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SUMMARY:" Wolbachia – mutualistic and pathogenic  symbionts of Drosophil
 a melanogaster" 
DTSTART:20150115T160000
DTEND:20150115T170000
DTSTAMP:20260916T064659Z
UID:f6dfafb89bd977abcf1e06bffd3b49851182eb1bb9741a2e1cf02648
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Ewa Chrostek - Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) - Portug
 al\nMicrobes form complex and intimate relationships with their animal hos
 ts. Wolbachia\, intracellular vertically transmitted bacteria\, live withi
 n the cells of numerous arthropod species. Wolbachia are famous master man
 ipulators of insect reproduction: to favour their own spread they can indu
 ce male killing\, parthenogenesis or cytoplasmic incompatibility. Wolbachi
 a can also protect various insects from pathogens\, which makes them a pot
 ential tool for the control of vector-borne diseases. Field trials are alr
 eady being conducted\, involving releases of mosquitoes with Wolbachia in 
 the wild. Yet\, how Wolbachia manipulate their hosts remains largely unkno
 wn. To gain an insight into Wolbachia-host interaction we have recently co
 mpared different closely related Wolbachia variants in Drosophila melanoga
 ster. The strength of antiviral protection\, symbiont titres\, host longev
 ity and complete genome sequences allowed us to divide the variants into d
 istinct groups. Moreover\, analysis of an over-replicating and life-shorte
 ning Wolbachia variant genome led us to discover the genetic cause of its 
 virulence. Using experimental evolution we show that mutualists can rapidl
 y become pathogenic and that regulation of endosymbiont titres can be brok
 en with a single genetic change in the symbiont. Finally\, our results pro
 vide the first link between genotype and phenotype in Wolbachia  endosymb
 ionts.
LOCATION:AI 1153 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==AI%201153
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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