Multiple gains and losses of Wolbachia symbionts across a tribe of fungus‐growing ants

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04764.x
• Publication Date: 2010-08-03T15:06:32Z
• Authors: C. L. FROST; H. FERNÁNDEZ‐MARÍN; J. E. SMITH; W. O. H. HUGHES
• Keywords: Tribe

Although the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia is ubiquitous in insects, it has a unique relationship with New World ants on which particular bacterial strains have specialized. However, data are from distantly related hosts and detailed phylogenetic information could reveal transmission dynamics lacking. Here, we investigate host-Wolbachia relationships monophyletic fungus-growing ant tribe Attini, screening 23 species using multilocus sequence typing to reliably identify strains. This technique reduces significant problem of recombination seen traditional single gene techniques. The between appears complex dynamic. There evidence co-cladogenesis, supporting vertical transmission; however, this incomplete, demonstrating that horizontal also occurred. Importantly, infection prevalence frequently different closely taxa, Acromyrmex leaf-cutting appearing particularly prone there being no consistent any major life history transitions. We suggest loss driven epidemics or selective sweeps Wolbachia, resulting multiple gains losses across ants.