Population Dynamics of Noncytoplasmic Incompatibility-Inducing Wolbachia in Nilaparvata lugens and Its Effects on Host Adult Life Span and Female Fitness

Abstract

Wolbachia are bacteria that live intracellularly in a wide variety of arthropods. They are maternally inherited and can affect both reproduction and fitness of its host. When infected males mate with uninfected females or females infected by a different Wolbachia strain, there is often a failure of karyogamy, which is usually attributed to cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). We measured the strength of CI induced by Wolbachia and the fitness effects in three Chinese populations of the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens from Hainan, Yunnan, and Guangxi provinces, respectively. No evidence for CI was found in any of the populations, whereas an enhanced fecundity and shortened longevity were observed only in the Hainan population. The infection density was significantly higher in the Hainan population than in the Guangxi population. The Wolbachia strain infecting the three populations appeared to be the same based on the nucleotide sequence of the wsp gene. Therefore, the variable effects of Wolbachia on host fitness seem to be the result of differences in the host genetic background and Wolbachia infection density. The ability of the non-CI-inducing Wolbachia to maintain themselves in their hosts may be attributed to their positive effects on host fecundity and efficient maternal transmission.

Multiple Infections with Cardinium and Two Strains of Wolbachia in The Spider Mite Tetranychus phaselus Ehara: Revealing New Forces Driving the Spread of Wolbachia

“…Several strains of Wolbachia , such as w Au from D. simulans and w Mel from D. melanogaster, and w Stri in the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens [15], [45], have invaded natural populations even though they induce little to no CI under field conditions. It has been hypothesized that these strains provide an as yet undermined fitness benefit to their hosts.…”

Wolbachia: Can we save lives with a great pandemic?

“…In Aedes polynesiensis , infection is associated with decreased larval mortality and increased adult lifespan [84]. In other species, such as C. pipiens quinquefasciatus and brown planthoppers, Wolbachia increases the number of embryos surviving to adulthood but decreases adult lifespan [85,86]. In A. aegypti, however, Wolbachia decreases embryo survivability, and in the moth Ephestia kuehniella , infection reduces the number of viable sperm [87,88].…”

Various infection status and molecular evidence for horizontal transmission and recombination of Wolbachia and Cardinium among rice planthoppers and related species

“…Wolbachia infect at least 20% of all arthropods and some nematode species (Bandi et al ., ; Hilgenboecker et al ., ; Kikuchi & Fukatsu, ; Tagami & Miura, ; Werren & Windsor, ; Werren et al ., ; West et al ., ), while Cardinium are known from only a few orders of Arachnida and Insecta. Double infection with Wolbachia and Cardinium has also been found in several species of arthropods (Duron et al ., ; Enigl & Schausberger, ; Gotoh et al ., ; Liu et al ., ; Perlman et al ., ; Weeks et al ., ; Zchori‐Fein & Perlman, ).…”