019}, author = {Klinges, JG and Rosales, SM and McMinds, R and Shaver, EC and Shantz, AA and Peters, EC and Eitel, M and Wörheide, G and Sharp, KH and Burkepile, DE and Silliman, BR and Vega Thurber, RL}, title = {Phylogenetic, genomic, and biogeographic characterization of a novel and ubiquitous marine invertebrate-associated Rickettsiales parasite, Candidatus Aquarickettsia rohweri, gen. nov., sp. nov.}, journal = {The ISME journal}, volume = {13}, number = {12}, pages = {2938-2953}, pmid = {31384012}, issn = {1751-7370}, abstract = {Bacterial symbionts are integral to the health and homeostasis of invertebrate hosts. Notably, members of the Rickettsiales genus Wolbachia influence several aspects of the fitness and evolution of their terrestrial hosts, but few analogous partnerships have been found in marine systems. We report here the genome, phylogenetics, and biogeography of a ubiquitous and novel Rickettsiales species that primarily associates with marine organisms. We previously showed that this bacterium was found in scleractinian corals, responds to nutrient exposure, and is associated with reduced host growth and increased mortality. This bacterium, like other Rickettsiales, has a reduced genome indicative of a parasitic lifestyle. Phylogenetic analysis places this Rickettsiales within a new genus we define as &quot;Candidatus Aquarickettsia.&quot; Using data from the Earth Microbiome Project and SRA databases, we also demonstrate that members of &quot;Ca. Aquarickettsia&quot; are found globally in dozens of invertebrate lineages. The coral-associated &quot;Candidatus A. rohweri&quot; is the first finished genome in this new clade. &quot;Ca. A. rohweri&quot; lacks genes to synthesize most sugars and amino acids but possesses several genes linked to pathogenicity including Tlc, an antiporter that exchanges host ATP for ADP, and a complete Type IV secretion system. Despite its inability to metabolize nitrogen, &quot;Ca. A. rohweri&quot; possesses the NtrY-NtrX two-component system involved in sensing and responding to extracellular nitrogen. Given these data, along with visualization of the parasite in host tissues, we hypothesize that &quot;Ca. A. rohweri&quot; reduces coral health by consuming host nutrients and energy, thus weakening and eventually killing host cells. Last, we hypothesize that nutrient enrichment, which is increasingly common on coral reefs, encourages unrestricted growth of &quot;Ca. A. rohweri&quot; in its host by providing abundant N-rich metabolites to be scavenged.}, }
@article {pmid31381563, year = {2019}, author = {Hübner, MP and Koschel, M and Struever, D and Nikolov, V and Frohberger, SJ and Ehrens, A and Fendler, M and Johannes, I and von Geldern, TW and Marsh, K and Turner, JD and Taylor, MJ and Ward, SA and Pfarr, K and Kempf, DJ and Hoerauf, A}, title = {In vivo kinetics of Wolbachia depletion by ABBV-4083 in L. sigmodontis adult worms and microfilariae.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {8}, pages = {e0007636}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007636}, pmid = {31381563}, issn = {1935-2735}, mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology ; Doxycycline/pharmacology ; Female ; Filariasis ; Filarioidea/drug effects/*microbiology ; Gerbillinae ; Kinetics ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Microfilariae/drug effects/embryology/*microbiology ; Models, Animal ; Wolbachia/*drug effects/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Depletion of Wolbachia endosymbionts of human pathogenic filariae using 4-6 weeks of doxycycline treatment can lead to permanent sterilization and adult filarial death. We investigated the anti-Wolbachia drug candidate ABBV-4083 in the Litomosoides sigmodontis rodent model to determine Wolbachia depletion kinetics with different regimens. Wolbachia reduction occurred in mice as early as 3 days after the initiation of ABBV-4083 treatment and continued throughout a 10-day treatment period. Importantly, Wolbachia levels continued to decline after a 5-day-treatment from 91.5% to 99.9% during a 3-week washout period. In jirds, two weeks of ABBV-4083 treatment (100mg/kg once-per-day) caused a >99.9% Wolbachia depletion in female adult worms, and the kinetics of Wolbachia depletion were recapitulated in peripheral blood microfilariae. Similar to Wolbachia depletion, inhibition of embryogenesis was time-dependent in ABBV-4083-treated jirds, leading to a complete lack of late embryonic stages (stretched microfilariae) and lack of peripheral microfilariae in 5/6 ABBV-4083-treated jirds by 14 weeks after treatment. Twice daily treatment in comparison to once daily treatment with ABBV-4083 did not significantly improve Wolbachia depletion. Moreover, up to 4 nonconsecutive daily treatments within a 14-dose regimen did not significantly erode Wolbachia depletion. Within the limitations of an animal model that does not fully recapitulate human filarial disease, our studies suggest that Wolbachia depletion should be assessed clinically no earlier than 3-4 weeks after the end of treatment, and that Wolbachia depletion in microfilariae may be a viable surrogate marker for the depletion within adult worms. Furthermore, strict daily adherence to the dosing regimen with anti-Wolbachia candidates may not be required, provided that the full regimen is subsequently completed.}, }
@article {pmid31380084, year = {2019}, author = {Yoshida, K and Sanada-Morimura, S and Huang, SH and Tokuda, M}, title = {Influences of two coexisting endosymbionts, CI-inducing Wolbachia and male-killing Spiroplasma, on the performance of their host Laodelphax striatellus (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {14}, pages = {8214-8224}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.5392}, pmid = {31380084}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {The small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is reported to have the endosymbiont Wolbachia, which shows a strong cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) between infected males and uninfected females. In the 2000s, female-biased L. striatellus populations were found in Taiwan, and this sex ratio distortion was the result of male-killing induced by the infection of another endosymbiont, Spiroplasma. Spiroplasma infection is considered to negatively affect both L. striatellus and Wolbachia because the male-killing halves the offspring of L. striatellus and hinders the spread of Wolbachia infection via CI. Spiroplasma could have traits that increase the fitness of infected L. striatellus and/or coexisting organisms because the coinfection rates of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma were rather high in some areas. In this study, we investigated the influences of the infection of these two endosymbionts on the development, reproduction, and insecticide resistance of L. striatellus in the laboratory. Our results show that the single-infection state of Spiroplasma had a negative influence on the fertility of L. striatellus, while the double-infection state had no significant influence. At late nymphal and adult stages, the abundance of Spiroplasma was lower in the double-infection state than in the single-infection state. In the double-infection state, the reduction of Spiroplasma density may be caused by competition between the two endosymbionts, and the negative influence of Spiroplasma on the fertility of host may be relieved. The resistance of L. striatellus to four insecticides was compared among different infection states of endosymbionts, but Spiroplasma infection did not contribute to increase insecticide resistance. Because positive influences of Spiroplasma infection were not found in terms of the development, reproduction, and insecticide resistance of L. striatellus, other factors improving the fitness of Spiroplasma-infected L. striatellus may be related to the high frequency of double infection in some L. striatellus populations.}, }
@article {pmid31380078, year = {2019}, author = {Hu, G and Zhang, L and Yun, Y and Peng, Y}, title = {Taking insight into the gut microbiota of three spider species: No characteristic symbiont was found corresponding to the special feeding style of spiders.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {14}, pages = {8146-8156}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.5382}, pmid = {31380078}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Microorganisms in insect guts have been recognized as having a great impact on their hosts' nutrition, health, and behavior. Spiders are important natural enemies of pests, and the composition of the gut microbiota of spiders remains unclear. Will the bacterial taxa in spiders be same as the bacterial taxa in insects, and what are the potential functions of the gut bacteria in spiders? To gain insight into the composition of the gut bacteria in spiders and their potential function, we collected three spider species, Pardosa laura, Pardosa astrigera, and Nurscia albofasciata, in the field, and high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA V3 and V4 regions was used to investigate the diversity of gut microbiota across the three spider species. A total of 23 phyla and 150 families were identified in these three spider species. The dominant bacterial phylum across all samples was Proteobacteria. Burkholderia, Ralstonia, Ochrobactrum, Providencia, Acinetobacter, Proteus, and Rhodoplanes were the dominant genera in the guts of the three spider species. The relative abundances of Wolbachia and Rickettsiella detected in N. albofasciata were significantly higher than those in the other two spider species. The relative abundance of Thermus, Amycolatopsis, Lactococcus, Acinetobacter Microbacterium, and Koribacter detected in spider gut was different among the three spider species. Biomolecular interaction networks indicated that the microbiota in the guts had complex interactions. The results of this study also suggested that at the genus level, some of the gut bacteria taxa in the three spider species were the same as the bacteria in insect guts.}, }
@article {pmid31380036, year = {2019}, author = {Su, Q and Wang, X and Ilyas, N and Zhang, F and Yun, Y and Jian, C and Peng, Y}, title = {Combined effects of elevated CO2 concentration and Wolbachia on Hylyphantes graminicola (Araneae: Linyphiidae).}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {12}, pages = {7112-7121}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.5276}, pmid = {31380036}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {The increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in atmosphere is not only a major cause of global warming, but it also adversely affects the ecological diversity of invertebrates. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of elevated CO2 concentration (ambient, 400 ppm and high, 800 ppm) and Wolbachia (Wolbachia-infected, W+ and Wolbachia-uninfected, W-) on Hylyphantes graminicola. The total survival rate, developmental duration, carapace width and length, body weight, sex ratio, net reproductive rate, nutrition content, and enzyme activity in H. graminicola were examined under four treatments: W- 400 ppm, W- 800 ppm, W+ 400 ppm, and W+ 800 ppm. Results showed that Wolbachia-infected spiders had significantly decreased the total developmental duration. Different instars showed variations up to some extent, but no obvious effect was found under elevated CO2 concentration. Total survival rate, sex ratio, and net reproductive rate were not affected by elevated CO2 concentration or Wolbachia infection. The carapace width of Wolbachia-uninfected spiders decreased significantly under elevated CO2 concentration, while the width, length and weight were not significantly affected in Wolbachia-infected spiders reared at ambient CO2 concentration. The levels of protein, specific activities of peroxidase, and amylase were significantly increased under elevated CO2 concentration or Wolbachia-infected spiders, while the total amino content was only increased in Wolbachia-infected spiders. Thus, our current finding suggested that elevated CO2 concentration and Wolbachia enhance nutrient contents and enzyme activity of H. graminicola and decrease development duration hence explore the interactive effects of factors which were responsible for reproduction regulation, but it also gives a theoretical direction for spider's protection in such a dynamic environment. Increased activities of enzymes and nutrients caused by Wolbachia infection aids for better survival of H. graminicola under stress.}, }
@article {pmid31375435, year = {2019}, author = {Dimopoulos, G}, title = {Combining Sterile and Incompatible Insect Techniques for Aedes albopictus Suppression.}, journal = {Trends in parasitology}, volume = {35}, number = {9}, pages = {671-673}, doi = {10.1016/j.pt.2019.07.006}, pmid = {31375435}, issn = {1471-5007}, abstract = {Traditional control strategies are failing to contain Aedes albopictus as an emerging major vector for dengue. A combination of approaches (Zheng et al., Nature, 2019) involving an artificial triple Wolbachia superinfection and low-dose irradiation enabled mass production of adult sterile males for release. The resulting suppression of field populations suggests feasibility for area-wide vector control.}, }
@article {pmid31369548, year = {2019}, author = {Schneider, DI and Saarman, N and Onyango, MG and Hyseni, C and Opiro, R and Echodu, R and O'Neill, M and Bloch, D and Vigneron, A and Johnson, TJ and Dion, K and Weiss, BL and Opiyo, E and Caccone, A and Aksoy, S}, title = {Spatio-temporal distribution of Spiroplasma infections in the tsetse fly (Glossina fuscipes fuscipes) in northern Uganda.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {8}, pages = {e0007340}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007340}, pmid = {31369548}, issn = {1935-2735}, support = {R01 AI139525/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI068932/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; D43 TW007391/TW/FIC NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Coinfection ; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Female ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/*microbiology/*veterinary ; Insect Vectors/*microbiology/parasitology ; Male ; Prevalence ; Spiroplasma/genetics/*pathogenicity/physiology ; Symbiosis ; Trypanosoma ; Tsetse Flies/*microbiology/parasitology ; Uganda ; Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) are vectors of parasitic trypanosomes, which cause human (HAT) and animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (Gff) is the main vector of HAT, where it transmits Gambiense disease in the northwest and Rhodesiense disease in central, southeast and western regions. Endosymbionts can influence transmission efficiency of parasites through their insect vectors via conferring a protective effect against the parasite. It is known that the bacterium Spiroplasma is capable of protecting its Drosophila host from infection with a parasitic nematode. This endosymbiont can also impact its host's population structure via altering host reproductive traits. Here, we used field collections across 26 different Gff sampling sites in northern and western Uganda to investigate the association of Spiroplasma with geographic origin, seasonal conditions, Gff genetic background and sex, and trypanosome infection status. We also investigated the influence of Spiroplasma on Gff vector competence to trypanosome infections under laboratory conditions. Generalized linear models (GLM) showed that Spiroplasma probability was correlated with the geographic origin of Gff host and with the season of collection, with higher prevalence found in flies within the Albert Nile (0.42 vs 0.16) and Achwa River (0.36 vs 0.08) watersheds and with higher prevalence detected in flies collected in the intermediate than wet season. In contrast, there was no significant correlation of Spiroplasma prevalence with Gff host genetic background or sex once geographic origin was accounted for in generalized linear models. Additionally, we found a potential negative correlation of Spiroplasma with trypanosome infection, with only 2% of Spiroplasma infected flies harboring trypanosome co-infections. We also found that in a laboratory line of Gff, parasitic trypanosomes are less likely to colonize the midgut in individuals that harbor Spiroplasma infection. These results indicate that Spiroplasma infections in tsetse may be maintained by not only maternal but also via horizontal transmission routes, and Spiroplasma infections may also have important effects on trypanosome transmission efficiency of the host tsetse. Potential functional effects of Spiroplasma infection in Gff could have impacts on vector control approaches to reduce trypanosome infections.}, }
@article {pmid31362350, year = {2019}, author = {Satjawongvanit, H and Phumee, A and Tiawsirisup, S and Sungpradit, S and Brownell, N and Siriyasatien, P and Preativatanyou, K}, title = {Molecular Analysis of Canine Filaria and Its Wolbachia Endosymbionts in Domestic Dogs Collected from Two Animal University Hospitals in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand.}, journal = {Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {8}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {31362350}, issn = {2076-0817}, abstract = {Canine filariasis is caused by several nematode species, such as Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilaria repens, Brugia pahangi, Brugia malayi, and Acanthocheilonema reconditum. Zoonotic filariasis is one of the world's neglected tropical diseases. Since 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) has promoted a global filarial eradication program to eliminate filariasis by 2020. Apart from vector control strategies, the infection control of reservoir hosts is necessary for more effective filariasis control. In addition, many studies have reported that Wolbachia is necessary for the development, reproduction, and survival of the filarial nematode. Consequently, the use of antibiotics to kill Wolbachia in nematodes has now become an alternative strategy to control filariasis. Previously, a case of subconjunctival dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria spp. has been reported in a woman who resides in the center of Bangkok, Thailand. Therefore, our study aimed to principally demonstrate the presence of filarial nematodes and Wolbachia bacteria in blood collected from domestic dogs from the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand. A total of 57 blood samples from dogs with suspected dirofilariasis who had visited veterinary clinics in Bangkok were collected. The investigations for the presence of microfilaria were carried out by using both microscopic and molecular examinations. PCR was used as the molecular detection method for the filarial nematodes based on the COI and ITS1 regions. The demonstration of Wolbachia was performed using PCR to amplify the FtsZ gene. All positive samples by PCR were then cloned and sequenced. The results showed that the filarial nematodes were detected in 16 samples (28.07%) using microscopic examinations. The molecular detection of filarial species using COI-PCR revealed that 50 samples (87.72%) were positive; these consisted of 33 (57.89%), 13 (22.81%), and 4 (7.02%) samples for D. immitis, B. pahangi, and B. malayi, respectively. While the ITS1-PCR showed that 41 samples (71.93%) were positive-30 samples (52.63%) were identified as containing D. immitis and 11 samples (19.30%) were identified to have B. pahangi, whereas B. malayi was not detected. Forty-seven samples (82.45%) were positive for Wolbachia DNA and the phylogenetic tree of all positive Wolbachia was classified into the supergroup C clade. This study has established fundamental data on filariasis associated with Wolbachia infection in domestic dogs in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. An extensive survey of dog blood samples would provide valuable epidemiologic data on potential zoonotic filariasis in Thailand. In addition, this information could be used for the future development of more effective prevention and control strategies for canine filariasis in Thailand.}, }
@article {pmid31358201, year = {2019}, author = {Liu, XD and Guo, HF}, title = {Importance of endosymbionts Wolbachia and Rickettsia in insect resistance development.}, journal = {Current opinion in insect science}, volume = {33}, number = {}, pages = {84-90}, doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2019.05.003}, pmid = {31358201}, issn = {2214-5753}, abstract = {Endosymbionts play important roles in protecting hosts from environmental stress, such as natural enemies, heat, and toxins. Many insects are infected with the facultative nonessential endosymbionts Wolbachia and Rickettsia, which are the crux in this review, although other relevant symbiont genera will also be treated. Insecticide resistance of hosts can be related to infections with Wolbachia and Rickettsia. These endosymbionts commonly increase host susceptibility to chemical insecticides, but cases of increased resistance also exist. The symbiont-mediated insecticide resistance/susceptibility varies with species of insect, species of symbiont, and chemical compound. Changes in insecticide resistance levels of insects can be associated with fluctuations in population density of endosymbionts. Effects of endosymbionts on host fitness, metabolism, immune system, and gene expression may determine how endosymbionts influence insecticide resistance. A clearer understanding of these interactions can improve our knowledge about drivers of decreasing insecticide resistance.}, }
@article {pmid31350319, year = {2019}, author = {Martin, E and Borucki, MK and Thissen, J and Garcia-Luna, S and Hwang, M and Wise de Valdez, M and Jaing, CJ and Hamer, GL and Frank, M}, title = {Mosquito-Borne Viruses and Insect-Specific Viruses Revealed in Field-Collected Mosquitoes by a Monitoring Tool Adapted from a Microbial Detection Array.}, journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology}, volume = {85}, number = {19}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1128/AEM.01202-19}, pmid = {31350319}, issn = {1098-5336}, support = {R21 AI128953/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Several mosquito-borne diseases affecting humans are emerging or reemerging in the United States. The early detection of pathogens in mosquito populations is essential to prevent and control the spread of these diseases. In this study, we tested the potential applicability of the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA) to enhance biosurveillance by detecting microbes present in Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex mosquitoes, which are major vector species globally, including in Texas. The sensitivity and reproducibility of the LLMDA were tested in mosquito samples spiked with different concentrations of dengue virus (DENV), revealing a detection limit of >100 but <1,000 PFU/ml. Additionally, field-collected mosquitoes from Chicago, IL, and College Station, TX, of known infection status (West Nile virus [WNV] and Culex flavivirus [CxFLAV] positive) were tested on the LLMDA to confirm its efficiency. Mosquito field samples of unknown infection status, collected in San Antonio, TX, and the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), TX, were run on the LLMDA and further confirmed by PCR or quantitative PCR (qPCR). The analysis of the field samples with the LLMDA revealed the presence of cell-fusing agent virus (CFAV) in A. aegypti populations. Wolbachia was also detected in several of the field samples (A. albopictus and Culex spp.) by the LLMDA. Our findings demonstrated that the LLMDA can be used to detect multiple arboviruses of public health importance, including viruses that belong to the Flavivirus, Alphavirus, and Orthobunyavirus genera. Additionally, insect-specific viruses and bacteria were also detected in field-collected mosquitoes. Another strength of this array is its ability to detect multiple viruses in the same mosquito pool, allowing for the detection of cocirculating pathogens in an area and the identification of potential ecological associations between different viruses. This array can aid in the biosurveillance of mosquito-borne viruses circulating in specific geographical areas.IMPORTANCE Viruses associated with mosquitoes have made a large impact on public and veterinary health. In the United States, several viruses, including WNV, DENV, and chikungunya virus (CHIKV), are responsible for human disease. From 2015 to 2018, imported Zika cases were reported in the United States, and in 2016 to 2017, local Zika transmission occurred in the states of Texas and Florida. With globalization and a changing climate, the frequency of outbreaks linked to arboviruses will increase, revealing a need to better detect viruses in vector populations. With the capacity of the LLMDA to detect viruses, bacteria, and fungi, this study highlights its ability to broadly screen field-collected mosquitoes and contribute to the surveillance and management of arboviral diseases.}, }
@article {pmid31346538, year = {2019}, author = {Khanmohammadi, M and Falak, R and Meamar, AR and Arshadi, M and Akhlaghi, L and Razmjou, E}, title = {Molecular Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) Isolated from Dirofilaria immitis in Northwest of Iran.}, journal = {Journal of arthropod-borne diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {83-93}, pmid = {31346538}, issn = {2322-1984}, abstract = {Background: The purpose of this study was molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Wolbachia species of Dirofilaria immitis.<br><br>Methods: Adult filarial nematodes were collected from the cardiovascular and pulmonary arterial systems of naturally infected dogs, which caught in different geographical areas of Meshkin Shahr in Ardabil Province, Iran, during 2017. Dirofilaria immitis genomic DNA were extracted. Phylogenetic analysis for proofing of D. immitis was carried out using cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. Afterward, the purified DNA was used to determine the molecular pattern of the Wolbachia surface protein (WSP) gene sequence by PCR.<br><br>Results: Phylogeny and homology studies showed high consistency of the COI gene with the previously-registered sequences for D. immitis. Comparison of DNA sequences revealed no nucleotide variation between them. PCR showed that all of the collected parasites were infected with W. pipientis. The sequence of the WSP gene in Wolbachia species from D. immitis was significantly different from other species of Dirofilaria as well as other filarial species. The maximum homology was observed with the Wolbachia isolated from D. immitis. The greatest distance between WSP nucleotides of Wolbachia species found between D. immitis and those isolated from Onchocerca lupi.<br><br>Conclusion: PCR could be a simple but suitable method for detection of Wolbachia species. There is a pattern of host specificity between Wolbachia and Dirofilaria that can be related to ancestral evolutions. The results of this phylogenetic analysis and molecular characterization may help us for better identification of Wolbachia species and understanding of their coevolution.}, }
@article {pmid31340862, year = {2019}, author = {Carvajal, TM and Hashimoto, K and Harnandika, RK and Amalin, DM and Watanabe, K}, title = {Detection of Wolbachia in field-collected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in metropolitan Manila, Philippines.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {361}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-019-3629-y}, pmid = {31340862}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {16H05750//Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; 17H01624//Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; 17K18906//Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; Bilateral Joint Research Projects//Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; Core-to-Core program (Asia-Africa Science Platforms)//Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; Y29-1-8//Leading Academia in Marine, Environmental Pollution Research/ ; }, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Female ; Male ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology ; Philippines ; Phylogeny ; Wolbachia/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Recent reports reveal the presence of Wolbachia in Ae. aegypti. Our study presents additional support for Wolbachia infection in Ae. aegypti by screening field-collected adult mosquitoes using two Wolbachia-specific molecular makers.<br><br>METHODS: A total of 672 Ae. aegypti adult mosquitoes were collected from May 2014 to January 2015 in Metropolitan Manila. Each individual sample was processed and screened for the presence of Wolbachia by selected markers, Wolbachia-specific 16S rDNA and its surface protein (wsp), under optimized PCR conditions and sequenced.<br><br>RESULTS: Totals of 113 (16.8%) and 89 (13.2%) individual mosquito samples were determined to be infected with Wolbachia using the wsp and 16S rDNA markers, respectively. The Ae. aegpyti wsp sample sequences were similar or identical to five known Wolbachia strains belonging to supergroups A and B while the majority of 16S rDNA sample sequences were similar to strains belonging to supergroup B. Overall, 80 (11.90%) individual mosquito samples showed positive amplifications in both markers and 69% showed congruence in supergroup identification (supergroup B).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: By utilizing two Wolbachia-specific molecular makers, our study demonstrated the presence of Wolbachia from individual Ae. aegypti samples. Our results showed a low Wolbachia infection rate and inferred the detected strains belong to either supergroups A and B.}, }
@article {pmid31340757, year = {2019}, author = {He, Z and Zheng, Y and Yu, WJ and Fang, Y and Mao, B and Wang, YF}, title = {How do Wolbachia modify the Drosophila ovary? New evidences support the &quot;titration-restitution&quot; model for the mechanisms of Wolbachia-induced CI.}, journal = {BMC genomics}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {608}, doi = {10.1186/s12864-019-5977-6}, pmid = {31340757}, issn = {1471-2164}, support = {31672352//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Cytosol ; Drosophila melanogaster/*microbiology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Genes, Insect ; Male ; MicroRNAs/genetics ; Ovary/*microbiology ; RNA, Messenger/genetics ; RNA-Seq ; Testis/microbiology ; Transcriptome ; Up-Regulation ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is the most common phenotype induced by endosymbiont Wolbachia and results in embryonic lethality when Wolbachia-modified sperm fertilize eggs without Wolbachia. However, eggs carrying the same strain of Wolbachia can rescue this embryonic death, thus producing viable Wolbachia-infected offspring. Hence Wolbachia can be transmitted mainly by hosts' eggs. One of the models explaining CI is &quot;titration-restitution&quot;, which hypothesized that Wolbachia titrated-out some factors from the sperm and the Wolbachia in the egg would restitute the factors after fertilization. However, how infected eggs rescue CI and how hosts' eggs ensure the proliferation and transmission of Wolbachia are not well understood.<br><br>RESULTS: By RNA-seq analyses, we first compared the transcription profiles of Drosophila melanogaster adult ovaries with and without the wMel Wolbachia and identified 149 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 116 genes were upregulated and 33 were downregulated by Wolbachia infection. To confirm the results obtained from RNA-seq and to screen genes potentially associated with reproduction, 15 DEGs were selected for quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Thirteen genes showed the same changing trend as RNA-seq analyses. To test whether these genes are associated with CI, we also detected their expression levels in testes. Nine of them exhibited different changing trends in testes from those in ovaries. To investigate how these DEGs were regulated, sRNA sequencing was performed and identified seven microRNAs (miRNAs) that were all upregulated in fly ovaries by Wolbachia infection. Matching of miRNA and mRNA data showed that these seven miRNAs regulated 15 DEGs. Wolbachia-responsive genes in fly ovaries were involved in biological processes including metabolism, transportation, oxidation-reduction, immunity, and development.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Comparisons of mRNA and miRNA data from fly ovaries revealed 149 mRNAs and seven miRNAs that exhibit significant changes in expression due to Wolbachia infection. Notably, most of the DEGs showed variation in opposite directions in ovaries versus testes in the presence of Wolbachia, which generally supports the &quot;titration-restitution&quot; model for CI. Furthermore, genes related to metabolism were upregulated, which may benefit maximum proliferation and transmission of Wolbachia. This provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of Wolbachia-induced CI and Wolbachia dependence on host ovaries.}, }
@article {pmid31340171, year = {2019}, author = {Pogorevc, D and Panter, F and Schillinger, C and Jansen, R and Wenzel, SC and Müller, R}, title = {Production optimization and biosynthesis revision of corallopyronin A, a potent anti-filarial antibiotic.}, journal = {Metabolic engineering}, volume = {55}, number = {}, pages = {201-211}, doi = {10.1016/j.ymben.2019.07.010}, pmid = {31340171}, issn = {1096-7184}, abstract = {Corallopyronins (COR) are α-pyrone antibiotics from myxobacteria representing highly promising lead structures for the development of antibacterial therapeutic agents. Their ability to inhibit RNA polymerase through interaction with the &quot;switch region&quot;, a novel target, distant from binding sites of previously characterized RNA polymerase inhibitors (e.g. rifampicin), makes them particularly promising as antibiotic candidates. Corallopyronin A is currently also investigated as a lead compound for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis because of its superb activity against the nematode symbiont Wolbachia. As total synthesis is not a valid production option biotechnological optimization of compound supply is of utmost importance to further develop this highly potent compound class. Here we describe decisive improvements of the previously reported heterologous COR production and engineering platform yielding production of ~100 mg/L COR A. Furthermore, we provide a revised model of COR biosynthesis shedding light on the function of several biosynthetic proteins, including an unusual ECH-like enzyme providing dehydration functionality in trans and an uncharacterized protein conferring COR self-resistance in the myxobacterial heterologous host Myxococcus xanthus DK1622. We also report two new COR derivatives, COR D and oxyCOR A discovered in genetically engineered strains.}, }
@article {pmid31334893, year = {2019}, author = {Treanor, D and Hughes, WOH}, title = {Limited female dispersal predicts the incidence of Wolbachia across ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).}, journal = {Journal of evolutionary biology}, volume = {32}, number = {10}, pages = {1163-1170}, doi = {10.1111/jeb.13510}, pmid = {31334893}, issn = {1420-9101}, abstract = {The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia is perhaps the greatest panzootic in the history of life on Earth, yet remarkably little is known regarding the factors that determine its incidence across species. One possibility is that Wolbachia more easily invades species with structured populations, due to the increased strength of genetic drift and higher initial frequency of infection. This should enable strains that induce mating incompatibilities to more easily cross the threshold prevalence above which they spread to either fixation or a stable equilibrium infection prevalence. Here, we provide empirical support for this hypothesis by analysing the relationship between female dispersal (as a proxy for population structure) and the incidence of Wolbachia across 250 species of ants. We show that species in which the dispersal of reproductive females is limited are significantly more likely to be infected with Wolbachia than species whose reproductive ecology is consistent with significant dispersal of females, and that this relationship remains after controlling for host phylogeny. We suggest that structured host populations, in this case resulting from limited female dispersal, may be an important feature determining how easily Wolbachia becomes successfully established in a novel host, and thus its occurrence across a wide diversity of invertebrate hosts.}, }
@article {pmid31334887, year = {2019}, author = {Barash, NR and Thomas, B and Birkenheuer, AJ and Breitschwerdt, EB and Lemler, E and Qurollo, BA}, title = {Prevalence of Babesia spp. and clinical characteristics of Babesia vulpes infections in North American dogs.}, journal = {Journal of veterinary internal medicine}, volume = {33}, number = {5}, pages = {2075-2081}, doi = {10.1111/jvim.15560}, pmid = {31334887}, issn = {1939-1676}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Babesiosis is an important cause of thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia in dogs. Babesia vulpes, reported in European dogs and North American foxes, rarely has been reported in domestic North American dogs. Newly optimized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers facilitate more sensitive amplification of B. vulpes DNA.<br><br>OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of Babesia sp. infections in dogs being tested for Babesia infection, and to describe co-infections and clinicopathologic abnormalities in B. vulpes positive dogs.<br><br>ANIMALS: Dog blood or tissue samples (n = 9367) submitted to a diagnostic laboratory between June 2015 and June 2018 were tested using an optimized Babesia PCR assay.<br><br>METHODS: Comprehensive canine vector-borne disease diagnostic testing was performed on convenience samples.<br><br>RESULTS: Babesia sp. DNA was amplified from 269/9367 (2.9%) North American dogs. Babesia sp. infections included B. gibsoni monoinfection (157; 1.7%), B. vulpes monoinfection (19; 0.20%), and B. gibsoni and B. vulpes coinfection (29; 0.31%). Forty-three of the 48 total B. vulpes-infected dogs were American Pit Bull Terrier-type breeds, of which 36 historically were involved with dog fights. Coinfections with Mycoplasma, Dirofilaria immitis, or Wolbachia and coexposures to Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia spp. were documented in B. vulpes-infected dogs. Clinicopathologic data in B. vulpes-infected dogs both with and without coinfections included anemia, thrombocytopenia, hyperglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and proteinuria.<br><br>Babesia vulpes infection in domestic North American dogs is commonly found in conjunction with other coinfections, including B. gibsoni and hemotropic Mycoplasma. Similar to B. gibsoni, dog-to-dog transmission of B. vulpes may be a frequent mode of transmission.}, }
@article {pmid31323841, year = {2019}, author = {Bakowski, MA and McNamara, CW}, title = {Advances in Antiwolbachial Drug Discovery for Treatment of Parasitic Filarial Worm Infections.}, journal = {Tropical medicine and infectious disease}, volume = {4}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {31323841}, issn = {2414-6366}, abstract = {The intracellular bacteria now known as Wolbachia were first described in filarial worms in the 1970s, but the idea of Wolbachia being used as a macrofilaricidal target did not gain wide attention until the early 2000s, with research in filariae suggesting the requirement of worms for the endosymbiont. This new-found interest prompted the eventual organization of the Anti-Wolbachia Consortium (A-WOL) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who, among others have been active in the field of antiwolbachial drug discovery to treat filarial infections. Clinical proof of concept studies using doxycycline demonstrated the utility of the antiwolbachial therapy, but efficacious treatments were of long duration and not safe for all infected. With the advance of robotics, automation, and high-speed computing, the search for superior antiwolbachials shifted away from smaller studies with a select number of antibiotics to high-throughput screening approaches, centered largely around cell-based phenotypic screens due to the rather limited knowledge about, and tools available to manipulate, this bacterium. A concomitant effort was put towards developing validation approaches and in vivo models supporting drug discovery efforts. In this review, we summarize the strategies behind and outcomes of recent large phenotypic screens published within the last 5 years, hit compound validation approaches and promising candidates with profiles superior to doxycycline, including ones positioned to advance into clinical trials for treatment of filarial worm infections.}, }
@article {pmid31323076, year = {2019}, author = {Cheng, D and Chen, S and Huang, Y and Pierce, NE and Riegler, M and Yang, F and Zeng, L and Lu, Y and Liang, G and Xu, Y}, title = {Symbiotic microbiota may reflect host adaptation by resident to invasive ant species.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {15}, number = {7}, pages = {e1007942}, doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1007942}, pmid = {31323076}, issn = {1553-7374}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Animals ; Ants/*microbiology/*physiology ; Diet ; Ecosystem ; Feeding Behavior ; Host Microbial Interactions/*physiology ; *Introduced Species ; Microbiota/*physiology ; Species Specificity ; Symbiosis/physiology ; Vitamin B Complex/metabolism ; Wolbachia/physiology ; }, abstract = {Exotic invasive species can influence the behavior and ecology of native and resident species, but these changes are often overlooked. Here we hypothesize that the ghost ant, Tapinoma melanocephalum, living in areas that have been invaded by the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, displays behavioral differences to interspecific competition that are reflected in both its trophic position and symbiotic microbiota. We demonstrate that T. melanocephalum workers from S. invicta invaded areas are less aggressive towards workers of S. invicta than those inhabiting non-invaded areas. Nitrogen isotope analyses reveal that colonies of T. melanocephalum have protein-rich diets in S. invicta invaded areas compared with the carbohydrate-rich diets of colonies living in non-invaded areas. Analysis of microbiota isolated from gut tissue shows that T. melanocephalum workers from S. invicta invaded areas also have different bacterial communities, including a higher abundance of Wolbachia that may play a role in vitamin B provisioning. In contrast, the microbiota of workers of T. melanocephalum from S. invicta-free areas are dominated by bacteria from the orders Bacillales, Lactobacillales and Enterobacteriales that may be involved in sugar metabolism. We further demonstrate experimentally that the composition and structure of the bacterial symbiont communities as well as the prevalence of vitamin B in T. melanocephalum workers from S. invicta invaded and non-invaded areas can be altered if T. melanocephalum workers are supplied with either protein-rich or carbohydrate-rich food. Our results support the hypothesis that bacterial symbiont communities can help hosts by buffering behavioral changes caused by interspecies competition as a consequence of biological invasions.}, }
@article {pmid31316207, year = {2019}, author = {Zheng, X and Zhang, D and Li, Y and Yang, C and Wu, Y and Liang, X and Liang, Y and Pan, X and Hu, L and Sun, Q and Wang, X and Wei, Y and Zhu, J and Qian, W and Yan, Z and Parker, AG and Gilles, JRL and Bourtzis, K and Bouyer, J and Tang, M and Zheng, B and Yu, J and Liu, J and Zhuang, J and Hu, Z and Zhang, M and Gong, JT and Hong, XY and Zhang, Z and Lin, L and Liu, Q and Hu, Z and Wu, Z and Baton, LA and Hoffmann, AA and Xi, Z}, title = {Incompatible and sterile insect techniques combined eliminate mosquitoes.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {572}, number = {7767}, pages = {56-61}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-019-1407-9}, pmid = {31316207}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Aedes/growth &amp; development/*microbiology/*physiology ; Animals ; China ; Copulation ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Insect Bites and Stings/prevention &amp; control ; Larva/growth &amp; development/microbiology/physiology ; Male ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/growth &amp; development/*microbiology/*physiology ; Quality Control ; Reproduction ; Wolbachia/*pathogenicity ; }, abstract = {The radiation-based sterile insect technique (SIT) has successfully suppressed field populations of several insect pest species, but its effect on mosquito vector control has been limited. The related incompatible insect technique (IIT)-which uses sterilization caused by the maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia-is a promising alternative, but can be undermined by accidental release of females infected with the same Wolbachia strain as the released males. Here we show that combining incompatible and sterile insect techniques (IIT-SIT) enables near elimination of field populations of the world's most invasive mosquito species, Aedes albopictus. Millions of factory-reared adult males with an artificial triple-Wolbachia infection were released, with prior pupal irradiation of the released mosquitoes to prevent unintentionally released triply infected females from successfully reproducing in the field. This successful field trial demonstrates the feasibility of area-wide application of combined IIT-SIT for mosquito vector control.}, }
@article {pmid31312785, year = {2019}, author = {Dietrich, CF and Chaubal, N and Hoerauf, A and Kling, K and Piontek, MS and Steffgen, L and Mand, S and Dong, Y}, title = {Review of Dancing Parasites in Lymphatic Filariasis.}, journal = {Ultrasound international open}, volume = {5}, number = {2}, pages = {E65-E74}, doi = {10.1055/a-0918-3678}, pmid = {31312785}, issn = {2509-596X}, abstract = {Lymphatic filariasis is an infection transmitted by blood-sucking mosquitoes with filarial nematodes of the species Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi und B. timori . It is prevalent in tropical countries throughout the world, with more than 60 million people infected and more than 1 billion living in areas with the risk of transmission. Worm larvae with a length of less than 1 mm are transmitted by mosquitoes, develop in human lymphatic tissue to adult worms with a length of 7-10 cm, live in the human body for up to 10 years and produce millions of microfilariae, which can be transmitted further by mosquitoes. The adult worms can be easily observed by ultrasonography because of their size and fast movements (the so-called &quot;filarial dance sign&quot;), which can be differentiated from other movements (e. g., blood in venous vessels) by their characteristic movement profile in pulsed-wave Doppler mode. Therapeutic options include (combinations of) ivermectin, albendazole, diethylcarbamazine and doxycycline. The latter depletes endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria from the worms and thus sterilizes and later kills the adult worms (macrofilaricidal or adulticidal effect).}, }
@article {pmid31311998, year = {2019}, author = {Ke, F and You, S and Huang, S and Chen, W and Liu, T and He, W and Xie, D and Li, Q and Lin, X and Vasseur, L and Gurr, GM and You, M}, title = {Herbivore range expansion triggers adaptation in a subsequently-associated third trophic level species and shared microbial symbionts.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {10314}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-46742-3}, pmid = {31311998}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {31320103922//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; 31230061//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; }, abstract = {Invasive species may change the life history strategies, distribution, genetic configuration and trophic interactions of native species. The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., is an invasive herbivore attacking cultivated and wild brassica plants worldwide. Here we present phylogeographic analyses of P. xylostella and one of its major parasitoids, Cotesia vestalis, using mitochondrial markers, revealing the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of these two species. We find evidence that C. vestalis originated in Southwest China, then adapted to P. xylostella as a new host by ecological sorting as P. xylostella expanded its geographic range into this region. Associated with the expansion of P. xylostella, Wolbachia symbionts were introduced into local populations of the parasitoid through horizontal transfer from its newly associated host. Insights into the evolutionary history and phylogeographic system of the herbivore and its parasitoid provide an important basis for better understanding the impacts of biological invasion on genetic configuration of local species.}, }
@article {pmid31302148, year = {2019}, author = {Iftikhar, M and Iftikhar, S and Sohail, A and Javed, S}, title = {AI- modelling of molecular identification and feminization of wolbachia infected Aedes aegypti.}, journal = {Progress in biophysics and molecular biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2019.07.001}, pmid = {31302148}, issn = {1873-1732}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The genetic control strategies of vector borne diseases includes the replacement of a vector population by &quot;disease-refractory&quot; mosquitoes and the release of mosquitoes with a gene to control the vector's reproduction rates. Wolbachia are common intracellular bacteria that are found in arthropods and nematodes. Wolbachia infected male mosquitos have been used in different experimental trials around the world to suppress the target population of Aedes aegypti and this genetic control strategy has proved to be a promising alternative to other treatment strategies. Due to certain limitations, the successful application of this strategy is still awaited.<br><br>METHODS: Mathematical frame work for Wolbachia induced genetic control strategy has been developed in this article. With the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, accurate parametric values are depicted. For the first time, the model is well synchronized with the experimental findings. The model is comprised of the generalized varying coefficient and multiple mating rates between infected and uninfected compartments of Aedes aegypti dengue to forecast the disease control.<br><br>RESULTS: Two mathematical models are developed in this article to demonstrate different mating rates of the genetic control strategy. The important parameters and time varying coefficients are well demonstrated with the aid of numerical computations. The resulting thresholds and forecasting may prove to be a useful tool for future experimental studies.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: From our analysis, we have concluded that the genetic control strategy is a promising technique and the role of Wolbachia infected male mosquitos, in genetic control strategies, can be better interpreted in an inexpensive manner with the aid of a theoretical model.}, }
@article {pmid31300838, year = {2019}, author = {White, JA and Styer, A and Rosenwald, LC and Curry, MM and Welch, KD and Athey, KJ and Chapman, EG}, title = {Endosymbiotic Bacteria Are Prevalent and Diverse in Agricultural Spiders.}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-019-01411-w}, pmid = {31300838}, issn = {1432-184X}, support = {0224651//U.S. Department of Agriculture/ ; 148-502-16-377//Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation/ ; 148-502-10-261//Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {Maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts are common in arthropods, but their distribution and prevalence are poorly characterized in many host taxa. Initial surveys have suggested that vertically transmitted symbionts may be particularly common in spiders (Araneae). Here, we used diagnostic PCR and high-throughput sequencing to evaluate symbiont infection in 267 individual spiders representing 14 species (3 families) of agricultural spiders. We found 27 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that are likely endosymbiotic, including multiple strains of Wolbachia, Rickettsia, and Cardinium, which are all vertically transmitted and frequently associated with reproductive manipulation of arthropod hosts. Additional strains included Rickettsiella, Spiroplasma, Rhabdochlamydia, and a novel Rickettsiales, all of which could range from pathogenic to mutualistic in their effects upon their hosts. Seventy percent of spider species had individuals that tested positive for one or more endosymbiotic OTUs, and specimens frequently contained multiple symbiotic strain types. The most symbiont-rich species, Idionella rugosa, had eight endosymbiotic OTUs, with as many as five present in the same specimen. Individual specimens within infected spider species had a variety of symbiotypes, differing from one another in the presence or absence of symbiotic strains. Our sample included both starved and unstarved specimens, and dominant bacterial OTUs were consistent per host species, regardless of feeding status. We conclude that spiders contain a remarkably diverse symbiotic microbiota. Spiders would be an informative group for investigating endosymbiont population dynamics in time and space, and unstarved specimens collected for other purposes (e.g., food web studies) could be used, with caution, for such investigations.}, }
@article {pmid31300646, year = {2019}, author = {Reveillaud, J and Bordenstein, SR and Cruaud, C and Shaiber, A and Esen, ÖC and Weill, M and Makoundou, P and Lolans, K and Watson, AR and Rakotoarivony, I and Bordenstein, SR and Eren, AM}, title = {Author Correction: The Wolbachia mobilome in Culex pipiens includes a putative plasmid.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {3153}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-11234-5}, pmid = {31300646}, issn = {2041-1723}, abstract = {An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.}, }
@article {pmid31300097, year = {2019}, author = {Boucheikhchoukh, M and Mechouk, N and Benakhla, A and Raoult, D and Parola, P}, title = {Molecular evidence of bacteria in Melophagus ovinus sheep keds and Hippobosca equina forest flies collected from sheep and horses in northeastern Algeria.}, journal = {Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases}, volume = {65}, number = {}, pages = {103-109}, doi = {10.1016/j.cimid.2019.05.010}, pmid = {31300097}, issn = {1878-1667}, mesh = {Algeria/epidemiology ; Anaplasmataceae/genetics ; Animals ; Bacteria/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Bartonella/genetics ; DNA, Bacterial/*genetics ; Diptera/*microbiology ; Disease Vectors ; Female ; Forests ; Horses/*parasitology ; Male ; Rickettsia/genetics ; Sheep/*parasitology ; }, abstract = {The sheep ked, Melophagus ovinus, and the forest fly, Hippobosca equina, are parasitic dipteran insects of veterinary importance. As hematophagous insects, they might be considered as potential vectors of diseases which may be transmissible to humans and animals. The purpose of this study was to present initial primary data about these two species in Algeria. To do so, we conducted a molecular survey to detect the presence of bacterial DNA in flies collected in Algeria. A total of 712 flies including, 683 Melophagus ovinus and 29 Hippobosca equina were collected from two regions in northeastern Algeria. Monitoring the monthly kinetics of M. ovinus infestations showed something resembling annual activity, with a high prevalence in January (21.67%) and May (20.94%). Real-time quantitative PCR assays showed that for 311 tested flies, 126 were positive for the Bartonella spp. rRNA intergenic spacer gene and 77 were positive for Anaplasmataceae. A random selection of positive samples was submitted for sequencing. The DNA of Bartonella chomelii and Bartonella melophagi were amplified in, respectively, five and four H. equina. 25 M. ovinus positive samples were infected by Bartonella melophagi. Amplification and sequencing of the Anaplasma spp. 23S rRNA gene revealed that both species were infected by Wolbachia sp. which had previously been detected in Cimex lectularius bed bugs. Overall, this study expanded knowledge about bacteria present in parasitic flies of domestic animals in Algeria.}, }
@article {pmid31279737, year = {2019}, author = {Nebbak, A and Dahmana, H and Almeras, L and Raoult, D and Boulanger, N and Jaulhac, B and Mediannikov, O and Parola, P}, title = {Co-infection of bacteria and protozoan parasites in Ixodes ricinus nymphs collected in the Alsace region, France.}, journal = {Ticks and tick-borne diseases}, volume = {10}, number = {6}, pages = {101241}, doi = {10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.06.001}, pmid = {31279737}, issn = {1877-9603}, abstract = {Fifty nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in Alsace, France, identified by morphological criteria and using MALDI-TOF MS, were tested by PCR to detect tick-associated bacteria and protozoan parasites. Seventy percent (35/50) of ticks contained at least one microorganism; 26% (9/35) contained two or more species. Several human pathogens were identified including Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. (4%), Borrelia afzelii (2%), Borrelia garinii (2%), Borrelia valaisiana (4%), Borrelia miyamotoi (2%), Rickettsia helvetica (6%) and &quot;Babesia venatorum&quot; (2%). Bartonella spp. (10%) and a Wolbachia spp. (8%) were also detected. The most common co-infections involved Anaplasmataceae with Borrelia spp. (4%), Anaplasmataceae with Bartonella spp. (6%) and Anaplasmataceae with Rickettsia spp. (6%). Co-infection involving three different groups of bacteria was seen between bacteria of the family Anaplasmataceae, Borrelia spp. and Bartonella spp. (2%). Results highlight the panel of infectious agents carried by Ixodes ricinus. Co-infection suggests the possibility of transmission of more than one pathogen to human and animals during tick blood feeding.}, }
@article {pmid31274094, year = {2019}, author = {Naciri, M}, title = {[Wolbachia bacteria inhibits mosquito infection by various human pathogens].}, journal = {Medecine sciences : M/S}, volume = {35}, number = {6-7}, pages = {584-585}, doi = {10.1051/medsci/2019115}, pmid = {31274094}, issn = {1958-5381}, }
@article {pmid31267762, year = {2019}, author = {Lima-Barbero, JF and Díaz-Sanchez, S and Sparagano, O and Finn, RD and de la Fuente, J and Villar, M}, title = {Metaproteomics characterization of the alphaproteobacteria microbiome in different developmental and feeding stages of the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer, 1778).}, journal = {Avian pathology : journal of the W.V.P.A}, volume = {48}, number = {sup1}, pages = {S52-S59}, doi = {10.1080/03079457.2019.1635679}, pmid = {31267762}, issn = {1465-3338}, abstract = {The poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer, 1778), is a worldwide distributed ectoparasite and considered a major pest affecting the laying hen industry in Europe. Based on available information in other ectoparasites, the mite microbiome might participate in several biological processes and the acquisition, maintenance and transmission of pathogens. However, little is known about the role of PRM as a mechanical carrier or a biological vector in the transmission of pathogenic bacteria. Herein, we used a metaproteomics approach to characterize the alphaproteobacteria in the microbiota of PRM, and variations in its profile with ectoparasite development (nymphs vs. adults) and feeding (unfed vs. fed). The results showed that the bacterial community associated with D. gallinae was mainly composed of environmental and commensal bacteria. Putative symbiotic bacteria of the genera Wolbachia, C. Tokpelaia and Sphingomonas were identified, together with potential pathogenic bacteria of the genera Inquilinus, Neorickettsia and Roseomonas. Significant differences in the composition of alphaproteobacterial microbiota were associated with mite development and feeding, suggesting that bacteria have functional implications in metabolic pathways associated with blood feeding. These results support the use of metaproteomics for the characterization of alphaproteobacteria associated with the D. gallinae microbiota that could provide relevant information for the understanding of mite-host interactions and the development of potential control interventions. Research highlights Metaproteomics is a valid approach for microbiome characterization in ectoparasites. Alphaproteobacteria putative bacterial symbionts were identified in D. gallinae. Mite development and feeding were related to variations in bacterial community. Potentially pathogenic bacteria were identified in mite microbiota.}, }
@article {pmid31265751, year = {2020}, author = {Yang, K and Xie, K and Zhu, YX and Huo, SM and Hoffmann, A and Hong, XY}, title = {Wolbachia dominate Spiroplasma in the co-infected spider mite Tetranychus truncatus.}, journal = {Insect molecular biology}, volume = {29}, number = {1}, pages = {19-37}, doi = {10.1111/imb.12607}, pmid = {31265751}, issn = {1365-2583}, support = {31672035//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 31871976//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia and Spiroplasma are both maternally inherited endosymbionts in arthropods, and they can co-infect the same species. However, how they interact with each other in the same host is not clear. Here we investigate a co-infected Tetranychus truncatus spider mite strain that shares the same genetic background with singly infected and uninfected strains to detect the impacts of the two symbionts on their host. We found that Wolbachia-infected and Spiroplasma-infected mites can suffer significant fitness costs involving decreased fecundity, although with no effect on lifespan or development. Wolbachia induced incomplete cytoplasmic incompatibility in T. truncatus both in singly infected and doubly infected strains, resulting in female killing. In both females and males of the co-infected spider mite strain, Wolbachia density was higher than Spiroplasma density. Transcriptome analysis of female adults showed that the most differentially expressed genes were found between the co-infected strain and both the singly infected Spiroplasma strain and uninfected strain. The Wolbachia strain had the fewest differentially expressed genes compared with the co-infected strain, consistent with the higher density of Wolbachia in the co-infected strain. Wolbachia, therefore, appears to have a competitive advantage in host mites over Spiroplasma and is likely maintained in populations by cytoplasmic incompatibility despite having deleterious fitness effects.}, }
@article {pmid31259313, year = {2019}, author = {Rocha, MN and Duarte, MM and Mansur, SB and Silva, BDME and Pereira, TN and Adelino, TÉR and Giovanetti, M and Alcantara, LCJ and Santos, FM and Costa, VRM and Teixeira, MM and Iani, FCM and Costa, VV and Moreira, LA}, title = {Pluripotency of Wolbachia against Arboviruses: the case of yellow fever.}, journal = {Gates open research}, volume = {3}, number = {}, pages = {161}, doi = {10.12688/gatesopenres.12903.2}, pmid = {31259313}, issn = {2572-4754}, abstract = {Background: Yellow fever outbreaks have re-emerged in Brazil during 2016-18, with mortality rates up to 30%. Although urban transmission has not been reported since 1942, the risk of re-urbanization of yellow fever is significant, as Aedes aegypti is present in most tropical and sub-tropical cities in the World and still remains the main vector of urban YFV. Although the YFV vaccine is safe and effective, it does not always reach populations at greatest risk of infection and there is an acknowledged global shortage of vaccine supply. The introgression of Wolbachia bacteria into Ae. aegypti mosquito populations is being trialed in several countries (www.worldmosquito.org) as a biocontrol method against dengue, Zika and chikungunya. Here, we studied the ability of Wolbachia to reduce the transmission potential of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes for Yellow fever virus (YFV). Methods: Two recently isolated YFV (primate and human) were used to challenge field-derived wild-type and Wolbachia-infected (wMel +) Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. The YFV infection status was followed for 7, 14 and 21 days post-oral feeding (dpf). The YFV transmission potential of mosquitoes was evaluated via nano-injection of saliva into uninfected mosquitoes or by inoculation in mice. Results: We found that Wolbachia was able to significantly reduce the prevalence of mosquitoes with YFV infected heads and thoraces for both viral isolates. Furthermore, analyses of mosquito saliva, through indirect injection into naïve mosquitoes or via interferon-deficient mouse model, indicated Wolbachia was associated with profound reduction in the YFV transmission potential of mosquitoes (14dpf). Conclusions: Our results suggest that Wolbachia introgression could be used as a complementary strategy for prevention of urban yellow fever transmission, along with the human vaccination program.}, }
@article {pmid31254009, year = {2019}, author = {Kelly, M and Price, SL and de Oliveira Ramalho, M and Moreau, CS}, title = {Diversity of Wolbachia Associated with the Giant Turtle Ant, Cephalotes atratus.}, journal = {Current microbiology}, volume = {76}, number = {11}, pages = {1330-1337}, doi = {10.1007/s00284-019-01722-8}, pmid = {31254009}, issn = {1432-0991}, support = {1559779//NSF DBI/ ; 1900357//National Science Foundation/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Ants/*microbiology/physiology ; *Biodiversity ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; }, abstract = {Symbiotic relationships between organisms are common throughout the tree of life, and often these organisms share an evolutionary history. In turtle ants (Cephalotes), symbiotic associations with bacteria are known to be especially important for supplementing the nutrients that their herbivorous diets do not provide. However, much remains unknown about the diversity of many common bacterial symbionts with turtle ants, such as Wolbachia. Here, we surveyed the diversity of Wolbachia, focusing on one species of turtle ant with a particularly wide geographic range, Cephalotes atratus. Colonies were collected from the entire range of C. atratus, and we detected the presence of Wolbachia by sequencing multiple individuals per colony for wsp. Then, using the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) approach, we determined each individual's unique sequence type (ST) based on comparison to sequences published in the Wolbachia MLST Database (https://pubmlst.org/wolbachia/). The results of this study suggest that there is a high level of diversity of Wolbachia strains among colonies from different regions, while the diversity within colonies is very low. Additionally, 13 novel variants (alleles) were uncovered. These results suggest that the level of diversity of Wolbachia within species is affected by geography, and the high level of diversity observed among Cephalotes atratus populations may be explained by their wide geographic range.}, }
@article {pmid31247412, year = {2019}, author = {Sicard, M and Bonneau, M and Weill, M}, title = {Wolbachia prevalence, diversity, and ability to induce cytoplasmic incompatibility in mosquitoes.}, journal = {Current opinion in insect science}, volume = {34}, number = {}, pages = {12-20}, doi = {10.1016/j.cois.2019.02.005}, pmid = {31247412}, issn = {2214-5753}, abstract = {To protect humans and domestic animals from mosquito borne diseases, alternative methods to chemical insecticides have to be found. Pilot studies using the vertically transmitted bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia were already launched in different parts of the world. Wolbachia can be used either in Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT), to decrease mosquito population, or to decrease the ability of mosquitoes to transmit pathogens. Not all mosquito species are naturally infected with Wolbachia: while in Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus almost all individuals harbor Wolbachia, putative infections have to be further investigated in Anopheles species and in Aedes aegypti. All Wolbachia-based control methods rely on the ability of Wolbachia to induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) resulting in embryonic death in incompatible crossings. Knowledge on CI diversity in mosquito is required to find the better Wolbachia-mosquito associations to optimize the success of both 'sterile insect' and 'pathogen blocking' Wolbachia-based methods.}, }
@article {pmid31242186, year = {2019}, author = {Shropshire, JD and Bordenstein, SR}, title = {Two-By-One model of cytoplasmic incompatibility: Synthetic recapitulation by transgenic expression of cifA and cifB in Drosophila.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {15}, number = {6}, pages = {e1008221}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1008221}, pmid = {31242186}, issn = {1553-7404}, support = {R01 AI132581/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 HD086833/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Genetically Modified/genetics/growth &amp; development ; Bacteriophages/*genetics ; Cytoplasm/genetics/metabolism/microbiology ; Disease Vectors ; Drosophila melanogaster/*genetics/growth &amp; development/microbiology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation/genetics ; Male ; Maternal Inheritance/genetics ; Reproduction/genetics ; Viral Proteins/*genetics ; Wolbachia/*genetics/pathogenicity/virology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia are maternally inherited bacteria that infect arthropod species worldwide and are deployed in vector control to curb arboviral spread using cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI kills embryos when an infected male mates with an uninfected female, but the lethality is rescued if the female and her embryos are likewise infected. Two phage WO genes, cifAwMel and cifBwMel from the wMel Wolbachia deployed in vector control, transgenically recapitulate variably penetrant CI, and one of the same genes, cifAwMel, rescues wild type CI. The proposed Two-by-One genetic model predicts that CI and rescue can be recapitulated by transgenic expression alone and that dual cifAwMel and cifBwMel expression can recapitulate strong CI. Here, we use hatch rate and gene expression analyses in transgenic Drosophila melanogaster to demonstrate that CI and rescue can be synthetically recapitulated in full, and strong, transgenic CI comparable to wild type CI is achievable. These data explicitly validate the Two-by-One model in wMel-infected D. melanogaster, establish a robust system for transgenic studies of CI in a model system, and represent the first case of completely engineering male and female animal reproduction to depend upon bacteriophage gene products.}, }
@article {pmid31238839, year = {2019}, author = {Ritchie, SA and Staunton, KM}, title = {Reflections from an old Queenslander: can rear and release strategies be the next great era of vector control?.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {286}, number = {1905}, pages = {20190973}, doi = {10.1098/rspb.2019.0973}, pmid = {31238839}, issn = {1471-2954}, abstract = {In this perspective, I discuss the great eras of vector control, centring on Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of dengue, Zika and several other viruses. Since the discovery and acceptance of the role of mosquitoes as vectors of disease agents, several significant strategies have been developed and deployed to control them and the diseases they transmit. Environmental management, insecticides and, to a lesser extent, biological control have emerged as great eras of vector control. In the past decade, the release of massive numbers of specifically modified mosquitoes that mate with wild populations has emerged as a significant new strategy to fight vector-borne diseases. These reared and released mosquitoes have been modified by the addition of a symbiont (e.g. Wolbachia bacteria), radiation or introduction of a genetic construct to either sterilize the wild mosquitoes they mate with, crashing the population, or to reduce the wild population's capacity to vector pathogens. Will these new rear and release strategies become the next great era of vector control? From my vantage point as a dengue control manager and researcher involved in two Wolbachia programmes, I will discuss the hurdles that rear and release programmes face to gain widespread acceptance and success.}, }
@article {pmid31234915, year = {2019}, author = {Zueva, T and Morchón, R and Carretón, E and Montoya-Alonso, JA and Santana, A and Bargues, MD and Mas-Coma, S and Rodríguez-Barbero, A and Simón, F}, title = {Angiogenic response in an in vitro model of dog microvascular endothelial cells stimulated with antigenic extracts from Dirofilaria immitis adult worms.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {315}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-019-3570-0}, pmid = {31234915}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {Castilla y León//Agencia de Desarrollo Económico/ ; Spain (cofinanced with FEDER funds)//Agencia de Desarrollo Económico/ ; Project No. RD16/0027/0018//RICET Red de Investigación de Centros de Enfermedades Tropicales/ ; Project No. RD16/0027/0023//Financial support for Valencia team obtained by RICET/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Antigens, Bacterial/pharmacology ; Antigens, Helminth/*pharmacology ; Capillaries/drug effects ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dirofilaria immitis/*chemistry/microbiology ; Dogs ; Endothelial Cells/*drug effects ; Inflammation ; Neovascularization, Physiologic/*drug effects ; Wolbachia/chemistry/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis can occur under pathological conditions when stimuli such as inflammation, vascular obstruction or hypoxia exist. These stimuli are present in cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis (Dirofilaria immitis). The aim of this study was to analyze the capacity of D. immitis antigens to modify the expression of angiogenic factors and trigger the formation of pseudocapillaries (tube-like structures) in an in vitro model of endothelial cells.<br><br>METHODS: The expression of VEGF-A, sFlt, mEndoglin and sEndoglin in cultures of canine microvascular endothelial cells stimulated with extract of adult worms of D. immitis obtained from an untreated dog (DiSA) and from a dog treated for 15 days with doxycycline (tDiSA), was determined by using commercial kits. The capacity of pseudocapillary formation was evaluated analyzing cell connections and cell groups in Matrigel cell cultures stimulated with DiSA and tDiSA. In both cases non-stimulated cultures were used as controls.<br><br>RESULTS: First, we demonstrated that worms obtained from the dog treated with doxycycline showed a significantly lower amount of Wolbachia (less than 60%) than worms removed from the untreated dog. Only DiSA was able to significantly increase the expression of the proangiogenic factor VEGF-A in the endotelial cells cultures. None of the D. immitis extracts modified the expression of sFlt. tDiSA extract was able to modify the expression of the endoglins, significantly decreasing the expression of the pro-angiogenic mEndoglin and increasing the anti-angiogenic sEndoglin. The formation of pseudocapillaries was negatively influenced by tDiSA, which reduced the organization and number of cellular connections.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The ability of antigens from adult D. immitis worms to modify the expression of pro and anti-angiogenic factors in endotelial cell cultures was demonstrated, as well as the trend to form pseudocapillaries in vitro. The capacity of stimulation may be linked to the amount of Wolbachia present in the antigenic extracts.}, }
@article {pmid31234774, year = {2019}, author = {Thapa, S and Zhang, Y and Allen, MS}, title = {Bacterial microbiomes of Ixodes scapularis ticks collected from Massachusetts and Texas, USA.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, pages = {138}, doi = {10.1186/s12866-019-1514-7}, pmid = {31234774}, issn = {1471-2180}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the primary vector of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi in North America. Though the tick is found across the eastern United States, Lyme disease is endemic to the northeast and upper midwest and rare or absent in the southern portion of the vector's range. In an effort to better understand the tick microbiome from diverse geographic and climatic regions, we analysed the bacterial community of 115 I. scapularis adults collected from vegetation in Texas and Massachusetts, representing extreme ends of the vector's range, by massively parallel sequencing of the 16S V4 rRNA gene. In addition, 7 female I. scapularis collected from dogs in Texas were included in the study.<br><br>RESULTS: Male I. scapularis ticks had a more diverse bacterial microbiome in comparison to the female ticks. Rickettsia spp. dominated the microbiomes of field-collected female I. scapularis from both regions, as well as half of the males from Texas. In addition, the male and female ticks captured from Massachusetts contained high proportions of the pathogens Anaplasma and Borrelia, as well as the arthropod endosymbiont Wolbachia. None of these were found in libraries generated from ticks collected in Texas. Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and Mycobacterium were significantly differently abundant (p < 0.05) between the male ticks from Massachusetts and Texas. Anaplasma and Borrelia were found in 15 and 63% of the 62 Massachusetts ticks, respectively, with a co-infection rate of 11%. Female ticks collected from Texas dogs were particularly diverse, and contained several genera including Rickettsia, Pseudomonas, Bradyrhizobium, Sediminibacterium, and Ralstonia.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the bacterial microbiomes of I. scapularis ticks vary by sex and geography, with significantly more diversity in male microbiomes compared to females. We found that sex plays a larger role than geography in shaping the composition/diversity of the I. scapularis microbiome, but that geography affects what additional taxa are represented (beyond Rickettsia) and whether pathogens are found. Furthermore, recent feeding may have a role in shaping the tick microbiome, as evident from a more complex bacterial community in female ticks from dogs compared to the wild-caught questing females. These findings may provide further insight into the differences in the ability of the ticks to acquire, maintain and transmit pathogens. Future studies on possible causes and consequences of these differences will shed additional light on tick microbiome biology and vector competence.}, }
@article {pmid31233646, year = {2019}, author = {Hinojosa, JC and Koubínová, D and Szenteczki, MA and Pitteloud, C and Dincă, V and Alvarez, N and Vila, R}, title = {A mirage of cryptic species: Genomics uncover striking mitonuclear discordance in the butterfly Thymelicus sylvestris.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {28}, number = {17}, pages = {3857-3868}, doi = {10.1111/mec.15153}, pmid = {31233646}, issn = {1365-294X}, support = {CGL2016-76322-P//AEI/ERDF/ ; BES-2017-080641//Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad/ ; PP00P3_172899//Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung/ ; 2017-SGR-991//Generalitat de Catalunya/ ; }, abstract = {Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing has led to an unprecedented rise in the identification of cryptic species. However, it is widely acknowledged that nuclear DNA (nuDNA) sequence data are also necessary to properly define species boundaries. Next generation sequencing techniques provide a wealth of nuclear genomic data, which can be used to ascertain both the evolutionary history and taxonomic status of putative cryptic species. Here, we focus on the intriguing case of the butterfly Thymelicus sylvestris (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). We identified six deeply diverged mitochondrial lineages; three distributed all across Europe and found in sympatry, suggesting a potential case of cryptic species. We then sequenced these six lineages using double-digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq). Nuclear genomic loci contradicted mtDNA patterns and genotypes generally clustered according to geography, i.e., a pattern expected under the assumption of postglacial recolonization from different refugia. Further analyses indicated that this strong mtDNA/nuDNA discrepancy cannot be explained by incomplete lineage sorting, sex-biased asymmetries, NUMTs, natural selection, introgression or Wolbachia-mediated genetic sweeps. We suggest that this mitonuclear discordance was caused by long periods of geographic isolation followed by range expansions, homogenizing the nuclear but not the mitochondrial genome. These results highlight T. sylvestris as a potential case of multiple despeciation and/or lineage fusion events. We finally argue, since mtDNA and nuDNA do not necessarily follow the same mechanisms of evolution, their respective evolutionary history reflects complementary aspects of past demographic and biogeographic events.}, }
@article {pmid31229556, year = {2020}, author = {Parvathi, A and Jasna, V and Aswathy, VK and Aparna, S and Nathan, VK and Jyothibabu, R}, title = {Dominance of Wolbachia sp. in the deep-sea sediment bacterial metataxonomic sequencing analysis in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean.}, journal = {Genomics}, volume = {112}, number = {1}, pages = {1030-1041}, doi = {10.1016/j.ygeno.2019.06.019}, pmid = {31229556}, issn = {1089-8646}, abstract = {The Bay of Bengal, located in the north-eastern part of the Indian Ocean is world's largest bay occupying an area of ~8,39,000 mile2. The variability in bacterial community structure and function in sediment ecosystems of the Bay of Bengal is examined by Illumina high-throughput metagenomic sequencing. Of five metataxonomics data sets presented, two (SD1 and SD2) were from stations close to the shore and three (SD4, SD5, and SD6) were from the deep-sea (~3000 m depth). Phylum Proteobacteria (90.27 to 92.52%) dominated the deep-sea samples, whereas phylum Firmicutes (65.35 to 90.98%) dominated the coastal samples. Comparative analysis showed that coastal and deep-sea sediments showed distinct microbial communities. Wolbachia species, belonging to class Alphaproteobacteria was the most dominant species in the deep-sea sediments. The gene functions of bacterial communities were predicted for deep-sea and coastal sediment ecosystems. The results indicated that deep-sea sediment bacterial communities were involved in metabolic activities like dehalogenation and sulphide oxidation.}, }
@article {pmid31229468, year = {2019}, author = {Bock, W and Jayathunga, Y}, title = {Optimal control of a multi-patch Dengue model under the influence of Wolbachia bacterium.}, journal = {Mathematical biosciences}, volume = {315}, number = {}, pages = {108219}, doi = {10.1016/j.mbs.2019.108219}, pmid = {31229468}, issn = {1879-3134}, abstract = {In this work, a multi-patch model for dengue transmission dynamics including the bacterium Wolbachia is studied and by that the control efforts to minimize the disease spread by host and vector control are investigated. The multi-patch system models the host movement within the patches which coupled via a residence-time budgeting matrix P. Numerical results confirm that the control mechanism embedded in incidence rates of the disease transmission, effectively reduce the spread of the disease.}, }
@article {pmid31227544, year = {2019}, author = {Cooper, BS and Vanderpool, D and Conner, WR and Matute, DR and Turelli, M}, title = {Wolbachia Acquisition by Drosophila yakuba-Clade Hosts and Transfer of Incompatibility Loci Between Distantly Related Wolbachia.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {212}, number = {4}, pages = {1399-1419}, doi = {10.1534/genetics.119.302349}, pmid = {31227544}, issn = {1943-2631}, support = {R01 GM104325/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM121750/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM124701/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Maternally transmitted Wolbachia infect about half of insect species, yet the predominant mode(s) of Wolbachia acquisition remains uncertain. Species-specific associations could be old, with Wolbachia and hosts codiversifying (i.e., cladogenic acquisition), or relatively young and acquired by horizontal transfer or introgression. The three Drosophila yakuba-clade hosts [(D. santomea, D. yakuba) D. teissieri] diverged ∼3 MYA and currently hybridize on the West African islands Bioko and São Tomé. Each species is polymorphic for nearly identical Wolbachia that cause weak cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI)-reduced egg hatch when uninfected females mate with infected males. D. yakuba-clade Wolbachia are closely related to wMel, globally polymorphic in D. melanogaster We use draft Wolbachia and mitochondrial genomes to demonstrate that D. yakuba-clade phylogenies for Wolbachia and mitochondria tend to follow host nuclear phylogenies. However, roughly half of D. santomea individuals, sampled both inside and outside of the São Tomé hybrid zone, have introgressed D. yakuba mitochondria. Both mitochondria and Wolbachia possess far more recent common ancestors than the bulk of the host nuclear genomes, precluding cladogenic Wolbachia acquisition. General concordance of Wolbachia and mitochondrial phylogenies suggests that horizontal transmission is rare, but varying relative rates of molecular divergence complicate chronogram-based statistical tests. Loci that cause CI in wMel are disrupted in D. yakuba-clade Wolbachia; but a second set of loci predicted to cause CI are located in the same WO prophage region. These alternative CI loci seem to have been acquired horizontally from distantly related Wolbachia, with transfer mediated by flanking Wolbachia-specific ISWpi1 transposons.}, }
@article {pmid31222094, year = {2019}, author = {Mateos, M and Silva, NO and Ramirez, P and Higareda-Alvear, VM and Aramayo, R and Erickson, JW}, title = {Effect of heritable symbionts on maternally-derived embryo transcripts.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {8847}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-45371-0}, pmid = {31222094}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {R03 AI078348//U.S. Department of Health &amp; Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; }, abstract = {Maternally-transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria are ubiquitous in insects. Among other influential phenotypes, many heritable symbionts of arthropods are notorious for manipulating host reproduction through one of four reproductive syndromes, which are generally exerted during early developmental stages of the host: male feminization; parthenogenesis induction; male killing; and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Major advances have been achieved in understanding mechanisms and identifying symbiont factors involved in reproductive manipulation, particularly male killing and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Nonetheless, whether cytoplasmically-transmitted bacteria influence the maternally-loaded components of the egg or early embryo has not been examined. In the present study, we investigated whether heritable endosymbionts that cause different reproductive phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster influence the mRNA transcriptome of early embryos. We used mRNA-seq to evaluate differential expression in Drosophila embryos lacking endosymbionts (control) to those harbouring the male-killing Spiroplasma poulsonii strain MSRO-Br, the CI-inducing Wolbachia strain wMel, or Spiroplasma poulsonii strain Hyd1; a strain that lacks a reproductive phenotype and is naturally associated with Drosophila hydei. We found no consistent evidence of influence of symbiont on mRNA composition of early embryos, suggesting that the reproductive manipulation mechanism does not involve alteration of maternally-loaded transcripts. In addition, we capitalized on several available mRNA-seq datasets derived from Spiroplasma-infected Drosophila melanogaster embryos, to search for signals of depurination of rRNA, consistent with the activity of Ribosome Inactivating Proteins (RIPs) encoded by Spiroplasma poulsonii. We found small but statistically significant signals of depurination of Drosophila rRNA in the Spiroplasma treatments (both strains), but not in the symbiont-free control or Wolbachia treatment, consistent with the action of RIPs. The depurination signal was slightly stronger in the treatment with the male-killing strain. This result supports a recent report that RIP-induced damage contributes to male embryo death.}, }
@article {pmid31215133, year = {2019}, author = {Su, QC and Wang, X and Deng, C and Yun, YL and Zhao, Y and Peng, Y}, title = {Transcriptome responses to elevated CO2 level and Wolbachia-infection stress in Hylyphantes graminicola (Araneae: Linyphiidae).}, journal = {Insect science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.12701}, pmid = {31215133}, issn = {1744-7917}, support = {2016YFD0200900//State's Key Project of Research and Development Plan/ ; 31672317//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2016jzxjh012//Competitive Planning Projects of Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences/ ; }, abstract = {Hylyphantes graminicola is a resident spider species found in maize and cotton fields and is an important biological control agent of various pests. Previous studies have demonstrated that stress from elevated CO2 and Wolbachia infection can strongly affect spider species. Thus, based on CO2 levels (400 ppm, current atmospheric CO2 concentration and 800 ppm, high CO2 concentration) and Wolbachia status (Wolbachia-infected, W+ and Wolbachia-uninfected, W-), we divided H. graminicola individuals into four treatment groups: W- 400 ppm, W- 800 ppm, W+ 400 ppm, and W+ 800 ppm. To investigate the effects of elevated CO2 levels (W- 400 vs W- 800), Wolbachia infection (W- 400 vs W+ 400), and the interactions between these two factors (W- 400 vs W+ 800), high-throughput transcriptome sequencing was employed to characterize the de novo transcriptome of the spiders and identify stress-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). De novo assembly of complementary DNA sequences generated 86 688 unigenes, 23 938 of which were annotated in public databases. A total of 84, 21, and 157 DEGs were found among W- 400 vs W- 800, W- 400 vs W+ 400, and W- 400 vs W+ 800, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that metabolic processes, signaling, and catalytic activity were significantly affected by elevated CO2 levels and Wolbachia infection. Our findings suggest that the impact of elevated CO2 levels and Wolbachia infection on the H. graminicola transcriptome was, to a large extent, on genes involved in metabolic processes. This study is the first description of transcriptome changes in response to elevated CO2 levels and Wolbachia infection in spiders.}, }
@article {pmid31214820, year = {2019}, author = {Konecka, E and Olszanowski, Z}, title = {First Evidence of Intracellular Bacteria Cardinium in Thermophilic Mite Microzetorchestes emeryi (Acari: Oribatida): Molecular Screening of Bacterial Endosymbiont Species.}, journal = {Current microbiology}, volume = {76}, number = {9}, pages = {1038-1044}, doi = {10.1007/s00284-019-01717-5}, pmid = {31214820}, issn = {1432-0991}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteroidetes/classification/*genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Mites/*microbiology/physiology ; Phylogeny ; Poland ; Symbiosis ; }, abstract = {We undertook the issue of the distribution of intracellular bacteria among Oribatida (Acari). Six genera of bacteria were detected by PCR and Sanger DNA sequencing: Wolbachia, Cardinium, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma, Arsenophonus, and Hamiltonella. Our research, for the first time, revealed the presence of Cardinium in Microzetorchestes emeryi in two subpopulations separated from each other by 300 m. The percentages of infected animals were the same in both subpopulations-ca. 20%. The identity of 16S rDNA sequences of Cardinium between these two subpopulations of M. emeryi was 97%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Cardinium in M. emeryi was clustered into the group A. The occurrence of M. emeryi in Poland has not been reported before and our report is the first one. Cardinium maybe help the thermophilic M. emeryi to adapt to low temperatures in the Central Europe.}, }
@article {pmid31208002, year = {2019}, author = {Schebeck, M and Feldkirchner, L and Stauffer, C and Schuler, H}, title = {Dynamics of an Ongoing Wolbachia Spread in the European Cherry Fruit Fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae).}, journal = {Insects}, volume = {10}, number = {6}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/insects10060172}, pmid = {31208002}, issn = {2075-4450}, support = {P26749-B25//Austrian Science Fund/ ; J-3527-B22//Austrian Science Fund/ ; P31441-B29//Austrian Science Fund/ ; }, abstract = {Numerous terrestrial arthropods are infected with the alphaproteobacterium Wolbachia. This endosymbiont is usually transmitted vertically from infected females to their offspring and can alter the reproduction of hosts through various manipulations, like cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), enhancing its spread in new host populations. Studies on the spatial and temporal dynamics of Wolbachia under natural conditions are scarce. Here, we analyzed Wolbachia infection frequencies in populations of the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (L.), in central Germany-an area of an ongoing spread of the CI-inducing strain wCer2. In total, 295 individuals from 19 populations were PCR-screened for the presence of wCer2 and their mitochondrial haplotype. Results were compared with historic data to understand the infection dynamics of the ongoing wCer2 invasion. An overall wCer2 infection frequency of about 30% was found, ranging from 0% to 100% per population. In contrast to an expected smooth transition from wCer2-infected to completely wCer2-uninfected populations, a relatively scattered infection pattern across geography was observed. Moreover, a strong Wolbachia-haplotype association was detected, with only a few rare misassociations. Our results show a complex dynamic of an ongoing Wolbachia spread in natural field populations of R. cerasi.}, }
@article {pmid31204356, year = {2019}, author = {Watanabe, A and Takaku, S and Yokota, K and Hayashi, S and Tamaki, N and Kokeguchi, S}, title = {A survey of Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) in Japanese Dental Clinics.}, journal = {Biocontrol science}, volume = {24}, number = {2}, pages = {117-121}, doi = {10.4265/bio.24.117}, pmid = {31204356}, issn = {1884-0205}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/*classification/*isolation &amp; purification ; Cluster Analysis ; Coleoptera/*microbiology ; DNA, Bacterial/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics ; *Dental Clinics ; Japan ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {This study was to survey the capturing rate in Japanese dental clinics of the Lasioderma serricorne (cigarette beetles) , and to evaluate the beetle's potential as a carrier for transmission of nosocomial pathogens. L. serricorne imagoes were captured in pheromone traps in 14 Japanese dental clinics in August and September 2012 and 2013, and their numbers recorded. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the bacterial antibiotic-resistant genes mecA, vanA, vanB, blaIMP, and blaVIM was performed on the captured L. serricorne imagoes. Bacterial species in the captured specimens were identified by 16S rRNA PCR and sequencing analysis. The L. serricorne imagoes were captured from 10 dental clinics (71.4%) . We failed to detect the presence of nosocomial antibiotic-resistant pathogens in L. serricorne imagoes. The bacterial species detected most commonly in the imagoes was Wolbachia sp., an intracellular proteobacterium infecting certain insect species. Monitoring of insects including L. serricorne should be incorporated into regiment of the infection control.}, }
@article {pmid31194893, year = {2020}, author = {Ant, TH and Herd, C and Louis, F and Failloux, AB and Sinkins, SP}, title = {Wolbachia transinfections in Culex quinquefasciatus generate cytoplasmic incompatibility.}, journal = {Insect molecular biology}, volume = {29}, number = {1}, pages = {1-8}, doi = {10.1111/imb.12604}, pmid = {31194893}, issn = {1365-2583}, support = {BB/K004506/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; 202888/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {Culex quinquefasciatus is an important mosquito vector of a number of viral and protozoan pathogens of humans and animals, and naturally carries the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis, strain wPip. Wolbachia are used in two distinct vector control strategies: firstly, population suppression caused by mating incompatibilities between mass-released transinfected males and wild females; and secondly, the spread of pathogen transmission-blocking strains through populations. Using embryonic microinjection, two novel Wolbachia transinfections were generated in C. quinquefasciatus using strains native to the mosquito Aedes albopictus: a wAlbB single infection, and a wPip plus wAlbA superinfection. The wAlbB infection showed full bidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) with wild-type C. quinquefasciatus in reciprocal crosses. The wPipwAlbA superinfection showed complete unidirectional CI, and therefore population invasion potential. Whereas the wAlbB strain showed comparatively low overall densities, similar to the native wPip, the wPipwAlbA superinfection reached over 400-fold higher densities in the salivary glands compared to the native wPip, suggesting it may be a candidate for pathogen transmission blocking.}, }
@article {pmid31191980, year = {2019}, author = {Koh, C and Audsley, MD and Di Giallonardo, F and Kerton, EJ and Young, PR and Holmes, EC and McGraw, EA}, title = {Sustained Wolbachia-mediated blocking of dengue virus isolates following serial passage in Aedes aegypti cell culture.}, journal = {Virus evolution}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, pages = {vez012}, doi = {10.1093/ve/vez012}, pmid = {31191980}, issn = {2057-1577}, abstract = {Wolbachia is an intracellular endosymbiont of insects that inhibits the replication of a range of pathogens in its arthropod hosts. The release of Wolbachia into wild populations of mosquitoes is an innovative biocontrol effort to suppress the transmission of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) to humans, most notably dengue virus. The success of the Wolbachia-based approach hinges upon the stable persistence of the 'pathogen blocking' effect, whose mechanistic basis is poorly understood. Evidence suggests that Wolbachia may affect viral replication via a combination of competition for host resources and activation of host immunity. The evolution of resistance against Wolbachia and pathogen blocking in the mosquito or the virus could reduce the public health impact of the symbiont releases. Here, we investigate if dengue 3 virus (DENV-3) is capable of accumulating adaptive mutations that improve its replicative capacity during serial passage in Wolbachia wMel-infected cells. During the passaging regime, viral isolates in Wolbachia-infected cells exhibited greater variation in viral loads compared to controls. The viral loads of these isolates declined rapidly during passaging due to the blocking effects of Wolbachia carriage, with several being lost all together and the remainder recovering to low but stable levels. We attempted to sequence the genomes of the surviving passaged isolates but, given their low abundance, were unable to obtain sufficient depth of coverage for evolutionary analysis. In contrast, viral loads in Wolbachia-free control cells were consistently high during passaging. The surviving isolates passaged in the presence of Wolbachia exhibited a reduced ability to replicate even in Wolbachia-free cells. These experiments demonstrate the challenge for dengue in evolving resistance to Wolbachia-mediated blocking.}, }
@article {pmid31186318, year = {2019}, author = {Chrostek, E and Gerth, M}, title = {Is Anopheles gambiae a Natural Host of Wolbachia?.}, journal = {mBio}, volume = {10}, number = {3}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1128/mBio.00784-19}, pmid = {31186318}, issn = {2150-7511}, abstract = {Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria, Rickettsiales) is an intraovarially transmitted symbiont of insects able to exert striking phenotypes, including reproductive manipulations and pathogen blocking. These phenotypes make Wolbachia a promising tool to combat mosquito-borne diseases. Although Wolbachia is present in the majority of terrestrial arthropods, including many disease vectors, it was considered absent from Anopheles gambiae mosquitos, the main vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2014, Wolbachia sequences were detected in A. gambiae samples collected in Burkina Faso. Subsequently, similar evidence came from collections all over Africa, revealing a high Wolbachia 16S rRNA sequence diversity, low abundance, and a lack of congruence between host and symbiont phylogenies. Here, we reanalyze and discuss recent evidence on the presence of Wolbachia sequences in A. gambiae. We find that although detected at increasing frequencies, the unusual properties of these Wolbachia sequences render them insufficient to diagnose natural infections in A. gambiae Future studies should focus on uncovering the origin of Wolbachia sequence variants in Anopheles and seeking sequence-independent evidence for this new symbiosis. Understanding the ecology of Anopheles mosquitos and their interactions with Wolbachia will be key in designing successful, integrative approaches to limit malaria spread. Although the prospect of using Wolbachia to fight malaria is intriguing, the newly discovered strains do not bring it closer to realization.IMPORTANCEAnopheles gambiae mosquitos are the main vectors of malaria, threatening around half of the world's population. The bacterial symbiont Wolbachia can interfere with disease transmission by other important insect vectors, but until recently, it was thought to be absent from natural A. gambiae populations. Here, we critically analyze the genomic, metagenomic, PCR, imaging, and phenotypic data presented in support of the presence of natural Wolbachia infections in A. gambiae We find that they are insufficient to diagnose Wolbachia infections and argue for the need of obtaining robust data confirming basic Wolbachia characteristics in this system. Determining the Wolbachia infection status of Anopheles is critical due to its potential to influence Anopheles population structure and Plasmodium transmission.}, }
@article {pmid31174466, year = {2019}, author = {Baião, GC and Schneider, DI and Miller, WJ and Klasson, L}, title = {The effect of Wolbachia on gene expression in Drosophila paulistorum and its implications for symbiont-induced host speciation.}, journal = {BMC genomics}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {465}, doi = {10.1186/s12864-019-5816-9}, pmid = {31174466}, issn = {1471-2164}, support = {2014-4353//Vetenskapsrådet/ ; P28255-B22//Austrian Science Fund/ ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The Neotropical fruit fly Drosophila paulistorum (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a species complex in statu nascendi comprising six reproductively isolated semispecies, each harboring mutualistic Wolbachia strains. Although wild type flies of each semispecies are isolated from the others by both pre- and postmating incompatibilities, mating between semispecies and successful offspring development can be achieved once flies are treated with antibiotics to reduce Wolbachia titer. Here we use RNA-seq to study the impact of Wolbachia on D. paulistorum and investigate the hypothesis that the symbiont may play a role in host speciation. For that goal, we analyze samples of heads and abdomens of both sexes of the Amazonian, Centro American and Orinocan semispecies of D. paulistorum.<br><br>RESULTS: We identify between 175 and 1192 differentially expressed genes associated with a variety of biological processes that respond either globally or according to tissue, sex or condition in the three semispecies. Some of the functions associated with differentially expressed genes are known to be affected by Wolbachia in other species, such as metabolism and immunity, whereas others represent putative novel phenotypes involving muscular functions, pheromone signaling, and visual perception.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that Wolbachia affect a large number of biological functions in D. paulistorum, particularly when present in high titer. We suggest that the significant metabolic impact of the infection on the host may cause several of the other putative and observed phenotypes. We also speculate that the observed differential expression of genes associated with chemical communication and reproduction may be associated with the emergence of pre- and postmating barriers between semispecies, which supports a role for Wolbachia in the speciation of D. paulistorum.}, }
@article {pmid31173475, year = {2019}, author = {Xie, K and Lu, YJ and Yang, K and Huo, SM and Hong, XY}, title = {Co-infection of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma in spider mite Tetranychus truncatus increases male fitness.}, journal = {Insect science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.12696}, pmid = {31173475}, issn = {1744-7917}, support = {31672035//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 31871976//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia and Spiroplasma are intracellular bacteria that are of great interest to entomologists, because of their ability to alter insect host biology in multiple ways. In the spider mite Tetranychus truncatus, co-infection of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma can induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and fitness costs; however, little is known about the effect of co-infection at the genetic level and the molecular mechanisms underlying CI. In this study, we explored the influence of the two symbionts on male mite host fitness and used RNA sequencing to generate the transcriptomes of T. truncatus with four different types of infection. In total, we found symbiont-infected lines had a higher hatch proportion than the uninfected line, and the development time of the uninfected line was longer than that of the other lines. Co-infection changed the expression of many genes related to digestion detoxification, reproduction, immunity and oxidation reduction. Our results indicate that co-infection of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma confers multiple effects on their hosts, and helps illuminate the complex interactions between endosymbionts and arthropods.}, }
@article {pmid31167953, year = {2019}, author = {Bonning, BC}, title = {The Insect Virome: Opportunities and Challenges.}, journal = {Current issues in molecular biology}, volume = {34}, number = {}, pages = {1-12}, doi = {10.21775/cimb.034.001}, pmid = {31167953}, issn = {1467-3045}, abstract = {The insect virome is composed of a myriad of viruses. Both field populations and laboratory colonies of insects harbour diverse viruses, including viruses that infect the insect itself, viruses of microbes associated with the insect, and viruses associated with ingested materials. Metagenomics analysis for identification of virus-derived sequences has allowed for new appreciation of the extent and diversity of the insect virome. The complex interactions between insect viruses and host antiviral immune pathways (RNA interference and apoptosis), and between viruses and other members of the microbiome (e.g. Wolbachia) are becoming apparent. In this chapter, an overview of the diversity of viruses in insects and recent virus discovery research for specific insects and insect-derived cell lines is provided. The opportunities and challenges associated with the insect virome, including the potential impacts of viruses on both research and insect management programs are also addressed.}, }
@article {pmid31162017, year = {2019}, author = {Batsa Debrah, L and Phillips, RO and Pfarr, K and Klarmann-Schulz, U and Opoku, VS and Nausch, N and Owusu, W and Mubarik, Y and Sander, AL and Lämmer, C and Ritter, M and Layland, LE and Jacobsen, M and Debrah, AY and Hoerauf, A}, title = {The Efficacy of Doxycycline Treatment on Mansonella perstans Infection: An Open-Label, Randomized Trial in Ghana.}, journal = {The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene}, volume = {101}, number = {1}, pages = {84-92}, doi = {10.4269/ajtmh.18-0491}, pmid = {31162017}, issn = {1476-1645}, abstract = {Treating Mansonella perstans is challenged by the low efficacy of registered antihelminthics. Wolbachia endobacteria provide an alternative treatment target because depletion results in amicrofilaremia in filarial infections with Wuchereria bancrofti and Onchocerca volvulus infections. This open-label, randomized study sought to confirm that i) Wolbachia are present in M. perstans in Ghana and ii) doxycycline treatment will deplete Wolbachia and cause a slow, sustained decline in microfilariae (MF). Two hundred and two Ghanaians with M. perstans infection were randomized into early (immediate) and delayed (6 months deferred) treatment groups, given doxycycline 200 mg/day for 6 weeks, and monitored for MF and Wolbachia levels at baseline, 4, 12, and 24 months after the study onset (= time of randomization and start of treatment for the early group). Per protocol analysis revealed that the median MF/mL in the early group declined from 138 at baseline to 64 at month 4 and further to 0 at month 12. In the delayed group, MF load did not change from a baseline median of 97 to 102 at month 4 but declined to 42 at month 12, that is, 6 months after receiving treatment, trailing the early group as expected. By month 24, both treatment groups had reached a median MF level of 0. After treatment, Wolbachia were depleted from MF by ≥ 1-log drop compared with baseline levels. We conclude that M. perstans in Ghana harbor Wolbachia that are effectively depleted by doxycycline with subsequent reduction in MF loads, most likely because of interruption of fertility of adult worms.}, }
@article {pmid31161026, year = {2019}, author = {Kulkarni, A and Yu, W and Jiang, J and Sanchez, C and Karna, AK and Martinez, KJL and Hanley, KA and Buenemann, M and Hansen, IA and Xue, RD and Ettestad, P and Melman, S and Duguma, D and Debboun, M and Xu, J}, title = {Wolbachia pipientis occurs in Aedes aegypti populations in New Mexico and Florida, USA.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {10}, pages = {6148-6156}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.5198}, pmid = {31161026}, issn = {2045-7758}, support = {P20 GM103451/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {The mosquitoes Aedes aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus Skuse are the major vectors of dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses worldwide. Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium present in many insects, is being utilized in novel vector control strategies to manipulate mosquito life history and vector competence to curb virus transmission. Earlier studies have found that Wolbachia is commonly detected in Ae. albopictus but rarely detected in Ae. aegypti. In this study, we used a two-step PCR assay to detect Wolbachia in wild-collected samples of Ae. aegypti. The PCR products were sequenced to validate amplicons and identify Wolbachia strains. A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed and used for detecting Wolbachia in selected mosquito specimens as well. We found Wolbachia in 85/148 (57.4%) wild Ae. aegypti specimens from various cities in New Mexico, and in 2/46 (4.3%) from St. Augustine, Florida. Wolbachia was not detected in 94 samples of Ae. aegypti from Deer Park, Harris County, Texas. Wolbachia detected in Ae. aegypti from both New Mexico and Florida was the wAlbB strain of Wolbachia pipientis. A Wolbachia-positive colony of Ae. aegypti was established from pupae collected in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 2018. The infected females of this strain transmitted Wolbachia to their progeny when crossed with males of Rockefeller strain of Ae. aegypti, which does not carry Wolbachia. In contrast, none of the progeny of Las Cruces males mated to Rockefeller females were infected with Wolbachia.}, }
@article {pmid31159272, year = {2019}, author = {Gichuhi, J and Khamis, FM and Van den Berg, J and Ekesi, S and Herren, JK}, title = {Unexpected Diversity of Wolbachia Associated with Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Africa.}, journal = {Insects}, volume = {10}, number = {6}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/insects10060155}, pmid = {31159272}, issn = {2075-4450}, support = {IBCARP//European Union/ ; }, abstract = {Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is an important pest of fruit-bearing plants in many countries worldwide. In Africa, this pest has spread rapidly and has become widely established since the first invasion report in 2003. Wolbachia is a vertically transmitted endosymbiont that can significantly influence aspects of the biology and, in particular, the reproduction of its host. In this study, we screened B. dorsalis specimens collected from several locations in Africa between 2005 and 2017 for Wolbachia using a PCR-based assay to target the Wolbachia surface protein wsp. Of the 357 individuals tested, 10 were positive for Wolbachia using the wsp assay. We identified four strains of Wolbachia infecting two B. dorsalis mitochondrial haplotypes. We found no strict association between the infecting strain and host haplotype, with one strain being present in two different host haplotypes. All the detected strains belonged to Super Group B Wolbachia and did not match any strains reported previously in B. dorsalis in Asia. These findings indicate that diverse Wolbachia infections are present in invasive populations of B. dorsalis.}, }
@article {pmid31143363, year = {2019}, author = {Yashiro, T and Lo, N}, title = {Comparative screening of endosymbiotic bacteria associated with the asexual and sexual lineages of the termite Glyptotermes nakajimai.}, journal = {Communicative &amp; integrative biology}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {55-58}, doi = {10.1080/19420889.2019.1592418}, pmid = {31143363}, issn = {1942-0889}, abstract = {Males provide opportunities both for sexual reproduction and for sex-based phenotypic differences within animal societies. In termites, the ubiquitous presence of both male and female workers and soldiers indicate that males play a critical role in colonies of these insects. However, we have recently reported all-female asexual societies in a lineage of the termite Glyptotermes nakajimai - a dramatic transition from mixed-sex to all-female asexual societies. It is known that female-producing parthenogenesis in insects can be induced by maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria, such as Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Rickettsia. Here, we screen for the presence of endosymbiotic bacteria in the asexual and sexual lineages of G. nakajimai. Our bacterial screening of the asexual lineage did not reveal any likely causal agents for parthenogenetic reproduction, whereas screening of the sexual lineage resulted in Wolbachia being detected. Our findings suggest that the asexuality in G. nakajimai is likely to be maintained without manipulation by endosymbiotic bacteria.}, }
@article {pmid31134014, year = {2019}, author = {Wasala, SK and Brown, AMV and Kang, J and Howe, DK and Peetz, AB and Zasada, IA and Denver, DR}, title = {Variable Abundance and Distribution of Wolbachia and Cardinium Endosymbionts in Plant-Parasitic Nematode Field Populations.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {964}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2019.00964}, pmid = {31134014}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {The bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia interacts with different invertebrate hosts, engaging in diverse symbiotic relationships. Wolbachia is often a reproductive parasite in arthropods, but an obligate mutualist in filarial nematodes. Wolbachia was recently discovered in plant-parasitic nematodes, and, is thus far known in just two genera Pratylenchus and Radopholus, yet the symbiont's function remains unknown. The occurrence of Wolbachia in these economically important plant pests offers an unexplored biocontrol strategy. However, development of Wolbachia-based biocontrol requires an improved understanding of symbiont-host functional interactions and the symbiont's prevalence among nematode field populations. This study used a molecular-genetic approach to assess the prevalence of a Wolbachia lineage (wPpe) in 32 field populations of Pratylenchus penetrans. Populations were examined from eight different plant species in Washington, Oregon, and California. Nematodes were also screened for the endosymbiotic bacterium Cardinium (cPpe) that was recently shown to co-infect P. penetrans. Results identified wPpe in 9/32 and cPpe in 1/32 of P. penetrans field populations analyzed. No co-infection was observed in field populations. Wolbachia was detected in nematodes from 4/8 plant-hosts examined (raspberry, strawberry, clover, and lily), and in all three states surveyed. Cardinium was detected in nematodes from mint in Washington. In the wPpe-infected P. penetrans populations collected from raspberry, the prevalence of wPpe infection ranged from 11 to 58%. This pattern is unlike that in filarial nematodes where Wolbachia is an obligate mutualist and occurs in 100% of the host. Further analysis of wPpe-infected populations revealed female-skewed sex ratios (up to 96%), with the degree of skew positively correlating with wPpe prevalence. Uninfected nematode populations had approximately equal numbers of males and females. Comparisons of 54 wPpe 16S ribosomal RNA sequences revealed high similarity across the geographic isolates, with 45 of 54 isolates being identical at this locus. The complete absence of wPpe among some populations and low prevalence in others suggest that this endosymbiont is not an obligate mutualist of P. penetrans. The observed sex ratio bias in wPpe-infected nematode populations is similar to that observed in arthropods where Wolbachia acts as a reproductive manipulator, raising the question of a similar role in plant-parasitic nematodes.}, }
@article {pmid31128084, year = {2019}, author = {Guo, Y and Gong, JT and Mo, PW and Huang, HJ and Hong, XY}, title = {Wolbachia localization during Laodelphax striatellus embryogenesis.}, journal = {Journal of insect physiology}, volume = {116}, number = {}, pages = {125-133}, doi = {10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.05.006}, pmid = {31128084}, issn = {1879-1611}, abstract = {Wolbachia are intracellular bacteria carried by thousands of arthropod species. The success of Wolbachia is due to efficient vertical transmission by the host maternal germline. Wolbachia's behavior during host oogenesis is well characterized, although their behavior during embryogenesis is unclear. Vertical transmission of Wolbachia wStri in the small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus is extraordinarily efficient. To understand why, we investigated its localization and dynamics in L. striatellus embryos. Microscopic observations indicated that the Wolbachia were mainly localized at the anterior region of the embryo during early embryogenesis. The distribution of Wolbachia within the anterior region was established during oogenesis, and according to a phylogenetic analysis, may be due to intrinsic factors in Wolbachia. We observed that wStri migrated to the posterior part cells during late embryogenesis, in the region where gonads were formed. An expression profile of Wolbachia-infected host embryonic development genes revealed Ddx1 mRNAs, which is required for host viability and in the germ line, accumulated in the posterior region of 3-day-old embryos, while other development genes mRNAs were significantly more abundant in the posterior region of 6-day-old embryos. These genes thus appear to be associated with the localization of Wolbachia wStri in the anterior region, although their functions remain unclear. These results can explain Wolbachia wStri high prevalence in L. striatellus.}, }
@article {pmid31121066, year = {2019}, author = {Hubert, J and Nesvorna, M and Klimov, P and Dowd, SE and Sopko, B and Erban, T}, title = {Differential allergen expression in three Tyrophagus putrescentiae strains inhabited by distinct microbiome.}, journal = {Allergy}, volume = {74}, number = {12}, pages = {2502-2507}, doi = {10.1111/all.13921}, pmid = {31121066}, issn = {1398-9995}, support = {18-04-01092//Russian Foundation for Basic Research/ ; 19-09998S//Czech Science Foundation (GACR)/ ; 16-14-10109//Russian Science Foundation/ ; CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/16_027/0008503//Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic/ ; RO0418//Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic/ ; }, }
@article {pmid31120156, year = {2019}, author = {Chouin-Carneiro, T and Ant, TH and Herd, C and Louis, F and Failloux, AB and Sinkins, SP}, title = {Wolbachia strain wAlbA blocks Zika virus transmission in Aedes aegypti.}, journal = {Medical and veterinary entomology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/mve.12384}, pmid = {31120156}, issn = {1365-2915}, support = {282378//FP7 Health/ ; ZK/16-021//Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; 108508//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 202888//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {Transinfections of the maternally transmitted endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis can reduce RNA virus replication and prevent transmission by Aedes aegypti, and also have the capacity to invade wild-type populations, potentially reaching and maintaining high infection frequencies. Levels of virus transmission blocking are positively correlated with Wolbachia intracellular density. Despite reaching high densities in Ae. aegypti, transinfections of wAlbA, a strain native to Aedes albopictus, showed no blocking of Semliki Forest Virus in previous intrathoracic injection challenges. To further characterize wAlbA blocking in Ae. aegypti, adult females were intrathoracically challenged with Zika (ZIKV) and dengue viruses, and then fed a ZIKV-containing bloodmeal. No blocking was observed with either virus when challenged by intrathoracic injection. However, when ZIKV was delivered orally, wAlbA-infected females showed a significant reduction in viral replication and dissemination compared with uninfected controls, as well as a complete absence of virus in saliva. Although other Wolbachia strains have been shown to cause more robust viral blocking in Ae. aegypti, these findings demonstrate that, in principle, wAlbA could be used to reduce virus transmission in this species. Moreover, the results highlight the potential for underestimation of the strength of virus-blocking when based on intrathoracic injection compared with more natural oral challenges.}, }
@article {pmid31115477, year = {2019}, author = {Gómez-Díaz, JS and Montoya-Lerma, J and Muñoz Valencia, V}, title = {Prevalence and Diversity of Endosymbionts in Cassava Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) From Colombia.}, journal = {Journal of insect science (Online)}, volume = {19}, number = {3}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/jisesa/iez047}, pmid = {31115477}, issn = {1536-2442}, mesh = {Animals ; Hemiptera/genetics/*microbiology ; Manihot ; Nymph/microbiology ; Phylogeny ; Symbiosis ; }, abstract = {Whiteflies cause huge economic losses for cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivation. Damage can be caused directly when the insects feed on the phloem and/or indirectly by the transmission of viruses. It has been found that whiteflies maintain a close relationship with some endosymbiotic bacteria and that this interaction produces different effects on host biology and can also facilitate viral transmission. This study aimed to characterize the diversity of secondary endosymbionts (SE) present in whiteflies associated with cassava. Whitefly adults and nymphs were collected from cassava crops at nine locations in Southwestern Colombia. Molecular identification of insects and endosymbionts was carried out using specific mtCOI, wsp, 23s rRNA, and 16s rRNA primers. Phylogenetic trees were constructed from these sequences, both for whitefly species and the endosymbionts found. In addition, morphological identification of whitefly species was made using last instar nymphs. Molecular and morphological evaluation revealed that the most abundant whitefly species was Trialeurodes variabilis (Quaintance) followed by Aleurotrachelus socialis Bondar and Bemisia tuberculata Bondar. One hundred percent of the individuals contained the primary endosymbiont Portiera. The SE Rickettsia, Hamiltonella, Wolbachia, and Fritschea were not detected in the samples tested. Prevalence of Cardinium and Arsenophonus were variable at each locality, Cardinium being most prevalent in A. socialis adults. This study is the first report on the presence of Cardinium and Arsenophonus in A. socialis and T. variabilis. It is also the first report of endosymbiotic diversity in whiteflies associated with cassava in Colombia.}, }
@article {pmid31107912, year = {2019}, author = {Caragata, EP and Rocha, MN and Pereira, TN and Mansur, SB and Dutra, HLC and Moreira, LA}, title = {Pathogen blocking in Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti is not affected by Zika and dengue virus co-infection.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {5}, pages = {e0007443}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007443}, pmid = {31107912}, issn = {1935-2735}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology/*virology ; Animals ; Brazil ; Dengue Virus/genetics/*physiology ; Female ; Male ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology/*virology ; Wolbachia/genetics/*physiology ; Zika Virus/genetics/*physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia's ability to restrict arbovirus transmission makes it a promising tool to combat mosquito-transmitted diseases. Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti are currently being released in locations such as Brazil, which regularly experience concurrent outbreaks of different arboviruses. A. aegypti can become co-infected with, and transmit multiple arboviruses with one bite, which can complicate patient diagnosis and treatment.<br><br>Using experimental oral infection of A. aegypti and then RT-qPCR, we examined ZIKV/DENV-1 and ZIKV/DENV-3 co-infection in Wolbachia-infected A. aegypti and observed that Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes experienced lower prevalence of infection and viral load than wildtype mosquitoes, even with an extra infecting virus. Critically, ZIKV/DENV co-infection had no significant impact on Wolbachia's ability to reduce viral transmission. Wolbachia infection also strongly altered expression levels of key immune genes Defensin C and Transferrin 1, in a virus-dependent manner.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that pathogen interference in Wolbachia-infected A. aegypti is not adversely affected by ZIKV/DENV co-infection, which suggests that Wolbachia-infected A. aegypti will likely prove suitable for controlling mosquito-borne diseases in environments with complex patterns of arbovirus transmission.}, }
@article {pmid31100967, year = {2019}, author = {Rahayu, A and Saraswati, U and Supriyati, E and Kumalawati, DA and Hermantara, R and Rovik, A and Daniwijaya, EW and Fitriana, I and Setyawan, S and Ahmad, RA and Wardana, DS and Indriani, C and Utarini, A and Tantowijoyo, W and Arguni, E}, title = {Prevalence and Distribution of Dengue Virus in Aedes aegypti in Yogyakarta City before Deployment of Wolbachia Infected Aedes aegypti.}, journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health}, volume = {16}, number = {10}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph16101742}, pmid = {31100967}, issn = {1660-4601}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; *Biological Control Agents ; Cities ; Dengue Virus/*isolation &amp; purification ; Female ; Indonesia ; *Mosquito Vectors ; Seasons ; Serogroup ; *Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Indonesia is one of the countries where dengue infection is prevalent. In this study we measure the prevalence and distribution of dengue virus (DENV) DENV-infected Aedes aegypti in Yogyakarta City, Indonesia, during the wet season when high dengue transmission period occurred, as baseline data before implementation of a Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti trial for dengue control. We applied One-Step Multiplex Real Time PCR (RT-PCR) for the type-specific-detection of dengue viruses in field-caught adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. In a prospective field study conducted from December 2015 to May 2016, adult female Aedes aegypti were caught from selected areas in Yogyakarta City, and then screened by using RT-PCR. During the survey period, 36 (0.12%) mosquitoes from amongst 29,252 female mosquitoes were positive for a DENV type. In total, 22.20% of dengue-positive mosquitoes were DENV-1, 25% were DENV-2, 17% were DENV-3, but none were positive for DENV-4. This study has provided dengue virus infection prevalence in field-caught Aedes aegypti and its circulating serotype in Yogyakarta City before deployment of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti.}, }
@article {pmid31095639, year = {2019}, author = {Hosseinzadeh, S and Ramsey, J and Mann, M and Bennett, L and Hunter, WB and Shams-Bakhsh, M and Hall, DG and Heck, M}, title = {Color morphology of Diaphorina citri influences interactions with its bacterial endosymbionts and 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus'.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {5}, pages = {e0216599}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0216599}, pmid = {31095639}, issn = {1932-6203}, abstract = {Diaphorina citri is a vector of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus,' (CLas), associated with Huanglongbing, (HLB, or citrus greening) disease in citrus. D. citri exhibits three different color morph variants, blue, gray and yellow. Blue morphs have a greater capacity for long-distance flight as compared to non-blue morphs, but little else is known about how color morphology influences vector characteristics. In this study, we show that the color morphology of the insect is derived from pigmented cells of the fat body. Blue morphs acquire a lower level of CLas in their bodies from infected trees as compared to their gray and yellow conspecifics, referred to in this paper collectively as non-blue morphs. Accordingly, CLas titer in citrus leaves inoculated by non-blue insects was 6-fold higher than in leaves inoculated by blue insects. Blue color morphs harbored lower titers of Wolbachia and 'Candidatus Profftella armatura,' two of the D. citri bacterial endosymbionts. Expression of hemocyanin, a copper-binding oxygen transport protein responsible for the blue coloration of hemolymph of other arthropods and mollusks, was previously correlated with blue color morphology and is highly up-regulated in insects continuously reared on CLas infected citrus trees. Based on our results, we hypothesized that a reduction of hemocyanin expression would reduce the D. citri immune response and an increase in the titer of CLas would be observed. Surprisingly, a specific 3-fold reduction of hemocyanin-1 transcript levels using RNA silencing in blue adult D. citri morphs had an approximately 2-fold reduction on the titer of CLas. These results suggest that hemocyanin signaling from the fat body may have multiple functions in the regulation of bacterial titers in D. citri, and that hemocyanin is one of multiple psyllid genes involved in regulating CLas titer.}, }
@article {pmid31092581, year = {2019}, author = {Teramoto, T and Huang, X and Armbruster, PA and Padmanabhan, R}, title = {Infection of Aedes albopictus Mosquito C6/36 Cells with the wMelpop Strain of Wolbachia Modulates Dengue Virus-Induced Host Cellular Transcripts and Induces Critical Sequence Alterations in the Dengue Viral Genome.}, journal = {Journal of virology}, volume = {93}, number = {15}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1128/JVI.00581-19}, pmid = {31092581}, issn = {1098-5514}, abstract = {Dengue virus (DENV) causes frequent epidemics infecting ∼390 million people annually in over 100 countries. There are no approved vaccines or antiviral drugs for treatment of infected patients. However, there is a novel approach to control DENV transmission by the mosquito vectors, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, using the Wolbachia symbiont. The wMelPop strain of Wolbachia suppresses DENV transmission and shortens the mosquito life span. However, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. To clarify this mechanism, either naive A. albopictus (C6/36) or wMelPop-C6/36 cells were infected with DENV serotype 2 (DENV2). Analysis of host transcript profiles by transcriptome sequencing (RNAseq) revealed that the presence of wMelPop dramatically altered the mosquito host cell transcription in response to DENV2 infection. The viral RNA evolved from wMelPop-C6/36 cells contained low-frequency mutations (∼25%) within the coding region of transmembrane domain 1 (TMD1) of E protein. Mutations with >97% frequencies were distributed within other regions of E, the NS5 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NS5POL) domain, and the TMDs of NS2A, NS2B, and NS4B. Moreover, while DENV2-infected naive C6/36 cells showed syncytium formation, DENV2-infected wMelPop-C6/36 cells did not. The Wolbachia-induced mutant DENV2 can readily infect and replicate in naive C6/36 cells, whereas in mutant DENV2-infected BHK-21 or Vero cells, virus replication was delayed. In LLC-MK2 cells, the mutant failed to produce plaques. Additionally, in BHK-21 cells, many mutations in the viral genome reverted to the wild type (WT) and compensatory mutations in NS3 gene appeared. Our results indicate that wMelPop impacts significantly the interactions of DENV2 with mosquito and mammalian host cells.IMPORTANCE Mosquito-borne diseases are of global significance causing considerable morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Dengue virus (DENV; serotypes 1 to 4), a member of the Flavivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family, causes millions of infections annually. Development of a safe vaccine is hampered due to absence of cross-protection and increased risk in secondary infections due to antibody-mediated immune enhancement. Infection of vector mosquitoes with Wolbachia bacteria offers a novel countermeasure to suppress DENV transmission, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, the host transcription profiles and viral RNA sequences were analyzed in naive A. albopictus (C6/36) and wMelPop-C6/36 cells by RNAseq. Our results showed that the wMelPop symbiont caused profound changes in host transcription profiles and morphology of DENV2-infected C6/36 cells. Accumulation of several mutations throughout DENV2 RNA resulted in loss of infectivity of progeny virions. Our findings offer new insights into the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated suppression of DENV transmission.}, }
@article {pmid31088494, year = {2019}, author = {Shah, A and Hoffman, JI and Schielzeth, H}, title = {Transcriptome assembly for a colour-polymorphic grasshopper (Gomphocerus sibiricus) with a very large genome size.}, journal = {BMC genomics}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {370}, doi = {10.1186/s12864-019-5756-4}, pmid = {31088494}, issn = {1471-2164}, support = {SCHI 1188/1-1//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Contig Mapping ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling/*methods ; Genetic Association Studies ; Genome Size ; Grasshoppers/*genetics ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Male ; Mitochondria/*genetics ; Molecular Sequence Annotation ; Sequence Analysis, RNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The club-legged grasshopper Gomphocerus sibiricus is a Gomphocerinae grasshopper with a promising future as model species for studying the maintenance of colour-polymorphism, the genetics of sexual ornamentation and genome size evolution. However, limited molecular resources are available for this species. Here, we present a de novo transcriptome assembly as reference resource for gene expression studies. We used high-throughput Illumina sequencing to generate 5,070,036 paired-end reads after quality filtering. We then combined the best-assembled contigs from three different de novo transcriptome assemblers (Trinity, SOAPdenovo-trans and Oases/Velvet) into a single assembly.<br><br>RESULTS: This resulted in 82,251 contigs with a N50 of 1357 and a TransRate assembly score of 0.325, which compares favourably with other orthopteran transcriptome assemblies. Around 87% of the transcripts could be annotated using InterProScan 5, BLASTx and the dammit! annotation pipeline. We identified a number of genes involved in pigmentation and green pigment metabolism pathways. Furthermore, we identified 76,221 putative single nucleotide polymorphisms residing in 8400 contigs. We also assembled the mitochondrial genome and investigated levels of sequence divergence with other species from the genus Gomphocerus. Finally, we detected and assembled Wolbachia sequences, which revealed close sequence similarity to the strain pel wPip.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our study has generated a significant resource for uncovering genotype-phenotype associations in a species with an extraordinarily large genome, while also providing mitochondrial and Wolbachia sequences that will be useful for comparative studies.}, }
@article {pmid31083952, year = {2019}, author = {Fabre, B and Korona, D and Lees, JG and Lazar, I and Livneh, I and Brunet, M and Orengo, CA and Russell, S and Lilley, KS}, title = {Comparison of Drosophila melanogaster Embryo and Adult Proteome by SWATH-MS Reveals Differential Regulation of Protein Synthesis, Degradation Machinery, and Metabolism Modules.}, journal = {Journal of proteome research}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, pages = {2525-2534}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00076}, pmid = {31083952}, issn = {1535-3907}, support = {BB/L002817/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB/L002817/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {An important area of modern biology consists of understanding the relationship between genotype and phenotype. However, to understand this relationship it is essential to investigate one of the principal links between them: the proteome. With the development of recent mass-spectrometry approaches, it is now possible to quantify entire proteomes and thus relate them to different phenotypes. Here, we present a comparison of the proteome of two extreme developmental states in the well-established model organism Drosophila melanogaster: adult and embryo. Protein modules such as ribosome, proteasome, tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, or oxidative phosphorylation were found differentially expressed between the two developmental stages. Analysis of post-translation modifications of the proteins identified in this study indicates that they generally follow the same trend as their corresponding protein. Comparison between changes in the proteome and the transcriptome highlighted patterns of post-transcriptional regulation for the subunits of protein complexes such as the ribosome and the proteasome, whereas protein from modules such as TCA cycle, glycolysis, and oxidative phosphorylation seem to be coregulated at the transcriptional level. Finally, the impact of the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis on the proteome of both developmental states was also investigated.}, }
@article {pmid31074963, year = {2019}, author = {Xu, Z and Fang, SM and Bakowski, MA and Rateb, ME and Yang, D and Zhu, X and Huang, Y and Zhao, LX and Jiang, Y and Duan, Y and Hull, MV and McNamara, CW and Shen, B}, title = {Discovery of Kirromycins with Anti- Wolbachia Activity from Streptomyces sp. CB00686.}, journal = {ACS chemical biology}, volume = {14}, number = {6}, pages = {1174-1182}, doi = {10.1021/acschembio.9b00086}, pmid = {31074963}, issn = {1554-8937}, abstract = {Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis diseases caused by filarial parasite infections can lead to profound disability and affect millions of people worldwide. Standard mass drug administration campaigns require repetitive delivery of anthelmintics for years to temporarily block parasite transmission but do not cure infection because long-lived adult worms survive the treatment. Depletion of the endosymbiont Wolbachia, present in most filarial nematode species, results in death of adult worms and therefore represents a promising target for the treatment of filariasis. Here, we used a high-content imaging assay to screen the pure compounds collection of the natural products library at The Scripps Research Institute for anti- Wolbachia activity, leading to the identification of kirromycin B (1) as a lead candidate. Two additional congeners, kirromycin (2) and kirromycin C (3), were isolated and characterized from the same producing strain Streptomyces sp. CB00686. All three kirromycin congeners depleted Wolbachia in LDW1 Drosophila cells in vitro with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) in nanomolar range, while doxycycline, a registered drug with anti- Wolbachia activity, showed lower activity with an IC50 of 152 ± 55 nM. Furthermore, 1-3 eliminated the Wolbachia endosymbiont in Brugia pahangi ovaries ex vivo with higher efficiency (65%-90%) at 1 μM than that of doxycycline (50%). No cytotoxicity against HEK293T and HepG2 mammalian cells was observed with 1-3 at the highest concentration (40 μM) used in the assay. These results suggest kirromycin is an effective lead scaffold, further exploration of which could potentially lead to the development of novel treatments for filarial nematode infections.}, }
@article {pmid31068442, year = {2019}, author = {Bakowski, MA and Shiroodi, RK and Liu, R and Olejniczak, J and Yang, B and Gagaring, K and Guo, H and White, PM and Chappell, L and Debec, A and Landmann, F and Dubben, B and Lenz, F and Struever, D and Ehrens, A and Frohberger, SJ and Sjoberg, H and Pionnier, N and Murphy, E and Archer, J and Steven, A and Chunda, VC and Fombad, FF and Chounna, PW and Njouendou, AJ and Metuge, HM and Ndzeshang, BL and Gandjui, NV and Akumtoh, DN and Kwenti, TDB and Woods, AK and Joseph, SB and Hull, MV and Xiong, W and Kuhen, KL and Taylor, MJ and Wanji, S and Turner, JD and Hübner, MP and Hoerauf, A and Chatterjee, AK and Roland, J and Tremblay, MS and Schultz, PG and Sullivan, W and Chu, XJ and Petrassi, HM and McNamara, CW}, title = {Discovery of short-course antiwolbachial quinazolines for elimination of filarial worm infections.}, journal = {Science translational medicine}, volume = {11}, number = {491}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1126/scitranslmed.aav3523}, pmid = {31068442}, issn = {1946-6242}, abstract = {Parasitic filarial nematodes cause debilitating infections in people in resource-limited countries. A clinically validated approach to eliminating worms uses a 4- to 6-week course of doxycycline that targets Wolbachia, a bacterial endosymbiont required for worm viability and reproduction. However, the prolonged length of therapy and contraindication in children and pregnant women have slowed adoption of this treatment. Here, we describe discovery and optimization of quinazolines CBR417 and CBR490 that, with a single dose, achieve >99% elimination of Wolbachia in the in vivo Litomosoides sigmodontis filarial infection model. The efficacious quinazoline series was identified by pairing a primary cell-based high-content imaging screen with an orthogonal ex vivo validation assay to rapidly quantify Wolbachia elimination in Brugia pahangi filarial ovaries. We screened 300,368 small molecules in the primary assay and identified 288 potent and selective hits. Of 134 primary hits tested, only 23.9% were active in the worm-based validation assay, 8 of which contained a quinazoline heterocycle core. Medicinal chemistry optimization generated quinazolines with excellent pharmacokinetic profiles in mice. Potent antiwolbachial activity was confirmed in L. sigmodontis, Brugia malayi, and Onchocerca ochengi in vivo preclinical models of filarial disease and in vitro selectivity against Loa loa (a safety concern in endemic areas). The favorable efficacy and in vitro safety profiles of CBR490 and CBR417 further support these as clinical candidates for treatment of filarial infections.}, }
@article {pmid31066101, year = {2019}, author = {Hodson, CN and Perlman, SJ}, title = {Population biology of a selfish sex ratio distorting element in a booklouse (Psocodea: Liposcelis).}, journal = {Journal of evolutionary biology}, volume = {32}, number = {8}, pages = {825-832}, doi = {10.1111/jeb.13484}, pmid = {31066101}, issn = {1420-9101}, support = {//Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada/ ; }, abstract = {Arthropods harbour a variety of selfish genetic elements that manipulate reproduction to be preferentially transmitted to future generations. A major ongoing question is to understand how these elements persist in nature. In this study, we examine the population dynamics of an unusual selfish sex ratio distorter in a recently discovered species of booklouse, Liposcelis sp. (Psocodea: Liposcelididae) to gain a better understanding of some of the factors that may affect the persistence of this element. Females that carry the selfish genetic element only ever produce daughters, although they are obligately sexual. These females also only transmit the maternal half of their genome. We performed a replicated population cage experiment, varying the initial frequency of females that harbour the selfish element, and following female frequencies for 20 months. The selfish genetic element persisted in all cages, often reaching very high (and thus severely female-biased) frequencies. Surprisingly, we also found that females that carry the selfish genetic element had much lower fitness than their nondistorter counterparts, with lower lifetime fecundity, slower development and a shorter egg-laying period. We suggest that differential fitness plays a role in the maintenance of the selfish genetic element in this species. We believe that the genetic system in this species, paternal genome elimination, which allows maternal control of offspring sex ratio, may also be important in the persistence of the selfish genetic element, highlighting the need to consider species with diverse ecologies and genetic systems when investigating the effects of sex ratio manipulators on host populations.}, }
@article {pmid31060581, year = {2019}, author = {Farnesi, LC and Belinato, TA and Gesto, JSM and Martins, AJ and Bruno, RV and Moreira, LA}, title = {Embryonic development and egg viability of wMel-infected Aedes aegypti.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {211}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-019-3474-z}, pmid = {31060581}, issn = {1756-3305}, mesh = {Aedes/embryology/*microbiology ; Animals ; Cell Survival ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology ; Ovum/*growth &amp; development ; Wolbachia/physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Aedes aegypti is a major disease vector in urban habitats, involved in the transmission of dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Despite innumerous attempts to contain disease outbreaks, there are neither efficient vaccines nor definite vector control methods nowadays. In recent years, an innovative strategy to control arboviruses, which exploits the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis, emerged with great expectations. The success of the method depends on many aspects, including Wolbachia's cytoplasmic incompatibility and pathogen interference phenotypes, as well as its effect on host fitness. In this work, we investigated the influence the Wolbachia strain wMel exerts on embryo development and egg viability and speculate on its field release use.<br><br>METHODS: Wild-type (Br or Rockefeller) and Wolbachia-harboring specimens (wMelBr) were blood-fed and submitted to synchronous egg laying for embryo development assays. Samples were analyzed for morphological markers, developmental endpoint and egg resistance to desiccation (ERD). Quiescent egg viability over time was also assessed.<br><br>RESULTS: wMelBr samples completed embryogenesis 2-3 hours later than wild-type. This delay was also observed through the onset of both morphological and physiological markers, respectively by the moments of germband extension and ERD acquisition. Following the end of embryonic development, wMelBr eggs were slightly less resistant to desiccation and showed reduced viability levels, which rapidly decayed after 40 days into quiescence, from approximately 75% to virtually 0% in less than a month.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our data revealed that the wMel strain of Wolbachia slightly delays embryogenesis and also affects egg quality, both through reduced viability and desiccation resistance. These findings suggest that, although embryonic fitness is somehow compromised by wMel infection, an efficient host reproductive manipulation through cytoplasmic incompatibility seems sufficient to overcome these effects in nature and promote bacterial invasion, as shown by successful ongoing field implementation.}, }
@article {pmid31052498, year = {2019}, author = {Cao, LJ and Jiang, W and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Life History Effects Linked to an Advantage for wAu Wolbachia in Drosophila.}, journal = {Insects}, volume = {10}, number = {5}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/insects10050126}, pmid = {31052498}, issn = {2075-4450}, support = {DP120100916//Australian Research Council/ ; R01 GM104325/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; 1118640//National Health and Medical Research Council/ ; GJHZ2017-5//Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences/ ; LE150100083//Australian Research Council/ ; 5R01GM104325//National Institutes of Health/ ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia endosymbiont infections can persist and spread in insect populations without causing apparent effects on reproduction of their insect hosts, but the mechanisms involved are largely unknown. Here, we test for fitness effects of the wAu infection of Drosophila simulans by comparing multiple infected and uninfected polymorphic isofemale lines derived from nature. We show a fitness advantage (higher offspring number) for lines with the wAu Wolbachia infection when breeding on grapes, but only where there was Talaromyces and Penicillium fungal mycelial growth. When breeding on laboratory medium, the wAu infection extended the development time and resulted in larger females with higher fecundity, life history traits, which may increase fitness. A chemical associated with the fungi (ochratoxin A) did not specifically alter the fitness of wAu-infected larvae, which developed slower and emerged with a greater weight regardless of toxin levels. These findings suggest that the fitness benefits of Wolbachia in natural populations may reflect life history changes that are advantageous under particular circumstances, such as when breeding occurs in rotting fruit covered by abundant mycelial growth.}, }
@article {pmid31048806, year = {2019}, author = {Crunkhorn, S}, title = {Inhibiting Wolbachia to treat parasitic diseases.}, journal = {Nature reviews. Drug discovery}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1038/d41573-019-00058-z}, pmid = {31048806}, issn = {1474-1784}, }
@article {pmid31031440, year = {2019}, author = {Kaushik, S and Sharma, KK and Ramani, R and Lakhanpaul, S}, title = {Detection of Wolbachia Phage (WO) in Indian Lac Insect [Kerria lacca (Kerr.)] and Its Implications.}, journal = {Indian journal of microbiology}, volume = {59}, number = {2}, pages = {237-240}, doi = {10.1007/s12088-018-0763-8}, pmid = {31031440}, issn = {0046-8991}, abstract = {Wolbachia, a maternally inherited bacterium induces reproductive alterations in its hosts such as feminization of males, male killing and parthenogenesis. It is the most diverse endosymbiont infecting more than 70% of the insects ranging from pests to pollinators. Kerria lacca-a hemipteran is a sedentary, oriental insect known to produce lac-the only resin of animal origin. The present study was conducted to screen the presence of Wolbachia and its associated phages in the two infrasubspecific forms (four insect lines) of K. lacca viz. kusmi and rengeeni differing from each other on the basis of host preference. Wolbachia and its associated phage were found to be prevalent in all the insect lines analyzed. We, hereby, report the presence of WO-phage (Wolbachia phage) for the first time in K. lacca. Further, phylogenetic data differentiated the kusmi and rengeeni infrasubspecific forms into two different groups on the basis of WO-phage sequences.}, }
@article {pmid31028710, year = {2019}, author = {}, title = {Evolutionary Genetics of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Genes cifA and cifB in Prophage WO of Wolbachia.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {11}, number = {4}, pages = {1320}, doi = {10.1093/gbe/evz079}, pmid = {31028710}, issn = {1759-6653}, }
@article {pmid31024463, year = {2019}, author = {Monteiro, VVS and Navegantes-Lima, KC and de Lemos, AB and da Silva, GL and de Souza Gomes, R and Reis, JF and Rodrigues Junior, LC and da Silva, OS and Romão, PRT and Monteiro, MC}, title = {Aedes-Chikungunya Virus Interaction: Key Role of Vector Midguts Microbiota and Its Saliva in the Host Infection.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {492}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2019.00492}, pmid = {31024463}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Aedes mosquitoes are important vectors for emerging diseases caused by arboviruses, such as chikungunya (CHIKV). These viruses' main transmitting species are Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, which are present in tropical and temperate climatic areas all over the globe. Knowledge of vector characteristics is fundamentally important to the understanding of virus transmission. Only female mosquitoes are able to transmit CHIKV to the vertebrate host since they are hematophagous. In addition, mosquito microbiota is fundamentally important to virus infection in the mosquito. Microorganisms are able to modulate viral transmission in the mosquito, such as bacteria of the Wolbachia genus, which are capable of preventing viral infection, or protozoans of the Ascogregarina species, which are capable of facilitating virus transmission between mosquitoes and larvae. The competence of the mosquito is also important in the transmission of the virus to the vertebrate host, since their saliva has several substances with biological effects, such as immunomodulators and anticoagulants, which are able to modulate the host's response to the virus, interfering in its pathogenicity and virulence. Understanding the Aedes vector-chikungunya interaction is fundamentally important since it can enable the search for new methods of combating the virus' transmission.}, }
@article {pmid31008514, year = {2019}, author = {Mains, JW and Kelly, PH and Dobson, KL and Petrie, WD and Dobson, SL}, title = {Localized Control of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Miami, FL, via Inundative Releases of Wolbachia-Infected Male Mosquitoes.}, journal = {Journal of medical entomology}, volume = {56}, number = {5}, pages = {1296-1303}, doi = {10.1093/jme/tjz051}, pmid = {31008514}, issn = {1938-2928}, abstract = {As part of the response to autochthonous Zika transmission in the United States, the City of South Miami implemented a 6-mo period in which Wolbachia-infected WB1 Aedes aegypti (L.) males were released into an ~170-acre area. Intracellular Wolbachia bacteria infections in Ae. aegypti cause early embryonic arrest (known as cytoplasmic incompatibility [CI]) and egg hatch failure, and inundative introductions have been suggested as a potential control tool. Throughout the release period, the Ae. aegypti population was monitored within both the release area and an equivalent area that did not receive WB1 male releases. The results show a significant reduction in egg hatch at the area receiving WB1 males, which is consistent with expectations for CI. Similarly, the number of Ae. aegypti was significantly reduced at the area receiving WB1 males, relative to the untreated area. The observed population reduction and results encourage additional work and replication of the Wolbachia biopesticide approach against Ae. aegypti, as an additional tool to be integrated with existing control tools for the control of this medically important vector and nuisance pest.}, }
@article {pmid31006611, year = {2019}, author = {Vila, A and Estrada-Peña, A and Altet, L and Cusco, A and Dandreano, S and Francino, O and Halos, L and Roura, X}, title = {Endosymbionts carried by ticks feeding on dogs in Spain.}, journal = {Ticks and tick-borne diseases}, volume = {10}, number = {4}, pages = {848-852}, doi = {10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.04.003}, pmid = {31006611}, issn = {1877-9603}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/*pathogenicity ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Dermacentor/microbiology ; Dogs/*parasitology ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Ixodidae/microbiology ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rhipicephalus sanguineus/microbiology ; Spain ; *Symbiosis ; Tick Infestations/microbiology/*veterinary ; Tick-Borne Diseases/microbiology/*veterinary ; Ticks/*microbiology ; }, abstract = {Studies on tick microbial communities historically focused on tick-borne pathogens. However, there is an increasing interest in capturing relationships among non-pathogenic endosymbionts and exploring their relevance for tick biology. The present study included a total of 1600 adult ticks collected from domestic dogs in 4 different biogeographical regions of Spain. Each pool formed by 1 to 10 halves of individuals representing one specific ticks species was examined by PCR for the presence of Coxiellaceae, Rickettsia spp., Rickettsiales, Wolbachia spp., and other bacterial DNA. Of the pools analyzed, 92% tested positive for endosymbiont-derived DNA. Coxiella spp. endosymbionts were the most prevalent microorganisms, being always present in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) pools. Rickettsia spp. DNA was detected in 60% of Dermacentor reticulatus pools and 40% of R. sanguineus s.l. pools, with a higher diversity of Rickettsia species in R. sanguineus s.l. pools. Our study reveals a negative relationship of Rickettsia massiliae with the presence of tick-borne pathogens in the same pool of ticks. An additional endosymbiont, 'Candidatus Rickettsiella isopodorum', was only detected in D. reticulatus pools. Data from this study indicate that dogs in Spain are exposed to several endosymbionts. Due to the importance of tick-borne pathogens, characterizing the role of endosymbionts for tick physiology and prevalence, may lead to novel control strategies.}, }
@article {pmid31003827, year = {2019}, author = {Shropshire, JD and Leigh, B and Bordenstein, SR and Duplouy, A and Riegler, M and Brownlie, JC and Bordenstein, SR}, title = {Models and Nomenclature for Cytoplasmic Incompatibility: Caution over Premature Conclusions - A Response to Beckmann et al.}, journal = {Trends in genetics : TIG}, volume = {35}, number = {6}, pages = {397-399}, doi = {10.1016/j.tig.2019.03.004}, pmid = {31003827}, issn = {0168-9525}, }
@article {pmid31002720, year = {2019}, author = {Ross, PA and Ritchie, SA and Axford, JK and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Loss of cytoplasmic incompatibility in Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti under field conditions.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {4}, pages = {e0007357}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007357}, pmid = {31002720}, issn = {1935-2735}, support = {108508/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Environment ; Female ; *Hot Temperature ; Insect Vectors/microbiology ; Male ; Pest Control, Biological/*methods ; Queensland ; Wolbachia/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia bacteria are now being introduced into Aedes aegypti mosquito populations for dengue control. When Wolbachia infections are at a high frequency, they influence the local transmission of dengue by direct virus blocking as well as deleterious effects on vector mosquito populations. However, the effectiveness of this strategy could be influenced by environmental temperatures that decrease Wolbachia density, thereby reducing the ability of Wolbachia to invade and persist in the population and block viruses. We reared wMel-infected Ae. aegypti larvae in the field during the wet season in Cairns, North Queensland. Containers placed in the shade produced mosquitoes with a high Wolbachia density and little impact on cytoplasmic incompatibility. However, in 50% shade where temperatures reached 39°C during the day, wMel-infected males partially lost their ability to induce cytoplasmic incompatibility and females had greatly reduced egg hatch when crossed to infected males. In a second experiment under somewhat hotter conditions (>40°C in 50% shade), field-reared wMel-infected females had their egg hatch reduced to 25% when crossed to field-reared wMel-infected males. Wolbachia density was reduced in 50% shade for both sexes in both experiments, with some mosquitoes cleared of their Wolbachia infections entirely. To investigate the critical temperature range for the loss of Wolbachia infections, we held Ae. aegypti eggs in thermocyclers for one week at a range of cyclical temperatures. Adult wMel density declined when eggs were held at 26-36°C or above with complete loss at 30-40°C, while the density of wAlbB remained high until temperatures were lethal. These findings suggest that high temperature effects on Wolbachia are potentially substantial when breeding containers are exposed to partial sunlight but not shade. Heat stress could reduce the ability of Wolbachia infections to invade mosquito populations in some locations and may compromise the ability of Wolbachia to block virus transmission in the field. Temperature effects may also have an ecological impact on mosquito populations given that a proportion of the population becomes self-incompatible.}, }
@article {pmid31001816, year = {2019}, author = {Meany, MK and Conner, WR and Richter, SV and Bailey, JA and Turelli, M and Cooper, BS}, title = {Loss of cytoplasmic incompatibility and minimal fecundity effects explain relatively low Wolbachia frequencies in Drosophila mauritiana.}, journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution}, volume = {73}, number = {6}, pages = {1278-1295}, doi = {10.1111/evo.13745}, pmid = {31001816}, issn = {1558-5646}, support = {R01 GM104325/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM124701/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35GM124701/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Maternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria infect about half of all insect species. Many Wolbachia cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and reduced egg hatch when uninfected females mate with infected males. Although CI produces a frequency-dependent fitness advantage that leads to high equilibrium Wolbachia frequencies, it does not aid Wolbachia spread from low frequencies. Indeed, the fitness advantages that produce initial Wolbachia spread and maintain non-CI Wolbachia remain elusive. wMau Wolbachia infecting Drosophila mauritiana do not cause CI, despite being very similar to CI-causing wNo from Drosophila simulans (0.068% sequence divergence over 682,494 bp), suggesting recent CI loss. Using draft wMau genomes, we identify a deletion in a CI-associated gene, consistent with theory predicting that selection within host lineages does not act to increase or maintain CI. In the laboratory, wMau shows near-perfect maternal transmission; but we find no significant effect on host fecundity, in contrast to published data. Intermediate wMau frequencies on the island of Mauritius are consistent with a balance between unidentified small, positive fitness effects and imperfect maternal transmission. Our phylogenomic analyses suggest that group-B Wolbachia, including wMau and wPip, diverged from group-A Wolbachia, such as wMel and wRi, 6-46 million years ago, more recently than previously estimated.}, }
@article {pmid31001690, year = {2019}, author = {Michalik, K and Szklarzewicz, T and Kalandyk-Kołodziejczyk, M and Michalik, A}, title = {Bacterial associates of Orthezia urticae, Matsucoccus pini, and Steingelia gorodetskia - scale insects of archaeoccoid families Ortheziidae, Matsucoccidae, and Steingeliidae (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha).}, journal = {Protoplasma}, volume = {256}, number = {5}, pages = {1205-1215}, doi = {10.1007/s00709-019-01377-z}, pmid = {31001690}, issn = {1615-6102}, support = {IP2015050374//Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego/ ; }, abstract = {The biological nature, ultrastructure, distribution, and mode of transmission between generations of the microorganisms associated with three species (Orthezia urticae, Matsucoccus pini, Steingelia gorodetskia) of primitive families (archaeococcoids = Orthezioidea) of scale insects were investigated by means of microscopic and molecular methods. In all the specimens of Orthezia urticae and Matsucoccus pini examined, bacteria Wolbachia were identified. In some examined specimens of O. urticae, apart from Wolbachia, bacteria Sodalis were detected. In Steingelia gorodetskia, the bacteria of the genus Sphingomonas were found. In contrast to most plant sap-sucking hemipterans, the bacterial associates of O. urticae, M. pini, and S. gorodetskia are not harbored in specialized bacteriocytes, but are dispersed in the cells of different organs. Ultrastructural observations have shown that bacteria Wolbachia in O. urticae and M. pini, Sodalis in O. urticae, and Sphingomonas in S. gorodetskia are transovarially transmitted from mother to progeny.}, }
@article {pmid30999960, year = {2019}, author = {Sabūnas, V and Radzijevskaja, J and Sakalauskas, P and Petkevičius, S and Karvelienė, B and Žiliukienė, J and Lipatova, I and Paulauskas, A}, title = {Dirofilaria repens in dogs and humans in Lithuania.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {177}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-019-3406-y}, pmid = {30999960}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {VP1-3.1-ŠMM-01-V-02-003//Lietuvos Mokslo Taryba (LT)/ ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Child ; *Dirofilaria repens/microbiology ; Dirofilariasis/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Eye Diseases/parasitology ; Female ; Humans ; Lithuania/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: In Lithuania, the first case of canine subcutaneous dirofilariosis was recorded in 2010. Since then, an increasing number of cases of canine dirofilariosis have been documented in different veterinary clinics throughout the country. Human dirofilariosis was diagnosed in Lithuania for the first time in September 2011. However, to the authors' knowledge, there are no published data on the presence and prevalence of autochthonous dirofilariosis in dogs and humans in the country. The present study provides information about the predominant species and prevalence of Dirofilaria in dogs and describes the cases of human dirofilariosis in Lithuania. It also outlines PCR detection of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia that contributes to the inflammatory features of filarioid infection.<br><br>RESULTS: A total of 2280 blood samples and six adult worms from pet and shelter dogs were collected in the central and eastern regions of Lithuania in 2013-2015. Based on their morphological appearance, morphometric measurements and molecular analysis, all the adult nematodes were identified as Dirofilaria repens. The diagnosis of microfilariae in blood samples was based on blood smear analysis and Knott's test. The PCR and sequence analysis of the ribosomal DNA ITS2 region and cox1 gene confirmed the presence of D. repens. Overall, 61 (2.7%) of the 2280 blood samples were found to be positive for the presence of D. repens. The infection rate of D. repens was significantly higher in shelter dogs (19.0%; 19/100) than in pet dogs (1.9%; 42/2180) (χ2 = 100.039, df = 1, P < 0.0001). Forty-nine DNA samples of D. repens-infected dogs were tested for the presence of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia and, of these, 40 samples (81.6%) were found to be positive. Three ocular and six subcutaneous cases of human dirofilariosis were diagnosed in Lithuania in the period 2011-2018.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of autochthonous D. repens infection in dogs and humans in Lithuania. The present data demonstrate that D. repens is the main etiological agent of dirofilariosis in Lithuania. The DNA of the filarioid endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia was detected in the vast majority of dogs infected with D. repens.}, }
@article {pmid30997886, year = {2018}, author = {Carvajal, TM and Capistrano, JDR and Hashimoto, K and Go, KJD and Cruz, MAIJ and Martinez, MJLB and Tiopianco, VSP and Amalin, DM and Watanabe, K}, title = {Detection and distribution of Wolbachia endobacteria in Culex quinquefasciatus populations (Diptera : Culicidae) from Metropolitan Manila, Philippines.}, journal = {Journal of vector borne diseases}, volume = {55}, number = {4}, pages = {265-270}, doi = {10.4103/0972-9062.256561}, pmid = {30997886}, issn = {0972-9062}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; Base Sequence ; Cities ; Culex/*microbiology ; *Genetic Variation ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology ; Philippines ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Wolbachia/*classification/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {Background &amp; objectives: Culex quinquefasciatus is a peridomestic mosquito known for its ability to transmit pathogenic diseases such as filariasis and Japanese encephalitis. The development and use of novel and innovative vector control measures such as the utilization of Wolbachia, along with the existing ones, are necessary to prevent the transmission of these diseases. Studies exploring the diversity of Wolbachia, particularly in Cx. quinquefasciatus are very limited in the Philippines. Thus, the aim of the study was to detect the presence, distribution, and phylogenetic relationship of Wolbachia infections in Cx. quinquefasciatus in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines.<br><br>Methods: Adult Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes were collected using a commercially available light-trap from May 2014-January 2015. Based on their sampling grids (n = 51), the adult mosquito abdomens were pooled and subjected to Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene amplification assay. Five selected wsp-positive samples were then sequenced and further analyzed to infer their phylogenetic relationship with known Wolbachia strains.<br><br>Results: A total of 1090 adult Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes were collected. Pooled abdomens (n = 53) were then sorted based on their sampling grids for subsequent screening of wsp gene. Wolbachia infection rate was 59% (31/53). These infections were located at 29 (57%) sampling grids, and were observed to be widely distributed in the study area. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the sample sequences were Wolbachia pipientis isolated from known hosts, Cx. pipiens and Cx. quinquefasciatus belonging to supergroup B clade.<br><br>The study was able to demonstrate the prevalence and distribution of Wolbachia in Cx. quinquefasciatus in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. The findings of this study are geared towards proposing a vector control program that utilizes the potential of Wolbachia as a biological control agent in preventing the transmission of Culex-borne diseases.}, }
@article {pmid30992179, year = {2019}, author = {Muñoz-Leal, S and Macedo, C and Gonçalves, TC and Dias Barreira, J and Labruna, MB and de Lemos, ERS and Ogrzewalska, M}, title = {Detected microorganisms and new geographic records of Ornithodoros rietcorreai (Acari: Argasidae) from northern Brazil.}, journal = {Ticks and tick-borne diseases}, volume = {10}, number = {4}, pages = {853-861}, doi = {10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.04.004}, pmid = {30992179}, issn = {1877-9603}, mesh = {Anaplasmataceae/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Animals ; Babesia/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Bacteria/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Borrelia/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Brazil ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; DNA, Protozoan/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Female ; Geography ; Larva/microbiology ; Male ; Nymph/microbiology ; Ornithodoros/*microbiology/*parasitology ; *Phylogeny ; Rickettsia/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {Reliable data on distributional ranges of soft ticks (Argasidae) and assessments of putative tick-borne agents enhance the understanding on tick-associated microorganisms. A total of 96 ticks morphologicaly and molecularly identified as Ornithodoros rietcorreai were collected in Tocantins State, Brazil, using Noireau traps with living bait as CO2 source. Ninety-six ticks (54 nymphs, 32 males, 10 females) with different engorgement degrees were collected. Fourty-seven (48.9%) of them were individually screened by PCR for detecting bacteria of Anaplasmataceae family and genera Rickettsia, and Borrelia. The presence of protozoans of the genus Babesia was assessed as well. Fourty seven ticks were submitted to analysis. Nine ticks (19.1%) yielded sequences for gltA and htrA genes most identical with a series of endosymbiont rickettsiae and Rickettsia bellii, respectively. Upon two ticks (4.2%) we retrieved DNA of a potential new Wolbachia sp., and DNA of a putative novel Hepatozoon was characterized from three (6.4%) specimens. No DNA of Babesia or Borrelia was detected. Remarkably, amplicons of unidentified eukaryotic organisms, most closely related with apicomplexans but also with dinoflagellates (91% of identity after BLAST analyses), were recovered from two ticks (4.2%) using primers designed for Babesia 18S rRNA gene. Our records expand the distribution of O. rietcorreai into Brazilian Cerrado biome and introduce the occurrence of microorganisms in this tick species.}, }
@article {pmid30991952, year = {2019}, author = {Dhaygude, K and Nair, A and Johansson, H and Wurm, Y and Sundström, L}, title = {The first draft genomes of the ant Formica exsecta, and its Wolbachia endosymbiont reveal extensive gene transfer from endosymbiont to host.}, journal = {BMC genomics}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {301}, doi = {10.1186/s12864-019-5665-6}, pmid = {30991952}, issn = {1471-2164}, support = {252411 and 284666 (Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions)//Academy of Finland/ ; BB/K004204/1//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; NE/L00626X/1//Natural Environment Research Council/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Ants/*genetics/*microbiology ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; Genes, Insect/genetics ; *Genomics ; Symbiosis/*genetics ; Wolbachia/*genetics/*physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Adapting to changes in the environment is the foundation of species survival, and is usually thought to be a gradual process. However, transposable elements (TEs), epigenetic modifications, and/or genetic material acquired from other organisms by means of horizontal gene transfer (HGTs), can also lead to novel adaptive traits. Social insects form dense societies, which attract and maintain extra- and intracellular accessory inhabitants, which may facilitate gene transfer between species. The wood ant Formica exsecta (Formicidae; Hymenoptera), is a common ant species throughout the Palearctic region. The species is a well-established model for studies of ecological characteristics and evolutionary conflict.<br><br>RESULTS: In this study, we sequenced and assembled draft genomes for F. exsecta and its endosymbiont Wolbachia. The F. exsecta draft genome is 277.7 Mb long; we identify 13,767 protein coding genes, for which we provide gene ontology and protein domain annotations. This is also the first report of a Wolbachia genome from ants, and provides insights into the phylogenetic position of this endosymbiont. We also identified multiple horizontal gene transfer events (HGTs) from Wolbachia to F. exsecta. Some of these HGTs have also occurred in parallel in multiple other insect genomes, highlighting the extent of HGTs in eukaryotes.<br><br>CONCLUSION: We present the first draft genome of ant F. exsecta, and its endosymbiont Wolbachia (wFex), and show considerable rates of gene transfer from the symbiont to the host. We expect that especially the F. exsecta genome will be valuable resource in further exploration of the molecular basis of the evolution of social organization.}, }
@article {pmid30991073, year = {2019}, author = {Zheng, B and Liu, X and Tang, M and Xi, Z and Yu, J}, title = {Use of age-stage structural models to seek optimal Wolbachia-infected male mosquito releases for mosquito-borne disease control.}, journal = {Journal of theoretical biology}, volume = {472}, number = {}, pages = {95-109}, doi = {10.1016/j.jtbi.2019.04.010}, pmid = {30991073}, issn = {1095-8541}, abstract = {Due to the lack of vaccines and effective clinical cures, current methods to control mosquito-borne viral diseases such as dengue and Zika are primarily targeting to eradicate the major mosquito vectors. However, traditional means, including larval source reduction and applications of insecticides etc, are not sufficient to keep vector population density below the epidemic risk threshold. An innovative and operational strategy is to release Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes into wild areas to sterilize wild female mosquitoes by cytoplasmic incompatibility. To help design optimal release strategies before large scale and expensive operations, we started with an age-stage discrete model to track daily abundances of wild female mosquitoes, which fitted the field data collected by Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2015 to 2017 with an average Pearson correlation coefficient 0.7283. Then, we modeled the Wolbachia interference by introducing the proportional releases of Wolbachia-infected males, and eight optimal release policies which guarantee more than 95% suppression efficiency were sought. Finally, we assessed the robustness of the optimality of the eight release policies by allowing the migration of females or the contamination of Wolbachia-infected females by two further extended mathematical models.}, }
@article {pmid30976027, year = {2019}, author = {Lefoulon, E and Vaisman, N and Frydman, HM and Sun, L and Voland, L and Foster, JM and Slatko, BE}, title = {Large Enriched Fragment Targeted Sequencing (LEFT-SEQ) Applied to Capture of Wolbachia Genomes.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {5939}, pmid = {30976027}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Symbiosis is a major force of evolutionary change, influencing virtually all aspects of biology, from population ecology and evolution to genomics and molecular/biochemical mechanisms of development and reproduction. A remarkable example is Wolbachia endobacteria, present in some parasitic nematodes and many arthropod species. Acquisition of genomic data from diverse Wolbachia clades will aid in the elucidation of the different symbiotic mechanisms(s). However, challenges of de novo assembly of Wolbachia genomes include the presence in the sample of host DNA: nematode/vertebrate or insect. We designed biotinylated probes to capture large fragments of Wolbachia DNA for sequencing using PacBio technology (LEFT-SEQ: Large Enriched Fragment Targeted Sequencing). LEFT-SEQ was used to capture and sequence four Wolbachia genomes: the filarial nematode Brugia malayi, wBm, (21-fold enrichment), Drosophila mauritiana flies (2 isolates), wMau (11-fold enrichment), and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, wAlbB (200-fold enrichment). LEFT-SEQ resulted in complete genomes for wBm and for wMau. For wBm, 18 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), relative to the wBm reference, were identified and confirmed by PCR. A limit of LEFT-SEQ is illustrated by the wAlbB genome, characterized by a very high level of insertion sequences elements (ISs) and DNA repeats, for which only a 20-contig draft assembly was achieved.}, }
@article {pmid30975197, year = {2019}, author = {Lee, WS and Webster, JA and Madzokere, ET and Stephenson, EB and Herrero, LJ}, title = {Mosquito antiviral defense mechanisms: a delicate balance between innate immunity and persistent viral infection.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {165}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-019-3433-8}, pmid = {30975197}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {DE140101493//Australian Research Council/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Culicidae/*immunology/*virology ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Mosquito Control ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Viral ; }, abstract = {Mosquito-borne diseases are associated with major global health burdens. Aedes spp. and Culex spp. are primarily responsible for the transmission of the most medically important mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue virus, West Nile virus and Zika virus. Despite the burden of these pathogens on human populations, the interactions between viruses and their mosquito hosts remain enigmatic. Viruses enter the midgut of a mosquito following the mosquito's ingestion of a viremic blood meal. During infection, virus recognition by the mosquito host triggers their antiviral defense mechanism. Of these host defenses, activation of the RNAi pathway is the main antiviral mechanism, leading to the degradation of viral RNA, thereby inhibiting viral replication and promoting viral clearance. However, whilst antiviral host defense mechanisms limit viral replication, the mosquito immune system is unable to effectively clear the virus. As such, these viruses can establish persistent infection with little or no fitness cost to the mosquito vector, ensuring life-long transmission to humans. Understanding of the mosquito innate immune response enables the discovery of novel antivectorial strategies to block human transmission. This review provides an updated and concise summary of recent studies on mosquito antiviral immune responses, which is a key determinant for successful virus transmission. In addition, we will also discuss the factors that may contribute to persistent infection in mosquito hosts. Finally, we will discuss current mosquito transmission-blocking strategies that utilize genetically modified mosquitoes and Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes for resistance to pathogens.}, }
@article {pmid30970277, year = {2019}, author = {Sigle, LT and McGraw, EA}, title = {Expanding the canon: Non-classical mosquito genes at the interface of arboviral infection.}, journal = {Insect biochemistry and molecular biology}, volume = {109}, number = {}, pages = {72-80}, doi = {10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.04.004}, pmid = {30970277}, issn = {1879-0240}, mesh = {Animals ; Arboviruses/*physiology ; Culicidae/genetics/*immunology/virology ; Immunity, Innate/*genetics ; Insect Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; Mice ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics/*immunology/virology ; *Transcriptome ; }, abstract = {Mosquito transmitted viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality in human populations. Despite the use of insecticides and other measures of vector control, arboviral diseases are on the rise. One potential solution for limiting disease transmission to humans is to render mosquitoes refractory to viral infection through genetic modification. Substantial research effort in Drosophila, Aedes and Anopheles has helped to define the major innate immune pathways, including Toll, IMD, Jak/Stat and RNAi, however we still have an incomplete picture of the mosquito antiviral response. Transcriptional profiles of virus-infected insects reveal a much wider range of pathways activated by the process of infection. Within these lists of genes are unexplored mosquito candidates of viral defense. Wolbachia species are endosymbiotic bacteria that naturally limit arboviral infection in mosquitoes. Our understanding of the Wolbachia-mediated viral blocking mechanism is poor, but it does not appear to operate via the classical immune pathways. Herein, we reviewed the transcriptomic response of mosquitoes to multiple viral species and put forth consensus gene types/families outside the immune canon whose expression responds to infection, including cytoskeleton and cellular trafficking, the heat shock response, cytochromes P450, cell proliferation, chitin and small RNAs. We then examine emerging evidence for their functional role in viral resistance in diverse insect and mammalian hosts and their potential role in Wolbachia-mediated viral blocking. These candidate gene families offer novel avenues for research into the nature of insect viral defense.}, }
@article {pmid30958712, year = {2019}, author = {Clare, RH and Clark, R and Bardelle, C and Harper, P and Collier, M and Johnston, KL and Plant, H and Plant, D and McCall, E and Slatko, BE and Cantin, L and Wu, B and Ford, L and Murray, D and Rich, K and Wigglesworth, M and Taylor, MJ and Ward, SA}, title = {Development of a High-Throughput Cytometric Screen to Identify Anti- Wolbachia Compounds: The Power of Public-Private Partnership.}, journal = {SLAS discovery : advancing life sciences R &amp; D}, volume = {24}, number = {5}, pages = {537-547}, doi = {10.1177/2472555219838341}, pmid = {30958712}, issn = {2472-5560}, abstract = {The Anti- Wolbachia (A·WOL) consortium at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) has partnered with the Global High-Throughput Screening (HTS) Centre at AstraZeneca to create the first anthelmintic HTS for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The A·WOL consortium aims to identify novel macrofilaricidal drugs targeting the essential bacterial symbiont (Wolbachia) of the filarial nematodes causing onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. Working in collaboration, we have validated a robust high-throughput assay capable of identifying compounds that selectively kill Wolbachia over the host insect cell. We describe the development and validation process of this complex, phenotypic high-throughput assay and provide an overview of the primary outputs from screening the AstraZeneca library of 1.3 million compounds.}, }
@article {pmid30953430, year = {2019}, author = {Landmann, F}, title = {The Wolbachia Endosymbionts.}, journal = {Microbiology spectrum}, volume = {7}, number = {2}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1128/microbiolspec.BAI-0018-2019}, pmid = {30953430}, issn = {2165-0497}, mesh = {Animals ; Arthropods/microbiology ; Filarioidea/microbiology ; Host Microbial Interactions/*physiology ; Insecta/microbiology ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/classification/genetics/pathogenicity/*physiology ; }, abstract = {The Wolbachia endosymbionts encompass a large group of intracellular bacteria of biomedical and veterinary relevance, closely related to Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia. This genus of Gram-negative members of the Alphaproteobacteria does not infect vertebrates but is instead restricted to ecdysozoan species, including terrestrial arthropods and a family of parasitic filarial nematodes, the Onchocercidae. The Wolbachia profoundly impact not only the ecology and evolution but also the reproductive biology of their hosts, through a wide range of symbiotic interactions. Because they are essential to the survival and reproduction of their filarial nematode hosts, they represent an attractive target to fight filariasis. Their abilities to spread through insect populations and to affect vector competence through pathogen protection have made Wolbachia a staple for controlling vector-borne diseases. Estimated to be present in up to 66% of insect species, the Wolbachia are probably the most abundant endosymbionts on earth. Their success resides in their unique capacity to infect and manipulate the host germ line to favor their vertical transmission through the maternal lineage. Because the Wolbachia resist genetic manipulation and growth in axenic culture, our understanding of their biology is still in its infancy. Despite these limitations, the &quot;-omics&quot; revolution combined with the use of well-established and emerging experimental host models is accelerating our comprehension of the host phenotypes caused by Wolbachia, and the identification of Wolbachia effectors is ongoing.}, }
@article {pmid30950399, year = {2019}, author = {Walden, PM and Whitten, AE and Premkumar, L and Halili, MA and Heras, B and King, GJ and Martin, JL}, title = {The atypical thiol-disulfide exchange protein α-DsbA2 from Wolbachia pipientis is a homotrimeric disulfide isomerase.}, journal = {Acta crystallographica. Section D, Structural biology}, volume = {75}, number = {Pt 3}, pages = {283-295}, doi = {10.1107/S2059798318018442}, pmid = {30950399}, issn = {2059-7983}, support = {FL0992138//Australian Research Council/ ; }, mesh = {Bacterial Proteins/*chemistry ; Disulfides/*chemistry ; Escherichia coli K12/enzymology ; Protein Disulfide-Isomerases/*chemistry ; Scattering, Small Angle ; Wolbachia/*enzymology ; }, abstract = {Disulfide-bond-forming (DSB) oxidative folding enzymes are master regulators of virulence that are localized to the periplasm of many Gram-negative bacteria. The archetypal DSB machinery from Escherichia coli K-12 consists of a dithiol-oxidizing redox-relay pair (DsbA/B), a disulfide-isomerizing redox-relay pair (DsbC/D) and the specialist reducing enzymes DsbE and DsbG that also interact with DsbD. By contrast, the Gram-negative bacterium Wolbachia pipientis encodes just three DSB enzymes. Two of these, α-DsbA1 and α-DsbB, form a redox-relay pair analogous to DsbA/B from E. coli. The third enzyme, α-DsbA2, incorporates a DsbA-like sequence but does not interact with α-DsbB. In comparison to other DsbA enzymes, α-DsbA2 has ∼50 extra N-terminal residues (excluding the signal peptide). The crystal structure of α-DsbA2ΔN, an N-terminally truncated form in which these ∼50 residues are removed, confirms the DsbA-like nature of this domain. However, α-DsbA2 does not have DsbA-like activity: it is structurally and functionally different as a consequence of its N-terminal residues. Firstly, α-DsbA2 is a powerful disulfide isomerase and a poor dithiol oxidase: i.e. its role is to shuffle rather than to introduce disulfide bonds. Moreover, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) of α-DsbA2 reveals a homotrimeric arrangement that differs from those of the other characterized bacterial disulfide isomerases DsbC from Escherichia coli (homodimeric) and ScsC from Proteus mirabilis (PmScsC; homotrimeric with a shape-shifter peptide). α-DsbA2 lacks the shape-shifter motif and SAXS data suggest that it is less flexible than PmScsC. These results allow conclusions to be drawn about the factors that are required for functionally equivalent disulfide isomerase enzymatic activity across structurally diverse protein architectures.}, }
@article {pmid30949677, year = {2019}, author = {Pillonel, T and Bertelli, C and Aeby, S and de Barsy, M and Jacquier, N and Kebbi-Beghdadi, C and Mueller, L and Vouga, M and Greub, G}, title = {Sequencing the Obligate Intracellular Rhabdochlamydia helvetica within Its Tick Host Ixodes ricinus to Investigate Their Symbiotic Relationship.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {11}, number = {4}, pages = {1334-1344}, doi = {10.1093/gbe/evz072}, pmid = {30949677}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Animals ; Chlamydiales/*genetics/metabolism ; Female ; Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; *Genome, Bacterial ; *Host-Parasite Interactions ; Ixodes/*microbiology ; Symbiosis ; }, abstract = {The Rhabdochlamydiaceae family is one of the most widely distributed within the phylum Chlamydiae, but most of its members remain uncultivable. Rhabdochlamydia 16S rRNA was recently reported in more than 2% of 8,534 pools of ticks from Switzerland. Shotgun metagenomics was performed on a pool of five female Ixodes ricinus ticks presenting a high concentration of chlamydial DNA, allowing the assembly of a high-quality draft genome. About 60% of sequence reads originated from a single bacterial population that was named &quot;Candidatus Rhabdochlamydia helvetica&quot; whereas only few thousand reads mapped to the genome of &quot;Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii,&quot; a symbiont normally observed in all I. ricinus females. The 1.8 Mbp genome of R. helvetica is smaller than other Chlamydia-related bacteria. Comparative analyses with other chlamydial genomes identified transposases of the PD-(D/E)XK nuclease family that are unique to this new genome. These transposases show evidence of interphylum horizontal gene transfers between multiple arthropod endosymbionts, including Cardinium spp. (Bacteroidetes) and diverse proteobacteria such as Wolbachia, Rickettsia spp. (Rickettsiales), and Caedimonas varicaedens (Holosporales). Bacterial symbionts were previously suggested to provide B-vitamins to hematophagous hosts. However, incomplete metabolic capacities including for B-vitamin biosynthesis, high bacterial density and limited prevalence suggest that R. helvetica is parasitic rather than symbiotic to its host. The identification of novel Rhabdochlamydia strains in different hosts and their sequencing will help understanding if members of this genus have become highly specialized parasites with reduced genomes, like the Chlamydiaceae, or if they could be pathogenic to humans using ticks as a transmission vector.}, }
@article {pmid30941647, year = {2019}, author = {Barradas, I and Vázquez, V}, title = {Backward Bifurcation as a Desirable Phenomenon: Increased Fecundity Through Infection.}, journal = {Bulletin of mathematical biology}, volume = {81}, number = {6}, pages = {2029-2050}, doi = {10.1007/s11538-019-00604-1}, pmid = {30941647}, issn = {1522-9602}, abstract = {Backward or subcritical bifurcation is usually considered an undesirable phenomenon in epidemiology since control measures require a reduction in R0 not below one but below a much smaller value. However, there are contexts for which a backward or subcritical bifurcation is not a bad thing; it can even be desirable. Such is the case for any characteristic that can be passed to the next generation (genetically fixed or not) and that increases the effective reproductive rate of the host or the total number of individuals. In the present work, we study an epidemiological model consisting of two classes, susceptible and &quot;infected&quot; individuals; the model considers a characteristic that is passed from &quot;infected&quot; to &quot;susceptible&quot; by direct &quot;contact,&quot; for instance increased fecundity. We analyze conditions for the appearance of a backward or subcritical bifurcation. We discuss the advantage for the population under infection, since the total number of individuals increases at equilibrium. If one takes that as a proxy for increased fitness, it would increase the species' ecological success. One key element in the model is the fact that &quot;susceptible&quot; individuals have &quot;susceptible&quot; descendants, but &quot;infected&quot; individuals can have &quot;infected&quot; descendants as well as &quot;susceptible&quot; ones. A somehow rare addition for epidemiological models, the fact that &quot;infected&quot; individuals reproduce more rapidly than the susceptible ones, leads to unexpected consequences. Facilitating the &quot;inoculation&quot; increases the total population size, i.e., the backward or subcritical bifurcation appears, with desirable consequences for the population. We show that an increase in the number of susceptible newborns is the main reason for the appearance of a backward or subcritical bifurcation, which induces a bigger population size. We analyze the effect of different combinations of susceptible/infected birth rates. This kind of phenomenon has been observed for bacterial infections in several insects-bacteria and nematodes-bacteria interactions; in particular, it has been intensely studied in interactions of wasps and flies with the genus Wolbachia. It has also been shown in amphibians.}, }
@article {pmid30930872, year = {2019}, author = {Ali, H and Muhammad, A and Sanda, NB and Huang, Y and Hou, Y}, title = {Pyrosequencing Uncovers a Shift in Bacterial Communities Across Life Stages of Octodonta nipae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {466}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2019.00466}, pmid = {30930872}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Bacterial symbionts of insects affect a wide array of host traits including fitness and immunity. Octodonta nipae (Maulik), commonly known as hispid leaf beetle is a destructive palm pest around the world. Understanding the dynamics of microbiota is essential to unravel the complex interplay between O. nipae and its bacterial symbionts. In this study, bacterial 16S rRNA V3-V4 region was targeted to decipher the diversity and dynamics of bacterial symbionts across different life stages [eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult (male and female)] and reproductive organs (ovaries and testis) of O. nipae. Clustering analysis at ≥97% similarity threshold produced 3,959 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that belonged to nine different phyla. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes represented the bulk of taxa that underwent notable changes during metamorphosis. Enterobacteriaceae and Dermabacteraceae were the most abundant families in immature stages (eggs, larvae, and pupae), while Anaplasmataceae family was dominated in adults (male and female) and reproductive organs (ovaries and testis). The genus Serratia and Lactococcus were most abundant in eggs, whereas Pantoea and Brachybacterium represented the bulk of larvae and pupae microbiota. Interestingly the genus Wolbachia found positive to all tested samples and was recorded extremely high (>64%) in the adults and reproductive organs. The bacteria varied across the developmental stages and responsible for various metabolic activities. Selection choice exerted by the insect host as a result of its age or developmental stage could be the main reason to ascertain the shift in the bacteria populations. Maternally inherited Wolbachia was found to be an obligate endosymbiont infecting all tested life stages, body parts, and tissues. These outcomes foster our understanding of the intricate associations between bacteria and O. nipae and will incorporate in devising novel pest control strategies against this palm pest.}, }
@article {pmid30924288, year = {2019}, author = {Zhang, X and Li, TP and Zhou, CY and Zhao, DS and Zhu, YX and Bing, XL and Huang, HJ and Hong, XY}, title = {Antibiotic exposure perturbs the bacterial community in the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus.}, journal = {Insect science}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.12675}, pmid = {30924288}, issn = {1744-7917}, support = {804015//Nanjing Agricultural University/ ; 31672035//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 31871976//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; }, abstract = {Bacteria symbionts in herbivores play an important role in host biology and ecology, and are affected by environmental factors such as temperature, diet, habitat, antibiotics and so on. However, the effects of antibiotics on the microbiome of the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus (SBPH) remain unclear. Here, we studied the effects of tetracycline on the diversity and composition of bacterial colonies in different tissues of SBPH using high throughput sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA amplicons. Our results show that Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria were most abundant in SBPH, and the genera Asaia and Wolbachia were most abundant in all body parts of SBPH. Antibiotic treatment had persistent effects on the composition of the SBPH microbiome. Tetracycline depleted the population of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Tenericutes and Fusobacteria, and nearly 100% eliminated Wolbachia, Bacteroides and Abiotrophia in SBPH. Together, these results suggest that antibiotic exposure affects the bacteria symbionts of different body parts in SBPH and will facilitate future studies of the bacterial symbionts of arthropod hosts.}, }
@article {pmid30915518, year = {2019}, author = {Kolasa, M and Ścibior, R and Mazur, MA and Kubisz, D and Dudek, K and Kajtoch, Ł}, title = {How Hosts Taxonomy, Trophy, and Endosymbionts Shape Microbiome Diversity in Beetles.}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {78}, number = {4}, pages = {995-1013}, pmid = {30915518}, issn = {1432-184X}, support = {DEC-2013/11/D/NZ8/00583//National Science Centre, Poland/ ; small grants for young researchers//Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education/ ; }, abstract = {Bacterial communities play a crucial role in the biology, ecology, and evolution of multicellular organisms. In this research, the microbiome of 24 selected beetle species representing five families (Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Curculionidae, Chrysomelidae, Scarabaeidae) and three trophic guilds (carnivorous, herbivorous, detrivorous) was examined using 16S rDNA sequencing on the Illumina platform. The aim of the study was to compare diversity within and among species on various levels of organization, including evaluation of the impact of endosymbiotic bacteria. Collected data showed that beetles possess various bacterial communities and that microbiota of individuals of particular species hosts are intermixed. The most diverse microbiota were found in Carabidae and Scarabaeidae; the least diverse, in Staphylinidae. On higher organization levels, the diversity of bacteria was more dissimilar between families, while the most distinct with respect to their microbiomes were trophic guilds. Moreover, eight taxa of endosymbiotic bacteria were detected including common genera such as Wolbachia, Rickettsia, and Spiroplasma, as well as the rarely detected Cardinium, Arsenophonus, Buchnera, Sulcia, Regiella, and Serratia. There were no correlations among the abundance of the most common Wolbachia and Rickettsia; a finding that does not support the hypothesis that these bacteria occur interchangeably. The abundance of endosymbionts only weakly and negatively correlates with diversity of the whole microbiome in beetles. Overall, microbiome diversity was found to be more dependent on host phylogeny than on the abundance of endosymbionts. This is the first study in which bacteria diversity is compared between numerous species of beetles in a standardized manner.}, }
@article {pmid30914397, year = {2019}, author = {Konecka, E and Olszanowski, Z and Koczura, R}, title = {Wolbachia of phylogenetic supergroup E identified in oribatid mite Gustavia microcephala (Acari: Oribatida).}, journal = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution}, volume = {135}, number = {}, pages = {230-235}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2019.03.019}, pmid = {30914397}, issn = {1095-9513}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Likelihood Functions ; Mites/*microbiology ; *Phylogeny ; Wolbachia/*classification/genetics ; }, abstract = {Heritable endosymbionts have been observed in arthropod and nematode hosts. The most-known among them is Wolbachia. Although the bacterium was previously identified in oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida), it was not assigned to any phylogenetic group. Endosymbionts have a profound influence on their hosts, playing various functions that affect invertebrate's biology such as changing the way of reproduction. Oribatida provide the very unique examples of groups in which even whole families appear to be thelytokous, so we considered that it is worth to investigate the occurrence of endosymbiotic microorganisms in oribatid mites, especially that the knowledge on the symbionts occurrence in this invertebrate group is negligible. We report for the first time Wolbachia in oribatid mite Gustavia microcephala. The sequences of 16S rDNA, gltA, and ftsZ genes of the endosymbiont from the mite showed the highest similarity to Wolbachia found in Collembola. Phylogenetic analysis based on single gene and concatenated alignments of three genes revealed that the bacteria from G. microcephala and Collembola were related and clustered together with supergroup E. Relatively close relationship of Wolbachia from oribatid and collembolan hosts might mean at the evolutionary scale that horizontal transfer of bacteria between these two groups of invertebrates may take place.}, }
@article {pmid30912316, year = {2019}, author = {Guo, J and Liu, X and Poncelet, N and He, K and Francis, F and Wang, Z}, title = {Detection and geographic distribution of seven facultative endosymbionts in two Rhopalosiphum aphid species.}, journal = {MicrobiologyOpen}, volume = {8}, number = {8}, pages = {e00817}, doi = {10.1002/mbo3.817}, pmid = {30912316}, issn = {2045-8827}, abstract = {Study of the mutualistic associations between facultative symbionts and aphids are developed only in a few models. That survey on the situation and distribution of the symbionts in a certain area is helpful to obtain clues for the acquisition and spread of them as well as their roles played in host evolution. To understand the infection patterns of seven facultative symbionts (Serratia symbiotica, Hamiltonella defensa, Regiella insecticola, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma, Wolbachia, and Arsenophonus) in Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus) and Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), we collected 882 R. maidis samples (37 geographical populations) from China and 585 R. padi samples (32 geographical populations) from China and Europe. Results showed that both species were widely infected with various symbionts and totally 50.8% of R. maidis and 50.1% of R. padi were multi-infected with targeted symbionts. However, very few Rhopalosiphum aphids were infected with S. symbiotica. The infection frequencies of some symbionts were related to the latitude of collecting sites, suggesting the importance of environmental factors in shaping the geographic distribution of facultative symbionts. Also, R. maidis and R. padi were infected with different H. defensa strains based on phylogenetic analysis which may be determined by host ×symbiont genotype interactions. According to our results, the ubiquitous symbionts may play important roles in the evolution of their host aphid and their impacts on adaptation of R. padi and R. maidis were discussed as well.}, }
@article {pmid30912174, year = {2019}, author = {Bing, XL and Zhao, DS and Hong, XY}, title = {Bacterial reproductive manipulators in rice planthoppers.}, journal = {Archives of insect biochemistry and physiology}, volume = {101}, number = {2}, pages = {e21548}, doi = {10.1002/arch.21548}, pmid = {30912174}, issn = {1520-6327}, support = {31672035//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 31871976//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 804015//the startup grant from Nanjing Agricultural University/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Bacterial Physiological Phenomena ; Female ; Hemiptera/*microbiology/physiology ; Male ; Reproduction/*physiology ; Symbiosis ; }, abstract = {Rice planthoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) are notorious pests for rice (Oryza sativa) in Asia, posing a serious threat to rice production and grain security. Rice planthoppers harbor diverse bacterial symbionts, including Wolbachia, Cardinium, Spiroplasma, and Arsenophonus, which are known to manipulate reproduction in arthropod hosts. This microreview is to introduce current knowledge of bacterial reproductive manipulators in rice planthoppers, including their diversity, population dynamics, localization, transmission, and biological functions.}, }
@article {pmid30894837, year = {2019}, author = {Tolley, SJA and Nonacs, P and Sapountzis, P}, title = {Wolbachia Horizontal Transmission Events in Ants: What Do We Know and What Can We Learn?.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {296}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2019.00296}, pmid = {30894837}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {While strict vertical transmission insures the durability of intracellular symbioses, phylogenetic incongruences between hosts and endosymbionts suggest horizontal transmission must also occur. These horizontal acquisitions can have important implications for the biology of the host. Wolbachia is one of the most ecologically successful prokaryotes in arthropods, infecting an estimated 50-70% of all insect species. Much of this success is likely due to the fact that, in arthropods, Wolbachia is notorious for manipulating host reproduction to favor transmission through the female germline. However, its natural potential for horizontal transmission remains poorly understood. Here we evaluate the fundamental prerequisites for successful horizontal transfer, including necessary environmental conditions, genetic potential of bacterial strains, and means of mediating transfers. Furthermore, we revisit the relatedness of Wolbachia strains infecting the Panamanian leaf-cutting ant, Acromyrmex echinatior, and its inquiline social parasite, Acromyrmex insinuator, and compare our results to a study published more than 15 years ago by Van Borm et al. (2003). The results of this pilot study prompt us to reevaluate previous notions that obligate social parasitism reliably facilitates horizontal transfer and suggest that not all Wolbachia strains associated with ants have the same genetic potential for horizontal transmission.}, }
@article {pmid30893296, year = {2019}, author = {Fattouh, N and Cazevieille, C and Landmann, F}, title = {Wolbachia endosymbionts subvert the endoplasmic reticulum to acquire host membranes without triggering ER stress.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {3}, pages = {e0007218}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007218}, pmid = {30893296}, issn = {1935-2735}, mesh = {Animals ; Cell Line ; Drosophila melanogaster/cytology/*microbiology ; Endoplasmic Reticulum/metabolism/*microbiology ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Golgi Apparatus/metabolism/microbiology ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Intracellular Membranes/metabolism/*microbiology ; Stress, Physiological/genetics/*physiology ; Symbiosis/genetics/*physiology ; Vacuoles/microbiology ; Wolbachia/pathogenicity/*physiology ; }, abstract = {The reproductive parasites Wolbachia are the most common endosymbionts on earth, present in a plethora of arthropod species. They have been introduced into mosquitos to successfully prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases, yet the strategies of host cell subversion underlying their obligate intracellular lifestyle remain to be explored in depth in order to gain insights into the mechanisms of pathogen-blocking. Like some other intracellular bacteria, Wolbachia reside in a host-derived vacuole in order to replicate and escape the immune surveillance. Using here the pathogen-blocking Wolbachia strain from Drosophila melanogaster, introduced into two different Drosophila cell lines, we show that Wolbachia subvert the endoplasmic reticulum to acquire their vacuolar membrane and colonize the host cell at high density. Wolbachia redistribute the endoplasmic reticulum, and time lapse experiments reveal tight coupled dynamics suggesting important signalling events or nutrient uptake. Wolbachia infection however does not affect the tubular or cisternal morphologies. A fraction of endoplasmic reticulum becomes clustered, allowing the endosymbionts to reside in between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus, possibly modulating the traffic between these two organelles. Gene expression analyses and immunostaining studies suggest that Wolbachia achieve persistent infections at very high titers without triggering endoplasmic reticulum stress or enhanced ERAD-driven proteolysis, suggesting that amino acid salvage is achieved through modulation of other signalling pathways.}, }
@article {pmid30889242, year = {2019}, author = {Endersby-Harshman, NM and Axford, JK and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Environmental Concentrations of Antibiotics May Diminish Wolbachia infections in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).}, journal = {Journal of medical entomology}, volume = {56}, number = {4}, pages = {1078-1086}, doi = {10.1093/jme/tjz023}, pmid = {30889242}, issn = {1938-2928}, abstract = {Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti (L.) mosquitoes for control of dengue transmission are being released experimentally in tropical regions of Australia, south-east Asia, and South America. To become established, the Wolbachia Hertig (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) strains used must induce expression of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in matings between infected males and uninfected females so that infected females have a reproductive advantage, which will drive the infection through field populations. Wolbachia is a Rickettsia-like alphaproteobacterium which can be affected by tetracycline antibiotics. We investigated whether exposure of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to chlortetracycline at environmentally relevant levels during their aquatic development resulted in loss or reduction of infection in three strains, wAlbB, wMel, and wMelPop. Wolbachia density was reduced for all three strains at the tested chlortetracycline concentrations of 5 and 50 µg/liter. Two of the strains, wMel and wMelPop, showed a breakdown in CI. The wAlbB strain maintained CI and may be useful at breeding sites where tetracycline contamination has occurred. This may include drier regions where Ae. aegypti can utilize subterranean water sources and septic tanks as breeding sites.}, }
@article {pmid30889229, year = {2019}, author = {Portillo, A and Palomar, AM and de Toro, M and Santibáñez, S and Santibáñez, P and Oteo, JA}, title = {Exploring the bacteriome in anthropophilic ticks: To investigate the vectors for diagnosis.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, pages = {e0213384}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0213384}, pmid = {30889229}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Arachnid Vectors/*microbiology ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Dermacentor/microbiology ; Humans ; Ixodes/microbiology ; Ixodidae/*microbiology ; *Metagenome ; Metagenomics ; Proteobacteria/classification/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Rhipicephalus sanguineus/microbiology ; Spain ; Tick Bites/microbiology ; Tick-Borne Diseases/diagnosis/microbiology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterize the bacterial microbiome of hard ticks with affinity to bite humans in La Rioja (North of Spain).<br><br>METHODS: A total of 88 adult ticks (22 Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, 27 Haemaphysalis punctata, 30 Dermacentor marginatus and 9 Ixodes ricinus) and 120 I. ricinus nymphs (CRETAV collection, La Rioja, Spain), representing the main anthropophilic species in our environment, were subjected to a metagenomic analysis of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene using an Illumina MiSeq platform. Data obtained with Greengenes database were refined with BLAST. Four groups of samples were defined, according to the four tick species.<br><br>RESULTS: Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum observed in all groups. Gammaproteobacteria was the most abundant class, followed by Alphaproteobacteria for R. sanguineus, H. punctata and D. marginatus but the relative abundance of reads for these classes was reversed for I. ricinus. This tick species showed more than 46% reads corresponding to 'not assigned' OTUs (Greengenes), and >97% of them corresponded to 'Candidatus Midichloriaceae' using BLAST. Within Rickettsiales, 'Candidatus Midichloria', Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, 'Candidatus Neoehrlichia' and Wolbachia were detected. I. ricinus was the most alpha-diverse species. Regarding beta-diversity, I. ricinus and H. punctata samples grouped according to their tick species but microbial communities of some R. sanguineus and D. marginatus specimens clustered together.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The metagenomics approach seems useful to discover the spectrum of tick-related bacteria. More studies are needed to identify and differentiate bacterial species, and to improve the knowledge of tick-borne diseases in Spain.}, }
@article {pmid30889213, year = {2019}, author = {Kanakala, S and Ghanim, M}, title = {Global genetic diversity and geographical distribution of Bemisia tabaci and its bacterial endosymbionts.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, pages = {e0213946}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0213946}, pmid = {30889213}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/genetics ; Bayes Theorem ; Genetic Variation ; Hemiptera/classification/*genetics/*microbiology ; Host Microbial Interactions/genetics ; Insect Control ; Phylogeny ; Symbiosis/genetics ; }, abstract = {Bemisia tabaci is one of the most threatening pests in agriculture, causing significant losses to many important crops on a global scale. The dramatic increase and availability of sequence data for B. tabaci species complex and its bacterial endosymbionts is critical for developing emerging sustainable pest management strategies which are based on pinpointing the global diversity of this important pest and its bacterial endosymbionts. To unravel the global genetic diversity of B. tabaci species complex focusing on its associated endosymbionts, along with Israeli whitefly populations collected in this study, we combined available sequences in databases, resulting in a total of 4,253 mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) sequences from 82 countries and 1,226 16S/23S rRNA endosymbiont sequences from 32 countries that were analyzed. Using Bayesian phylogenetic analysis, we identified two new B. tabaci groups within the species complex and described the global distribution of endosymbionts within this complex. Our analyses revealed complex divergence of the different endosymbiont sequences within the species complex, with overall one Hamiltonella, two Porteria (P1 and P2), two Arsenophonus (A1 and A2), two Wolbachia (super-groups O and B), four Cardinium (C1-C4) and three Rickettsia (R1-R3) groups were identified. Our comprehensive analysis provides an updated important resource for this globally important pest and its secondary symbionts, which have been a major subject for research in last three decades.}, }
@article {pmid30869785, year = {2019}, author = {Balaji, S and Jayachandran, S and Prabagaran, SR}, title = {Evidence for the natural occurrence of Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.}, journal = {FEMS microbiology letters}, volume = {366}, number = {6}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/femsle/fnz055}, pmid = {30869785}, issn = {1574-6968}, abstract = {Wolbachia, a Gram-negative bacterium, is widely known to be present in arthropods and nematodes. Of late, great impetus is given to employ this intracellular bacterium, as an alternative to conventional biocontrol agents for the control of mosquitoes because of its inherent ability to induce sperm-egg incompatibility, feminisation etc. By employing molecular tools, we have shown the presence of Wolbachia from Aedes aegypti mosquito population collected from Coimbatore, India by PCR amplifying the Ae. aegypti mosquito genome with Wolbachia specific 16S rRNA, wsp and ftsZ gene primers. The phylogenetic analysis of these gene sequences incorporating MLST and GenBank reference sequences has confirmed the occurrence of Wolbachia supergroup B in Ae. aegypti. In addition, qRT-PCR results have shown the dynamics of Wolbachia across the developmental stages of mosquito. The absence of Wolbachia in tetracycline-treated Ae. aegypti mosquitoes evidenced by transmission electron microscopy reinforced our finding conclusively. After confirming their persistence through generations, we have designated Wolbachia from Ae. aegypti as wAegB. In our considered view, wAegB could play a dynamic role in impeding mosquito multiplication and consequently impinging transmission of the dreadful dengue.}, }
@article {pmid30867321, year = {2019}, author = {Taylor, MJ and von Geldern, TW and Ford, L and Hübner, MP and Marsh, K and Johnston, KL and Sjoberg, HT and Specht, S and Pionnier, N and Tyrer, HE and Clare, RH and Cook, DAN and Murphy, E and Steven, A and Archer, J and Bloemker, D and Lenz, F and Koschel, M and Ehrens, A and Metuge, HM and Chunda, VC and Ndongmo Chounna, PW and Njouendou, AJ and Fombad, FF and Carr, R and Morton, HE and Aljayyoussi, G and Hoerauf, A and Wanji, S and Kempf, DJ and Turner, JD and Ward, SA}, title = {Preclinical development of an oral anti-Wolbachia macrolide drug for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.}, journal = {Science translational medicine}, volume = {11}, number = {483}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1126/scitranslmed.aau2086}, pmid = {30867321}, issn = {1946-6242}, support = {MR/L018756/1//Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {There is an urgent global need for a safe macrofilaricide drug to accelerate elimination of the neglected tropical diseases onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. From an anti-infective compound library, the macrolide veterinary antibiotic, tylosin A, was identified as a hit against Wolbachia This bacterial endosymbiont is required for filarial worm viability and fertility and is a validated target for macrofilaricidal drugs. Medicinal chemistry was undertaken to develop tylosin A analogs with improved oral bioavailability. Two analogs, A-1535469 and A-1574083, were selected. Their efficacy was tested against the gold-standard second-generation tetracycline antibiotics, doxycycline and minocycline, in mouse and gerbil infection models of lymphatic filariasis (Brugia malayi and Litomosoides sigmodontis) and onchocerciasis (Onchocerca ochengi). A 1- or 2-week course of oral A-1535469 or A-1574083 provided >90% Wolbachia depletion from nematodes in infected animals, resulting in a block in embryogenesis and depletion of microfilarial worm loads. The two analogs delivered comparative or superior efficacy compared to a 3- to 4-week course of doxycycline or minocycline. A-1574083 (now called ABBV-4083) was selected for further preclinical testing. Cardiovascular studies in dogs and toxicology studies in rats and dogs revealed no adverse effects at doses (50 mg/kg) that achieved plasma concentrations >10-fold above the efficacious concentration. A-1574083 (ABBV-4083) shows potential as an anti-Wolbachia macrolide with an efficacy, pharmacology, and safety profile that is compatible with a short-term oral drug course for treating lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.}, }
@article {pmid30860942, year = {2019}, author = {Wang, J and Zhu, X and Ying, Z and Han, Q and Liao, C and Wang, J and Zhao, J and Sun, J and Lindsay, DS}, title = {Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis Infections In Dogs and Cats In Hainan Island/Province and Three Other Coastal Cities of China Based On Antigen Testing and PCR.}, journal = {The Journal of parasitology}, volume = {105}, number = {2}, pages = {199-202}, pmid = {30860942}, issn = {1937-2345}, mesh = {Animals ; Cat Diseases/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Cats ; China/epidemiology ; Dirofilariasis/*epidemiology ; Dog Diseases/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Dogs ; Prevalence ; Urban Population ; }, abstract = {Canine and feline heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis is a serious and sometimes fatal infection transmitted by mosquitos. Little is known about the prevalence or distribution of D. immitis infection in dogs and cats on the island of Hainan island/province or coastal cities of China. The present study examined the occurrence of D. immitis infections in dogs (n = 869) and cats (n = 51) in Hainan island/province and prevalence in dogs from 3 coastal cities (Shenzhen [n = 55], Shanghai [n = 69], and Hangzhou [n = 45]) in southern and eastern China. A commercial antigen detection (AD) test and 2 PCR methods (16S ribosomal RNA and Wolbachia surface protein [ WSP] genes) were used to determine the prevalence of D. immitis from animals >6 mo old with no previous history of D. immitis preventive treatment or heartworm infection. Gene sequencing was used to confirm positive PCR samples. The AD test was not used on cat samples. Using the AD test, the prevalence in dogs was 0.5% (4/869) in Hainan island/province, 0% (0/55) in Shenzhen, 1.5% (1/69) in Shanghai, and 0% (0/45) in Hangzhou. Prevalence by 16S rRNA gene PCR was 7.4% (64/869) of dogs from Hainan island/province, 0% (0/55) in dogs from Shenzhen, 1.5% (1/69) in dogs from Shanghai, and 0% (0/45) in dogs from Hangzhou. Prevalence by WSP gene PCR in dogs was 5.3% (46/869) in Hainan island/province, 0% (0/55) in Shenzhen, 1.5% (1/69) in Shanghai, and 0% (0/45) in Hangzhou. Prevalence in the 51 cats from Hainan island/province was 9.8% and 5.9% by 16S rRNA and WSP gene PCR, respectively. The present study demonstrates that canine heartworm exposure occurs in dogs and cats in Hainan island/province and that PCR methods detected a higher prevalence than did the AD method. The 16S rRNA gene PCR detected more positive samples than did the WSP gene PCR in both dogs and cats. The 3 coastal cities had very few dogs that had evidence of D. immitis exposure.}, }
@article {pmid30857919, year = {2019}, author = {Brinker, P and Fontaine, MC and Beukeboom, LW and Falcao Salles, J}, title = {Host, Symbionts, and the Microbiome: The Missing Tripartite Interaction.}, journal = {Trends in microbiology}, volume = {27}, number = {6}, pages = {480-488}, doi = {10.1016/j.tim.2019.02.002}, pmid = {30857919}, issn = {1878-4380}, abstract = {Symbiosis between microbial associates and a host is a ubiquitous feature of life on earth, modulating host phenotypes. In addition to endosymbionts, organisms harbour a collection of host-associated microbes, the microbiome that can impact important host traits. In this opinion article we argue that the mutual influences of the microbiome and endosymbionts, as well as their combined influence on the host, are still understudied. Focusing on the endosymbiont Wolbachia, we present growing evidence indicating that host phenotypic effects are exerted in interaction with the remainder microbiome and the host. We thus advocate that only through an integrated approach that considers multiple interacting partners and environmental influences will we be able to gain a better understanding of host-microbe associations.}, }
@article {pmid30847475, year = {2019}, author = {Davydov, II and Salamin, N and Robinson-Rechavi, M}, title = {Large-Scale Comparative Analysis of Codon Models Accounting for Protein and Nucleotide Selection.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {36}, number = {6}, pages = {1316-1332}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msz048}, pmid = {30847475}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; *Codon ; Computer Simulation ; Drosophila/genetics ; *Models, Genetic ; *Mutation Rate ; Recombination, Genetic ; *Selection, Genetic ; *Silent Mutation ; Vertebrates/genetics ; }, abstract = {There are numerous sources of variation in the rate of synonymous substitutions inside genes, such as direct selection on the nucleotide sequence, or mutation rate variation. Yet scans for positive selection rely on codon models which incorporate an assumption of effectively neutral synonymous substitution rate, constant between sites of each gene. Here we perform a large-scale comparison of approaches which incorporate codon substitution rate variation and propose our own simple yet effective modification of existing models. We find strong effects of substitution rate variation on positive selection inference. More than 70% of the genes detected by the classical branch-site model are presumably false positives caused by the incorrect assumption of uniform synonymous substitution rate. We propose a new model which is strongly favored by the data while remaining computationally tractable. With the new model we can capture signatures of nucleotide level selection acting on translation initiation and on splicing sites within the coding region. Finally, we show that rate variation is highest in the highly recombining regions, and we propose that recombination and mutation rate variation, such as high CpG mutation rate, are the two main sources of nucleotide rate variation. Although we detect fewer genes under positive selection in Drosophila than without rate variation, the genes which we detect contain a stronger signal of adaptation of dynein, which could be associated with Wolbachia infection. We provide software to perform positive selection analysis using the new model.}, }
@article {pmid30841858, year = {2019}, author = {Idro, R and Anguzu, R and Ogwang, R and Akun, P and Abbo, C and Mwaka, AD and Opar, B and Nakamya, P and Taylor, M and Elliott, A and Vincent, A and Newton, C and Marsh, K}, title = {Doxycycline for the treatment of nodding syndrome (DONS); the study protocol of a phase II randomised controlled trial.}, journal = {BMC neurology}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, pages = {35}, doi = {10.1186/s12883-019-1256-z}, pmid = {30841858}, issn = {1471-2377}, support = {MR/M025489/1//Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Antiparasitic Agents/*therapeutic use ; Child ; Double-Blind Method ; Doxycycline/*therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Nodding Syndrome/*drug therapy ; Onchocerca volvulus/immunology ; Quality of Life ; Research Design ; Treatment Outcome ; Uganda ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Nodding syndrome is a poorly understood neurological disorder of unknown aetiology, affecting several thousand children in Africa. There has been a consistent epidemiological association with infection by the filarial parasite, Onchocerca volvulus and antibodies to leiomodin and DJ-1, cross-reacting with O.volvulus proteins, have been reported. We hypothesized that nodding syndrome is a neuro-inflammatory disorder, induced by antibodies to O.volvulus or its symbiont, Wolbachia, cross-reacting with human neuron proteins and that doxycycline, which kills Onchocerca through effects on Wolbachia, may be used as treatment.<br><br>METHODS: This will be a two-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised phase II trial of doxycycline 100 mg daily for six weeks in 230 participants. Participants will be patients' ages≥8 years with nodding syndrome. They will receive standard of care supportive treatment. All will be hospitalised for 1-2 weeks during which time baseline measurements including clinical assessments, EEG, cognitive and laboratory testing will be performed and antiepileptic drug doses rationalised. Participants will then be randomised to either oral doxycycline (Azudox®, Kampala Pharmaceutical Industries) 100 mg daily or placebo. Treatment will be initiated in hospital and continued at home. Participants will be visited at home at 2, 4 and 6 weeks for adherence monitoring. Study outcomes will be assessed at 6, 12, 18 and 24-month visits. Analysis will be by intention to treat. The primary efficacy outcome measure will be the proportion of patients testing positive and the levels or titires of antibodies to host neuron proteins (HNPs) and/or leiomodin at 24 months. Secondary outcome measures will include effect of the intervention on seizure control, inflammatory markers, cognitive function, disease severity and quality of life.<br><br>DISCUSSION: This trial postulates that targeting O.volvulus through drugs which kill Wolbachia can modify the pathogenic processes in nodding syndrome and improve outcomes. Findings from this study are expected to substantially improve the understanding and treatment of nodding syndrome.<br><br>TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered with clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT02850913 on 1st August, 2016.}, }
@article {pmid30841606, year = {2019}, author = {Kwon, M and Seo, SS and Kim, MK and Lee, DO and Lim, MC}, title = {Compositional and Functional Differences between Microbiota and Cervical Carcinogenesis as Identified by Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing.}, journal = {Cancers}, volume = {11}, number = {3}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/cancers11030309}, pmid = {30841606}, issn = {2072-6694}, support = {1610210//National Cancer Center/Republic of Korea ; }, abstract = {Recent studies have reported the potential role of microbiomes in cervical disease. However, little is known about the microbiome composition and function in cervical carcinogenesis. We aimed to identify the compositional and functional alterations of cervical microbiomes in cases of cervical carcinogenesis of Korean women using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. In this study, using shotgun sequencing, we sequenced the cervical metagenomes of cervical intraneoplasia 2/3 (n = 17), cervical cancer (n = 12), and normal controls (n = 18) to identify the microbial abundances and enriched metabolic functions in cervical metagenomes. At the genus level, the microbiota of cervical cancer were differentially enriched with genera Alkaliphilus, Pseudothermotoga, and Wolbachia. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2/3 were enriched with Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, and Candidatus Endolissoclinum. The normal group was enriched with Pseudoalteromonas and Psychrobacter. Further characterization of the functionalities of the metagenomes may suggest that six Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) orthologies (KOs) that are involved in 10 pathways are associated with an increased risk of CIN2/3 and cervical cancer. Specifically, cervical metagenomes were enriched in the course of peptidoglycan synthesis and depleted by dioxin degradation and 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase. The Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) category 'Defense mechanisms' was depleted in cervical cancer patients. Our findings based on shotgun metagenomic sequencing suggest that cervical microbiome community compositions and their metagenomics profiles differed between cervical lesions and normal subjects. Future studies should have larger sample sizes and/or aggregate their results to have sufficient power to detect reproducible and significant associations.}, }
@article {pmid30837458, year = {2019}, author = {Reveillaud, J and Bordenstein, SR and Cruaud, C and Shaiber, A and Esen, ÖC and Weill, M and Makoundou, P and Lolans, K and Watson, AR and Rakotoarivony, I and Bordenstein, SR and Eren, AM}, title = {The Wolbachia mobilome in Culex pipiens includes a putative plasmid.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {1051}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-08973-w}, pmid = {30837458}, issn = {2041-1723}, support = {R01 AI132581/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI133522/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; T32 EB009412/EB/NIBIB NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteriophages/genetics ; Culex/*microbiology ; Female ; France ; Genome, Bacterial/*genetics ; Host Microbial Interactions/genetics ; Metagenome/*genetics ; Metagenomics/methods ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology ; Ovary/microbiology ; Plasmids/*genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Symbiosis/genetics ; Wolbachia/*genetics/virology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is a genus of obligate intracellular bacteria found in nematodes and arthropods worldwide, including insect vectors that transmit dengue, West Nile, and Zika viruses. Wolbachia's unique ability to alter host reproductive behavior through its temperate bacteriophage WO has enabled the development of new vector control strategies. However, our understanding of Wolbachia's mobilome beyond its bacteriophages is incomplete. Here, we reconstruct near-complete Wolbachia genomes from individual ovary metagenomes of four wild Culex pipiens mosquitoes captured in France. In addition to viral genes missing from the Wolbachia reference genome, we identify a putative plasmid (pWCP), consisting of a 9.23-kbp circular element with 14 genes. We validate its presence in additional Culex pipiens mosquitoes using PCR, long-read sequencing, and screening of existing metagenomes. The discovery of this previously unrecognized extrachromosomal element opens additional possibilities for genetic manipulation of Wolbachia.}, }
@article {pmid30834147, year = {2019}, author = {Pagel, L and Bultman, T and Górzyńska, K and Lembicz, M and Leuchtmann, A and Sangliana, A and Richards, N}, title = {Botanophila flies, vectors of Epichloë fungal spores, are infected by Wolbachia.}, journal = {Mycology}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {1-5}, doi = {10.1080/21501203.2018.1515119}, pmid = {30834147}, issn = {2150-1203}, abstract = {Epichloë fungi are endophytes within grasses that can form stromata on culms of their hosts. Botanophila flies visit the stromata for egg laying and in the process can vector spermatial spores, thereby cross fertilising the fungus. Following egg hatch, larval flies consume fungal tissue and spores. Thus, Epichloë individuals with traits that limit larval consumption could be at a selective advantage. We assessed Botanophila fly larvae from sites within the United States and Europe for infection by the bacterial sexual parasite Wolbachia through amplification of the Wolbachia surface protein gene (wsp). Nearly 70% of fly larvae in our samples were infected by Wolbachia. This is the first record of infection by Wolbachia within Botanophila and could have far reaching effects on not only the fly host, but also the Epichloë fungi upon which Botanophila feeds as well as the grass host within which the fungi live. For example, infection by Wolbachia could limit consumption of Epichloë spores by Botanophila larvae if the bacteria promoted premature larval death.}, }
@article {pmid30820826, year = {2019}, author = {Onder, Z and Ciloglu, A and Duzlu, O and Yildirim, A and Okur, M and Yetismis, G and Inci, A}, title = {Molecular detection and identification of Wolbachia endosymbiont in fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera).}, journal = {Folia microbiologica}, volume = {64}, number = {6}, pages = {789-796}, pmid = {30820826}, issn = {1874-9356}, abstract = {The aim of this study was to determine the presence and prevalence of Wolbachia bacteria in natural population of fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) in Turkey, and to exhibit the molecular characterization and the phylogenetic reconstruction at the positive isolates with other species in GenBank, based on 16S rDNA sequences. One hundred twenty-four flea samples belonging to the species Ctenocephalides canis, C. felis, and Pulex irritans were collected from animal shelters in Kayseri between January and August 2017. All flea species were individually screened for the presence of Wolbachia spp. by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. According to PCR analyses, Wolbachia spp. were found prevalent in C. canis and P. irritans fleas, while it was not detected in the C. felis species. Totally, 20 isolates were purified from agarose gel and sequenced with the same primers for molecular characterization and phylogenetic analyses. The sequence analyses revealed 17 polymorphic sites and 2 genetically different Wolbachia isolates, representing two different haplotypes in two flea species. The distribution patterns, molecular characterization, and phylogenetic status of Wolbachia spp. of fleas in Turkey are presented for the first time with this study. Understanding of the role of Wolbachia in vector biology may provide information for developing Wolbachia-based biological control tools.}, }
@article {pmid30819117, year = {2019}, author = {Fortin, M and Meunier, J and Laverré, T and Souty-Grosset, C and Richard, FJ}, title = {Joint effects of group sex-ratio and Wolbachia infection on female reproductive success in the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare.}, journal = {BMC evolutionary biology}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, pages = {65}, doi = {10.1186/s12862-019-1391-6}, pmid = {30819117}, issn = {1471-2148}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Fertility ; Isopoda/microbiology/*physiology ; Male ; Phenotype ; Reproduction ; *Sex Ratio ; *Sexual Behavior, Animal ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: In species that reproduce with sexual reproduction, males and females often have opposite strategies to maximize their own fitness. For instance, males are typically expected to maximize their number of mating events, whereas an excessive number of mating events can be costly for females. Although the risk of sexual harassment by males and resulting costs for females are expected to increase with the proportion of males, it remains unknown whether and how parasitic distorters of a host population's sex-ratio can shape this effect on the fitness of females. Here, we addressed this question using Armadillidium vulgare and its parasite Wolbachia that alters the sex-ratio of a population. We set up Wolbachia-free and Wolbachia-infected females in experimental groups exhibiting 100, 80, 50% or 20% females for 1 year, during which we measured changes in survival, fertility and fecundity.<br><br>RESULTS: Wolbachia infection shaped the effects of both population sex-ratio and reproductive season on female fecundity. Compared to Wolbachia-free females, Wolbachia-infected females were less likely to be gravid in populations exhibiting an excess of females and did not exhibit the otherwise negative effect of seasons on this likelihood. Group sex-ratio and Wolbachia infection have independent effects on other measured traits. Male-biased populations had females both exhibiting the lowest survival rate after 6 months and producing the smallest number of offspring, independent of Wolbachia infection. Conversely, Wolbachia-infected females had the lowest likelihood of producing at least one offspring, independent of group sex-ratio. Wolbachia infection had no effect on female survival rate.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that male-biased sex-ratio and the presence of Wolbachia are costly for females due to sexual harassment by males and bacterial infection, respectively. Interestingly, Wolbachia infection triggers another negative effect. This effect does not come from an excess of males and its associated sexual harassment of females but instead from a lack of males and the associated risk for females of remaining unmated. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of social pressures and infection on female fitness and provide insights into our general understanding of the joint and opposite effects of these two parameters in the evolution of reproductive strategies.}, }
@article {pmid30818326, year = {2019}, author = {von Geldern, TW and Morton, HE and Clark, RF and Brown, BS and Johnston, KL and Ford, L and Specht, S and Carr, RA and Stolarik, DF and Ma, J and Rieser, MJ and Struever, D and Frohberger, SJ and Koschel, M and Ehrens, A and Turner, JD and Hübner, MP and Hoerauf, A and Taylor, MJ and Ward, SA and Marsh, K and Kempf, DJ}, title = {Discovery of ABBV-4083, a novel analog of Tylosin A that has potent anti-Wolbachia and anti-filarial activity.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {2}, pages = {e0007159}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007159}, pmid = {30818326}, issn = {1935-2735}, mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacokinetics/*pharmacology ; *Drug Discovery ; Elephantiasis, Filarial/drug therapy ; Female ; Filaricides/pharmacokinetics/*pharmacology ; Filarioidea/drug effects/microbiology ; Gerbillinae ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Onchocerciasis/drug therapy ; Symbiosis/drug effects ; Tylosin/*analogs &amp; derivatives/*pharmacology ; Wolbachia/*drug effects ; }, abstract = {There is a significant need for improved treatments for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis, diseases caused by filarial worm infection. In particular, an agent able to selectively kill adult worms (macrofilaricide) would be expected to substantially augment the benefits of mass drug administration (MDA) with current microfilaricides, and to provide a solution to treatment of onchocerciasis / loiasis co-infection, where MDA is restricted. We have identified a novel macrofilaricidal agent, Tylosin A (TylA), which acts by targeting the worm-symbiont Wolbachia bacterium. Chemical modification of TylA leads to improvements in anti-Wolbachia activity and oral pharmacokinetic properties; an optimized analog (ABBV-4083) has been selected for clinical evaluation.}, }
@article {pmid30817823, year = {2019}, author = {Staunton, KM and Yeeles, P and Townsend, M and Nowrouzi, S and Paton, CJ and Trewin, B and Pagendam, D and Bondarenco, A and Devine, GJ and Snoad, N and Beebe, NW and Ritchie, SA}, title = {Trap Location and Premises Condition Influences on Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Catches Using Biogents Sentinel Traps During a 'Rear and Release' Program: Implications for Designing Surveillance Programs.}, journal = {Journal of medical entomology}, volume = {56}, number = {4}, pages = {1102-1111}, doi = {10.1093/jme/tjz018}, pmid = {30817823}, issn = {1938-2928}, abstract = {As the incidence of arboviral diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever increases globally, controlling their primary vector, Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae), is of greater importance than ever before. Mosquito control programs rely heavily on effective adult surveillance to ensure methodological efficacy. The Biogents Sentinel (BGS) trap is the gold standard for surveilling adult Aedes mosquitoes and is commonly deployed worldwide, including during modern 'rear and release' programs. Despite its extensive use, few studies have directly assessed environmental characteristics that affect BGS trap catches, let alone how these influences change during 'rear and release' programs. We assessed male and female Ae. aegypti spatial stability, as well as premises condition and trap location influences on BGS trap catches, as part of Debug Innisfail 'rear and release' program in northern Australia. We found similar trends in spatial stability of male and female mosquitoes at both weekly and monthly resolutions. From surveillance in locations where no males were released, reduced catches were found at premises that contained somewhat damaged houses and unscreened properties. In addition, when traps were located in areas that were unsheltered, more than 10 m from commonly used sitting areas or more visually complex catches were also negatively affected. In locations where males were released, we found that traps in treatment sites, relative to control sites, displayed increased catches in heavily shaded premises and were inconsistently influenced by differences in house sets and building materials. Such findings have valuable implications for a range of Ae. aegypti surveillance programs.}, }
@article {pmid30813886, year = {2019}, author = {Bykov, RА and Yudina, MA and Gruntenko, NE and Zakharov, IK and Voloshina, MA and Melashchenko, ES and Danilova, MV and Mazunin, IO and Ilinsky, YY}, title = {Prevalence and genetic diversity of Wolbachia endosymbiont and mtDNA in Palearctic populations of Drosophila melanogaster.}, journal = {BMC evolutionary biology}, volume = {19}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {48}, doi = {10.1186/s12862-019-1372-9}, pmid = {30813886}, issn = {1471-2148}, support = {F32 MH010832/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Drosophila melanogaster/*microbiology ; *Genetic Variation ; Genomics ; Geography ; Haplotypes ; Mitochondria/genetics ; Prevalence ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/cytology/*genetics/*physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Maternally inherited Wolbachia symbionts infect D. melanogaster populations worldwide. Infection rates vary greatly. Genetic diversity of Wolbachia in D. melanogaster can be subdivided into several closely related genotypes coinherited with certain mtDNA lineages. mtDNA haplotypes have the following global distribution pattern: mtDNA clade I is mostly found in North America, II and IV in Africa, III in Europe and Africa, V in Eurasia, VI is global but very rare, and VIII is found in Asia. The wMel Wolbachia genotype is predominant in D. melanogaster populations. However, according to the hypothesis of global Wolbachia replacement, the wMelCS genotype was predominant before the XX century when it was replaced by the wMel genotype. Here we analyse over 1500 fly isolates from the Palearctic region to evaluate the prevalence, genetic diversity and distribution pattrern of the Wolbachia symbiont, occurrence of mtDNA variants, and finally to discuss the Wolbachia genotype global replacement hypothesis.<br><br>RESULTS: All studied Palearctic populations of D. melanogaster were infected with Wolbachia at a rate of 33-100%. We did not observe any significant correlation between infection rate and longitude or latitude. Five previously reported Wolbachia genotypes were found in Palearctic populations with a predominance of the wMel variant. The mtDNA haplotypes of the I_II_III clade and V clade were prevalent in Palearctic populations. To test the recent Wolbachia genotype replacement hypothesis, we examined three genomic regions of CS-like genotypes. Low genetic diversity was observed, only two haplotypes of the CS genotypes with a 'CCG' variant predominance were found.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The results of our survey of Wolbachia infection prevalence and genotype diversity in Palearctic D. melanogaster populations confirm previous studies. Wolbachia is ubiquitous in the Palearctic region. The wMel genotype is dominant with local occurrence of rare genotypes. Together with variants of the V mtDNA clade, the variants of the 'III+' clade are dominant in both infected and uninfected flies of Palearctic populations. Based on our data on Wolbachia and mtDNA in different years in some Palearctic localities, we can conclude that flies that survive the winter make the predominant symbiont contribution to the subsequent generation. A comprehensive overview of mtDNA and Wolbachia infection of D. melanogaster populations worldwide does not support the recent global Wolbachia genotype replacement hypothesis. However, we cannot exclude wMelCS genotype rate fluctuations in the past.}, }
@article {pmid30810656, year = {2019}, author = {Cândido, EL and Silva, UMD and Cavalcanti, LPG}, title = {New record and extended geographical distribution of Aedes fluviatilis (Lutz, 1904) in Ceará, northeastern Brazil.}, journal = {Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical}, volume = {52}, number = {}, pages = {e20180286}, doi = {10.1590/0037-8682-0286-2018}, pmid = {30810656}, issn = {1678-9849}, mesh = {Aedes/*classification ; Animals ; Brazil ; Ecosystem ; Mosquito Vectors/*classification ; Spatial Analysis ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Aedes fluviatilis(Lutz, 1904) is considered a potential vector of yellow fever and dengue viruses and is naturally infected by Wolbachia.<br><br>METHODS: In March 2018, during a field activity in the municipality of Saboeiro, 163 mosquito larvae were collected in a dammed area of the Jaguaribe River.<br><br>RESULTS: Of the larvae collected, 143 (87.7%) were identified asAe. fluviatilis.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We report the first documentation of Ae. fluviatilis in the municipality of Saboeiro, northeastern Brazil. It is important to conduct additional entomological surveys to characterize the local Culicidae fauna. Ignoring the presence and dispersion of this vector could be a public health risk.}, }
@article {pmid30807733, year = {2019}, author = {Bagheri, Z and Talebi, AA and Asgari, S and Mehrabadi, M}, title = {Wolbachia induce cytoplasmic incompatibility and affect mate preference in Habrobracon hebetor to increase the chance of its transmission to the next generation.}, journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology}, volume = {163}, number = {}, pages = {1-7}, doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2019.02.005}, pmid = {30807733}, issn = {1096-0805}, abstract = {Wolbachia are common intracellular bacteria that are generally found in arthropods, including a high proportion of insects and also some nematodes. This intracellular symbiont can affect sex ratio with a variety of reproductive anomalies in the host, including cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in haplodiploids. In this study, we questioned if the parasitoid wasp, Habrobracon hebetor (Hym.: Braconidae), an important biological control agent of many lepidopteran larvae, is infected with Wolbachia. To test this, DNA was extracted from adult insects and subjected to PCR using specific primers to Wolbachia target genes. The results showed a high rate of Wolbachia infection in this parasitoid wasp. To determine the biological function of Wolbachia in H. hebetor, we removed this bacterium from the wasps using antibiotic treatment (cured wasps). Results of crossing experiments revealed that Wolbachia induced CI in H. hebetor in which cured females crossed with infected males produced only males, while both male and female progeny were observed for other crosses. Also, we showed that the presence of Wolbachia in females increased fecundity and female offspring of this parasitoid wasp. The presence of Wolbachia in the males had no significant effect on fecundity and female production, but might have incurred costs. We also investigated the effect of Wolbachia on mate choice and found that Wolbachia affects mating behavior of H. hebetor. Together, we showed that Wolbachia induces CI in H. hebetor and affects host mating behavior in favor of its transmission. Wolbachia utilize these strategies to increase the frequency of infected females in the host population.}, }
@article {pmid30798391, year = {2019}, author = {Singhal, K and Mohanty, S}, title = {Genome organisation and comparative genomics of four novel Wolbachia genome assemblies from Indian Drosophila host.}, journal = {Functional &amp; integrative genomics}, volume = {19}, number = {4}, pages = {617-632}, doi = {10.1007/s10142-019-00664-5}, pmid = {30798391}, issn = {1438-7948}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Drosophila/microbiology ; *Genome, Bacterial ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/*genetics/pathogenicity ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia has long been known to share an endosymbiotic relationship with its host as an obligate intracellular organism. Wolbachia diversity as different supergroups is found to be host-specific in most cases except a few, where the host species is seen to accommodate multiple strains. Besides, the Wolbachia genome must have undergone several changes in response to the evolving host genome in order to adapt and establish a strong association with its host, thus making a distinctive Wolbachia-host alliance. The present study focusses on four novel genome assembly and genome-wide sequence variations of Indian Wolbachia strains, i.e. wMel and wRi isolated from two different Drosophila hosts. The genome assembly has an average size of ~ 1.1 Mb and contains ~ 1100 genes, which is comparable with the previously sequenced Wolbachia genomes. The comparative genomics analysis of these genomes and sequence-wide comparison of some functionally significant genes, i.e. ankyrin repeats, Wsp and T4SS, highlight their sequence similarities and dissimilarities, further supporting the strain-specific association of Wolbachia to its host. Interestingly, some of the sequence variations are also found to be restricted to only Indian Wolbachia strains. Further analysis of prophage and their flanking regions in the Wolbachia genome reveals the presence of several functional genes which may assist the phage to reside inside the bacterial host, thus providing a trade-off for the endosymbiont-host association. Understanding this endosymbiont genome in different eco-geographical conditions has become imperative for the recent use of Wolbachia in medical entomology as a vector-control agent.}, }
@article {pmid30796064, year = {2019}, author = {Newton, ILG and Slatko, BE}, title = {Symbiosis Comes of age at the 10th Biennial Meeting of Wolbachia Researchers.}, journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1128/AEM.03071-18}, pmid = {30796064}, issn = {1098-5336}, abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis is an alpha-proteobacterial, obligate intracellular microbe and arguably the most successful infection on our planet, colonizing 40-60% of insect species. Wolbachia are also present in most, but not all, filarial nematodes where they are obligate mutualists and are the targets for anti-filarial drug discovery. Although Wolbachia are related to important human pathogens they do not infect mammals, but instead are well known for their reproductive manipulations of insect populations, inducing the following phenotypes: male-killing, feminization, parthenogenesis induction, or cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). The most common of these, CI, results in a sperm-egg incompatibility and increases the relative fecundity of infected females in a population. In the last decade, Wolbachia have also been shown to provide a benefit to insects, where the infection can inhibit RNA virus replication within the host. Wolbachia cannot be cultivated outside of host cells and no genetic tools are available in the symbiont, limiting approaches available to its study. This means that many questions fundamental to our understanding of Wolbachia basic biology remained unknown for decades. The tenth biennial international Wolbachia conference, &quot;Wolbachia Evolution, Ecology, Genomics and Cell Biology: A Chronicle of the Most Ubiquitous Symbiont&quot;, was held on June 17-22, 2018, Salem, MA USA. In the review below we highlight the new science presented at the meeting, link it to prior efforts to answer these questions across the Wolbachia genus, and the importance to the field of symbiosis. The topics covered in this review are based on the presentations at the conference.}, }
@article {pmid30762095, year = {2019}, author = {Martínez-Rodríguez, P and Rolán-Alvarez, E and Del Mar Pérez-Ruiz, M and Arroyo-Yebras, F and Carpena-Catoira, C and Carvajal-Rodríguez, A and Bella, JL}, title = {Geographic and Temporal Variation of Distinct Intracellular Endosymbiont Strains of Wolbachia sp. in the Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus: a Frequency-Dependent Mechanism?.}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {77}, number = {4}, pages = {1036-1047}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-019-01338-2}, pmid = {30762095}, issn = {1432-184X}, support = {CGL2016-75482-P//Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnolog?a/ ; BFU2013-44635//Ministerio de Econom?a, Industria y Competitividad, Gobierno de Espa?a/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Coevolution ; Computer Simulation ; Geography ; Grasshoppers/*microbiology ; Linear Models ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Seasons ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/genetics/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is an intracellular endosymbiont that can produce a range of effects on host fitness, but the temporal dynamics of Wolbachia strains have rarely been experimentally evaluated. We compare interannual strain frequencies along a geographical region for understanding the forces that shape Wolbachia strain frequency in natural populations of its host, Chorthippus parallelus (Orthoptera, Acrididae). General linear models show that strain frequency changes significantly across geographical and temporal scales. Computer simulation allows to reject the compatibility of the observed patterns with either genetic drift or sampling errors. We use consecutive years to estimate total Wolbachia strain fitness. Our estimation of Wolbachia fitness is significant in most cases, within locality and between consecutive years, following a negatively frequency-dependent trend. Wolbachia spp. B and F strains show a temporal pattern of variation that is compatible with a negative frequency-dependent natural selection mechanism. Our results suggest that such a mechanism should be at least considered in future experimental and theoretical research strategies that attempt to understand Wolbachia biodiversity.}, }
@article {pmid30761981, year = {2019}, author = {Showler, AJ and Kubofcik, J and Ricciardi, A and Nutman, TB}, title = {Differences in the Clinical and Laboratory Features of Imported Onchocerciasis in Endemic Individuals and Temporary Residents.}, journal = {The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene}, volume = {100}, number = {5}, pages = {1216-1222}, doi = {10.4269/ajtmh.18-0757}, pmid = {30761981}, issn = {1476-1645}, abstract = {Many parasitic infections have different presenting features in endemic individuals (ENDs) and immunologically naive temporary residents (TRs). Temporary residents with loiasis often display acute symptoms and hypereosinophilia, in contrast to a parasite-induced subclinical state in chronically infected ENDs. Few studies have examined differences in ENDs and TRs infected with the related filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus. We identified 40 TRs and 36 ENDs with imported onchocerciasis at the National Institutes of Health between 1976 and 2016. All study subjects received an extensive pretreatment medical history, physical examination, and laboratory investigations. We performed additional parasite-specific serologic testing on stored patient sera. Asymptomatic infection occurred in 12.5% of TRs and no ENDs (P = 0.06). Papular dermatitis was more common in TRs (47.5% versus 2.7%, P < 0.001), whereas more pigmentation changes occurred in ENDs (41.7% versus 15%, P = 0.01). Only endemic patients reported visual disturbance (13% versus 0%, P = 0.03). One TR (3.3%) had onchocercal eye disease, compared with 22.6% of ENDs (P = 0.053). Absolute eosinophil counts (AECs) were similar in ENDs and TRs (P = 0.5), and one-third of subjects had a normal AEC. Endemic individuals had higher filarial-specific IgG4 and were more likely to be positive for IgG4 antibodies to Ov-16. Temporary residents and ENDs with imported O. volvulus infection presented with different dermatologic manifestations; ocular involvement occurred almost exclusively in ENDs. Unlike Loa loa, clinical differences appear not to be eosinophil-mediated and may reflect chronicity, intensity of infection, or the presence of Wolbachia in O. volvulus.}, }
@article {pmid30747079, year = {2019}, author = {Chegeni, TN and Fakhar, M}, title = {Promising Role of Wolbachia as Anti-parasitic Drug Target and Eco-Friendly Biocontrol Agent.}, journal = {Recent patents on anti-infective drug discovery}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {69-79}, doi = {10.2174/1574891X14666190211162403}, pmid = {30747079}, issn = {2212-4071}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wolbachia is the most common endosymbiotic bacteria in insectborne parasites and it is the most common reproductive parasite in the world. Wolbachia has been found worldwide in numerous arthropod and parasite species, including insects, terrestrial isopods, spiders, mites and filarial nematodes. There is a complicated relationship between Wolbachia and its hosts and in some cases, they create a mutual relationship instead of a parasitic relationship. Some species are not able to reproduce in the absence of infection with Wolbachia. Thus, the use of existing strains of Wolbachia bacteria offers a potential strategy for the control of the population of mosquitoes and other pests and diseases.<br><br>METHODS: We searched ten databases and reviewed published papers regarding the role of Wolbachia as a promising drug target and emerging biological control agents of parasitic diseases between 1996 and 2017 (22 years) were considered eligible. Also, in the current study several patents (WO008652), (US7723062), and (US 0345249 A1) were reviewed.<br><br>RESULTS: Endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria, which are inherited from mothers, is transmitted to mosquitoes and interferes with pathogen transmission. They can change the reproduction of their host. Wolbachia is transmitted through the cytoplasm of eggs and have evolved different mechanisms for manipulating the reproduction of its hosts, including the induction of reproductive incompatibility, parthenogenesis, and feminization. The extensive effects of Wolbachia on reproduction and host fitness have made Wolbachia the issue of growing attention as a potential biocontrol agent.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Wolbachia has opened a new window to design a costly, potent and ecofriendly drug target for effective treatment and elimination of vector-borne parasitic diseases.}, }
@article {pmid30744707, year = {2019}, author = {Augustinos, AA and Moraiti, CA and Drosopoulou, E and Kounatidis, I and Mavragani-Tsipidou, P and Bourtzis, K and Papadopoulos, NT}, title = {Old residents and new arrivals of Rhagoletis species in Europe.}, journal = {Bulletin of entomological research}, volume = {109}, number = {6}, pages = {701-712}, doi = {10.1017/S0007485319000063}, pmid = {30744707}, issn = {1475-2670}, mesh = {Animals ; Europe ; Insect Control/methods ; Introduced Species ; Population Dynamics ; Tephritidae/*classification/genetics/microbiology ; Wolbachia/physiology ; }, abstract = {The genus Rhagoletis (Diptera: Tephritidae) comprises more than 65 species distributed throughout Europe, Asia and America, including many species of high economic importance. Currently, there are three Rhagoletis species that infest fruits and nuts in Europe. The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (may have invaded Europe a long time ago from the Caucasian area of West Asia), and two invasive species (recently introduced from North America): the eastern American cherry fruit fly, R. cingulata, and the walnut husk fly, R. completa. The presence of different Rhagoletis species may enhance population dynamics and establish an unpredictable economic risk for several fruit and nut crops in Europe. Despite their excessive economic importance, little is known on population dynamics, genetics and symbiotic associations for making sound pest control decisions in terms of species-specific, environmental friendly pest control methods. To this end, the current paper (a) summarizes recently accumulated genetic and population data for the European Rhagoletis species and their association with the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis, and (b) explores the possibility of using the current knowledge for implementing the innovative biological control methods of sterile insect technique and incompatible insect technique.}, }
@article {pmid30735918, year = {2019}, author = {Ju, H and Zhu, D and Qiao, M}, title = {Effects of polyethylene microplastics on the gut microbial community, reproduction and avoidance behaviors of the soil springtail, Folsomia candida.}, journal = {Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)}, volume = {247}, number = {}, pages = {890-897}, doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2019.01.097}, pmid = {30735918}, issn = {1873-6424}, mesh = {Animals ; Arthropods/drug effects/*physiology ; Avoidance Learning ; Bacteria ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/*drug effects ; Microbiota ; Plastics/toxicity ; Polyethylene/*toxicity ; Reproduction/drug effects ; Soil ; Soil Pollutants/*toxicity ; }, abstract = {Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging contaminant and are confirmed to be ubiquitous in the environment. Adverse effects of MPs on aquatic organisms have been widely studied, whereas little research has focused on soil invertebrates. We exposed the soil springtail Folsomia candida to artificial soils contaminated with polyethylene MPs (<500 μm) for 28 d to explore the effects of MPs on avoidance, reproduction, and gut microbiota. Springtails exhibited avoidance behaviors at 0.5% and 1% MPs (w/w in dry soil), and the avoidance rate was 59% and 69%, respectively. Reproduction was inhibited when the concentration of MPs reached 0.1% and was reduced by 70.2% at the highest concentration of 1% MPs compared to control. The half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) value based on reproduction for F. candida was 0.29% MPs. At concentrations of 0.5% dry weight in the soil, MPs significantly altered the microbial community and decreased bacterial diversity in the springtail gut. Specifically, the relative abundance of Wolbachia significantly decreased while the relative abundance of Bradyrhizobiaceae, Ensifer and Stenotrophomonas significantly increased. Our results demonstrated that MPs exerted a significant toxic effect on springtails and can change their gut microbial community. This can provide useful information for risk assessment of MPs in terrestrial ecosystems.}, }
@article {pmid30730745, year = {2019}, author = {Jacobs, RT and Lunde, CS and Freund, YR and Hernandez, V and Li, X and Xia, Y and Carter, DS and Berry, PW and Halladay, J and Rock, F and Stefanakis, R and Easom, E and Plattner, JJ and Ford, L and Johnston, KL and Cook, DAN and Clare, R and Cassidy, A and Myhill, L and Tyrer, H and Gamble, J and Guimaraes, AF and Steven, A and Lenz, F and Ehrens, A and Frohberger, SJ and Koschel, M and Hoerauf, A and Hübner, MP and McNamara, CW and Bakowski, MA and Turner, JD and Taylor, MJ and Ward, SA}, title = {Boron-Pleuromutilins as Anti- Wolbachia Agents with Potential for Treatment of Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis.}, journal = {Journal of medicinal chemistry}, volume = {62}, number = {5}, pages = {2521-2540}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01854}, pmid = {30730745}, issn = {1520-4804}, abstract = {A series of pleuromutilins modified by introduction of a boron-containing heterocycle on C(14) of the polycyclic core are described. These analogs were found to be potent anti- Wolbachia antibiotics and, as such, may be useful in the treatment of filarial infections caused by Onchocerca volvulus, resulting in Onchocerciasis or river blindness, or Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi and related parasitic nematodes resulting in lymphatic filariasis. These two important neglected tropical diseases disproportionately impact patients in the developing world. The lead preclinical candidate compound containing 7-fluoro-6-oxybenzoxaborole (15, AN11251) was shown to have good in vitro anti- Wolbachia activity and physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties providing high exposure in plasma. The lead was effective in reducing the Wolbachia load in filarial worms following oral administration to mice.}, }
@article {pmid30729921, year = {2019}, author = {Simo, G and Kanté, ST and Madinga, J and Kame, G and Farikou, O and Ilombe, G and Geiger, A and Lutumba, P and Njiokou, F}, title = {Molecular identification of Wolbachia and Sodalis glossinidius in the midgut of Glossina fuscipes quanzensis from the Democratic Republic of Congo.}, journal = {Parasite (Paris, France)}, volume = {26}, number = {}, pages = {5}, doi = {10.1051/parasite/2019005}, pmid = {30729921}, issn = {1776-1042}, mesh = {Animals ; Coinfection/microbiology ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Democratic Republic of the Congo ; Digestive System/*microbiology ; Enterobacteriaceae/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase/genetics ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Insect Vectors/microbiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Symbiosis ; Tsetse Flies/*microbiology ; Wolbachia/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {During the last 30 years, investigations on the microbiome of different tsetse species have generated substantial data on the bacterial flora of these cyclical vectors of African trypanosomes, with the overarching goal of improving the control of trypanosomiases. It is in this context that the presence of Wolbachia and Sodalis glossinidius was studied in wild populations of Glossina fuscipes quanzensis from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tsetse flies were captured with pyramidal traps. Of the 700 Glossina f. quanzensis captured, 360 were dissected and their midguts collected and analyzed. Sodalis glossinidius and Wolbachia were identified by PCR. The Wolbachia-positive samples were genetically characterized with five molecular markers. PCR revealed 84.78% and 15.55% midguts infected by Wolbachia and S. glossinidius, respectively. The infection rates varied according to capture sites. Of the five molecular markers used to characterize Wolbachia, only the fructose bis-phosphate aldolase gene was amplified for about 60% of midguts previously found with Wolbachia infections. The sequencing results confirmed the presence of Wolbachia and revealed the presence of S. glossinidius in the midgut of Glossina f. quanzensis. A low level of midguts were naturally co-infected by both bacteria. The data generated in this study open a framework for investigations aimed at understanding the contribution of these symbiotic microorganisms to the vectorial competence of Glossina fuscipes quanzensis.}, }
@article {pmid30729319, year = {2019}, author = {Horváth, G and Garamszegi, LZ and Bereczki, J and Urszán, TJ and Balázs, G and Herczeg, G}, title = {Roll with the fear: environment and state dependence of pill bug (Armadillidium vulgare) personalities.}, journal = {Die Naturwissenschaften}, volume = {106}, number = {3-4}, pages = {7}, doi = {10.1007/s00114-019-1602-4}, pmid = {30729319}, issn = {1432-1904}, support = {OTKA-K 105517//Országos Tudományos Kutatási Alapprogramok/ ; OTKA-K 109223//Országos Tudományos Kutatási Alapprogramok/ ; SNN 125627//National Research, Development and Innovation Fund for international cooperation/ ; CGL2015-70639-P//Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad/ ; K 115970//National Research, Development and Innovation Office/ ; K 129215//National Research, Development and Innovation Office/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Behavior, Animal/*physiology ; *Environment ; Isopoda/microbiology/*physiology ; Models, Animal ; Wolbachia/physiology ; }, abstract = {Most studies on animal personality evaluate individual mean behaviour to describe individual behavioural strategy, while often neglecting behavioural variability on the within-individual level. However, within-individual behavioural plasticity (variation induced by environment) and within-individual residual variation (regulatory behavioural precision) are recognized as biologically valid components of individual behaviour, but the evolutionary ecology of these components is still less understood. Here, we tested whether behaviour of common pill bugs (Armadillidium vulgare) differs on the among- and within-individual level and whether it is affected by various individual specific state-related traits (sex, size and Wolbachia infection). To this aim, we assayed risk-taking in familiar vs. unfamiliar environments 30 times along 38 days and applied double modelling statistical technique to handle the complex hierarchical structure for both individual-specific trait means and variances. We found that there are significant among-individual differences not only in mean risk-taking behaviour but also in environment- and time-induced behavioural plasticity and residual variation. Wolbachia-infected individuals took less risk than healthy conspecifics; in addition, individuals became more risk-averse with time. Residual variation decreased with time, and individuals expressed higher residual variation in the unfamiliar environment. Further, sensitization was stronger in females and in larger individuals in general. Our results suggest that among-individual variation, behavioural plasticity and residual variation are all (i) biologically relevant components of an individual's behavioural strategy and (ii) responsive to changes in environment or labile state variables. We propose pill bugs as promising models for personality research due to the relative ease of getting repeated behavioural measurements.}, }
@article {pmid30727958, year = {2019}, author = {Kampfraath, AA and Klasson, L and Anvar, SY and Vossen, RHAM and Roelofs, D and Kraaijeveld, K and Ellers, J}, title = {Genome expansion of an obligate parthenogenesis-associated Wolbachia poses an exception to the symbiont reduction model.}, journal = {BMC genomics}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {106}, doi = {10.1186/s12864-019-5492-9}, pmid = {30727958}, issn = {1471-2164}, support = {865.12.003//Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek/ ; 15494//Stichting voor de Technische Wetenschappen/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Arthropods/*microbiology/physiology ; DNA Repair ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; *Genome, Bacterial ; *Parthenogenesis ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/*genetics/physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Theory predicts that dependency within host-endosymbiont interactions results in endosymbiont genome size reduction. Unexpectedly, the largest Wolbachia genome was found in the obligate, parthenogenesis-associated wFol. In this study, we investigate possible processes underlying this genome expansion by comparing a re-annotated wFol genome to other Wolbachia genomes. In addition, we also search for candidate genes related to parthenogenesis induction (PI).<br><br>RESULTS: Within wFol, we found five phage WO regions representing 25.4% of the complete genome, few pseudogenized genes, and an expansion of DNA-repair genes in comparison to other Wolbachia. These signs of genome conservation were mirrored in the wFol host, the springtail F. candida, which also had an expanded DNA-repair gene family and many horizontally transferred genes. Across all Wolbachia genomes, there was a strong correlation between gene numbers of Wolbachia strains and their hosts. In order to identify genes with a potential link to PI, we assembled the genome of an additional PI strain, wLcla. Comparisons between four PI Wolbachia, including wFol and wLcla, and fourteen non-PI Wolbachia yielded a small set of potential candidate genes for further investigation.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The strong similarities in genome content of wFol and its host, as well as the correlation between host and Wolbachia gene numbers suggest that there may be some form of convergent evolution between endosymbiont and host genomes. If such convergent evolution would be strong enough to overcome the evolutionary forces causing genome reduction, it would enable expanded genomes within long-term obligate endosymbionts.}, }
@article {pmid30723148, year = {2019}, author = {Buchman, A and Gamez, S and Li, M and Antoshechkin, I and Li, HH and Wang, HW and Chen, CH and Klein, MJ and Duchemin, JB and Paradkar, PN and Akbari, OS}, title = {Engineered resistance to Zika virus in transgenic Aedes aegypti expressing a polycistronic cluster of synthetic small RNAs.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, number = {9}, pages = {3656-3661}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1810771116}, pmid = {30723148}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {K22 AI113060/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI123937/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Genetically Modified/genetics/virology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Humans ; Mosquito Vectors/*genetics/virology ; Saliva/virology ; Viral Load/genetics ; Wolbachia/pathogenicity/virology ; Zika Virus/*genetics/pathogenicity ; Zika Virus Infection/*genetics/transmission/virology ; }, abstract = {Recent Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks have highlighted the necessity for development of novel vector control strategies to combat arboviral transmission, including genetic versions of the sterile insect technique, artificial infection with Wolbachia to reduce population size and/or vectoring competency, and gene drive-based methods. Here, we describe the development of mosquitoes synthetically engineered to impede vector competence to ZIKV. We demonstrate that a polycistronic cluster of engineered synthetic small RNAs targeting ZIKV is expressed and fully processed in Aedes aegypti, ensuring the formation of mature synthetic small RNAs in the midgut where ZIKV resides in the early stages of infection. Critically, we demonstrate that engineered Ae. aegypti mosquitoes harboring the anti-ZIKV transgene have significantly reduced viral infection, dissemination, and transmission rates of ZIKV. Taken together, these compelling results provide a promising path forward for development of effective genetic-based ZIKV control strategies, which could potentially be extended to curtail other arboviruses.}, }
@article {pmid30716462, year = {2019}, author = {Odeniran, PO and Macleod, ET and Ademola, IO and Welburn, SC}, title = {Endosymbionts interaction with trypanosomes in Palpalis group of Glossina captured in southwest Nigeria.}, journal = {Parasitology international}, volume = {70}, number = {}, pages = {64-69}, doi = {10.1016/j.parint.2019.01.011}, pmid = {30716462}, issn = {1873-0329}, mesh = {Animals ; Enterobacteriaceae/*isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; Insect Vectors/microbiology/parasitology ; Nigeria ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; *Symbiosis ; Trypanosoma/microbiology/*physiology ; Tsetse Flies/*microbiology/*parasitology ; Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Glossina species epidemiological studies were conducted in &quot;fly-belt&quot; endemic zone of southwest Nigeria. Two major study areas were identified and four Nzi traps were set in each site for tsetse collection. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of endosymbionts (Wigglesworthia glossinidia, Sodalis glossinidius and Wolbachia) in natural field-trapped populations of G. p. palpalis and G. tachinoides and investigate the corresponding interactions with African trypanosomes. A total of 64 tsetse flies were collected, these included G. p. palpalis (n = 28) and G. tachinoides (n = 36). Trypanosome infection and endosymbionts of these flies were determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The infection rates of W. glossinidia was 100.0% in both species, no flies were positive for Wolbachia. Sodalis glossinidius prevalence was similar between the two-tsetse species, with G. p. palpalis and G. tachinoides showing prevalence of 35.7% (95%CI: 20.7-54.2) and 27.8% (95%CI: 15.9-44.0) respectively. No relationship was found between the endosymbionts and trypanosomes in trapped tsetse flies. More studies are needed to enhance the potential control interventions mediated by endosymbionts to reduce parasitic infections.}, }
@article {pmid30715337, year = {2019}, author = {Sinha, A and Li, Z and Sun, L and Carlow, CKS}, title = {Complete Genome Sequence of the Wolbachia wAlbB Endosymbiont of Aedes albopictus.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {11}, number = {3}, pages = {706-720}, doi = {10.1093/gbe/evz025}, pmid = {30715337}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Ankyrins/genetics ; Cell Line ; DNA Transposable Elements ; Genome Size ; *Genome, Bacterial ; Prophages/genetics ; Proteome ; Type IV Secretion Systems ; Wolbachia/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia, an alpha-proteobacterium closely related to Rickettsia, is a maternally transmitted, intracellular symbiont of arthropods and nematodes. Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are naturally infected with Wolbachia strains wAlbA and wAlbB. Cell line Aa23 established from Ae. albopictus embryos retains only wAlbB and is a key model to study host-endosymbiont interactions. We have assembled the complete circular genome of wAlbB from the Aa23 cell line using long-read PacBio sequencing at 500× median coverage. The assembled circular chromosome is 1.48 megabases in size, an increase of more than 300 kb over the published draft wAlbB genome. The annotation of the genome identified 1,205 protein coding genes, 34 tRNA, 3 rRNA, 1 tmRNA, and 3 other ncRNA loci. The long reads enabled sequencing over complex repeat regions which are difficult to resolve with short-read sequencing. Thirteen percent of the genome comprised insertion sequence elements distributed throughout the genome, some of which cause pseudogenization. Prophage WO genes encoding some essential components of phage particle assembly are missing, while the remainder are found in five prophage regions/WO-like islands or scattered around the genome. Orthology analysis identified a core proteome of 535 orthogroups across all completed Wolbachia genomes. The majority of proteins could be annotated using Pfam and eggNOG analyses, including ankyrins and components of the Type IV secretion system. KEGG analysis revealed the absence of five genes in wAlbB which are present in other Wolbachia. The availability of a complete circular chromosome from wAlbB will enable further biochemical, molecular, and genetic analyses on this strain and related Wolbachia.}, }
@article {pmid30714238, year = {2019}, author = {Fromont, C and Adair, KL and Douglas, AE}, title = {Correlation and causation between the microbiome, Wolbachia and host functional traits in natural populations of drosophilid flies.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {28}, number = {7}, pages = {1826-1841}, doi = {10.1111/mec.15041}, pmid = {30714238}, issn = {1365-294X}, support = {BIO 1241099//National Science Foundation/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/*classification ; Drosophila/classification/*microbiology ; *Microbiota ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Spiroplasma/genetics ; Symbiosis ; Sympatry ; Transcriptome ; Wolbachia/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Resident microorganisms are known to influence the fitness and traits of animals under controlled laboratory conditions, but the relevance of these findings to wild animals is uncertain. This study investigated the host functional correlates of microbiota composition in a wild community of three sympatric species of mycophagous drosophilid flies, Drosophila falleni, Drosophila neotestacea and Drosophila putrida. Specifically, we quantified bacterial communities and host transcriptomes by parallel 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and RNA-Seq of individual flies. Among-fly variation in microbiota composition did not partition strongly by sex or species, and included multiple modules, that is, sets of bacterial taxa whose abundance varied in concert across different flies. The abundance of bacteria in several modules varied significantly with multiple host transcripts, especially in females, but the identity of the correlated host transcriptional functions differed with host species, including epithelial barrier function in D. falleni, muscle function in D. putrida, and insect growth and development in D. neotestacea. In D. neotestacea, which harbours the endosymbionts Wolbachia and Spiroplasma, Wolbachia promotes the abundance of Spiroplasma, and is positively correlated with abundance of Lactobacillales and Bacteroidales. Furthermore, most correlations between host gene expression and relative abundance of bacterial modules were co-correlated with abundance of Wolbachia (but not Spiroplasma), indicative of an interdependence between host functional traits, microbiota composition and Wolbachia abundance in this species. These data suggest that, in these natural populations of drosophilid flies, different host species interact with microbial communities in functionally different ways that can vary with the abundance of endosymbionts.}, }
@article {pmid30708172, year = {2019}, author = {Shaikevich, E and Bogacheva, A and Rakova, V and Ganushkina, L and Ilinsky, Y}, title = {Wolbachia symbionts in mosquitoes: Intra- and intersupergroup recombinations, horizontal transmission and evolution.}, journal = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution}, volume = {134}, number = {}, pages = {24-34}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2019.01.020}, pmid = {30708172}, issn = {1095-9513}, mesh = {Aedes/microbiology ; Alleles ; Animals ; Anopheles/genetics ; *Biological Evolution ; Culicidae/*microbiology ; Databases, Genetic ; *Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Humans ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; *Recombination, Genetic ; Species Specificity ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Many mosquitoes harbour Wolbachia symbionts that could affect the biology of their host in different ways. Evolutionary relationships of mosquitoes' Wolbachia infection, geographical distribution and symbiont prevalence in many mosquito species are not yet clear. Here, we present the results of Wolbachia screening of 17 mosquito species of four genera-Aedes, Anopheles, Coquillettidia and Culex collected from five regions of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus in 2012-2016. Based on multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data previously published and generated in this study, we try to reveal genetic links between mosquitoes' and other hosts' Wolbachia. The Wolbachia symbionts are found in Culex pipiens, Aedes albopictus and Coquillettidia richiardii and for the first time in Aedes cinereus and Aedes cantans, which are important vectors of human pathogens. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated multiple origins of infection in mosquitoes although the one-allele-criterion approach revealed links among B-supergroup mosquito Wolbachia with allele content of lepidopteran hosts. The MLST gene content of strain wAlbA from the A-supergroup is linked with different ant species. Several cases of intersupergroup recombinations were found. One of them occurred in the wAlbaB strain of Aedes albopictus, which contains the coxA allele of the A-supergroup, whereas other loci, including wsp, belong to supergroup B. Other cases are revealed for non-mosquito symbionts and they exemplified genetic exchanges of A, B and F supergroups. We conclude that modern Wolbachia diversity in mosquitoes and in many other insect taxa is a recent product of strain recombination and symbiont transfers.}, }
@article {pmid30708135, year = {2019}, author = {Konecka, E and Olszanowski, Z}, title = {Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rDNA, gltA, gatB, and hcpA gene sequences of Wolbachia from the novel host Ceratozetes thienemanni (Acari: Oribatida).}, journal = {Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases}, volume = {70}, number = {}, pages = {175-181}, doi = {10.1016/j.meegid.2019.01.032}, pmid = {30708135}, issn = {1567-7257}, abstract = {We determined the occurrence of intracellular endosymbionts (Wolbachia, Cardinium, Arsenophonus, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma, Hamiltonella, flavobacteria, and microsporidia) in oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) with the use of PCR technique. For the first time we looked for and detected Wolbachia in parthenogenetic oribatid mite Ceratozetes thienemanni Willmann, 1943. The 16S rDNA, gatB, hcpA, and gltA sequences of Wolbachia in C. thienemanni showed the highest similarity (≥ 90%) to the genes of Wolbachia from springtails (Collembola) and oribatid mite Gustavia microcephala. We found the unique sequence 5'-GGGGTAATGGCC-3' in 16S rDNA of Wolbachia from C. thienemanni and collembolan representing group E. The phylogeny of Wolbachia based on the analysis of single genes as well as concatenated alignments of four bacterial loci showed that the bacteria from C. thienemanni belonged to Wolbachia group E, like the endosymbionts from springtail hosts and G. microcephala. Considering coexisting of representatives of Oribatida and Collembola in the same soil habitat and similar food, it is possible that the source of Wolbachia infection was the same. Residues of dead invertebrates could be in organic matter of their soil food, so the scenario of infection transferred by eating of remains of soil cohabitates is also possible. It could explain the similarity and relationship of the Wolbachia in these two arthropod groups. Oribatid mite C. thienemanni is a parthenogenetic mite which is a unique feature in the genus Ceratozetes. Moreover, this species, within the entire genus Ceratozetes, is characterized by the most northerly distribution. It is difficult to determine either it is parthenogenesis or the presence of endosymbionts that are in some way responsible for this kind of evolutionary success. Maybe we are dealing here with a kind of synergy of both factors?}, }
@article {pmid30700657, year = {2019}, author = {Fukui, Y and Inokuma, H}, title = {Subclinical Infections of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma bovis in Dogs from Ibaraki, Japan.}, journal = {Japanese journal of infectious diseases}, volume = {72}, number = {3}, pages = {168-172}, doi = {10.7883/yoken.JJID.2018.470}, pmid = {30700657}, issn = {1884-2836}, mesh = {Anaplasma/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Anaplasma phagocytophilum/isolation &amp; purification ; Anaplasmosis/blood/*epidemiology ; Animals ; Antibodies, Bacterial/isolation &amp; purification ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Dog Diseases/blood/*epidemiology/*microbiology ; Dogs ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique/veterinary ; Japan/epidemiology ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Prevalence ; }, abstract = {We evaluated the prevalence of Anaplasma infection in 332 dogs from Ibaraki, Japan, using serological and molecular methods. An immunofluorescence antibody assay against Anaplasma phagocytophilum indicated that 7 of the 328 serum samples tested (2.1%) were positive for A. phagocytophilum. Screening by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis demonstrated that 8 of the 331 peripheral blood samples tested (2.4%) were positive for Anaplasmataceae. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial 16S rRNA sequence of the PCR amplicons revealed that 6 sequences were most similar to the 16S rRNA sequence of a Wolbachia sp., and the remaining 2 to A. bovis. Further analysis by A. phagocytophilum-specific nested PCR demonstrated that 1 dog infected with A. bovis was also positive for A. phagocytophilum. This is the first study to report the dual infection of a dog in Japan with A. bovis and A. phagocytophilum.}, }
@article {pmid30699194, year = {2019}, author = {Russell, SL and Lemseffer, N and Sullivan, WT}, title = {Correction: Wolbachia and host germline components compete for kinesin-mediated transport to the posterior pole of the Drosophila oocyte.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {e1007557}, doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1007557}, pmid = {30699194}, issn = {1553-7374}, abstract = {[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007216.].}, }
@article {pmid30696916, year = {2019}, author = {Kajtoch, Ł and Kolasa, M and Kubisz, D and Gutowski, JM and Ścibior, R and Mazur, MA and Holecová, M}, title = {Using host species traits to understand the Wolbachia infection distribution across terrestrial beetles.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {847}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-38155-5}, pmid = {30696916}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {DEC-2013/11/D/NZ8/00583//Narodowe Centrum Nauki (National Science Centre)/ ; DEC-2013/11/D/NZ8/00583//Narodowe Centrum Nauki (National Science Centre)/ ; DEC-2013/11/D/NZ8/00583//Narodowe Centrum Nauki (National Science Centre)/ ; }, abstract = {Knowledge of Wolbachia prevalence with respect to its hosts is restricted mainly to taxonomic/phylogenetic context. In contrast, relations between infection and most host's ecological and biological traits are poorly understood. This study aimed to elaborate on relations between bacteria and its beetle hosts in taxonomic and the ecological contexts. In particular, the goal is to verify which ecological and biological traits of beetles could cause them to be prone to be infected. Verification of Wolbachia infection status across 297 beetle taxa showed that approximately 27% of taxa are infected by supergroups A and B. Only minor support for coevolution between bacteria and its beetle hosts was observed in some genera of beetles, but in general coevolution between beetles and Wolbachia was rejected. Some traits of beetles were found to be unrelated to Wolbachia prevalence (type of range and thermal preferences); some traits were related with ambiguous effects (habitats, distribution, mobility and body size); some were substantially related (reproduction mode and trophy). The aforementioned summary does not show obvious patterns of Wolbachia prevalence and diversity in relation to host taxonomy, biology, and ecology. As both Wolbachia and Coleoptera are diverse groups, this lack of clear patterns is probably a reflection of nature, which is characterised by highly diversified and probably unstable relations.}, }
@article {pmid30685209, year = {2019}, author = {Beckmann, JF and Bonneau, M and Chen, H and Hochstrasser, M and Poinsot, D and Merçot, H and Weill, M and Sicard, M and Charlat, S}, title = {The Toxin-Antidote Model of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility: Genetics and Evolutionary Implications.}, journal = {Trends in genetics : TIG}, volume = {35}, number = {3}, pages = {175-185}, doi = {10.1016/j.tig.2018.12.004}, pmid = {30685209}, issn = {0168-9525}, support = {R01 GM046904/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM053756/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R37 GM046904/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Antidotes/chemistry/therapeutic use ; Arthropods/genetics/microbiology ; Bacterial Toxins/chemistry/*genetics ; Culicidae/genetics/microbiology ; Cytoplasm/*genetics/microbiology ; Drosophila/genetics/microbiology ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Symbiosis/genetics ; Vector Borne Diseases/*genetics/microbiology ; Wolbachia/*genetics/pathogenicity ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia bacteria inhabit the cells of about half of all arthropod species, an unparalleled success stemming in large part from selfish invasive strategies. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), whereby the symbiont makes itself essential to embryo viability, is the most common of these and constitutes a promising weapon against vector-borne diseases. After decades of theoretical and experimental struggle, major recent advances have been made toward a molecular understanding of this phenomenon. As pieces of the puzzle come together, from yeast and Drosophila fly transgenesis to CI diversity patterns in natural mosquito populations, it becomes clearer than ever that the CI induction and rescue stem from a toxin-antidote (TA) system. Further, the tight association of the CI genes with prophages provides clues to the possible evolutionary origin of this phenomenon and the levels of selection at play.}, }
@article {pmid30680117, year = {2019}, author = {Duffy, E and Archer, CR and Sharma, MD and Prus, M and Joag, RA and Radwan, J and Wedell, N and Hosken, DJ}, title = {Wolbachia infection can bias estimates of intralocus sexual conflict.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {328-338}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.4744}, pmid = {30680117}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Males and females share most of their genome and develop many of the same traits. However, each sex frequently has different optimal values for these shared traits, creating intralocus sexual conflict. This conflict has been observed in wild and laboratory populations of insects and affects important evolutionary processes such as sexual selection, the maintenance of genetic variation, and possibly even speciation. Given the broad impacts of intralocus conflict, accurately detecting and measuring it is important. A common way to detect intralocus sexual conflict is to calculate the intersexual genetic correlation for fitness, with negative values suggesting conflict. Here, we highlight a potential confounder of this measure-cytoplasmic incompatibility caused by the intracellular parasite Wolbachia. Infection with Wolbachia can generate negative intersexual genetic correlations for fitness in insects, suggestive of intralocus sexual conflict. This is because cytoplasmic incompatibility reduces the fitness of uninfected females mated to infected males, while uninfected males will not suffer reductions in fitness if they mate with infected females and may even be fitter than infected males. This can lead to strong negative intersexual genetic correlations for fitness, mimicking intralocus conflict. We illustrate this issue using simulations and then present Drosophila simulans data that show how reproductive incompatibilities caused by Wolbachia infection can generate signals of intralocus sexual conflict. Given that Wolbachia infection in insect populations is pervasive, but populations usually contain both infected and uninfected individuals providing scope for cytoplasmic incompatibility, this is an important consideration for sexual conflict research but one which, to date, has been largely underappreciated.}, }
@article {pmid30679245, year = {2019}, author = {Gruntenko, NE and Karpova, EK and Adonyeva, NV and Andreenkova, OV and Burdina, EV and Ilinsky, YY and Bykov, RA and Menshanov, PN and Rauschenbach, IY}, title = {Drosophila female fertility and juvenile hormone metabolism depends on the type of Wolbachia infection.}, journal = {The Journal of experimental biology}, volume = {222}, number = {Pt 4}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1242/jeb.195347}, pmid = {30679245}, issn = {1477-9145}, abstract = {Maternally inherited intracellular bacteria Wolbachia cause both parasitic and mutualistic effects on their numerous insect hosts, including manipulating the host reproductive system in order to increase the bacteria spreading in a host population, and increasing the host fitness. Here, we demonstrate that the type of Wolbachia infection determines the effect on Drosophila melanogaster egg production as a proxy for fecundity, and metabolism of juvenile hormone (JH), which acts as gonadotropin in adult insects. For this study, we used six D. melanogaster lineages carrying the nuclear background of interbred Bi90 lineage and cytoplasmic backgrounds with or without Wolbachia of different genotype variants. The wMelCS genotype of Wolbachia decreases egg production in infected D. melanogaster females in the beginning of oviposition and increases it later (from the sixth day after eclosion), whereas the wMelPop Wolbachia strain causes the opposite effect, and the wMel, wMel2 and wMel4 genotypes of Wolbachia do not show any effect on these traits compared with uninfected Bi90 D. melanogaster females. The intensity of JH catabolism negatively correlates with the fecundity level in the flies carrying both wMelCS and wMelPop Wolbachia The JH catabolism in females infected with genotypes of the wMel group does not differ from that in uninfected females. The effects of wMelCS and wMelPop infection on egg production can be levelled by the modulation of JH titre (via precocene/JH treatment of the flies). Thus, at least one of the mechanisms promoting the effect of Wolbachia on D. melanogaster female fecundity is mediated by JH.}, }
@article {pmid30673989, year = {2019}, author = {Fallon, AM}, title = {Conditions facilitating infection of mosquito cell lines with Wolbachia, an obligate intracellular bacterium.}, journal = {In vitro cellular &amp; developmental biology. Animal}, volume = {55}, number = {2}, pages = {120-129}, doi = {10.1007/s11626-019-00319-6}, pmid = {30673989}, issn = {1543-706X}, support = {AI081322//National Institutes of Health/ ; }, mesh = {Aedes/cytology/drug effects/*microbiology ; Aneuploidy ; Animals ; Bacterial Infections/*microbiology ; Cell Line ; Intracellular Space/*microbiology ; Methotrexate/pharmacology ; Wolbachia/drug effects/pathogenicity/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Factors that influence establishment of Wolbachia, an obligate intracellular bacterium, in novel insect hosts or uninfected insect cell lines are poorly understood. Infectivity of Wolbachia strain wStr was correlated with flow cytometric profiles to define optimal conditions for harvesting an infectious inoculum. Wolbachia recovered from the cell culture supernatant after gentle pipetting of infected cells represented about 1% of the total bacterial population and were more infectious than Wolbachia that remained associated with intact cells and/or membranes after low-speed centrifugation. Optimal establishment of a robust infection in naïve cells required 6 d, at a ratio of 80 to 160 bacteria per cell. Among Aedes albopictus mosquito cell lines, an aneuploid line with a 4n + 1 karyotype was more susceptible to infection than diploid lines. These findings contribute to the in vitro manipulation of Wolbachia, illustrate some of the many factors that influence infectivity, and identify areas for future investigation.}, }
@article {pmid30668787, year = {2019}, author = {Chebbi, MA and Becking, T and Moumen, B and Giraud, I and Gilbert, C and Peccoud, J and Cordaux, R}, title = {The Genome of Armadillidium vulgare (Crustacea, Isopoda) Provides Insights into Sex Chromosome Evolution in the Context of Cytoplasmic Sex Determination.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {36}, number = {4}, pages = {727-741}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msz010}, pmid = {30668787}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Female ; *Genome ; Isopoda/*genetics ; Male ; *Sex Chromosomes ; *Sex Determination Processes ; Wolbachia/genetics ; }, abstract = {The terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare is an original model to study the evolution of sex determination and symbiosis in animals. Its sex can be determined by ZW sex chromosomes, or by feminizing Wolbachia bacterial endosymbionts. Here, we report the sequence and analysis of the ZW female genome of A. vulgare. A distinguishing feature of the 1.72 gigabase assembly is the abundance of repeats (68% of the genome). We show that the Z and W sex chromosomes are essentially undifferentiated at the molecular level and the W-specific region is extremely small (at most several hundreds of kilobases). Our results suggest that recombination suppression has not spread very far from the sex-determining locus, if at all. This is consistent with A. vulgare possessing evolutionarily young sex chromosomes. We characterized multiple Wolbachia nuclear inserts in the A. vulgare genome, none of which is associated with the W-specific region. We also identified several candidate genes that may be involved in the sex determination or sexual differentiation pathways. The A. vulgare genome serves as a resource for studying the biology and evolution of crustaceans, one of the most speciose and emblematic metazoan groups.}, }
@article {pmid30668658, year = {2019}, author = {Moreira, M and Aguiar, AMF and Bourtzis, K and Latorre, A and Khadem, M}, title = {Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria: Rickettsiales) Infections in Isolated Aphid Populations from Oceanic Islands of the Azores Archipelago: Revisiting the Supergroups M and N.}, journal = {Environmental entomology}, volume = {48}, number = {2}, pages = {326-334}, doi = {10.1093/ee/nvy189}, pmid = {30668658}, issn = {1938-2936}, mesh = {Animals ; Aphids/genetics/*microbiology ; Azores ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) have provided a suitable model to study endosymbionts, their community, and dynamics since the discovery of the obligate endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola in these organisms. In previous studies, Wolbachia was found in some aphid species. In the present study, we report the prevalence of Wolbachia in aphids sampled from a geographically isolated region (Azores Islands), aiming at a better understanding and characterization of the two newly reported supergroups, M and N. The description of the supergroup M was based on 16S rRNA as well as some protein-coding genes. However, the assignment of the supergroup N was according to 16S rRNA gene sequences of a very few samples. We collected aphid samples and performed phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene as well as four protein-coding genes (gatB, ftsZ, coxA, and hcpA). The results demonstrate that the 16S rRNA gene data can unambiguously assign the strain supergroup and that the two supergroups, N and M, are equally prevalent in Azorean aphids. The available sequence data for the protein-coding markers can identify supergroup M but the status of supergroup N is inconclusive, requiring further studies. The data suggest that horizontal transmission of Wolbachia (Hertig and Wolbach) between two phylogenetically distant aphid species cohabiting the same plant host.}, }
@article {pmid30650347, year = {2019}, author = {Haqshenas, G and Terradas, G and Paradkar, PN and Duchemin, JB and McGraw, EA and Doerig, C}, title = {A Role for the Insulin Receptor in the Suppression of Dengue Virus and Zika Virus in Wolbachia-Infected Mosquito Cells.}, journal = {Cell reports}, volume = {26}, number = {3}, pages = {529-535.e3}, doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2018.12.068}, pmid = {30650347}, issn = {2211-1247}, abstract = {Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are refractory to super-infection with arthropod-borne pathogens, but the role of host cell signaling proteins in pathogen-blocking mechanisms remains to be elucidated. Here, we use an antibody microarray approach to provide a comprehensive picture of the signaling response of Aedes aegypti-derived cells to Wolbachia. This approach identifies the host cell insulin receptor as being downregulated by the bacterium. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown and treatment with a small-molecule inhibitor of the insulin receptor kinase concur to assign a crucial role for this enzyme in the replication of dengue and Zika viruses in cultured mosquito cells. Finally, we show that the production of Zika virus in Wolbachia-free live mosquitoes is impaired by treatment with the selective inhibitor mimicking Wolbachia infection. This study identifies Wolbachia-mediated downregulation of insulin receptor kinase activity as a mechanism contributing to the blocking of super-infection by arboviruses.}, }
@article {pmid30646951, year = {2019}, author = {da Silva Gonçalves, D and Iturbe-Ormaetxe, I and Martins-da-Silva, A and Telleria, EL and Rocha, MN and Traub-Csekö, YM and O'Neill, SL and Sant'Anna, MRV and Moreira, LA}, title = {Wolbachia introduction into Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) cell lines and its effects on immune-related gene expression and interaction with Leishmania infantum.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {33}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-018-3227-4}, pmid = {30646951}, issn = {1756-3305}, mesh = {Animals ; Cell Line ; *Gene Expression ; *Immunity, Innate ; Immunologic Factors/*biosynthesis ; Leishmania infantum/*growth &amp; development ; *Microbial Interactions ; Parasite Load ; Psychodidae/*immunology/microbiology ; Wolbachia/growth &amp; development/*immunology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The leishmaniases are important neglected diseases caused by Leishmania spp. which are transmitted by sand flies, Lutzomyia longipalpis being the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas. The methodologies for leishmaniasis control are not efficient, causing 1.5 million reported cases annually worldwide, therefore showing the need for development of novel strategies and interventions to control transmission of the disease. The bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is being used to control viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue and Zika, and its introduction in disease vectors has been effective against parasites such as Plasmodium. Here we show the first successful establishment of Wolbachia into two different embryonic cell lines from L. longipalpis, LL-5 and Lulo, and analysed its effects on the sand fly innate immune system, followed by in vitro Leishmania infantum interaction.<br><br>RESULTS: Our results show that LL-5 cells respond to wMel and wMelPop-CLA strains within the first 72 h post-infection, through the expression of antimicrobial peptides and inducible nitric oxide synthase resulting in a decrease of Wolbachia detection in the early stages of infection. In subsequent passages, the wMel strain was not able to infect any of the sand fly cell lines while the wMelPop-CLA strain was able to stably infect Lulo cells and LL-5 at lower levels. In Wolbachia stably infected cells, the expression of immune-related genes involved with downregulation of the IMD, Toll and Jak-Stat innate immune pathways was significantly decreased, in comparison with the uninfected control, suggesting immune activation upon Wolbachia transinfection. Furthermore, Wolbachia transinfection did not promote a negative effect on parasite load in those cells.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Initial strong immune responses of LL5 cells might explain the inefficiency of stable infections in these cells while we found that Lulo cells are more permissive to infection with Wolbachia causing an effect on the cell immune system, but not against in vitro L. infantum interaction. This establishes Lulo cells as a good system for the adaptation of Wolbachia in L. longipalpis.}, }
@article {pmid30644356, year = {2019}, author = {Shaikevich, E and Bogacheva, A and Ganushkina, L}, title = {Dirofilaria and Wolbachia in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in central European Russia and on the Black Sea coast.}, journal = {Parasite (Paris, France)}, volume = {26}, number = {}, pages = {2}, doi = {10.1051/parasite/2019002}, pmid = {30644356}, issn = {1776-1042}, mesh = {Animals ; Black Sea ; Culex/microbiology/parasitology ; Culicidae/*microbiology/*parasitology ; DNA, Helminth/isolation &amp; purification ; Dirofilaria immitis/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; Dirofilaria repens/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; Dirofilariasis/*epidemiology/*transmission ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology ; Dogs ; Female ; Larva/microbiology/parasitology ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology/parasitology ; Russia/epidemiology ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; }, abstract = {Dirofilariasis is endemic in Russia, as well as in many other European countries. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of mosquitoes to transfer Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in regions with temperate and subtropical climates. The possible impact of the symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia on Dirofilaria transmission was also investigated. 5333 female mosquitoes were collected at 11 points in central European Russia and on the Black Sea coast during the period 2013-2017. Out of 20 mosquito species examined, 14 were infected with D. repens and 13 with D. immitis. Both species of Dirofilaria were found in different climatic regions. The total Dirofilaria spp. estimated infection rate (EIR) in the central part of Russia varied from 3.1% to 3.7% and, in the southern region, from 1.1% to 3.0%. The highest estimated infection rate was found in Anopheles messeae, the lowest in Culex pipiens. The greatest epidemiological danger was represented by Aedes aegypti, Ae. geniculatus, An. messeae and Ae. communis. Six out of 20 mosquito species were infected with Wolbachia. Pools of Aedes albopictus, Cx. pipiens and Coquillettidia richiardii were simultaneously infected with Dirofilaria and Wolbachia. After checking mosquitoes individually, it was found that there was no development of Dirofilaria to the infective larval stage in specimens infected with Wolbachia. Twenty-two Dirofilaria-infective pools were Wolbachia-free and only two mosquito pools were Wolbachia-infected. The potential for transmission of Dirofilaria in mosquito species naturally uninfected with the symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia is higher than in species infected with the bacterium.}, }
@article {pmid30642130, year = {2019}, author = {Foo, IJ and Hoffmann, AA and Ross, PA}, title = {Cross-Generational Effects of Heat Stress on Fitness and Wolbachia Density in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes.}, journal = {Tropical medicine and infectious disease}, volume = {4}, number = {1}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/tropicalmed4010013}, pmid = {30642130}, issn = {2414-6366}, support = {1132412//National Health and Medical Research Council/ ; 1118640//National Health and Medical Research Council/ ; LE150100083//Australian Research Council/ ; }, abstract = {Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia symbionts are now being released into the field to control the spread of pathogenic human arboviruses. Wolbachia can spread throughout vector populations by inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility and can reduce disease transmission by interfering with virus replication. The success of this strategy depends on the effects of Wolbachia on mosquito fitness and the stability of Wolbachia infections across generations. Wolbachia infections are vulnerable to heat stress, and sustained periods of hot weather in the field may influence their utility as disease control agents, particularly if temperature effects persist across generations. To investigate the cross-generational effects of heat stress on Wolbachia density and mosquito fitness, we subjected Ae. aegypti with two different Wolbachia infection types (wMel, wAlbB) and uninfected controls to cyclical heat stress during larval development over two generations. We then tested adult starvation tolerance and wing length as measures of fitness and measured the density of wMel in adults. Both heat stress and Wolbachia infection reduced adult starvation tolerance. wMel Wolbachia density in female offspring was lower when mothers experienced heat stress, but male Wolbachia density did not depend on the rearing temperature of the previous generation. We also found cross-generational effects of heat stress on female starvation tolerance, but there was no cross-generational effect on wing length. Fitness costs of Wolbachia infections and cross-generational effects of heat stress on Wolbachia density may reduce the ability of Wolbachia to invade populations and control arbovirus transmission under specific environmental conditions.}, }
@article {pmid30632016, year = {2019}, author = {Öhlund, P and Lundén, H and Blomström, AL}, title = {Insect-specific virus evolution and potential effects on vector competence.}, journal = {Virus genes}, volume = {55}, number = {2}, pages = {127-137}, doi = {10.1007/s11262-018-01629-9}, pmid = {30632016}, issn = {1572-994X}, support = {2016-01251//Vetenskapsrådet/ ; vice chancellor career support//Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Arboviruses/*genetics/pathogenicity ; Culicidae/genetics/virology ; Flaviviridae/genetics/pathogenicity ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Insect Vectors/virology ; Insect Viruses/*genetics/pathogenicity ; Pest Control, Biological ; Species Specificity ; Togaviridae/genetics/pathogenicity ; Virus Diseases/*genetics/virology ; Virus Replication/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The advancement in high-throughput sequencing technology and bioinformatics tools has spurred a new age of viral discovery. Arthropods is the largest group of animals and has shown to be a major reservoir of different viruses, including a group known as insect-specific viruses (ISVs). The majority of known ISVs have been isolated from mosquitoes and shown to belong to viral families associated with animal arbovirus pathogens, such as Flaviviridae, Togaviridae and Phenuiviridae. These insect-specific viruses have a strict tropism and are unable to replicate in vertebrate cells, these properties are interesting for many reasons. One is that these viruses could potentially be utilised as biocontrol agents using a similar strategy as for Wolbachia. Mosquitoes infected with the viral agent could have inferior vectorial capacity of arboviruses resulting in a decrease of circulating arboviruses of public health importance. Moreover, insect-specific viruses are thought to be ancestral to arboviruses and could be used to study the evolution of the switch from single-host to dual-host. In this review, we discuss new discoveries and hypothesis in the field of arboviruses and insect-specific viruses.}, }
@article {pmid30629155, year = {2019}, author = {Sazama, EJ and Ouellette, SP and Wesner, JS}, title = {Bacterial Endosymbionts Are Common Among, but not Necessarily Within, Insect Species.}, journal = {Environmental entomology}, volume = {48}, number = {1}, pages = {127-133}, doi = {10.1093/ee/nvy188}, pmid = {30629155}, issn = {1938-2936}, mesh = {Animals ; Insecta/*microbiology ; Linear Models ; Rickettsiales ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Bacterial endosymbionts, particularly Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), Rickettsia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), and Cardinium (Bacteroidales: Bacteroidaceae), are commonly found in several arthropod groups, including insects. Most estimates of the global infection rate of Wolbachia (52% [95% credible intervals: 44-60]) show that these bacteria infect more than half of all insect species. Other endosymbionts, such as Rickettsia (24% [confidence intervals [CIs] 20-42]) and Cardinium (13% [CIs 13-55]), infect a smaller but still substantial proportion of insect species. In spite of these observations, it is unclear what proportion of individuals within those species are infected. Here, we used published databases to estimate the proportion of individuals that are infected with either Wolbachia, Rickettsia, or Cardinium. We found that the majority (69%) of Wolbachia-infected species have less than half of their individuals infected with Wolbachia, indicating that although the bacterium may be common among species, it is not common within species. The same was true for Rickettsia (81%) and Cardinium (87%). This discrepancy was consistent across orders, in which less than 10% of individuals were typically infected, even though more than 50% of species within orders were infected. For example, according to our model, nearly 50% of beetle (Coleoptera) species are infected with Wolbachia (i.e., contain at least one individual that has tested positive for Wolbachia), but less than 5% of all individuals are infected. These results add to the growing knowledge base about endosymbionts in insects and should guide future sampling efforts and investigations on the role that these bacteria play in populations.}, }
@article {pmid30624116, year = {2018}, author = {Dossi, FCA and da Silva, EP and Cônsoli, FL}, title = {Shifting the Balance: Heat Stress Challenges the Symbiotic Interactions of the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera, Liviidae).}, journal = {The Biological bulletin}, volume = {235}, number = {3}, pages = {195-203}, doi = {10.1086/699755}, pmid = {30624116}, issn = {1939-8697}, mesh = {Animals ; Hemiptera/*physiology ; *Hot Temperature ; Symbiosis/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Global warming may impact biodiversity by disrupting biological interactions, including long-term insect-microbe mutualistic associations. Symbiont-mediated insect tolerance to high temperatures is an ecologically important trait that significantly influences an insect's life history. Disruption of microbial symbionts that are required by insects would substantially impact their pest status. Diaphorina citri, a worldwide citrus pest, is associated with the mutualistic symbionts Candidatus Carsonella ruddii and Candidatus Profftella armatura. Wolbachia is also associated with D. citri, but its contribution to the host is unknown. Symbiont density is dependent on a range of factors, including the thermosensitivity of the host and/or symbiont to heat stress. Here, we predicted that short-term heat stress of D. citri would disrupt the host-symbiont phenological synchrony and differentially affect the growth and density of symbionts. We investigated the effects of exposing D. citri eggs to different temperatures for different periods of time on the growth dynamics of symbionts during the nymphal development of D. citri (first instar to fifth instar) by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Symbiont densities were assessed as the number of gene copies, using specific molecular markers: 16S rRNA for Carsonella and Profftella and ftsZ for Wolbachia. Statistical modeling of the copy numbers of symbionts revealed differences in their growth patterns, particularly in the early instars of heat-shocked insects. Wolbachia was the only symbiont to benefit from heat-shock treatment. Although the symbionts responded differently to heat stress, the lack of differences in symbiont densities between treated and control late nymphs suggests the existence of an adaptive genetic process to restore phenological synchrony during the development of immatures in preparation for adult life. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the potential deleterious effects of high temperatures on host-symbiont interactions. Our data also suggest that the effects of host exposure to high temperatures in symbiont growth are highly variable and dependent on the interactions among members of the community of symbionts harbored by a host. Such dependence points to unpredictable consequences for agroecosystems worldwide due to climate change-related effects on the ecological traits of symbiont-dependent insect pests.}, }
@article {pmid30622893, year = {2019}, author = {Millán, J and Travaini, A and Cevidanes, A and Sacristán, I and Rodríguez, A}, title = {Assessing the natural circulation of canine vector-borne pathogens in foxes, ticks and fleas in protected areas of Argentine Patagonia with negligible dog participation.}, journal = {International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {63-70}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.11.007}, pmid = {30622893}, issn = {2213-2244}, abstract = {We collected blood and/or ectoparasites from 49 South American grey foxes (Lycalopex griseus) and two Andean foxes (L. culpaeus) caught in two National Parks of southern Argentine Patagonia (Bosques Petrificados, BPNP; and Monte León, MLNP) where dogs are nearly absent (density < 0.01 dog/km2). Common ectoparasites were the flea Pulex irritans (88% prevalence) and the tick Amblyomma tigrinum (29%). Conventional PCR and sequencing of 49 blood samples, 299 fleas analysed in 78 pools, and 21 ticks revealed the presence of DNA of the following canine vector-borne pathogens: in grey foxes, Rickettsia sp. (3%), hemoplasmas (8%), including Mycoplasma haemocanis, and Hepatozoon sp. (50%); in P. irritans, Bartonella spp. (72% of flea pools from 76% of foxes), mostly B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii but also B. rochalimae, Anaplasmataceae (Wolbachia sp.; 60% and 54%), and M. haemocanis/haemofelis (29% and 18%); and in A. tigrinum, Hepatozoon sp. (33% of ticks in 4 of 7 foxes). No piroplasmid DNA was detected in any sample. Andean foxes were negative for all tested pathogens. Two different Hepatozoon haplotypes were detected: the most prevalent was phylogenetically associated with H. felis, and the other with H. americanum and related sequences. Amblyomma tigrinum and Hepatozoon sp. were more abundant and/or prevalent in BPNP than in colder MLNP, 300 km southwards, perhaps located close to the limit for tick suitability. Bartonella v. berkhoffii was also significantly more prevalent in fleas of foxes in BPNP than in MLNP. This study provides novel information about natural host-pathogen associations in wildlife, markedly extends the distribution area in South America of arthropods and vector-borne pathogens of veterinary and public health interest, and contributes preliminary evidence about the potential role of A. tigrinum and P. irritans as vectors, respectively, for potentially new species of Hepatozoon from Lycalopex spp. and for M. haemocanis that should be further investigated.}, }
@article {pmid30622399, year = {2018}, author = {Kirichenko, N and Triberti, P and Kobayashi, S and Hirowatari, T and Doorenweerd, C and Ohshima, I and Huang, GH and Wang, M and Magnoux, E and Lopez-Vaamonde, C}, title = {Systematics of Phyllocnistis leaf-mining moths (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) feeding on dogwood (Cornus spp.) in Northeast Asia, with the description of three new species.}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {}, number = {736}, pages = {79-118}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.736.20739}, pmid = {30622399}, issn = {1313-2989}, abstract = {During an ongoing DNA-barcoding campaign of the leaf-mining moths that feed on woody plants in Northeast Asia, four lineages of the genus Phyllocnistis (Gracillariidae, Phyllocnistinae) were discovered on dogwood (Cornus spp): P. cornella Ermolaev, 1987 on C. controversa Hemsl. (Japan: Hokkaido) and three new species - one feeding on C. controversa, C. florida L. and C. macrophylla Wall. in Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu), a second species on C. macrophylla in China (Yunnan) and a third on Siberian dogwood Cornus alba L. in Russia (Siberia). All these species showed differences in morphology, in the barcode region of the cytochrome c oxidase I gene and in two nuclear genes (histone H3 and 28S ribosomal RNA). No correlation was found between the deep mitochondrial splits observed and the Wolbachia infection pattern. Based on both morphological and molecular evidence, the three recently discovered lineages are described here as new species: P. indistincta Kobayashi &amp; Triberti, sp. n. (Japan), P. saepta Kirichenko, Ohshima &amp; Huang, sp. n. (China) and P. verae Kirichenko, Triberti &amp; Lopez-Vaamonde, sp. n. (Russia). In addition, the authors re-describe the adult morphology of P. cornella, provide the first record of this species from Japan and highlight the diagnostic characters that allow these Cornus-feeding Phyllocnistis species to be distinguished.}, }
@article {pmid30620733, year = {2019}, author = {Garcia, GA and Sylvestre, G and Aguiar, R and da Costa, GB and Martins, AJ and Lima, JBP and Petersen, MT and Lourenço-de-Oliveira, R and Shadbolt, MF and Rašić, G and Hoffmann, AA and Villela, DAM and Dias, FBS and Dong, Y and O'Neill, SL and Moreira, LA and Maciel-de-Freitas, R}, title = {Matching the genetics of released and local Aedes aegypti populations is critical to assure Wolbachia invasion.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {e0007023}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007023}, pmid = {30620733}, issn = {1935-2735}, mesh = {Aedes/*drug effects/genetics/*virology ; Animals ; Arboviruses/*growth &amp; development ; Biological Control Agents ; Brazil ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Female ; Insecticide Resistance/*genetics ; Male ; Mosquito Vectors/virology ; Pest Control, Biological/*methods ; Pyrethrins/pharmacology ; Wolbachia/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Traditional vector control approaches such as source reduction and insecticide spraying have limited effect on reducing Aedes aegypti population. The endosymbiont Wolbachia is pointed as a promising tool to mitigate arbovirus transmission and has been deployed worldwide. Models predict a rapid increase on the frequency of Wolbachia-positive Ae. aegypti mosquitoes in local settings, supported by cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and high maternal transmission rate associated with the wMelBr strain.<br><br>Wolbachia wMelBr strain was released for 20 consecutive weeks after receiving >87% approval of householders of the isolated community of Tubiacanga, Rio de Janeiro. wMelBr frequency plateued~40% during weeks 7-19, peaked 65% but dropped as releases stopped. A high (97.56%) maternal transmission was observed. Doubling releases and deploying mosquitoes with large wing length and low laboratory mortality produced no detectable effects on invasion trend. By investigating the lab colony maintenance procedures backwardly, pyrethroid resistant genotypes in wMelBr decreased from 68% to 3.5% after 17 generations. Therefore, we initially released susceptible mosquitoes in a local population highly resistant to pyrethroids which, associated with the over use of insecticides by householders, ended jeopardizing Wolbachia invasion. A new strain (wMelRio) was produced after backcrossing wMelBr females with males from field to introduce mostly pyrethroid resistance alleles. The new strain increased mosquito survival but produced relevant negative effects on Ae. aegypti fecundity traits, reducing egg clutche size and egg hatch. Despite the cost on fitness, wMelRio successful established where wMelBr failed, revealing that matching the local population genetics, especially insecticide resistance background, is critical to achieve invasion.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Local householders support was constantly high, reaching 90% backing on the second release (wMelRio strain). Notwithstanding the drought summer, the harsh temperature recorded (daily average above 30°C) did not seem to affect the expression of maternal transmission of wMel on a Brazilian background. Wolbachia deployment should match the insecticide resistance profile of the wild population to achieve invasion. Considering pyrethroid-resistance is a widely distributed phenotype in natural Ae. aegypti populations, future Wolbachia deployments must pay special attention in maintaining insecticide resistance in lab colonies for releases.}, }
@article {pmid30617067, year = {2019}, author = {Hong, WD and Benayoud, F and Nixon, GL and Ford, L and Johnston, KL and Clare, RH and Cassidy, A and Cook, DAN and Siu, A and Shiotani, M and Webborn, PJH and Kavanagh, S and Aljayyoussi, G and Murphy, E and Steven, A and Archer, J and Struever, D and Frohberger, SJ and Ehrens, A and Hübner, MP and Hoerauf, A and Roberts, AP and Hubbard, ATM and Tate, EW and Serwa, RA and Leung, SC and Qie, L and Berry, NG and Gusovsky, F and Hemingway, J and Turner, JD and Taylor, MJ and Ward, SA and O'Neill, PM}, title = {AWZ1066S, a highly specific anti-Wolbachia drug candidate for a short-course treatment of filariasis.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, number = {4}, pages = {1414-1419}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1816585116}, pmid = {30617067}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {MC_PC_16052/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; MC_PC_17167/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology ; Elephantiasis, Filarial/drug therapy/microbiology ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, SCID ; Onchocerciasis/drug therapy/microbiology ; Pyrimidines/pharmacology ; Quinazolines/pharmacology ; Wolbachia/*drug effects ; }, abstract = {Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis are two neglected tropical diseases that together affect ∼157 million people and inflict severe disability. Both diseases are caused by parasitic filarial nematodes with elimination efforts constrained by the lack of a safe drug that can kill the adult filaria (macrofilaricide). Previous proof-of-concept human trials have demonstrated that depleting >90% of the essential nematode endosymbiont bacterium, Wolbachia, using antibiotics, can lead to permanent sterilization of adult female parasites and a safe macrofilaricidal outcome. AWZ1066S is a highly specific anti-Wolbachia candidate selected through a lead optimization program focused on balancing efficacy, safety and drug metabolism/pharmacokinetic (DMPK) features of a thienopyrimidine/quinazoline scaffold derived from phenotypic screening. AWZ1066S shows superior efficacy to existing anti-Wolbachia therapies in validated preclinical models of infection and has DMPK characteristics that are compatible with a short therapeutic regimen of 7 days or less. This candidate molecule is well-positioned for onward development and has the potential to make a significant impact on communities affected by filariasis.}, }
@article {pmid30609847, year = {2019}, author = {Bustamante-Brito, R and Vera-Ponce de León, A and Rosenblueth, M and Martínez-Romero, JC and Martínez-Romero, E}, title = {Metatranscriptomic Analysis of the Bacterial Symbiont Dactylopiibacterium carminicum from the Carmine Cochineal Dactylopius coccus (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Dactylopiidae).}, journal = {Life (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/life9010004}, pmid = {30609847}, issn = {2075-1729}, support = {IN207718//Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México/ ; 253116//Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología/ ; }, abstract = {The scale insect Dactylopius coccus produces high amounts of carminic acid, which has historically been used as a pigment by pre-Hispanic American cultures. Nowadays carmine is found in food, cosmetics, and textiles. Metagenomic approaches revealed that Dactylopius spp. cochineals contain two Wolbachia strains, a betaproteobacterium named Candidatus Dactylopiibacterium carminicum and Spiroplasma, in addition to different fungi. We describe here a transcriptomic analysis indicating that Dactylopiibacterium is metabolically active inside the insect host, and estimate that there are over twice as many Dactylopiibacterium cells in the hemolymph than in the gut, with even fewer in the ovary. Albeit scarce, the transcripts in the ovaries support the presence of Dactylopiibacterium in this tissue and a vertical mode of transmission. In the cochineal, Dactylopiibacterium may catabolize plant polysaccharides, and be active in carbon and nitrogen provisioning through its degradative activity and by fixing nitrogen. In most insects, nitrogen-fixing bacteria are found in the gut, but in this study they are shown to occur in the hemolymph, probably delivering essential amino acids and riboflavin to the host from nitrogen substrates derived from nitrogen fixation.}, }
@article {pmid30602718, year = {2019}, author = {Clare, RH and Bardelle, C and Harper, P and Hong, WD and Börjesson, U and Johnston, KL and Collier, M and Myhill, L and Cassidy, A and Plant, D and Plant, H and Clark, R and Cook, DAN and Steven, A and Archer, J and McGillan, P and Charoensutthivarakul, S and Bibby, J and Sharma, R and Nixon, GL and Slatko, BE and Cantin, L and Wu, B and Turner, J and Ford, L and Rich, K and Wigglesworth, M and Berry, NG and O'Neill, PM and Taylor, MJ and Ward, SA}, title = {Industrial scale high-throughput screening delivers multiple fast acting macrofilaricides.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {11}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-07826-2}, pmid = {30602718}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Aedes ; Animals ; Cell Line ; *Drug Discovery ; Filaricides/*analysis ; *High-Throughput Screening Assays ; Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Nematodes causing lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis rely on their bacterial endosymbiont, Wolbachia, for survival and fecundity, making Wolbachia a promising therapeutic target. Here we perform a high-throughput screen of AstraZeneca's 1.3 million in-house compound library and identify 5 novel chemotypes with faster in vitro kill rates (<2 days) than existing anti-Wolbachia drugs that cure onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. This industrial scale anthelmintic neglected tropical disease (NTD) screening campaign is the result of a partnership between the Anti-Wolbachia consortium (A∙WOL) and AstraZeneca. The campaign was informed throughout by rational prioritisation and triage of compounds using cheminformatics to balance chemical diversity and drug like properties reducing the chance of attrition from the outset. Ongoing development of these multiple chemotypes, all with superior time-kill kinetics than registered antibiotics with anti-Wolbachia activity, has the potential to improve upon the current therapeutic options and deliver improved, safer and more selective macrofilaricidal drugs.}, }
@article {pmid30596784, year = {2018}, author = {Fortin, M and Vitet, C and Souty-Grosset, C and Richard, FJ}, title = {How do familiarity and relatedness influence mate choice in Armadillidium vulgare?.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {12}, pages = {e0209893}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0209893}, pmid = {30596784}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Isopoda/microbiology/*physiology ; Male ; Mating Preference, Animal/*physiology ; Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Mate choice is an important process in sexual selection and usually prevents inbreeding depression in populations. In the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare, the close physical proximity between individuals may increase the risk of reproducing with siblings. Moreover, individuals of this species can be infected with the feminizing bacteria of Wolbachia, which influence male mate choice. However, little is known about the kinship or familiarity assessment of the selected partner that occurs when a male can choose between females with or without Wolbachia. To investigate the potential mechanisms leading to mate choice and the potential impact of the parasite, we performed behavioral choice tests on males where they could choose between sibling vs. nonsibling females, familiar vs. unfamiliar females, and sibling familiar vs. unfamiliar nonsibling females. To investigate the costs of inbreeding, we compared the reproductive success of both sibling and nonsibling mates. Our results revealed that male copulation attempts were higher for familiar females and for nonsibling females when both females were Wolbachia-infected, but the duration was longer when both females were Wolbachia-free. When males mated with a sibling female, their fecundity was severely decreased, consistent with inbreeding depression. Overall, we observed copulations with all types of females and demonstrated discrimination capacities and potential preferences. We highlight the complexity of the tradeoff between kinship, familiarity and parasite transmission assessment for mate choice.}, }
@article {pmid30595344, year = {2019}, author = {Gangwar, M and Jha, R and Goyal, M and Srivastava, M}, title = {Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of Recombinase A from Wolbachia endosymbiont of filarial nematode Brugia malayi (wBmRecA).}, journal = {Vaccine}, volume = {37}, number = {4}, pages = {571-580}, doi = {10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.12.015}, pmid = {30595344}, issn = {1873-2518}, abstract = {Lymphatic filariasis causes global morbidity. Wolbachia, an endo-symbiotic intracellular bacterium of the filarial nematode helps in their growth and development, regulates fecundity in female worms and contributes to the immunopathogenesis of the disease. However, genes and proteins of Wolbachia that may act as putative vaccine candidates are not known. In this study, we cloned recombinase-A protein of Wolbachia from Brugia malayi (wBmRecA) and carried out its detailed biochemical and immunological characterization. Bioinformatics analysis, circular dichroism and fluorescence spectral studies showed significant sequence and structural similarities between wBmRecA and RecA of other alpha-proteo- bacterial species. wBmRecA was ubiquitously expressed in all the three major life stages of B. malayi, including excretory-secretory products of the adult worm. In silico studies suggested immunogenic potential of wBmRecA, and mice immunized with wBmRecA exhibited elevated levels of immunoglobulins IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3 in their serum along with increased percentages of CD4+, CD8+ T cells and CD19+ B cells in their spleens. Notably, splenocytes from immunized mice showed increased m-RNA expression of T-bet, elevated proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-12, while peritoneal MФs exhibited increased levels of iNOS, downregulated Arg-1 and secreted copious amounts of nitric oxide which contributed to severely impaired development of the infective larvae (Bm-L3). Interestingly, sera from immunized mice promoted significant cellular adherence and cytotoxicity against microfilariae and Bm-L3. Importantly, wBmRecA demonstrated strong immuno-reactivity with bancroftian sera from endemic normal individuals. These results suggest that wBmRecA is highly immunogenic, and should be explored further as a putative vaccine candidate against lymphatic filariasis.}, }
@article {pmid30587225, year = {2018}, author = {Savadelis, MD and Day, KM and Bradner, JL and Wolstenholme, AJ and Dzimianski, MT and Moorhead, AR}, title = {Efficacy and side effects of doxycycline versus minocycline in the three-dose melarsomine canine adulticidal heartworm treatment protocol.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {671}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-018-3264-z}, pmid = {30587225}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {054333-01//American Heartworm Society/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*administration &amp; dosage ; Arsenicals/*administration &amp; dosage ; Dirofilaria immitis/*drug effects/microbiology/physiology ; Dirofilariasis/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Dog Diseases/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Dogs ; Doxycycline/*administration &amp; dosage/adverse effects ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Filaricides/*administration &amp; dosage ; Male ; Minocycline/*administration &amp; dosage/adverse effects ; Triazines/*administration &amp; dosage ; Wolbachia/*drug effects/genetics/physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The American Heartworm Society currently recommends the use of a monthly macrocyclic lactone, a 28-day course of 10 mg/kg doxycycline BID, and the 3-dose protocol of melarsomine dihydrochloride for the treatment of canine heartworm disease. Doxycycline is necessary for the reduction of the bacterium Wolbachia, found in all heartworm life-stages. Previous price increases and decreasing availability prompted us to evaluate alternative tetracycline antibiotics, i.e. minocycline, for the reduction of Wolbachia during canine heartworm treatment.<br><br>METHODS: Thirty-two heartworm-positive dogs were randomized to receive 10 mg/kg or 5 mg/kg of either doxycycline or minocycline for 28 days BID, for a total of 8 dogs per experimental group. All dogs received 6 months of Heartgard Plus® (ivermectin/pyrantel) and the 3-dose protocol of 2.5 mg/kg melarsomine dihydrochloride. Blood samples were collected prior to the initiation of treatment, every 7 days throughout tetracycline treatment, and then monthly thereafter until the dog tested negative for the presence of heartworm antigen. DNA was isolated from circulating microfilarial samples and qPCR was performed on each sample.<br><br>RESULTS: A greater number of dogs in the 10 mg/kg doxycycline and minocycline treated groups experienced gastrointestinal side effects as compared to the 5 mg/kg doxycycline and minocycline treated groups. All eight dogs in the 10 mg/kg doxycycline-treated group tested negative for the presence of Wolbachia DNA by 28 days post-tetracycline treatment. A total of two dogs in both the 5 mg/kg doxycycline- and 10 mg/kg minocycline-treated groups and three dogs in the 5 mg/kg minocycline-treated group remained positive for the presence of Wolbachia DNA by the end of tetracycline treatment.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: No lung pathology was assessed in this clinical trial, therefore the clinical effect of the remaining Wolbachia DNA in the 10 mg/kg minocycline-, 5 mg/kg doxycycline- and 5 mg/kg minocycline-treated groups cannot be determined. Owner compliance in the proper administration of these tetracyclines may be impacted by the increased severe gastrointestinal side effects reported for the 10 mg/kg doxycycline- and minocycline-treated groups. We recommend that veterinarians prescribe the recommended 10 mg/kg doxycycline for canine heartworm treatment and reduce the dosage to 5 mg/kg in cases of severe gastrointestinal side effects in order to improve owner compliance in administration of medications.}, }
@article {pmid30585387, year = {2018}, author = {Altinli, M and Soms, J and Ravallec, M and Justy, F and Bonneau, M and Weill, M and Gosselin-Grenet, AS and Sicard, M}, title = {Sharing cells with Wolbachia: the transovarian vertical transmission of Culex pipiens densovirus.}, journal = {Environmental microbiology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1462-2920.14511}, pmid = {30585387}, issn = {1462-2920}, support = {//Campus France/ ; //Ministère des affaires étrangères/ ; ANR-10-INBS-04//French National Research Agency/ ; }, abstract = {Culex pipiens densovirus (CpDV), a single stranded DNA virus, has been isolated from Culex pipiens mosquitoes but differs from other mosquito densoviruses in terms of genome structure and sequence identity. Its transmission from host to host, the nature of its interactions with both its host and host's endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia are not known. Here, we report the presence of CpDV in the ovaries and eggs of Cx. pipiens mosquitoes in close encounters with Wolbachia. In the ovaries, CpDV amount significantly differed between mosquito lines harbouring different strains of Wolbachia and these differences were not linked to variations in Wolbachia densities. CpDV was vertically transmitted in all laboratory lines to 17%-20% of the offspring. For some females, however, the vertical transmission reached 90%. Antibiotic treatment that cured the host from Wolbachia significantly decreased both CpDV quantity and vertical transmission suggesting an impact of host microbiota, including Wolbachia, on CpDV transmission. Overall our results show that CpDV is transmitted vertically via transovarian path along with Wolbachia with which it shares the same cells. Our results are primordial to understand the dynamics of densovirus infection, their persistence and spread in populations considering their potential use in the regulation of mosquito vector populations.}, }
@article {pmid30583749, year = {2018}, author = {Kittayapong, P and Kaeothaisong, NO and Ninphanomchai, S and Limohpasmanee, W}, title = {Combined sterile insect technique and incompatible insect technique: sex separation and quality of sterile Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes released in a pilot population suppression trial in Thailand.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {11}, number = {Suppl 2}, pages = {657}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-018-3214-9}, pmid = {30583749}, issn = {1756-3305}, mesh = {Aedes/microbiology/*physiology/radiation effects ; Animals ; Female ; Infertility, Male ; Longevity ; Male ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology/*physiology/radiation effects ; Pilot Projects ; Population Control ; Pupa ; Sex Characteristics ; Sex Determination Analysis ; Thailand ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The sterile insect technique (SIT), which is based on irradiation-induced sterility, and incompatible insect technique (IIT), which is based on Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (a kind of male sterility), have been used as alternative methods to reduce mosquito vector populations. Both methods require the release of males to reduce fertile females and suppress the number of natural populations. Different techniques of sex separation to obtain only males have been investigated previously. Our work involves an application of mechanical larval-pupal glass separators to separate Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti males from females at the pupal stage, prior to irradiation, and for use in a pilot field release and to assess the quality of males and females before and after sex separation and sterilization.<br><br>RESULTS: This study was the first to demonstrate the efficiency of mechanical glass separators in separating males for use in an Ae. aegypti suppression trial by a combined SIT/IIT approach. Our results indicated that male and female pupae of Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were significantly different (p < 0.05) in weight, size, and emergence-time, which made it easier for sex separation by this mechanical method. During the pilot field release, the percentage of female contamination was detected to be quite low and significantly different between the first (0.10 ± 0.13) and the second (0.02 ± 0.02) twelve-week period. Both males and females were almost completely sterile after exposure to 70 Gy irradiation dose. We observed that both irradiated Wolbachia-infected males and females survived and lived longer than two weeks, but males could live longer than females (p < 0.05) when they were irradiated at the same irradiation dose. When comparing irradiated mosquitoes with non-irradiated ones, there was no significant difference in longevity and survival-rate between those males, but non-irradiated females lived longer than irradiated ones (p < 0.05).<br><br>CONCLUSION: Mechanical sex separation by using a larval-pupal glass separator was practically applied to obtain only males for further sterilization and open field release in a pilot population suppression trial of Ae. aegypti in Thailand. Female contamination was detected to be quite low, and skilled personnel can reduce the risk for female release. The irradiated Wolbachia-infected females accidentally released were found to be completely sterile, with shorter life span than males.}, }
@article {pmid30583743, year = {2018}, author = {Moretti, R and Marzo, GA and Lampazzi, E and Calvitti, M}, title = {Cytoplasmic incompatibility management to support Incompatible Insect Technique against Aedes albopictus.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {11}, number = {Suppl 2}, pages = {649}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-018-3208-7}, pmid = {30583743}, issn = {1756-3305}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Cytoplasm/microbiology ; Female ; Fertility ; Male ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology ; Population Control ; Risk Assessment ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The transinfection of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia provides a method to produce functionally sterile males to be used to suppress mosquito vectors. ARwP is a wPip Wolbachia infected Aedes albopictus which exhibits a bidirectional incompatibility pattern with wild-types. We coupled a modelistic approach with laboratory experiments to test ARwP as a control tool and evaluate the possible occurrence of population replacement following the release of ARwP females in a wild-type (SANG) population. Repeated male-only releases were simulated and tested in the laboratory in comparison with releases contaminated with 1% ARwP females. Model simulations also investigated how migration affects the outcome of contaminated releases. Finally, the mean level of egg fertility and the long-term evolution of populations constituted by two Wolbachia infection types were studied by testing SANG and ARwP Ae. albopictus and performing more general model simulations.<br><br>RESULTS: The model was parametrized with laboratory data and simulations were compared with results of biological trials. Small populations of ARwP males and females were theoretically and experimentally demonstrated to rapidly become extinct when released in larger SANG populations. Male-only releases at a 5:1 ratio with respect to the wild-type males led to a complete suppression of the SANG population in a few generations. Contaminated releases were efficient as well but led to population replacement in the long term, when the wild-type population approached eradication. Migration significantly contrasted this trend as a 5% population turnover was sufficient to avoid any risk of population replacement. At equal frequencies between ARwP and SANG individuals, the mean egg fertility of the overall population was more than halved and suppression was self-sustaining until one of the two infection types extinguished.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: In the case of bidirectional incompatibility patterns, the repeated release of incompatible males with small percentages of contaminant females could lead to population replacement in confined environments while it could be managed to target high efficiency and sustainability in wild-type suppression when systems are open to migration. This possibility is discussed based on various contexts and taking into consideration the possibility of integration with other control methods such as SIT and the use of larvicides.}, }
@article {pmid30583288, year = {2019}, author = {Parry, R and Bishop, C and De Hayr, L and Asgari, S}, title = {Density-dependent enhanced replication of a densovirus in Wolbachia-infected Aedes cells is associated with production of piRNAs and higher virus-derived siRNAs.}, journal = {Virology}, volume = {528}, number = {}, pages = {89-100}, doi = {10.1016/j.virol.2018.12.006}, pmid = {30583288}, issn = {1096-0341}, mesh = {Aedes/cytology/*microbiology/*virology ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Cytoplasm/virology ; DNA Replication ; Densovirus/*physiology ; *Host Microbial Interactions ; RNA, Small Interfering/*genetics ; RNA, Viral/genetics ; *Virus Replication ; Wolbachia/physiology ; }, abstract = {The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis has been shown to restrict a range of RNA viruses in Drosophila melanogaster and transinfected dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Here, we show that Wolbachia infection enhances replication of Aedes albopictus densovirus (AalDNV-1), a single stranded DNA virus, in Aedes cell lines in a density-dependent manner. Analysis of previously produced small RNAs of Aag2 cells showed that Wolbachia-infected cells produced greater absolute abundance of virus-derived short interfering RNAs compared to uninfected cells. Additionally, we found production of virus-derived PIWI-like RNAs (vpiRNA) produced in response to AalDNV-1 infection. Nuclear fractions of Aag2 cells produced a primary vpiRNA signature U1 bias whereas the typical &quot;ping-pong&quot; signature (U1 - A10) was evident in vpiRNAs from the cytoplasmic fractions. This is the first report of the density-dependent enhancement of DNA viruses by Wolbachia. Further, we report the generation of vpiRNAs in a DNA virus-host interaction for the first time.}, }
@article {pmid30583042, year = {2019}, author = {Elias-Costa, AJ and Confalonieri, VA and Lanteri, AA and Rodriguero, MS}, title = {Game of clones: Is Wolbachia inducing speciation in a weevil with a mixed reproductive mode?.}, journal = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution}, volume = {133}, number = {}, pages = {42-53}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2018.12.027}, pmid = {30583042}, issn = {1095-9513}, mesh = {Animals ; Argentina ; Biological Evolution ; Brazil ; Cell Nucleus/genetics ; Female ; Genetic Speciation ; Male ; Mitochondria/genetics ; *Parthenogenesis ; Reproduction ; Weevils/classification/genetics/*microbiology/*physiology ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Parthenogenesis is widely distributed in Metazoa but it is especially frequent in weevils (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) with one fifth of all known cases. Previous studies have shown that in the tribe Naupactini parthenogenetic reproduction most likely originated with an infection of the endoparasitic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis. In particular, Pantomorus postfasciatus possess a mixed reproductive mode: some populations have males while in others they are absent, and females produce clones by thelytoky. To better understand this scenario, we studied the population structure and infection status in 64 individuals of P. postfasciatus from Argentina and Brazil. We sequenced two mitochondrial (COI and COII) and one nuclear (ITS-1) fragments and obtained two very divergent haplogroups, one corresponding to the sexual populations uninfected with Wolbachia, and another conforming a monophyletic parthenogenetic (or presumptively parthenogenetic) and infected clade. Each of these haplogroups was identified as an independently evolutionary unit by all species delimitation analyses accomplished: multilocus *BEAST and BP&amp;P, and single locus GMYC and K/θ rule. Additionally, present evidence suggests that Wolbachia infection occurred at least twice in all-female populations of P. postfasciatus with two different bacterial strains. Speciation mediated by Wolbachia is a recently described phenomenon and the case of P. postfasciatus is the first known case in a diplo-diploid insect. A model that describes how thelytoky-inducing phenotypes of Wolbachia could generate new lineages is discussed.}, }
@article {pmid30581476, year = {2018}, author = {Niang, EHA and Bassene, H and Fenollar, F and Mediannikov, O}, title = {Biological Control of Mosquito-Borne Diseases: The Potential of Wolbachia-Based Interventions in an IVM Framework.}, journal = {Journal of tropical medicine}, volume = {2018}, number = {}, pages = {1470459}, doi = {10.1155/2018/1470459}, pmid = {30581476}, issn = {1687-9686}, abstract = {People living in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world face an enormous health burden due to mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and filariasis. Historically and today, targeting mosquito vectors with, primarily, insecticide-based control strategies have been a key control strategy against major mosquito-borne diseases. However, the success to date of such approaches is under threat from multiple insecticide resistance mechanisms while vector control (VC) options are still limited. The situation therefore requires the development of innovative control measures against major mosquito-borne diseases. Transinfecting mosquitos with symbiotic bacteria that can compete with targeted pathogens or manipulate host biology to reduce their vectorial capacity are a promising and innovative biological control approach. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge about the association between mosquitoes and Wolbachia, emphasizing the limitations of different mosquito control strategies and the use of mosquitoes' commensal microbiota as innovative approaches to control mosquito-borne diseases.}, }
@article {pmid30564272, year = {2018}, author = {Martínez-Rodríguez, P and Bella, JL}, title = {Chorthippus parallelus and Wolbachia: Overlapping Orthopteroid and Bacterial Hybrid Zones.}, journal = {Frontiers in genetics}, volume = {9}, number = {}, pages = {604}, doi = {10.3389/fgene.2018.00604}, pmid = {30564272}, issn = {1664-8021}, abstract = {Wolbachia is a well-known endosymbiotic, strictly cytoplasmic bacterium. It establishes complex cytonuclear relations that are not necessarily deleterious to its host, but that often result in reproductive alterations favoring bacterial transmission. Among these alterations, a common one is the cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) that reduces the number of descendants in certain crosses between infected and non-infected individuals. This CI induced by Wolbachia appears in the hybrid zone that the grasshoppers Chorthippus parallelus parallelus (Cpp) and C. p. erythropus (Cpe) form in the Pyrenees: a reputed model in evolutionary biology. However, this cytonuclear incompatibility is the result of sophisticated processes of the co-divergence of the genomes of the bacterial strains and the host after generations of selection and coevolution. Here we show how these genome conflicts have resulted in a finely tuned adjustment of the bacterial strain to each pure orthopteroid taxon, and the striking appearance of another, newly identified recombinant Wolbachia strain that only occurs in hybrid grasshoppers. We propose the existence of two superimposed hybrid zones: one organized by the grasshoppers, which overlaps with a second, bacterial hybrid zone. The two hybrid zones counterbalance one another and have evolved together since the origin of the grasshopper's hybrid zone.}, }
@article {pmid30560551, year = {2018}, author = {Maleki-Ravasan, N and Akhavan, N and Raz, A and Jafari, M and Zakeri, S and Dinparast Djadid, N}, title = {Co-occurrence of pederin-producing and Wolbachia endobacteria in Paederus fuscipes Curtis, 1840 (Coleoptera: Staphilinidae) and its evolutionary consequences.}, journal = {MicrobiologyOpen}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {e777}, doi = {10.1002/mbo3.777}, pmid = {30560551}, issn = {2045-8827}, abstract = {The dual occurrence of Pseudomonas-like and Wolbachia endobacteria has not been investigated in the Pederus beetles yet. We investigated pederin-producing bacteria (PPB) infection in Paederus fuscipes specimens from the southern margins of the Caspian Sea by designed genus-specific (OprF) and species-specific (16S rRNA) primers. Wolbachia infection was studied through a nested-PCR assay of Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene. Of the 125 analyzed beetles, 42 females (82.35%) and 15 males (20.27%) were positive to PPB infection; this is the first study reporting male P. fuscipes infection to PPB. Wolbachia infection was found in 45 female (88.23%) and 50 male (67.57%) analyzed beetles. Surprisingly, a number of 36 females (70.59%) and 13 males (17.57%) were found to be infected with both PPB and Wolbachia endosymbionts. In general, population infection rates to PPB and Wolbachia were determined to be 45.6% and 76%, respectively. The infection rates of female beetles to PPB and PPB-Wolbachia were significantly higher than males. In Paederus species, only female beetles shelter PPB and the discovery of this bacterium in adult males may reflect their cannibalistic behavior on the contaminated stages. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequences of OprF gene were unique among Pseudomonas spp.; however, sequences of 16S rRNA gene were related to the PPB of Pederus species. The co-occurrence and random distribution of these endobacteria may imply putative tripartite interactions among PPB, Wolbachia, and Paederus. In order to elucidate these possible tripartite interactions, further studies are required even at gender level.}, }
@article {pmid30552191, year = {2019}, author = {Asselin, AK and Villegas-Ospina, S and Hoffmann, AA and Brownlie, JC and Johnson, KN}, title = {Contrasting Patterns of Virus Protection and Functional Incompatibility Genes in Two Conspecific Wolbachia Strains from Drosophila pandora.}, journal = {Applied and environmental microbiology}, volume = {85}, number = {5}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1128/AEM.02290-18}, pmid = {30552191}, issn = {1098-5336}, support = {R01 GM104325/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia infections can present different phenotypes in hosts, including different forms of reproductive manipulation and antiviral protection, which may influence infection dynamics within host populations. In populations of Drosophila pandora two distinct Wolbachia strains coexist, each manipulating host reproduction: strain wPanCI causes cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), whereas strain wPanMK causes male killing (MK). CI occurs when a Wolbachia-infected male mates with a female not infected with a compatible type of Wolbachia, leading to nonviable offspring. wPanMK can rescue wPanCI-induced CI but is unable to induce CI. The antiviral protection phenotypes provided by the wPanCI and wPanMK infections were characterized; the strains showed differential protection phenotypes, whereby cricket paralysis virus (CrPV)-induced mortality was delayed in flies infected with wPanMK but enhanced in flies infected with wPanCI compared to their respective Wolbachia-cured counterparts. Homologs of the cifA and cifB genes involved in CI identified in wPanMK and wPanCI showed a high degree of conservation; however, the CifB protein in wPanMK is truncated and is likely nonfunctional. The presence of a likely functional CifA in wPanMK and wPanMK's ability to rescue wPanCI-induced CI are consistent with the recent confirmation of CifA's involvement in CI rescue, and the absence of a functional CifB protein further supports its involvement as a CI modification factor. Taken together, these findings indicate that wPanCI and wPanMK have different relationships with their hosts in terms of their protective and CI phenotypes. It is therefore likely that different factors influence the prevalence and dynamics of these coinfections in natural Drosophila pandora hosts.IMPORTANCEWolbachia strains are common endosymbionts in insects, with multiple strains often coexisting in the same species. The coexistence of multiple strains is poorly understood but may rely on Wolbachia organisms having diverse phenotypic effects on their hosts. As Wolbachia is increasingly being developed as a tool to control disease transmission and suppress pest populations, it is important to understand the ways in which multiple Wolbachia strains persist in natural populations and how these might then be manipulated. We have therefore investigated viral protection and the molecular basis of cytoplasmic incompatibility in two coexisting Wolbachia strains with contrasting effects on host reproduction.}, }
@article {pmid30551145, year = {2019}, author = {Hellemans, S and Kaczmarek, N and Marynowska, M and Calusinska, M and Roisin, Y and Fournier, D}, title = {Bacteriome-associated Wolbachia of the parthenogenetic termite Cavitermes tuberosus.}, journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology}, volume = {95}, number = {2}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiy235}, pmid = {30551145}, issn = {1574-6941}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; Brazil ; French Guiana ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/*genetics ; Isoptera/*microbiology ; Parthenogenesis ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Symbiosis/*physiology ; Transaminases/genetics ; Trinidad and Tobago ; Wolbachia/genetics/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia has deeply shaped the ecology and evolution of many arthropods, and interactions between the two partners are a continuum ranging from parasitism to mutualism. Non-dispersing queens of the termite Cavitermes tuberosus are parthenogenetically produced through gamete duplication, a mode of ploidy restoration generally induced by Wolbachia. These queens display a bacteriome-like structure in the anterior part of the mesenteron. Our study explores the possibility of a nutritional mutualistic, rather than a parasitic, association between Wolbachia and C. tuberosus. We found a unique strain (wCtub), nested in the supergroup F, in 28 nests collected in French Guiana, the island of Trinidad and the state of Paraíba, Brazil (over 3500 km). wCtub infects individuals regardless of caste, sex or reproductive (sexual versus parthenogenetic) origin. qPCR assays reveal that Wolbachia densities are higher in the bacteriome-like structure and in the surrounding gut compared to other somatic tissues. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing reveals that Wolbachia represents over 97% of bacterial reads present in the bacteriome structure. BLAST analyses of 16S rRNA, bioA (a gene of the biosynthetic pathway of B vitamins) and five multilocus sequence typing genes indicated that wCtub shares 99% identity with wCle, an obligate nutritional mutualist of the bedbug Cimex lectularius.}, }
@article {pmid30545384, year = {2018}, author = {Baldini, F and Rougé, J and Kreppel, K and Mkandawile, G and Mapua, SA and Sikulu-Lord, M and Ferguson, HM and Govella, N and Okumu, FO}, title = {First report of natural Wolbachia infection in the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis in Tanzania.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {635}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-018-3249-y}, pmid = {30545384}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 14-AXA-PDOC-130//AXA Reseach Fund/ ; 43-2014//EMBO/ ; WT102350/Z/13//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anopheles/classification/*microbiology ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Female ; Genetic Variation ; Malaria/*transmission ; Mosquito Vectors/classification/*microbiology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Tanzania ; Wolbachia/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Natural infections of the endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia have recently been discovered in populations of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) in Burkina Faso and Mali, West Africa. This Anopheles specific strain wAnga limits the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum infections in the mosquito, thus it offers novel opportunities for malaria control.<br><br>RESULTS: We investigated Wolbachia presence in Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles funestus, which are the two main malaria vectors in the Kilombero Valley, a malaria endemic region in south-eastern Tanzania. We found 3.1% (n = 65) and 7.5% (n = 147) wAnga infection prevalence in An. arabiensis in mosquitoes collected in 2014 and 2016, respectively, while no infection was detected in An. funestus (n = 41). Phylogenetic analysis suggests that at least two distinct strains of wAnga were detected, both belonging to Wolbachia supergroup A and B.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first confirmation of natural Wolbachia in malaria vectors in Tanzania, which opens novel questions on the ecological and genetic basis of its persistence and pathogen transmission in the vector hosts. Understanding the basis of interactions between Wolbachia, Anopheles mosquitoes and malaria parasites is crucial for investigation of its potential application as a biocontrol strategy to reduce malaria transmission, and assessment of how natural wAnga infections influence pathogen transmission in different ecological settings.}, }
@article {pmid30541614, year = {2018}, author = {Kanté, ST and Melachio, T and Ofon, E and Njiokou, F and Simo, G}, title = {Detection of Wolbachia and different trypanosome species in Glossina palpalis palpalis populations from three sleeping sickness foci of southern Cameroon.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {630}, doi = {10.1186/s13071-018-3229-2}, pmid = {30541614}, issn = {1756-3305}, mesh = {Animals ; Cameroon/epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Symbiosis ; Trypanosoma/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; Trypanosomiasis, African/epidemiology/*parasitology/transmission ; Tsetse Flies/*microbiology/*parasitology/physiology ; Wolbachia/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: African trypanosomiases are caused by trypanosomes that are cyclically transmitted by tsetse. Investigations aiming to generate knowledge on the bacterial fauna of tsetse have revealed distinct symbiotic microorganisms. Furthermore, studies addressing the tripartite association between trypanosomes-tsetse-symbionts relationship have so far been contradictory. Most studies included Sodalis glossinudius and, consequently, the association involving Wolbachia is poorly understood. Understanding the vectorial competence of tsetse requires decrypting these tripartite associations. In this study, we identified Wolbachia and trypanosomes in Glossina palpalis palpalis from three human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) foci in southern Cameroon.<br><br>METHODS: Tsetse flies were captured with pyramidal traps in the Bipindi, Campo and Fontem HAT foci. After morphological identification, DNA was extracted from whole tsetse flies and Wolbachia and trypanosomes were identified by PCR using different trypanosome-specific primers and two Wolbachia-specific primers (Wolbachia surface protein and 16S rRNA genes). Statistical analyses were performed to compare the trypanosome and Wolbachia infection rates between villages and different foci and to look for an association between these microorganisms.<br><br>RESULTS: From a total of 2122 tsetse flies, 790 G. p. palpalis were analyzed. About 25.32% of flies hosted Wolbachia and 31.84% of non-teneral flies were infected by at least one trypanosome species. There was no significant difference between the global Wolbachia prevalence revealed by the two markers while some differences were observed between HAT foci. From 248 G. p. palpalis with trypanosome infections, 62.90% were with T. vivax, 34.68% with T. congolense forest, 16.13% with T. brucei (s.l.) and 2.42% with T. congolense savannah. Of all trypanosome-infected flies, 29.84% hosted Wolbachia and no association was observed between Wolbachia and trypanosome co-infections.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed differences in the prevalence of Wolbachia and trypanosomes in G. p. palpalis according to HAT foci. The use of only one marker has underestimated the prevalence of Wolbachia, thus more markers in subsequent studies may improve its detection. The presence of Wolbachia seems to have no impact on the establishment of trypanosomes in G. p. palpalis. The tripartite association between tsetse, Wolbachia and trypanosomes varies according to studied areas. Studies aiming to evaluate the genetic polymorphism of Wolbachia and its density in tsetse flies could help to better understand this association.}, }
@article {pmid30483601, year = {2018}, author = {Jeffries, CL and Lawrence, GG and Golovko, G and Kristan, M and Orsborne, J and Spence, K and Hurn, E and Bandibabone, J and Tantely, LM and Raharimalala, FN and Keita, K and Camara, D and Barry, Y and Wat'senga, F and Manzambi, EZ and Afrane, YA and Mohammed, AR and Abeku, TA and Hedge, S and Khanipov, K and Pimenova, M and Fofanov, Y and Boyer, S and Irish, SR and Hughes, GL and Walker, T}, title = {Novel Wolbachia strains in Anopheles malaria vectors from Sub-Saharan Africa.}, journal = {Wellcome open research}, volume = {3}, number = {}, pages = {113}, pmid = {30483601}, issn = {2398-502X}, support = {R21 AI124452/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI129507/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Background: Wolbachia, a common insect endosymbiotic bacterium that can influence pathogen transmission and manipulate host reproduction, has historically been considered absent from the Anopheles (An.) genera, but has recently been found in An. gambiae s.l. populations in West Africa. As there are numerous Anopheles species that have the capacity to transmit malaria, we analysed a range of species across five malaria endemic countries to determine Wolbachia prevalence rates, characterise novel Wolbachia strains and determine any correlation between the presence of Plasmodium, Wolbachia and the competing bacterium Asaia. Methods: Anopheles adult mosquitoes were collected from five malaria-endemic countries: Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana, Uganda and Madagascar, between 2013 and 2017. Molecular analysis was undertaken using quantitative PCR, Sanger sequencing, Wolbachia multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Results: Novel Wolbachia strains were discovered in five species: An. coluzzii, An. gambiae s.s., An. arabiensis, An. moucheti and An. species A, increasing the number of Anopheles species known to be naturally infected. Variable prevalence rates in different locations were observed and novel strains were phylogenetically diverse, clustering with Wolbachia supergroup B strains. We also provide evidence for resident strain variants within An. species A. Wolbachia is the dominant member of the microbiome in An. moucheti and An. species A but present at lower densities in An. coluzzii. Interestingly, no evidence of Wolbachia/Asaia co-infections was seen and Asaia infection densities were shown to be variable and location dependent. Conclusions: The important discovery of novel Wolbachia strains in Anopheles provides greater insight into the prevalence of resident Wolbachia strains in diverse malaria vectors. Novel Wolbachia strains (particularly high-density strains) are ideal candidate strains for transinfection to create stable infections in other Anopheles mosquito species, which could be used for population replacement or suppression control strategies.}, }
@article {pmid30535314, year = {2019}, author = {Leimeister, CA and Schellhorn, J and Dörrer, S and Gerth, M and Bleidorn, C and Morgenstern, B}, title = {Prot-SpaM: fast alignment-free phylogeny reconstruction based on whole-proteome sequences.}, journal = {GigaScience}, volume = {8}, number = {3}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/gigascience/giy148}, pmid = {30535314}, issn = {2047-217X}, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Bacteria/classification ; Databases, Protein ; *Phylogeny ; Plants/classification ; Proteome/*chemistry ; Sequence Alignment/*methods ; *Software ; }, abstract = {Word-based or 'alignment-free' sequence comparison has become an active research area in bioinformatics. While previous word-frequency approaches calculated rough measures of sequence similarity or dissimilarity, some new alignment-free methods are able to accurately estimate phylogenetic distances between genomic sequences. One of these approaches is Filtered Spaced Word Matches. Here, we extend this approach to estimate evolutionary distances between complete or incomplete proteomes; our implementation of this approach is called Prot-SpaM. We compare the performance of Prot-SpaM to other alignment-free methods on simulated sequences and on various groups of eukaryotic and prokaryotic taxa. Prot-SpaM can be used to calculate high-quality phylogenetic trees for dozens of whole-proteome sequences in a matter of seconds or minutes and often outperforms other alignment-free approaches. The source code of our software is available through Github: https://github.com/jschellh/ProtSpaM.}, }
@article {pmid30535231, year = {2019}, author = {Qi, LD and Sun, JT and Hong, XY and Li, YX}, title = {Diversity and Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal Horizontal Transmission of Endosymbionts Between Whiteflies and Their Parasitoids.}, journal = {Journal of economic entomology}, volume = {112}, number = {2}, pages = {894-905}, doi = {10.1093/jee/toy367}, pmid = {30535231}, issn = {1938-291X}, mesh = {Animals ; China ; *Hemiptera ; Phylogeny ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Endosymbionts are widely distributed among insects via intraspecific vertical transmission and interspecific horizontal transmission. Parasitoids have attracted considerable interest due to their possible role in the horizontal transmission of endosymbionts. Horizontal transmission of endosymbionts between whiteflies via parasitoids has been revealed in the laboratory. However, whether this occurs under field conditions remains unknown. Here, the diversity and phylogenetic relationships of endosymbionts in 1,350 whiteflies and 36 parasitoids that emerged from whitefly nymphs collected from three locations in Jiangsu Province of China were investigated. Only Rickettsia and Wolbachia were identified in both whiteflies and parasitoids, with an overall infection frequency of 22.67% in whiteflies and 16.67% in parasitoids for Wolbachia and of 12.15% in whiteflies and 25% in parasitoids for Rickettsia. Despite the distant relationship between whiteflies and their parasitoids, phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Rickettsia and Wolbachia individuals collected from the two types of organisms were grouped together. Furthermore, shared haplotypes were also identified, which was consistent with the horizontal transmission of endosymbionts between parasitoids and whiteflies. In addition, a parasitoid resistance-related symbiont, Hamiltonella, was detected in whiteflies at a 100% infection frequency, probably accounting for the relatively low parasitism of the whiteflies in the field. The factors affecting the infection frequency of the four secondary endosymbionts in whiteflies were also examined.}, }
@article {pmid30534598, year = {2018}, author = {Chung, M and Munro, JB and Tettelin, H and Dunning Hotopp, JC}, title = {Using Core Genome Alignments To Assign Bacterial Species.}, journal = {mSystems}, volume = {3}, number = {6}, pages = {}, pmid = {30534598}, issn = {2379-5077}, support = {U19 AI110820/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {With the exponential increase in the number of bacterial taxa with genome sequence data, a new standardized method to assign species designations is needed that is consistent with classically obtained taxonomic analyses. This is particularly acute for unculturable, obligate intracellular bacteria with which classically defined methods, like DNA-DNA hybridization, cannot be used, such as those in the Rickettsiales. In this study, we generated nucleotide-based core genome alignments for a wide range of genera with classically defined species, as well as those within the Rickettsiales. We created a workflow that uses the length, sequence identity, and phylogenetic relationships inferred from core genome alignments to assign genus and species designations that recapitulate classically obtained results. Using this method, most classically defined bacterial genera have a core genome alignment that is ≥10% of the average input genome length. Both Anaplasma and Neorickettsia fail to meet this criterion, indicating that the taxonomy of these genera should be reexamined. Consistently, genomes from organisms with the same species epithet have ≥96.8% identity of their core genome alignments. Additionally, these core genome alignments can be used to generate phylogenomic trees to identify monophyletic clades that define species and neighbor-network trees to assess recombination across different taxa. By these criteria, Wolbachia organisms are delineated into species different from the currently used supergroup designations, while Rickettsia organisms are delineated into 9 distinct species, compared to the current 27 species. By using core genome alignments to assign taxonomic designations, we aim to provide a high-resolution, robust method to guide bacterial nomenclature that is aligned with classically obtained results. IMPORTANCE With the increasing availability of genome sequences, we sought to develop and apply a robust, portable, and high-resolution method for the assignment of genera and species designations that can recapitulate classically defined taxonomic designations. Using cutoffs derived from the lengths and sequence identities of core genome alignments along with phylogenetic analyses, we sought to evaluate or reevaluate genus- and species-level designations for diverse taxa, with an emphasis on the order Rickettsiales, where species designations have been applied inconsistently. Our results indicate that the Rickettsia genus has an overabundance of species designations, that the current Anaplasma and Neorickettsia genus designations are both too broad and need to be divided, and that there are clear demarcations of Wolbachia species that do not align precisely with the existing supergroup designations.}, }
@article {pmid30533772, year = {2018}, author = {Chung, M and Teigen, L and Libro, S and Bromley, RE and Kumar, N and Sadzewicz, L and Tallon, LJ and Foster, JM and Michalski, ML and Dunning Hotopp, JC}, title = {Multispecies Transcriptomics Data Set of Brugia malayi, Its Wolbachia Endosymbiont wBm, and Aedes aegypti across the B. malayi Life Cycle.}, journal = {Microbiology resource announcements}, volume = {7}, number = {18}, pages = {}, pmid = {30533772}, issn = {2576-098X}, support = {U19 AI110820/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Here, we present a comprehensive transcriptomics data set of Brugia malayi, its Wolbachia endosymbiont wBm, and its vector host. This study samples from 16 stages across the entire B. malayi life cycle, including stage 1 through 4 larvae, adult males and females, embryos, immature microfilariae, and mature microfilariae.}, }
@article {pmid30533608, year = {2018}, author = {Newton, ILG and Sheehan, KB}, title = {Gateway Entry Vector Library of Wolbachia pipientis Candidate Effectors from Strain wMel.}, journal = {Microbiology resource announcements}, volume = {7}, number = {1}, pages = {}, pmid = {30533608}, issn = {2576-098X}, abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis is an intracellular symbiont that modifies host biology using a type IV secretion system to inject bacterial effectors into the host cytoplasm. We utilized a bioinformatics approach to predict Wolbachia effectors and cloned the candidates into an entry vector, which can be utilized for subsequent analyses.}, }
@article {pmid30503908, year = {2019}, author = {McLean, BJ and Dainty, KR and Flores, HA and O'Neill, SL}, title = {Differential suppression of persistent insect specific viruses in trans-infected wMel and wMelPop-CLA Aedes-derived mosquito lines.}, journal = {Virology}, volume = {527}, number = {}, pages = {141-145}, doi = {10.1016/j.virol.2018.11.012}, pmid = {30503908}, issn = {1096-0341}, support = {//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology/*virology ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Coinfection ; Flavivirus/*physiology ; Microbial Interactions ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology/virology ; Orthobunyavirus/*physiology ; RNA, Viral/genetics/metabolism ; Species Specificity ; Virus Replication ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia suppresses the replication of +ssRNA viruses such as dengue and Zika viruses in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. However, the range of viruses affected by this endosymbiont is yet to be explored. Recently, novel insect-specific viruses (ISVs) have been described from numerous mosquito species and mosquito-derived cell lines. Cell-fusing agent virus (Flaviviridae) and Phasi Charoen-like virus (Bunyaviridae) persistently infect the Ae. aegypti cell line Aag2 which has been used for experimental studies with both the wMel and wMelPop-CLA strains. Wolbachia was found to restrict the replication of CFAV but not the PCLV infection in these lines. Furthermore, an additional Ae. albopictus cell line (RML-12) which contained either wMel or wMelPop-CLA was assessed. While no infectious +ssRNA or dsRNA viruses were detected, a PCLV infection was identified. These observations provide additional evidence to support that insect-specific, +ssRNA viruses can be suppressed in cell culture by Wolbachia but -ssRNA viruses may not.}, }
@article {pmid30514847, year = {2018}, author = {Rahimi-Kaldeh, S and Ashouri, A and Bandani, A and Ris, N}, title = {Abiotic and biotic factors influence diapause induction in sexual and asexual strains of Trichogramma brassicae (Hym: Trichogrammatidae).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {17600}, pmid = {30514847}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Diapause, Insect/*physiology ; Photoperiod ; Reproduction, Asexual/*physiology ; Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology ; Temperature ; Wasps/*growth &amp; development ; Wolbachia/pathogenicity ; }, abstract = {The effects of some abiotic (maternal photoperiod and offspring developmental temperature) and biotic (host quality during both maternal and offspring generations) factors on diapause induction were investigated for two sympatric strains of Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hym: Trichogrammatidae) differing by infection status with regard to Wolbachia. The mode of reproduction, developmental temperature, maternal photoperiod and the quality of the host significantly affected diapause induction. The highest percentage of diapausing individuals were observed with the sexual strain reared at 14 °C using a &quot;high quality&quot; host and after a long photophase during the maternal generation. Environment-by-Environment, as well as Genotype-by-Environment interactions, was observed. All these patterns were discussed with the goal of providing relevant protocols for the commercial mass-rearing of such biocontrol agents. A successful diapause in beneficial insects could affect the efficiency of mass rearing by increasing the duration of storage conditions based on a high percent emergence and providing a large number of individuals at the appropriate time in the field season.}, }
@article {pmid30498246, year = {2018}, author = {Jeffries, CL and Tantely, LM and Raharimalala, FN and Hurn, E and Boyer, S and Walker, T}, title = {Diverse novel resident Wolbachia strains in Culicine mosquitoes from Madagascar.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {17456}, pmid = {30498246}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; *Biodiversity ; Culicidae/*microbiology ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Female ; Geography ; Madagascar ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Wolbachia/*classification/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria are widespread throughout insect species and Wolbachia transinfected in Aedes mosquito species has formed the basis for biocontrol programs as Wolbachia strains inhibit arboviral replication and can spread through populations. Resident strains in wild Culicine mosquito populations (the vectors of most arboviruses) requires further investigation given resident strains can also affect arboviral transmission. As Madagascar has a large diversity of both Culicine species and has had recent arboviral outbreaks, an entomology survey was undertaken, in five ecologically diverse sites, to determine the Wolbachia prevalence. We detected diverse novel resident Wolbachia strains within the Aedeomyia, Culex, Ficalbia, Mansonia and Uranotaenia genera. Wolbachia prevalence rates and strain characterisation through Sanger sequencing with multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and phylogenetic analysis revealed significant diversity and we detected co-infections with the environmentally acquired bacteria Asaia. Mosquitoes were screened for major arboviruses to investigate if any evidence could be provided for their potential role in transmission and we report the presence of Rift Valley fever virus in three Culex species: Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Culex antennatus and Culex decens. The implications of the presence of resident Wolbachia strains are discussed and how the discovery of novel strains can be utilized for applications in the development of biocontrol strategies.}, }
@article {pmid30496431, year = {2019}, author = {Sakamoto, H and Suzuki, R and Nishizawa, N and Matsuda, T and Gotoh, T}, title = {Effects of Wolbachia/Cardinium Infection on the Mitochondrial Phylogeny of Oligonychus castaneae (Acari: Tetranychidae).}, journal = {Journal of economic entomology}, volume = {112}, number = {2}, pages = {883-893}, doi = {10.1093/jee/toy354}, pmid = {30496431}, issn = {1938-291X}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteroidetes ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Japan ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Symbiosis ; *Tetranychidae ; *Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {A wide range of invertebrates harbor intracellular endosymbiotic bacteria. Within these endosymbionts, Wolbachia and Cardinium, have been attracting particular attention because these bacteria frequently affect the genetic structure and genetic diversity of their hosts. They cause various reproductive alterations such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis induction, male-killing, and feminization. Through these alterations, they also affect the maternally inherited organelles of their hosts. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can be used for molecular phylogenetic analysis of invertebrates. However, in Wolbachia- or Cardinium-infected invertebrates, phylogenetic trees based on mtDNA are often inconsistent with those based on nuclear DNA. In the present study, we determined the Wolbachia/Cardinium infection status of 45 populations of the mite, Oligonychus castaneae Ehara &amp; Gotoh (Acari: Tetranychidae), collected throughout Japan. Then, we compared phylogenetic trees of O. castaneae based on both the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of mtDNA and the 28S rRNA gene of nuclear DNA to clarify the effects of Wolbachia and/or Cardinium infection. We found 106 Wolbachia-infected individuals and 250 Cardinium-infected individuals in a total of 450 individuals, indicating an infection rate of 79%. No double-infected individuals were observed. In the 28S tree, almost all populations formed a single group. In the COI tree, O. castaneae formed four separate groups that more closely followed Wolbachia/Cardinium infection than geographic distribution. These results strongly suggest that the endosymbionts affected mitochondrial variation of O. castaneae.}, }
@article {pmid30474731, year = {2019}, author = {Hosseinzadeh, S and Shams-Bakhsh, M and Mann, M and Fattah-Hosseini, S and Bagheri, A and Mehrabadi, M and Heck, M}, title = {Distribution and Variation of Bacterial Endosymbiont and &quot;Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus&quot; Titer in the Huanglongbing Insect Vector, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama.}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {78}, number = {1}, pages = {206-222}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-018-1290-1}, pmid = {30474731}, issn = {1432-184X}, support = {5300-163//California Citrus Research Board/ ; 2016-70016-24779//National Institute of Food and Agriculture/ ; 8062-22410-006-00-D//Agricultural Research Service/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Citrus/*microbiology/parasitology ; Endophytes/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/*physiology ; Female ; Hemiptera/*microbiology/physiology ; Insect Vectors/microbiology/physiology ; Male ; Plant Diseases/*microbiology ; Rhizobiaceae/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/*physiology ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; }, abstract = {The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, is an economic insect pest in most citrus-growing regions and the vector of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas), one of at least three known bacteria associated with Huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening disease). D. citri harbors bacterial endosymbionts, including Wolbachia pipientis (strain Wolbachia wDi), 'Candidatus Carsonella ruddii,' and 'Candidatus Profftella armatura.' Many important functions of these bacteria can be inferred from their genome sequences, but their interactions with each other, CLas, and their D. citri host are poorly understood. In the present study, the titers of the endosymbionts in different tissues, in each sex, and in insects reared on healthy citrus (referred to as unexposed) and CLas-infected citrus (referred to as CLas-exposed) D. citri were investigated using real-time, quantitative PCR (qPCR) using two different quantitative approaches. Wolbachia and CLas were detected in all insect tissues. The titer of Wolbachia was higher in heads of CLas-exposed males as compared to unexposed males. In males and females, Wolbachia titer was highest in the Malpighian tubules. The highest titer of CLas was observed in the gut. Profftella and Carsonella titers were significantly reduced in the bacteriome of CLas-exposed males compared with that of unexposed males, but this effect was not observed in females. In ovaries of CLas-exposed females, the Profftella and Carsonella titers were increased as compared to non-exposed females. CLas appeared to influence the overall levels of the symbionts but did not drastically perturb the overall microbial community structure. In all the assessed tissues, CLas titer in males was significantly higher than that of females using absolute quantification. These data provide a better understanding of multi-trophic interactions regulating symbiont dynamics in the HLB pathosystem.}, }
@article {pmid30470196, year = {2018}, author = {Doudoumis, V and Augustinos, A and Saridaki, A and Parker, A and Abd-Alla, AMM and Bourtzis, K and Tsiamis, G}, title = {Different laboratory populations similar bacterial profile? The case of Glossina palpalis gambiensis.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {18}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {148}, pmid = {30470196}, issn = {1471-2180}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/*classification/isolation &amp; purification ; Enterobacteriaceae/genetics ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology ; *Genetic Variation ; Male ; *Microbiota ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Symbiosis ; Tsetse Flies/*microbiology ; Wigglesworthia/genetics ; Wolbachia/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Microbiota plays an important role in the biology, ecology and evolution of insects including tsetse flies. The bacterial profile of 3 Glossina palpalis gambiensis laboratory colonies was examined using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to evaluate the dynamics of the bacterial diversity within and between each G. p. gambiensis colony.<br><br>RESULTS: The three G. p. gambiensis laboratory colonies displayed similar bacterial diversity indices and OTU distribution. Larval guts displayed a higher diversity when compared with the gastrointestinal tract of adults while no statistically significant differences were observed between testes and ovaries. Wigglesworthia and Sodalis were the most dominant taxa. In more detail, the gastrointestinal tract of adults was more enriched by Wigglesworthia while Sodalis were prominent in gonads. Interestingly, in larval guts a balanced co-existence between Wigglesworthia and Sodalis was observed. Sequences assigned to Wolbachia, Propionibacterium, and Providencia were also detected but to a much lesser degree. Clustering analysis indicated that the bacterial profile in G. p. gambiensis exhibits tissue tropism, hence distinguishing the gut bacterial profile from that present in reproductive organs.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that age, gender and the origin of the laboratory colonies did not significantly influence the formation of the bacterial profile, once these populations were kept under the same rearing conditions. Within the laboratory populations a tissue tropism was observed between the gut and gonadal bacterial profile.}, }
@article {pmid30470190, year = {2018}, author = {Augustinos, AA and Meki, IK and Demirbas-Uzel, G and Ouédraogo, GMS and Saridaki, A and Tsiamis, G and Parker, AG and Abd-Alla, AMM and Bourtzis, K}, title = {Nuclear and Wolbachia-based multimarker approach for the rapid and accurate identification of tsetse species.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {18}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {147}, pmid = {30470190}, issn = {1471-2180}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Insect Vectors/*classification ; Mitochondria/genetics ; Molecular Typing/economics/*methods ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Symbiosis/genetics ; Tsetse Flies/*classification/*microbiology ; Wolbachia/*genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) are solely responsible for the transmission of African trypanosomes, causative agents of sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in livestock. Due to the lack of efficient vaccines and the emergence of drug resistance, vector control approaches such as the sterile insect technique (SIT), remain the most effective way to control disease. SIT is a species-specific approach and therefore requires accurate identification of natural pest populations at the species level. However, the presence of morphologically similar species (species complexes and sub-species) in tsetse flies challenges the successful implementation of SIT-based population control.<br><br>RESULTS: In this study, we evaluate different molecular tools that can be applied for the delimitation of different Glossina species using tsetse samples derived from laboratory colonies, natural populations and museum specimens. The use of mitochondrial markers, nuclear markers (including internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and different microsatellites), and bacterial symbiotic markers (Wolbachia infection status) in combination with relatively inexpensive techniques such as PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, and to some extent sequencing provided a rapid, cost effective, and accurate identification of several tsetse species.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of SIT benefits from the fine resolution of species limits in nature. The present study supports the quick identification of large samples using simple and cost effective universalized protocols, which can be easily applied by countries/laboratories with limited resources and expertise.}, }
@article {pmid30470187, year = {2018}, author = {Ouedraogo, GMS and Demirbas-Uzel, G and Rayaisse, JB and Gimonneau, G and Traore, AC and Avgoustinos, A and Parker, AG and Sidibe, I and Ouedraogo, AG and Traore, A and Bayala, B and Vreysen, MJB and Bourtzis, K and Abd-Alla, AMM}, title = {Prevalence of trypanosomes, salivary gland hypertrophy virus and Wolbachia in wild populations of tsetse flies from West Africa.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {18}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {153}, pmid = {30470187}, issn = {1471-2180}, mesh = {Africa, Western ; Animals ; Cytomegalovirus/*isolation &amp; purification/pathogenicity ; Geography ; Ghana ; Humans ; Insect Vectors/microbiology/parasitology/virology ; Prevalence ; Spiroplasma/isolation &amp; purification ; Symbiosis ; Trypanosoma/*isolation &amp; purification ; Tsetse Flies/*microbiology/*parasitology/*virology ; Wolbachia/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Tsetse flies are vectors of African trypanosomes, protozoan parasites that cause sleeping sickness (or human African trypanosomosis) in humans and nagana (or animal African trypanosomosis) in livestock. In addition to trypanosomes, four symbiotic bacteria Wigglesworthia glossinidia, Sodalis glossinidius, Wolbachia, Spiroplasma and one pathogen, the salivary gland hypertrophy virus (SGHV), have been reported in different tsetse species. We evaluated the prevalence and coinfection dynamics between Wolbachia, trypanosomes, and SGHV in four tsetse species (Glossina palpalis gambiensis, G. tachinoides, G. morsitans submorsitans, and G. medicorum) that were collected between 2008 and 2015 from 46 geographical locations in West Africa, i.e. Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana, Guinea, and Senegal.<br><br>RESULTS: The results indicated an overall low prevalence of SGHV and Wolbachia and a high prevalence of trypanosomes in the sampled wild tsetse populations. The prevalence of all three infections varied among tsetse species and sample origin. The highest trypanosome prevalence was found in Glossina tachinoides (61.1%) from Ghana and in Glossina palpalis gambiensis (43.7%) from Senegal. The trypanosome prevalence in the four species from Burkina Faso was lower, i.e. 39.6% in Glossina medicorum, 18.08%; in Glossina morsitans submorsitans, 16.8%; in Glossina tachinoides and 10.5% in Glossina palpalis gambiensis. The trypanosome prevalence in Glossina palpalis gambiensis was lowest in Mali (6.9%) and Guinea (2.2%). The prevalence of SGHV and Wolbachia was very low irrespective of location or tsetse species with an average of 1.7% for SGHV and 1.0% for Wolbachia. In some cases, mixed infections with different trypanosome species were detected. The highest prevalence of coinfection was Trypanosoma vivax and other Trypanosoma species (9.5%) followed by coinfection of T. congolense with other trypanosomes (7.5%). The prevalence of coinfection of T. vivax and T. congolense was (1.0%) and no mixed infection of trypanosomes, SGHV and Wolbachia was detected.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The results indicated a high rate of trypanosome infection in tsetse wild populations in West African countries but lower infection rate of both Wolbachia and SGHV. Double or triple mixed trypanosome infections were found. In addition, mixed trypanosome and SGHV infections existed however no mixed infections of trypanosome and/or SGHV with Wolbachia were found.}, }
@article {pmid30470186, year = {2018}, author = {Kariithi, HM and Boucias, DG and Murungi, EK and Meki, IK and Demirbaş-Uzel, G and van Oers, MM and Vreysen, MJB and Abd-Alla, AMM and Vlak, JM}, title = {Coevolution of hytrosaviruses and host immune responses.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {18}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {183}, pmid = {30470186}, issn = {1471-2180}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Coevolution ; Cytomegalovirus/*genetics/immunology ; DNA Viruses/genetics ; DNA, Viral/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genome Size ; *Host Microbial Interactions ; Houseflies/immunology/virology ; Insect Viruses/genetics/immunology ; Phylogeny ; Salivary Glands/pathology/virology ; Tsetse Flies/immunology/*virology ; Virion/immunology ; Virus Replication ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Hytrosaviruses (SGHVs; Hytrosaviridae family) are double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses that cause salivary gland hypertrophy (SGH) syndrome in flies. Two structurally and functionally distinct SGHVs are recognized; Glossina pallidipes SGHV (GpSGHV) and Musca domestica SGHV (MdSGHV), that infect the hematophagous tsetse fly and the filth-feeding housefly, respectively. Genome sizes and gene contents of GpSGHV (~ 190 kb; 160-174 genes) and MdSGHV (~ 124 kb; 108 genes) may reflect an evolution with the SGHV-hosts resulting in differences in pathobiology. Whereas GpSGHV can switch from asymptomatic to symptomatic infections in response to certain unknown cues, MdSGHV solely infects symptomatically. Overt SGH characterizes the symptomatic infections of SGHVs, but whereas MdSGHV induces both nuclear and cellular hypertrophy (enlarged non-replicative cells), GpSGHV induces cellular hyperplasia (enlarged replicative cells). Compared to GpSGHV's specificity to Glossina species, MdSGHV infects other sympatric muscids. The MdSGHV-induced total shutdown of oogenesis inhibits its vertical transmission, while the GpSGHV's asymptomatic and symptomatic infections promote vertical and horizontal transmission, respectively. This paper reviews the coevolution of the SGHVs and their hosts (housefly and tsetse fly) based on phylogenetic relatedness of immune gene orthologs/paralogs and compares this with other virus-insect models.<br><br>RESULTS: Whereas MdSGHV is not vertically transmitted, GpSGHV is both vertically and horizontally transmitted, and the balance between the two transmission modes may significantly influence the pathogenesis of tsetse virus. The presence and absence of bacterial symbionts (Wigglesworthia and Sodalis) in tsetse and Wolbachia in the housefly, respectively, potentially contributes to the development of SGH symptoms. Unlike MdSGHV, GpSGHV contains not only host-derived proteins, but also appears to have evolutionarily recruited cellular genes from ancestral host(s) into its genome, which, although may be nonessential for viral replication, potentially contribute to the evasion of host's immune responses. Whereas MdSGHV has evolved strategies to counteract both the housefly's RNAi and apoptotic responses, the housefly has expanded its repertoire of immune effector, modulator and melanization genes compared to the tsetse fly.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The ecologies and life-histories of the housefly and tsetse fly may significantly influence coevolution of MdSGHV and GpSGHV with their hosts. Although there are still many unanswered questions regarding the pathogenesis of SGHVs, and the extent to which microbiota influence expression of overt SGH symptoms, SGHVs are attractive 'explorers' to elucidate the immune responses of their hosts, and the transmission modes of other large DNA viruses.}, }
@article {pmid30470185, year = {2018}, author = {Schneider, DI and Parker, AG and Abd-Alla, AM and Miller, WJ}, title = {High-sensitivity detection of cryptic Wolbachia in the African tsetse fly (Glossina spp.).}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {18}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {140}, pmid = {30470185}, issn = {1471-2180}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/genetics ; Female ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence/*methods ; Insect Vectors/microbiology ; Limit of Detection ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Symbiosis ; Tsetse Flies/*microbiology ; Wolbachia/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: In African tsetse flies Glossina, spp. detection of bacterial symbionts such as Wolbachia is challenging since their prevalence and distribution are patchy, and natural symbiont titers can range at levels far below detection limit of standard molecular techniques. Reliable estimation of symbiont infection frequency, especially with regard to interrelations between symbionts and their potential impact on host biology, is of pivotal interest in the context of future applications for the control and eradication of Glossina-vectored African trypanosomosis. The presence or absence of symbionts is routinely screened with endpoint polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which has numerous advantages, but reaches its limits, when detecting infections at natural low titer. To not only determine presence of native tsetse symbionts but also to localize them to specific host tissues, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) can be applied. However, classic FISH assays may not detect low-titer infections due to limitations in sensitivity.<br><br>RESULTS: We have compared classic endpoint PCR with high-sensitivity blot-PCR. We demonstrate that the latter technique allows for clear detection of low-titer Wolbachia in the morsitans and palpalis groups while classic endpoint PCR does not. In order to localize Wolbachia in situ in high and low-titer Glossina species, we applied high-end Stellaris® rRNA-FISH. We show that with this high sensitivity method, even low amounts of Wolbachia can be traced in specific tissues. Furthermore, we highlight that more tissues and organs than previously recorded are infested with Wolbachia in subspecies of the morsitans and palpalis groups.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that overall symbiont infection frequencies as well as the presence in specific host tissues may be underestimated when using low-sensitivity methods. To better understand the complex interrelation of tsetse flies and their native symbionts plus the pathogenic trypanosomes, it is important to consider application of a broader range of high-sensitivity detection tools.}, }
@article {pmid30470179, year = {2018}, author = {Demirbas-Uzel, G and De Vooght, L and Parker, AG and Vreysen, MJB and Mach, RL and Van Den Abbeele, J and Abd-Alla, AMM}, title = {Combining paratransgenesis with SIT: impact of ionizing radiation on the DNA copy number of Sodalis glossinidius in tsetse flies.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {18}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {160}, pmid = {30470179}, issn = {1471-2180}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/*radiation effects ; Enterobacteriaceae/*genetics/*radiation effects ; Enterobacteriaceae Infections ; Female ; Insect Control/*methods ; Insect Vectors/microbiology ; Male ; *Radiation, Ionizing ; Symbiosis ; Tsetse Flies/*microbiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) are the cyclical vectors of the causative agents of African Trypanosomosis, which has been identified as a neglected tropical disease in both humans and animals in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The sterile insect technique (SIT) has shown to be a powerful method to manage tsetse fly populations when used in the frame of an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) program. To date, the release of sterile males to manage tsetse fly populations has only been implemented in areas to reduce transmission of animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT). The implementation of the SIT in areas with Human African Trypanosomosis (HAT) would require additional measures to eliminate the potential risk associated with the release of sterile males that require blood meals to survive and hence, might contribute to disease transmission. Paratransgenesis offers the potential to develop tsetse flies that are refractory to trypanosome infection by modifying their associated bacteria (Sodalis glossinidius) here after referred to as Sodalis. Here we assessed the feasibility of combining the paratransgenesis approach with SIT by analyzing the impact of ionizing radiation on the copy number of Sodalis and the vectorial capacity of sterilized tsetse males.<br><br>RESULTS: Adult Glossina morsitans morsitans that emerged from puparia irradiated on day 22 post larviposition did not show a significant decline in Sodalis copy number as compared with non-irradiated flies. Conversely, the Sodalis copy number was significantly reduced in adults that emerged from puparia irradiated on day 29 post larviposition and in adults irradiated on day 7 post emergence. Moreover, irradiating 22-day old puparia reduced the copy number of Wolbachia and Wigglesworthia in emerged adults as compared with non-irradiated controls, but the radiation treatment had no significant impact on the vectorial competence of the flies.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Although the radiation treatment significantly reduced the copy number of some tsetse fly symbionts, the copy number of Sodalis recovered with time in flies irradiated as 22-day old puparia. This recovery offers the opportunity to combine a paratransgenesis approach - using modified Sodalis to produce males refractory to trypanosome infection - with the release of sterile males to minimize the risk of disease transmission, especially in HAT endemic areas. Moreover, irradiation did not increase the vector competence of the flies for trypanosomes.}, }
@article {pmid30470177, year = {2018}, author = {Kame-Ngasse, GI and Njiokou, F and Melachio-Tanekou, TT and Farikou, O and Simo, G and Geiger, A}, title = {Prevalence of symbionts and trypanosome infections in tsetse flies of two villages of the &quot;Faro and Déo&quot; division of the Adamawa region of Cameroon.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {18}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {159}, pmid = {30470177}, issn = {1471-2180}, mesh = {Animals ; Cameroon ; Enterobacteriaceae/*isolation &amp; purification ; Insect Vectors/microbiology/parasitology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; *Symbiosis ; Trypanosoma/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Tsetse Flies/*microbiology/*parasitology ; Wolbachia/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Tsetse flies are vectors of human and animal African trypanosomiasis. In spite of many decades of chemotherapy and vector control, the disease has not been eradicated. Other methods like the transformation of tsetse fly symbionts to render the fly refractory to trypanosome infection are being evaluated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between trypanosome infections and the presence of symbionts in these tsetse species. Tsetse flies were trapped in two villages of the &quot;Faro and Déo&quot; Division of the Adamawa region of Cameroon. In the field, tsetse fly species were identified and their infection by trypanosomes was checked by microscopy. In the laboratory, DNA was extracted from their midguts and the presence of symbionts (Sodalis glossinidius and Wolbachia sp.) and trypanosomes was checked by PCR. Symbionts/trypanosomes association tests were performed.<br><br>RESULTS: Three tsetse fly species including Glossina tachinoides (90.1%), Glossina morsitans submorsitans (9.4%) and Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (0.5%) were caught. In all the population we obtained an occurrence rate of 37.2% for Sodalis glossinidius and 67.6% for Wolbachia irrespective to tsetse flies species. S. glossinidius and Wolbachia sp. occurrence rates were respectively 37 and 68% for G. tachinoides and 28.6 and 59.5% for G. m. submorsitans. Between Golde Bourle and Mayo Dagoum significant differences were observed in the prevalence of symbionts. Prevalence of trypanosomes were 34.8% for Glossina tachinoides and 40.5% for Glossina morsitans submorsitans. In G. tachinoides, the trypanosome infection rates were 11, 2.6 and 13.7%, respectively, for T. brucei s.l., T. congolense forest type and T. congolense savannah type. In G. m. submorsitans, these infection rates were 16.7, 9.5 and, 2.4% respectively, for T. brucei s.l., T. congolense forest type and T. congolense savannah type.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The rate of tsetse fly infection by trypanosomes was low compared to those obtained in HAT foci of south Cameroon, and this rate was not statistically linked to the rate of symbiont occurrence. This study allowed to show for the first time the presence of Wolbachia sp. in the tsetse fly sub-species Glossina morsitans submorsitans and Glossina tachinoides.}, }
@article {pmid30470176, year = {2018}, author = {Zaidman-Rémy, A and Vigneron, A and Weiss, BL and Heddi, A}, title = {What can a weevil teach a fly, and reciprocally? Interaction of host immune systems with endosymbionts in Glossina and Sitophilus.}, journal = {BMC microbiology}, volume = {18}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {150}, pmid = {30470176}, issn = {1471-2180}, support = {R01 AI051584/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Enterobacteriaceae/immunology ; Host Microbial Interactions/*immunology ; Pest Control ; Symbiosis/*immunology ; Tsetse Flies/immunology/*microbiology ; Weevils/immunology/*microbiology ; Wigglesworthia/immunology ; Wolbachia/immunology ; }, abstract = {The tsetse fly (Glossina genus) is the main vector of African trypanosomes, which are protozoan parasites that cause human and animal African trypanosomiases in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the frame of the IAEA/FAO program 'Enhancing Vector Refractoriness to Trypanosome Infection', in addition to the tsetse, the cereal weevil Sitophilus has been introduced as a comparative system with regards to immune interactions with endosymbionts. The cereal weevil is an agricultural pest that destroys a significant proportion of cereal stocks worldwide. Tsetse flies are associated with three symbiotic bacteria, the multifunctional obligate Wigglesworthia glossinidia, the facultative commensal Sodalis glossinidius and the parasitic Wolbachia. Cereal weevils house an obligatory nutritional symbiosis with the bacterium Sodalis pierantonius, and occasionally Wolbachia. Studying insect host-symbiont interactions is highly relevant both for understanding the evolution of symbiosis and for envisioning novel pest control strategies. In both insects, the long co-evolution between host and endosymbiont has led to a stringent integration of the host-bacteria partnership. These associations were facilitated by the development of specialized host traits, including symbiont-housing cells called bacteriocytes and specific immune features that enable both tolerance and control of the bacteria. In this review, we compare the tsetse and weevil model systems and compile the latest research findings regarding their biological and ecological similarities, how the immune system controls endosymbiont load and location, and how host-symbiont interactions impact developmental features including cuticle synthesis and immune system maturation. We focus mainly on the interactions between the obligate symbionts and their host's immune systems, a central theme in both model systems. Finally, we highlight how parallel studies on cereal weevils and tsetse flies led to mutual discoveries and stimulated research on each model, creating a pivotal example of scientific improvement through comparison between relatively distant models.}, }
@article {pmid30468769, year = {2019}, author = {Bi, J and Zheng, Y and Wang, RF and Ai, H and Haynes, PR and Brownlie, JC and Yu, XQ and Wang, YF}, title = {Wolbachia infection may improve learning and memory capacity of Drosophila by altering host gene expression through microRNA.}, journal = {Insect biochemistry and molecular biology}, volume = {106}, number = {}, pages = {47-54}, doi = {10.1016/j.ibmb.2018.11.007}, pmid = {30468769}, issn = {1879-0240}, mesh = {Animals ; Drosophila melanogaster/microbiology/*physiology ; Drosophila simulans/microbiology/*physiology ; *Gene Expression Regulation ; Learning ; Memory ; MicroRNAs/*genetics/metabolism ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria present in a wide range of invertebrates. Although their dramatic effects on host reproductive biology have been well studied, little is known about the effects of Wolbachia on the learning and memory capacity (LMC) of hosts, despite their distribution in the host nervous system, including brain. In this study, we found that Wolbachia infection significantly enhanced LMC in both Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans. Expression of LMC-related genes was significantly increased in the head of D. melanogaster infected with the wMel strain, and among these genes, crebA was up-regulated the most. Knockdown of crebA in Wolbachia-infected flies significantly decreased LMC, while overexpression of crebA in Wolbachia-free flies significantly enhanced the LMC of flies. More importantly, a microRNA (miRNA), dme-miR-92b, was identified to be complementary to the 3'UTR of crebA. Wolbachia infection was correlated with reduced expression of dme-miR-92b in D. melanogaster, and dme-miR-92b negatively regulated crebA through binding to its 3'UTR region. Overexpression of dme-miR-92b in Wolbachia-infected flies by microinjection of agomirs caused a significant decrease in crebA expression and LMC, while inhibition of dme-miR-92b in Wolbachia-free flies by microinjection of antagomirs resulted in a significant increase in crebA expression and LMC. These results suggest that Wolbachia may improve LMC in Drosophila by altering host gene expression through a miRNA-target pathway. Our findings help better understand the host-endosymbiont interactions and, in particular, the impact of Wolbachia on cognitive processes in invertebrate hosts.}, }
@article {pmid30459726, year = {2018}, author = {Brown, AMV and Wasala, SK and Howe, DK and Peetz, AB and Zasada, IA and Denver, DR}, title = {Comparative Genomics of Wolbachia-Cardinium Dual Endosymbiosis in a Plant-Parasitic Nematode.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {9}, number = {}, pages = {2482}, pmid = {30459726}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Wolbachia and Cardinium are among the most important and widespread of all endosymbionts, occurring in nematodes and more than half of insect and arachnid species, sometimes as coinfections. These symbionts are of significant interest as potential biocontrol agents due to their abilities to cause major effects on host biology and reproduction through cytoplasmic incompatibility, sex ratio distortion, or obligate mutualism. The ecological and metabolic effects of coinfections are not well understood. This study examined a Wolbachia-Cardinium coinfection in the plant-parasitic nematode (PPN), Pratylenchus penetrans, producing the first detailed study of such a coinfection using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and comparative genomic analysis. Results from FISH and single-nematode PCR showed 123/127 individuals in a focal population carried Cardinium (denoted strain cPpe), and 48% were coinfected with Wolbachia strain wPpe. Both endosymbionts showed dispersed tissue distribution with highest densities in the anterior intestinal walls and gonads. Phylogenomic analyses confirmed an early place of cPpe and long distance from a sister strain in another PPN, Heterodera glycines, supporting a long history of both Cardinium and Wolbachia in PPNs. The genome of cPpe was 1.36 Mbp with 35.8% GC content, 1,131 predicted genes, 41% having no known function, and missing biotin and lipoate synthetic capacity and a plasmid present in other strains, despite having a slightly larger genome compared to other sequenced Cardinium. The larger genome revealed expansions of gene families likely involved in host-cellular interactions. More than 2% of the genes of cPpe and wPpe were identified as candidate horizontally transferred genes, with some of these from eukaryotes, including nematodes. A model of the possible Wolbachia-Cardinium interaction is proposed with possible complementation in function for pathways such as methionine and fatty acid biosynthesis and biotin transport.}, }
@article {pmid30459180, year = {2019}, author = {Singh, ND}, title = {Wolbachia Infection Associated with Increased Recombination in Drosophila.}, journal = {G3 (Bethesda, Md.)}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {229-237}, doi = {10.1534/g3.118.200827}, pmid = {30459180}, issn = {2160-1836}, mesh = {Animals ; Drosophila melanogaster/*genetics/microbiology ; Fertility/genetics ; Genome, Insect/genetics ; Reproduction/*genetics ; Symbiosis/*genetics ; Wolbachia/*genetics/pathogenicity ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is a maternally-transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria that infects a large diversity of arthropod and nematode hosts. Some strains of Wolbachia are parasitic, manipulating host reproduction to benefit themselves, while other strains of Wolbachia exhibit obligate or facultative mutualisms with their host. The effects of Wolbachia on its host are many, though primarily relate to host immune and reproductive function. Here we test the hypothesis that Wolbachia infection alters the frequency of homologous recombination during meiosis. We use D. melanogaster as a model system, and survey recombination in eight wild-derived Wolbachia-infected (strain wMel) and Wolbachia-uninfected strains, controlling for genotype. We measure recombination in two intervals of the genome. Our results indicate that Wolbachia infection is associated with increased recombination in one genomic interval and not the other. The effect of Wolbachia infection on recombination is thus heterogenous across the genome. Our data also indicate a reproductive benefit of Wolbachia infection; infected females show higher fecundity than their uninfected genotypic controls. Given the prevalence of Wolbachia infection in natural populations, our findings suggest that Wolbachia infection is likely to contribute to recombination rate and fecundity variation among individuals in nature.}, }
@article {pmid30456532, year = {2019}, author = {Schneider, DI and Ehrman, L and Engl, T and Kaltenpoth, M and Hua-Van, A and Le Rouzic, A and Miller, WJ}, title = {Symbiont-Driven Male Mating Success in the Neotropical Drosophila paulistorum Superspecies.}, journal = {Behavior genetics}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, pages = {83-98}, doi = {10.1007/s10519-018-9937-8}, pmid = {30456532}, issn = {1573-3297}, mesh = {Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Biological Evolution ; Drosophila/*microbiology ; Drosophila Proteins/metabolism ; Female ; Male ; Reproduction/*physiology ; Reproductive Isolation ; Sex Attractants/metabolism/physiology ; Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Species Specificity ; Symbiosis/*genetics ; Wolbachia/physiology ; }, abstract = {Microbial symbionts are ubiquitous associates of living organisms but their role in mediating reproductive isolation (RI) remains controversial. We addressed this knowledge gap by employing the Drosophila paulistorum-Wolbachia model system. Semispecies in the D. paulistorum species complex exhibit strong RI between each other and knockdown of obligate mutualistic Wolbachia bacteria in female D. paulistorum flies triggers loss of assortative mating behavior against males carrying incompatible Wolbachia strains. Here we set out to determine whether de novo RI can be introduced by Wolbachia-knockdown in D. paulistorum males. We show that Wolbachia-knockdown D. paulistorum males (i) are rejected as mates by wild type females, (ii) express altered sexual pheromone profiles, and (iii) are devoid of the endosymbiont in pheromone producing cells. Our findings suggest that changes in Wolbachia titer and tissue tropism can induce de novo premating isolation by directly or indirectly modulating sexual behavior of their native D. paulistorum hosts.}, }
@article {pmid30449670, year = {2018}, author = {Hamilton, PT and Hodson, CN and Curtis, CI and Perlman, SJ}, title = {Genetics and Genomics of an Unusual Selfish Sex Ratio Distortion in an Insect.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {28}, number = {23}, pages = {3864-3870.e4}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2018.10.035}, pmid = {30449670}, issn = {1879-0445}, support = {//CIHR/Canada ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; *Genome, Insect ; Insecta/*genetics ; Male ; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; Reproduction ; Sex Chromosomes/*genetics ; *Sex Ratio ; Wolbachia/genetics ; }, abstract = {Diverse selfish genetic elements have evolved the ability to manipulate reproduction to increase their transmission, and this can result in highly distorted sex ratios [1]. Indeed, one of the major explanations for why sex determination systems are so dynamic is because they are shaped by ongoing coevolutionary arms races between sex-ratio-distorting elements and the rest of the genome [2]. Here, we use genetic crosses and genome analysis to describe an unusual sex ratio distortion with striking consequences on genome organization in a booklouse species, Liposcelis sp. (Insecta: Psocodea), in which two types of females coexist. Distorter females never produce sons but must mate with males (the sons of nondistorting females) to reproduce [3]. Although they are diploid and express the genes inherited from their fathers in somatic tissues, distorter females only ever transmit genes inherited from their mothers. As a result, distorter females have unusual chimeric genomes, with distorter-restricted chromosomes diverging from their nondistorting counterparts and exhibiting features of a giant non-recombining sex chromosome. The distorter-restricted genome has also acquired a gene from the bacterium Wolbachia, a well-known insect reproductive manipulator; we found that this gene has independently colonized the genomes of two other insect species with unusual reproductive systems, suggesting possible roles in sex ratio distortion in this remarkable genetic system.}, }
@article {pmid30448462, year = {2019}, author = {Hu, L and Huang, M and Tang, M and Yu, J and Zheng, B}, title = {Wolbachia spread dynamics in multi-regimes of environmental conditions.}, journal = {Journal of theoretical biology}, volume = {462}, number = {}, pages = {247-258}, doi = {10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.11.009}, pmid = {30448462}, issn = {1095-8541}, abstract = {Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and Zika kill more than 700,000 people each year in the world. A novel strategy to control these diseases employs the bacterium Wolbachia whose infection in mosquitoes blocks virus replication. The prerequisite for this measure is to release Wolbachia -infected mosquitoes to replace wild population. Due to the fluctuation of environmental conditions for mosquito growth, we develop and analyze a model of differential equations with parameters randomly changing over multiple environmental regimes. By comparing the dynamics between the stochastic system and constructed auxiliary systems, combined with other techniques, we provide sharp estimates on the threshold releasing level for Wolbachia fixation. We define the alarm period of disease transmission to measure the risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Our numerical simulations suggest that more frequent inter-regime transitions help reduce the alarm period, and the disease transmission is more sensitive to the average climatic conditions than the number of sub-regimes over a given time period. Further numerical examples also indicate that the reduction in the waiting time to suppress 95% of wild population is more evident when the releasing amount is increased up to a double of the wild population.}, }
@article {pmid30448382, year = {2019}, author = {Herran, B and Cerveau, N and Houdelet, C and Bernier, C and Debenest, C and Delaunay, C and Raimond, M and Bertaux, J and Grève, P}, title = {IGFBP-rP1, a strongly conserved member of the androgenic hormone signalling pathway in Isopoda.}, journal = {General and comparative endocrinology}, volume = {272}, number = {}, pages = {9-19}, doi = {10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.11.006}, pmid = {30448382}, issn = {1095-6840}, mesh = {Androgens ; Animals ; Female ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins/*genetics/*metabolism ; Isopoda/*metabolism ; Male ; Signal Transduction ; }, abstract = {The first protein which has been described to interact with the malacostracan Androgenic Gland Hormone (AGH) is a binding protein called IGFBP-rP1. It has been identified and studied in several species of decapods, in which its interaction with the masculinizing hormone and its expression patterns have been established in several ways. However, this protein remains uncharacterised to date in the other malacostracan orders, like Amphipoda and Isopoda, although they were historically the first ones in which the androgenic gland and the corresponding hormone were respectively described. In this article, we identified the IGFBP-rP1 of isopods and established its implication in the pathway of the AGH with a silencing approach in the model species Armadillidium vulgare. We also showed that this gene is expressed in all the tissues of males and females, with a similar pattern in animals infected with Wolbachia, a feminizing endosymbiont of several isopod species. The expression pattern did not differ during the development of uninfected and infected animals either. We finally studied the evolution of the IGFBP-rP1 in 68 isopod species, looking for conserved motifs and evidence of natural selection. Altogether, our results showed that this gene is constitutively expressed and strongly conserved in isopods, in which it likely constitutes a key element of the insulin/IGF signalling pathway. However, we also illustrated that IGFBP-rP1 is not sufficient on its own to explain the different developmental paths taken by the males and the females or feminized genetic males.}, }
@article {pmid30440032, year = {2018}, author = {Gomes, FM and Barillas-Mury, C}, title = {Infection of anopheline mosquitoes with Wolbachia: Implications for malaria control.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {14}, number = {11}, pages = {e1007333}, pmid = {30440032}, issn = {1553-7374}, support = {Z01 AI000947/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anopheles/*microbiology ; Insect Vectors ; Malaria/metabolism/*prevention &amp; control/virology ; Wolbachia/*virology ; }, }
@article {pmid30426159, year = {2019}, author = {Mohanty, I and Rath, A and Swain, SP and Pradhan, N and Hazra, RK}, title = {Wolbachia Population in Vectors and Non-vectors: A Sustainable Approach Towards Dengue Control.}, journal = {Current microbiology}, volume = {76}, number = {2}, pages = {133-143}, doi = {10.1007/s00284-018-1596-8}, pmid = {30426159}, issn = {1432-0991}, support = {0//Lady Tata Memorial Trust/ ; }, mesh = {Aedes/microbiology ; Animals ; Biological Control Agents ; Communicable Disease Control/*methods ; Dengue/*prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Female ; India ; Male ; Mosquito Vectors/classification/*microbiology ; Ovary/microbiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Salivary Glands/microbiology ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/genetics/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is gram negative obligate endosymbiont known for reproductive manipulation in the host. It is important to study the presence of natural Wolbachia in mosquitoes which can later help in understanding the effect of transfected strain on indigenous strain. With this view, the present study is undertaken to focus on the prevalence, diversity, infection frequencies, phylogeny and density of indigenous Wolbachia strains in wild mosquito species of Odisha. Our study confirms Wolbachia presence in Ae. albopictus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. vishnui, Cx. gelidus, Ar. subalbatus, Mn. uniformis, and Mn. indiana. Wolbachia in the above mosquitoes were separated into two supergroups (A and B). Ae. albopictus, the major vector of dengue and chikungungunya had both super-infection and mono-infection. The ovaries of Ae. albopictus were highest in density of Wolbachia as compared to midguts or salivary glands. wAlBA and wAlbB density were variable in mosquitoes of F1 generation for both the sex and at different age. We also found that Wolbachia super-infection in females tends to increase whereas wAlbA density reduced completely as compared to wAlbB in males when they grew old. Giemsa stained squashed ovaries revealed pink pleomorphic Wolbachia cells with different shapes and forms. This study is unique in its kind covering the major aspects of the endosymbiont Wolbachia and focusing on its potential as a biocontrol agent in arboviral outbreaks. Knowledge on potential of the indigenous strain and interactions between Wolbachia and viruses can be utilized further to reduce the global burden of vector borne diseases.}, }
@article {pmid30425700, year = {2018}, author = {Hubert, J and Nesvorna, M and Sopko, B and Smrz, J and Klimov, P and Erban, T}, title = {Two Populations of Mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) Differ in Response to Feeding on Feces-Containing Diets.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {9}, number = {}, pages = {2590}, pmid = {30425700}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Background:Tyrophagus putrescentiae is a ubiquitous mite species in soil, stored products and house dust and infests food and causes allergies in people. T. putrescentiae populations harbor different bacterial communities, including intracellular symbionts and gut bacteria. The spread of microorganisms via the fecal pellets of T. putrescentiae is a possibility that has not been studied in detail but may be an important means by which gut bacteria colonize subsequent generations of mites. Feces in soil may be a vector for the spread of microorganisms. Methods: Extracts from used mite culture medium (i.e., residual food, mite feces, and dead mite bodies) were used as a source of feces-inhabiting microorganisms as food for the mites. Two T. putrescentiae populations (L and P) were used for experiments, and they hosted the intracellular bacteria Cardinium and Wolbachia, respectively. The effects of the fecal fraction on respiration in a mite microcosm, mite nutrient contents, population growth and microbiome composition were evaluated. Results: Feces from the P population comprised more than 90% Bartonella-like sequences. Feces from the L population feces hosted Staphylococcus, Virgibacillus, Brevibacterium, Enterobacteriaceae, and Bacillus. The mites from the P population, but not the L population, exhibited increased bacterial respiration in the microcosms in comparison to no-mite controls. Both L- and P-feces extracts had an inhibitory effect on the respiration of the microcosms, indicating antagonistic interactions within feces-associated bacteria. The mite microbiomes were resistant to the acquisition of new bacterial species from the feces, but their bacterial profiles were affected. Feeding of P mites on P-feces-enriched diets resulted in an increase in Bartonella abundance from 6 to 20% of the total bacterial sequences and a decrease in Bacillus abundance. The population growth was fivefold accelerated on P-feces extracts in comparison to the control. Conclusion: The mite microbiome, to a certain extent, resists the acquisition of new bacteria when mites are fed on feces of the same species. However, a Bartonella-like bacteria-feces-enriched diet seems to be beneficial for mite populations with symbiotic Bartonella-like bacteria. Coprophagy on the feces of its own population may be a mechanism of bacterial acquisition in T. putrescentiae.}, }
@article {pmid30422992, year = {2018}, author = {Grobler, Y and Yun, CY and Kahler, DJ and Bergman, CM and Lee, H and Oliver, B and Lehmann, R}, title = {Whole genome screen reveals a novel relationship between Wolbachia levels and Drosophila host translation.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {14}, number = {11}, pages = {e1007445}, pmid = {30422992}, issn = {1553-7374}, support = {/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; P30 CA016087/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; P40 OD018537/OD/NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Culicidae ; Drosophila/genetics/microbiology ; Drosophila melanogaster/*genetics/microbiology ; Genome ; Host Microbial Interactions/*genetics ; Host-Pathogen Interactions/genetics ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence/methods ; Mosquito Vectors ; RNA Interference ; Symbiosis ; Viruses/genetics ; Whole Genome Sequencing/methods ; Wolbachia/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is an intracellular bacterium that infects a remarkable range of insect hosts. Insects such as mosquitos act as vectors for many devastating human viruses such as Dengue, West Nile, and Zika. Remarkably, Wolbachia infection provides insect hosts with resistance to many arboviruses thereby rendering the insects ineffective as vectors. To utilize Wolbachia effectively as a tool against vector-borne viruses a better understanding of the host-Wolbachia relationship is needed. To investigate Wolbachia-insect interactions we used the Wolbachia/Drosophila model that provides a genetically tractable system for studying host-pathogen interactions. We coupled genome-wide RNAi screening with a novel high-throughput fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay to detect changes in Wolbachia levels in a Wolbachia-infected Drosophila cell line JW18. 1117 genes altered Wolbachia levels when knocked down by RNAi of which 329 genes increased and 788 genes decreased the level of Wolbachia. Validation of hits included in depth secondary screening using in vitro RNAi, Drosophila mutants, and Wolbachia-detection by DNA qPCR. A diverse set of host gene networks was identified to regulate Wolbachia levels and unexpectedly revealed that perturbations of host translation components such as the ribosome and translation initiation factors results in increased Wolbachia levels both in vitro using RNAi and in vivo using mutants and a chemical-based translation inhibition assay. This work provides evidence for Wolbachia-host translation interaction and strengthens our general understanding of the Wolbachia-host intracellular relationship.}, }
@article {pmid30416203, year = {2018}, author = {Treanor, D and Pamminger, T and Hughes, WOH}, title = {The evolution of caste-biasing symbionts in the social hymenoptera.}, journal = {Insectes sociaux}, volume = {65}, number = {4}, pages = {513-519}, pmid = {30416203}, issn = {0020-1812}, abstract = {The separation of individuals into reproductive and worker castes is the defining feature of insect societies. However, caste determination is itself a complex phenomenon, dependent on interacting genetic and environmental factors. It has been suggested by some authors that widespread maternally transmitted symbionts such as Wolbachia may be selected to interfere with caste determination, whilst others have discounted this possibility on theoretical grounds. We argue that there are in fact three distinct evolutionary scenarios in which maternally transmitted symbionts might be selected to influence the process of caste determination in a social hymenopteran host. Each of these scenarios generate testable predictions which we outline here. Given the increasing recognition of the complexity and multi-faceted nature of caste determination in social insects, we argue that maternally transmitted symbionts should also be considered as possible factors influencing the development of social hymenopterans.}, }
@article {pmid30414119, year = {2019}, author = {Schuler, H and Lopez, JA and Doellman, MM and Hood, GR and Egan, SP and Feder, JL}, title = {Target-Enriched Endosymbiont Sequencing (TEEseq): A New High-Throughput Sequencing Approach Applied to the Comprehensive Characterization of Endosymbionts.}, journal = {Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)}, volume = {1858}, number = {}, pages = {195-212}, doi = {10.1007/978-1-4939-8775-7_14}, pmid = {30414119}, issn = {1940-6029}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; Computational Biology/*methods ; DNA, Bacterial/analysis/genetics ; *Genome, Bacterial ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/*methods ; Insecta/*microbiology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; }, abstract = {Intracellular bacteria are ubiquitous in the insect world, with perhaps the best-studied example being the alphaproteobacterium, Wolbachia. Like most endosymbionts, Wolbachia cannot be cultivated outside of its host cells, hindering traditional microbial characterization techniques. Furthermore, multiple Wolbachia strains can be present within a single host, and certain strains can be present in densities below the detection limit of current methods. To date, Wolbachia has most commonly been studied using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and Sanger DNA sequencing by targeting specific genes in the bacterium's genome. PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing of multiple Wolbachia strains requires analysis of individually cloned sequences, which is resource and labor intensive. To help mitigate these difficulties, we present a modified double digest restriction site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) approach to target and sequence in parallel multiple genes by adding restriction enzyme recognition sites to gene-specific PCR primers. Adopting this strategy allows us to uniquely tag and sequence amplicons from multiple hosts simultaneously on an Illumina MiSeq platform. Our approach represents an efficient and cost-effective method to characterize multiple target genes in population surveys.}, }
@article {pmid30400987, year = {2018}, author = {Niang, EHA and Bassene, H and Makoundou, P and Fenollar, F and Weill, M and Mediannikov, O}, title = {First report of natural Wolbachia infection in wild Anopheles funestus population in Senegal.}, journal = {Malaria journal}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, pages = {408}, pmid = {30400987}, issn = {1475-2875}, support = {Méditerranée Infection 10-IAHU- 03//Agence Nationale de la Recherche/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anopheles/*microbiology ; Base Sequence ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Bacterial/*analysis ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/*analysis ; Senegal ; Sequence Alignment ; Wolbachia/genetics/*physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Until very recently, Anopheles were considered naturally unable to host Wolbachia, an intracellular bacterium regarded as a potential biological control tool. Their detection in field populations of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato, suggests that they may also be present in many more anopheline species than previously thought.<br><br>RESULTS: Here, is reported the first discovery of natural Wolbachia infections in Anopheles funestus populations from Senegal, the second main malaria vector in Africa. Molecular phylogeny analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene revealed at least two Wolbachia genotypes which were named wAnfu-A and wAnfu-B, according to their close relatedness to the A and B supergroups. Furthermore, both wAnfu genotypes displayed high proximity with wAnga sequences previously described from the An. gambiae complex, with only few nucleotide differences. However, the low prevalence of infection, together with the difficulties encountered for detection, whatever method used, highlights the need to develop an effective and sensitive Wolbachia screening method dedicated to anopheline.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The discovery of natural Wolbachia infection in An. funestus, another major malaria vector, may overcome the main limitation of using a Wolbachia-based approach to control malaria through population suppression and/or replacement.}, }
@article {pmid30391314, year = {2019}, author = {Konecka, E and Olszanowski, Z}, title = {A new Cardinium group of bacteria found in Achipteria coleoptrata (Acari: Oribatida).}, journal = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution}, volume = {131}, number = {}, pages = {64-71}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2018.10.043}, pmid = {30391314}, issn = {1095-9513}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteroidetes/*physiology ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Likelihood Functions ; Mites/*microbiology ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; }, abstract = {The understanding of the biology of arthropods requires an understanding of their bacterial associates. We determined the distribution of bacteria Wolbachia sp., Rickettsia sp., Cardinium sp., Spiroplasma sp., Arsenophonus sp., Hamiltonella sp., and Flavobacterium in oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida). We identified Cardinium sp. in Achipteria coleoptrata. This is the first report of this bacterium in A. coleoptrata. Approximately 30% of the mite population was infected by Cardinium sp. The Cardinium 16S rDNA was examined for the presence of two sequences unique for this microorganism. One of them was noted in Cardinium sp. of A. coleoptrata. In the second sequence, we found nucleotide substitution in the 7th position: A instead of T. In our opinion, this demonstrated the unique nature of Cardinium sp. of A. coleoptrata. We also determined phylogenetic relationship between Cardinium sp., including the strain found in A. coleoptrata by studying the 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences. It revealed that Cardinium from A. coleoptrata did not cluster together with strains from groups A, B, C or D, and constituted a separate clade E. These observations make A. coleoptrata a unique Cardinium host in terms of the distinction of the strain.}, }
@article {pmid30382151, year = {2018}, author = {Rosso, F and Tagliapietra, V and Albanese, D and Pindo, M and Baldacchino, F and Arnoldi, D and Donati, C and Rizzoli, A}, title = {Reduced diversity of gut microbiota in two Aedes mosquitoes species in areas of recent invasion.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {16091}, pmid = {30382151}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; *Biodiversity ; Female ; France ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; *Introduced Species ; Italy ; Phylogeny ; Principal Component Analysis ; Vietnam ; }, abstract = {Aedes mosquitoes are considered highly successful global invasive species and vectors of several pathogens of relevance for public health. Their midgut's microbiota can play an important role in affecting not only their vectorial competence but also their fitness, physiology, food digestion, metabolism, immunity and adaptation to new environmental conditions. Using high-throughput sequencing we compared the microbiota of Aedes albopictus collected in Italy with those reported in populations from France and Vietnam. We also analysed Aedes koreicus gut microbiota for the first time. We found remarkable individual difference along with common bacterial taxa in both species. Ae. albopictus collected in Italy had a lower richness and a different composition of microbiota in respect to specimens collected in France and Vietnam. It also showed a core microbiota formed mainly of bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas. Overall, the two Aedes species (Ae. albopictus and Ae. koreicus) collected in Italy, showed a large core microbiota with 75.98% of the identified Operational Taxonomic Units. Furthermore, Ae. albopictus had 2.5% prevalence of Wolbachia and 0.07% of Asaia spp, while Ae. koreicus had 14.42% of Asaia spp. and no Wolbachia. This study provides new informations on the spatial variation of the midgut bacterial communities in mosquitoes of medical relevance within areas of recent invasion and provide the basis for further studies aimed at assessing the effects of such variation on vectorial capacity for a range of pathogens.}, }
@article {pmid30380317, year = {2018}, author = {Strugarek, M and Vauchelet, N and Zubelli, JP}, title = {Quantifying the survival uncertainty of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in a spatial model.}, journal = {Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE}, volume = {15}, number = {4}, pages = {961-991}, doi = {10.3934/mbe.2018043}, pmid = {30380317}, issn = {1551-0018}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Chikungunya Fever/prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Computer Simulation ; Dengue/prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Humans ; Mathematical Concepts ; *Models, Biological ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology ; Pest Control, Biological/*methods/statistics &amp; numerical data ; Uncertainty ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; Zika Virus Infection/prevention &amp; control/transmission ; }, abstract = {Artificial releases of Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquitoes have been under study in the past yearsfor fighting vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and zika.Several strains of this bacterium cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and can also affect their host's fecundity or lifespan, while highly reducing vector competence for the main arboviruses. We consider and answer the following questions: 1) what should be the initial condition (i.e. size of the initial mosquito population) to have invasion with one mosquito release source? We note that it is hard to have an invasion in such case. 2) How many release points does one need to have sufficiently high probability of invasion? 3) What happens if one accounts for uncertainty in the release protocol (e.g. unequal spacing among release points)? We build a framework based on existing reaction-diffusion models for the uncertainty quantification in this context,obtain both theoretical and numerical lower bounds for the probability of release successand give new quantitative results on the one dimensional case.}, }
@article {pmid30374735, year = {2019}, author = {Hashmi, TR and Devi, SR and Ahmad, A and Meshram, NM and Prasad, R}, title = {Genetic Status and Endosymbionts Diversity of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) on Hosts Belonging to Family Malvaceae in India.}, journal = {Neotropical entomology}, volume = {48}, number = {2}, pages = {207-218}, doi = {10.1007/s13744-018-0639-y}, pmid = {30374735}, issn = {1678-8052}, mesh = {Abelmoschus ; Animals ; Bacteria/*classification ; DNA Primers ; Gossypium ; Hemiptera/*microbiology ; India ; *Malvaceae ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Symbiosis ; }, abstract = {A study was instigated to examine the genetic status and distribution of known endosymbionts namely Portiera, Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Arsenophonus in the populations of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) from three host plants: cotton (Gossypium herbaceum), okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.), and China rose (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) belonging to the family Malvaceae. The presence of four secondary endosymbionts Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Arsenophonus was checked in Bemisia tabaci populations. Phylogenetic analyses grounded on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (mtCO1) unveiled the presence of Asia 1, Asia II 1, and Asia II 7 genetic groups for Bemisia tabaci on abovementioned crops. Individuals were examined for symbiotic bacterial infection with specific primers amplifying the 16S rRNA gene for Portiera, Rickettsia, Cardinium, and Wolbachia, and the 23S rRNA gene for Arsenophonus. The results show that Portiera was present in all the Bemisia tabaci samples. However, variations were noted in the circulation frequencies of secondary endosymbionts among the Bemisia tabaci populations. A significant difference was noticed in the distribution frequency of Rickettsia between cotton and China rose or okra with their p values as 0.016 and 0.033 respectively. The uneven incidence of secondary endosymbionts ropes the assumption that each endosymbiotic bacterium not only has a role in the endurance but may contribute to the polyphagous nature of Bemisia tabaci. It also brings an uncomplicated evidence for progressive studies on control measures of this notorious insect pest.}, }
@article {pmid30337547, year = {2018}, author = {Morioka, E and Oida, M and Tsuchida, T and Ikeda, M}, title = {Nighttime activities and peripheral clock oscillations depend on Wolbachia endosymbionts in flies.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {15432}, pmid = {30337547}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {JP16H04651//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)/International ; JP16H04651//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Circadian Clocks/genetics/*physiology ; Circadian Rhythm/genetics/*physiology ; Crosses, Genetic ; Drosophila Proteins/genetics ; Drosophila melanogaster/*microbiology/physiology ; Female ; Genes, Reporter ; *Host Microbial Interactions ; Locomotion/*physiology/radiation effects ; Male ; Period Circadian Proteins/genetics ; Photic Stimulation ; Symbiosis/physiology ; Tetracycline/pharmacology ; Wolbachia/drug effects/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia are ubiquitous bacterial endosymbionts of arthropods and affect host gene expression. Although Wolbachia infections were suggested to modulate sleep in flies, their influence on the circadian clock remained obscure. Here, we screened bacterial symbionts in a laboratory Drosophila melanogaster colony, and observed widespread infections of wMel strain Wolbachia. We established a Wolbachia-free strain from a clock gene reporter strain, period-luciferase (per-luc). Temperature (19-29 °C)-compensated free-running periods were detected regardless of infections which may reflect the lack of wMel infections in central circadian pacemaker neurons. However, locomotor activity levels during the night or subjective night were significantly amplified in uninfected flies. Moreover, the behavioral phenotype of F1 offspring of an uninfected female and infected male resembled that of uninfected flies. This trait is consistent with maternal transmission of Wolbachia infection. Interestingly, per-luc activities in headless bodies, as an index of peripheral circadian oscillators, were severely damped in uninfected flies. Additionally, circadian amplitudes of PER immunoreactivities in Malpighian tubules were reduced in uninfected flies. These results demonstrate that Wolbachia boost fly peripheral clock oscillations and diurnal behavioral patterns. Genetic mechanisms underlying behavioral rhythms have been widely analyzed using mutant flies whereas screening of Wolbachia will be necessary for future studies.}, }
@article {pmid30321239, year = {2018}, author = {Bonneau, M and Landmann, F and Labbé, P and Justy, F and Weill, M and Sicard, M}, title = {The cellular phenotype of cytoplasmic incompatibility in Culex pipiens in the light of cidB diversity.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {14}, number = {10}, pages = {e1007364}, pmid = {30321239}, issn = {1553-7374}, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Genetically Modified/genetics/*microbiology ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics/*metabolism ; Culex/genetics/*microbiology ; Cytoplasm/*microbiology/pathology ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics/*microbiology ; Female ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/microbiology/pathology ; Host Specificity ; Male ; Phenotype ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria, widespread among arthropods thanks to host reproductive manipulations that increase their prevalence into host populations. The most commonly observed manipulation is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI leads to embryonic death in crosses between i) infected males and uninfected females and ii) individuals infected with incompatible Wolbachia strains. CI can be conceptualized as a toxin-antidote system where a toxin deposited by Wolbachia in the sperm would induce embryonic death unless countered by an antidote produced by Wolbachia present in the eggs. In Drosophila melanogaster, transgenic expression of Wolbachia effector cidB revealed its function of CI-inducing toxin. Moreover in Culex pipiens, the diversity of cidB variants present in wPip strains accounts for the diversity in crossing-types. We conducted cytological analyses to determine the CI mechanisms that lead to embryonic death in C. pipiens, and assess whether diversity in crossing-types could be based on variations in these mechanisms. We revealed that paternal chromatin condensation and segregation defects during the first embryonic division are always responsible for embryonic death. The strongest observed defects lead to an exclusion of the paternal chromatin from the first zygotic division, resulting in haploid embryos unable to hatch. The proportion of unhatched haploid embryos, developing with only maternal chromatin, which reflects the frequency of strong defects can be considered as a proxy of CI intensity at the cellular level. We thus studied the putative effect of variations in crossing types and cidB diversification on CI defects intensity. Incompatible crosses involving distinct wPip strains revealed that CI defects intensity depends on the Wolbachia strains hosted by the males and is linked to the diversity of cidB genes harbored in their genomes. These results support that, additionally to its implication in C. pipiens crossing type variability, cidB diversification also influences the strength of CI embryonic defects.}, }
@article {pmid30319574, year = {2018}, author = {Santos-Garcia, D and Juravel, K and Freilich, S and Zchori-Fein, E and Latorre, A and Moya, A and Morin, S and Silva, FJ}, title = {To B or Not to B: Comparative Genomics Suggests Arsenophonus as a Source of B Vitamins in Whiteflies.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {9}, number = {}, pages = {2254}, pmid = {30319574}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Insect lineages feeding on nutritionally restricted diets such as phloem sap, xylem sap, or blood, were able to diversify by acquiring bacterial species that complement lacking nutrients. These bacteria, considered obligate/primary endosymbionts, share a long evolutionary history with their hosts. In some cases, however, these endosymbionts are not able to fulfill all of their host's nutritional requirements, driving the acquisition of additional symbiotic species. Phloem-feeding members of the insect family Aleyrodidae (whiteflies) established an obligate relationship with Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum, which provides its hots with essential amino acids and carotenoids. In addition, many whitefly species harbor additional endosymbionts which may potentially further supplement their host's diet. To test this hypothesis, genomes of several endosymbionts of the whiteflies Aleurodicus dispersus, Aleurodicus floccissimus and Trialeurodes vaporariorum were analyzed. In addition to Portiera, all three species were found to harbor one Arsenophonus and one Wolbachia endosymbiont. A comparative analysis of Arsenophonus genomes revealed that although all three are capable of synthesizing B vitamins and cofactors, such as pyridoxal, riboflavin, or folate, their genomes and phylogenetic relationship vary greatly. Arsenophonus of A. floccissimus and T. vaporariorum belong to the same clade, and display characteristics of facultative endosymbionts, such as large genomes (3 Mb) with thousands of genes and pseudogenes, intermediate GC content, and mobile genetic elements. In contrast, Arsenophonus of A. dispersus belongs to a different lineage and displays the characteristics of a primary endosymbiont-a reduced genome (670 kb) with ~400 genes, 32% GC content, and no mobile genetic elements. However, the presence of 274 pseudogenes suggests that this symbiotic association is more recent than other reported primary endosymbionts of hemipterans. The gene repertoire of Arsenophonus of A. dispersus is completely integrated in the symbiotic consortia, and the biosynthesis of most vitamins occurs in shared pathways with its host. In addition, Wolbachia endosymbionts have also retained the ability to produce riboflavin, flavin adenine dinucleotide, and folate, and may make a nutritional contribution. Taken together, our results show that Arsenophonus hold a pivotal place in whitefly nutrition by their ability to produce B vitamins.}, }
@article {pmid30314399, year = {2018}, author = {Paris, V and Cottingham, E and Ross, PA and Axford, JK and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Effects of Alternative Blood Sources on Wolbachia Infected Aedes aegypti Females within and across Generations.}, journal = {Insects}, volume = {9}, number = {4}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/insects9040140}, pmid = {30314399}, issn = {2075-4450}, abstract = {Wolbachia bacteria have been identified as a tool for reducing the transmission of arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti. Research groups around the world are now mass rearing Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti for deliberate release. We investigated the fitness impact of a crucial element of mass rearing: the blood meal required by female Ae. aegypti to lay eggs. Although Ae. aegypti almost exclusively feed on human blood, it is often difficult to use human blood in disease-endemic settings. When females were fed on sheep or pig blood rather than human blood, egg hatch rates decreased in all three lines tested (uninfected, or infected by wMel, or wAlbB Wolbachia). This finding was particularly pronounced when fed on sheep blood, although fecundity was not affected. Some of these effects persisted after an additional generation on human blood. Attempts to keep populations on sheep and pig blood sources only partly succeeded, suggesting that strong adaptation is required to develop a stably infected line on an alternative blood source. There was a decrease in Wolbachia density when Ae. aegypti were fed on non-human blood sources. Density increased in lines kept for multiple generations on the alternate sources but was still reduced relative to lines kept on human blood. These findings suggest that sheep and pig blood will entail a cost when used for maintaining Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti. These costs should be taken into account when planning mass release programs.}, }
@article {pmid30311871, year = {2018}, author = {Taylor, MJ and Bordenstein, SR and Slatko, B}, title = {Microbe Profile: Wolbachia: a sex selector, a viral protector and a target to treat filarial nematodes.}, journal = {Microbiology (Reading, England)}, volume = {164}, number = {11}, pages = {1345-1347}, doi = {10.1099/mic.0.000724}, pmid = {30311871}, issn = {1465-2080}, support = {R01 AI132581/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI133522/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Arthropods/*microbiology ; Filarioidea/*microbiology ; Genome, Bacterial/genetics ; Host Specificity/*physiology ; Humans ; Symbiosis/physiology ; Wolbachia/*genetics/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is the most widespread genus of endosymbiotic bacteria in the animal world, infecting a diverse range of arthropods and nematodes. A broad spectrum of associations from parasitism to mutualism occur, with a tendency to drive reproductive manipulation or influence host fecundity to spread infection through host populations. These varied effects of Wolbachia are exploited for public health benefits. Notably, the protection of insect hosts from viruses is being tested as a potential control strategy for human arboviruses, and the mutualistic relationship with filarial nematodes makes Wolbachia a target for antibiotic therapy of human and veterinary nematode diseases.}, }
@article {pmid30311675, year = {2018}, author = {Leftwich, PT and Hutchings, MI and Chapman, T}, title = {Diet, Gut Microbes and Host Mate Choice: Understanding the significance of microbiome effects on host mate choice requires a case by case evaluation.}, journal = {BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology}, volume = {40}, number = {12}, pages = {e1800053}, doi = {10.1002/bies.201800053}, pmid = {30311675}, issn = {1521-1878}, support = {BB/K000489/1//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Diet ; Drosophila melanogaster/physiology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/*physiology ; Male ; Mating Preference, Animal/*physiology ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/physiology ; }, abstract = {All organisms live in close association with microbes. However, not all such associations are meaningful in an evolutionary context. Current debate concerns whether hosts and microbes are best described as communities of individuals or as holobionts (selective units of hosts plus their microbes). Recent reports that assortative mating of hosts by diet can be mediated by commensal gut microbes have attracted interest as a potential route to host reproductive isolation (RI). Here, the authors discuss logical problems with this line of argument. The authors briefly review how microbes can affect host mating preferences and evaluate recent findings from fruitflies. Endosymbionts can potentially influence host RI given stable and recurrent co-association of hosts and microbes over evolutionary time. However, observations of co-occurrence of microbes and hosts are ripe for misinterpretation and such associations will rarely represent a meaningful holobiont. A framework in which hosts and their microbes are independent evolutionary units provides the only satisfactory explanation for the observed range of effects and associations.}, }
@article {pmid30311439, year = {2019}, author = {Zhu, YX and Song, YL and Hoffmann, AA and Jin, PY and Huo, SM and Hong, XY}, title = {A change in the bacterial community of spider mites decreases fecundity on multiple host plants.}, journal = {MicrobiologyOpen}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, pages = {e00743}, doi = {10.1002/mbo3.743}, pmid = {30311439}, issn = {2045-8827}, abstract = {Bacterial symbionts may influence the fitness of their herbivore hosts, but such effects have been poorly studied across most invertebrate groups. The spider mite, Tetranychus truncatus, is a polyphagous agricultural pest harboring various bacterial symbionts whose function is largely unknown. Here, by using a high-throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing approach, we characterized the bacterial diversity and community composition of spider mites fed on five host plants after communities were modified following tetracycline exposure. We demonstrated that spider mite bacterial diversity and community composition were significantly affected by host plants and antibiotics. In particular, the abundance of the maternally inherited endosymbionts Wolbachia and Spiroplasma significantly differed among spider mites that were reared on different plant species and were completely removed by antibiotics. There was an overall tendency for daily fecundity to be lower in the mites with reduced bacterial diversity following the antibiotic treatment. Our data suggest that host plants and antibiotics can shape spider mite bacterial communities and that bacterial symbionts improve mite performance.}, }
@article {pmid30305458, year = {2018}, author = {Bakovic, V and Schebeck, M and Telschow, A and Stauffer, C and Schuler, H}, title = {Correction to 'Spatial spread of Wolbachia in Rhagoletis cerasi populations'.}, journal = {Biology letters}, volume = {14}, number = {10}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1098/rsbl.2018.0683}, pmid = {30305458}, issn = {1744-957X}, }
@article {pmid30283652, year = {2017}, author = {Kageyama, D and Ohno, M and Sasaki, T and Yoshido, A and Konagaya, T and Jouraku, A and Kuwazaki, S and Kanamori, H and Katayose, Y and Narita, S and Miyata, M and Riegler, M and Sahara, K}, title = {Feminizing Wolbachia endosymbiont disrupts maternal sex chromosome inheritance in a butterfly species.}, journal = {Evolution letters}, volume = {1}, number = {5}, pages = {232-244}, pmid = {30283652}, issn = {2056-3744}, abstract = {Wolbachia is a maternally inherited ubiquitous endosymbiotic bacterium of arthropods that displays a diverse repertoire of host reproductive manipulations. For the first time, we demonstrate that Wolbachia manipulates sex chromosome inheritance in a sexually reproducing insect. Eurema mandarina butterfly females on Tanegashima Island, Japan, are infected with the wFem Wolbachia strain and produce all-female offspring, while antibiotic treatment results in male offspring. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed that wFem-positive and wFem-negative females have Z0 and WZ sex chromosome sets, respectively, demonstrating the predicted absence of the W chromosome in wFem-infected lineages. Genomic quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis showed that wFem-positive females lay only Z0 eggs that carry a paternal Z, whereas females from lineages that are naturally wFem-negative lay both WZ and ZZ eggs. In contrast, antibiotic treatment of adult wFem females resulted in the production of Z0 and ZZ eggs, suggesting that this Wolbachia strain can disrupt the maternal inheritance of Z chromosomes. Moreover, most male offspring produced by antibiotic-treated wFem females had a ZZ karyotype, implying reduced survival of Z0 individuals in the absence of feminizing effects of Wolbachia. Antibiotic treatment of wFem-infected larvae induced male-specific splicing of the doublesex (dsx) gene transcript, causing an intersex phenotype. Thus, the absence of the female-determining W chromosome in Z0 individuals is functionally compensated by Wolbachia-mediated conversion of sex determination. We discuss how Wolbachia may manipulate the host chromosome inheritance and that Wolbachia may have acquired this coordinated dual mode of reproductive manipulation first by the evolution of female-determining function and then cytoplasmically induced disruption of sex chromosome inheritance.}, }
@article {pmid30275487, year = {2018}, author = {de Moraes, LA and Muller, C and Bueno, RCOF and Santos, A and Bello, VH and De Marchi, BR and Watanabe, LFM and Marubayashi, JM and Santos, BR and Yuki, VA and Takada, HM and de Barros, DR and Neves, CG and da Silva, FN and Gonçalves, MJ and Ghanim, M and Boykin, L and Pavan, MA and Krause-Sakate, R}, title = {Distribution and phylogenetics of whiteflies and their endosymbiont relationships after the Mediterranean species invasion in Brazil.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {14589}, pmid = {30275487}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Alphaproteobacteria/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; Animals ; Brazil ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Gammaproteobacteria/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; Genetic Variation ; Hemiptera/*classification/genetics/*growth &amp; development/microbiology ; *Introduced Species ; *Phylogeography ; *Symbiosis ; }, abstract = {The Bemisia tabaci is a polyphagous insect and a successful vector of plant viruses. B. tabaci is a species complex and in Brazil native species from the New World (NW) group, as well as the invasive species, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) were reported. For better understanding the distribution of the different species four years after the Mediterranean species invasion in Brazil, whiteflies were collected from 237 locations throughout the country between the years of 2013 and 2017, species were identified and the facultative endosymbionts detected. The survey revealed that MEAM1 was the prevalent species found on major crops across Brazil. It is the only species present in North, Northwestern and Central Brazil and was associated with virus-infected plants. MED was found in five States from Southeast to South regions, infesting mainly ornamental plants and was not associated with virus-infected plants. The prevalent endosymbionts identified in MEAM1 were Hamiltonella and Rickettsia; and the mtCOI analysis revealed low genetic diversity for MEAM1. In contrast, several different endosymbionts were identified in MED including Hamiltonella, Rickettsia, Wolbachia and Arsenophonus; and two distinct genetic groups were found based on the mtCOI analysis. Monitoring the distribution of the whiteflies species in Brazil is essential for proper management of this pest.}, }
@article {pmid30274467, year = {2018}, author = {van den Hurk, AF}, title = {From Incriminating Stegomyia fasciata to Releasing Wolbachia pipientis: Australian Research on the Dengue Virus Vector, Aedes aegypti, and Development of Novel Strategies for Its Surveillance and Control.}, journal = {Tropical medicine and infectious disease}, volume = {3}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {30274467}, issn = {2414-6366}, abstract = {Globally, the dengue viruses (DENVs) infect approximately 300 million people annually. Australia has a history of epidemic dengue, with outbreaks in the early decades of the twentieth century responsible for tens of thousands of cases. Seminal experiments conducted by Australian scientists during these outbreaks were the first to incriminate Aedes aegypti as a major vector of dengue viruses. One hundred years later, Australian scientists are playing a lead role in the development of surveillance and suppression strategies that target this mosquito species. Surveillance of Ae. aegypti populations and their associated dengue risk was greatly improved by understanding the contribution of key premises, key containers, and cryptic larval habitats to mosquito productivity, and, more recently, the development of novel adult traps. In terms of mosquito control, targeted indoor residual pyrethroid spraying and community-based biological control utilizing predatory copepods can significantly reduce Ae. aegypti populations. The release of Ae. aegypti transinfected with the virus-blocking bacterium, Wolbachia, provides a promising strategy for limiting DENV transmission. These diverse strategies developed by Australian scientists have the potential to alleviate the burden of dengue in the future, whether it is at the local level or as part of a country-wide program.}, }
@article {pmid30266092, year = {2018}, author = {Pers, D and Lynch, JA}, title = {Ankyrin domain encoding genes from an ancient horizontal transfer are functionally integrated into Nasonia developmental gene regulatory networks.}, journal = {Genome biology}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, pages = {148}, pmid = {30266092}, issn = {1474-760X}, support = {R03 HD078578/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; R03 HD087476/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; 1R03HD087476/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; 1R03HD078578/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Ankyrin Repeat ; Body Patterning ; *Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; *Gene Regulatory Networks ; Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; Genes, Insect ; Insect Proteins/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; Wasps/embryology/*genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: How regulatory networks incorporate additional components and how novel genes are functionally integrated into well-established developmental processes are two important and intertwined questions whose answers have major implications for understanding the evolution of development. We recently discovered a set of lineage-restricted genes with strong and specific expression patterns along the dorsal-ventral (DV) axis of the embryo of the wasp Nasonia that may serve as a powerful system for addressing these questions. We sought to both understand the evolutionary history of these genes and to determine their functions in the Nasonia DV patterning system.<br><br>RESULTS: We have found that the novel DV genes are part of a large family of rapidly duplicating and diverging ankyrin domain-encoding genes that originated most likely by horizontal transfer from a prokaryote in a common ancestor of the wasp superfamily Chalcidoidea. We tested the function of those ankyrin-encoding genes expressed along the DV axis and found that they participate in early embryonic DV patterning. We also developed a new wasp model system (Melittobia) and found that some functional integration of ankyrin genes have been preserved for over 90 million years.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that regulatory networks can incorporate novel genes that then become necessary for stable and repeatable outputs. Even a modest role in developmental networks may be enough to allow novel or duplicate genes to be maintained in the genome and become fully integrated network components.}, }
@article {pmid30261054, year = {2018}, author = {Carpinone, EM and Li, Z and Mills, MK and Foltz, C and Brannon, ER and Carlow, CKS and Starai, VJ}, title = {Identification of putative effectors of the Type IV secretion system from the Wolbachia endosymbiont of Brugia malayi.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {9}, pages = {e0204736}, pmid = {30261054}, issn = {1932-6203}, support = {R01 AI100913/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Bacterial Proteins/biosynthesis/genetics ; Brugia malayi/*microbiology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial/*physiology ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics/metabolism ; *Symbiosis ; *Type IV Secretion Systems/genetics/metabolism ; *Wolbachia/genetics/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is an unculturable, intracellular bacterium that persists within an extremely broad range of arthropod and parasitic nematode hosts, where it is transmitted maternally to offspring via vertical transmission. In the filarial nematode Brugia malayi, a causative agent of human lymphatic filariasis, Wolbachia is an endosymbiont, and its presence is essential for proper nematode development, survival, and pathogenesis. While the elucidation of Wolbachia:nematode interactions that promote the bacterium's intracellular persistence is of great importance, research has been hampered due to the fact that Wolbachia cannot be cultured in the absence of host cells. The Wolbachia endosymbiont of B. malayi (wBm) has an active Type IV secretion system (T4SS). Here, we have screened 47 putative T4SS effector proteins of wBm for their ability to modulate growth or the cell biology of a typical eukaryotic cell, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Five candidates strongly inhibited yeast growth upon expression, and 6 additional proteins showed toxicity in the presence of zinc and caffeine. Studies on the uptake of an endocytic vacuole-specific fluorescent marker, FM4-64, identified 4 proteins (wBm0076 wBm00114, wBm0447 and wBm0152) involved in vacuole membrane dynamics. The WAS(p)-family protein, wBm0076, was found to colocalize with yeast cortical actin patches and disrupted actin cytoskeleton dynamics upon expression. Deletion of the Arp2/3-activating protein, Abp1p, provided resistance to wBm0076 expression, suggesting a role for wBm0076 in regulating eukaryotic actin dynamics and cortical actin patch formation. Furthermore, wBm0152 was found to strongly disrupt endosome:vacuole cargo trafficking in yeast. This study provides molecular insight into the potential role of the T4SS in the Wolbachia endosymbiont:nematode relationship.}, }
@article {pmid30258200, year = {2018}, author = {Kaczmarczyk, A and Kucharczyk, H and Kucharczyk, M and Kapusta, P and Sell, J and Zielińska, S}, title = {First insight into microbiome profile of fungivorous thrips Hoplothrips carpathicus (Insecta: Thysanoptera) at different developmental stages: molecular evidence of Wolbachia endosymbiosis.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {14376}, pmid = {30258200}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Actinobacteria/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; Alphaproteobacteria/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; Animals ; Bacteria/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Firmicutes/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; *Microbiota ; Phylogeny ; Proteobacteria/genetics/isolation &amp; purification/physiology ; *Symbiosis ; Thysanoptera/*microbiology/*physiology ; Wolbachia/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Insects' exoskeleton, gut, hemocoel, and cells are colonized by various microorganisms that often play important roles in their host life. Moreover, insects are frequently infected by vertically transmitted symbionts that can manipulate their reproduction. The aims of this study were the characterization of bacterial communities of four developmental stages of the fungivorous species Hoplothrips carpathicus (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), verification of the presence of Wolbachia, in silico prediction of metabolic potentials of the microorganisms, and sequencing its mitochondrial COI barcode. Taxonomy-based analysis indicated that the bacterial community of H. carpathicus contained 21 bacterial phyla. The most abundant phyla were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacterioidetes and Firmicutes, and the most abundant classes were Alphaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria, with different proportions in the total share. For pupa and imago (adult) the most abundant genus was Wolbachia, which comprised 69.95% and 56.11% of total bacterial population respectively. Moreover, similarity analysis of bacterial communities showed that changes in microbiome composition are congruent with the successive stages of H. carpathicus development. PICRUSt analysis predicted that each bacterial community should be rich in genes involved in membrane transport, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, replication and repair processes.}, }
@article {pmid30250462, year = {2018}, author = {Hegde, S and Khanipov, K and Albayrak, L and Golovko, G and Pimenova, M and Saldaña, MA and Rojas, MM and Hornett, EA and Motl, GC and Fredregill, CL and Dennett, JA and Debboun, M and Fofanov, Y and Hughes, GL}, title = {Microbiome Interaction Networks and Community Structure From Laboratory-Reared and Field-Collected Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus Mosquito Vectors.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {9}, number = {}, pages = {2160}, pmid = {30250462}, issn = {1664-302X}, support = {U01CK000512//ACL HHS/United States ; R21 AI124452/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; T32 AI007526/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI138074/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI129507/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Microbial interactions are an underappreciated force in shaping insect microbiome communities. Although pairwise patterns of symbiont interactions have been identified, we have a poor understanding regarding the scale and the nature of co-occurrence and co-exclusion interactions within the microbiome. To characterize these patterns in mosquitoes, we sequenced the bacterial microbiome of Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus caught in the field or reared in the laboratory and used these data to generate interaction networks. For collections, we used traps that attracted host-seeking or ovipositing female mosquitoes to determine how physiological state affects the microbiome under field conditions. Interestingly, we saw few differences in species richness or microbiome community structure in mosquitoes caught in either trap. Co-occurrence and co-exclusion analysis identified 116 pairwise interactions substantially increasing the list of bacterial interactions observed in mosquitoes. Networks generated from the microbiome of Ae. aegypti often included highly interconnected hub bacteria. There were several instances where co-occurring bacteria co-excluded a third taxa, suggesting the existence of tripartite relationships. Several associations were observed in multiple species or in field and laboratory-reared mosquitoes indicating these associations are robust and not influenced by environmental or host factors. To demonstrate that microbial interactions can influence colonization of the host, we administered symbionts to Ae. aegypti larvae that either possessed or lacked their resident microbiota. We found that the presence of resident microbiota can inhibit colonization of particular bacterial taxa. Our results highlight that microbial interactions in mosquitoes are complex and influence microbiome composition.}, }
@article {pmid30247733, year = {2018}, author = {Ritchie, SA}, title = {Wolbachia and the near cessation of dengue outbreaks in Northern Australia despite continued dengue importations via travellers.}, journal = {Journal of travel medicine}, volume = {25}, number = {1}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/jtm/tay084}, pmid = {30247733}, issn = {1708-8305}, mesh = {Australia ; Dengue/*prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Disease Outbreaks/*prevention &amp; control ; Humans ; Mosquito Control/*trends ; Queensland/epidemiology ; *Wolbachia ; }, }
@article {pmid30244151, year = {2019}, author = {Schön, I and Kamiya, T and Van den Berghe, T and Van den Broecke, L and Martens, K}, title = {Novel Cardinium strains in non-marine ostracod (Crustacea) hosts from natural populations.}, journal = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution}, volume = {130}, number = {}, pages = {406-415}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2018.09.008}, pmid = {30244151}, issn = {1095-9513}, mesh = {Animals ; Aquatic Organisms/*microbiology ; Bacteroidetes/genetics/*physiology ; Base Sequence ; Crustacea/genetics/*microbiology ; Diptera/genetics ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Species Specificity ; Symbiosis ; }, abstract = {Endosymbiotic bacteria are known from many metazoan taxa, where they manipulate host biology and reproduction. Here, we used classic PCR amplification and direct DNA sequencing with universal primers for four different endosymbionts to test for their presence in more than 300 specimens of three recent non-marine ostracod superfamilies from different geographic areas and aquatic habitats. We verified these results with &quot;high throughput&quot; amplicon sequencing of 16S of nine selected specimens and evolutionary placement algorithms. The phylogenetic position of endosymbionts detected in ostracod hosts was compared to known endosymbionts from other metazoans. While Wolbachia, Spiroplasma and Rickettsia are absent, we find evidence for the general presence of Cardinium bacteria in natural populations of various non-marine ostracod species. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on Cardinium 16S data and estimates of genetic distances both indicate that Cardinium from ostracods are distantly related to Cardinium from Diptera and Nematoda but represent novel strains with a monophyletic origin. Cardinium bacteria from different ostracod hosts have genetic distances of up to 3.8%, providing evidence against recent and frequent horizontal transmissions amongst the three ostracod superfamilies. High throughput sequencing reveals more than 400 different 16S amplicon sequence variants in the investigated ostracods as well as the presence of different Cardinium strains within individual Eucypris virens and Heterocypris hosts. These results call for future, more in-depth investigations. Mapping Cardinium infections on COI trees of non-marine ostracod hosts shows that the occurrence of these endosymbionts is not linked to genetic species identity or phylogenetic host groups and, except for one ostracod morphospecies, prevalence never reaches 100%.}, }
@article {pmid30239661, year = {2018}, author = {Guégan, M and Minard, G and Tran, FH and Tran Van, V and Dubost, A and Valiente Moro, C}, title = {Short-term impacts of anthropogenic stressors on Aedes albopictus mosquito vector microbiota.}, journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology}, volume = {94}, number = {12}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiy188}, pmid = {30239661}, issn = {1574-6941}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology ; Bacteroidetes/growth &amp; development ; Chryseobacterium/growth &amp; development ; Climate ; Dysbiosis/*chemically induced ; Flavobacteriaceae/growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Microbiota/*drug effects ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology ; Temperature ; Wolbachia/growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Recent studies have highlighted the potential role of microbiota in the biology of the Aedes albopictus mosquito vector. This species is highly anthropogenic and exhibits marked ecological plasticity, with a resulting high potential to colonize a wide range of habitats-including anthropized areas-under various climatic conditions. We put forward the hypothesis that climate and anthropogenic activities, such as the use of antibiotics in agriculture and human medicine, might affect the mosquito-associated bacterial community. We thus studied the additive impact of a temperature decrease and antibiotic ingestion on the temporal dynamics of Ae. albopictus survival and its associated bacterial communities. The results showed no effects of disturbances on mosquito survival. However, short-term temperature impacts on bacterial diversity were observed, while both the community structure and bacterial diversity were affected by early antibiotic ingestion. The genera Elizabethkingia, Chryseobacterium and Wolbachia, as well as an unclassified member of the Bacteroidales order were particularly affected. Antibiotics negatively impacted Elizabethkingia abundance, while Chryseobacterium was completely eliminated following both disturbances, to the benefit of Wolbachia and the unclassified Bacteroidales species. These results generated fresh insight into the effects of climate and anthropogenic activities such as the use of antibiotics on mosquito microbiota.}, }
@article {pmid30233514, year = {2018}, author = {Guo, Y and Hoffmann, AA and Xu, XQ and Mo, PW and Huang, HJ and Gong, JT and Ju, JF and Hong, XY}, title = {Vertical Transmission of Wolbachia Is Associated With Host Vitellogenin in Laodelphax striatellus.}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {9}, number = {}, pages = {2016}, pmid = {30233514}, issn = {1664-302X}, abstract = {Wolbachia in host germ lines are essential for their vertical transmission to the next generation. It is unclear how the regulation of host oocyte development influences Wolbachia location and the mechanistic basis of transmission. Here, we investigated whether vitellogenin influences Wolbachia transmission in Laodelphax striatellus. Wolbachia increased in density and spread from the anterior tropharium to developing oocytes as ovaries developed. Microscopic observations indicated that Wolbachia invaded ovarioles from the tropharium of its anterior side rather than the pedicel side. Wolbachia utilized the host Vg transovarial transportation system to enter the ovaries and were transmitted from the tropharium into the developing oocytes through nutritive cords. These observations were supported by knocking down the Vg transcript, in which low Wolbachia titers were detected in ovaries and fewer Wolbachia were transmitted into oocytes. Our findings establish a link between the Vg-related mode of transovarial transmission and efficient maternal transmission of Wolbachia.}, }
@article {pmid30233221, year = {2018}, author = {Cheng, YH and Lin, YJ and Chen, SC and You, SH and Chen, WY and Hsieh, NH and Yang, YF and Liao, CM}, title = {Assessing health burden risk and control effect on dengue fever infection in the southern region of Taiwan.}, journal = {Infection and drug resistance}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {1423-1435}, pmid = {30233221}, issn = {1178-6973}, abstract = {Background: The high prevalence of dengue in Taiwan and the consecutive large dengue outbreaks in the period 2014-2015 suggest that current control interventions are suboptimal. Understanding the effect of control effort is crucial to inform future control strategies.<br><br>Objectives: We developed a framework to measure season-based health burden risk from 2001 to 2014. We reconstructed various intervention coverage to assess the attributable effect of dengue infection control efforts.<br><br>Materials and methods: A dengue-mosquito-human transmission dynamic was used to quantify the vector-host interactions and to estimate the disease epidemics. We used disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to assess health burden risk. A temperature-basic reproduction number (R0)-DALYs relationship was constructed to examine the potential impacts of temperature on health burden. Finally, a health burden risk model linked a control measure model to evaluate the effect of dengue control interventions.<br><br>Results: We showed that R0 and DALYs peaked at 25°C with estimates of 2.37 and 1387, respectively. Results indicated that most dengue cases occurred in fall with estimated DALYs of 323 (267-379, 95% CI) at 50% risk probability. We found that repellent spray had by far the largest control effect with an effectiveness of ~71% in all seasons. Pesticide spray and container clean-up have both made important contributions to reducing prevalence/incidence. Repellent, pesticide spray, container clean-up together with Wolbachia infection suppress dengue outbreak by ~90%.<br><br>Conclusion: Our presented modeling framework provides a useful tool to measure dengue health burden risk and to quantify the effect of dengue control on dengue infection prevalence and disease incidence in the southern region of Taiwan.}, }
@article {pmid30226138, year = {2018}, author = {Indriani, C and Ahmad, RA and Wiratama, BS and Arguni, E and Supriyati, E and Sasmono, RT and Kisworini, FY and Ryan, PA and O'Neill, SL and Simmons, CP and Utarini, A and Anders, KL}, title = {Baseline Characterization of Dengue Epidemiology in Yogyakarta City, Indonesia, before a Randomized Controlled Trial of Wolbachia for Arboviral Disease Control.}, journal = {The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene}, volume = {99}, number = {5}, pages = {1299-1307}, pmid = {30226138}, issn = {1476-1645}, mesh = {Aedes/microbiology/*virology ; Animals ; Antibodies, Viral/blood ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dengue/*epidemiology/immunology ; Dengue Virus ; Hospitalization/statistics &amp; numerical data ; Humans ; Incidence ; Indonesia/epidemiology ; Infant ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology/virology ; Pest Control, Biological/*methods ; Prospective Studies ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Dengue is endemic in Indonesia. Here, we describe the epidemiology of dengue in the city of Yogyakarta, Central Java, as a prelude to implementation of a cluster-randomized trial of Wolbachia for the biocontrol of arboviral transmission. Surveillance records from 2006 to 2016 demonstrate seasonal oscillations of dengue incidence with varying magnitude. Two lines of evidence demonstrate a high force of infection; the hospitalized case burden of patients diagnosed with dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome over the last decade consisted predominantly of children/adolescents, and a serosurvey of 314 healthy children aged 1-10 years found 68% possessed dengue virus-neutralizing antibodies. Finally, a mobility survey indicated children aged 1-10 years, and particularly 1-5 year-olds, spent most of their daytime hours at home. These findings inform the design of clinical trials to measure the impact of novel vector control methods such as Wolbachia introgression into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, by providing baseline data on disease incidence and identifying subpopulations for recruitment into prospective studies of dengue virus infection and disease. The mobility survey findings indicate that in cluster trials of interventions applied at the community level, young children can reasonably be expected to spend most of their exposure time, in epidemiological terms, within the treatment arm to which they were randomized.}, }
@article {pmid30219893, year = {2018}, author = {Zélé, F and Santos, JL and Godinho, DP and Magalhães, S}, title = {Wolbachia both aids and hampers the performance of spider mites on different host plants.}, journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology}, volume = {94}, number = {12}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiy187}, pmid = {30219893}, issn = {1574-6941}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteroidetes/metabolism ; Fabaceae/microbiology/parasitology ; Female ; Host Specificity ; Ipomoea nil/*microbiology/*parasitology ; Lycopersicon esculentum/*microbiology/*parasitology ; Rickettsia/metabolism ; Solanum melongena/*microbiology/*parasitology ; Symbiosis/physiology ; Tetranychidae/metabolism/*microbiology ; Wolbachia/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {In the last few decades, many studies have revealed the potential role of arthropod bacterial endosymbionts in shaping the host range of generalist herbivores and their performance on different host plants, which, in turn, might affect endosymbiont distribution in herbivore populations. We tested this by measuring the prevalence of endosymbionts in natural populations of the generalist spider mite Tetranychus urticae on different host plants. Focusing on Wolbachia, we then analysed how symbionts affected mite life-history traits on the same host plants in the laboratory. Overall, the prevalences of Cardinium and Rickettsia were low, whereas that of Wolbachia was high, with the highest values on bean and eggplant and the lowest on morning glory, tomato and zuchini. Although most mite life-history traits were affected by the plant species only, Wolbachia infection was detrimental for the egg-hatching rate on morning glory and zucchini, and led to a more female-biased sex ratio on morning glory and eggplant. These results suggest that endosymbionts may affect the host range of polyphagous herbivores, both by aiding and hampering their performance, depending on the host plant and on the life-history trait that affects performance the most. Conversely, endosymbiont spread may be facilitated or hindered by the plants on which infected herbivores occur.}, }
@article {pmid30202647, year = {2018}, author = {Pascar, J and Chandler, CH}, title = {A bioinformatics approach to identifying Wolbachia infections in arthropods.}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {6}, number = {}, pages = {e5486}, pmid = {30202647}, issn = {2167-8359}, abstract = {Wolbachia is the most widespread endosymbiont, infecting >20% of arthropod species, and capable of drastically manipulating the host's reproductive mechanisms. Conventionally, diagnosis has relied on PCR amplification; however, PCR is not always a reliable diagnostic technique due to primer specificity, strain diversity, degree of infection and/or tissue sampled. Here, we look for evidence of Wolbachia infection across a wide array of arthropod species using a bioinformatic approach to detect the Wolbachia genes ftsZ, wsp, and the groE operon in next-generation sequencing samples available through the NCBI Sequence Read Archive. For samples showing signs of infection, we attempted to assemble entire Wolbachia genomes, and in order to better understand the relationships between hosts and symbionts, phylogenies were constructed using the assembled gene sequences. Out of the 34 species with positively identified infections, eight species of arthropod had not previously been recorded to harbor Wolbachia infection. All putative infections cluster with known representative strains belonging to supergroup A or B, which are known to only infect arthropods. This study presents an efficient bioinformatic approach for post-sequencing diagnosis and analysis of Wolbachia infection in arthropods.}, }
@article {pmid30196669, year = {2018}, author = {Liu, Y and He, B and Li, F and Li, K and Zhang, L and Li, X and Zhao, L}, title = {Molecular Identification of Bartonella melophagi and Wolbachia Supergroup F from Sheep Keds in Xinjiang, China.}, journal = {The Korean journal of parasitology}, volume = {56}, number = {4}, pages = {365-370}, pmid = {30196669}, issn = {1738-0006}, support = {31460655//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; HS201501//Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production &amp; Construction Corps/ ; HS201801//Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production &amp; Construction Corps/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/*genetics ; Bartonella/classification/*genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/pathogenicity ; China ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Diptera/*microbiology ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; RNA, Bacterial/*genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/*genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sheep/parasitology ; Wolbachia/classification/*genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/pathogenicity ; }, abstract = {To confirm that Bartonella and Wolbachia were carried by sheep keds (Melophagus ovinus) in southern Xinjiang of China, 17 M. ovinus samples, which were collected in Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, were randomly selected. In this study, the Bartonella gltA and Wolbachia 16S rRNA gene were amplified through conventional PCR and the sequence of those amplified products, were analyzed. The results demonstrated that Bartonella was carried by all of the 17 sheep keds and Wolbachia was carried by 15 out of them. Bartonella was identified as B. melophagi. Three strains of Wolbachia were supergroup F and 1 strain has not been confirmed yet. It is the first report about Wolbachia supergroup F was found in sheep keds and provided the molecular evidence that B. melophagi and Wolbachia supergroup F were carried by sheep keds in Aksu Prefecture of southern Xinjiang, China. The 2 pathogens were found in sheep keds around Taklimakan Desert for the first time.}, }
@article {pmid30193778, year = {2018}, author = {Lopez, V and Cortesero, AM and Poinsot, D}, title = {Influence of the symbiont Wolbachia on life history traits of the cabbage root fly (Delia radicum).}, journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology}, volume = {158}, number = {}, pages = {24-31}, doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2018.09.002}, pmid = {30193778}, issn = {1096-0805}, mesh = {Animals ; Diptera/*microbiology ; Female ; *Life History Traits ; Male ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is an endocellular bacteria infecting arthropods and nematodes and is only transmitted vertically by females via the cytoplasm of the egg. It is often a manipulator of host reproduction, causing cytoplasmic incompatibility, thelytokous parthenogenesis, feminization or male killing, which all increase the proportion of infected females in the population. However, Wolbachia can modify life history traits of the host without causing the above phenotypes and each species illustrates the variability of relationships between this remarkably versatile symbiont and its many hosts. We have measured maternal transmission and the impact of a natural Wolbachia infection in the cabbage root fly Delia radicum, a major agricultural pest. We used a population that is polymorphic for the infection to ensure similar genetic and microbiome backgrounds between groups. Maternal transmission of the infection was 100% in our sample. We found no evidence of cytoplasmic incompatibility, thelytokous parthenogenesis, feminization nor male killing. Wolbachia infection significantly reduced hatch rate in infected eggs (by 10%) but improved larvo-nymphal viability sufficiently so that infected eggs nevertheless yielded as many adults as uninfected ones, albeit with a 1.5% longer total development time. Starved and infected ovipositing females suffered significantly reduced viability (20% higher mortality during a 3-day oviposition period) than uninfected females, but mortality was not higher in starved virgin females nor in starved males, suggesting that the energetic cost of the infection is only revealed in extreme conditions. Wolbachia had no effect on egg hatch time or offspring size. The apparently 100% vertical transmission and the significant but mutually compensating effects found suggest that infection might be nearly benign in this host and might only drift slowly, which would explain why the infection rate has been stable in our laboratory (approximately 50% individuals infected) for at least 30 generations.}, }
@article {pmid30190541, year = {2018}, author = {Chung, M and Teigen, L and Liu, H and Libro, S and Shetty, A and Kumar, N and Zhao, X and Bromley, RE and Tallon, LJ and Sadzewicz, L and Fraser, CM and Rasko, DA and Filler, SG and Foster, JM and Michalski, ML and Bruno, VM and Dunning Hotopp, JC}, title = {Targeted enrichment outperforms other enrichment techniques and enables more multi-species RNA-Seq analyses.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {13377}, pmid = {30190541}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {U19 AI110820/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Aspergillus fumigatus/*genetics ; Brugia malayi/*genetics ; *RNA, Bacterial/chemistry/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; *RNA, Fungal/chemistry/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; *RNA, Helminth/chemistry/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; *RNA, Messenger/chemistry/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Sequence Analysis, RNA/*methods ; Wolbachia/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Enrichment methodologies enable the analysis of minor members in multi-species transcriptomic data. We compared the standard enrichment of bacterial and eukaryotic mRNA to a targeted enrichment using an Agilent SureSelect (AgSS) capture for Brugia malayi, Aspergillus fumigatus, and the Wolbachia endosymbiont of B. malayi (wBm). Without introducing significant systematic bias, the AgSS quantitatively enriched samples, resulting in more reads mapping to the target organism. The AgSS-enriched libraries consistently had a positive linear correlation with their unenriched counterparts (r2 = 0.559-0.867). Up to a 2,242-fold enrichment of RNA from the target organism was obtained following a power law (r2 = 0.90), with the greatest fold enrichment achieved in samples with the largest ratio difference between the major and minor members. While using a single total library for prokaryote and eukaryote enrichment from a single RNA sample could be beneficial for samples where RNA is limiting, we observed a decrease in reads mapping to protein coding genes and an increase in multi-mapping reads to rRNAs in AgSS enrichments from eukaryotic total RNA libraries compared to eukaryotic poly(A)-enriched libraries. Our results support a recommendation of using AgSS targeted enrichment on poly(A)-enriched libraries for eukaryotic captures, and total RNA libraries for prokaryotic captures, to increase the robustness of multi-species transcriptomic studies.}, }
@article {pmid30190420, year = {2018}, author = {Duneau, D and Sun, H and Revah, J and San Miguel, K and Kunerth, HD and Caldas, IV and Messer, PW and Scott, JG and Buchon, N}, title = {Signatures of Insecticide Selection in the Genome of Drosophila melanogaster.}, journal = {G3 (Bethesda, Md.)}, volume = {8}, number = {11}, pages = {3469-3480}, pmid = {30190420}, issn = {2160-1836}, mesh = {Animals ; Drosophila melanogaster/drug effects/*genetics ; Female ; Genetic Variation ; *Genome, Insect ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Insecticide Resistance/*genetics ; Insecticides/toxicity ; Male ; Organophosphates/toxicity ; Pyrethrins/toxicity ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Resistance to insecticides has evolved in multiple insect species, leading to increased application rates and even control failures. Understanding the genetic basis of insecticide resistance is fundamental for mitigating its impact on crop production and disease control. We performed a GWAS approach with the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to identify the mutations involved in resistance to two widely used classes of insecticides: organophosphates (OPs, parathion) and pyrethroids (deltamethrin). Most variation in parathion resistance was associated with mutations in the target gene Ace, while most variation in deltamethrin resistance was associated with mutations in Cyp6a23, a gene encoding a detoxification enzyme never previously associated with resistance. A &quot;nested GWAS&quot; further revealed the contribution of other loci: Dscam1 and trpl were implicated in resistance to parathion, but only in lines lacking WolbachiaCyp6a17, the paralogous gene of Cyp6a23, and CG7627, an ATP-binding cassette transporter, were implicated in deltamethrin resistance. We observed signatures of recent selective sweeps at all of these resistance loci and confirmed that the soft sweep at Ace is indeed driven by the identified resistance mutations. Analysis of allele frequencies in additional population samples revealed that most resistance mutations are segregating across the globe, but that frequencies can vary substantially among populations. Altogether, our data reveal that the widely used OP and pyrethroid insecticides imposed a strong selection pressure on natural insect populations. However, it remains unclear why, in Drosophila, resistance evolved due to changes in the target site for OPs, but due to a detoxification enzyme for pyrethroids.}, }
@article {pmid30190331, year = {2018}, author = {Leftwich, PT and Edgington, MP and Harvey-Samuel, T and Carabajal Paladino, LZ and Norman, VC and Alphey, L}, title = {Recent advances in threshold-dependent gene drives for mosquitoes.}, journal = {Biochemical Society transactions}, volume = {46}, number = {5}, pages = {1203-1212}, pmid = {30190331}, issn = {1470-8752}, support = {110117/Z/15/Z//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; BBS/E/I/00007033//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BBS/E/I/00007038//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology/*virology ; Animals ; Chikungunya Fever ; Dengue ; Drosophila/microbiology ; *Gene Drive Technology ; Haploinsufficiency ; Heterozygote ; Malaria ; Models, Theoretical ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics/*physiology ; RNA Interference ; Reproduction ; Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya, cause morbidity and mortality around the world. Recent advances in gene drives have produced control methods that could theoretically modify all populations of a disease vector, from a single release, making whole species less able to transmit pathogens. This ability has caused both excitement, at the prospect of global eradication of mosquito-borne diseases, and concern around safeguards. Drive mechanisms that require individuals to be released at high frequency before genes will spread can therefore be desirable as they are potentially localised and reversible. These include underdominance-based strategies and use of the reproductive parasite Wolbachia Here, we review recent advances in practical applications and mathematical analyses of these threshold-dependent gene drives with a focus on implementation in Aedes aegypti, highlighting their mechanisms and the role of fitness costs on introduction frequencies. Drawing on the parallels between these systems offers useful insights into practical, controlled application of localised drives, and allows us to assess the requirements needed for gene drive reversal.}, }
@article {pmid30188519, year = {2018}, author = {Gilbert, JA and Melton, L}, title = {Verily project releases millions of factory-reared mosquitoes.}, journal = {Nature biotechnology}, volume = {36}, number = {9}, pages = {781-782}, pmid = {30188519}, issn = {1546-1696}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; California ; Dengue/prevention &amp; control ; Female ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology ; Wolbachia ; }, }
@article {pmid30175240, year = {2018}, author = {Jeffries, CL and Rogers, ME and Walker, T}, title = {Establishment of a method for Lutzomyia longipalpis sand fly embryo microinjection: The first step towards potential novel control strategies for leishmaniasis.}, journal = {Wellcome open research}, volume = {3}, number = {}, pages = {55}, pmid = {30175240}, issn = {2398-502X}, support = {BB/H022406/1//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne parasitic disease transmitted by sand flies that affects 1.3 million people across 98 countries, with limited control strategies due to the lack of an available vaccine and the emergence of insecticide resistance. Novel control strategies that are being explored for mosquito-borne diseases, such as Wolbachia bacterial inhibition of pathogens and genetically modified insects (e.g. using CRISPR-Cas9 editing), rely on the ability to consistently inject embryos of the target species. Here we present a novel method to obtain and inject preblastoderm sand fly embryos of the genus Lutzomyia (Lu.)longipalpis, the principle vector of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in South America. The procedures required to obtain sufficiently young Lu. longipalpis colony embryos are described alongside a microinjection technique that permits rapid injection and minimal handling of small sand fly embryos post-injection. Using a strain of Wolbachia as a 'marker' for successful injection, our protocol produced early generation Wolbachia transinfected Lu. longipalpis lines, demonstrating its potential as the first step for use in novel applied strategies for sand fly control.}, }
@article {pmid30165658, year = {2018}, author = {Cevidanes, A and Di Cataldo, S and Vera, F and Lillo, P and Millán, J}, title = {Molecular Detection of Vector-Borne Pathogens in Rural Dogs and Associated Ctenocephalides felis Fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) in Easter Island (Chile).}, journal = {Journal of medical entomology}, volume = {55}, number = {6}, pages = {1659-1663}, doi = {10.1093/jme/tjy141}, pmid = {30165658}, issn = {1938-2928}, mesh = {Animals ; Ctenocephalides/*microbiology ; Dogs/*parasitology ; Female ; Insect Vectors/*microbiology ; Male ; Polynesia ; }, abstract = {The presence of vector-borne pathogens of veterinary and public health interest have received little attention in Chile. In Easter Island, in particular, a Chilean territory in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, no information is available. To fill this gap, 153 rural dogs were inspected for ectoparasites during a sterilization campaign carried out in 2016. Fleas were observed in 46% of the dogs, and Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1835) was the only species present. Morphological identification of fleas was genetically confirmed using conventional polymerase chain reaction targeting the cox2 gene. No tick was observed in any dog. The presence of DNA of Rickettsia sp. (gltA and ompA fragment genes), Anaplasmataceae (16S rRNA), and Bartonella sp. (16S-23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer) was investigated in blood samples of 70 of the dogs and in 126 fleas analyzed in 68 pools that included 1-5 fleas. Rickettsial DNA was detected in 97% (n = 66) of the flea pools. Of these, 57 showed between 99 and 100% identity for both genes with published sequences of Candidatus Rickettsia asemboensis (CRa), six with Rickettsia felis, and one with Candidatus Rickettsia senegalensis. For two pools, gltA amplicons were identical to CRa but ompB amplicions showed 99-100% identity with R. felis. Anaplasmataceae DNA was detected in 16% (n = 11) pools. Sequenced amplicons showed highest identity with the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis. Bartonella DNA, showing 99% identity to Bartonella clarridgeiae, was detected in one pool (1.4%). No positive reaction was observed for any dog. This is the first detection of members of the 'R. felis-like' group other than R. felis in Chile.}, }
@article {pmid30161131, year = {2018}, author = {Bhadra, S and Riedel, TE and Saldaña, MA and Hegde, S and Pederson, N and Hughes, GL and Ellington, AD}, title = {Direct nucleic acid analysis of mosquitoes for high fidelity species identification and detection of Wolbachia using a cellphone.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {12}, number = {8}, pages = {e0006671}, pmid = {30161131}, issn = {1935-2735}, support = {R21 AI124452/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI138074/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R43 AI131948/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI129507/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; U01 CK000512/CK/NCEZID CDC HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Aedes/*genetics ; Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; *Cell Phone ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/*methods ; Software ; Wolbachia/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {Manipulation of natural mosquito populations using the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia is being investigated as a novel strategy to reduce the burden of mosquito-borne viruses. To evaluate the efficacy of these interventions, it will be critical to determine Wolbachia infection frequencies in Aedes aegypti mosquito populations. However, current diagnostic tools are not well-suited to fit this need. Morphological methods cannot identify Wolbachia, immunoassays often suffer from low sensitivity and poor throughput, while PCR and spectroscopy require complex instruments and technical expertise, which restrict their use to centralized laboratories. To address this unmet need, we have used loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and oligonucleotide strand displacement (OSD) probes to create a one-pot sample-to-answer nucleic acid diagnostic platform for vector and symbiont surveillance. LAMP-OSD assays can directly amplify target nucleic acids from macerated mosquitoes without requiring nucleic acid purification and yield specific single endpoint yes/no fluorescence signals that are observable to eye or by cellphone camera. We demonstrate cellphone-imaged LAMP-OSD tests for two targets, the Aedes aegypti cytochrome oxidase I (coi) gene and the Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene, and show a limit of detection of 4 and 40 target DNA copies, respectively. In a blinded test of 90 field-caught mosquitoes, the coi LAMP-OSD assay demonstrated 98% specificity and 97% sensitivity in identifying Ae. aegypti mosquitoes even after 3 weeks of storage without desiccant at 37°C. Similarly, the wsp LAMP-OSD assay readily identified the wAlbB Wolbachia strain in field-collected Aedes albopictus mosquitoes without generating any false positive signals. Modest technology requirements, minimal execution steps, simple binary readout, and robust accuracy make the LAMP-OSD-to-cellphone assay platform well suited for field vector surveillance in austere or resource-limited conditions.}, }
@article {pmid30157257, year = {2018}, author = {Wenzel, MA and Douglas, A and Piertney, SB}, title = {Microbiome composition within a sympatric species complex of intertidal isopods (Jaera albifrons).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {8}, pages = {e0202212}, pmid = {30157257}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Bacteroidetes/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Ecosystem ; Female ; Genetic Speciation ; Genetic Variation ; Host Microbial Interactions/genetics ; Isopoda/*microbiology ; Male ; Microbiota/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Proteobacteria/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; RNA, Bacterial/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Scotland ; Sex Factors ; Sympatry ; }, abstract = {The increasingly recognised effects of microbiomes on the eco-evolutionary dynamics of their hosts are promoting a view of the &quot;hologenome&quot; as an integral host-symbiont evolutionary entity. For example, sex-ratio distorting reproductive parasites such as Wolbachia are well-studied pivotal drivers of invertebrate reproductive processes, and more recent work is highlighting novel effects of microbiome assemblages on host mating behaviour and developmental incompatibilities that underpin or reinforce reproductive isolation processes. However, examining the hologenome and its eco-evolutionary effects in natural populations is challenging because microbiome composition is considerably influenced by environmental factors. Here we illustrate these challenges in a sympatric species complex of intertidal isopods (Jaera albifrons spp.) with pervasive sex-ratio distortion and ecological and behavioural reproductive isolation mechanisms. We deep-sequence the bacterial 16S rRNA gene among males and females collected in spring and summer from two coasts in north-east Scotland, and examine microbiome composition with a particular focus on reproductive parasites. Microbiomes of all species were diverse (overall 3,317 unique sequences among 3.8 million reads) and comprised mainly Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes taxa typical of the marine intertidal zone, in particular Vibrio spp. However, we found little evidence of the reproductive parasites Wolbachia, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma and Cardinium, suggesting alternative causes of sex-ratio distortion. Notwithstanding, a significant proportion of the variance in microbiome composition among samples was explained by sex (14.1 %), nested within geographic (26.9 %) and seasonal (39.6 %) variance components. The functional relevance of this sex signal was difficult to ascertain given the absence of reproductive parasites, the ephemeral nature of the species assemblages and substantial environmental variability. These results establish the Jaera albifrons species complex as an intriguing system for examining the effects of microbiomes on reproductive processes and speciation, and highlight the difficulties associated with snapshot assays of microbiome composition in dynamic and complex environments.}, }
@article {pmid30150735, year = {2019}, author = {Shaw, WR and Catteruccia, F}, title = {Vector biology meets disease control: using basic research to fight vector-borne diseases.}, journal = {Nature microbiology}, volume = {4}, number = {1}, pages = {20-34}, doi = {10.1038/s41564-018-0214-7}, pmid = {30150735}, issn = {2058-5276}, support = {R01 AI124165/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Aedes/virology ; Animals ; Anopheles/microbiology/parasitology ; Biological Control Agents/pharmacology ; Communicable Disease Control/*methods ; Communicable Diseases/*transmission ; Culex/parasitology/virology ; Disease Outbreaks/*prevention &amp; control ; Humans ; Insect Control/*methods ; Insecticide Resistance ; Insecticides/pharmacology ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology/*parasitology ; Wolbachia/pathogenicity ; }, abstract = {Human pathogens that are transmitted by insects are a global problem, particularly those vectored by mosquitoes; for example, malaria parasites transmitted by Anopheles species, and viruses such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya that are carried by Aedes mosquitoes. Over the past 15 years, the prevalence of malaria has been substantially reduced and virus outbreaks have been contained by controlling mosquito vectors using insecticide-based approaches. However, disease control is now threatened by alarming rates of insecticide resistance in insect populations, prompting the need to develop a new generation of specific strategies that can reduce vector-mediated transmission. Here, we review how increased knowledge in insect biology and insect-pathogen interactions is stimulating new concepts and tools for vector control. We focus on strategies that either interfere with the development of pathogens within their vectors or directly impact insect survival, including enhancement of vector-mediated immune control, manipulation of the insect microbiome, or use of powerful new genetic tools such as CRISPR-Cas systems to edit vector genomes. Finally, we offer a perspective on the implementation hurdles as well as the knowledge gaps that must be filled in the coming years to safely realize the potential of these novel strategies to eliminate the scourge of vector-borne disease.}, }
@article {pmid30150426, year = {2018}, author = {Kostaropoulos, T and Papageorgiou, L and Champeris Tsaniras, S and Vlachakis, D and Eliopoulos, E}, title = {Carcinogenic Pesticide Control via Hijacking Endosymbiosis; The Paradigm of DSB-A from Wolbachia pipientis for the Management of Otiorhynchus singularis.}, journal = {In vivo (Athens, Greece)}, volume = {32}, number = {5}, pages = {1051-1062}, pmid = {30150426}, issn = {1791-7549}, mesh = {Amino Acid Motifs ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; *Carcinogens/toxicity ; *Chemical Safety ; Coleoptera/*microbiology ; Conserved Sequence ; Drug Design ; *Insect Control ; Models, Molecular ; *Pesticides/adverse effects ; Phylogeny ; Protein Conformation ; Protein Disulfide-Isomerases/chemistry/classification/genetics/*metabolism ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/enzymology/genetics/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND/AIM: Pesticides have little, if any specificity, to the pathogen they target in most cases. Wide spectrum toxic chemicals are being used to remove pestcides and salvage crops and economies linked to agriculture. The burden on the environment, public health and economy is huge. Traditional pestcide control is based on administering heavy loads of highly toxic compounds and elements that essentially strip all life from the field. Those chemicals are a leading cause of increased cancer related deaths in countryside. Herein, the Trojan horse of endosymbiosis was used, in an effort to control pests using high specificity compounds in reduced quantities.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our pipeline has been applied on the case of Otiorhynchus singularis, which is a very widespread pest, whose impact is devastating on a repertoire of crops. To date, there is no specific pesticide nor agent to control it. The deployed strategy involves the inhibition of the key DSB-A enzyme of its endosymbiotic Wolbachia pipientis bacterial strain.<br><br>RESULTS: Our methodology, provides the means to design, test and identify highly specific pestcide control substances that minimize the impact of toxic chemicals on health, economy and the environment.<br><br>CONCLUSION: All in all, in this study a radical computer-based pipeline is proposed that could be adopted under many other similar scenarios and pave the way for precision agriculture via optimized pest control.}, }
@article {pmid30149795, year = {2018}, author = {Brown, AMV}, title = {Endosymbionts of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes.}, journal = {Annual review of phytopathology}, volume = {56}, number = {}, pages = {225-242}, doi = {10.1146/annurev-phyto-080417-045824}, pmid = {30149795}, issn = {1545-2107}, mesh = {Animals ; *Bacterial Physiological Phenomena ; Host-Parasite Interactions ; Nematoda/*microbiology ; Plant Diseases/parasitology/*prevention &amp; control ; Plants/*parasitology ; *Symbiosis ; }, abstract = {Some of the most agriculturally important plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) harbor endosymbionts. Extensive work in other systems has shown that endosymbionts can have major effects on host virulence and biology. This review highlights the discovery, development, and diversity of PPN endosymbionts, incorporating inferences from genomic data. Cardinium, reported from five PPN hosts to date, is characterized by its presence in the esophageal glands and other tissues, with a discontinuous distribution across populations, and genomic data suggestive of horizontal gene exchange. Xiphinematobacter occurs in at least 27 species of dagger nematode in the ovaries and gut epithelial cells, where genomic data suggest it may serve in nutritional supplementation. Wolbachia, reported in just three PPNs, appears to have an ancient history in the Pratylenchidae and displays broad tissue distribution and genomic features intermediate between parasitic and reproductive groups. Finally, a model is described that integrates these insights to explain patterns of endosymbiont replacement.}, }
@article {pmid30148833, year = {2018}, author = {Cerutti, F and Modesto, P and Rizzo, F and Cravero, A and Jurman, I and Costa, S and Giammarino, M and Mandola, ML and Goria, M and Radovic, S and Cattonaro, F and Acutis, PL and Peletto, S}, title = {The microbiota of hematophagous ectoparasites collected from migratory birds.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {8}, pages = {e0202270}, pmid = {30148833}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animal Migration ; Animals ; Arthropods/*microbiology ; Bacteria/*isolation &amp; purification ; Bird Diseases/*parasitology ; Birds/parasitology ; Computational Biology ; Ectoparasitic Infestations/parasitology/*veterinary ; Italy ; *Microbiota ; Molecular Typing ; Parasites/*microbiology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Ticks/microbiology ; }, abstract = {Arthropod vectors are responsible for the transmission of human pathogens worldwide. Several arthropod species are bird ectoparasites, however, no study to date has characterized their microbiota as a whole. We sampled hematophagous ectoparasites that feed on migratory birds and performed 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding to characterize their microbial community. A total of 194 ectoparasites were collected from 115 avian hosts and classified into three groups: a) Hippoboscidae diptera; b) ticks; c) other arthropods. Metabarcoding showed that endosymbionts were the most abundant genera of the microbial community, including Wolbachia for Hippoboscidae diptera, Candidatus Midichloria for ticks, Wolbachia and Arsenophonus for the other arthropod group. Genera including pathogenic species were: Rickettsia, Borrelia, Coxiella, Francisella, Bartonella, Anaplasma. Co-infection with Borrelia-Rickettsia and Anaplasma-Rickettsia was also observed. A global overview of the microbiota of ectoparasites sampled from migratory birds was obtained with the use of 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. A novel finding is the first identification of Rickettsia in the common swift louse fly, Crataerina pallida. Given their possible interaction with pathogenic viruses and bacteria, the presence of endosymbionts in arthropods merits attention. Finally, molecular characterization of genera, including both pathogenic and symbiont species, plays a pivotal role in the design of targeted molecular diagnostics.}, }
@article {pmid30139962, year = {2019}, author = {Richardson, KM and Griffin, PC and Lee, SF and Ross, PA and Endersby-Harshman, NM and Schiffer, M and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {A Wolbachia infection from Drosophila that causes cytoplasmic incompatibility despite low prevalence and densities in males.}, journal = {Heredity}, volume = {122}, number = {4}, pages = {428-440}, doi = {10.1038/s41437-018-0133-7}, pmid = {30139962}, issn = {1365-2540}, support = {R01 GM104325/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia bacteria are common insect endosymbionts transmitted maternally and capable of spreading through insect populations by cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) when infected males cause embryo death after mating with uninfected females. Selection in the Wolbachia endosymbiont occurs on female hosts and is expected to favour strong maternal transmission to female offspring, even at the cost of reduced CI. With maternal leakage, nuclear genes are expected to be selected to suppress cytoplasmic incompatibility caused by males while also reducing any deleterious effects associated with the infection. Here we describe a new type of Wolbachia strain from Drosophila pseudotakahashii likely to have arisen from evolutionary processes on host and/or Wolbachia genomes. This strain is often absent from adult male offspring, but always transmitted to females. It leads to males with low or non-detectable Wolbachia that nevertheless show CI. When detected in adult males, the infection has a low density relative to that in females, a phenomenon not previously seen in Wolbachia infections of Drosophila. This Wolbachia strain is common in natural populations, and shows reduced CI when older (infected) males are crossed. These patterns highlight that endosymbionts can have strong sex-specific effects and that high frequency Wolbachia strains persist through effects on female reproduction. Female-limited Wolbachia infections may be of applied interest if the low level of Wolbachia in males reduces deleterious fitness effects on the host.}, }
@article {pmid30124918, year = {2018}, author = {Ali, H and Muhammad, A and Sanda Bala, N and Hou, Y}, title = {The Endosymbiotic Wolbachia and Host COI Gene Enables to Distinguish Between Two Invasive Palm Pests; Coconut Leaf Beetle, Brontispa longissima and Hispid Leaf Beetle, Octodonta nipae.}, journal = {Journal of economic entomology}, volume = {111}, number = {6}, pages = {2894-2902}, doi = {10.1093/jee/toy233}, pmid = {30124918}, issn = {1938-291X}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; Coleoptera/*classification/genetics/microbiology ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Species Specificity ; Wolbachia/genetics ; }, abstract = {To elucidate taxonomic eminence of identical pest species is essential for many ecological and conservation studies. Without proficient skills, accurate molecular identification and characterization are laborious and time-consuming. The coconut leaf beetle, Brontispa longissima (Gestro) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is biologically and morphologically identical to hispid leaf beetle, Octodonta nipae (Maulik) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and is known as the most harming nuisances of palm cultivation worldwide. The present examination was to establish Wolbachia genotyping analysis along with host cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene for accurate identification between these individuals of the same family (Chrysomelidae). Here, we have cloned and sequenced a gene coding Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) and COI gene regions amplified from both species by polymerase chain reaction. The nucleotide sequences were directly determined (≈600 bp for wsp and ≈804 bp for COI) and aligned using the multiple alignment algorithms in the ESPript3 package and the MEGA5 program. Comparative sequence analysis indicated that the representative of wsp and COI sequences from these two beetles were highly variable. To ensure this bacterial variation, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of bacterial genes was conducted, and the results vindicated the same trend of variations. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis also indicates that B. longissima and O. nipae being the two different species harbors two distinct Wolbachia Hertig and Burt (Rickettsiales: Anaplamataceae) supergroups B and A, respectively. The present outcomes quickly discriminate between these two species. Considering its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, it can be used as a diagnostic tool for discriminating such invasive species particularly B. longissima and O. nipae which has overlapping morphologic characters.}, }
@article {pmid30113326, year = {2018}, author = {Showler, AJ and Nutman, TB}, title = {Imported onchocerciasis in migrants and travelers.}, journal = {Current opinion in infectious diseases}, volume = {31}, number = {5}, pages = {393-398}, doi = {10.1097/QCO.0000000000000483}, pmid = {30113326}, issn = {1473-6527}, mesh = {Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/blood ; Communicable Diseases, Imported/*diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine/*methods ; *Disease Management ; Doxycycline/therapeutic use ; Filaricides/*therapeutic use ; Human Migration ; Humans ; Onchocerca volvulus/immunology ; Onchocerciasis/*diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Transients and Migrants ; Travel ; }, abstract = {PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With increasing international travel and mass global population migration, clinicians in nonendemic countries must be familiar with imported neglected tropical diseases including onchocerciasis, which is commonly known as 'river blindness'.<br><br>RECENT FINDINGS: Imported onchocerciasis manifests differently in travelers compared with migrants from endemic areas and is likely underdiagnosed in both groups. Recent clinical studies confirm that eosinophilia is not a sensitive marker for Onchocerca volvulus, with one-third of patients having a normal eosinophil count. Novel diagnostics measuring antibodies to multiple recombinant O. volvulus antigens maintain a high sensitivity while improving specificity compared with conventional pan-filarial serologic testing. A 6-week course of doxycycline has macrofilaricidal activity through Wolbachia depletion and may be useful in nonendemic areas in addition to standard serial ivermectin.<br><br>SUMMARY: Recent studies characterizing distinct clinical presentations in travelers and migrants may enable clinicians to better recognize imported onchocerciasis. Although novel diagnostics have improved specificity, most remain restricted to tropical disease reference laboratories and to date there is no marker of cure. Prolonged doxycycline treatment may reduce the need for serial ivermectin, though more potent short-course macrofilaricidal drugs are being developed.}, }
@article {pmid30110391, year = {2018}, author = {Russell, SL and Lemseffer, N and White, PM and Sullivan, WT}, title = {Wolbachia and host germline components compete for kinesin-mediated transport to the posterior pole of the Drosophila oocyte.}, journal = {PLoS pathogens}, volume = {14}, number = {8}, pages = {e1007216}, pmid = {30110391}, issn = {1553-7374}, mesh = {Animals ; *Binding, Competitive ; Cell Polarity ; Drosophila melanogaster/metabolism/*microbiology ; Germ Cells/microbiology ; *Host-Pathogen Interactions/physiology ; Kinesin/*metabolism ; Microtubules/metabolism ; Oocytes/metabolism/*microbiology ; Oogenesis/physiology ; Protein Transport ; Tissue Distribution ; Wolbachia/metabolism/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Widespread success of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia across insects and nematodes is due to efficient vertical transmission and reproductive manipulations. Many strains, including wMel from Drosophila melanogaster, exhibit a specific concentration to the germplasm at the posterior pole of the mature oocyte, thereby ensuring high fidelity of parent-offspring transmission. Transport of Wolbachia to the pole relies on microtubules and the plus-end directed motor kinesin heavy chain (KHC). However, the mechanisms mediating Wolbachia's association with KHC remain unknown. Here we show that reduced levels of the host canonical linker protein KLC results in dramatically increased levels of Wolbachia at the oocyte's posterior, suggesting that KLC and some key associated host cargos outcompete Wolbachia for association with a limited amount of KHC motor proteins. Consistent with this interpretation, over-expression of KHC causes similarly increased levels of posteriorly localized Wolbachia. However, excess KHC has no effect on levels of Vasa, a germplasm component that also requires KHC for posterior localization. Thus, Wolbachia transport is uniquely KHC-limited because these bacteria are likely outcompeted for binding to KHC by some host cargo/linker complexes. These results reveal a novel host-symbiont interaction that underscores the precise regulation required for an intracellular bacterium to co-opt, but not disrupt, vital host processes.}, }
@article {pmid30107579, year = {2018}, author = {Flatau, R and Segoli, M and Khokhlova, I and Hawlena, H}, title = {Wolbachia's role in mediating its flea's reproductive success differs according to flea origin.}, journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology}, volume = {94}, number = {10}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiy157}, pmid = {30107579}, issn = {1574-6941}, mesh = {Animals ; Host Specificity ; Models, Biological ; Reproduction ; Rodentia/parasitology ; Selection, Genetic ; Siphonaptera/growth &amp; development/*microbiology/*physiology ; Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/growth &amp; development/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Endosymbionts-microbes that live within and engage in prolonged and intimate associations with their hosts-are gaining recognition for their direct impact on plant and animal reproduction. Here we used the overlooked Wolbachia-flea system to explore the possibility that endosymbionts may also play a role as mediators in shaping the reproductive success of their hosts. We simultaneously quantified the Wolbachia density in field- and laboratory-originated fleas that fed and mated on rodents for either 5 or 10 days and assessed their body size and current reproductive success. By combining multigroup analysis and model selection approaches, we teased apart the contribution of the direct effects of the flea's physiological age and body size and the mediation effect of its Wolbachia endosymbionts on flea reproductive success, and we showed that the latter was stronger than the former. However, interestingly, the mediation effect was manifested only in laboratory-originated fleas, for which the increase in Wolbachia with age translated into lower reproductive success. These results suggest that some well-supported phenomena, such as aging effects, may be driven by endosymbionts and show once again that the role of endosymbionts in shaping the reproductive success of their host depends on their selective environment.}, }
@article {pmid30106293, year = {2018}, author = {Kruse, A and Ramsey, JS and Johnson, R and Hall, DG and MacCoss, MJ and Heck, M}, title = {Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus Minimally Alters Expression of Immunity and Metabolism Proteins in Hemolymph of Diaphorina citri, the Insect Vector of Huanglongbing.}, journal = {Journal of proteome research}, volume = {17}, number = {9}, pages = {2995-3011}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00183}, pmid = {30106293}, issn = {1535-3907}, mesh = {Acetylation ; Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/classification/genetics/*metabolism ; Citrus/parasitology ; Energy Metabolism ; Fatty Acids ; Gene Ontology ; Hemiptera/genetics/immunology/*metabolism/microbiology ; Hemolymph/*chemistry/immunology/metabolism/microbiology ; Host-Pathogen Interactions/genetics/immunology ; Insect Proteins/classification/genetics/immunology/*metabolism ; Insect Vectors/genetics/immunology/metabolism/microbiology ; Lipid Metabolism ; Molecular Chaperones/genetics/metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Annotation ; Phosphorylation ; Plant Diseases/parasitology ; *Protein Processing, Post-Translational ; Proteome/classification/genetics/immunology/*metabolism ; Proteomics/methods ; Rhizobiaceae/genetics/*metabolism ; Symbiosis/genetics/immunology ; Vitellogenins ; Wolbachia/genetics/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease, is the most serious disease of citrus plants. It is associated with the Gram-negative bacterium ' Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas), which is transmitted between host plants by the hemipteran insect vector Diaphorina citri in a circulative, propagative manner involving specific interactions with various insect tissues including the hemolymph, fluid that occupies the body cavity akin to insect blood. High resolution quantitative mass spectrometry was performed to investigate the effect of CLas exposure on D. citri hemolymph at the proteome level. In contrast to the broad proteome effects on hundreds of proteins and a diverse array of metabolic pathways previously reported in gut and whole insect proteome analyses, the effect of CLas on the hemolymph was observed to be highly specific, restricted to key immunity and metabolism pathways, and lower in magnitude than that previously observed in the whole insect body and gut. Vitellogenins were abundantly expressed and CLas-responsive. Gene-specific RNA expression analysis suggests that these proteins are expressed in both male and female insects and may have roles outside of reproductive vitellogenesis. Proteins for fatty acid synthesis were found to be up-regulated, along with metabolic proteins associated with energy production, supported at the organismal level by the previously published observation that D. citri individuals experience a higher level of hunger when reared on CLas-infected plants. Prediction of post-translational modifications identified hemolymph proteins with phosphorylation and acetylation upon CLas exposure. Proteins derived from the three most prominent bacterial endosymbionts of the psyllid were also detected in the hemolymph, and several of these have predicted secretion signals. A DNAK protein, the bacterial HSP70, detected in the hemolymph expressed from Wolbachia pipientis was predicted to encode a eukaryotic nuclear localization signal. Taken together, these data show specific changes to immunity and metabolism in D. citri hemolymph involving host and endosymbiont proteins. These data provide a novel context for proteomic changes seen in other D. citri tissues in response to CLas and align with organismal data on the effects of CLas on D. citri metabolism and reproduction.}, }
@article {pmid30104608, year = {2018}, author = {Mukherjee, S and Joardar, N and Mondal, S and Schiefer, A and Hoerauf, A and Pfarr, K and Babu, SPS}, title = {Quinolone-fused cyclic sulfonamide as a novel benign antifilarial agent.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {12073}, pmid = {30104608}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Aedes ; Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects ; Cattle ; Disease Models, Animal ; Elephantiasis, Filarial/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Female ; Filaricides/chemistry/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects ; Parasitic Sensitivity Tests ; Quinolones/chemistry/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism ; Setaria Nematode/*drug effects/metabolism ; Sulfonamides/chemistry/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Wolbachia/drug effects/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Search of potent antifilarial drugs has been a major thrust area in tropical medicine research over the decades. Herein, we report 4,7-dimethyl-3,4,7,8-tetrahydro-3λ6-[1,2]thiazino[4,3-f]quinoline-3,3,8-trione (8l) as a new class of antifilarial agent which is extremely potent, with lethality against all the developmental stages (oocyte, microfilaria and adult) of the filarial parasite Setaria cervi. Molecular investigation on its mode of action revealed that 8l is a typical inducer of reactive oxygen species that triggers oxidative stress inside the filarid and further signals induction of apoptosis by activating both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Moreover, 8l is also active against Wolbachia, the essential endosymbiont of several human infectious filarids. Selective toxicity against filarial parasites and non-toxic nature in rat model were found as unique traits of 8l to be a future medicine. Taken en masse, this maiden report on a novel quinolone fused cyclic sulfonamide presents a promising therapeutic lead for lymphatic filariasis in future.}, }
@article {pmid30092356, year = {2018}, author = {Jiang, W and Zhu, J and Wu, Y and Li, L and Li, Y and Ge, C and Wang, Y and Endersby, NM and Hoffmann, AA and Yu, W}, title = {Influence of Wolbachia infection on mitochondrial DNA variation in the genus Polytremis (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae).}, journal = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution}, volume = {129}, number = {}, pages = {158-170}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2018.08.001}, pmid = {30092356}, issn = {1095-9513}, mesh = {Animals ; Cell Nucleus/genetics ; China ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Female ; *Genetic Variation ; Geography ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Lepidoptera/*genetics/*microbiology ; Likelihood Functions ; Male ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; Population Density ; Time Factors ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {The maternally inherited obligate bacteria Wolbachia is known for infecting the reproductive tissues of a wide range of arthropods and can contribute to phylogenetically discordant patterns between mtDNA and nDNA. In this study, we tested for an association between mito-nuclear discordance in Polytremis and Wolbachia infection. Six of the 17 species of Polytremis were found to be infected with Wolbachia. Overall, 34% (70/204) of Polytremis specimens were Wolbachia positive and three strains of Wolbachia identified using a wsp marker were further characterized as six strains based on MLST markers. Wolbachia acquisition in Polytremis appears to occur mainly through horizontal transmission rather than codivergence based on comparison of the divergence times of Wolbachia and Polytremis species. At the intraspecific level, one of the Wolbachia infections (wNas1) is associated with reduced mtDNA polymorphism in the infected Polytremis population. At the interspecific level, there is one case of mito-nuclear discordance likely caused by introgression of P. fukia mtDNA into P. nascens driven by another Wolbachia strain (wNas3). Based on an absence of infected males, we suspect that one Wolbachia strain (wNas2) affects sex ratio, but the phenotypic effects of the other strains are unclear. These data reveal a dynamic interaction between Polytremis and Wolbachia endosymbionts affecting patterns of mtDNA variation.}, }
@article {pmid30071091, year = {2018}, author = {Johnson, BJ and Rohde, BB and Zeak, N and Staunton, KM and Prachar, T and Ritchie, SA}, title = {A low-cost, battery-powered acoustic trap for surveilling male Aedes aegypti during rear-and-release operations.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {8}, pages = {e0201709}, pmid = {30071091}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {*Acoustics ; *Aedes ; Animals ; *Costs and Cost Analysis ; *Electric Power Supplies ; Male ; Mosquito Control/*economics/*instrumentation ; }, abstract = {The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a primary vector of several serious arboviruses throughout the world and is therefore of great concern to many public health organizations. With vector control methodology pivoting towards rearing and releasing large numbers of genetically modified, sterilized, or Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes to control vector populations, economical surveillance methods for release tracking becomes increasingly necessary. Previous work has identified that male Ae. aegypti are attracted to female wingbeat frequencies and can be captured through artificial playback of these frequencies, but the tested systems are cost-prohibitive for wide-scale monitoring. Thus, we have developed a simple, low-cost, battery-powered, microcontroller-based sound lure which mimics the wingbeat frequency of female Ae. aegypti, thereby attracting males. We then tested the efficacy of this lure in combination with a passive (non-powered) gravid Aedes trap (GAT) against the current gold-standard, the Biogents Sentinel (BGS) trap, which requires main power (household power) and costs several times what the GAT does. Capture rates of male Ae. aegypti in sound-baited GATs (Sound-GATs) in these field tests were comparable to that of the BGS with no inhibitory effects of sound playback on female capture. We conclude that the Sound-GAT is an effective replacement of the costly BGS for surveillance of male Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, particularly in the developing countries where funding is limited, and has the potential to be adapted to target males of other medically important species.}, }
@article {pmid30069620, year = {2018}, author = {Fallon, AM}, title = {Strain-specific response to ampicillin in Wolbachia-infected mosquito cell lines.}, journal = {In vitro cellular &amp; developmental biology. Animal}, volume = {54}, number = {8}, pages = {580-588}, pmid = {30069620}, issn = {1543-706X}, support = {AI081322//National Institutes of Health/ ; }, mesh = {Aedes/drug effects/genetics/growth &amp; development/*microbiology ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Ampicillin/*pharmacology ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects ; Penicillin-Binding Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Peptides/chemistry ; Sequence Alignment ; Species Specificity ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis (Rickettsiales; Anaplasmataceae) is an obligate intracellular alpha proteobacterium that occurs in arthropods and filarial worms. Some strains of Wolbachia can be maintained as persistent infections in insect cell lines. C/wStr1 cells from the mosquito Aedes albopictus maintain a robust infection with Wolbachia strain wStr, originally isolated from the planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus. To explore possible functions of penicillin-binding proteins expressed from the wStr genome, C/wStr1 cells were exposed to ampicillin. Absolute levels of Wolbachia increased 3.5-fold in ampicillin-treated cells and fivefold in naive cells newly infected with wStr. Because cell numbers were depressed by ampicillin treatment, Wolbachia yield on a per-cell basis increased by 15-fold. The absence of a similar effect on wAlbB in Aa23 host cells suggests that the Wolbachia strain, the presence/absence of genes encoding penicillin-binding proteins, or the interaction between wAlbB and its host cells may modulate the effects of ampicillin.}, }
@article {pmid30068363, year = {2018}, author = {Callahan, AG and Ross, PA and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Small females prefer small males: size assortative mating in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.}, journal = {Parasites &amp; vectors}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {445}, pmid = {30068363}, issn = {1756-3305}, support = {1037003//National Health and Medical Research Council/ ; }, mesh = {Aedes/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Animals ; *Body Size ; Female ; Male ; Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: With Aedes aegypti mosquitoes now being released in field programmes aimed at disease suppression, there is interest in identifying factors influencing the mating and invasion success of released mosquitoes. One factor that can increase release success is size: released males may benefit competitively from being larger than their field counterparts. However, there could be a risk in releasing only large males if small field females avoid these males and instead prefer small males. Here we investigate this risk by evaluating mating success for mosquitoes differing in size.<br><br>RESULTS: We measured mating success indirectly by coupling size with Wolbachia-infected or uninfected mosquitoes and scoring cytoplasmic incompatibility. Large females showed no evidence of a mating preference, whereas small males were relatively more successful than large males when mating with small females, exhibiting an advantage of around 20-25%.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Because field females typically encompass a wide range of sizes while laboratory reared (and released) males typically fall into a narrow size range of large mosquitoes, these patterns can influence the success of release programmes which rely on cytoplasmic incompatibility to suppress populations and initiate replacement invasions. Releases could include some small males generated under low food or crowded conditions to counter this issue, although this would need to be weighed against issues associated with costs of producing males of various size classes.}, }
@article {pmid30064911, year = {2018}, author = {Fukui, T and Kiuchi, T and Shoji, K and Kawamoto, M and Shimada, T and Katsuma, S}, title = {In vivo masculinizing function of the Ostrinia furnacalis Masculinizer gene.}, journal = {Biochemical and biophysical research communications}, volume = {503}, number = {3}, pages = {1768-1772}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.07.111}, pmid = {30064911}, issn = {1090-2104}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Insect Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; Male ; Moths/embryology/*genetics ; Sex Chromosomes/*genetics/metabolism ; Sex Determination Processes/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The Masculinizer gene (Masc) encodes a CCCH tandem zinc finger protein essential for masculinization and dosage compensation in the silkworm Bombyx mori. Previously we identified a Masc orthologue from the crambid Ostrinia furnacalis (OfMasc) and observed its masculinizing activity in the B. mori cultured cell line BmN-4. However, the role of OfMasc in masculinization of O. furnacalis has not been assessed. In this study, we unexpectedly discovered that all of the male larvae that escaped from Wolbachia-induced embryonic male-killing by OfMasc cRNA injection expressed the female-type splicing variants of O. furnacalis doublesex (Ofdsx). To clarify the role of OfMasc in the masculinization process in vivo, we established a system to monitor both sex chromosome- and dsx splicing-based sexes from a single O. furnacalis embryo. Using this system, we investigated the effects of OfMasc knockdown in early embryos on Ofdsx splicing and found that depletion of OfMasc mRNA in male embryos induced the production of the female-type splicing variants of Ofdsx. This result indicates that OfMasc is required for masculinization in O. furnacalis, and that the Masc protein possesses masculinizing activity in an insect species that is phylogenetically distant from Bombycidae.}, }
@article {pmid30061694, year = {2018}, author = {Fisher, ML and Watson, DW and Osborne, JA and Mochizuki, H and Breen, M and Schal, C}, title = {Growth kinetics of endosymbiont Wolbachia in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {11444}, pmid = {30061694}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {P30 ES025128/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; NCHHU0017-13//U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)/International ; 2013-5-35 MBE//Alfred P. Sloan Foundation/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bedbugs/*microbiology ; DNA/genetics ; Female ; Kinetics ; Larva/microbiology ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius harbors the endosymbiotic microorganism, Wolbachia (wCle), in a gonad-associated bacteriome as an obligate nutritional mutualist. The obligatory nature of this association suggests that all individuals in C. lectularius populations would be infected with wCle. However, studies spanning the past several decades have reported variation in both infection frequency and relative abundance of wCle in field-collected samples of bed bugs. Since the growth kinetics of wCle is poorly understood, the objective of this study was to quantify wCle over the life cycle of two strains of C. lectularius. Our results highlight that wCle is dynamic during bed bug development, changing relative to life stage, intermolt stage, and blood-fed status. These results suggest new hypotheses about the coordination of Wolbachia growth and regression with its host's physiology and endocrine events. The observed quantitative modulation of wCle during the bed bug life cycle and during periods of starvation may explain the disparities in wCle infections reported in field-collected C. lectularius.}, }
@article {pmid30060072, year = {2018}, author = {Gillespie, JJ and Driscoll, TP and Verhoeve, VI and Rahman, MS and Macaluso, KR and Azad, AF}, title = {A Tangled Web: Origins of Reproductive Parasitism.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {10}, number = {9}, pages = {2292-2309}, pmid = {30060072}, issn = {1759-6653}, support = {R01 AI017828/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI122672/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI126853/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI126108/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Arthropods/*microbiology/physiology ; Bacterial Proteins/chemistry/genetics ; Bacterial Toxins/chemistry/genetics ; Biological Evolution ; Female ; Male ; Models, Molecular ; Phylogeny ; Plasmids/genetics ; Reproduction ; Rickettsia felis/chemistry/*genetics/physiology ; Wolbachia/chemistry/*genetics/physiology ; }, abstract = {While typically a flea parasite and opportunistic human pathogen, the presence of Rickettsia felis (strain LSU-Lb) in the non-blood-feeding, parthenogenetically reproducing booklouse, Liposcelis bostrychophila, provides a system to ascertain factors governing not only host transitions but also obligate reproductive parasitism (RP). Analysis of plasmid pLbAR, unique to R. felis str. LSU-Lb, revealed a toxin-antitoxin module with similar features to prophage-encoded toxin-antitoxin modules utilized by parasitic Wolbachia strains to induce another form of RP, cytoplasmic incompatibility, in their arthropod hosts. Curiously, multiple deubiquitinase and nuclease domains of the large (3,841 aa) pLbAR toxin, as well the entire antitoxin, facilitated the detection of an assortment of related proteins from diverse intracellular bacteria, including other reproductive parasites. Our description of these remarkable components of the intracellular mobilome, including their presence in certain arthropod genomes, lends insight on the evolution of RP, while invigorating research on parasite-mediated biocontrol of arthropod-borne viral and bacterial pathogens.}, }
@article {pmid30059498, year = {2018}, author = {Xue, L and Fang, X and Hyman, JM}, title = {Comparing the effectiveness of different strains of Wolbachia for controlling chikungunya, dengue fever, and zika.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {12}, number = {7}, pages = {e0006666}, pmid = {30059498}, issn = {1935-2735}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology/physiology/virology ; Animals ; Chikungunya Fever/*transmission/virology ; Chikungunya virus/physiology ; Dengue/*transmission/virology ; Dengue Virus/physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/*microbiology/physiology/virology ; Pest Control, Biological/*methods ; Reproduction ; Wolbachia/classification/*physiology ; Zika Virus/physiology ; Zika Virus Infection/*transmission/virology ; }, abstract = {Once Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that spread Chikungunya virus, dengue virus, and Zika virus are infected with Wolbachia, they have reduced egg laying rates, reduced transmission abilities, and shorter lifespans. Since most infected mosquitoes are only infectious in the last few days of their lives, shortening a mosquito's lifespan by a day or two can greatly reduce their abilities to spread mosquito-borne viral diseases, such as Chikungunya, dengue fever, and Zika. We developed a mathematical model to compare the effectiveness of the wMel and wAlbB strains of Wolbachia for controlling the spread of these viruses. The differences among the diseases, mosquitoes, and Wolbachia strains are captured by the model parameters for the mosquito-human transmission cycle. Moreover, the model accounts for the behavior changes of infectious population created by differences in the malaise caused by these viruses. We derived the effective and basic reproduction numbers for the model that are used to estimate the number of secondary infections from the infectious populations. In the same density of Wolbachia-free Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, we observed that wMel and wAlbB strains of Wolbachia can reduce the transmission rates of these diseases effectively.}, }
@article {pmid30056075, year = {2018}, author = {Ciuca, L and Simòn, F and Rinaldi, L and Kramer, L and Genchi, M and Cringoli, G and Acatrinei, D and Miron, L and Morchon, R}, title = {Seroepidemiological survey of human exposure to Dirofilaria spp. in Romania and Moldova.}, journal = {Acta tropica}, volume = {187}, number = {}, pages = {169-174}, doi = {10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.07.012}, pmid = {30056075}, issn = {1873-6254}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/*immunology ; Antigens, Helminth/*immunology ; Child ; Dirofilaria/*immunology ; Dirofilaria immitis/immunology ; Dirofilaria repens/immunology ; Dirofilariasis/*epidemiology/immunology ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology ; Dogs ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moldova/epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Romania/epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Wolbachia/immunology ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {The present study aimed to evaluate the extent of Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens exposure in humans from eastern and southern areas of Romania and central Moldova by serological methods. The serological screening was performed on a total of 450 serum samples (187 from Romania and 263 from Moldova). The sera were collected using a convenience sampling with the help of physicians from the hospitals of the study areas. All samples were analysed by a non-commercial ELISA test for the detection of IgG antibodies against adult somatic antigens of D. immitis and D. repens. The results showed a total of 49 (10.9%; 95% CI = 8.3-14.1%) individuals from Romania and Moldova with a positive response to IgG antibodies against both adult somatic antigens of D. immitis and D. repens. Specifically, 48 (10.7%; 95% CI = 8.0-14.0%) patients were positive for IgG-antibodies against adult somatic antigens of D. immitis, one (0.2%; 95% CI = 0.4-1.2%) against D. repens antigens, and four (0.9%; 95% CI = 0.4-3.3%). were positive for antigens of both parasites. At country level, out of 187 samples from Romania, 13 (6.9%; 95% CI = 4.1-11.5%) were positive for anti-D. immitis IgG with high exposure in the southern part of the country (Bucharest). Of the 263 people from Moldova, 36 (13.7%; 95% CI = 10.0-18.4%) were positive for D. immitis antigens from which three (1.1%, 95% CI = 0.4-3.3%) were positive for the antibodies against antigens of both parasites. Only one sample was found positive for anti-D. repens IgG. Positive IgG-ELISA results were confirmed by Western blot analysis. In addition, for further confirmation, a complementary ELISA was performed for anti-WSP IgG antibodies against Wolbachia endosymbionts. Our findings showed a noticeable exposure of humans from Romania and Moldova to Dirofilaria parasites. Serology can be useful for indicating exposure to Dirofilaria spp. in a healthy population in order to obtain useful data on the epidemiological scenario of human dirofilariosis in Eastern Europe.}, }
@article {pmid30051873, year = {2018}, author = {Shi, M and White, VL and Schlub, T and Eden, JS and Hoffmann, AA and Holmes, EC}, title = {No detectable effect of Wolbachia wMel on the prevalence and abundance of the RNA virome of Drosophila melanogaster.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {285}, number = {1883}, pages = {}, pmid = {30051873}, issn = {1471-2954}, mesh = {Animals ; Australia ; Drosophila melanogaster/*microbiology/virology ; RNA Viruses/*physiology ; RNA, Viral/*analysis ; Transcriptome ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacterium that can block viral infections in arthropods, generating interest in its potential to control the spread of mosquito-borne disease. Drosophila melanogaster is model organism for Wolbachia infection, and the wMel strain of Wolbachia can improve host survival following viral infection. However, it is unclear whether wMel induces anti-viral blocking against the broader native virome of D. melanogaster, or whether the major effect of Wolbachia is a reduction in viral abundance rather than viral clearance. We examined the effect of Wolbachia on viral abundance by comparing the total transcriptome of wMel-positive and wMel-negative D. melanogaster populations sampled from six locations in Australia. In addition, we examined the impact of wMel on individual flies by obtaining transcriptome data from 20 wMel-positive and 20 wMel-negative D. melanogaster from the location (Melbourne) with highest density of wMel. These data revealed high viral abundance in both Wolbachia-positive and -negative populations and individuals. Notably, none of the viral species identified, representing RNA viruses from at least nine families/floating genera, showed evidence of protection by wMel. Although the viral loads of picorna-like viruses are reduced by wMel under experimental conditions, we observed no such effect here. These data show that D. melanogaster can harbour abundant RNA viruses regardless of its Wolbachia status and imply that the interaction between Wolbachia and viruses in nature is more complex than simple blocking.}, }
@article {pmid30050351, year = {2018}, author = {Ta-Tang, TH and Crainey, JL and Post, RJ and Luz, SL and Rubio, JM}, title = {Mansonellosis: current perspectives.}, journal = {Research and reports in tropical medicine}, volume = {9}, number = {}, pages = {9-24}, pmid = {30050351}, issn = {1179-7282}, abstract = {Mansonellosis is a filarial disease caused by three species of filarial (nematode) parasites (Mansonella perstans, Mansonella streptocerca, and Mansonella ozzardi) that use humans as their main definitive hosts. These parasites are transmitted from person to person by bloodsucking females from two families of flies (Diptera). Biting midges (Ceratopogonidae) transmit all three species of Mansonella, but blackflies (Simuliidae) are also known to play a role in the transmission of M. ozzardi in parts of Latin America. M. perstans and M. streptocerca are endemic in western, eastern, and central Africa, and M. perstans is also present in the neotropical region from equatorial Brazil to the Caribbean coast. M. ozzardi has a patchy distribution in Latin America and the Caribbean. Mansonellosis infections are thought to have little pathogenicity and to be almost always asymptomatic, but occasionally causing itching, joint pains, enlarged lymph glands, and vague abdominal symptoms. In Brazil, M. ozzardi infections are also associated with corneal lesions. Diagnosis is usually performed by detecting microfilariae in peripheral blood or skin without any periodicity. There is no standard treatment at present for mansonellosis. The combination therapy of diethylcarbamazine plus mebendazole for M. perstans microfilaremia is presently one of the most widely used, but the use of ivermectin has also been proven to be very effective against microfilariae. Recently, doxycycline has shown excellent efficacy and safety when used as an antimicrobial against endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria harbored by some strains of M. perstans and M. ozzardi. Diethylcarbamazine and ivermectin have been used effectively to treat M. streptocerca infection. There are at present no estimates of the disease burden caused by mansonellosis, and thus its importance to many global health professionals and policy makers is presently limited to how it can interfere with diagnostic tools used in modern filarial disease control and elimination programs aimed at other species of filariae.}, }
@article {pmid30046071, year = {2018}, author = {Ferguson, NM}, title = {Challenges and opportunities in controlling mosquito-borne infections.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {559}, number = {7715}, pages = {490-497}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-018-0318-5}, pmid = {30046071}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {MR/R015600/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Dengue/mortality/*prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Gene Drive Technology ; Goals ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malaria/mortality/*prevention &amp; control/transmission ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics/microbiology ; Pest Control, Biological/methods ; Vaccines ; Wolbachia/pathogenicity ; }, abstract = {Mosquito-borne diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality across the tropical regions. Despite much progress in the control of malaria, malaria-associated morbidity remains high, whereas arboviruses-most notably dengue-are responsible for a rising burden of disease, even in middle-income countries that have almost completely eliminated malaria. Here I discuss how new interventions offer the promise of considerable future reductions in disease burden. However, I emphasize that intervention programmes need to be underpinned by rigorous trials and quantitative epidemiological analyses. Such analyses suggest that the long-term goal of elimination is more feasible for dengue than for malaria, even if malaria elimination would offer greater overall health benefit to the public.}, }
@article {pmid30032285, year = {2018}, author = {Ahmadi, S and Poorjavad, N}, title = {Behavioral and Biological Effects of Exposure to Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Sex Pheromone on Several Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) Populations.}, journal = {Journal of economic entomology}, volume = {111}, number = {6}, pages = {2667-2675}, doi = {10.1093/jee/toy212}, pmid = {30032285}, issn = {1938-291X}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Male ; Moths/chemistry/*parasitology ; Sex Attractants/*pharmacology ; Sexual Behavior, Animal/*drug effects ; Wasps/microbiology/*physiology ; Wolbachia/physiology ; }, abstract = {Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the most destructive pests of tomato worldwide. Biological control of the pest using Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) wasps can be combined with other practices such as use of synthetic sex pheromones for mating disruption or mass trapping programs. In this study, effects of T. absoluta sex pheromone on behavioral responses and fertility life table parameters of Trichogramma evanescens Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), Wolbachia-uninfected (W-) Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), and Wolbachia-infected (W+) T. brassicae were investigated under laboratory conditions. Female wasps of T. evanescens and T. brassicae (W+) were attracted to the pest synthetic sex pheromone (around 62%) and calling virgin female moths (around 75%) and their responses were affected by the wasp age and temperature. Exposure to the host synthetic sex pheromone significantly reduced the percentage of adult emergence, longevity, and fecundity of female wasps, as well as the time spent to find a mate and duration of mating. However, tested populations were not affected similarly. Despite the laboratory tests, greenhouse experiments showed that the wasps were not caught in the traps baited with T. absoluta synthetic sex pheromone. Complementary studies are needed to precisely determine possible interference between pheromone application and releasing Trichogramma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) wasps to achieve a successful integrated control of T. absoluta.}, }
@article {pmid30025503, year = {2018}, author = {Zheng, B and Yu, J}, title = {Characterization of Wolbachia enhancing domain in mosquitoes with imperfect maternal transmission.}, journal = {Journal of biological dynamics}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {596-610}, doi = {10.1080/17513758.2018.1499969}, pmid = {30025503}, issn = {1751-3766}, mesh = {Animals ; Culicidae/*microbiology ; Dengue/*parasitology/*transmission ; Female ; *Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; Models, Biological ; Pest Control, Biological ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {A novel method to reduce the burden of dengue is to seed wild mosquitoes with Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in dengue-endemic areas. Concerns in current mathematical models are to locate the Wolbachia introduction threshold. Our recent findings manifest that the threshold is highly dependent on the initial population size once Wolbachia infection alters the logistic control death rate of infected females. However, counting mosquitoes is beyond the realms of possibility. A plausible method is to monitor the infection frequency. We propose the concept of Wolbachia enhancing domain in which the infection frequency keeps increasing. A detailed description of the domain is presented. Our results suggest that both the initial population size and the infection frequency should be taken into account for optimal release strategies. Both Wolbachia fixation and extinction permit the oscillation of the infection frequency.}, }
@article {pmid30021000, year = {2018}, author = {, }, title = {Correction: First detection of Wolbachia in the New Zealand biota.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {7}, pages = {e0201151}, pmid = {30021000}, issn = {1932-6203}, abstract = {[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195517.].}, }
@article {pmid30020933, year = {2018}, author = {Moretti, R and Yen, PS and Houé, V and Lampazzi, E and Desiderio, A and Failloux, AB and Calvitti, M}, title = {Combining Wolbachia-induced sterility and virus protection to fight Aedes albopictus-borne viruses.}, journal = {PLoS neglected tropical diseases}, volume = {12}, number = {7}, pages = {e0006626}, pmid = {30020933}, issn = {1935-2735}, mesh = {Aedes/genetics/*microbiology/*physiology ; Animals ; Breeding ; Chikungunya Fever/transmission/virology ; Chikungunya virus/physiology ; Dengue/transmission/virology ; Dengue Virus/physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Male ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics/*microbiology/*physiology ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; Zika Virus/physiology ; Zika Virus Infection/transmission/virology ; }, abstract = {Among the strategies targeting vector control, the exploitation of the endosymbiont Wolbachia to produce sterile males and/or invasive females with reduced vector competence seems to be promising. A new Aedes albopictus transinfection (ARwP-M) was generated by introducing wMel Wolbachia in the ARwP line which had been established previously by replacing wAlbA and wAlbB Wolbachia with the wPip strain. Various infection and fitness parameters were studied by comparing ARwP-M, ARwP and wild-type (SANG population) Ae. albopictus sharing the same genetic background. Moreover, the vector competence of ARwP-M related to chikungunya, dengue and zika viruses was evaluated in comparison with ARwP. ARwP-M showed a 100% rate of maternal inheritance of wMel and wPip Wolbachia. Survival, female fecundity and egg fertility did not show to differ between the three Ae. albopictus lines. Crosses between ARwP-M males and SANG females were fully unfertile regardless of male age while egg hatch in reverse crosses increased from 0 to about 17% with SANG males aging from 3 to 17 days. When competing with SANG males for SANG females, ARwP-M males induced a level of sterility significantly higher than that expected for an equal mating competitiveness (mean Fried index of 1.71 instead of 1). The overall Wolbachia density in ARwP-M females was about 15 fold higher than in ARwP, mostly due to the wMel infection. This feature corresponded to a strongly reduced vector competence for chikungunya and dengue viruses (in both cases, 5 and 0% rates of transmission at 14 and 21 days post infection) with respect to ARwP females. Results regarding Zika virus did not highlight significant differences between ARwP-M and ARwP. However, none of the tested ARwP-M females was capable at transmitting ZIKV. These findings are expected to promote the exploitation of Wolbachia to suppress the wild-type Ae. albopictus populations.}, }
@article {pmid30006543, year = {2018}, author = {Karatepe, B and Aksoy, S and Karatepe, M}, title = {Investigation of Wolbachia spp. and Spiroplasma spp. in Phlebotomus species by molecular methods.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {10616}, pmid = {30006543}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Bacterial/isolation &amp; purification ; Phlebotomus/*microbiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Spiroplasma/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; Turkey ; Wolbachia/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {The aim of this study was to determine the presence of Wolbachia spp. and Spiroplasma spp. in natural populations of sand flies in Turkey by molecular methods. A total of 40 Phlebotomus specimens (19 female and 21 male) were used in this study. Genomic DNA from whole sand flies was isolated and Wolbachia spp. infection prevalence was investigated by using Wolbachia gene specific primer sets (wsp and GroEL). In addition, the DNA were analyzed for the presence of Spiroplasma infections utilizing bacterium specific 16 S rDNA PCR-amplification primers. Results of this analysis showed a Wolbachia infection prevalence of 70% (28/40). There was no sex-bias in infection prevalence, being 76% (16/21) and 63% (12/19) in males and females, respectively. Analysis of Spiroplasma infections indicated that 26% (5/19) of female sand flies were positive for infection, while none of the screened males (0/21) were positive. Of the 40 sand fly samples, only 2 were found to be positive for both Wolbachia spp. and Spiroplasma spp. The present study demonstrates the presence of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma infections in the natural sand fly populations in Turkey. This is the first report on Spiroplasma infection in the sand flies from Turkey.}, }
@article {pmid29989657, year = {2018}, author = {Guo, Y and Hoffmann, AA and Xu, XQ and Zhang, X and Huang, HJ and Ju, JF and Gong, JT and Hong, XY}, title = {Wolbachia-induced apoptosis associated with increased fecundity in Laodelphax striatellus (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).}, journal = {Insect molecular biology}, volume = {27}, number = {6}, pages = {796-807}, doi = {10.1111/imb.12518}, pmid = {29989657}, issn = {1365-2583}, support = {//Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; *Apoptosis ; Caspases/genetics/*metabolism ; Female ; Fertility ; Genetic Fitness ; Hemiptera/microbiology/*physiology ; Ovary/microbiology/physiology ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia influence the fitness of their invertebrate hosts. They have effects on reproductive incompatibility and egg production. Although the former are well characterized, the mechanistic basis of the latter is unclear. Here, we investigate whether apoptosis, which has been implicated in fecundity in model insects, influences the interaction between fecundity and Wolbachia in the planthopper Laodelphax striatellus. Wolbachia-infected females produced about 30% more eggs than uninfected females. We used the terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TDT)-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling staining to visualize apoptosis. Microscopic observations indicated that the Wolbachia strain wStri increased the number of ovarioles that contained apoptotic nurse cells in both young and aged adult females. The frequency of apoptosis was much higher in the infected females. The increased fecundity appeared to be a result of apoptosis of nurse cells, which provide nutrients to the growing oocytes. In addition, cell apoptosis inhibition by caspase messenger RNA interference in Wolbachia-infected L. striatellus markedly decreased egg numbers. Together, these data suggest that wStri might enhance fecundity by increasing the number of apoptotic cells in the ovaries in a caspase-dependent manner. Our findings establish a link between Wolbachia-induced apoptosis and egg production effects mediated by Wolbachia, although the way in which the endosymbiont influences caspase levels remains to be determined.}, }
@article {pmid29981933, year = {2018}, author = {Ali, H and Muhammad, A and Bala, NS and Wang, G and Chen, Z and Peng, Z and Hou, Y}, title = {Genomic evaluations of Wolbachia and mtDNA in the population of coconut hispine beetle, Brontispa longissima (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).}, journal = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution}, volume = {127}, number = {}, pages = {1000-1009}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2018.07.003}, pmid = {29981933}, issn = {1095-9513}, mesh = {Animals ; Cocos/*parasitology ; Coleoptera/*genetics/*microbiology ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Far East ; *Genomics ; Geography ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Likelihood Functions ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Wolbachia/classification/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia pipientis is a diverse, ubiquitous and most prevalent intracellular bacterial group of alpha-Proteobacteria that is concerned with many biological processes in arthropods. The coconut hispine beetle (CHB), Brontispa longissima (Gestro) is an economically important pest of palm cultivation worldwide. In the present study, we comprehensively surveyed the Wolbachia-infection prevalence and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphism in CHB from five different geographical locations, including China's Mainland and Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. A total of 540 sequences were screened in this study through three different genes, i.e., cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), Wolbachia outer surface protein (wsp) and multilocus sequencing type (MLST) genes. The COI genetic divergence ranges from 0.08% to 0.67%, and likewise, a significant genetic diversity (π = 0.00082; P = 0.049) was noted within and between all analyzed samples. In the meantime, ten different haplotypes (H) were characterized (haplotype diversity = 0.4379) from 21 different locations, and among them, H6 (46 individuals) have shown a maximum number of population clusters than others. Subsequently, Wolbachia-prevalence results indicated that all tested specimens of CHB were found positive (100%), which suggested that CHB was naturally infected with Wolbachia. Wolbachia sequence results (wsp gene) revealed a high level of nucleotide diversity (π = 0.00047) under Tajima's D test (P = 0.049). Meanwhile, the same trend of nucleotide diversity (π = 0.00041) was observed in Wolbachia concatenated MLST locus. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis (wsp and concatenated MLST genes) revealed that all collected samples of CHB attributed to same Wolbachia B-supergroup. Our results strongly suggest that Wolbachia bacteria and mtDNA were highly concordant with each other and Wolbachia can affect the genetic structure and diversity within the CHB populations.}, }
@article {pmid29971900, year = {2018}, author = {Truitt, AM and Kapun, M and Kaur, R and Miller, WJ}, title = {Wolbachia modifies thermal preference in Drosophila melanogaster.}, journal = {Environmental microbiology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1111/1462-2920.14347}, pmid = {29971900}, issn = {1462-2920}, support = {0948041//National Science Foundation/ ; P28255-B22//Austrian Science Fund/ ; }, abstract = {Environmental variation can have profound and direct effects on fitness, fecundity, and host-symbiont interactions. Replication rates of microbes within arthropod hosts, for example, are correlated with incubation temperature but less is known about the influence of host-symbiont dynamics on environmental preference. Hence, we conducted thermal preference (Tp) assays and tested if infection status and genetic variation in endosymbiont bacterium Wolbachia affected temperature choice of Drosophila melanogaster. We demonstrate that isogenic flies infected with Wolbachia preferred lower temperatures compared with uninfected Drosophila. Moreover, Tp varied with respect to three investigated Wolbachia variants (wMel, wMelCS, and wMelPop). While uninfected individuals preferred 24.4°C, we found significant shifts of -1.2°C in wMel- and -4°C in flies infected either with wMelCS or wMelPop. We, therefore, postulate that Wolbachia-associated Tp variation within a host species might represent a behavioural accommodation to host-symbiont interactions and trigger behavioural self-medication and bacterial titre regulation by the host.}, }
@article {pmid29968550, year = {2018}, author = {Yeap, HL and Endersby-Harshman, NM and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {The Effect of Nonrandom Mating on Wolbachia Dynamics: Implications for Population Replacement and Sterile Releases in Aedes Mosquitoes.}, journal = {The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene}, volume = {99}, number = {3}, pages = {608-617}, pmid = {29968550}, issn = {1476-1645}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Dengue/*prevention &amp; control ; Female ; Male ; Reproduction ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia bacteria are known to cause deviations from random mating and affect sperm competition (SC) in some of their arthropod hosts. Because these effects could influence the effectiveness of Wolbachia in mosquito population replacement and suppression programs, we developed a theoretical framework to investigate them and we collected relevant data for the wMel infection in Aedes aegypti. Using incompatibility patterns as a measure of mating success of infected versus uninfected mosquitoes, we found some evidence that uninfected males sire more offspring than infected males. However, our theoretical framework suggests that this effect is unlikely to hamper Wolbachia invasion and has only minor effects on population suppression programs. Nevertheless, we suggest that mating effects and SC need to be monitored in an ongoing manner in release programs, given the possibility of ongoing selection for altered mating patterns.}, }
@article {pmid29967922, year = {2019}, author = {Nesvorna, M and Bittner, V and Hubert, J}, title = {The Mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae Hosts Population-Specific Microbiomes That Respond Weakly to Starvation.}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {77}, number = {2}, pages = {488-501}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-018-1224-y}, pmid = {29967922}, issn = {1432-184X}, support = {GA15-09038S//Grantová Agentura České Republiky/ ; }, mesh = {Acaridae/*microbiology/*physiology ; Animals ; Bacteria/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena ; Feeding Behavior ; Host Specificity ; *Microbiota ; }, abstract = {The effect of short-term nutrient deprivation was studied in five populations of the mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae with different microbiomes. The fresh weight, nutrient status, respiration, and population growth of the mites were observed for the five mite population-scale samples. The starvation caused the larvae and nymphs to be eliminated, resulting in a significant increase in the fresh weight of starved adult specimens. Three populations were negatively influenced by starvation, and the starved specimens were characterized by a decrease in nutrient status, respiration, and population growth. One population was not influenced or was slightly influenced by starvation, which had no effect on population growth or nutrient contents but caused a significant decrease in respiration. One population was positively influenced by starvation; the population growth increased in starved specimens, and starvation had no effect on respiration. Although starvation altered the bacterial profiles of the microbiomes, these differences were much smaller than those between the populations. The bacterial profiles of Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Kocuria, Brevibacterium, and unidentified Micrococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae increased in starved specimens, whereas those of Bartonella and Solitalea-like genera were reduced in the starved mite populations. The profiles of the intracellular symbiont Cardinium decreased in the starved specimens, and the Wolbachia profile changes were dependent on the mite population. In mite populations, when the symbionts were rare, their profiles varied stochastically. Correlations between changes in the profiles of the bacterial taxa and mite fitness parameters, including nutrient status (lipids, proteins, saccharides, and glycogen contents), mite population growth, and respiration, were observed. Although the microbiomes were resistant to the perturbations caused by nutrition deficiency, the responses of the mites differed in terms of their population growth, respiration, and nutrient status.}, }
@article {pmid29966368, year = {2018}, author = {Ross, PA and Hoffmann, AA}, title = {Continued Susceptibility of the wMel Wolbachia Infection in Aedes aegypti to Heat Stress Following Field Deployment and Selection.}, journal = {Insects}, volume = {9}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {29966368}, issn = {2075-4450}, abstract = {Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with the wMel strain of Wolbachia are being deployed to control the spread of arboviruses around the world through blockage of viral transmission. Blockage by Wolbachia in some scenarios may be affected by the susceptibility of wMel to cyclical heat stress during mosquito larval development. We therefore evaluated the potential to generate a heat-resistant strain of wMel in Ae. aegypti through artificial laboratory selection and through exposure to field temperatures across multiple generations. To generate an artificially selected strain, wMel-infected females reared under cyclical heat stress were crossed to wMel-infected males reared at 26 &amp;deg;C. The low proportion of larvae that hatched founded the next generation, and this process was repeated for eight generations. The wMel heat-selected strain (wMel-HS) was similar to wMel (unselected) in its ability to induce cytoplasmic incompatibility and restore compatibility when larvae were reared under cyclical heat stress, but wMel-HS adults exhibited reduced Wolbachia densities at 26 &amp;deg;C. To investigate the effects of field exposure, we compared the response of wMel-infected Ae. aegypti collected from Cairns, Australia where the infection has been established for seven years, to a wMel-infected population maintained in the laboratory for approximately 60 generations. Field and laboratory strains of wMel did not differ in their response to cyclical heat stress or in their phenotypic effects at 26 &amp;deg;C. The capacity for the wMel infection in Ae. aegypti to adapt to high temperatures therefore appears limited, and alternative strains may need to be considered for deployment in environments where high temperatures are regularly experienced in mosquito breeding sites.}, }
@article {pmid29957332, year = {2018}, author = {Ballesteros, C and Geary, JF and Mackenzie, CD and Geary, TG}, title = {Characterization of Divalent Metal Transporter 1 (DMT1) in Brugia malayi suggests an intestinal-associated pathway for iron absorption.}, journal = {International journal for parasitology. Drugs and drug resistance}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, pages = {341-349}, pmid = {29957332}, issn = {2211-3207}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Transport ; Brugia malayi/genetics/growth &amp; development/*metabolism ; Cation Transport Proteins/genetics/*metabolism ; *Host-Parasite Interactions ; Intestines/cytology/physiology ; Iron/deficiency/*metabolism ; Mice ; Microvilli/physiology ; Onchocerca volvulus/genetics/growth &amp; development/metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics/metabolism ; Sequence Alignment ; Wolbachia/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis are neglected parasitic diseases which pose a threat to public health in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Strategies for control and elimination of these diseases by mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns are designed to reduce symptoms of onchocerciasis and transmission of both parasites to eventually eliminate the burden on public health. Drugs used for MDA are predominantly microfilaricidal, and prolonged rounds of treatment are required for eradication. Understanding parasite biology is crucial to unravelling the complex processes involved in host-parasite interactions, disease transmission, parasite immune evasion, and the emergence of drug resistance. In nematode biology, large gaps still exist in our understanding of iron metabolism, iron-dependent processes and their regulation. The acquisition of iron from the host is a crucial determinant of the success of a parasitic infection. Here we identify a filarial ortholog of Divalent Metal Transporter 1 (DMT1), a member of a highly conserved family of NRAMP proteins that play an essential role in the transport of ferrous iron in many species. We cloned and expressed the B. malayi NRAMP ortholog in the iron-deficient fet3fet4 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, performed qPCR to estimate stage-specific expression, and localized expression of this gene by immunohistochemistry. Results from functional iron uptake assays showed that expression of this gene in the iron transport-deficient yeast strain significantly rescued growth in low-iron medium. DMT1 was highly expressed in adult female and male B. malayi and Onchocerca volvulus. Immunolocalization revealed that DMT1 is expressed in the intestinal brush border, lateral chords, and reproductive tissues of males and females, areas also inhabited by Wolbachia. We hypothesize based on our results that DMT1 in B. malayi functions as an iron transporter. The presence of this transporter in the intestine supports the hypothesis that iron acquisition by adult females requires oral ingestion and suggests that the intestine plays a functional role in at least some aspects of nutrient uptake.}, }
@article {pmid29950416, year = {2018}, author = {Parry, R and Asgari, S}, title = {Aedes Anphevirus: an Insect-Specific Virus Distributed Worldwide in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes That Has Complex Interplays with Wolbachia and Dengue Virus Infection in Cells.}, journal = {Journal of virology}, volume = {92}, number = {17}, pages = {}, pmid = {29950416}, issn = {1098-5514}, mesh = {Aedes/microbiology/*virology ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Chlorocebus aethiops ; Dengue Virus/physiology ; Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Expression Profiling/*methods ; Genome, Viral ; Host Specificity ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical/veterinary ; Insect Viruses/classification/physiology ; Mononegavirales/classification/*physiology ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology/virology ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Vero Cells ; Virus Replication ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Insect-specific viruses (ISVs) of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti have been demonstrated to modulate transmission of arboviruses such as dengue virus (DENV) and West Nile virus by the mosquito. The diversity and composition of the virome of A. aegypti, however, remains poorly understood. In this study, we characterized Aedes anphevirus (AeAV), a negative-sense RNA virus from the order Mononegavirales AeAV identified from Aedes cell lines was infectious to both A. aegypti and Aedes albopictus cells but not to three mammalian cell lines. To understand the incidence and genetic diversity of AeAV, we assembled 17 coding-complete and two partial genomes of AeAV from available transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) data. AeAV appears to transmit vertically and be present in laboratory colonies, wild-caught mosquitoes, and cell lines worldwide. Phylogenetic analysis of AeAV strains indicates that as the A. aegypti mosquito has expanded into the Americas and Asia-Pacific, AeAV has evolved into monophyletic African, American, and Asia-Pacific lineages. The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis restricts positive-sense RNA viruses in A. aegypti Reanalysis of a small RNA library of A. aegypti cells coinfected with AeAV and Wolbachia produces an abundant RNA interference (RNAi) response consistent with persistent virus replication. We found Wolbachia enhances replication of AeAV compared to a tetracycline-cleared cell line, and AeAV modestly reduces DENV replication in vitro The results from our study improve understanding of the diversity and evolution of the virome of A. aegypti and adds to previous evidence that shows Wolbachia does not restrict a range of negative-strand RNA viruses.IMPORTANCE The mosquito Aedes aegypti transmits a number of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as dengue virus and Zika virus. Mosquitoes also harbor insect-specific viruses that may affect replication of pathogenic arboviruses in their body. Currently, however, there are only a few insect-specific viruses described from A. aegypti in the literature. Here, we characterize a novel negative-strand virus, AeAV. Meta-analysis of A. aegypti samples showed that it is present in A. aegypti mosquitoes worldwide and is vertically transmitted. Wolbachia-transinfected mosquitoes are currently being used in biocontrol, as they effectively block transmission of several positive-sense RNA viruses in mosquitoes. Our results demonstrate that Wolbachia enhances the replication of AeAV and modestly reduces dengue virus replication in a cell line model. This study expands our understanding of the virome in A. aegypti as well as providing insight into the complexity of the Wolbachia virus restriction phenotype.}, }
@article {pmid29947761, year = {2018}, author = {Faria, VG and Martins, NE and Schlötterer, C and Sucena, É}, title = {Readapting to DCV Infection without Wolbachia: Frequency Changes of Drosophila Antiviral Alleles Can Replace Endosymbiont Protection.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {10}, number = {7}, pages = {1783-1791}, pmid = {29947761}, issn = {1759-6653}, support = {P 27630//Austrian Science Fund FWF/Austria ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Alleles ; Animals ; Drosophila melanogaster/genetics/*microbiology/physiology/*virology ; Genome, Insect ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Insect Viruses/*physiology ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/*physiology ; }, abstract = {There is now ample evidence that endosymbionts can contribute to host adaptation to environmental challenges. However, how endosymbiont presence affects the adaptive trajectory and outcome of the host is yet largely unexplored. In Drosophila, Wolbachia confers protection to RNA virus infection, an effect that differs between Wolbachia strains and can be targeted by selection. Adaptation to RNA virus infections is mediated by both Wolbachia and the host, raising the question of whether adaptive genetic changes in the host vary with the presence/absence of the endosymbiont. Here, we address this question using a polymorphic D. melanogaster population previously adapted to DCV infection for 35 generations in the presence of Wolbachia, from which we removed the endosymbiont and followed survival over the subsequent 20 generations of infection. After an initial severe drop, survival frequencies upon DCV selection increased significantly, as seen before in the presence of Wolbachia. Whole-genome sequencing, revealed that the major genes involved in the first selection experiment, pastrel and Ubc-E2H, continued to be selected in Wolbachia-free D. melanogaster, with the frequencies of protective alleles being closer to fixation in the absence of Wolbachia. Our results suggest that heterogeneity in Wolbachia infection status may be sufficient to maintain polymorphisms even in the absence of costs.}, }
@article {pmid29938064, year = {2018}, author = {Amuzu, HE and Tsyganov, K and Koh, C and Herbert, RI and Powell, DR and McGraw, EA}, title = {Wolbachia enhances insect-specific flavivirus infection in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {8}, number = {11}, pages = {5441-5454}, pmid = {29938064}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {Mosquitoes transmit a diverse group of human flaviviruses including West Nile, dengue, yellow fever, and Zika viruses. Mosquitoes are also naturally infected with insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs), a subgroup of the family not capable of infecting vertebrates. Although ISFs are not medically important, they are capable of altering the mosquito's susceptibility to flaviviruses and may alter host fitness. Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacterium of insects that when present in mosquitoes limits the replication of co-infecting pathogens, including flaviviruses. Artificially created Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are being released into the wild in a series of trials around the globe with the hope of interrupting dengue and Zika virus transmission from mosquitoes to humans. Our work investigated the effect of Wolbachia on ISF infection in wild-caught Ae. aegypti mosquitoes from field release zones. All field mosquitoes were screened for the presence of ISFs using general degenerate flavivirus primers and their PCR amplicons sequenced. ISFs were found to be common and widely distributed in Ae. aegypti populations. Field mosquitoes consistently had higher ISF infection rates and viral loads compared to laboratory colony material indicating that environmental conditions may modulate ISF infection in Ae. aegypti. Surprisingly, higher ISF infection rates and loads were found in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes compared to the Wolbachia-free mosquitoes. Our findings demonstrate that the symbiont is capable of manipulating the mosquito virome and that Wolbachia-mediated viral inhibition is not universal for flaviviruses. This may have implications for the Wolbachia-based DENV control strategy if ISFs confer fitness effects or alter mosquito susceptibility to other flaviviruses.}, }
@article {pmid29931623, year = {2019}, author = {Arai, H and Hirano, T and Akizuki, N and Abe, A and Nakai, M and Kunimi, Y and Inoue, MN}, title = {Multiple Infection and Reproductive Manipulations of Wolbachia in Homona magnanima (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).}, journal = {Microbial ecology}, volume = {77}, number = {1}, pages = {257-266}, doi = {10.1007/s00248-018-1210-4}, pmid = {29931623}, issn = {1432-184X}, mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; *Bacterial Physiological Phenomena ; Cytoplasm ; DNA, Bacterial/analysis ; Female ; Larva/microbiology ; Male ; Moths/drug effects/*genetics/*microbiology ; Phenotype ; Pupa/microbiology ; Reproduction/*physiology ; Sex Ratio ; Symbiosis ; *Wolbachia/classification/genetics/physiology ; }, abstract = {Endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia interacts with host in either a mutualistic or parasitic manner. Wolbachia is frequently identified in various arthropod species, and to date, Wolbachia infections have been detected in different insects. Here, we found a triple Wolbachia infection in Homona magnanima, a serious tea pest, and investigated the effects of three infecting Wolbachia strains (wHm-a, -b, and -c) on the host. Starting with the triple-infected host line (Wabc), which was collected in western Tokyo in 1999 and maintained in laboratory, we established an uninfected line (W-) and three singly infected lines (Wa, Wb, and Wc) using antibiotics. Mating experiments with the host lines revealed that only wHm-b induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in H. magnanima, with the intensities of CI different between the Wb and Wabc lines. Regarding mutualistic effects, wHm-c shortened larval development time and increased pupal weight in both the Wc and Wabc lines to the same extent, whereas no distinct phenotype was observed in lines singly infected with wHm-a. Based on quantitative PCR analysis, Wolbachia density in the Wa line was higher than in the other host lines (p < 0.01, n = 10). Wolbachia density in the Wb line was also higher than in the Wc and Wabc lines, while no difference was observed between the Wc and Wabc lines. These results indicate that the difference in the CI intensity between a single or multiple infection may be attributed to the difference in wHm-b density. However, no correlation was observed between mutualistic effects and Wolbachia density.}, }
@article {pmid29908171, year = {2018}, author = {Goindin, D and Cannet, A and Delannay, C and Ramdini, C and Gustave, J and Atyame, C and Vega-Rúa, A}, title = {Screening of natural Wolbachia infection in Aedes aegypti, Aedes taeniorhynchus and Culex quinquefasciatus from Guadeloupe (French West Indies).}, journal = {Acta tropica}, volume = {185}, number = {}, pages = {314-317}, doi = {10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.06.011}, pmid = {29908171}, issn = {1873-6254}, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; Culex/*microbiology ; Guadeloupe ; Mosquito Control/methods ; Wolbachia/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {Guadeloupe islands are threatened by several mosquito-borne viruses such as Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika and West Nile virus. It appears essential to look for alternative mosquito control methods such as the incompatible insect technique (ITT) aiming at sterilizing wild females by inundative releases of incompatible males. Before considering the implementation of such a strategy, the characterization of genetic diversity of the endocellular bacterium Wolbachia regarding the local mosquito populations is a critical issue. Here, for the first time, we describe the prevalence and diversity of Wolbachia in natural populations of three mosquito species from Guadeloupe: Aedes aegypti, Aedes taeniorhynchus and Culex quinquefasciatus. The detection of Wolbachia in natural Ae. aegypti, Ae. taeniorhynchus and Cx. quinquefasciatus populations was conducted by studying Wolbachia 16S ribosomal RNA gene using a TaqMan quantitative real-time PCR and results were confirmed by conventional PCR and sequencing. In addition, molecular typing of wPip strains in Cx. quinquefasciatus was done by PCR-RFLP. We did not find Wolbachia infection in any of Ae. aegypti and Ae. taeniorhynchus studied populations. Natural Wolbachia infection was detected in Cx. quinquefasciatus with prevalence varying from 79.2% to 95.8%. In addition, no polymorphism was found between the Wolbachia strains infecting Cx. quinquefasciatus specimens, all carrying an infection from the same Wolbachia genetic wPip-I group. These results pave the way for the evaluation of the feasibility of IIT programs to fight against these medically-important mosquito species in Guadeloupe.}, }
@article {pmid29901734, year = {2018}, author = {Gloria-Soria, A and Chiodo, TG and Powell, JR}, title = {Lack of Evidence for Natural Wolbachia Infections in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).}, journal = {Journal of medical entomology}, volume = {55}, number = {5}, pages = {1354-1356}, pmid = {29901734}, issn = {1938-2928}, support = {R01 AI101112/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Aedes/*microbiology ; Animals ; *Wolbachia ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia is a genus of endosymbiotic bacteria that infects 66% of all insect species. Its major impact on insects is in reproduction: sterility, production of one sex, and/or parthenogenesis. Another effect was discovered when the disease-transmitting mosquito, Aedes aegypti Linnaeus (Diptera: Culicidae), was infected with Wolbachia isolated from Drosophila: infected female mosquitoes became less capable of transmitting diseases such as dengue fever and chikungunya. This has led to releases of Ae. aegypti carrying Wolbachia in an attempt to control disease. An open question is whether there are natural Wolbachia infections of this mosquito. We assayed DNA from 2,663 Ae. aegypti from 27 countries on six continents, 230 from laboratory strains, and 72 Aedes mascarensis MacGregor (Diptera: Culicidae) for presence of Wolbachia DNA. Within the limits of our polymerase chain reaction-based assay, we found no evidence of Wolbachia, suggesting that natural infections of this endosymbiont are unlikely to occur throughout the worldwide distribution of Ae. aegypti.}, }
@article {pmid29897678, year = {2019}, author = {Uribe-Alvarez, C and Chiquete-Félix, N and Morales-García, L and Bohórquez-Hernández, A and Delgado-Buenrostro, NL and Vaca, L and Peña, A and Uribe-Carvajal, S}, title = {Wolbachia pipientis grows in Saccharomyces cerevisiae evoking early death of the host and deregulation of mitochondrial metabolism.}, journal = {MicrobiologyOpen}, volume = {8}, number = {4}, pages = {e00675}, doi = {10.1002/mbo3.675}, pmid = {29897678}, issn = {2045-8827}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Insecta/*microbiology/physiology ; Mitochondria/*metabolism ; Oxidative Phosphorylation ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae/chemistry/*metabolism ; Wolbachia/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia sp. has colonized over 70% of insect species, successfully manipulating host fertility, protein expression, lifespan, and metabolism. Understanding and engineering the biochemistry and physiology of Wolbachia holds great promise for insect vector-borne disease eradication. Wolbachia is cultured in cell lines, which have long duplication times and are difficult to manipulate and study. The yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae W303 was used successfully as an artificial host for Wolbachia wAlbB. As compared to controls, infected yeast lost viability early, probably as a result of an abnormally high mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation activity observed at late stages of growth. No respiratory chain proteins from Wolbachia were detected, while several Wolbachia F1 F0 -ATPase subunits were revealed. After 5 days outside the cell, Wolbachia remained fully infective against insect cells.}, }
@article {pmid29893631, year = {2018}, author = {Vasconcelos, EJR and Billeter, SA and Jett, LA and Meinersmann, RJ and Barr, MC and Diniz, PPVP and Oakley, BB}, title = {Assessing Cat Flea Microbiomes in Northern and Southern California by 16S rRNA Next-Generation Sequencing.}, journal = {Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.)}, volume = {18}, number = {9}, pages = {491-499}, doi = {10.1089/vbz.2018.2282}, pmid = {29893631}, issn = {1557-7759}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; California/epidemiology ; Cat Diseases/epidemiology/parasitology ; Cats ; Ctenocephalides/*microbiology ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; RNA, Bacterial/*genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Flea-borne diseases (FBDs) impact both human and animal health worldwide. Because adult fleas are obligately hematophagous and can harbor potential pathogens, fleas act as ectoparasites of vertebrates, as well as zoonotic disease vectors. Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) are important vectors of two zoonotic bacterial genera listed as priority pathogens by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID-USA): Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp., causative agents of bartonelloses and rickettsioses, respectively. In this study, we introduce the first microbiome analysis of C. felis samples from California, determining the presence and abundance of relevant pathogenic genera by characterizing the cat flea microbiome through 16S rRNA next-generation sequencing (16S-NGS). Samples from both northern (NoCal) and southern (SoCal) California were assessed to expand current knowledge regarding FBDs in the state. We identified Rickettsia and Bartonella, as well as the endosymbiont Wolbachia, as the most abundant genera, followed by less abundant taxa. In comparison to our previous study screening Californian cat fleas for rickettsiae using PCR/digestion/sequencing of the ompB gene, the 16S-NGS approach applied herein showed a 95% level of agreement in detecting Rickettsia spp. There was no overall difference in microbiome diversity between NoCal and SoCal samples. Bacterial taxa identified by 16S-NGS in this study may help to improve epidemiological investigations, pathogen surveillance efforts, and clinical diagnostics of FBDs in California and elsewhere.}, }
@article {pmid29891919, year = {2018}, author = {Balvín, O and Roth, S and Talbot, B and Reinhardt, K}, title = {Co-speciation in bedbug Wolbachia parallel the pattern in nematode hosts.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {8797}, pmid = {29891919}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Bedbugs/*microbiology ; Biosynthetic Pathways/genetics ; Biotin/biosynthesis ; *Genetic Speciation ; *Symbiosis ; Wolbachia/*classification/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Wolbachia bacteria, vertically transmitted intracellular endosymbionts, are associated with two major host taxa in which they show strikingly different symbiotic modes. In some taxa of filarial nematodes, where Wolbachia are strictly obligately beneficial to the host, they show complete within- and among-species prevalence as well as co-phylogeny with their hosts. In arthropods, Wolbachia usually are parasitic; if beneficial effects occurs, they can be facultative or obligate, related to host reproduction. In arthropods, the prevalence of Wolbachia varies within and among taxa, and no co-speciation events are known. However, one arthropod species, the common bedbug Cimex lectularius was recently found to be dependent on the provision of biotin and riboflavin by Wolbachia, representing a unique case of Wolbachia providing nutritional and obligate benefits to an arthropod host, perhaps even in a mutualistic manner. Using the presence of presumably functional biot