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Updated: Aug 16, 2025
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Methods for the Extraction of Endosymbionts from the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci
Published on: June 19, 2017
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Subcellular Niche Segregation of Co-Obligate Symbionts in Whiteflies
Akiko Fujiwara1,2, Xian-Ying Meng3, Yoichi Kamagata3
1Center for Food Science and Wellness, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan.
Microbiology Spectrum
|December 22, 2022
Summary
Insect endosymbionts, Hamiltonella and Portiera, segregate within the same host cell in Bemisia tabaci whiteflies. This subcellular niche separation, maintained by the endoplasmic reticulum, is ancient and conserved across whitefly species.
Area of Science:
- Insect-microbe interactions
- Endosymbiosis
- Cell biology
Background:
- Insects host diverse endosymbiotic bacteria, typically in separate cells.
- Bemisia tabaci whiteflies uniquely host co-obligate symbionts within the same bacteriocytes.
- Mechanisms for coexistence of multiple symbionts in a single cell are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the subcellular localization and spatial organization of co-obligate endosymbionts in Bemisia tabaci.
- To determine if symbionts occupy distinct niches within bacteriocytes.
- To explore the evolutionary conservation of this endosymbiont segregation.
Main Methods:
- Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to visualize symbiont locations.
- Immunohistochemical analysis to identify cellular structures, including the endoplasmic reticulum.
- Comparative analysis across different Bemisia tabaci biotypes and the related Trialeurodes vaporariorum.
Main Results:
- Endosymbionts Hamiltonella and Portiera occupy distinct subcellular niches within B. tabaci bacteriocytes.
- Hamiltonella localizes near the nucleus, while Portiera is in the surrounding cytoplasm.
- The endoplasmic reticulum acts as a physical barrier separating the two symbionts, a pattern conserved across species and ancient in origin.
Conclusions:
- Subcellular niche segregation is a key mechanism maintaining coexistence of multiple endosymbionts within a single host cell.
- This segregation system, involving organelle-mediated barriers, is ancient and conserved in whitefly lineages.
- Conserved niche partitioning likely facilitates efficient nutrient exchange and symbiont stability.
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