Effects of Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) on commensal bacteria in White-Backed Planthoppers (WBPH)

The Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) is a virus that is transmitted solely through the White-Backed Planthopper (WBPH), causing severe losses in rice production. As the sole vector for SRBSDV transmission, the impact of the virus on the commensal bacteria within the WBPH remains unclear. To explore the impact of SRBSDV on the structure of the commensal bacterial community within the WBPH, this study first used rice infected with SRBSDV to feed the WBPH and confirmed the presence of the virus in the WBPH using a specific primer amplification sequencing method. Subsequently, 16S rDNA sequencing technique was employed for an in-depth analysis of the symbiotic bacteria within the WBPH. The results showed that the symbiotic bacteria within the WBPH included 34 taxonomic units, encompassing 19 different genera. Although carrying SRBSDV did not affect the species richness of the symbiotic bacteria significantly, the species evenness of the symbiotic bacteria decreased significantly after infection. In addition, in the WBPH not infected with SRBSDV, Wolbachia and Cardinium were the main commensal bacteria. However, after infection with SRBSDV, the relative abundance of Cardinium significantly decreased, while the relative abundance of Wolbachia, Stenotrophomonas, Thauera, and Pseudonocardia significantly increased. In particular, Wolbachia became the dominant group among the commensal bacteria. These findings provide important information for understanding how SRBSDV affects the community structure of commensal bacteria within the WBPH and may contribute to revealing the ecological mechanisms of SRBSDV transmission, offering a new perspective for further research.