Male-killing Wolbachia do not protect Drosophila bifasciata against viral infection.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Insect symbionts employ multiple strategies to enhance their spread through populations, and some play a dual role as both a mutualist and a reproductive manipulator. It has recently been found that this is the case for some strains of Wolbachia, which both cause cytoplasmic incompatibility and protect their hosts against viruses. Here, we carry out the first test as to whether a male-killing strain of Wolbachia also provides a direct benefit to its host by providing antiviral protection to its host Drosophila bifasciata. We infected flies with two positive sense RNA viruses known to replicate in a range of Drosophila species (Drosophila C virus and Flock House virus) and measure the rate of death in Wolbachia positive and negative host lines with the same genetic backgr

SUBMITTER: Longdon B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3287519 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature