Author:

Keywords:

horizontal transmission, induced parthenogenesis, close relationships, parasitic ants, phylogeny, incompatibility, hymenoptera, speciation, arthropods, drosophila, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics & Heredity, HORIZONTAL TRANSMISSION, INDUCED PARTHENOGENESIS, CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS, PARASITIC ANTS, PHYLOGENY, INCOMPATIBILITY, HYMENOPTERA, SPECIATION, ARTHROPODS, DROSOPHILA, Animals, Ants, Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins, Cloning, Molecular, Phylogeny, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Wolbachia, 0603 Evolutionary Biology, 0604 Genetics, 0608 Zoology, 3104 Evolutionary biology, 3105 Genetics, 3109 Zoology

Abstract:

By sequencing part of the wsp gene of a series of clones, we detected an unusually high diversity of nine Wolbachia strains in queens of three species of leafcutter ants. Up to four strains co-occurred in a single ant. Most strains occurred in two clusters (InvA and InvB), but the social parasite Acromyonex insinuator hosted two additional infections. The multiple Wolbachia strains may influence the expression of reproductive conflicts in leafcutter ants, but the expected turnover of infections may make the cumulative effects on host ant reproduction complex. The additional Wolbachia infections of the social parasite A. insinuator were almost certainly acquired by horizontal transmission, but may have facilitated reproductive isolation from its closely related host. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.