Bacteriophage-Host Association in the Phytoplasma Insect Vector <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i>
Insect vectors transmit viruses and bacteria that can cause severe diseases in plants and economic losses due to a decrease in crop production. Insect vectors, like all other organisms, are colonized by a community of various microorganisms, which can influence their physiology, ecology, evolution,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/5/612 |
| _version_ | 1827692315705081856 |
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| author | Marta Vallino Marika Rossi Sara Ottati Gabriele Martino Luciana Galetto Cristina Marzachì Simona Abbà |
| author_facet | Marta Vallino Marika Rossi Sara Ottati Gabriele Martino Luciana Galetto Cristina Marzachì Simona Abbà |
| author_sort | Marta Vallino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Insect vectors transmit viruses and bacteria that can cause severe diseases in plants and economic losses due to a decrease in crop production. Insect vectors, like all other organisms, are colonized by a community of various microorganisms, which can influence their physiology, ecology, evolution, and also their competence as vectors. The important ecological meaning of bacteriophages in various ecosystems and their role in microbial communities has emerged in the past decade. However, only a few phages have been described so far in insect microbiomes. The leafhopper <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i> is a laboratory vector of the phytoplasma causing Flavescence dorée, a severe grapevine disease that threatens viticulture in Europe. Here, the presence of a temperate bacteriophage in <i>E. variegatus</i> (named Euscelidius variegatus phage 1, EVP-1) was revealed through both insect transcriptome analyses and electron microscopic observations. The bacterial host was isolated in axenic culture and identified as the bacterial endosymbiont of <i>E. variegatus</i> (BEV), recently assigned to the genus <i>Candidatus</i> Symbiopectobacterium. BEV harbors multiple prophages that become active in culture, suggesting that different environments can trigger different mechanisms, finely regulating the interactions among phages. Understanding the complex relationships within insect vector microbiomes may help in revealing possible microbe influences on pathogen transmission, and it is a crucial step toward innovative sustainable strategies for disease management in agriculture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:20:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f7bef62fe6a849c494af3cc2bb2961f4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:20:33Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-f7bef62fe6a849c494af3cc2bb2961f42023-11-21T20:06:39ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172021-05-0110561210.3390/pathogens10050612Bacteriophage-Host Association in the Phytoplasma Insect Vector <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i>Marta Vallino0Marika Rossi1Sara Ottati2Gabriele Martino3Luciana Galetto4Cristina Marzachì5Simona Abbà6Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, ItalyInstitute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, ItalyInstitute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, ItalyInstitute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, ItalyInstitute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, ItalyInstitute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, ItalyInstitute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, ItalyInsect vectors transmit viruses and bacteria that can cause severe diseases in plants and economic losses due to a decrease in crop production. Insect vectors, like all other organisms, are colonized by a community of various microorganisms, which can influence their physiology, ecology, evolution, and also their competence as vectors. The important ecological meaning of bacteriophages in various ecosystems and their role in microbial communities has emerged in the past decade. However, only a few phages have been described so far in insect microbiomes. The leafhopper <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i> is a laboratory vector of the phytoplasma causing Flavescence dorée, a severe grapevine disease that threatens viticulture in Europe. Here, the presence of a temperate bacteriophage in <i>E. variegatus</i> (named Euscelidius variegatus phage 1, EVP-1) was revealed through both insect transcriptome analyses and electron microscopic observations. The bacterial host was isolated in axenic culture and identified as the bacterial endosymbiont of <i>E. variegatus</i> (BEV), recently assigned to the genus <i>Candidatus</i> Symbiopectobacterium. BEV harbors multiple prophages that become active in culture, suggesting that different environments can trigger different mechanisms, finely regulating the interactions among phages. Understanding the complex relationships within insect vector microbiomes may help in revealing possible microbe influences on pathogen transmission, and it is a crucial step toward innovative sustainable strategies for disease management in agriculture.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/5/612microbiomebacteriophagesinsect vectors<i>Euscelidius variegatus</i>phytoplasmaFlavescence doreé |
| spellingShingle | Marta Vallino Marika Rossi Sara Ottati Gabriele Martino Luciana Galetto Cristina Marzachì Simona Abbà Bacteriophage-Host Association in the Phytoplasma Insect Vector <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i> Pathogens microbiome bacteriophages insect vectors <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i> phytoplasma Flavescence doreé |
| title | Bacteriophage-Host Association in the Phytoplasma Insect Vector <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i> |
| title_full | Bacteriophage-Host Association in the Phytoplasma Insect Vector <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i> |
| title_fullStr | Bacteriophage-Host Association in the Phytoplasma Insect Vector <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bacteriophage-Host Association in the Phytoplasma Insect Vector <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i> |
| title_short | Bacteriophage-Host Association in the Phytoplasma Insect Vector <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i> |
| title_sort | bacteriophage host association in the phytoplasma insect vector i euscelidius variegatus i |
| topic | microbiome bacteriophages insect vectors <i>Euscelidius variegatus</i> phytoplasma Flavescence doreé |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/5/612 |
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