Persistence of Erwinia amylovora in the Apple Aphid (Aphis pomi DeGeer), a Probable Vector

Plurad, Santiago B.; Goodman, R. N.; Enns, W. R.

doi:10.1038/205206a0

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Size filtering through the stylet food canal is probably an important element of the interaction between aphids and bacteria, and although hypothesized early in the search for insect vectors of phytopathogenic erwiniae (48), the vector status of aphids in the spread of bacterial disease is still unclear. This is true even for widely investigated diseases such as the fire blights caused by Erwinia amylovora (35), which was not included in our survey because of its quarantine status.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Phytopathogen Dickeya dadantii ( Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937) Is a Pathogen of the Pea Aphid

Grenier

Duport

Pagès

et al. 2006

Appl Environ Microbiol

108

107

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Dickeya dadantii (Erwinia chrysanthemi) is a phytopathogenic bacterium causing soft rot diseases on many crops. The sequencing of its genome identified four genes encoding homologues of the Cyt family of insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis, which are not present in the close relative Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. atrosepticum. The pathogenicity of D. dadantii was tested on the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, and the bacterium was shown to be highly virulent for this insect, either by septic injury or by oral infection. The lethal inoculum dose was calculated to be as low as 10 ingested bacterial cells. A D. dadantii mutant with the four cytotoxin genes deleted showed a reduced per os virulence for A. pisum, highlighting the potential role of at least one of these genes in pathogenicity. Since only one bacterial pathogen of aphids has been previously described (Erwinia aphidicola), other species from the same bacterial group were tested. The pathogenic trait for aphids was shown to be widespread, albeit variable, within the phytopathogens, with no link to phylogenetic positioning in the Enterobacteriaceae. Previously characterized gut symbionts from thrips (Erwinia/Pantoea group) were also highly pathogenic to the aphid, whereas the potent entomopathogen Photorhabdus luminescens was not. D. dadantii is not a generalist insect pathogen, since it has low pathogenicity for three other insect species (Drosophila melanogaster, Sitophilus oryzae, and Spodoptera littoralis). D. dadantii was one of the most virulent aphid pathogens in our screening, and it was active on most aphid instars, except for the first one, probably due to anatomical filtering. The observed difference in virulence toward apterous and winged aphids may have an ecological impact, and this deserves specific attention in future research.Dickeya dadantii (syn. Erwinia chrysanthemi, Pectobacterium chrysanthemi) (53), as well as many other erwinia species, is one of the phytopathogenic Enterobacteriaceae that can cause soft rot diseases in a wide range of economically important crops. These bacteria can survive in soils, from where they are transmitted to plants by water, miscellaneous insects, or cultural techniques. There is no recorded specific vector organism for such pathogens, although Drosophila melanogaster was claimed to be a potential vector for some Erwinia species (3). The common symptoms for D. dadantii infection, as well as other so-called pectinolytic soft rot Erwinia, are characterized by the rapid disorganization of parenchymatous tissues, mainly driven by pectic enzymes (38). Nevertheless, plant colonization by soft rot Erwinia is a multifactorial process requiring numerous additional factors, such as cellulases, iron assimilation, an Hrp type III secretion system, exopolysaccharides, motility, and proteins involved in resistance against plant defense mechanisms (58). The recent deciphering of the complete genome sequence of D. dadantii, strain 3937 (28), after that of Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. atrosepticum (syn....

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Phytopathogen Dickeya dadantii ( Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937) Is a Pathogen of the Pea Aphid

Grenier

Duport

Pagès

et al. 2006

Appl Environ Microbiol

108

107

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“…pisum (Erwinia aphidicola). The existence of this bacteria within the aphid digestive tract is supported by an early experiment demonstrating that the aphid Aphis pomi was capable of ingesting a pathogenic Erwinia amylovora after a short feeding period (5 minutes) and this would persist in the bodies of the insects for at least 72 hours (duration of the longest experiment) (Plurad et al, 1965). Thus, aphid feeding is a likely source for the presence and persistence of Erwinia bacteria inside the aphid digestive tract.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Serial horizontal transfer of vitamin-biosynthetic genes enables the establishment of new nutritional symbionts in aphids’ di-symbiotic systems

Manzano-Marı́n

d’Acier

Clamens

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Many insects with a nutrient-restricted diet depend on obligate mutualistic bacteria for the provisioning of essential nutrients lacking from their food source, namely essential amino acids and B vitamins. Most aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae), whose diet consists of phloem, rely on the bacterial endosymbiont Buchnera for the supply of the aforementioned compounds. However, in some aphid lineages Buchnera have lost the capability of producing these nutrients and thus the symbiotic consortium has accommodated an extra bacterial partner to supplement Buchnera's deficiencies. In this work, we explore the di-symbiotic nutritional endosymbiosis of a group of Cinara aphids which has been found to harbour both Buchnera and an Erwinia-related symbiont. Using fluorescence in situ hybridisation, we have located this symbiont to the bacteriome where it inhabits its own bacteriocytes. Through whole-genome sequencing of the endosymbionts of 9 species of Erwinia-associated Cinara aphids, we have found that Ewrinia genomes are highly syntenic and all show significant genome reduction. Additionally, Erwinia symbionts display phylogenetic congruency with Buchnera, suggesting long-term co-divergence. Most significantly, we found that not only is Erwinia capable of complementing Buchnera's auxotrophies, but that the genes involved in the biosynthesis of two B vitamins have actually been horizontally acquired from a Sodalis-related bacterium. Finally, this B-vitamin biosynthetic genes have been further transferred to a new Hamiltonella co-obligate symbiont in a specific Cinara lineage, thus displaying a tri-symbiotic system. These results highlight the important role horizontal gene transfer plays in the establishment of new obligate nutritional symbionts.

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“…In aphids ( Aphis pomi ) bacteria remained at the extremities even after 12 days, which could be due to their EPS capsules ( Bellemann et al, 1994). Plurad et al (1965) showed that the pathogen could persist for at least 72 h with Aphis pomi . In those experiments, antibiotic selection on agar plates or agglutination assays were applied for identification.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence of Erwinia amylovora on Insects in a Fire Blight Orchard

Hildebrand

Dickler

Geider

2000

Journal of Phytopathology

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In order to screen for natural dissemination of fire blight under field conditions, insects were caught in an experimental orchard and assayed on semi‐selective agar plates and by BIO‐polymerase chain reaction for their contamination with Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of the bacterial disease. The pathogen was detected on 15 out of 348 insects collected (4.3%). The insects contaminated with E. amylovora have different living habits and belong to four different orders (Homoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera) and at least eight insect families (Aphididae, Psyllidae, Coccinellidae, Curculionidae, Ichneumonidae, Formicidae, Apidae, and Muscidae) and to other Brachycera. After contact of insects with E. amylovora, the pathogen could survive at least 5 days in/on the green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea) and 12 days on aphids (Aphis pomi).

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Persistence of Erwinia amylovora in the Apple Aphid (Aphis pomi DeGeer), a Probable Vector

Cited by 13 publications

References 3 publications

The Phytopathogen Dickeya dadantii ( Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937) Is a Pathogen of the Pea Aphid

The Phytopathogen Dickeya dadantii ( Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937) Is a Pathogen of the Pea Aphid

Serial horizontal transfer of vitamin-biosynthetic genes enables the establishment of new nutritional symbionts in aphids’ di-symbiotic systems

Occurrence of Erwinia amylovora on Insects in a Fire Blight Orchard

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