Wolbachia Utilize Host Actin for Efficient Maternal Transmission in Drosophila melanogaster
| Autor: | Oleksandr P. Savytskyy, Kathy B. Sheehan, Irene L. G. Newton |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2015 |
| Předmět: |
lcsh:Immunologic diseases. Allergy
Immunology Blotting Western Microbiology Polymerase Chain Reaction Host-Parasite Interactions Virology parasitic diseases Genetics Animals Molecular Biology Drosophila lcsh:QH301-705.5 In Situ Hybridization Fluorescence biology fungi Wild type biology.organism_classification Actin cytoskeleton Phenotype Immunohistochemistry Actins Infectious Disease Transmission Vertical 3. Good health Drosophila melanogaster Profilin lcsh:Biology (General) biology.protein Parasitology Wolbachia lcsh:RC581-607 Drosophila C virus Research Article |
| Zdroj: | PLoS Pathogens PLoS Pathogens, Vol 11, Iss 4, p e1004798 (2015) |
| ISSN: | 1553-7374 1553-7366 |
| Popis: | Wolbachia pipientis is a ubiquitous, maternally transmitted bacterium that infects the germline of insect hosts. Estimates are that Wolbachia infect nearly 40% of insect species on the planet, making it the most prevalent infection on Earth. The bacterium, infamous for the reproductive phenotypes it induces in arthropod hosts, has risen to recent prominence due to its use in vector control. Wolbachia infection prevents the colonization of vectors by RNA viruses, including Drosophila C virus and important human pathogens such as Dengue and Chikungunya. Here we present data indicating that Wolbachia utilize the host actin cytoskeleton during oogenesis for persistence within and transmission between Drosophila melanogaster generations. We show that phenotypically wild type flies heterozygous for cytoskeletal mutations in Drosophila profilin (chic221/+ and chic1320/+) or villin (qua6-396/+) either clear a Wolbachia infection, or result in significantly reduced infection levels. This reduction of Wolbachia is supported by PCR evidence, Western blot results and cytological examination. This phenotype is unlikely to be the result of maternal loading defects, defects in oocyte polarization, or germline stem cell proliferation, as the flies are phenotypically wild type in egg size, shape, and number. Importantly, however, heterozygous mutant flies exhibit decreased total G-actin in the ovary, compared to control flies and chic221 heterozygous mutants exhibit decreased expression of profilin. Additionally, RNAi knockdown of profilin during development decreases Wolbachia titers. We analyze evidence in support of alternative theories to explain this Wolbachia phenotype and conclude that our results support the hypothesis that Wolbachia utilize the actin skeleton for efficient transmission and maintenance within Drosophila. Author Summary The world’s most common intracellular infection, Wolbachia pipientis, infects 40% of insect species and is currently used to prevent transmission of Dengue by mosquitoes. The bacterium targets the germline of insects, where it is faithfully transmitted to the developing oocyte and the next generation. Here we identify host cytoskeletal proteins required by Wolbachia in order to be efficiently transmitted between Drosophila melanogaster generations. We show that after only two generations in a phenotypically wild type, heterozygous mutant fly, Wolbachia infections are cleared or reduced in titer. Characterization of the mutants suggests that Wolbachia is sensitive to the regulation of actin in the ovary and that actin may be used by Wolbachia to both target and proliferate within host tissues and to be faithfully, maternally transmitted. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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