Wolbachia divergence and the evolution of cytoplasmic incompatibility in Culex pipiens.

ABSTRACT: Many insect species harbor Wolbachia bacteria that induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), i.e. embryonic lethality in crosses between infected males and uninfected females, or between males and females carrying incompatible Wolbachia strains. The molecular mechanism of CI remains unknown, but the available data are best interpreted under a modification-rescue model, where a mod function disables the reproductive success of infected males' sperm, unless the eggs are infected and express a compatible resc function. Here we examine the evolution of CI in the mosquito Culex pipiens, harbouring a large number of closely related Wolbachia strains structured in five distinct phylogenetic groups. Specifically, we used a worldwide sample of mosquito lines to assess the hypothesis that genetic div

SUBMITTER: Atyame CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3909092 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature