Deleterious effects of the endosymbiont Rickettsiella viridis in Myzus persicae are environmentally dependent

Abstract

Endosymbionts living within insect cells can modify host fitness and could provide new tools for pest control. The endosymbiont Rickettsiella viridis has been transferred experimentally into the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, a globally important agricultural pest. This Rickettsiella spreads via vertical and horizontal transmission and induces host fitness costs which could potentially suppress pest populations. Endosymbiont prevalence can fluctuate in natural populations, and it is important to identify factors that contribute to their spread or loss. Here, we explore the effects of Rickettsiella infection when aphids are reared on eight different host plants or exposed to thermal, starvation and desiccation stresses. Rickettsiella infection reduced M. persicae fecundity and longevity across all host plants, but the magnitude of costs varied among host plants and generations. Rickettsiella was horizontally transmitted and spread in caged populations at initial ratios of 1:2 Rickettsiella (+): Rickettsiella (−) on all host plants, but with limited long-term persistence under cycling 20–30 °C. We also identified temperature-dependent costs of Rickettsiella infection on heat knockdown time, chill coma recovery, and starvation tolerance. Finally, we present evidence that Rickettsiella infection reduces host activity levels under heat stress. Our results suggest that Rickettsiella infections induce a variety of deleterious effects but with complex environment-dependent interactions. This work helps understand ecological conditions that enhance or limit the spread of these endosymbionts in aphid populations.