Targeted PCR Rickettsia screen

A targeted PCR <i>Rickettsia </i>screen of 1,612 individuals from 169 species was undertaken to increase our understanding of <i>Rickettsia</i> ecology. Within this, we included a range of both aquatic and terrestrial taxa, to investigate if the previous work highlighting particular aquatic taxa as hotspots for <i>Rickettsia </i>symbiosis (water beetles, biting midges, damselflies) reflects a wider higher incidence in species from this habitat. <br>mtDNA <i>COI </i>amplification was conducted as a control for DNA quality. To investigate symbiont infection status, rickettsial-specific primers based on<i> gltA</i> and <i>16S rRNA </i>genes were used for conventional PCR screening, with Sanger sequences obtained from at least one specimen per <i>Rickettsia </i>positive species to identify any misamplification false positives. <br>