Asaia, a versatile acetic acid bacterial symbiont, capable of cross-colonizing insects of phylogenetically distant genera and orders
- PMID: 19735280
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.02048.x
Asaia, a versatile acetic acid bacterial symbiont, capable of cross-colonizing insects of phylogenetically distant genera and orders
Abstract
Bacterial symbionts of insects have been proposed for blocking transmission of vector-borne pathogens. However, in many vector models the ecology of symbionts and their capability of cross-colonizing different hosts, an important feature in the symbiotic control approach, is poorly known. Here we show that the acetic acid bacterium Asaia, previously found in the malaria mosquito vector Anopheles stephensi, is also present in, and capable of cross-colonizing other sugar-feeding insects of phylogenetically distant genera and orders. PCR, real-time PCR and in situ hybridization experiments showed Asaia in the body of the mosquito Aedes aegypti and the leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus, vectors of human viruses and a grapevine phytoplasma respectively. Cross-colonization patterns of the body of Ae. aegypti, An. stephensi and S. titanus have been documented with Asaia strains isolated from An. stephensi or Ae. aegypti, and labelled with plasmid- or chromosome-encoded fluorescent proteins (Gfp and DsRed respectively). Fluorescence and confocal microscopy showed that Asaia, administered with the sugar meal, efficiently colonized guts, male and female reproductive systems and the salivary glands. The ability in cross-colonizing insects of phylogenetically distant orders indicated that Asaia adopts body invasion mechanisms independent from host-specific biological characteristics. This versatility is an important property for the development of symbiont-based control of different vector-borne diseases.
Similar articles
-
Horizontal transmission of the symbiotic bacterium Asaia sp. in the leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae).BMC Microbiol. 2012 Jan 18;12 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S4. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-S1-S4. BMC Microbiol. 2012. PMID: 22376056 Free PMC article.
-
Phylogenomics Reveals that Asaia Symbionts from Insects Underwent Convergent Genome Reduction, Preserving an Insecticide-Degrading Gene.mBio. 2021 Mar 30;12(2):e00106-21. doi: 10.1128/mBio.00106-21. mBio. 2021. PMID: 33785632 Free PMC article.
-
Detection and isolation of the α-proteobacterium Asaia in Culex mosquitoes.Med Vet Entomol. 2014 Dec;28(4):438-42. doi: 10.1111/mve.12045. Epub 2013 Dec 26. Med Vet Entomol. 2014. PMID: 25387864
-
Bacteria of the genus Asaia: a potential paratransgenic weapon against malaria.Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008;627:49-59. doi: 10.1007/978-0-387-78225-6_4. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008. PMID: 18510013 Review.
-
Acetic acid bacteria, newly emerging symbionts of insects.Appl Environ Microbiol. 2010 Nov;76(21):6963-70. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01336-10. Epub 2010 Sep 17. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2010. PMID: 20851977 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
Effects of developmental stages, sex difference, and diet types of the host marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) on symbiotic bacteria.Front Microbiol. 2024 Sep 4;15:1433909. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1433909. eCollection 2024. Front Microbiol. 2024. PMID: 39296285 Free PMC article.
-
Horizontal transmission of the symbiotic bacterium Asaia sp. in the leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae).BMC Microbiol. 2012 Jan 18;12 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S4. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-S1-S4. BMC Microbiol. 2012. PMID: 22376056 Free PMC article.
-
Mosquito Trilogy: Microbiota, Immunity and Pathogens, and Their Implications for the Control of Disease Transmission.Front Microbiol. 2021 Apr 6;12:630438. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.630438. eCollection 2021. Front Microbiol. 2021. PMID: 33889137 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Mutual exclusion of Asaia and Wolbachia in the reproductive organs of mosquito vectors.Parasit Vectors. 2015 May 17;8:278. doi: 10.1186/s13071-015-0888-0. Parasit Vectors. 2015. PMID: 25981386 Free PMC article.
-
Mosquito-bacteria symbiosis: the case of Anopheles gambiae and Asaia.Microb Ecol. 2010 Oct;60(3):644-54. doi: 10.1007/s00248-010-9704-8. Epub 2010 Jun 23. Microb Ecol. 2010. PMID: 20571792
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Associated data
- Actions
- Actions
- Actions
- Actions
- Actions
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Molecular Biology Databases