A screen for bacterial endosymbionts in the model organisms Tribolium castaneum, T. confusum, Callosobruchus maculatus, and related species

Goodacre, S.L.; Fricke, C.; Martin, O.Y

Abstract

Reproductive parasites such as Wolbachia are extremely widespread amongst the arthropods and can have a large influence over the reproduction and fitness of their hosts. Undetected infections could thus confound the results of a wide range of studies that focus on aspects of host behavior, reproduction, fitness, and degrees of reproductive isolation. This potential problem has already been underlined by work investigating the incidence of Wolbachia infections in stocks of the model system Drosophila melanogaster. Here we survey a range of lab stocks of further commonly used model arthropods, focusing especially on the flour beetles Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum, the cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus and related species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae and Bruchidae). These species are widespread stored product pests so knowledge of infections with symbionts further has potential use in informing biocontrol measures. Beetles were assessed for infection with 3 known microbial reproductive parasites: Wolbachia, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma. Infections with some of these microbes were found in some of the lab stocks studied, although overall infections were relatively rare. The consequences of finding infections in these or other species and the type of previous studies likely to be affected most are discussed.

Citation

Goodacre, S., Fricke, C., & Martin, O. (2015). A screen for bacterial endosymbionts in the model organisms Tribolium castaneum, T. confusum, Callosobruchus maculatus, and related species. Insect Science, 22(2), https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7917.12096

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 3, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Mar 25, 2015
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Jul 28, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 28, 2015
• Journal: Insect Science
• Print ISSN: 1672-9609
• Electronic ISSN: 1744-7917
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7917.12096
• Keywords: Coleoptera; reproductive isolation; reproductive parasite; sexual conflict; sexual selection; Wolbachia
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/984247
• Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1744-7917.12096/abstract;jsessionid=6C96A7AA61AB70F8F0DF404ECFF8DAD7.f04t01
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Goodacre, S. L., Fricke, C. and Martin, O. Y. (2015), A screen for bacterial endosymbionts in the model organisms Tribolium castaneum, T. confusum, Callosobruchus maculatus, and related species. Insect Science, 22: 165–177, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1744-7917.12096. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
• Contract Date: Jul 28, 2015