Data_Sheet_2_Plant-Mediated Horizontal Transmission of Asaia Between White-Backed Planthoppers, Sogatella furcifera.zip

Asaia is a bacterial symbiont of sugar-feeding insects that has been shown to be vertically transmitted by maternal transmission and paternal transmission mechanism, and to be horizontally transmitted via co-feeding artificial diet and venereal routes. Here, the first case of plant-mediated horizontal transmission of Asaia between white-backed planthoppers (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera, was reported. In Asaia-infected WBPH, Asaia was detected mostly in salivary glands and to a less extent in stylets. The rice leaf sheaths fed by Asaia-infected WBPH for 12 h were all positive with Asaia, where Asaia persisted for at least 30 d but was localized in the feeding sites only. When confined to Asaia-infected leaf sheaths for 7 d at the sites pre-infested by the Asaia-infected WBPH, all Asaia-free WBPH became infected with Asaia and the acquired Asaia could be vertically transmitted to their offspring. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed an identical Asaia strain in the Asaia-infected donor WBPH, the Asaia-infected leaf sheaths, and the newly infected recipient WBPH. Our findings provide direct evidence for the first time that rice plant can mediate horizontal transmission of Asaia between WBPH, which may contribute to the spread of Asaia in the field WBPH populations.

Asaia，一种以糖类为食的昆虫的共生细菌，已被证实可通过母系遗传和父系遗传机制进行垂直传播，并通过共食人工饲料和性传播途径进行水平传播。本研究首次报道了植物介导的Asaia在白背飞虱（Sogatella furcifera）之间的水平传播案例。在感染Asaia的白背飞虱中，Asaia主要存在于唾液腺，其次在喙部。由感染Asaia的白背飞虱饲养12小时的稻叶鞘均呈Asaia阳性，Asaia在此持续至少30天，但仅局限于饲养部位。当感染Asaia的白背飞虱在预先被感染Asaia的白背飞虱饲养过的地点饲养7天时，所有无Asaia的白背飞虱均被感染，且所获得的Asaia能够垂直传播至其后代。系统发育分析证实了感染Asaia的供体白背飞虱、感染Asaia的稻叶鞘以及新感染的白背飞虱中的Asaia菌株具有一致性。我们的研究首次提供了直接证据，证明水稻植物可以介导白背飞虱之间的Asaia水平传播，这或许有助于Asaia在田间白背飞虱种群中的传播。