Mona Renee Bellinger
Anne Veillet
Karl N. Magnacca
Donald K. Price
Renee L. Corpuz
2023
<div class="html-p">The evolution of endosymbionts and their hosts can lead to highly dynamic interactions with varying fitness effects for both the endosymbiont and host species.<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Wolbachia</span>, a ubiquitous endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on host fitness. We documented the occurrence and patterns of transmission of<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Wolbachia</span><span> </span>within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae and examined the potential contributions of<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Wolbachia</span><span> </span>to the rapid diversification of their hosts. Screens for<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Wolbachia</span><span> </span>infections across a minimum of 140 species of Hawaiian<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Drosophila</span><span> </span>and<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Scaptomyza</span><span> </span>revealed species-level infections of 20.0%, and across all 399 samples, a general infection rate of 10.3%. Among the 44<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Wolbachia</span><span> </span>strains we identified using a modified<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Wolbachia</span><span> </span>multi-locus strain typing scheme, 30 (68.18%) belonged to supergroup B, five (11.36%) belonged to supergroup A, and nine (20.45%) had alleles with conflicting supergroup assignments. Co-phylogenetic reconciliation analysis indicated that<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Wolbachia</span><span> </span>strain diversity within their endemic Hawaiian Drosophilidae hosts can be explained by vertical (e.g., co-speciation) and horizontal (e.g., host switch) modes of transmission. Results from stochastic character trait mapping suggest that horizontal transmission is associated with the preferred oviposition substrate of the host, but not the host’s plant family or island of occurrence. For Hawaiian Drosophilid species of conservation concern, with 13 species listed as endangered and 1 listed as threatened, knowledge of<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Wolbachia</span><span> </span>strain types, infection status, and potential for superinfection could assist with conservation breeding programs designed to bolster population sizes, especially when wild populations are supplemented with laboratory-reared, translocated individuals. Future research aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanisms of<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Wolbachia</span><span> </span>transmission in nature, their impact on the host, and their role in host species formation may shed light on the influence of<span> </span><span class="html-italic">Wolbachia</span><span> </span>as an evolutionary driver, especially in Hawaiian ecosystems.</div>
application/pdf
10.3390/genes14081545
en
MDPI
The transmission patterns of the endosymbiont Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae adaptive radiation
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