Adaptive radiation and speciation in asexual arthropods mediated by a bacterial parasite

Informations

Funding country

Netherlands

Acronym

-

URL

-

Start date

1/1/2004

End date

1/21/2009

Budget

-

Fundings

Abstract

Wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria that alter host reproduction in various ways, including feminization, cytoplasmic incompatibility, male killing, and, importantly, parthenogenesis. This reproductive parasite is common in invertebrates and has been implicated as a possible agent for inducing speciation. We have discovered Wolbachia in five parthenogenetic species of Bryobia mites. The genus contains approximately 100 named species and many are host specialists. The predominant mode of reproduction in this genus is parthenogenesis and this is the first association of Wolbachia and parthenogenesis outside the Hymenoptera. These observations raise the exciting possibility that Wolbachia is a causal agent in a recent adaptive radiation. We propose to investigate the role of Wolbachia in speciation and radiation in Bryobia. We plan to build phylogenetic trees of selected parasite and host species to look for co-evolutionary processes. Based on the phylogenetic patterns which result, we will perform curing and crossing experiments in the lab. Such a combined approach should prove powerful in determining the role of Wolbachia in the diversification of this genus. Certain phylogenetic and experimental patterns would strongly implicate the parasite in the actual speciation process, and would be the first demonstration of Wolbachia-mediated diversification, in any taxon. Given their ubiquity, such a demonstration would have implications for invertebrate diversification generally.