Analysis of Multiple Tsetse Fly Populations in Uganda Reveals Limited Diversity and Species-Specific Gut Microbiota
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Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Abstract
The invertebrate microbiome contributes to multiple aspects of host physiology, including nutrient supplementation and immune
maturation processes. We identified and compared gut microbial abundance and diversity in natural tsetse flies from
Uganda using five genetically distinct populations of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes and multiple tsetse species (Glossina morsitans
morsitans, G. f. fuscipes, and Glossina pallidipes) that occur in sympatry in one location. We used multiple approaches, including
deep sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene, 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, and bacterium-specific
quantitative PCR (qPCR), to investigate the levels and patterns of gut microbial diversity from a total of 151 individuals. Our
results show extremely limited diversity in field flies of different tsetse species. The obligate endosymbiont Wigglesworthia dominated
all samples (>99%), but we also observed wide prevalence of low-density Sodalis (tsetse’s commensal endosymbiont) infections
(<0.05%). There were also several individuals (22%) with high Sodalis density, which also carried coinfections with Serratia.
Albeit in low density, we noted differences in microbiota composition among the genetically distinct G. f. fuscipes flies and
between different sympatric species. Interestingly, Wigglesworthia density varied in different species (104 to 106 normalized genomes),
with G. f. fuscipes having the highest levels. We describe the factors that may be responsible for the reduced diversity of
tsetse’s gut microbiota compared to those of other insects. Additionally, we discuss the implications of Wigglesworthia and Sodalis
density variations as they relate to trypanosome transmission dynamics and vector competence variations associated with
different tsetse species.
Description
Keywords
Tsetse Fly Populations, Uganda, Gut Microbiota
Citation
Aksoy, E., Telleria, EL, Echodu, R., Wu, Y., Okedi, LM, Weiss, BL, ... & Caccone, A. (2014). Analysis of multiple tsetse fly populations in Uganda reveals limited diversity and species-specific gut microbiota. Applied and Environmental Microbiology , 80 (14), 4301-4312. doi:10.1128/AEM.00079-14