Male-killing bacteria are thought to persist in host populations by vertical transmission and conferring direct and/or indirect fitness benefits to their hosts. Here, we test the role of indirect fitness benefits accrued from resource reallocation in species that engage in sibling egg cannibalism. We found that a single-egg meal significantly increased larval survival in 12 ladybird species, but the value of an egg (to survival) differed substantially between species. Next, we tested the impact of three male-killing bacteria on larval survival in one ladybird species, Adalia bipunctata. Spiroplasma reduced larval survival, whereas Wolbachia and Rickettsia had no effect. However, Spiroplasma-infected larvae showed the greatest response to a single-egg meal. The indirect fitness benefit obtained from a single egg is thus so large that even male-killing bacteria with direct fitness costs can persist in host populations. This study supports the hypothesis that fitness compensation via resource reallocation can explain male-killing bacteria persistence.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02346.x | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Symbiotic Bacteria: Wolbachia, Midgut Microbiota in Mosquitoes and Their Importance for Vector Prevention Strategies.
Microb Ecol
December 2024
Department of Biotechnology, Periyar University, Centre for Postgraduate and Research Studies, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, 635205, India.
Mosquito-borne illnesses pose a significant threat to eradication under existing vector management measures. Chemo-based vector control strategies (use of insecticides) raise a complication of resistance and environmental pollution. Biological control methods are an alternative approach to overcoming this complication arising from insecticides.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA male-killing Spiroplasma endosymbiont has age-mediated impacts on Drosophila endurance and sleep.
J Insect Physiol
November 2024
University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Canada.
Endosymbiotic bacteria have a wide range of impacts on host physiology, behavior, metabolism, endurance, and mobility. Recent work found some endosymbionts also impact host sleep duration and quality. These effects may increase as flies age and endosymbiont titers increase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWolbachia of phylogenetic supergroup K identified in oribatid mite Nothrus anauniensis (Acari: Oribatida: Nothridae).
Exp Appl Acarol
December 2024
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
Heritable endosymbionts widely occur in arthropod and nematode hosts. Among these endosymbionts, Wolbachia has been extensively detected in many arthropods, such as insects and crustaceans. Maternal inheritance is the most basic and dominant mode of transmission of Wolbachia, and it might regulate the reproductive system of the host in four ways: feminization, parthenogenesis, male killing, and cytoplasmic incompatibility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell-based assays and comparative genomics revealed the conserved and hidden effects of on insect sex determination.
PNAS Nexus
September 2024
Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Ibaraki 305-0851, Japan.
It is advantageous for maternally transmitted endosymbionts to skew the sex ratio of their hosts toward females. Some endosymbiotic bacteria, such as , cause their insect hosts to exclusively produce female offspring through male killing (MK) or feminization. In some lepidopteran insects, MK is achieved by affecting the sex-determining process in males, and a unique mechanism of MK and its functional link with feminization have been implicated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFinduces strong cytoplasmic incompatibility in a predatory insect.
Proc Biol Sci
July 2024
Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 1-2 Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0851, Japan.
, a group of intracellular bacteria found in eukaryotes, exhibits diverse lifestyles, with some acting as vertebrate pathogens transmitted by arthropod vectors and others serving as maternally transmitted arthropod endosymbionts, some of which manipulate host reproduction for their own benefit. Two phenotypes, namely male-killing and parthenogenesis induction are known as -induced host reproductive manipulations, but it remains unknown whether can induce other types of host manipulation. In this study, we discovered that induced strong cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), in which uninfected females produce no offspring when mated with infected males, in the predatory insect (Hemiptera: Miridae).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!