Wolbachia: The architect of microbial assemblies in response to environmental changes

Abstract

Translocating organisms from their habitats to laboratories, a method common in microbial ecology and evolution experiments, alters their microbial communities. However, the impact of translocation on microbiomes is often overlooked, limiting our ability to assess how laboratory findings relate to field dynamics. Its also crucial to examine organism responses with symbionts, as they can stabilise communities or increase vulnerability to changes. This study investigates the effects of laboratory introduction on host-microbiome interactions in the parasitic wasp Asobara japonica and its endosymbiont Wolbachia. Results indicate that transferring Wolbachia-infected (asexual) and uninfected (sexual) wasps to a laboratory decreased A. japonicas bacterial diversity. Stochastic processes drive community changes, with distinct alterations in bacterial composition between reproductive modes. Over four generations, asexual wasps bacterial communities became more uniform, while sexual wasps showed greater diversity. Notably, bacterial changes appeared across generations rather than immediately. Additionally, Wolbachia abundance changed following laboratory introduction, affecting community structure and assembly. In conclusion, our research demonstrates how laboratory conditions affect host-associated microbial communities depending on symbiont presence. This, in turn, can affect their functions, host interactions, and overall community dynamics. Thus, our findings stress the importance of linking lab results to real-world implications, posing a broader challenge for researchers.