Show simple item record

dc.contributor.advisorHunter, Martha S.en
dc.contributor.authorStouthamer, Corinne Marie
dc.creatorStouthamer, Corinne Marieen
dc.date.accessioned2018-02-23T16:43:23Z
dc.date.available2018-02-23T16:43:23Z
dc.date.issued2018
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10150/626748
dc.description.abstractMany insects and other arthropods have symbiotic microorganisms that may influence key facets of their biology. Cardinium hertigii is an intracellular bacterial symbiont, (phylum Bacteroidetes) of arthropods and nematodes. This versatile symbiont has been shown to cause three of four reproductive manipulations of their arthropod hosts known to be caused by symbionts: parthenogenesis induction (PI), where genetic males are converted into genetic females; feminization, where genetic males become functional females; and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), the symbiont-induced death of offspring from matings of infected males and uninfected females. Here, I explored the evolution of this symbiont and its reproductive manipulations, and found that closely related Cardinium strains have a tendency to associate with closely related hosts and the reproductive manipulations do not display a clear phylogenetic signal. To further understand the possible genes underlying these reproductive manipulations, I sequenced four Cardinium genomes and compared these with the two genomes analyzed in the literature. In these comparisons, I found that, although closely related Cardinium strains tend to reside in closely related hosts, there is no evidence for a suite of genes associated with host specificity, as few differences separate two strains residing in different host orders, suggesting that ecological opportunity for horizontal transmission may be more limiting to Cardinium than genomic capability. I additionally identify some genes that may be associated with the Cardinium’s ability to induce PI and CI in its wasp host. Overall, this dissertation has led to a better understanding of Cardinium and its effects on its hosts.
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherThe University of Arizona.en
dc.rightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.en
dc.subjectCardiniumen
dc.subjectcytoplasmic incompatibilityen
dc.subjectgenomicsen
dc.subjectsymbionten
dc.titleThe Evolution and Comparative Genomics of the Reproductive Manipulator Cardinium hertigiien_US
dc.typetexten
dc.typeElectronic Dissertationen
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Arizonaen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
dc.contributor.committeememberHunter, Martha S.en
dc.contributor.committeememberWheeler, Dianaen
dc.contributor.committeememberHackett, Jeremiahen
dc.contributor.committeememberMoore, Wendyen
dc.description.releaseRelease after 11-Jan-2020en
thesis.degree.disciplineGraduate Collegeen
thesis.degree.disciplineEntomologyen
thesis.degree.namePh.D.en
html.description.abstractMany insects and other arthropods have symbiotic microorganisms that may influence key facets of their biology. Cardinium hertigii is an intracellular bacterial symbiont, (phylum Bacteroidetes) of arthropods and nematodes. This versatile symbiont has been shown to cause three of four reproductive manipulations of their arthropod hosts known to be caused by symbionts: parthenogenesis induction (PI), where genetic males are converted into genetic females; feminization, where genetic males become functional females; and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), the symbiont-induced death of offspring from matings of infected males and uninfected females. Here, I explored the evolution of this symbiont and its reproductive manipulations, and found that closely related Cardinium strains have a tendency to associate with closely related hosts and the reproductive manipulations do not display a clear phylogenetic signal. To further understand the possible genes underlying these reproductive manipulations, I sequenced four Cardinium genomes and compared these with the two genomes analyzed in the literature. In these comparisons, I found that, although closely related Cardinium strains tend to reside in closely related hosts, there is no evidence for a suite of genes associated with host specificity, as few differences separate two strains residing in different host orders, suggesting that ecological opportunity for horizontal transmission may be more limiting to Cardinium than genomic capability. I additionally identify some genes that may be associated with the Cardinium’s ability to induce PI and CI in its wasp host. Overall, this dissertation has led to a better understanding of Cardinium and its effects on its hosts.


Files in this item

Thumbnail
Name:
azu_etd_16077_sip1_m.pdf
Size:
6.185Mb
Format:
PDF

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record