MATERNAL MICROINJECTION OF THE ENDOPARASITOID CARDIOCHILES DIAPHANIAE(HYMENOPTERA, BRACONIDAE)

Maternal microinjection is the injection of DNA into an adult female t o deliver DNA to the eggs. Here we report the adaptation of this metho d to the parasitoid Cardiochiles diaphaniae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Results of preliminary dissections and injections with the plasmid pJ KP2, followed by slot blot analysis, suggested that this method could be used to deliver injected DNA to the ovaries of this wasp. Subsequen tly, 16 adult females were injected and allowed to produce offspring ( the Go generation). Polymerase chain reaction analysis of the next (G( 1)) generation revealed that several individuals contained the plasmid sequences. In a 2nd experiment, the plasmid phsopd, containing the pa rathion hydrolase gene (opd) of Pseudomones diminuta, was injected. Th e plasmid probe hybridized to high molecular weight DNA from 3 of 38 G (1) adults. A 4th adult produced a hybridization pattern consistent wi th integration of plasmid into the nuclear genome. The results indicat e maternal microinjection can result in transformation of this parasit oid.