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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317635
Title: Wolbachia infection differs among divergent mitochondrial haplotypes of Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae)

Author
item Cooper, William - Rodney
item Swisher Grimm, Kylie
item Garczynski, Stephen
item MUSTAFA, TARIQ - Washington State University
item Munyaneza, Joseph - Joe
item Horton, David

Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/9/2014
Publication Date: 3/30/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/60612
Citation: Cooper, W.R., Swisher, K.D., Garczynski, S.F., Mustafa, T., Munyaneza, J.E., Horton, D.R. 2015. Wolbachia infection differs among divergent mitochondrial haplotypes of Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 108(2):137-145.

Interpretive Summary: Potato psyllid is a key pest of potato that transmits the pathogen associated with zebra chip disease. Several distinct variants of the potato psyllid, referred to as the western, central, northwestern, and south western haplotypes, have been identified in the United States. Although the northwestern haplotype is predominant in the Pacific Northwest, all four haplotypes seasonally exist in this region. Researchers at the USDA ARS in Wapato, Wa found that the central and western haplotypes both harbor a bacterial symbiont called Wolbachia that limits the ability for them to produce offspring with psyllids of the northwestern and southwestern haplotype. This finding suggest the gene flow among potato psyllid haplotypes is limited by respective differences in the presence or absence of Wolbachia. Results of our study will help researchers model psyllid population dynamics, predict which psyllid haplotypes pose the greatest threat to potato production, and develop area-wide management strategies for the potato psyllid and zebra chip disease.

Technical Abstract: Four mitochondrial (cytrochrome oxidase I) haplotypes of the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (S'ulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), have been identified in North America: western, central, northwestern,and southwestern. A recent study found that females of the northwestern haplotype mated by males of the western or central haplotypes failed to produce viable eggs. Our goal was to determine whether these patterns in reproductive incompatibility are associated with differences among haplotypes in the presence of cytoplasmic incompatibility-inducing bacteria, Wolbachia or Cardinium. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed that psyllids of the western and central haplotypes were both simultaneously infected with two strains ofWolbachia, butWolbachia was not detected in psyllids of the northwestern haplotype. PCR using archived DNA from field-collected psyllids confirmed patterns in Wolbachia infection among the western, central, and northwestern haplotypes, and also indicated thatWolbachia was not detectable in psyllids of the southwestern haplotype, which were not available for the mating studies. Cardinium was not detected in psyllids regardless of haplotype. These results provide evidence that differences in Wolbachia infection may be the cause of cytoplasmic incompatibilities among sympatric yet biologically distinct populations of B. cockerelli that have highly divergent mitochondrial haplotypes. This knowledge will improve the interpretation of studies to assess interactions and biological differences among B. cockerelli haplotypes.