Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
Curr Microbiol. 2011 Aug;63(2):206-12. doi: 10.1007/s00284-011-9961-x. Epub 2011 Jun 15.
This study reports the first detection of Wolbachia and yeast-like symbiont (YLS) harbored in Kerria lacca (Kerr), a scale insect, latter of which produces an economically important natural resin, known as lac. Wolbachia was detected using PCR amplification and sequencing of 16S rDNA; and further confirmation and phylogenetic analysis was carried out by fast evolving wsp gene. Neighbor-joining and maximum parsimonious (MP) analysis showed that this strain belongs to subgroup "ori" of Wolbachia super group B of arthropods. Wolbachia of K. lacca is hereby designated as "wKerlac" according to Wolbachia nomenclature system. Histological study revealed the presence of yeast-like endosymbiont, which was also confirmed by PCR amplification of 18S rDNA. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that YLS of K. lacca is quite distinct from YLS of aphid, planthoppers, and beetles. Putative roles of Wolbachia in lecanoid chromosome system of sex determination and in biased sex ratio of K. lacca populations; and YLS in nutritional supplementation and detoxifying substances which are deleterious to K. lacca, are hereby, suggested.
本研究首次报道了在胭脂虫（Kerr）中发现的共生菌沃尔巴克氏体（Wolbachia）和酵母样共生体（YLS），后者产生一种重要的经济天然树脂，称为虫胶。使用聚合酶链反应（PCR）扩增和 16S rDNA 测序检测到沃尔巴克氏体；并通过快速进化的 wsp 基因进行进一步确认和系统发育分析。基于系统发育的邻接法（Neighbor-joining）和最大简约法（MP）分析表明，该菌株属于节肢动物沃尔巴克氏体超级群 B 的“ori”亚群。根据沃尔巴克氏体命名系统，胭脂虫中的沃尔巴克氏体被命名为“wKerlac”。组织学研究显示存在酵母样内共生体，这也通过 18S rDNA 的 PCR 扩增得到了证实。系统发育分析表明，胭脂虫的 YLS 与蚜虫、叶蝉和甲虫的 YLS 有很大的不同。因此，本研究提出了沃尔巴克氏体在胭脂虫性决定的 Lecanoid 染色体系统中的作用，以及在胭脂虫种群中偏向性性别比例中的作用；YLS 在营养补充和解毒物质中的作用，这些物质对胭脂虫是有害的。
