Co ‐infection of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma in spider mite Tetranychus truncatus increases male fitness

In this study, we explored the influence of the two symbionts on male mite host fitness and used RNA sequencing to generate the transcriptomes ofT. truncatus with four different types of infection. In total, we found symbiont ‐infected lines had a higher hatch proportion than the uninfected line, and the development time of the uninfected line was longer than that of the other lines. Co‐infection changed the expression of many genes related to digestion detoxification, reproduction, immunity and oxidation reduction. Our results indicate that co‐infection ofWolbachia andSpiroplasma confers multiple effects on their hosts, and helps illuminate the complex interactions between endosymbionts and arthropods.
Source: Insect Science - Category: Biology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research