Endosymbiont Wolbachia infection status with disease vector arthropod in South Korea

The intracellular endosymbiont bacterium Wolbachia is currently considered the most abundant in arthropods and has also been isolated from nematodes, amphipods, isopods, mites and spiders. Recently, Wolbachia-based research was focused on the control of disease vector-population. But, there was no study about Wolbachia infection of disease vector arthropod in Korea. For survey of Wolbachia infection in vector arthropods with mosquitoes (genera Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, etc) and ticks (genera Haemaphisalis, and Ixodes, etc), we collected specimens using flagging, swapping, UV-black light, and BG-sentinal trap with dry-ice. Whole genomic DNA extraction, PCR analysis, and sequencing were accomplished in each sample for Wolbachia detection and identification using WSP gene. After analysis, Wolbachia infection rates were showed various statuses according to species. Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens were detected over 99% of Wolbachia infection, otherwise, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus and 5 Anopheles species (Anopheles belenrae, An. kleini, An. lesteri, An. pullus, and An. sinensis) were showed no infection status. Ae. albopictus, vector mosquito, was infected with two type of Wolbachia both wAlbA and wAlbB strain. WSP, Wolbachia detection marker, showed more than 98% sequence similarities within same species (Ae. albopictus, Cx. pipens, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus). According to phylogenic analysis, endosymbiont Wolbachia was distinguished with their hosts. In this study, we first reported that infection status, strain, and geographical distribution of endosymbiont Wolbachia with disease vector arthropod in Korea.