Molecular detection and identification of Wolbachia in three species of the genus Lutzomyia on the Colombian Caribbean coast

Differences in the gut microbial content of Lutzomyia (Lu.) ayacuchensis, a primary vector of Andean-type cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ecuador and Peru, may influence the susceptibility of these sand flies to infection by Leishmania. As a first step toward addressing this hypothesis, a comparative analysis of bacterial and fungal compositions from Lu. ayacuchensis populations with differential susceptibilities to Leishmania was performed. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplification and Illumina MiSeq sequencing approaches were used to characterize the bacterial composition in wild-caught populations from the Andean areas of Ecuador and southern Peru at which the sand fly species transmit Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana and Leishmania (Viannia) peruviana, respectively, and a population from the northern Peruvian Andes at which the transmission of Leishmania by Lu. ayacuchensis has not been reported. In the present study, 59 genera were identified, 21 of which were widely identified and comprised more than 95% of all bacteria. Of the 21 dominant bacterial genera identified in the sand flies collected, 10 genera had never been detected in field sand flies. The Ecuador and southern Peru populations each comprised individuals of particular genera, while overlap was clearly observed between microbes isolated from different sites, such as the number of soil organisms. Similarly, Corynebacterium and Micrococcus were slightly more dominant bacterial genera in the southern Peru population, while Ochrobactrum was the most frequently isolated from other populations. On the other hand, fungi were only found in the southern Peru population and dominated by the Papiliotrema genus. These results suggest that variation in the insect gut microbiota may be elucidated by the ecological diversity of sand flies in Peru and Ecuador, which may influence susceptibility to Leishmania infection. The present study provides key insights for understanding the role of the microbiota during the course of L. (L.) mexicana and L. (V.) peruviana infections in this important vector.

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“…evansi, and Lu. intermedia [11,44,63,64] and the present results expand our knowledge of its occurrence in Lu. ayacuchensis.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Communities in Lutzomyia ayacuchensis Populations with Different Vector Competence to Leishmania Parasites in Ecuador and Peru

et al. 2020

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“…Vivero et al . 21 detected Wolbachia in Lutzomyia species in Colombian Caribbean coast. Da Rocha et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Investigation of Wolbachia spp. and Spiroplasma spp. in Phlebotomus species by molecular methods

Karatepe

Aksoy

Karatepe

2018

Sci Rep

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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.

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“…pallescens in previous studies [ 20 , 21 , 35 ]. Given that these bacteria can alter the reproductive tissue of their host, they have been suggested as a tool for vector control in Aedes [ 35 , 56 ] and Lutzomyia [ 57 , 58 ]; this may be the reason why, in this study, they were only detected at low abundance, in one triatomine species, and in a bug that tested negative for the presence of the parasite (see S2 Table ). To further elucidate the colonization profile of these specific bacteria in triatomines, it will be essential to perform further studies where a greater number of parasites are sampled, the provenance regions of samples are more diverse, and more specific tests are carried out.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Species-dependent variation of the gut bacterial communities across Trypanosoma cruzi insect vectors

et al. 2020

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Triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) are the insect vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. The gut bacterial communities affect the development of T. cruzi inside the vector, making the characterization of its composition important in the understanding of infection development. We collected 54 triatomine bugs corresponding to four genera in different departments of Colombia. DNA extraction and PCR were performed to evaluate T. cruzi presence and to determine the discrete typing unit (DTU) of the parasite. PCR products of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene were pooled and sequenced. Resulting reads were denoised and QIIME 2 was used for the identification of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). Diversity (alpha and beta diversity) and richness analyses, Circos plots, and principal component analysis (PCA) were also performed. The overall T. cruzi infection frequency was 75.9%, with TcI being the predominant DTU. Approximately 500,000 sequences were analyzed and 27 bacterial phyla were identified. The most abundant phyla were Proteobacteria (33.9%), Actinobacteria (32.4%), Firmicutes (19.6%), and Bacteroidetes (7.6%), which together accounted for over 90% of the gut communities identified in this study. Genera were identified for these main bacterial phyla, revealing the presence of important bacteria such as Rhodococcus, Serratia, and Wolbachia. The composition of bacterial phyla in the gut of the insects was significantly different between triatomine species, whereas no significant difference was seen between the state of T. cruzi infection. We suggest further investigation with the evaluation of additional variables and a larger sample size. To our knowledge, this study is the first characterization of the gut bacterial structure of the main triatomine genera in Colombia.

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Molecular detection and identification of Wolbachia in three species of the genus Lutzomyia on the Colombian Caribbean coast

Cited by 27 publications

References 38 publications

Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Communities in Lutzomyia ayacuchensis Populations with Different Vector Competence to Leishmania Parasites in Ecuador and Peru

Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Communities in Lutzomyia ayacuchensis Populations with Different Vector Competence to Leishmania Parasites in Ecuador and Peru

Investigation of Wolbachia spp. and Spiroplasma spp. in Phlebotomus species by molecular methods

Species-dependent variation of the gut bacterial communities across Trypanosoma cruzi insect vectors

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