سامانه همایش های دانشگاه جیرفت

صفحه اصلی / سومین همایش بین المللی و چهارمین همایش ملی کشاورزی، محیط زیست و امنیت غذایی

Universal Cardinium Infection and Absence of Wolbachia in Iranian Rhizoglyphus robini: Evolutionary and Agricultural Implications

نویسندگان :

Marzieh Kashkouli¹ Jahangir Khajehali² Hosein Samadieh³ Sanaz Rahnama⁴

1- دانشگاه صنعتی اصفهان 2- دانشگاه صنعتی اصفهان 3- دانشگاه صنعتی اصفهان 4- دانشگاه صنعتی اصفهان

کلمات کلیدی :

Symbiotic Bacteria،Symbiont-Mediated Detoxification،Saffron Pests،Iran،PCR

چکیده :

The bulb mite Rhizoglyphus robini Claparède (Acari, Astigmata: Acaridae) represents a formidable pest of saffron crops in Iran, with emerging resistance to conventional acaricides posing significant challenges for agricultural management. This study investigates the prevalence of bacterial endosymbionts (Wolbachia and Cardinium) in Iranian R. robini populations, focusing on their implications for host biology and pesticide resistance. Through molecular screening of mites collected from three major saffron-producing provinces (Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan, and Isfahan) including seven populations, we identified a remarkable 100% prevalence of Cardinium infection with complete absence of Wolbachia. The universal Cardinium infection suggests a stable, potentially obligate association that may influence host reproduction through cytoplasmic incompatibility or other manipulative strategies. Furthermore, these findings raise important questions about Cardinium's role in enhancing pesticide detoxification capabilities, as suggested by recent evidence of symbiont-mediated metabolic modifications. The exclusive Cardinium dominance observed across geographically distinct populations indicates either competitive exclusion of Wolbachia or specialized coevolutionary adaptation in Iranian R. robini. These results have significant implications for developing novel pest management strategies targeting symbiotic relationships, potentially offering new approaches to combat acaricide resistance in this economically devastating pest. Future research should focus on functional characterization of Cardinium strains and their specific contributions to host physiology and pesticide metabolism.