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The role of myosin and a tumour suppressor gene in Wolbachia mediated cytoplasmic incompatibility

Reference	BB/C007670/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Timothy Karr
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr Benjamin Heath
Institution	University of Bath
Department	Biology and Biochemistry
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	261,982
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/02/2005
End date	31/01/2008
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Wolbachia are obligately intracellular alpha-proteobacteria found in a wide range of arthropod and filarial nematode hosts. Wolbachia manipulate host reproduction by disrupting early developmental events during fertilization. In Drosophila, infection by Wolbachia causes cytoplasmic incompatibility (C1), a form of post-fertilisation egg lethality. Neither the host genetic system effected, nor the molecular mechanisms involved in the expression of C1 are known. Wolbachia infection results in increased mRNA and protein expression of the Drosophila simulans nonmuscle myosin II gene, zipper, and induced overexpression of zipper mimics the fertilisation defects associated with C1. Similarly induced overexpression of lethal giant larvae 2 L(2)gl which interacts with zipper during neuroblast divisions, similarly results in a C1-like phenotype. These results suggest that Wolbachia target specific cellular processes regulating host gene expression in target tissues involved in the generation of C1. Intriguingly, the balanced expression of these two genes, L(2)gl and zipper is the mechanism by which polarity is established during neurogenesis. We therefore propose that a similar balance of the products of these two genes is necessary for the normal development of sperm and hypothesise that Wolbachia alter this balanced expression in order to modify sperm and cause C1. The proposed work uses genetics, proteomics and embryonic manipulation to test these hypotheses.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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