Abstract
Wolbachia are extensively harbored by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) populations, which could induce reproductive alteration in the whitefly. Previous studies have indicated that Wolbachia in B. tabaci could be effectively eliminated by antibiotics. In the present study, the antibiotic tetracycline was used to remove Wolbachia from the B-biotype of B. tabaci, and its influences on the reproduction and development of the whitefly were investigated by biological crossing experiments. The results indicated that antibiotic treatment could induce almost complete unidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility in B. tabaci populations. Specifically, the offspring sex ratio from the antibiotic-treated female × untreated male crossings was significantly male-biased. Moreover, the antibiotic cure also induced a developmental delay in the offspring of the whiteflies. However, molecular detection revealed that Wolbachia was not completely eliminated from the host whiteflies by tetracycline. Our data suggested that the reduction but not elimination of Wolbachia by antibiotic treatment could definitely alter the reproductive consequences and developmental process of the whitefly B. tabaci. This is the first report of unidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility caused by Wolbachia in B. tabaci.
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This work is supported by the National Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31071748 and 31171845).
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Zhong, Y., Li, ZX. Influences of tetracycline on the reproduction of the B biotype of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Appl Entomol Zool 48, 241–246 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-013-0180-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-013-0180-8