Abstract:
Wolbachia are a group of maternally-inherited, intracellular, alpha Proteobacteria
that are widespread among arthropod hosts. They are capable of inducing a range of
reproductive abnormalities in their hosts including cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI)
and feminization. An approach to defining the phylogenetic relationships among these
endosymbionts in arthropods using groE gene sequences was reported. Wolbachia
strains from tropical insects and isopod crustaceans were first classified into
supergroups using groE sequences. The distribution and diversity of Wolbachia
infection in isopods in Thailand were first surveyed in this study. Two Thai isopod
species were infected by Wolbachia. The relative densities of Wolbachia among each
life cycle stage both in mosquito, Aedes albopictus and in copepod, Mesocyclops
thermocyclopoides in terms of temperature and crowding effects were compared using
real-time quantitative PCR assay. These two species are known to be superinfected
with both A- and B- supergroup Wolbachia. Higher numbers of mosquito larvae and
copepod nauplii in rearing condition caused lower densities of both Wolbachia strains.
The effect of temperature on Wolbachia also revealed a significant decrease in density
following exposure to elevated temperature (37°C) in both sexes of these two species.
The effects of insecticide (temephos) exposure during larval development were
examined in Wolbachia-infected and uninfected strains of Ae. albopictus. The same
methods were also used in the copepod, M. aspericornis, which is the predator of
mosquito larvae. Stress was measured in terms of survival, development time and
wing size. Temephos did not have any effects on copepods. A high concentration of
temephos was associated with a reduction in survival rate and wing length but did not
affect development time and Wolbachia density in both sexes of mosquitoes. Mating,
oviposition and host-seeking behavior of Wolbachia-infected and uninfected Ae.
albopictus were compared. Mating success of infected males was significantly higher
than mating success of uninfected males when mated with both infected and
uninfected females. So, Wolbachia infection may influence the reproductive behavior
of mosquito. There were no clear differences in oviposition responses between
mosquito strains with all strains ovipositing significantly more on hay infusion and
larval rearing water than on water controls and less on 4-methylphenol. Aedes
albopictus differed in host-seeking responses to an arm, acetone, CO2 and
dichloromethane with significant difference between strains.