The Facultative Symbiont Rickettsia Protects an Invasive Whitefly against Entomopathogenic Pseudomonas syringae Strains

Abstract

bFacultative endosymbionts can benefit insect hosts in a variety of ways, including context-dependent roles, such as providing defense against pathogens. The role of some symbionts in defense may be overlooked, however, when pathogen infection is transient, sporadic, or asymptomatic. The facultative endosymbiont Rickettsia increases the fitness of the sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) in some populations through mechanisms that are not yet understood. In this study, we investigated the role of Rickettsia in mediating the interaction between the sweet potato whitefly and Pseudomonas syringae, a common environmental bacterium, some strains of which are pathogenic to aphids. Our results show that P. syringae multiplies within whiteflies, leading to host death, and that whiteflies infected with Rickettsia show a decreased rate of death due to P. syringae. Experiments using plants coated with P. syringae confirmed that whiteflies can acquire the bacteria at a low rate while feeding, leading to increased mortality, particularly when the whiteflies are not infected with Rickettsia. These results suggest that P. syringae may affect whitefly populations in nature and that Rickettsia can ameliorate this effect. This study highlights the possible importance of interactions among opportunistic environmental pathogens and endosymbionts of insects.

Repressed Beauveria bassiana infections in Delia antiqua due to associated microbiota

“…Cuticle‐associated bacteria of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex subterraneus protect workers from infection by entomopathogenic fungi . Similar studies have also been reported for other taxa, such as aphid, whitefly and beewolf. Synergistic effects between entomopathogens and insect microbial associates have also been reported.…”

Isolation and Characterization of Ralstonia solanacearum Causing Bacterial Wilt of Solanaceae Crops

“…In all isolates the colony forming units were uncountable at zero dilution. This result in conformity with Adams et al, (2014), Kwiatkowski et al, (2015), Mensah and Twumasi (2016), Hendry et al, (2014), even they could find 40 plates out of 1440 were having uncountable colonies due to spreading of the colonies. It was observed that the plates were having uncountable colonies at zero dilution because of more number of colonies and due to spreading.…”

Torix group Rickettsia are widespread in Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), reach high frequency and carry unique genomic features

“…Members are known to induce a variety of reproductive manipulations, including male killing in ladybird beetles (Adalia bipunctata) (Werren et al, 1994;Hurst et al, 1999;Majerus et al, 1999) and parthenogenesis induction in parasitoid wasps (Pnigalio soemius; Neochrysocharis formosa) (Hagimori et al, 2006;Giorgini et al, 2010). Rickettsia symbiont infection can also be protective, enhancing resistance of aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) to fungal attack and whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) to bacterial challenge (Łukasik et al, 2013;Hendry et al, 2014). Of significance to the study of vectors, Rickettsia are also known to increase the competence of Bemisia whiteflies for the transmission of tomato leaf curl virus (Kliot et al, 2014).…”