A feedback loop between Wolbachia and the Drosophila gurken mRNP complex influences Wolbachia titer Article

Serbus, LR, Ferreccio, A, Zhukova, M et al. (2011). A feedback loop between Wolbachia and the Drosophila gurken mRNP complex influences Wolbachia titer . JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE, 124(24), 4299-4308. 10.1242/jcs.092510

cited authors

  • Serbus, LR; Ferreccio, A; Zhukova, M; McMorris, CL; Kiseleva, E; Sullivan, W

authors

abstract

  • Although much is known about interactions between bacterial endosymbionts and their hosts, little is known concerning the host factors that influence endosymbiont titer. Wolbachia endosymbionts are globally dispersed throughout most insect species and are the causative agent in filarial nematode-mediated disease. Our investigation indicates that gurken (grk), a host gene encoding a crucial axis determinant, has a cumulative, dosage-sensitive impact on Wolbachia growth and proliferation during Drosophila oogenesis. This effect appears to be mediated by grk mRNA and its protein-binding partners Squid and Hrp48/Hrb27C, implicating the grk mRNA-protein (mRNP) complex as a rate-limiting host factor controlling Wolbachia titer. Furthermore, highly infected flies exhibit defects that match those occurring with disruption of grk mRNPs, such as nurse cell chromatin disruptions and malformation of chorionic appendages. These findings suggest a feedback loop in which Wolbachia interaction with the grk mRNP affects both Wolbachia titer and grk mRNP function. © 2011. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

publication date

  • December 1, 2011

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 4299

end page

  • 4308

volume

  • 124

issue

  • 24