Evaluation of Endosymbiotic Microorganisms on Different Host Plants and Genetic Variability of Bemisia Tabaci Gennadius

Abstract

A study was carried out to determine the genetic diversity and distribution of known endosymbionts in the populations of Bemisia tabaci from 9 host plants belonging to 3 plant families Solanaceae, Fabaceae and Malvaceae in New Delhi, India. The presence of five endosymbiont (Portiera, Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Cardinium and Arsenophonus) were tested in B. tabaci populations. Phylogenetic analyses constructed on the mitochondrial cytochrome I gene showed the presence of Asia 1, Asia II 1 and Asia II 7 genetic groups for B. tabaci individuals collected from the studied host plants. The sequences of individuals from solanaceous host plants newlinegrouped into two clades, of which the sequence of brinjal individuals was found to be of the Asia 1 genetic group and the sequences from potato and tomato individuals grouped to Asia II 1 genetic group. The individuals from fabaceous host plants were also grouped into two clades, of which the individuals from soyabean and mungbean were settled with Asia II 1 genetic group and the individuals from subabool were grouped with Asia II 7 genetic group. The individuals from malvaceous host plants were grouped into three clades showing a diversity of three different genetic groups. As the individuals from cotton settled with Asia 1 genetic group, individuals from newlineokra were settled with Asia II 1 genetic group and the individuals from china rose were settled with Asia II 7 genetic group. Individual were examined for symbiotic bacterial infection using specific primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene for Portiera , Rickettsia, Cardinium and Wolbachia , and the 23S rRNA gene for Arsenophonus. Portiera was present in all the B. tabaci samples. newline However, differences were observed in the circulation frequencies of secondary endosymbionts among the B. tabaci populations Collected from three plant families. newline newline newline