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. 2012 Feb 29;3(1):246–261. doi: 10.3390/insects3010246

Table 2.

Physiological effects of infection with vertically acquired, endosymbiotic bacteria in arthropod hosts.

Traits Effects Symbionts Host species (references)
Reproduction
Female fecundity Infection decreases offspring number Wolbachia Tribolium confusum [67]
Female fecundity Infection increases fecundity Cardinium Metaseiulus occidentalis [68]
Wolbachia Trichogramma bourarachae [69]
Wolbachia Aedes albopictus [70]
Fertilization No participation of sperm in reproduction of infected females Wolbachia Telenomus nawai [54]
Microbe necessary for host oogenesis Bacterium influences programmed cell death processes, so presence is essential for maturation of host oocytes Wolbachia Parasitoid wasp Asobara tabida [12]
Females treated with tetracycline or rifampicin have significantly reduced number of mature eggs in their ovaries Wolbachia Drosophila paulistorum [71]
Male fertility Infection increases fertility Wolbachia Tribolium confusum [67]
Sperm competitive ability Infection leads to reduced sperm competition success Wolbachia Drosophila simulans [72]
Immunity
Resistance (fungus) Infected females are more resistant to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana Wolbachia Drosophila melanogaster [73]
Resistance (viruses) Infection induces resistance to Dengue virus and infected mosquitoes are less likely to transmit the disease Wolbachia Aedes aegypti [74]
Infection increases host resistance to Drosophila C virus (DCV) Wolbachia Drosophila melanogaster [74]
Infected individuals more resistant to mortality induced by the viruses DCV, cricket paralysis virus, Flock House virus Wolbachia Drosophila melanogaster [75]
Antiviral protection occurs in some yet not all fly line-Wolbachia strain combinations assessed Wolbachia Drosophila simulans [77]
Fitness
Survival Infection increases longevity Wolbachia Drosophila melanogaster [78],
Aedes albopictus [70]
Nutritional mutualism Infections required for host function, probably via provision of B vitamins missing in the diet the blood-feeding host Riesia sp. (‘biologically highly derived species of Arsenophonus’ [79]) Pediculus and Pthirus species of lice [80,81]
Symbiont has essential nutritional role for the host (B vitamins) Wolbachia Cimex lectularius [82]
Metabolic provisioning Benefit apparent under nutritional stress: if flies reared on poor diets, infected flies produce more eggs than uninfected flies Wolbachia Drosophila melanogaster [83]
Thermotolerance When compared to uninfected population, infected population had significantly increased tolerance to heat shock that reached 40 °C Rickettsia Bemisia tabaci [84]
Protection against parasitoid Infection enhances survival of individuals attacked by parasitic wasp (i.e., possible defensive mutualism) Spiroplasma Drosophila hydei [85]
Susceptibilityto insecticides Infected individuals more susceptible Rickettsia Bemisia tabaci [86]
Susceptibilityto insecticides Infected individuals more susceptible double infections Rickettsia—Arsenophonus & Wolbachia—Arsenophonus Bemisia tabaci [85,86]