Three Novel Xenorhabdus–Steinernema Associations and Evidence of Strains of X. khoisanae Switching Between Different Clades (original) (raw)

First report of the symbiotic bacterium Xenorhabdus indica associated with the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema yirgalemense

Journal of helminthology, 2014

The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema yirgalemense is considered a promising agent in the biocontrol of insects. However, little is known about the bacteria living in symbiosis with the nematode. In this study, we have identified the only available bacterial strain (157-C) isolated from S. yirgalemense, as a member of the species Xenorhabdus indica. Identification was based on 16S rDNA, recA, dnaN, gltX, gyrB and infB gene sequence analyses. The relatedness of strain 157-C to the type strain of X. indica (DSM 17 382) was confirmed with DNA-DNA hybridization. The phenotypic characteristics of strain 157-C are similar to those described for the type strain of X. indica. This is the first report associating X. indica with S. yirgalemense.

Xenorhabdus ishibashii sp. nov., isolated from the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema aciari

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY, 2012

Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Xenorhabdus exhibit a mutualistic association with steinernematid entomopathogenic nematodes and a pathogenic relationship with insects. Here we describe two isolates of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema aciari collected from China and Japan. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolates obtained from S. aciari belonged to the genus Xenorhabdus . Multilocus sequence analysis based on five universal protein-coding gene sequences revealed that the isolates were closely related to Xenorhabdus ehlersii DSM 16337T and Xenorhabdus griffiniae ID10T but that they exhibited <97 % sequence similarity with these reference strains, which indicated that the isolates were distinct from previously described species. Based on these genetic differences and several differential phenotypic traits, we propose that the isolates represent a novel species of the genus Xenorhabdus , for which we propose the name Xenorh...

Description of Xenorhabdus khoisanae sp. nov., the symbiont of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema khoisanae

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY, 2013

Bacterial strain SF87T, and additional strains SF80, SF362 and 106-C, isolated from the nematode Steinernema khoisanae, are non-bioluminescent Gram-reaction-negative bacteria that share many of the carbohydrate fermentation reactions recorded for the type strains of recognized Xenorhabdus species. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence data, strain SF87T is shown to be closely related (98 % similarity) to Xenorhabdus hominickii DSM 17903T. Nucleotide sequences of strain SF87 obtained from the recA, dnaN, gltX, gyrB and infB genes showed 96–97 % similarity with Xenorhabdus miraniensis DSM 17902T . However, strain SF87 shares only 52.7 % DNA–DNA relatedness with the type strain of X. miraniensis , confirming that it belongs to a different species. Strains SF87T, SF80, SF362 and 106-C are phenotypically similar to X. miraniensis and X. beddingii , except that they do not produce acid from aesculin. These strains are thus considered to represent a novel species of the genus Xenorhabdus , for w...

Steinernema poinari (Nematoda: Steinernematidae): a new symbiotic host of entomopathogenic bacteria Xenorhabdus bovienii

Archives of Microbiology, 2018

Three strains of symbiotic bacteria were isolated from an entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema poinari retrieved from soil in eastern Poland. Using 16S rDNA, recA, gltX, gyrB, and dnaN gene sequences for phylogenetic analysis, these strains were shown to belong to the species Xenorhabdus bovienii. The nucleotide identity between the studied S. poinari microsymbionts and other X. bovienii strains calculated for 16S rDNA and concatenated sequences of four protein-coding genes was 98.7-100% and 97.9-99.5%, respectively. The phenotypic properties of the isolates also supported their close phylogenetic relationship with X. bovienii. All three tested X. bovienii strains of different Steinernema clade origin supported the recovery of infective juveniles and subsequent development of the nematode population. However, the colonization degree of new infective juvenile generations was significantly affected by the bacterial host donor/recipient. The colonization degree of infective juveniles reared on bacterial symbionts deriving from a non-cognate clade of nematodes was extremely low, but proved the possible host-switching between non-related Steinernema species.

A multigene approach for assessing evolutionary relationships of Xenorhabdus spp. (γ-Proteobacteria), the bacterial symbionts of entomopathogenic Steinernema nematodes

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 2010

Xenorhabdus spp., are gram-negative bacterial symbionts of entomopathogenic nematodes in the genus Steinernema. A specialized and intimate relationship exists between nematode and bacteria, affecting many of their life history traits, such as nutrition, dispersal, host-finding, foraging and defense from biotic and abiotic factors. Xenorhabdus currently comprises more than 20 species isolated from Steinernema spp. with diverse host range, host foraging behavior, reproductive modes and environmental tolerance. Xenorhabdus phylogenies have historically been based on 16s rDNA sequence analyses, and only recently has data from housekeeping genes been employed. The prevalence of lateral gene transfer among bacteria calls for a wider perspective when considering their phylogeny. With the increasing number of Xenorhabdus species and strains, various perspectives need to be considered for investigating the evolutionary history of these nematode bacterial symbionts, In this study, we reconstruct the evolutionary histories of 30 species of Xenorhabdus considering the traditional 16s rDNA gene region as well as the housekeeping genes recA and serC. Datasets were analyzed individually and then combined, using a variety of phylogenetic criteria.

Xenorhabdus bovienii CS03, the bacterial symbiont of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema weiseri, is a non-virulent strain against lepidopteran insects

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 2015

Xenorhabdus bacteria (γ-proteobacteria: Enterobacteriaceae) have dual lifestyles. They have a mutualistic relationship with Steinernema nematodes (Nematoda: Steinernematidae) and are pathogenic to a wide range of insects. Each Steinernema nematode associates with a specific Xenorhabdus species. However, a Xenorhabdus species can have multiple nematode hosts. For example, Xenorhabdus bovienii (Xb) colonizes at least nine Steinernema species from two different phylogenetic clades. The Steinernema-Xb partnership has been found in association with different insect hosts. Biological and molecular data on the Steinernema jollieti-Xb strain SS-2004 pair have recently been described. In particular, the Xb SS-2004 bacteria are virulent alone after direct injection into insect, making this strain a model for studying Xb virulence. In this study, we searched for Xb strains attenuated in virulence. For this purpose, we underwent infection assays with five Steinernema spp.-Xb pairs with two insects, Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The S. weiseri-Xb CS03 pair showed attenuated virulence and lower fitness in S. littoralis in comparison to the other nematode-bacteria pairs. Furthermore, when injected alone into the hemolymph of G. mellonella or S. littoralis, the Xb CS03 bacterial strain was the only non-virulent strain. By comparison with the virulent Xb SS-2004 strain, Xb CS03 showed an increased sensitivity to the insect antimicrobial peptides, suggesting an attenuated response to the insect humoral immunity. To our current knowledge, Xb CS03 is the first non-virulent Xb strain identified. We propose this strain as a new model for studying the Xenorhabdus virulence.

The bacterial symbiont Xenorhabdus poinarii (Enterobacteriaceae) is harbored by two phylogenetic related host nematodes: the entomopathogenic species Steinernema cubanum and Steinernema glaseri (Nematoda: Steinernematidae)

FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 2000

Xenorhabdus symbionts were isolated from infective juveniles of Steinernema cubanum, an entomopathogenic nematode isolated in western Cuba. A polyphasic approach, including phenotypic tests, restriction polymorphism analysis of PCRamplified 16S rRNA genes and DNA-DNA hybridizations with determination of the vT m , was used to characterize this Xenorhabdus isolate. All methods converged to the conclusion that the isolate was a strain of Xenorhabdus poinarii. Until today, this species was only isolated from Steinernema glaseri and was considered to be specific to this nematode species. From the closely phylogenetic relatedness of S. cubanum and S. glaseri, which is supported by morphological and genotypic similarities, one can assume that the divergence of these two species is relatively recent. The speciation of the respective symbiotic bacteria may be in course, but at the present time, phenotypic and genotypic divergence is not sufficient to delineate two Xenorhabdus species.

A novel species of Xenorhabdus, family Enterobacteriaceae: Xenorhabdus indica sp. nov., symbiotically associated with entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema thermophilum Ganguly and Singh, 2000.

In the search for novel Xenorhabdus strains in a recently described nematode species, Steinernema thermophilum, three strains (strain 28 T ¼ DSM 17382 T , strain 42 ¼ DSM 17383 and strain 43 ¼ DSM 17384) were isolated from three independent isolation approaches from crushed mixture of infective juveniles. 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison of strains 28 T and DSM 17383 indicated identity and the phylogenetic position pointed towards an individual taxon within the phylogenetic dendrogram of Xenorhabdus type strains. The nearest phylogenetic relatives of strain 28 T were Xenorhabdus poinarii and Xenorhabdus szentirmaii (97.7% each). The three isolates were almost identical in reaction towards the API and BIOLOG substrate panels but differed in their reactions from those of the established type strains of the genus Xenorhabdus. These clear genomic and metabolic differences let us propose a new species, Xenorhabdus indica sp. nov. for the three clones. The type strain is strain 28 T , DSM 17382 T , CIP 108830 T .

Characterization and pathogenicity of symbiotic bacteria associated with entomopathogenic nematode: Steinernema species KALRO

East African Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation, 2021

The soil inhibiting entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), in the family Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae, are useful insect biological control agents. They have been used in the management of economically important crop pests. The EPNs are mutually associated with symbiotic bacteria genus Xenorhabdus and Photoharbdus respectively. The study aimed to isolate, characterize and evaluate the pathogenicity of symbiotic bacteria associated with EPN Steinernema sp. Kalro (Accession MW151701). The EPN Steinernema sp. Karlo was multiplied using the insect baiting technique. Its bacteria symbiont was isolated and characterized based on microscopic, biochemical, and physiological features like Gram staining, urease, motility test, and glucose fermentation test). Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis were performed on 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence. Pathogenicity of the bacteria isolate was evaluated against Tuta absoluta larvae with mortality data recorded after 24 and 48hours o...

Characterization of Xenorhabdus isolates from La Rioja (Northern Spain) and virulence with and without their symbiotic entomopathogenic nematodes (Nematoda: Steinernematidae

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 2009

Eighteen Xenorhabdus isolates associated with Spanish entomopathogenic nematodes of the genus Steinernema were characterized using a polyphasic approach including phenotypic and molecular methods. Two isolates were classified as Xenorhabdus nematophila and were associated with Steinernema carpocapsae. Sixteen isolates were classified as Xenorhabdus bovienii, of which fifteen were associated with Steinernema feltiae and one with Steinernema kraussei. Two X. bovienii Phase II were also isolated, one instable phase isolated from S. feltiae strain Rioja and one stable phase from S. feltiae strain BZ. Four representative bacterial isolates were chosen to study their pathogenicity against Spodoptera littoralis with and without the presence of their nematode host. The four bacterial isolates were pathogenic for S. littoralis leading to septicemia 24 h post-injection and killing around 90% of the insect larvae 36 h post-injection, except for that isolated from S. kraussei. After 48 h of injection, this latter isolate showed a lower final population in the larval hemolymph (10 7 instead of 10 8 CFU per larvae) and a lower larval mortality (70% instead of 95-100%). The virulence of the nematode-bacteria complexes against S. littoralis showed similar traits with a significant insect larvae mortality (80-90%) 5 days post-infection except for S. kraussei, although this strain reached similar of larval mortality at 7 days after infection.