Relative densities of bacteriophage WO and Wolbachia bacteria of Aedes albopictus mosquito during development

Abstract

Wolbachia are a group of intracellular inherited bacteria that infect a wide range of arthropods. They are related with a variety of reproductive alterations in their host, the best known being cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In this study, prophage WO gp1, including Wolbachia A and Wolbachia B densities were determined during mosquito development by using real-time quantitative PCR (RTQ-PCR). An interesting result was found for the same flux of prophage WO gp1 and Wolbachia B densities in larva, pupa, 3-day-old adult, and 21-day-old adult of Aedes albopictus mosquito (Wolbachia superinfection). The results determined that Wolbachia B and prophage WO gp1 developed with the same fluctuation from larval stage through adult stage. However, the same tendency was not observed with Wolbachia A and phageWO gp1. Hence, this bacteriophage gene is more closely associated with Wolbachia B strain than in Wolbachia A in their relative density variations. Assessment of the density data reported herein is the first to suggest the possible association of prophage WO gp1 in CI mechanisms in consequence of the same fluctuation during development with Wolbachia Q gene density in Aedes albopictus mosquito.