Evolution and Diversity of Inherited Spiroplasma Symbionts in Myrmica Ants.

ABSTRACT: Microbial partners play important roles in the biology and ecology of animals. In insects, maternally transmitted symbionts are especially common and can have host effects ranging from reproductive manipulation to nutrient provisioning and defense against natural enemies. In this study, we report a genus-wide association of Myrmica ants with the inherited bacterial symbiont Spiroplasma We screen Myrmica ants collected from the wild, including the invasive European fire ant, Myrmica rubra, and find an extraordinarily high prevalence of this symbiont-8 of 9 species, 42 of 43 colonies, and 250 of 276 individual workers harbored Spiroplasma-only one host species was uninfected. In our screens, each host species carried a distinct Spiroplasma strain, an

SUBMITTER: Ballinger MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5795062 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature