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Host-Associated Bacterial Community Changes After Laboratory Introduction Vary With Wolbachia Presence.
Pina Brinker1,2, Joana Falcao Salles1, Leo W Beukeboom1
1Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Environmental Microbiology
|March 15, 2026
Summary
Laboratory translocation alters host-associated microbial communities, reducing diversity and favoring stochastic assembly. These changes vary between sexual and asexual insect lines over generations, impacting host-microbiome interactions.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Insect-Microbe Interactions
- Symbiosis
Background:
- Laboratory translocation of organisms can disrupt native microbial communities.
- Understanding these shifts is crucial for interpreting research findings and their relevance to natural ecosystems.
- The role of symbionts, like Wolbachia, in modulating these changes requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of laboratory translocation on the host-associated bacterial communities of the parasitic wasp Asobara japonica.
- To compare microbial community dynamics in sexual versus asexual lines under laboratory conditions.
- To assess the influence of the endosymbiont Wolbachia on these changes over time.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze bacterial communities in A. japonica over four generations post-translocation.
- Compared microbial composition between infected (asexual) and uninfected (sexual) lines.
- Monitored changes in bacterial diversity and community structure in response to laboratory environment.
Main Results:
- Laboratory translocation led to a reduction in bacterial diversity and a shift towards stochastic community assembly.
- Significant differences in bacterial community changes were observed between sexual and asexual wasp lines.
- Asexual lines showed increased bacterial community similarity over generations, while sexual lines maintained higher diversity.
- Wolbachia abundance fluctuated, potentially influencing bacterial community dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Laboratory conditions significantly alter host-associated microbial communities, with distinct effects on sexual and asexual lineages.
- Microbial community shifts occur gradually over generations, not immediately upon translocation.
- These findings underscore the importance of considering microbiome stability and host-symbiont interactions when extrapolating laboratory results to ecological contexts.
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