Journal of Insect Science (2003) 3 (33), p. 19 (Perlman et al.)

Steve J. Perlman, Martha S. Hunter and Suzanne E. Kelly (2003)
A CFB-group bacterial symbiont induces cytoplasmic incompatibility in the parasitoid wasp Encarsia pergandiella
Journal of Insect Science 3 (33), 19-19
XIII International Entomophagous Insects Workshop - July 27-31, 2003, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
Abstract: Many vertically-transmitted symbionts of arthropods increase in frequency by altering reproduction in their hosts. These host reproductive manipulations are diverse, and include cytoplasmic incompatibility, induction of parthenogenesis, male-killing, and feminization of male hosts. Examples of the first three of these four manipulations are known in the parasitic Hymenoptera, the most common type being parthenogenesis induction. One symbiont lineage in the alpha-Proteobacteria, Wolbachia, is the only bacterium known to cause all of these effects, and has been thought to be unique in causing cytoplasmic incompatibility, in which the fecundity of uninfected females is reduced after mating with infected males. Here we provide evidence that an undescribed symbiont in the Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides (CFB) group causes cytoplasmic incompatibility in a sexual population of the parasitic wasp Encarsia pergandiella (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). We established an asymbiotic line of wasps by treating adults with antibiotics for three generations. Wasps were crossed in all four possible combinations of infected and uninfected individuals. In the cross predicted to be incompatible, infected (I) males x uninfected (U) females, progeny production was severely reduced, with these females producing only 12.5% of the number of progeny in other crosses. The incompatibility observed in this haplodiploid species was the female mortality type (and not the male development type); dissections showed that most progeny from the incompatible cross died as eggs. The 16S rDNA sequence of this symbiont is 99% identical to a parthenogenesis-inducing symbiont in other Encarsia, including a Brazilian lineage of parthenogenetic E. pergandiella, and 96% identical to a feminizing symbiont in haplodiploid Brevipalpus mites. Thus, this recently discovered symbiont lineage is capable of inducing three of the four principle manipulations of host reproduction known to be caused by Wolbachia.
Database assignments for author(s): Martha S. Hunter

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Encarsia pergandiella (parasitoid)