Summary
The effects of penicillin and chlortetracyline HCl on the fine structure of the intracellular symbiotes of the pea aphid were studied in an attempt to remove the symbiote population. High penicillin concentrations, 1% and 0.1%, caused symbiote breakdown but were toxic and/or repellent to the aphids; at 0.1% specific effects were observed on the symbiotes' cell walls. After the use of 0.01% penicillin in the aphid diet, the symbiotes had abnormal cell walls and were abnormally dilated; however, symbiote division and transmission from one aphid generation to the next seemed unaffected and the aphids appeared normal. Aphids fed 0.1% chlortetracycline failed to reproduce. After 7 days, their symbiotes were found to break down at a high rate but aphid mitochondria were also adversely affected at this stage. Following 0.002% chlortetracycline, the aphids produced aposymbiotic progeny with apparently normal mitochondrial populations; these larvae failed to develop.
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Research supported by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, and by a research grant (GB 31904 X) from the National Science Foundation.
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Griffiths, G.W., Beck, S.D. Effects of antibiotics on intracellular symbiotes in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum . Cell Tissue Res. 148, 287–300 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00224257
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00224257