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by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-24
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This study investigated how maternally inherited co-infecting endosymbionts affect host phenotype in the variably multi-infected spider Mermessus fradeorum, which can carry up to five heritable bacteria (Rickettsiella, Tisiphia, and three Wolbachia strains). By comparing feminization rates across nine infection combinations, the authors identified Wolbachia strain W1 as a feminizing strain that converts genetic males into phenotypic females and produces predominantly female offspring. They found that co-infection with W3 increased feminization by about 10%, and this synergy was not explained by changes in W1 titer; instead, strong feminization was associated with subtle symbiont titer interactions, including lower relative abundance of R and T in those infections, which the authors note as a mechanistic caveat. This paper does not explicitly discuss endometriosis or adenomyosis; it was included in the corpus via a keyword match in the upstream search index.
Abstract
Arthropods commonly harbor maternally-transmitted bacterial endosymbionts that manipulate host biology. Multiple heritable symbionts can co-infect the same individual, allowing these host-restricted bacteria to engage in cooperation or conflict, which can ultimately affect host phenotype. The spider Mermessus fradeorum is variably infected with up to five heritable symbionts: Rickettsiella (R), Tisiphia (T), and three strains of Wolbachia (W1-3). Quintuply infected spiders are feminized, causing genetic males to develop as phenotypic females and produce almost exclusively female offspring. By comparing feminization across nine infection combinations, we identified a feminizing strain of Wolbachia, W1. We also observed that spiders infected with both W1 and W3 produced ~10% more females than those lacking W3. This increase in feminization rate does not seem to be due to direct changes in W1 titer, nor does W1 titer correlate with feminization rate. Instead, we observed subtle titer interactions among symbionts, with lower relative abundance of R and T symbionts in strongly feminized infections. This synergistic effect of co-infection on Wolbachia feminization may help promote the spread of all five symbionts in spider populations. These results confirm the first instance of Wolbachia-induced feminization in spiders and demonstrate that co-infecting symbionts can improve the efficacy of symbiont-induced feminization.
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Abstract
Arthropods commonly harbor maternally-transmitted bacterial endosymbionts that manipulate host biology. Multiple heritable symbionts can co-infect the same individual, allowing these host-restricted bacteria to engage in cooperation or conflict, which can ultimately affect host phenotype. The spider Mermessus fradeorum is variably infected with up to five heritable symbionts: Rickettsiella (R), Tisiphia (T), and three strains of Wolbachia (W1-3). Quintuply infected spiders are feminized, causing genetic males to develop as phenotypic females and produce almost exclusively female offspring. By comparing feminization across nine infection combinations, we identified a feminizing strain of Wolbachia, W1. We also observed that spiders infected with both W1 and W3 produced ∼10% more females than those lacking W3. This increase in feminization rate does not seem to be due to direct changes in W1 titer, nor does W1 titer correlate with feminization rate. Instead, we observed subtle titer interactions among symbionts, with lower relative abundance of R and T symbionts in strongly feminized infections. This synergistic effect of co-infection on Wolbachia feminization may help promote the spread of all five symbionts in spider populations. These results confirm the first instance of Wolbachia-induced feminization in spiders and demonstrate that co-infecting symbionts can improve the efficacy of symbiont-induced feminization.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
Data availability statement: All data associated with this manuscript are available in the supplemental material.
Funding statement: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1953223 and the Binational, USA-Israel, Science Foundation (BSF) under Grant No. 201697 to JAW and YG; the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture under Hatch Nos. 1020740 and 7007679 and Fellowship No. 2023-67012-39352 to MRD.
Conflict of interest disclosure: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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