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Super‐infections of Wolbachia in byturid beetles and evidence for genetic transfer between A and B super‐groups of Wolbachia
Author(s) -
MALLOCH G.,
FENTON B.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2005.02432.x
Subject(s) - wolbachia , biology , evolutionary biology , horizontal gene transfer , genetics , zoology , host (biology) , phylogenetics , gene
Wolbachia are maternally inherited bacteria responsible for altering host reproduction. The two main groups found in insects, A and B, are based on molecular characterization using ribosomal, fts Z, wsp ( Wolbachia surface protein) or gro E genes. We have used the wsp and fts Z genes to study Wolbachia in byturid beetles. Byturus affinis contained a single copy of the fts Z gene which grouped with A fts Z sequences and a single copy of the wsp gene which grouped with B wsp sequences. This suggests that genetic exchange between A and B groups has occurred in the Wolbachia of this beetle. Fts Z and wsp sequences that were identical or nearly identical to those of B. affinis were found in B. tomentosus , suggesting that it also contains the same recombinant Wolbachia genotype. Most other byturids had more than one wsp sequence with at least one from the A and B groups, suggesting multiple copies of bacterial genes or multiple infections. B. ochraceus and B. unicolor both had four distinct wsp gene sequences. All the byturids had a closely related A wsp sequence and most a closely related B wsp sequence. Therefore, there appears to be an association between specific A and B wsp types.