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Symbiont Diversity of Aphis (Toxoptera) citricidus (Hemiptera: Aphididae) as Influenced by Host Plants

  • Invertebrate Microbiology
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Abstract

Aphids are well known for their association with endosymbiont bacteria. Almost all aphids harbor Buchnera aphidicola as an obligate symbiont and several other bacteria as facultative symbionts. Associations of facultative symbionts and aphids are quite variable in terms of diversity and prevalence across aphid species. Facultative symbionts can have a major impact on aphid bioecological traits. A number of factors shape the outcome of the facultative symbiont-aphid association, including aphid clone, bacterial genotype, geography, and host plant association. The effects of host plant on aphid-facultative symbiont associations are the least understood. We performed deep sequencing of the bacterial community associated with field populations of the oligophagous aphid Aphis (Toxoptera) citricidus collected from different host plants. We demonstrate that (i) A. citricidus has low symbiont diversity, (ii) symbiont diversity is affected by host plant, and (iii) host plants affect the relative abundance of the obligate symbiont Buchnera and an unknown genus of Enterobacteriaceae.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank FAPESP by providing a PhD fellowship to ASG (Grant # 2012/04287-0, São Paulo Research Foundation). Authors also thank CNPq (Grant # 490474/2011-0) and FAPESP (Grant # 2011/50877-0, São Paulo Research Foundation) for providing research funds to the senior author FLC. Authors are also thankful to Prof. Celso Omoto for allowing the use of a Workstation and MSc. Antonio Rogerio B do Nascimento for providing assistance with software implementation.

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  1. Insect Interactions Lab., Department of Entomology and Acarology/ESALQ, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil

    Aline Sartori Guidolin & Fernando Luis Cônsoli

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  1. Aline Sartori Guidolin
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  2. Fernando Luis Cônsoli
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Correspondence to Fernando Luis Cônsoli.

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Guidolin, A.S., Cônsoli, F.L. Symbiont Diversity of Aphis (Toxoptera) citricidus (Hemiptera: Aphididae) as Influenced by Host Plants. Microb Ecol 73, 201–210 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-016-0892-8

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