Phylogeny of the arthropod endosymbiont Wolbachia based on the wsp gene

Abstract

Bacteria of the genus Wolbachia (Rickettsiae) are widespread in arthropods and can induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), thelytoky (T) or feminization (F) in their host. Recent research on the wsp gene of mainly CI inducing Wolbachia has shown that this gene evolves at a much faster rate than previously sequenced genes such as 16S or ftsZ. As a result this gene appears to be very useful in subdividing the Wolbachia and twelve groups have been distinguished to date. Here we extend the Wolbachia wsp data set with fifteen T-Wolbachia, one F-Wolbachia and three other CI-Wolbachia strains. The results showed: (i) the addition of seven groups; (ii) no relation between host phenotype and Wolbachia phylogenetic position; and (iii) possible horizontal Wolbachia transfer between the moth Ephestia kuehniella and its parasitoid Trichogramma spp.

Feminizing Wolbachia in an insect, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

“…Molecular phylogenetic analyses have revealed the occurrence of two major clades (A and B) in Wolbachia strains infected with arthropods (Werren et al, 1995;van Meer et al, 1999; see also Vandekerckhove et al, 1999). The present analysis of wsp sequences showed that the Wolbachia strain in O. furnacalis is a member of the B group (Figure 2).…”

Infection polymorphism and cytoplasmic incompatibility in Hymenoptera-Wolbachia associations

“…This species develops as a solitary pupal endoparasitoid of various Drosophila species (Carton et al, 1986). It is infected by two Wolbachia variants (Vavre et al, 1999a) which differ from that described by Werren et al (1995) and Van Meer et al (1999) in T. drosophilae.…”

Loss of Wolbachia infection during colonisation in the invasive Argentine ant Linepithema humile

“…This is suggested by strong discrepancies between the phylogenies of hosts and symbionts, indicating that the distribution of Wolbachia strains among host species is determined by frequent horizontal transmission and loss of infection rather than cospeciation between host and symbiont (Werren et al, 1995;van Meer et al, 1999). Contrary to the mechanisms promoting infection, the factors causing the extinction of Wolbachia within host populations are not well understood (Werren and Windsor, 2000).…”