Transgenic cytoplasmic incompatibility persists across age and temperature variation in Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT: Environmental stressors can impact the basic biology and applications of host-microbe symbioses. For example, Wolbachia symbiont densities and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) levels can decline in response to extreme temperatures and host aging. To investigate whether transgenic expression of CI-causing cif genes overcomes the environmental sensitivity of CI, we exposed transgenic male flies to low and high temperatures as well as aging treatments. Our results indicate that transgenic cif expression induces nearly complete CI regardless of temperature and aging, despite severe weakening of Wolbachia-based wild-type CI. Strong CI levels correlate with higher levels of cif transgene expression in young males. Altogether, our results highlight that transgen

SUBMITTER: Ritchie IT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9593245 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature