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Rapid evolution of Wolbachia incompatibility types
Olivier Duron1, Jennifer Bernard, Célestine M Atyame
1Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR5554 CNRS-Université Montpellier 2, Montpellier Cedex 05, France. olivier.duron@univ-montp2.fr
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|September 7, 2012
Summary
Wolbachia bacteria rapidly evolve cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in Culex pipiens mosquitoes. This evolution involves the gain of new rescue (resc) functions, leading to complex CI patterns and co-infection possibilities.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Microbial genetics
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Wolbachia endosymbionts induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in insects, causing embryonic mortality.
- CI is typically explained by a modification-rescue (mod-resc) model, but its ability to predict complex patterns is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the rapid evolution of the mod-resc system in Culex pipiens.
- Determine the mechanisms driving the emergence of new CI types.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed four incompatible laboratory isofemale lines of Culex pipiens over 50 generations.
- Analyzed the evolution of CI patterns and Wolbachia determinants.
Main Results:
- Observed evolution from complete to partial CI in two of the four lines.
- Demonstrated that new CI types arise from the gain of new resc functions.
- Showed that multiple resc functions can coexist within a single host.
Conclusions:
- CI evolution in Culex pipiens is a dynamic and gradual process driven by Wolbachia.
- Co-infection with ancestral and mutant Wolbachia strains expressing different resc functions is possible.
- This provides insights into the development of complex CI patterns in host populations.
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