Open AccessParthenogenesis-Inducing Microorganisms in Parasitic Hymenoptera: Their Mode of Action and Utilization for Improvement of Biological Control Agents
Author(s) -
John H. Werren,
Einat Zchori-Fein,
Moshe Coll
Publication year - 1996
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.32747/1996.7573080.bard
Subject(s) - wolbachia , biology , horizontal transmission , nasonia vitripennis , parthenogenesis , hymenoptera , parasitoid , cytoplasmic incompatibility , parasitoid wasp , host (biology) , genetics , zoology , evolutionary biology , pteromalidae , embryo , virus
Wolbachia are intracellular bacteria known to cause reproductive and sex ratio disorders in many insects. In various parasitic Hymenoptera, Wolbachia induce thelytokous reproduction. The overall goal of this research was the improvement of biological control agents by reversion of their mode of reproduction. This was attempted from two directions: 1) studying the effect of naturally occurring Wolbachia on the thelytokous species Muscidifuraxuniraptor and 2) trying to transmit thelytoky-inducing Wolbachia to Nasoniavitripennis. In M. uniraptor, gamete duplication was found to be the mode of diploidy restoration and Wolbachia density had a strong effect on sex ratio but not on host fitness. Studies on the natural horizontal transmission of Wolbachia between Nasonia wasps and their Protocalliphora hosts using the Wolbachia Outer Surface Protein (WOSP) gene revealed that (a) two Nasonia species (N. giraulti and N. longicornis) possess closely related strains of B-group Wolbachia, but N. vitripennisapparently acquired B Wolbachia by horizontal transmission from an unknown source, (b) Nasonia and its Protocalliphora host have similar Wolbachia, and (c) the Protocalliphora Wolbachia WOSP gene is a recombinant between the one found in N. giraulti/longicornis and N. vitripennis. Results show parasitoid-host insect transmission of Wolbachia and recombination among Wolbachia strains. Results from gynandromorph studies suggest a novel mechanism of sex determination in Nasonia.