Wolbachia strain diversity in a complex group of sympatric cryptic parasitoid wasp species
(2024) In BMC Microbiology 24.- Abstract
Background: Maternally-inherited symbionts can induce pre-mating and/or post-mating reproductive isolation between sympatric host lineages, and speciation, by modifying host reproductive phenotypes. The large parasitoid wasp genus Cotesia (Braconidae) includes a diversity of cryptic species, each specialized in parasitizing one to few related Lepidoptera host species. Here, we characterized the infection status of an assemblage of 21 Cotesia species from 15 countries by several microbial symbionts, as a first step toward investigating whether symbionts may provide a barrier to gene flow between these parasitoid host lineages. Results: The symbiotic microbes Arsenophonus, Cardinium, Microsporidium and Spiroplasma were not detected in the... (More)
Background: Maternally-inherited symbionts can induce pre-mating and/or post-mating reproductive isolation between sympatric host lineages, and speciation, by modifying host reproductive phenotypes. The large parasitoid wasp genus Cotesia (Braconidae) includes a diversity of cryptic species, each specialized in parasitizing one to few related Lepidoptera host species. Here, we characterized the infection status of an assemblage of 21 Cotesia species from 15 countries by several microbial symbionts, as a first step toward investigating whether symbionts may provide a barrier to gene flow between these parasitoid host lineages. Results: The symbiotic microbes Arsenophonus, Cardinium, Microsporidium and Spiroplasma were not detected in the Cotesia wasps. However, the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia was present in at least eight Cotesia species, and hence we concentrated on it upon screening additional DNA extracts and SRAs from NCBI. Some of the closely related Cotesia species carry similar Wolbachia strains, but most Wolbachia strains showed patterns of horizontal transfer between phylogenetically distant host lineages. Conclusions: The lack of co-phylogenetic signal between Wolbachia and Cotesia suggests that the symbiont and hosts have not coevolved to an extent that would drive species divergence between the Cotesia host lineages. However, as the most common facultative symbiont of Cotesia species, Wolbachia may still function as a key-player in the biology of the parasitoid wasps. Its precise role in the evolution of this complex clade of cryptic species remains to be experimentally investigated.
(Less)
- author
- Valerio, Federica ; Martel, Cornelia ; Stefanescu, Constanti ; van Nouhuys, Saskya ; Kankare, Maaria and Duplouy, Anne LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-09-02
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Cotesia, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Hymenoptera, Melitaeini butterflies, Microbial symbiosis
- in
- BMC Microbiology
- volume
- 24
- article number
- 319
- publisher
- BioMed Central (BMC)
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85202964189
- pmid:39223450
- ISSN
- 1471-2180
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12866-024-03470-7
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 135faf60-01f3-4254-99f9-6b6c8ee4365c
- date added to LUP
- 2024-11-12 17:42:23
- date last changed
- 2025-07-23 14:32:33
@article{135faf60-01f3-4254-99f9-6b6c8ee4365c,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Maternally-inherited symbionts can induce pre-mating and/or post-mating reproductive isolation between sympatric host lineages, and speciation, by modifying host reproductive phenotypes. The large parasitoid wasp genus Cotesia (Braconidae) includes a diversity of cryptic species, each specialized in parasitizing one to few related Lepidoptera host species. Here, we characterized the infection status of an assemblage of 21 Cotesia species from 15 countries by several microbial symbionts, as a first step toward investigating whether symbionts may provide a barrier to gene flow between these parasitoid host lineages. Results: The symbiotic microbes Arsenophonus, Cardinium, Microsporidium and Spiroplasma were not detected in the Cotesia wasps. However, the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia was present in at least eight Cotesia species, and hence we concentrated on it upon screening additional DNA extracts and SRAs from NCBI. Some of the closely related Cotesia species carry similar Wolbachia strains, but most Wolbachia strains showed patterns of horizontal transfer between phylogenetically distant host lineages. Conclusions: The lack of co-phylogenetic signal between Wolbachia and Cotesia suggests that the symbiont and hosts have not coevolved to an extent that would drive species divergence between the Cotesia host lineages. However, as the most common facultative symbiont of Cotesia species, Wolbachia may still function as a key-player in the biology of the parasitoid wasps. Its precise role in the evolution of this complex clade of cryptic species remains to be experimentally investigated.</p>}},
author = {{Valerio, Federica and Martel, Cornelia and Stefanescu, Constanti and van Nouhuys, Saskya and Kankare, Maaria and Duplouy, Anne}},
issn = {{1471-2180}},
keywords = {{Cotesia; Cytoplasmic incompatibility; Hymenoptera; Melitaeini butterflies; Microbial symbiosis}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
publisher = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
series = {{BMC Microbiology}},
title = {{Wolbachia strain diversity in a complex group of sympatric cryptic parasitoid wasp species}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12866-024-03470-7}},
doi = {{10.1186/s12866-024-03470-7}},
volume = {{24}},
year = {{2024}},
}