Determination of Wolbachia Diversity in Butterflies from Western Ghats, India, by a Multigene Approach

A groundbreaking study reveals the first detailed analysis of Wolbachia diversity in butterflies from India's Western Ghats, identifying 29 infected species across five families, including a novel infection in the family Papilionidae. Using a multigene approach with five MLST genes, researchers uncovered 15 distinct Wolbachia sequence types (STs), 13 of which are newly documented. The study highlights significant genetic divergence among strains, driven by recombination and point mutations, with MLST providing superior strain separation compared to wsp genotyping. Notably, some butterfly species harbored distinctly different Wolbachia strains, while others shared closely related ones, underscoring the complex dynamics of host-symbiont relationships in this biodiverse region.

Salunke, B. K., Salunkhe, R. C., Dhotre, D. P., Walujkar, S. A., Khandagale, A. B., Chaudhari, R., Chandode, R. K., Ghate, H. V., Patole, M. S., Werren, J. H., & Shouche, Y. S. (2012). Determination of Wolbachia Diversity in Butterflies from Western Ghats, India, by a Multigene Approach. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 78(12), 4458–4467. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.07298-11