Polar cell fate stimulates Wolbachia intracellular growth

Bacteria are crucial partners in the development and evolution of vertebrates and invertebrates. A large fraction of insects harbor Wolbachia, bacterial endosymbionts that manipulate host reproduction to favor their spreading. Because they are maternally inherited, Wolbachia are under selective pressure to reach the female germline and infect the offspring. However, Wolbachia infection is not limited to the germline. Somatic cell types, including stem cell niches, have higher Wolbachia loads compared with the surrounding tissue. Here, we show a novel Wolbachia tropism to polar cells (PCs), specialized somatic cells in the Drosophila ovary. During oogenesis, all stages of PC development are easily visualized, facilitating the investigation of the kinetics of Wolbachia intracellular growth. Wolbachia accumulation is triggered by particular events of PC morphogenesis, including differentiation from progenitors and between stages 8 and 9 of oogenesis. Moreover, induction of ectopic PC fate is sufficient to promote Wolbachia accumulation. We found that Wolbachia PC tropism is evolutionarily conserved across most Drosophila species, but not in Culex mosquitos. These findings highlight the coordination of endosymbiont tropism with host development and cell differentiation.