Molecular diversity and antibiotic sensitivity of gut bacterial symbionts of fruit fly, Bactrocera tau Walker

摘要

Random amplified polymorphic DNA-Repetitive extragenic palindromic (RAPD-REP) PCR-restriction length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) were used to study the genetic similarity among bacterial symbionts of fruit fly, Bactrocera tau Walker. RAPD-PCR and REP-PCRplaced three bacteria into two groups, viz., group A (BC1 and BC3) and group B (BC2). However, PCR-RFLP analysis of recA and rrs genes of bacterial symbiont placed BC1 and BC2 into group A and BC3 into group B. Studies on antibiotic sensitivity pattern also supported the results of PCR-RFLP as the response of BC1 and BC2 was similar to different antibiotics. All the bacterial symboints were found to be sensitive to co-trimoxazole, gentamycene and nofloxacin. The findings suggest that there may be a possibility of utilising these antibiotics for disruption of fruit fly biology as foliar symbioticides for their management.