1
|
Haghshenas-Gorgabi N, Poorjavd N, Khajehali J, Wybouw N. Cardinium symbionts are pervasive in Iranian populations of the spider mite Panonychus ulmi despite inducing an infection cost and no demonstrable reproductive phenotypes when Wolbachia is a symbiotic partner. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2023; 91:369-380. [PMID: 37819592 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00840-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Maternally transmitted symbionts such as Cardinium and Wolbachia are widespread in arthropods. Both Cardinium and Wolbachia can cause cytoplasmic incompatibility, a reproductive phenotype that interferes with the development of uninfected eggs that are fertilized by infected sperm. In haplodiploid hosts, these symbionts can also distort sex allocation to facilitate their spread through host populations. Without other fitness effects, symbionts that induce strong reproductive phenotypes tend to spread to high and stable infection frequencies, whereas variants that induce weak reproductive phenotypes are typically associated with intermediate and variable frequencies. To study the spread of Cardinium in a haplodiploid host, we sampled Iranian populations of the economically important spider mite Panonychus ulmi in apple orchards. Within several field populations, we also studied the Wolbachia infection frequencies. All P. ulmi field populations carried a Cardinium infection and exhibited high infection frequencies. In contrast, Wolbachia frequency ranged between ca. 10% and ca. 70% and was only found in co-infected mites. To test whether Cardinium induce reproductive phenotypes in P. ulmi, a Cardinium-cured derived line was generated by antibiotic treatment from a co-infected field population. Genetic crosses indicated that Cardinium do not induce demonstrable levels of cytoplasmic incompatibility and sex allocation distortion in co-infected P. ulmi. However, Cardinium infection was associated with a longer developmental time and reduced total fecundity for co-infected females. We hypothesize that Cardinium spread through P. ulmi populations via uncharacterized fitness effects and that co-infection with Wolbachia might impact these drive mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nastaran Haghshenas-Gorgabi
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran
| | - Nafiseh Poorjavd
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran.
| | - Jahangir Khajehali
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran
| | - Nicky Wybouw
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hochstrasser M. Molecular Biology of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Caused by Wolbachia Endosymbionts. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:299-316. [PMID: 37285552 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041020-024616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Among endosymbiotic bacteria living within eukaryotic cells, Wolbachia is exceptionally widespread, particularly in arthropods. Inherited through the female germline, it has evolved ways to increase the fraction of bacterially infected offspring by inducing parthenogenesis, feminization, male killing, or, most commonly, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In CI, Wolbachia infection of males causes embryonic lethality unless they mate with similarly infected females, creating a relative reproductive advantage for infected females. A set of related Wolbachia bicistronic operons encodes the CI-inducing factors. The downstream gene encodes a deubiquitylase or nuclease and is responsible for CI induction by males, while the upstream product when expressed in females binds its sperm-introduced cognate partner and rescues viability. Both toxin-antidote and host-modification mechanisms have been proposed to explain CI. Interestingly, male killing by either Spiroplasma or Wolbachia endosymbionts involves deubiquitylases as well. Interference with the host ubiquitin system may therefore be a common theme among endosymbiont-mediated reproductive alterations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hochstrasser
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Oren A. Candidatus List No. 4: Lists of names of prokaryotic Candidatus taxa. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 72. [PMID: 36748458 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.005545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aharon Oren
- The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Martinez J, Ant TH, Murdochy SM, Tong L, da Silva Filipe A, Sinkins SP. Genome sequencing and comparative analysis of Wolbachia strain wAlbA reveals Wolbachia-associated plasmids are common. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010406. [PMID: 36121852 PMCID: PMC9560607 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are widespread maternally-transmitted bacteria of arthropods that often spread by manipulating their host's reproduction through cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Their invasive potential is currently being harnessed in field trials aiming to control mosquito-borne diseases. Wolbachia genomes commonly harbour prophage regions encoding the cif genes which confer their ability to induce CI. Recently, a plasmid-like element was discovered in wPip, a Wolbachia strain infecting Culex mosquitoes; however, it is unclear how common such extra-chromosomal elements are in Wolbachia. Here we sequenced the complete genome of wAlbA, a strain of the symbiont found in Aedes albopictus, after eliminating the co-infecting and higher density wAlbB strain that previously made sequencing of wAlbA challenging. We show that wAlbA is associated with two new plasmids and identified additional Wolbachia plasmids and related chromosomal islands in over 20% of publicly available Wolbachia genome datasets. These plasmids encode a variety of accessory genes, including several phage-like DNA packaging genes as well as genes potentially contributing to host-symbiont interactions. In particular, we recovered divergent homologues of the cif genes in both Wolbachia- and Rickettsia-associated plasmids. Our results indicate that plasmids are common in Wolbachia and raise fundamental questions around their role in symbiosis. In addition, our comparative analysis provides useful information for the future development of genetic tools to manipulate and study Wolbachia symbionts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julien Martinez
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas H. Ant
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Shivan M. Murdochy
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Lily Tong
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Ana da Silva Filipe
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Steven P. Sinkins
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pollmann M, Moore LD, Krimmer E, D'Alvise P, Hasselmann M, Perlman SJ, Ballinger MJ, Steidle JL, Gottlieb Y. Highly transmissible cytoplasmic incompatibility by the extracellular insect symbiont Spiroplasma. iScience 2022; 25:104335. [PMID: 35602967 PMCID: PMC9118660 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is a form of reproductive manipulation caused by maternally inherited endosymbionts infecting arthropods, like Wolbachia, whereby matings between infected males and uninfected females produce few or no offspring. We report the discovery of a new CI symbiont, a strain of Spiroplasma causing CI in the parasitoid wasp Lariophagus distinguendus. Its extracellular occurrence enabled us to establish CI in uninfected adult insects by transferring Spiroplasma-infected hemolymph. We sequenced the CI-Spiroplasma genome and did not find any homologues of any of the cif genes discovered to cause CI in Wolbachia, suggesting independent evolution of CI. Instead, the genome contains other potential CI-causing candidate genes, such as homologues of high-mobility group (HMG) box proteins that are crucial in eukaryotic development but rare in bacterial genomes. Spiroplasma's extracellular nature and broad host range encompassing medically and agriculturally important arthropods make it a promising tool to study CI and its applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Pollmann
- Department of Chemical Ecology 190t, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Logan D. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Elena Krimmer
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Paul D'Alvise
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital of Tuebingen, 72016 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Martin Hasselmann
- Department of Livestock Population Genomics 460h, Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Steve J. Perlman
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3N5, Canada
| | - Matthew J. Ballinger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Johannes L.M. Steidle
- Department of Chemical Ecology 190t, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
- KomBioTa - Center of Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Yuval Gottlieb
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Doremus MR, Stouthamer CM, Kelly SE, Schmitz-Esser S, Hunter MS. Quality over quantity: unraveling the contributions to cytoplasmic incompatibility caused by two coinfecting Cardinium symbionts. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 128:187-195. [PMID: 35124699 PMCID: PMC8897438 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00507-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is a common form of reproductive sabotage caused by maternally inherited bacterial symbionts of arthropods. CI is a two-step manipulation: first, the symbiont modifies sperm in male hosts which results in the death of fertilized, uninfected embryos. Second, when females are infected with a compatible strain, the symbiont reverses sperm modification in the fertilized egg, allowing offspring of infected females to survive and spread the symbiont to high frequencies in a population. Although CI plays a role in arthropod evolution, the mechanism of CI is unknown for many symbionts. Cardinium hertigii is a common CI-inducing symbiont of arthropods, including parasitoid wasps like Encarsia partenopea. This wasp harbors two Cardinium strains, cEina2 and cEina3, and exhibits strong CI. The strains infect wasps at different densities, with the cEina3 present at a lower density than cEina2, and it was previously not known which strain caused CI. By differentially curing wasps of cEina3, we found that this low-density symbiont is responsible for CI and modifies males during their pupal stage. cEina2 does not modify host reproduction and may spread by 'hitchhiking' with cEina3 CI or by conferring an unknown benefit. The cEina3 strain also shows a unique localization pattern in male reproductive tissues. Instead of infecting sperm like other CI-inducing symbionts, cEina3 cells are found in somatic cells at the testis base and around the seminal vesicle. This may allow the low-density cEina3 to efficiently modify host males and suggests that cEina3 uses a different modification strategy than sperm-infecting CI symbionts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R. Doremus
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XGraduate Interdisciplinary Program in Entomology & Insect Science, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA ,grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XDepartment of Entomology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
| | - Corinne M. Stouthamer
- grid.213876.90000 0004 1936 738XDepartment of Entomology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Suzanne E. Kelly
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XDepartment of Entomology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
| | - Stephan Schmitz-Esser
- grid.34421.300000 0004 1936 7312Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
| | - Martha S. Hunter
- grid.134563.60000 0001 2168 186XDepartment of Entomology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Male Age and Wolbachia Dynamics: Investigating How Fast and Why Bacterial Densities and Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Strengths Vary. mBio 2021; 12:e0299821. [PMID: 34903056 PMCID: PMC8686834 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02998-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Endosymbionts can influence host reproduction and fitness to favor their maternal transmission. For example, endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria often cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) that kills uninfected embryos fertilized by Wolbachia-modified sperm. Infected females can rescue CI, providing them a relative fitness advantage. Wolbachia-induced CI strength varies widely and tends to decrease as host males age. Since strong CI drives Wolbachia to high equilibrium frequencies, understanding how fast and why CI strength declines with male age is crucial to explaining age-dependent CI’s influence on Wolbachia prevalence. Here, we investigate if Wolbachia densities and/or CI gene (cif) expression covary with CI-strength variation and explore covariates of age-dependent Wolbachia-density variation in two classic CI systems. wRi CI strength decreases slowly with Drosophila simulans male age (6%/day), but wMel CI strength decreases very rapidly (19%/day), yielding statistically insignificant CI after only 3 days of Drosophila melanogaster adult emergence. Wolbachia densities and cif expression in testes decrease as wRi-infected males age, but both surprisingly increase as wMel-infected males age, and CI strength declines. We then tested if phage lysis, Octomom copy number (which impacts wMel density), or host immune expression covary with age-dependent wMel densities. Only host immune expression correlated with density. Together, our results identify how fast CI strength declines with male age in two model systems and reveal unique relationships between male age, Wolbachia densities, cif expression, and host immunity. We discuss new hypotheses about the basis of age-dependent CI strength and its contributions to Wolbachia prevalence.
Collapse
|
8
|
Beckmann JF, Van Vaerenberghe K, Akwa DE, Cooper BS. A single mutation weakens symbiont-induced reproductive manipulation through reductions in deubiquitylation efficiency. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2113271118. [PMID: 34548405 PMCID: PMC8488622 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113271118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals interact with microbes that affect their performance and fitness, including endosymbionts that reside inside their cells. Maternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria are the most common known endosymbionts, in large part because of their manipulation of host reproduction. For example, many Wolbachia cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) that reduces host embryonic viability when Wolbachia-modified sperm fertilize uninfected eggs. Operons termed cifs control CI, and a single factor (cifA) rescues it, providing Wolbachia-infected females a fitness advantage. Despite CI's prevalence in nature, theory indicates that natural selection does not act to maintain CI, which varies widely in strength. Here, we investigate the genetic and functional basis of CI-strength variation observed among sister Wolbachia that infect Drosophila melanogaster subgroup hosts. We cloned, Sanger sequenced, and expressed cif repertoires from weak CI-causing wYak in Drosophila yakuba, revealing mutations suspected to weaken CI relative to model wMel in D. melanogaster A single valine-to-leucine mutation within the deubiquitylating (DUB) domain of the wYak cifB homolog (cidB) ablates a CI-like phenotype in yeast. The same mutation reduces both DUB efficiency in vitro and transgenic CI strength in the fly, each by about twofold. Our results map hypomorphic transgenic CI to reduced DUB activity and indicate that deubiquitylation is central to CI induction in cid systems. We also characterize effects of other genetic variation distinguishing wMel-like cifs Importantly, CI strength determines Wolbachia prevalence in natural systems and directly influences the efficacy of Wolbachia biocontrol strategies in transinfected mosquito systems. These approaches rely on strong CI to reduce human disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John F Beckmann
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849;
| | | | - Daniel E Akwa
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849
| | - Brandon S Cooper
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59801
| |
Collapse
|