Affiliation:
1. Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
2. Liaoning Agricultural Development Service Center, Shenyang 110034, China
Abstract
Heritable symbionts are common among animals in nature, but the molecular mechanisms underpinning symbiont invasions of host populations have been elusive. In this study, we demonstrate the spread of
Rickettsia
in an invasive agricultural pest, the whitefly
Bemisia tabaci
Mediterranean (MED), across northeastern China from 2018 to 2023. Here, we show that the beneficial symbiont
Rickettsia
spreads by manipulating host hormone signals. Our analyses suggest that
Rickettsia
have been horizontally acquired by
B. tabaci
MED from another invasive whitefly
B. tabaci
Middle East-Asia Minor 1 during periods of coexistence.
Rickettsia
is transmitted maternally and horizontally from female
B. tabaci
MED individuals.
Rickettsia
infection enhances fecundity and results in female bias among whiteflies. Our findings reveal that
Rickettsia
infection stimulates juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis, in turn enhancing fecundity, copulation events, and the female ratio of the offspring. Consequently,
Rickettsia
infection results in increased whitefly fecundity and female bias by modulating the JH pathway. More female progeny facilitates the transmission of
Rickettsia
. This study illustrates that the spread of
Rickettsia
among invasive whiteflies in northeastern China is propelled by host hormone regulation. Such symbiont invasions lead to rapid physiological and molecular evolution in the host, influencing the biology and ecology of an invasive species.
Funder
MOST | National Natural Science Foundation of China
Publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences