Strains of Photorhabdus spp. associated with polish Heterorhabditis isolates: their molecular and phenotypic characterization and symbiont exchange

• Published in: Archives of microbiology Vol. 199; no. 7; pp. 979 - 989
• Main Authors: Kazimierczak, Waldemar, Skrzypek, Henryk, Sajnaga, Ewa, Skowronek, Marcin, Waśko, Adam, Kreft, Anna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-09-2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacteria; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cell Biology; Colonization; DNA topoisomerase; Ecology; Entomopathogenic nematodes; Heterorhabditis; Heterorhabditis bacteriophora; Life Sciences; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Nematodes; Original Paper; Photorhabdus; Photorhabdus temperata; Phylogeny; Physiological tests; RecA protein; rRNA 16S; Strains (organisms); Symbionts; Symbiosis; Entomopathogenic nematodes; Phylogeny; Symbiont exchange; Photorhabdus; Heterorhabditis
• ISSN: 0302-8933; 1432-072X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00203-017-1368-z

The relationships between six bacterial symbionts of the entomopathogenic nematodes
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora
and
Heterorhabditis megidis
from Poland to species and subspecies of the genus
Photorhabdus
were evaluated. This study was based on phylogenetic analysis of sequence data of five genes: 16S rRNA,
gyrB, recA, gltX
, and
dnaN
. The bacteria were also characterized phenotypically by biochemical and physiological tests. Our results have revealed that the
Photorhabdus
strains isolated from
H. megidis
belong to
P. temperata
, subsp.
temperata
and subsp.
cinerea
. Isolates from
H. bacteriophora
represent
P. luminescens
subs.
kayaii
and
P. temperata
subs.
cinerea
. This study for the first time provides evidence for
H. bacteriophora
and
P. temperata
subsp.
cinerea
symbiotic association. In addition, we tested whether the microsymbionts of the Polish
H. bacteriophora
and
H. megidis
isolates support the development of non-native nematode host population and colonization of their infective juveniles. It has been shown that the studied
Photorhabdus
strains can readily swap their nematode host, both at intra- and interspecies level. It supports the hypothesis of different symbiotic associations in the
Heterorhabditis
–
Photorhabdus
lineage.