Bacteriomes of the corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott, 1923) (Insecta, Hemiptera, Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) harbor Sulcia symbiont: molecular characterization, ultrastructure and transovarial transmission

MARIA EUGENIA BRENTASSI; MARIO EMILIO ERNESTO FRANCO; PEDRO ALBERTO BALATTI; ROCIO MEDINA; FRANCO BERNABEI; ANA M. MARINO DE REMES LENICOV

PROTOPLASMA

SPRINGER WIEN

Lugar: Viena; Año: 2016

0033-183X

In this study we surveyed bacteriome-associated microbiota of the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis by means of histological, ultrastructural and molecular analyses. Amplification and sequencing of 16S rDNA genes revealed that the endosymbiont Candidatus Sulcia muelleri (Phylum Bacteroidetes) resides in bacteriomes of D. maidis. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequence was closely allied to others found in representatives of the subfamily Deltocephalinae. We failed to amplify other sequences as Candidatus Nasuia deltocephalinicola, a co-primary symbiont frequently associated to deltocephaline leafhoppers. Also, a metagenetic analysis carried out in order to investigate the presence of other bacteriome associated bacteria of D. maidis, showed that the sequence of Sulcia accounted 98.56% of all the sequences. Histological and ultrastructural observations showed that microorganisms harbored in the bacteriomes (central syncytium and cytoplasm of uninucleate bacteriocytes) look like others Sulcia described in hemipterans species and they were transovarially transmitted from mother to the offspring which is typical of obligate endosymbionts. The only presence of Sulcia in the bacteriomes of D. maidis was discussed.