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Characterization of a facultative endosymbiotic bacterium of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum

T Tsuchida1, R Koga, X Y Meng

  • 1Institute for Biological Resources and Functions, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST),Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan.

Microbial Ecology
|February 4, 2005
PubMed

Insights

The pea aphid U-type symbiont (PAUS) is a rod-shaped bacterium found in pea aphids. Horizontal transfer explains its sporadic distribution across aphid species.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Entomology
  • Symbiosis research

Background:

  • Aphids harbor diverse microbial symbionts crucial for their survival and reproduction.
  • The pea aphid U-type symbiont (PAUS) is a known symbiont, but its microbiological characteristics and transmission dynamics require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the microbiological properties of the pea aphid U-type symbiont (PAUS).
  • To investigate the localization, infectivity, and transmission patterns of PAUS within Acyrthosiphon pisum.
  • To determine the prevalence and phylogenetic distribution of PAUS across different aphid species.

Main Methods:

  • Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and electron microscopy were employed to visualize PAUS.
  • Artificial transfer experiments were conducted to assess PAUS infection and vertical transmission.
  • Diagnostic PCR assays were used to detect PAUS in various aphid species collected in Japan.

Main Results:

  • PAUS was identified as a rod-shaped bacterium residing in sheath cells, secondary mycetocytes, and hemolymph of Acyrthosiphon pisum.
  • Artificial introduction of PAUS into uninfected aphids resulted in stable infection and vertical transmission.
  • PAUS was detected in five aphid species: four from Aphidinae and one from Pemphiginae, indicating sporadic distribution not strictly linked to aphid phylogeny.

Conclusions:

  • PAUS is a vertically transmitted symbiont capable of establishing stable infections in pea aphids.
  • The observed sporadic distribution of PAUS across aphid species suggests frequent horizontal gene transfer events.
  • Understanding PAUS transmission provides insights into the evolutionary dynamics of insect-microbe interactions.

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