Ovogenèse et transmission des bactéries symbiotiques chez le charançon Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)

Summary Oogenesis and transmission of symbiotic bacteria in the weevil Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae). Among Coleoptera, and particularly in numerous Dryophthoridae, the insects share intracellular symbiosis with hereditary Gram-negative bacteria (or endocytobiotes). Sitophilus oryzae Primary Endosymbiote (SOPE) belongs to the γ3-proteobacteria group. It is a pleomorphic rod shaped (1 to 30 μm ), non-sporulating and non-ciliated bacterium. In the bacteriocyte the bacteria are not included in vacuoles but lie freely in the cytoplasm. SOPE is closely related to Escherichia coli, with 95% homology on the 16S rDNA gene, and also the primary endosymbiotes of Sitophilus zeamais (97,8% identity). In addition to SOPE, several wild strains of S. oryzae harbor a second symbiotic bacterium, that belongs to the B-group of Wolbachia (an α-proteobacterium). They are not considered in this work since studied strains were deprived of Wolbachia. Previous studies have shown that SOPE is transmitted to th...