ABSTRACT At least 20% of all arthropods and some nematode species are infected with intracellular bacteria the genus Wolbachia . This highly diverse has been subdivided into eight “supergroups” (A to H) on basis nucleotide sequence data. Here, we report discovery a new supergroup recovered from spider mite Bryobia V (Acari: Tetranychidae), based sequences three protein-coding genes ( ftsZ , gltA groEL ) 16S rRNA gene. Other tetranychid mites possess B strains. The another expands known...

Many parasites manipulate host behavior to increase the probability of transmission. To date, direct evidence for parasitic genes underlying such behavioral manipulations is scarce. Here we show that baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) induces hyperactive in Spodoptera exigua larvae at three days after infection. Furthermore, identify viral protein tyrosine phosphatase (ptp) gene as a key player induction hyperactivity larvae, and mutating catalytic site...

Termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae live in a mutualistic symbiosis with basidiomycete fungi genus Termitomyces. Here, we explored interaction specificity fungus-growing termites using samples from 101 colonies South-Africa and Senegal, belonging to eight species divided over three genera. Knowledge is important test hypothesis that inhabitants (symbionts) are taxonomically less diverse than 'exhabitants' (hosts) transmission mode an determinant for specificity. Analysis Molecular...

Wolbachia and Cardinium are endosymbiotic bacteria infecting many arthropods manipulating host reproduction. Although these maternally transmitted, incongruencies between phylogenies of parasite suggest an additional role for occasional horizontal transmission. Consistent with this view is the strong evidence recombination in Wolbachia, although it less clear to what extent drives diversification within single species genera. Furthermore, little known concerning population structures other...

The hypothesis that evolvability - the capacity to evolve by natural selection is itself object of highly intriguing but remains controversial due in large part a paucity direct experimental evidence. antigenic variation mechanisms microbial pathogens provide an experimentally tractable system test whether has favored increase evolvability. Many systems consist paralogous unexpressed 'cassettes' recombine into expression site rapidly alter expressed protein. Importantly, magnitude change...

Alphaviruses infect a diverse range of host organisms including mosquitoes, mammals, and birds. The enigmatic alphavirus non-structural protein 3 (nsP3) has an intrinsically disordered, C-terminal hypervariable domain (HVD) that can interact with variety proteins associated stress granules (SGs). HVD displays the highest variability across more than 30 known alphaviruses, yet it also contains several motifs are conserved amongst different subgroups alphaviruses. For some specific nsP3–SG...

Fungus-growing termites live in obligate mutualistic symbiosis with species of the basidiomycete genus Termitomyces, which are cultivated on a substrate dead plant material. When termite colony dies, or when nest material is incubated without laboratory, fruiting bodies ascomycete Xylaria appear and rapidly cover fungus garden. This raises question whether certain specialised occupying nests they just occasional visitors. We tested specificity at four levels: (1) fungus-growing termites, (2)...

Many parasites alter host behaviour to enhance their chance of transmission. Recently, the ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyl transferase (egt) gene from baculovirus Lymantria dispar multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdMNPV) was identified induce tree-top disease in L. larvae. Infected gypsy moth larvae died at elevated positions (hence term disease), which is thought promote dissemination virus lower foliage. It is, however, unknown whether egt has a conserved role among baculoviruses inducing disease....

Many parasites manipulate host behaviour to enhance parasite transmission and survival. A fascinating example is baculoviruses, which often induce death in caterpillar hosts at elevated positions ('tree-top' disease). To date, little known about the underlying processes leading this adaptive manipulation. Here, we show that baculovirus Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) triggers a positive phototactic response S. larvae prior causes caterpillars die positions. This...

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata, is an agricultural pest of a wide range fruits. advent high-throughput sequencing has boosted the discovery RNA viruses infecting insects. In this article, we aim to characterize virome and viral sRNA profile medfly. By means transcriptome mining, expanded medfly 13 viruses, including two novel positive ssRNA first dsRNA reported for Our analysis across multiple laboratory-reared field-collected samples showed presence core comprised...

Numerous studies have demonstrated the presence of covert viral infections in insects. These can be transmitted insect populations via two main routes: vertical from parents to offspring, or horizontal between nonrelated individuals. Thirteen RNA viruses been described Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly). Some these are established different laboratory-reared and wild medfly populations, although variations repertoire levels observed at time points. To better understand dynamics, we...

Insects are associated with a wide variety of diverse RNA viruses, including Iflaviruses, group positive stranded viruses that mainly infect arthropods. Whereas some iflaviruses cause severe diseases in insects, numerous were detected healthy populations butterflies and moths (order: Lepidoptera) do not show apparent symptoms. Compared to other hosts, only few iflavirus genomes for lepidopteran hosts could be found publicly available databases we know little about the occurence natural...

Baculoviruses manipulate host climbing behaviour to ensure that the hosts die at elevated positions on plants facilitate virus proliferation and transmission, which is a process referred as tree-top disease. However, detailed molecular mechanism underlying disease has not been elucidated. Using transcriptome analysis, we showed two hormone signals, juvenile (JH) 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), are key components involved in HaSNPV-induced Helicoverpa armigera larvae. RNAi-mediated knockdown...

Many parasites enhance their dispersal and transmission by manipulating host behaviour. One intriguing example concerns baculoviruses that induce hyperactivity tree-top disease (i.e., climbing to elevated positions prior death) in caterpillar hosts. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms of such parasite-induced behavioural changes. Here, we studied role ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase (egt) gene Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) S. larvae. Larvae infected...

The house cricket, Acheta domesticus, is a commonly reared insect for food and feed purposes. In 1977, report described colony collapse, which was caused by the single-stranded DNA virus domesticus densovirus (AdDV). Currently, there are no confirmed A. colonies free of AdDV, viral disease outbreaks continuous threat to mass rearing. Correlations between cricket rearing density or temperature AdDV abundance have been hypothesized, but experimental evidence lacking. Optimised conditions,...

Neuroparasitism concerns the hostile take-over of a host's nervous system by foreign invader, in order to alter behaviour host favour parasite. One most remarkable cases parasite-induced behavioural manipulation comprises changes baculoviruses induce their caterpillar hosts. Baculoviruses may manipulate two ways: hyperactivity (increased movement horizontal plane) and/or tree-top disease (movement elevated levels vertical plane). Those are followed liquefaction and death caterpillar. In...

Evolutionary expansions and contractions of gene families are often correlated with key innovations and/or ecological characteristics. In butterflies moths (Lepidoptera), involved in detoxification plant specialized metabolites hypothesized to facilitate a polyphagous feeding style. However, analyses supporting this hypothesis mostly based on limited number lepidopteran species. We applied phylogenomics approach, using 37 genomes, analyze if family evolution (gene gain loss) is associated...

Abstract Baculoviruses can induce climbing behaviour in their caterpillar hosts to ensure they die at elevated positions enhance virus transmission, providing an excellent model study parasitic manipulation of host behaviour. Here, we demonstrate that occurred mostly during daylight hours, and the height death Helicoverpa armigera single nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV)‐infected larvae increases with light source. Phototaxic electroretinogram (ERG) responses were enhanced after...