Wolbachia uses a host microRNA to regulate transcripts of a methyltransferase, contributing to dengue virus inhibition in Aedes aegypti.

ABSTRACT: The endosymbiont Wolbachia is common among insects and known for the reproductive manipulations it exerts on hosts as well as inhibition of virus replication in their hosts. Recently, we showed that Wolbachia uses host microRNAs to manipulate host gene expression for its efficient maintenance in the dengue mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. Cytosine methylation is mediated by a group of proteins called DNA (cytosine-5) methyltransferases, which are structurally and functionally conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. The biological functions of cytosine methylation include host defense, genome stability, gene regulation, developmental promotion of organs, and lifespan regulation. Ae. aegypti has only one DNA methyltransferase gene (AaDnmt2) belonging to the cytosine methyltransferase family

SUBMITTER: Zhang G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3690878 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature