The Effect of Genotype Combinations of Wolbachia and Its Drosophila melanogaster Host on Fertility, Developmental Rate and Heat Stress Resistance of Flies.

Simple Summary: Wolbachia, the intracellular symbiont of insects, is of big interest and importance for its numerous effects on the host's life-history traits. However, the details of Wolbachia–host interaction are still not well studied and understood. Here, we present data on the influence of two different Wolbachia strains on the life-history traits of two different wild-type D. melanogaster lines. The results obtained allow us to assume that the effect of Wolbachia on the flies' life-history traits depends on the genotypes of both the host and the symbiont, but the fact of recent transfer of the symbiont to a new host could also be a factor. The best-known effect of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia is its mostly negative influence on the reproduction of the host. However, there is evidence of a positive influence of Wolbachia on the host's resistance to stress, pathogens, and viruses. Here, we analyzed the effects of two Wolbachia strains belonging to wMel and wMelCS genotypes on D. melanogaster traits, such as fertility, survival under acute heat stress, and developmental rate. We found that D. melanogaster lines under study differ significantly in the above-mentioned characteristics, both when the natural infection was preserved, and when it was eliminated. One of Wolbachia strains, wMel, did not affect any of the studied traits. Another strain, wMelPlus, had a significant effect on the development time. Moreover, this effect is observed not only in the line in which it was discovered but also in the one it was transferred to. When transferred to a new line, wMelPlus also caused changes in survival under heat stress. Thus, it could be concluded that Wolbachia–Drosophila interaction depends on the genotypes of both the host and the symbiont, but some Wolbachia effects could depend not on the genotypes, but on the fact of recent transfer of the symbiont. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]