The Ecology and Evolution of Microbes that Manipulate Host Reproduction

Early male-killing (MK) bacteria are vertically transmitted reproductive parasites which kill male offspring that inherit them. Whereas their incidence is well documented, characteristics allowing originally non-MK bacteria to gradually evolve MK ability remain unclear. We show that horizontal transmission is a mechanism enabling vertically transmitted bacteria to evolve fully efficient MK under a wide range of host and parasite characteristics, especially when the efficacy of vertical transmission is high. We also show that an almost 100% vertically transmitted and 100% effective male-killer may evolve from a purely horizontally transmitted non-MK ancestor, and that a 100% efficient male-killer can form a stable coexistence only with a non-MK bacterial strain. Our findings are in line with the empirical evidence on current MK bacteria, explain their high efficacy in killing infected male embryos and their variability within and across insect taxa, and suggest that they may have evolved independently in phylogenetically distinct species.

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“…Early MK bacteria occur in a variety of arthropod species [1,3,5]. Their persistence is thought to be driven by the VT …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of early male-killing in horizontally transmitted parasites

Bernhauerová

Berec²,

Maxin

2015

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…Along with Wolbachia several endosymbionts of arthropods like Cardinium, Spiroplasma, Flavobacteria, Arsenophonus are known as reproductive parasites [18]. These endosymbiont employs some effects like cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), male killing (MK), feminization and parthenogenesis.…”

Section: Phenotypic Effects Of Wolbachia Induce In Their Hostsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and Evolutionary Impact of Wolbachia on Butterfly Hosts

Salunkhe

Narkhede²,

Shouche

2014

Indian J Microbiol

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Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic alpha-proteobacteria found in terrestrial arthropods and filarial nematodes. They are transmitted vertically through host cytoplasm and alter host biology by inducing various reproductive alterations, like feminization, parthenogenesis, male killing (MK) and cytoplasmic incompatibility. In butterflies, some effects especially MK and sperm-egg incompatibility are well established. All these effects skew the sex ratio towards female and subsequently favor the vertical transmission of Wolbachia. Some of the insects are also infected with multiple Wolbachia strains which may results in some complex phenomenon. In the present review the potential of Wolbachia for promoting evolutionary changes in its hosts with emphasis on recent advances in interactions of butterfly-Wolbachia is discussed. In addition to this, strain diversity of Wolbachia and its effects on various butterfly hosts are also highlighted.

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“…Consequently, heritable facultative symbionts can only persist in host populations, if they increase either the survival or production of infected female hosts (O'Neill et al, 1997). To ensure persistence, heritable facultative symbionts have adopted various strategies, namely, reproductive manipulation of their host (e.g., male-killing and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI); Werren et al, 2008;Engelstadter and Hurst, 2009), and/or enhancement of host fitness through a diversity of mechanisms (Brownlie and Johnson, 2009;Ferrari and Vavre, 2011;Jaenike, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male killing Spiroplasma protects Drosophila melanogaster against two parasitoid wasps

et al. 2013

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Maternally transmitted associations between endosymbiotic bacteria and insects are diverse and widespread in nature. Owing to imperfect vertical transmission, many heritable microbes have evolved compensational mechanisms to enhance their persistence in host lineages, such as manipulating host reproduction and conferring fitness benefits to host. Symbiont-mediated defense against natural enemies of hosts is increasingly recognized as an important mechanism by which endosymbionts enhance host fitness. Members of the genus Spiroplasma associated with distantly related Drosophila hosts are known to engage in either reproductive parasitism (i.e., male killing) or defense against natural enemies (the parasitic wasp Leptopilina heterotoma and a nematode). A male-killing strain of Spiroplasma (strain Melanogaster Sex Ratio Organism (MSRO)) co-occurs with Wolbachia (strain wMel) in certain wild populations of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. We examined the effects of Spiroplasma MSRO and Wolbachia wMel on Drosophila survival against parasitism by two common wasps, Leptopilina heterotoma and Leptopilina boulardi, that differ in their host ranges and host evasion strategies. The results indicate that Spiroplasma MSRO prevents successful development of both wasps, and confers a small, albeit significant, increase in larva-toadult survival of flies subjected to wasp attacks. We modeled the conditions under which defense can contribute to Spiroplasma persistence. Wolbachia also confers a weak, but significant, survival advantage to flies attacked by L. heterotoma. The host protective effects exhibited by Spiroplasma and Wolbachia are additive and may provide the conditions for such cotransmitted symbionts to become mutualists. Occurrence of Spiroplasma-mediated protection against distinct parasitoids in divergent Drosophila hosts suggests a general protection mechanism.

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The Ecology and Evolution of Microbes that Manipulate Host Reproduction

Cited by 482 publications

References 120 publications

Evolution of early male-killing in horizontally transmitted parasites

Evolution of early male-killing in horizontally transmitted parasites

Distribution and Evolutionary Impact of Wolbachia on Butterfly Hosts

Male killing Spiroplasma protects Drosophila melanogaster against two parasitoid wasps

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