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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Urbana, Illinois » Soybean/maize Germplasm, Pathology, and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #246381

Title: Two Species of Symbiotic Bacteria Present in the Soybean Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Author
item WILLE, BRIDGET - University Of Illinois
item Hartman, Glen

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/29/2008
Publication Date: 2/1/2009
Citation: Wille, B., Hartman, G.L. 2009. Two Species of Symbiotic Bacteria Present in the Soybean Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Environmental Entomology. 38:110-115.

Interpretive Summary: Since the first discovery of soybean aphid in North America in 2000, the insect has become a major soybean pest. Aphids, which feed solely on plant phloem sap, have developed symbiotic associations with bacteria that provide them with the amino acids that are lacking in phloem. No reports have shown whether the soybean aphid carries these gut bacteria or not. Three soybean aphid populations were screened for the presence of Buchnera aphidicola and three common species of secondary aphid symbionts (Serratia symbiotica, Hamiltonella defensa, and Regiella insecticola). Diagnostic polymerase chain reaction and subsequent DNA sequencing showed the presence of two species of symbiotic bacteria present in all three soybean aphid populations tested. This information is important to the microbioligist and others scientists that study insect-symbiont interactions.

Technical Abstract: Aphids, which feed solely on plant phloem sap, have developed symbiotic associations with bacteria that provide them with the amino acids that are lacking in phloem. Three soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Mat samura) populations were screened for the presence of Buchnera aphidicola and three common species of secondary aphid symbionts (Serratia symbiotica, Hamiltonella defensa, and Regiella insecticola). Diagnostic polymerase chain reaction and subsequent DNA sequencing showed the presence of two species of symbiotic bacteria present in all three soybean aphid populations tested: B. aphidicola and Arsenophonus sp. Although Buchnera is commonly found in aphids, Arsenophonus is most commonly found in whitessies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), making the soybean aphid unique among aphids that have been tested for the presence of Arsenophonus.