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Aphid facultative symbionts confer no protection against the fungal entomopathogen Batkoa apiculata

Rose A Inchauregui1,2, Keertana Tallapragada1,3, Benjamin J Parker1

  • 1Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States of America.

Plos One
|May 19, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Aphid endosymbiotic bacteria do not protect against the fungal pathogen Batkoa apiculata. Some bacteria may even increase aphid susceptibility to this entomopathogenic fungus.

Area of Science:

  • Entomology
  • Microbiology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Fungi in the Entomophthoraceae family are common aphid pathogens.
  • Certain aphid-associated bacteria, like Spiroplasma sp. and Regiella insecticola, confer resistance to the fungal pathogen Pandora neoaphidis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if aphid endosymbiotic bacteria provide protection against other Entomophthoraceae fungi, specifically Batkoa apiculata.
  • To determine the impact of different aphid symbionts on susceptibility to B. apiculata.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and identification of Batkoa apiculata from pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) using 28S rRNA gene sequencing.
  • Infection of pea aphid lines, each harboring a distinct endosymbiotic bacterium, with B. apiculata.
  • Assessment of aphid survival and infection rates to evaluate symbiont-mediated protection.

Main Results:

  • No evidence of symbiont-mediated protection against Batkoa apiculata infection was observed.
  • Some aphid endosymbiotic bacteria were found to increase the susceptibility of their hosts to B. apiculata.
  • The protective effect of symbionts against Pandora neoaphidis does not extend to Batkoa apiculata.

Conclusions:

  • Aphid symbiont-mediated resistance is pathogen-specific and does not universally protect against Entomophthoraceae fungi.
  • The interaction between aphids, their symbionts, and fungal pathogens is complex and can lead to increased host susceptibility.
  • These findings contribute to understanding host-microbe interactions and the ecological dynamics of aphid populations.

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