tsetse fly Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (Diptera: Glossina) harbours a surprising diversity of bacteria other than symbionts

• Published in: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Vol. 99; no. 3; pp. 711 - 720
• Main Authors: Lindh, Jenny M, Lehane, Michael J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.03.2011; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 16S rRNA; Animals; Bacillus; Bacillus subtilis; Bacillus subtilis - classification; Bacillus subtilis - genetics; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteriology; Biologi; Biological and medical sciences; Biology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; DGGE; Diptera; Firmicutes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glossina fuscipes fuscipes; Insects; Life Sciences; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Mikrobiologi; Miscellaneous; NATURAL SCIENCES; NATURVETENSKAP; Organism biology; Organismbiologi; Original Paper; Plant Sciences; Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Serratia marcescens; Serratia marcescens - classification; Serratia marcescens - genetics; Sodalis; Soil Science & Conservation; Symbiosis; Tsetse; Tsetse Flies - microbiology; Wigglesworthia - classification; Wigglesworthia - genetics; Wolbachia; 16S rRNA; Bacteria; Tsetse; DGGE; Insecta; Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; Symbiont; Arthropoda; 16S-RNA; Glossinidae; Invertebrata; Diptera; Glossina fuscipes
• ISSN: 0003-6072; 1572-9699; 1572-9699
• DOI: 10.1007/s10482-010-9546-x

Three different bacterial species are regularly described from tsetse flies. However, no broad screens have been performed to investigate the existence of other bacteria in this medically and agriculturally important vector insect. Utilising both culture dependent and independent methods we show that Kenyan populations of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes harbour a surprising diversity of bacteria. Bacteria were isolated from 72% of flies with 23 different bacterial species identified. The Firmicutes phylum dominated with 16 species of which seven belong to the genus Bacillus. The tsetse fly primary symbiont, Wigglesworthia glossinidia, was identified by the culture independent pathway. However, neither the secondary symbiont Sodalis nor Wolbachia was detected with either of the methods used. Two other bacterial species were identified with the DNA based method, Bacillus subtilis and Serratia marcescens. Further studies are needed to determine how tsetse flies, which only ever feed on vertebrate blood, pick up bacteria and to investigate the possible impact of these bacteria on Glossina longevity and vector competence.