Male-killing mechanisms vary between Spiroplasma species

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology Vol. 13; p. 1075199
• Main Authors: Arai, Hiroshi, Inoue, Maki N, Kageyama, Daisuke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 28.11.2022
• Subjects: endosymbionts; evolution; Homona magnanima; male-killing; Microbiology; Spiroplasma; symbiosis; male-killing; endosymbionts; symbiosis; spaid; Homona magnanima; Spiroplasma; evolution
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1075199

Male-killing, a male-specific death of arthropod hosts during development, is induced by (Mollicutes) endosymbionts of the Citri-Poulsonii and the Ixodetis groups, which are phylogenetically distant groups. induces male-killing in (Diptera) using the Spaid toxin that harbors ankyrin repeats, whereas little is known about the origin and mechanisms of male-killing induced by Here, we analyzed the genome and the biological characteristics of a male-killing strain Hm in the moth (Tortricidae, Lepidoptera). Strain Hm harbored a 2.1 Mb chromosome and two potential plasmids encoding Type IV effectors, putatively involved in virulence and host-symbiont interactions. Moreover, Hm did not harbor the gene but harbored 10 ankyrin genes that were homologous to those in other strains. In contrast to the predominant existence of in hemolymph, our quantitative PCR assays revealed a systemic distribution of strain Hm in , with particularly high titers in Malpighian tubules but low titers in hemolymph. Furthermore, transinfection assays confirmed that strain Hm can infect cultured cells derived from distantly related insects, namely (Diptera) and (Lepidoptera). These results suggest different origins and characteristics of - and -induced male-killing.