AUTHOR=Li Fei , Hua Hongxia , Han Yongqiang , Hou Maolin 

TITLE=Plant-Mediated Horizontal Transmission of Asaia Between White-Backed Planthoppers, Sogatella furcifera

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.593485

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.593485

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Asaia</italic> is a bacterial symbiont of sugar-feeding insects that has been shown to be vertically transmitted by maternal transmission and paternal transmission mechanism, and to be horizontally transmitted via co-feeding artificial diet and venereal routes. Here, the first case of plant-mediated horizontal transmission of <italic>Asaia</italic> between white-backed planthoppers (WBPH), <italic>Sogatella furcifera</italic>, was reported. In <italic>Asaia</italic>-infected WBPH, <italic>Asaia</italic> was detected mostly in salivary glands and to a less extent in stylets. The rice leaf sheaths fed by <italic>Asaia</italic>-infected WBPH for 12 h were all positive with <italic>Asaia</italic>, where <italic>Asaia</italic> persisted for at least 30 d but was localized in the feeding sites only. When confined to <italic>Asaia</italic>-infected leaf sheaths for 7 d at the sites pre-infested by the <italic>Asaia</italic>-infected WBPH, all <italic>Asaia</italic>-free WBPH became infected with <italic>Asaia</italic> and the acquired <italic>Asaia</italic> could be vertically transmitted to their offspring. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed an identical <italic>Asaia</italic> strain in the <italic>Asaia</italic>-infected donor WBPH, the <italic>Asaia</italic>-infected leaf sheaths, and the newly infected recipient WBPH. Our findings provide direct evidence for the first time that rice plant can mediate horizontal transmission of <italic>Asaia</italic> between WBPH, which may contribute to the spread of <italic>Asaia</italic> in the field WBPH populations.</p>