Instar- and host-associated differentiation of bacterial communities in the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata

PLoS One. 2018 Mar 8;13(3):e0194131. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194131. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Microorganisms are acknowledged for their role in shaping insects' evolution, life history and ecology. Previous studies have shown that microbial communities harbored within insects vary through ontogenetic development and among insects feeding on different host-plant species. In this study, we characterized the bacterial microbiota of the highly polyphagous Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), at different instars and when feeding on different host-plant species. Our results show that the bacterial microbiota hosted within the Mediterranean fruit fly differs among instars and host-plant species. Most of the bacteria harbored by the Mediterranean fruit fly belong to the phylum Proteobacteria, including genera of Alphaproteobacteria such as Acetobacter and Gluconobacter; Betaprotobacteria such as Burkholderia and Gammaproteobacteria such as Pseudomonas.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / classification
  • Bacteria / isolation & purification*
  • Ceratitis capitata / microbiology*
  • Ceratitis capitata / physiology
  • Herbivory*
  • Microbial Consortia*
  • Plant Physiological Phenomena
  • Species Specificity

Grants and funding

Analyses were carried out using instruments acquired with the support of PON SAF@MED (PON a3_00016). “Research infrastructure for sustainable agriculture and food in Mediterranean area” supported by the PON R&C 2007-2013 grant funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research.