Variability and expression of ankyrin domain genes in Wolbachia variants infecting the mosquito Culex pipiens.

ABSTRACT: Wolbachia strains are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria that infect many arthropod species and have evolved several different ways of manipulating their hosts, the most frequent way being cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI leads to embryo death in crosses between infected males and uninfected females as well as in crosses between individuals infected by incompatible Wolbachia strains. The mosquito Culex pipiens exhibits the highest crossing type variability reported so far. Our crossing data support the notion that CI might be driven by at least two distinct genetic units that control the CI functions independently in males and females. Although the molecular basis of CI remains unknown, proteins with ankyrin (ANK) domains represent promising candidates since they might interac

SUBMITTER: Duron O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1913362 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature