Abstract
Wolbachia is a widespread endosymbiont and a promising tool for pest control due to its ability to manipulate arthropod reproduction. However, how Wolbachia shapes host microRNA regulation remains poorly understood. Here, we profile the Wolbachia-driven host miRNAs using small RNA-seq in spider mite Tetranychus truncatus to uncover their roles in reproduction and symbiosis. Enrichment analyses of predicted miRNA targets suggest that Wolbachia-driven miRNAs may be involved in Wolbachia–host interactions. Functional assays show that several Wolbachia-driven miRNAs influence host fecundity, with some also affecting Wolbachia density. Inhibition of novel-33 or novel-40 reduces host fecundity and is accompanied by reduced Wolbachia density, whereas inhibition of novel-65 reduces fecundity without altering density. These findings indicate that specific miRNAs contribute to the regulation of reproduction and Wolbachia density in T. truncatus, highlighting host miRNAs regulated by Wolbachia as a mechanism of host manipulation and offering opportunities for Wolbachia-based pest management.
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Data availability
Raw sequencing data for the miRNA and mRNA libraries have been deposited in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive under BioProject IDs PRJNA1253370 and PRJNA1253798, respectively. Sample information is provided in Supplementary Data 3. Source data underlying the main figures are provided in Supplementary Data 4. All other data supporting the findings of this study are available within the paper and its Supplementary Information. Further information and requests for resources or materials should be directed to, and will be fulfilled by, the corresponding author.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Dr. Kaiyang Feng from the College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, for technical consultation and support with the RNA pull-down assay. We also appreciate the valuable suggestions and manuscript proofreading provided by Dr. Yu-Xi Zhu from Yangzhou University, Dr. Tong-Pu Li from Nanjing Forestry University, and Zhang-Rong Song from the University of Florida. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants No. 32020103011, 32202290) and by the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province, China (KYCX22_0760).
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Yi-Yin Zhang, Xin-Yu Shen, and Xiao-Yue Hong contributed to the conceptualization of the study. Yi-Yin Zhang, Xin-Yu Shen, and Xiao-Hui Xiong carried out the investigation. Methodology was developed by Yi-Yin Zhang, Xin-Yu Shen, Xiao-Hui Xiong, and Xiao-Yue Hong. Yi-Yin Zhang and Dian-Shu Zhao were responsible for formal analysis. The original draft was written by Yi-Yin Zhang, Xin-Yu Shen, and Dian-Shu Zhao. Xiao-Yue Hong supervised the project.
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Zhang, YY., Shen, XY., Xiong, XH. et al. Wolbachia-driven host miRNAs mediate arthropod reproduction in a Wolbachia density-dependent manner. Commun Biol (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10077-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10077-3
