Publications

discovery of a novel wolbachia super group in isoptera.	wolbachia are one of the most abundant groups of bacterial endosymbionts in the biosphere. interest in these heritable microbes has expanded with the discovery of wider genetic diversity in under-sampled host species. here, we report on the putative discovery of a new genetic lineage, denoted super group h, which infects the isopteran species zootermopsis angusticollis and z. nevadensis. evidence for this novel super group is based on portions of new wolbachia gene sequences from each species sp ...	2005	16252129
widespread recombination throughout wolbachia genomes.	evidence is growing that homologous recombination is a powerful source of genetic variability among closely related free-living bacteria. here we investigate the extent of recombination among housekeeping genes of the endosymbiotic bacteria wolbachia. four housekeeping genes, glta, dnaa, ftsz, and groel, were sequenced from a sample of 22 strains belonging to supergroups a and b. sequence alignments were searched for recombination within and between genes using phylogenetic inference, analysis o ...	2006	16267140
efficient procedure for purification of obligate intracellular wolbachia pipientis and representative amplification of its genome by multiple-displacement amplification.	bacteria belonging to the genus wolbachia are obligatory microendocytobionts that infect a variety of arthropods and a majority of filarial nematode species, where they induce reproductive alterations or establish a mutualistic symbiosis. although two whole genome sequences of wolbachia pipientis, for strain wmel from drosophila melanogaster and strain wbm from brugia malayi, have been fully completed and six other genome sequencing projects are ongoing (http://www.genomesonline.org/index.cgi?wa ...	2005	16269725
a flow cytometry based method for studying embryogenesis and immune reactivity to embryogenic stages in filarial parasites.	in the absence of intermediate animal hosts, the process of embryogenesis leading to fecundity of adult female filarial worms is very critical for persistence of these obligate parasites in human communities. embryogenesis in adult female filarial parasites involves fertilization of eggs or oocytes by sperms and their subsequent development into motile microfilariae inside the uterine cavity of worms. development of assays for monitoring embryogenesis in adult female worms is a critical requirem ...	2005	16274474
use of liposomized tetracycline in elimination of wolbachia endobacterium of human lymphatic filariid brugia malayi in a rodent model.	wolbachia bacteria, being filarial parasite symbiont have been implicated in a variety of roles, including development, fecundity and the pathogenesis of the filarial infections. among various strategies used in the treatment of experimental filariasis, the elimination of symbiont wolbachia seem to offer an efficient means of curing the disease. the antiwolbachial property of tetracycline has been well worked out; however, treatment needs to be continued for a prolonged period of time to achieve ...	2005	16278157
protective immunity to the larval stages of onchocerca volvulus is dependent on toll-like receptor 4.	toll-like receptor 4 (tlr4) has been shown to be important for the induction of th2-dependent immune responses in mice. protective immunity against larval onchocerca volvulus in mice depends on the development of a th2 immune response mediated by both interleukin-4 (il-4) and il-5. in addition, o. volvulus contains the rickettsial endosymbiont wolbachia, which has molecules with lipopolysaccharide-like activities that also signal through tlr4. we therefore hypothesized that protective immunity t ...	2005	16299326
wolbachia and reproductive conflict in exorista sorbillans.	many arthropods harbour endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus wolbachia. these endosymbionts are transmitted vertically from one generation to the next and are obligatory in several dipterans that have been studied to date. these bacteria induce an array of reproductive isolation mechanisms that are implicated in pest management to evolutionary biology of respective hosts. the uzifly, exorista sorbillans, a tachinid endoparasitoid of the silkworm, bombyx mori l. (lepidoptera: bombycidae), causes e ...	2005	16304620
genetic variability in the three genomes of nasonia: nuclear, mitochondrial and wolbachia.	nasonia consists of three closely related species of parasitoid wasps that are all infected with the endosymbiotic bacteria wolbachia, a reproductive parasite common in arthropods. this situation presents the opportunity to compare patterns of variation in three associated genomes, wolbachia and the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of its host. furthermore, although nasonia wasps are emerging as a model for evolutionary and genetic studies, little is known about their genetic variability. using ...	2005	16313565
the effect of wolbachia versus genetic incompatibilities on reinforcement and speciation.	wolbachia is a widespread group of intracellular bacteria commonly found in arthropods. in many insect species, wolbachia induce a cytoplasmic mating incompatibility (ci). if different wolbachia infections occur in the same host species, bidirectional ci is often induced. bidirectional ci acts as a postzygotic isolation mechanism if parapatric host populations are infected with different wolbachia strains. therefore, it has been suggested that wolbachia could promote speciation in their hosts. i ...	2005	16329235
culture-independent characterization of the microbiota of the ant lion myrmeleon mobilis (neuroptera: myrmeleontidae).	ant lions are insect larvae that feed on the liquefied internal components of insect prey. prey capture is assisted by the injection of toxins that are reportedly derived from both the insect and bacterial symbionts. these larvae display interesting gut physiology where the midgut is not connected to the hindgut, preventing elimination of solid waste until adulthood. the presence of a discontinuous gut and the potential involvement of bacteria in prey paralyzation suggest an interesting microbia ...	2005	16332874
phylogeny of wolbachia pipientis based on glta, groel and ftsz gene sequences: clustering of arthropod and nematode symbionts in the f supergroup, and evidence for further diversity in the wolbachia tree.	current phylogenies of the intracellular bacteria belonging to the genus wolbachia identify six major clades (a-f), termed 'supergroups', but the branching order of these supergroups remains unresolved. supergroups a, b and e include most of the wolbachiae found thus far in arthropods, while supergroups c and d include most of those found in filarial nematodes. members of supergroup f have been found in arthropods (i.e. termites), and have previously been detected in the nematode mansonella ozza ...	2005	16339946
[wolbachia endosymbionts and their effects on the fitness of the arthropod hosts].	wolbachia are common and maternally inherited bacteria found in reproductive tissue of a wide range of arthropod species. a tremendous amount of progress on their manipulating reproduction of their host has been made over the past 30 years. recent surveys have found that they could effect the fitness of their hosts. the recent advances on wolbachia distribution, locality and their effects on the fitness of hosts are reviewed, and the significance and potential implications of the fields are disc ...	2005	16342786
wo bacteriophage transcription in wolbachia-infected culex pipiens.	bacteriophages are commonly found in association with free-living bacteria, both as exogenic phages (virions) and as prophages integrated into the bacterial genome. in contrast, the observation of bacteriophages associated with obligate intracellular bacteria has been described infrequently. an exception is provided by wolbachia endosymbionts, which harbor multiple phage elements that have been designated as wo phage. wolbachia are maternally inherited bacteria that occur in the cytoplasm of man ...	2006	16360953
the evolution of cytoplasmic incompatibility types: integrating segregation, inbreeding and outbreeding.	cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci) is a reproductive incompatibility induced by maternally transmitted bacteria of the genera wolbachia and cardinium. in the simplest form of ci, offspring from infected males and uninfected females suffer from increased mortality. however, it has been noted that crosses between males and females carrying different strains of infection are often also incompatible. the evolutionary processes leading to the emergence of new ci-compatibility types are still not resolv ...	2006	16361236
no evidence for bacteriophage wo orf7 correlation with wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in the culex pipiens complex (culicidae: diptera).	gene flow between populations of culex pipiens l. is relevant to observed differences in disease transmission, insecticide resistance, behavior, and physiology. intracellular wolbachia bacteria have been hypothesized to affect gene flow in insects. specifically, wolbachia cause a form of embryonic mortality known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci) in crosses between individuals with different wolbachia types. incompatibility in culex is exceptional in that it represents the most complex ci patt ...	2005	16365997
evolutionary dynamics of wau-like wolbachia variants in neotropical drosophila spp.	wolbachia bacteria are common intracellular symbionts of arthropods and have been extensively studied in drosophila. most research focuses on two old word hosts, drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans, and does not take into account that some of the wolbachia associations in these species may have evolved only after their fast global expansion and after the exposure to wolbachia of previously isolated habitats. here we looked at wolbachia of neotropical drosophila species. seventy-one l ...	2006	16391124
effect of temperature on wolbachia density and impact on cytoplasmic incompatibility.	the outcome and the evolution of host-symbiont associations depend on environmental constraints, but responses are difficult to predict since they arise from a complex interaction between the host, the parasite and the environment. the situation can be even more complex when multiple parasite genotypes, with potentially different responses to environmental changes, coexist within a single host. in this paper, we investigated the effect of the temperature (from 14 to 26 degrees c) during the host ...	2006	16393353
[differentiation between the urban mosquito culex pipiens pipiens f. molestus and culex torrentium (diptera: culicidae) by the molecular genetic methods].	the molecular characters suitable for the differentiation between the autogenous form of culex pipiens pipiens (the urban mosquito) and the species culex torrentium, which was previously identified erroneously as an anautogenous form of c. pipiens pipiens (shaikevich, vinogradova, 2004), are given. these mosquitoes differ in the infection by the endosymbiotic bacteria wolbachia pipientis, 6 transitions among 247 nucleotide sequences of 3' part of the cytochrome oxidase subunit i (coi) gene of mi ...	2005	16396396
[gene orders in genomes of alpha-proteobacteria: similarity and evolution].	the gene orders in the genomes of nine alpha-proteobacteria were compared using quantitative indices s (the relative number of common pairs of adjacent genes) and l (the mean difference between intergenic distances). a sample of 200 homologous genes, occurring in all 11 strains, was studied. in all of the genomes examined, 20 conserved, "uninterrupted" regions, including in total 63 out of 200 genes, were found. the rate of evolutionary change in the gene order widely varied in different evoluti ...	2005	16396448
can maternally transmitted endosymbionts facilitate the evolution of haplodiploidy?	whilst many invertebrate taxa are haplodiploid, the factors underlying the evolution of haplodiploidy remain unresolved. we investigate theoretically whether haplodiploidy might evolve as an outcome of the co-evolution between maternally inherited endosymbionts and their hosts. first, we substantially extend a recently developed model that involves maternally inherited endosymbionts that kill male offspring by eliminating the paternal genome. we also put forward a new hypothesis and develop a mo ...	2006	16405591
wolbachia genomes: revealing the biology of parasitism and mutualism.	wolbachia bacteria are endosymbiotic partners of many animal species, in which they behave as either parasites (in arthropod hosts) or mutualists (in nematode hosts). what biochemistry and biology underpin these diverse lifestyles? the recent complete sequencing of genomes from wolbachia that infect the arthropod drosophila melanogaster and the nematode brugia malayi, together with the partial genome sequencing of three wolbachia strains found in drosophilids, enables this question to begin to b ...	2006	16406333
the influence of temperature and host availability on the host exploitation strategies of sexual and asexual parasitic wasps of the same species.	in the hymenopteran parasitoid venturia canescens, asexual (obligate thelytoky not induced by wolbachia bacteria) and sexual (arrhenotokous) wasps coexist in field conditions despite the demographic cost incurred due to the production of males by sexual females. arrhenotoky predominates in field conditions, whereas populations in indoor conditions (mills, granaries) are exclusively thelytokous. these differences in the relative abundance of the two modes of reproduction between environments sugg ...	2006	16421757
wolbachia and other endosymbiont infections in spiders.	maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria, such as wolbachia, rickettsia and spiroplasma, have been shown to have wide-ranging effects on the reproduction of their hosts. we present data on the presence of each of these sorts of bacteria in spiders, a group for which there are currently few data, but where such infections could explain many observed reproductive characteristics, such as sex ratio skew. the wolbachia and spiroplasma variants that we find in spiders belong to the same clades pre ...	2006	16448417
assessment of microfilarial loads in the skin of onchocerciasis patients after treatment with different regimens of doxycycline plus ivermectin.	infection with the filarial nematode onchocerca volvulus can lead to severe dermatitis, visual impairment, and ultimately blindness. since the currently used drug, ivermectin does not have macrofilaricidal or strong permanent sterilising effects on the adult worm, more effective drugs are needed to complement the use of ivermectin alone. wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria in filariae have emerged as a new target for treatment with antibiotics which can lead to long -term sterilization of the adult ...	2006	16457735
distribution and prevalence of wolbachia in introduced populations of the fire ant solenopsis invicta.	wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that induce phenotypic effects in many arthropod hosts to enhance their own transmission within host populations. wolbachia commonly infect the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta, in native south american populations. a previous study failed to detect wolbachia in fire ants from the introduced range in the usa. we conducted an extensive study of individuals collected from 1157 nests from 10 widespread geographical populations in the usa. wolbachia were ...	2006	16469072
antibiotics which target the wolbachia endosymbionts of filarial parasites: a new strategy for control of filariasis and amelioration of pathology.	wolbachia endosymbionts of filariae are targets for the development of new antifilarial chemotherapy. doxycycline to deplete wolbachia from the worm has demonstrated the feasibility of this strategy and has provided a new chemotherapeutic tool. recent research shows that depleting wolbachia will also lessen pathology, and lessen adverse reactions to traditional antifilarial drugs.	2006	16472187
induced paternal effects mimic cytoplasmic incompatibility in drosophila.	wolbachia is an intracellular microbe found in a wide diversity of arthropod and filarial nematode hosts. in arthropods these common bacteria are reproductive parasites that manipulate central elements of their host's reproduction to increase their own maternal transmission in one of several ways. cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci) is one such manipulation where sperm are somehow modified in infected males and this modification must be rescued by the presence of the same bacterial strain in the eg ...	2006	16489228
antifilarial compounds in the treatment and control of lymphatic filariasis.	diethylcarbamazine citrate (dec) has been used for treatment and control of lymphatic filariasis since the 1950s. although this remarkable drug is still useful and modified strategies in its usage have been developed, a number of newer antifilarial compounds are now available. numerous field trials evaluating their efficacy in the control of lymphatic filariasis have been conducted. in particular, ivermectin (ivm), albendazole (alb), and dec have been tested singly and in combinations and the re ...	2004	16493396
rate of elimination of wolbachia pipientis by doxycycline in vitro increases following drug withdrawal.	wolbachia pipientis is an obligate intracellular bacterium within the family anaplasmataceae that infects many terrestrial arthropods and arthropod-transmitted nematodes (filariae). several filarial species are major human pathogens, and antibiotics with activity against wolbachia offer a promising new therapeutic approach, since the adult worms are relatively refractory to conventional anthelmintics but depend on wolbachia for reproduction and viability. in a natural filarial parasite of cattle ...	2006	16495252
bacterial home from home.		2006	16528802
cytokine profiles of filarial granulomas in jirds infected with brugia pahangi.	a granulomatous inflammatory response develops in jirds infected subcutaneously or intraperitoneally with filarial nematodes namely brugia pahangi and b. malayi. previous studies by light and electron microscopy have shown cellular inflammatory responses in and around these granulomas. furthermore, the cellular inflammatory responses of granulomas found in the lymphatics and peritoneal cavity appear to be similar. the purpose of this study was to determine the cytokine profiles of granulomas in ...	2006	16542426
comparative genomic analysis of three strains of ehrlichia ruminantium reveals an active process of genome size plasticity.	ehrlichia ruminantium is the causative agent of heartwater, a major tick-borne disease of livestock in africa that has been introduced in the caribbean and is threatening to emerge and spread on the american mainland. we sequenced the complete genomes of two strains of e. ruminantium of differing phenotypes, strains gardel (erga; 1,499,920 bp), from the island of guadeloupe, and welgevonden (erwe; 1,512,977 bp), originating in south africa and maintained in guadeloupe in a different cell environ ...	2006	16547041
wolbachia- and onchocerca volvulus-induced keratitis (river blindness) is dependent on myeloid differentiation factor 88.	endosymbiotic wolbachia bacteria that infect the filarial nematode onchocerca volvulus were previously found to have an essential role in the pathogenesis of river blindness. the current study demonstrates that corneal inflammation induced by wolbachia or o. volvulus antigens containing wolbachia is completely dependent on expression of myeloid differentiation factor 88.	2006	16552075
onchocerca parasites and wolbachia endosymbionts: evaluation of a spectrum of antibiotic types for activity against onchocerca gutturosa in vitro.	the filarial parasites of major importance in humans contain the symbiotic bacterium wolbachia and recent studies have shown that targeting of these bacteria with antibiotics results in a reduction in worm viability, development, embryogenesis, and survival. doxycycline has been effective in human trials, but there is a need to develop drugs that can be given for shorter periods and to pregnant women and children. the world health organisation-approved assay to screen for anti-filarial activity ...	2006	16563157
male-killing wolbachia in a live-bearing arthropod: brood abortion as a constraint on the spread of a selfish microbe.	maternally inherited, cellular endosymbionts can enhance their fitness by biasing host sex ratio in favor of females. male killing (mk), an extreme form of sex-ratio manipulation, is selectively advantageous, if the death of males results in increased microbe transmission through female siblings. in live-bearing hosts, females typically produce more embryos than are brought to term, and reproductive compensation through maternal resource reallocation from dead male embryos to female siblings pro ...	2006	16563429
influence of antibiotic treatment and wolbachia curing on sexual isolation among drosophila melanogaster cage populations.	speciation depends on the establishment of reproductive isolation between populations of the same species. whether assortative mating evolves as a by-product of adaptation is a major question relevant to the origin of species by reproductive isolation. the long-term selection populations used here were originally established 30 years ago from a single cage population (originating from a maternal one) and subsequently subjected to divergent selection for tolerance of toxins in food (heavy metals ...	2006	16568634
a randomized, double-blind clinical trial of a 3-week course of doxycycline plus albendazole and ivermectin for the treatment of wuchereria bancrofti infection.	eight- and 6-week courses of doxycycline are superior to standard treatment of bancroftian filariasis. standard treatment (albendazole plus ivermectin) is associated with adverse reactions. we assessed whether a shorter (i.e, 3-week) course of doxycycline with standard treatment would show superior efficacy to standard treatment alone and reduce the incidence of adverse reactions.	2006	16575724
the promise of wolbachia-targeted chemotherapy as a public health intervention for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.		2006	16575725
rickettsial agents from parasitic dermanyssoidea (acari: mesostigmata).	mites are often overlooked as vectors of pathogens, but have been shown to harbor and transmit rickettsial agents such as rickettsia akari and orientia tsutsugamushi. we screened dna extracts from 27 mites representing 25 species of dermanyssoids for rickettsial agents such as anaplasma, bartonella, rickettsia, and wolbachia by pcr amplification and sequencing. dna from anaplasma spp., a novel bartonella sp., spiroplasma sp., wolbachia sp., and an unclassified rickettsiales were detected in mite ...	2006	16596351
new strategies to combat filariasis.	two of the major filarial infections, lymphatic filariasis (lf) and onchocerciasis, affect 150 million people, while 1 billion living in endemic areas are at risk of infection. public health programs to control these infections have successfully existed for years and have evolved from activities driven by the who into global programs with public-private partnerships. currently, these programs use yearly mass application of drugs that mainly kill the larval stages (the microfilariae), with the ai ...	2006	16597203
closely related wolbachia strains within the pumpkin arthropod community and the potential for horizontal transmission via the plant.	phylogenetic studies have implicated frequent horizontal transmission of wolbachia among arthropod host lineages. however, the ecological routes for such lateral transfer are poorly known. we surveyed the species of two arthropod communities, one on pumpkin and the other on loofah plants, for wolbachia, constructed wsp gene phylogenies of those wolbachia strains found to infect community members, and established ecological links among infected members. four taxonomically diverse insects in the p ...	2006	16598632
genetic structure of sibling butterfly species affected by wolbachia infection sweep: evolutionary and biogeographical implications.	it was recently recognized that in japan, the common yellow butterfly, eurema hecabe, consists of two sibling species, which have been unnamed yet and tentatively called yellow (y) type and brown (b) type. we investigated the diversity of nuclear and mitochondrial genes in japanese populations of y type and b type of e. hecabe. the phylogeny based on nuclear genes agreed with the distinction between y type and b type, which had been also supported by a wide array of biological data. however, the ...	2006	16599969
high wolbachia density correlates with cost of infection for insecticide resistant culex pipiens mosquitoes.	in the mosquito culex pipiens, insecticide resistance genes alter many life-history traits and incur a fitness cost. resistance to organophosphate insecticides involves two loci, with each locus coding for a different mechanism of resistance (degradation vs. insensitivity to insecticides). the density of intracellular wolbachia bacteria has been found to be higher in resistant mosquitoes, regardless of the mechanism involved. to discriminate between costs of resistance due to resistance genes fr ...	2006	16610322
hypervariable prophage wo sequences describe an unexpected high number of wolbachia variants in the mosquito culex pipiens.	wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria that infect many arthropod species and may induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci) resulting in abortive embryonic development. among all the described host species, mosquitoes of the culex pipiens complex display the highest variability of ci crossing types. paradoxically, searches for polymorphism in wolbachia infecting strains and field populations hitherto failed or produced very few markers. here, we show that an abundant source of t ...	2006	16615218
differential display of genes expressed in the filarial nematode litomosoides sigmodontis reveals a putative phosphate permease up-regulated after depletion of wolbachia endobacteria.	mutualist symbiotic wolbachia endobacteria are found in most filarial nematodes. wolbachia are essential for embryogenesis and for larval development into adults, and thus represent a new target for anti-filarial drug development. tetracycline antibiotics deplete wolbachia in animal model filaria litomosoides sigmodontis and brugia pahangi, as well as in the human parasites brugia malayi, onchocerca volvulus and wuchereria bancrofti. very little is known about the molecular details of the symbio ...	2006	16616613
wolbachia infection suppresses both host defence and parasitoid counter-defence.	endosymbiotic bacteria in the genus wolbachia have been linked to several types of reproductive parasitism, which enhance their own transmission, while their direct effects on the host vary from beneficial to neutral or detrimental. here, we report negative effects of infection on immunity-related traits of drosophila simulans and the parasitoid wasp leptopilina heterotoma. infected d. simulans showed a reduced ability to encapsulate parasitoid eggs, compared to a tetracycline-treated, bacterium ...	2006	16618671
dynamics of multiple symbiont density regulation during host development: tsetse fly and its microbial flora.	symbiotic associations often enhance hosts' physiological capabilities, allowing them to expand into restricted terrains, thus leading to biological diversification. stable maintenance of partners is essential for the overall biological system to succeed. the viviparous tsetse fly (diptera: glossinidae) offers an exceptional system to examine factors that influence the maintenance of multiple symbiotic organisms within a single eukaryotic host. this insect harbours three different symbionts repr ...	2006	16618673
a genetic test of the role of the maternal pronucleus in wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in drosophila melanogaster.	cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci) is a reproductive sterility found in arthropods that is caused by the endoparasitic bacteria wolbachia. in ci, host progeny fail to develop during early embryogenesis if wolbachia-infected males fertilize uninfected females. it is widely accepted that this lethality is caused by some unknown wolbachia-induced modification of the paternal nuclear material in the host testes. however, the direct means by which this modification leads to early embryonic death are cu ...	2006	16624919
outbreeding selects for spiteful cytoplasmic elements.	in addition to their nuclear genome, the vast majority of eukaryotes harbour cytoplasmic genomes, e.g. in mitochondria or chloroplasts. in the majority of cases, these cytoplasmic genomes are transmitted maternally only, leading to selective pressures divergent from those that act on nuclear genes. in particular, cytoplasmic genes, which reduce the fitness of males that carry them, but have no fitness effect in females, are believed to be selectively neutral. here, we go a step further and argue ...	2006	16627277
wolbachia infection influences the development of culex pipiens embryo in incompatible crosses.	wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria that infect many arthropod species and have evolved several different ways for manipulating their host, the most frequent being cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci). ci leads to embryo death in crosses between infected males and uninfected females, as well as in crosses between individuals infected by incompatible wolbachia strains. in the mosquito culex pipiens, previous studies suggested developmental variation in embryos stemming from diff ...	2006	16639421
wolbachia infections in the cimicidae: museum specimens as an untapped resource for endosymbiont surveys.	wolbachia spp. are obligate maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria that infect diverse arthropods and filarial nematodes. previous microscopic and molecular studies have identified wolbachia in several bed bug species (cimicidae), but little is known about how widespread wolbachia infections are among the cimicidae. because cimicids of non-medical importance are not commonly collected, we hypothesized that preserved museum specimens could be assayed for wolbachia infections. for the screeni ...	2006	16672453
identification and localization of a rickettsia sp. in bemisia tabaci (homoptera: aleyrodidae).	whiteflies (homoptera: aleyrodidae) are sap-sucking insects that harbor "candidatus portiera aleyrodidarum," an obligatory symbiotic bacterium which is housed in a special organ called the bacteriome. these insects are also home for a diverse facultative microbial community which may include hamiltonella, arsenophonus, fritchea, wolbachia, and cardinium spp. in this study, the bacteria associated with a b biotype of the sweet potato whitefly bemisia tabaci were characterized using molecular fing ...	2006	16672513
gene drive systems for insect disease vectors.	the elegant mechanisms by which naturally occurring selfish genetic elements, such as transposable elements, meiotic drive genes, homing endonuclease genes and wolbachia, spread at the expense of their hosts provide some of the most fascinating and remarkable subjects in evolutionary genetics. these elements also have enormous untapped potential to be used in the control of some of the world's most devastating diseases. effective gene drive systems for spreading genes that can block the transmis ...	2006	16682981
finding of male-killing spiroplasma infecting drosophila melanogaster in africa implies transatlantic migration of this endosymbiont.	we report the identification of male-killing spiroplasma in a wild-caught female drosophila melanogaster from uganda, the first such infection to be found in this species outside of south america. among 38 female flies collected from namulonge, uganda in april, 2005, one produced a total of 41 female offspring but no males. pcr testing of subsequent generations revealed that females retaining spiroplasma infection continued to produce a large excess of female progeny, while females that had lost ...	2006	16685282
a real-time pcr-based assay for detection of wuchereria bancrofti dna in blood and mosquitoes.	we developed and evaluated real-time polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assays for detecting wuchereria bancrofti dna in human blood and in mosquitoes. an assay based on detection of the w. bancrofti "ldr" repeat dna sequence was more sensitive than an assay for wolbachia 16s rdna. the ldr-based assay was sensitive for detecting microfilarial dna on dried membrane filters or on filter paper. we also compared real-time pcr with conventional pcr (c-pcr) for detecting w. bancrofti dna in mosquito samp ...	2006	16687688
are filarial nematode wolbachia obligate mutualist symbionts?	the intracellular symbiotic bacteria of filarial nematodes have inspired new ideas for the control of disease using antibacterial drugs. for effective, long-term control, this requires that the bacteria are essential to their nematode hosts. two recent studies offer conflicting evidence: long, close coevolution between most filarial nematodes and their symbionts contrasts with many species having naturally lost them. an attempt to transfer symbionts to an uninfected host found that the bacteria ...	2004	16701248
the tripartite associations between bacteriophage, wolbachia, and arthropods.	by manipulating arthropod reproduction worldwide, the heritable endosymbiont wolbachia has spread to pandemic levels. little is known about the microbial basis of cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci) except that bacterial densities and percentages of infected sperm cysts associate with incompatibility strength. the recent discovery of a temperate bacteriophage (wo-b) of wolbachia containing ankyrin-encoding genes and virulence factors has led to intensifying debate that bacteriophage wo-b induces ci ...	2006	16710453
onchocerciasis--river blindness.	onchocerciasis results from infestation by the nematode onchocerca volvulus and is characterized by troublesome itching, skin lesions, and eye manifestations. although partially controlled by international mass prevention programs, onchocerciasis remains a major health hazard and is endemic in africa, arabia, and the americas. onchocerciasis is spread by bites from infested black flies, which transmit larvae that subsequently develop into adult filariae. skin symptoms are commonly nonspecific an ...	2006	16714198
somatic stem cell niche tropism in wolbachia.	wolbachia are intracellular bacteria found in the reproductive tissue of all major groups of arthropods. they are transmitted vertically from the female hosts to their offspring, in a pattern analogous to mitochondria inheritance. but wolbachia phylogeny does not parallel that of the host, indicating that horizontal infectious transmission must also occur. insect parasitoids are considered the most likely vectors, but the mechanism for horizontal transfer is largely unknown. here we show that ne ...	2006	16724067
cyto-nuclear epistasis: two-locus random genetic drift in hermaphroditic and dioecious species.	we report the findings of our theoretical investigation of the effect of random genetic drift on the covariance of identity-by-descent (ibd) of nuclear and cytoplasmic genes. the covariance in ibd measures of the degree to which cyto-nuclear gene combinations are heritable, that is, transmitted together from parents to offspring. we show how the mating system affects the covariance of ibd, a potentially important aspect of host-pathogen or host-symbiont coevolution. the magnitude of this covaria ...	2006	16739448
coffee berry borer hypothenemus hampei (coleoptera: curculionidae): searching for sustainable control strategies.	the coffee berry borer hypothenemus hampei (ferrari) is the most serious pest of the world's most valuable tropical export crop. since the last review on this insect was published six years ago, many new studies have contributed to an improved insight into the biology and ecology of the beetle, and have indicated new avenues for integrated and biological control. the latest developments in research, both laboratory and field, on the pest, its natural enemies and their implications for integrated ...	2006	16768810
evolutionary history of a mosquito endosymbiont revealed through mitochondrial hitchhiking.	due to cytoplasmic inheritance, spread of maternally inherited wolbachia symbionts can result in reduction of mitochondrial variation in populations. we examined sequence diversity of the mitochondrial nadh dehydrogenase subunit 4 (nd4) gene in wolbachia-infected (south africa (sa), california and thailand) and uninfected (sa) culex pipiens complex populations. in total, we identified 12 haplotypes (a-l). in infected populations, 99% of individuals had haplotype k. in the uninfected sa populatio ...	2006	16769630
interspecific transfer of wolbachia into the mosquito disease vector aedes albopictus.	intracellular wolbachia bacteria are obligate, maternally inherited endosymbionts found frequently in insects and other invertebrates. the evolutionary success of wolbachia is due in part to an ability to manipulate reproduction. in mosquitoes and many other insects, wolbachia causes a form of sterility known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci). wolbachia-induced ci has attracted interest as a potential agent for affecting medically important disease vectors. however, application of the approach ...	2006	16777718
a wolbachia-associated fitness benefit depends on genetic background in drosophila simulans.	the alpha-proteobacteria wolbachia infect a number of insect species and influence host reproduction to favour the spread of infected females through a population. the fitness effect of this infection is important in understanding the spread and maintenance of wolbachia within and among host populations. however, a full elucidation of fitness effect requires careful control of host genetic background. here, i transferred a single clone of wolbachia (the wha strain) into three genetically distinc ...	2006	16777731
wolbachia infection reduces sperm competitive ability in an insect.	the maternally inherited bacterium wolbachia pipientis imposes significant fitness costs on its hosts. one such cost is decreased sperm production resulting in reduced fertility of male drosophila simulans infected with cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci) inducing wolbachia. we tested the hypothesis that wolbachia infection affects sperm competitive ability and found that wolbachia infection is indeed associated with reduced success in sperm competition in non-virgin males. in the second male role, ...	2006	16777737
heritable endosymbionts of drosophila.	although heritable microorganisms are increasingly recognized as widespread in insects, no systematic screens for such symbionts have been conducted in drosophila species (the primary insect genetic models for studies of evolution, development, and innate immunity). previous efforts screened relatively few drosophila lineages, mainly for wolbachia. we conducted an extensive survey of potentially heritable endosymbionts from any bacterial lineage via pcr screens of mature ovaries in 181 recently ...	2006	16783009
the infective larva of litomosoides yutajensis guerrero et al., 2003 (nematoda: onchocercidae), a wolbachia-free filaria from bat.	the infective larva of litomosoides yutajensis guerrero et al., 2003, a parasite of the bat pteronotus pamellii, is described; it is distinct from congeneric infective larvae by the absence of caudal lappets. the life cycles of five other species of litomosoides are known; three are parasites of rodents, one of a marsupial and one of a bat. as with these species, the experimental vector of l. yutoajensis used was the macronyssid mite ornithonyssus bacoti. in nature, the main vectors are probably ...	2006	16800120
wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria of brugia malayi mediate macrophage tolerance to tlr- and cd40-specific stimuli in a myd88/tlr2-dependent manner.	lymphatic filarial nematodes are able to down-regulate parasite-specific and nonspecific responses of lymphocytes and apc. lymphatic filariae are reliant on wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria for development and survival. we tested the hypothesis that repeated exposure to wolbachia endosymbionts would drive macrophage tolerance in vitro and in vivo. we pre-exposed murine peritoneal-elicited macrophages to soluble extracts of brugia malayi female worms (bmfe) before restimulating with bmfe or tlr a ...	2006	16818783
asymmetrical interactions between wolbachia and spiroplasma endosymbionts coexisting in the same insect host.	we investigated the interactions between the endosymbionts wolbachia pipientis strain wmel and spiroplasma sp. strain nsro coinfecting the host insect drosophila melanogaster. by making use of antibiotic therapy, temperature stress, and hemolymph microinjection, we established the following strains in the same host genetic background: the sw strain, infected with both spiroplasma and wolbachia; the s strain, infected with spiroplasma only; and the w strain, infected with wolbachia only. the infe ...	2006	16820474
bacteriophage wo-b and wolbachia in natural mosquito hosts: infection incidence, transmission mode and relative density.	bacteriophages of wolbachia bacteria have been proposed as a potential transformation tool for genetically modifying mosquito vectors. in this study, we report the presence of the wo-b class of wolbachia-associated phages among natural populations of several mosquito hosts. eighty-eight percent (22/25) of wolbachia-infected mosquito species surveyed were found to contain wo-b phages. wo-b phage orf7 sequence analysis suggested that a single strain of wo-b phage was found in most singly (23/24) o ...	2006	16842419
fitness effects of wolbachia and spiroplasma in drosophila melanogaster.	maternally inherited endosymbionts that manipulate the reproduction of their insect host are very common. aside from the reproductive manipulation they produce, the fitness of these symbionts depends in part on the direct impact they have on the female host. although this parameter has commonly been investigated for single infections, it has much more rarely been established in dual infections. we here establish the direct effect of infection with two different symbionts exhibiting different rep ...	2006	16850225
isolation of wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae from archived stained blood slides for use in genetic studies and amplification of parasite and endosymbiont genes.	information on change in genetic diversity of wuchereria bancrofti is important in view of the launching of the global lymphatic filariasis elimination programme, as it may have important consequences on the control operations and on the potential resurgence after their withdrawal. since attention was not paid to generate such information when the programme was launched, use of archived parasite material will provide an opportunity to derive this information in a prospective manner. in this pape ...	2006	16860767
wolbachia effects on aedes albopictus (diptera: culicidae) immature survivorship and development.	wolbachia bacteria manipulate the reproduction of mosquito hosts via a form of sterility known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), promoting the spread of infections into host populations. the rate at which an infection invades is affected by host fitness costs associated with the wolbachia infection. here, we examine for an effect of wolbachia infection on the immature fitness of the asian tiger mosquito aedes albopictus (skuse) (diptera: culicidae). in two experiments, we examine for a wolbac ...	2006	16892625
geographic distribution of wolbachia infections in cimex lectularius (heteroptera: cimicidae).	endosymbiotic wolbachia bacteria have been previously shown to infect laboratory colonies of the human bed bug, cimex lectularius l. (heteroptera: cimicidae), but little information exists regarding the extent of infection in natural populations. we assayed c. lectularius populations from five north american regions (california, connecticut, florida, new york, and toronto, canada) and one african region (macha, zambia) for wolbachia infection by the polymerase chain reaction (pcr). wolbachia inf ...	2006	16892626
parallel infection of japanese encephalitis virus and wolbachia within cells of mosquito salivary glands.	the endosymbiont wolbachia usually causes cytoplasmic incompatibility in dipteran hosts, including mosquitoes. however, some important arbovirus-transmitting mosquitoes such as aedes aegypti (l.) are not heritably infected by wolbachia. in wolbachia-harboring mosquito armigeres subalbatus coquillett, colocalization of wolbachia and inoculated japanese encephalitis virus (family flaviviridae, genus flavivirus, jev) in salivary gland (sg) cells was shown by electron microscopy. the infection rate ...	2006	16892635
wolbachia transinfection in aedes aegypti: a potential gene driver of dengue vectors.	the endosymbiotic bacteria in the genus wolbachia are capable of inducing a wide range of reproductive abnormalities in their hosts, including cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), which could lead to the replacement of uninfected host populations with infected ones. because of this, wolbachia have attracted considerable interest as a potential mechanism for spreading disease-blocking transgenes through vector populations. here we report the establishment of double wolbachia transinfection by direct ...	2006	16895998
cardinium symbionts induce haploid thelytoky in most clones of three closely related brevipalpus species.	bacterial symbionts that manipulate the reproduction of their host to increase their own transmission are widespread. most of these bacteria are wolbachia, but recently a new bacterium, named cardinium, was discovered that is capable of the same manipulations. in the host species brevipalpus phoenicis (acari: tenuipalpidae) this bacterium induces thelytoky by feminizing unfertilized haploid eggs. the related species b. obovatus and b. californicus are thelytokous too, suggesting that they reprod ...	2006	16900311
the emerging diversity of rickettsia.	the best-known members of the bacterial genus rickettsia are associates of blood-feeding arthropods that are pathogenic when transmitted to vertebrates. these species include the agents of acute human disease such as typhus and rocky mountain spotted fever. however, many other rickettsia have been uncovered in recent surveys of bacteria associated with arthropods and other invertebrates; the hosts of these bacteria have no relationship with vertebrates. it is therefore perhaps more appropriate t ...	2006	16901827
tracking factors modulating cytoplasmic incompatibilities in the mosquito culex pipiens.	wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria that infect many arthropod species and may induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), resulting in abortive embryonic development. one wolbachia host, culex pipiens complex mosquitoes, displays high levels of variability in both ci crossing types (cytotypes) and dna markers. we report here an analysis of 14 mosquito strains, containing 13 wolbachia variants, and with 13 different cytotypes. cytotypes were wolbachia-dependent, as antibiotic ...	2006	16911221
paternal chromosome segregation during the first mitotic division determines wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility phenotype.	the most common wolbachia-induced phenotype in insects is cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), which occurs when sperm from infected males fertilize eggs from uninfected females. ci produces distinct phenotypes in three closely related haplo-diploid species of the genus nasonia: mortality in n. longicornis and n. giraulti, and conversion to male development in n. vitripennis. we demonstrate that the majority of ci-induced mortality occurs during embryogenesis and that the pattern of paternal chromo ...	2006	16912076
f supergroup wolbachia in bush crickets: what do patterns of sequence variation reveal about this supergroup and horizontal transfer between nematodes and arthropods?	wolbachia pipientis, an intracellular, alpha-proteobacterium, is commonly found in arthropods and filarial nematodes. most infected insects are known to harbor strains of wolbachia from supergroups a or b, whereas supergroups c and d occur only in filarial nematodes. here, we present molecular evidence from two genes (ftsz and 16s rdna) that 2 orthopterans (the bush cricket species orocharis saltator and hapithus agitator; gryllidae: eneopterinae) are infected with wolbachia from the f supergrou ...	2007	16924406
feminizing wolbachia in zyginidia pullula (insecta, hemiptera), a leafhopper with an xx/x0 sex-determination system.	zyginidia pullula is a grass-dwelling leafhopper characterized by a bisexual reproduction mode. in this species, some females collected in northern italy, when mated with males, gave origin to an exclusively female brood. here, we demonstrated that in these lineages an infection by a new strain of wolbachia pipientis-designated as wzygpul-was detected by amplifying and sequencing the wsp and 16s rrna genes. about half of the female progeny were characterized by intersexual phenotypes, i.e. showi ...	2006	16928646
evolution of male-killer suppression in a natural population.	male-killing bacteria are widespread in arthropods, and can profoundly alter the reproductive biology of their host species. here we detail the first case of complete suppression of a male killer. the nymphalid butterfly hypolimnas bolina is infected with a strain of the bacterium wolbachia, wbol1, which kills male host embryos in polynesian populations, but does not do so in many areas of southeast asia, where both males and female adults are naturally infected, and wbol1-infected females produ ...	2006	16933972
multilocus sequence typing system for the endosymbiont wolbachia pipientis.	the eubacterial genus wolbachia comprises one of the most abundant groups of obligate intracellular bacteria, and it has a host range that spans the phyla arthropoda and nematoda. here we developed a multilocus sequence typing (mlst) scheme as a universal genotyping tool for wolbachia. internal fragments of five ubiquitous genes (gatb, coxa, hcpa, fbpa, and ftsz) were chosen, and primers that amplified across the major wolbachia supergroups found in arthropods, as well as other divergent lineage ...	2006	16936055
survival of wolbachia pipientis in cell-free medium.	wolbachia pipientis is an obligate intracellular bacterium found in a wide range of invertebrate taxa. while over ecological timescales wolbachia infections are maintained by strict maternal inheritance, horizontal transfer events are common over evolutionary time. to be horizontally transferred between organisms, wolbachia bacteria must pass through and survive an extracellular phase. we used baclight live-dead staining, pcr, and fluorescence in situ hybridization to assess the ability for puri ...	2006	16950898
interspecific transfer of bacterial endosymbionts between tsetse fly species: infection establishment and effect on host fitness.	tsetse flies (glossina spp.) can harbor up to three distinct species of endosymbiotic bacteria that exhibit unique modes of transmission and evolutionary histories with their host. two mutualist enterics, wigglesworthia and sodalis, are transmitted maternally to tsetse flies' intrauterine larvae. the third symbiont, from the genus wolbachia, parasitizes developing oocytes. in this study, we determined that sodalis isolates from several tsetse fly species are virtually identical based on a phylog ...	2006	16950907
eosinophils contribute to killing of adult onchocerca ochengi within onchocercomata following elimination of wolbachia.	many filarial nematodes, including onchocerca volvulus (the cause of human 'river blindness'), have a mutually dependent relationship with wolbachia bacteria. there has been much interest in wolbachia as a chemotherapeutic target, since there are no macrofilaricidal drugs (i.e., lethal to adult worms) of low toxicity. using the bovine parasite o. ochengi, we previously demonstrated that combined intensive and intermittent (com) oxytetracycline treatment induces a sustained depletion of wolbachia ...	2006	16962357
high levels of serum thromboxane b2 are generated during human pulmonary dirofilariosis.	the canine parasite dirofilaria immitis can infect humans. patients with pulmonary dirofilariosis develop significantly higher thromboxane b2 levels than healthy individuals living in areas where dirofilariosis is endemic and in areas where dirofilariosis is not endemic. the possible role of wolbachia bacteria in the appearance of this eicosanoid is discussed.	2006	17028222
can anopheles gambiae be infected with wolbachia pipientis? insights from an in vitro system.	wolbachia pipientis are maternally inherited endosymbionts associated with cytoplasmic incompatibility, a potential mechanism to drive transgenic traits into anopheles populations for malaria control. w. pipientis infections are common in many mosquito genera but have never been observed in any anopheles species, leading to the hypothesis that anopheles mosquitoes are incapable of harboring infection. we used an in vitro system to evaluate the ability of anopheles gambiae cells to harbor diverse ...	2006	17028229
asymmetrical reinforcement and wolbachia infection in drosophila.	reinforcement refers to the evolution of increased mating discrimination against heterospecific individuals in zones of geographic overlap and can be considered a final stage in the speciation process. one the factors that may affect reinforcement is the degree to which hybrid matings result in the permanent loss of genes from a species' gene pool. matings between females of drosophila subquinaria and males of d. recens result in high levels of offspring mortality, due to interspecific cytoplasm ...	2006	17032063
cardinium symbionts cause cytoplasmic incompatibility in spider mites.	intracellular symbiotic bacteria belonging to the cytophaga-flavobacterium-bacteroides lineage have recently been described and are widely distributed in arthropod species. the newly discovered bacteria, named cardinium sp, cause the expression of various reproductive alterations in their arthropod hosts, including cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), induction of parthenogenesis and feminization of genetic males. we detected 16s ribosomal dna sequences similar to those of cardinium from seven popu ...	2007	17035954
toward a wolbachia multilocus sequence typing system: discrimination of wolbachia strains present in drosophila species.	among the diverse maternally inherited symbionts in arthropods, wolbachia are the most common and infect over 20% of all species. in a departure from traditional genotyping or phylogenetic methods relying on single wolbachia genes, the present study represents an initial multilocus sequence typing (mlst) analysis to discriminate closely related wolbachia pipientis strains, and additional data on sequence diversity in wolbachia. we report a new phylogenetic characterization of four genes (aspc, a ...	2006	17036209
phylogenetic relationships of the wolbachia of nematodes and arthropods.	wolbachia are well known as bacterial symbionts of arthropods, where they are reproductive parasites, but have also been described from nematode hosts, where the symbiotic interaction has features of mutualism. the majority of arthropod wolbachia belong to clades a and b, while nematode wolbachia mostly belong to clades c and d, but these relationships have been based on analysis of a small number of genes. to investigate the evolution and relationships of wolbachia symbionts we have sequenced o ...	2006	17040125
increased male mating rate in drosophila is associated with wolbachia infection.	the maternally inherited bacterium wolbachia pipientis infects 25-75% of arthropods and manipulates host reproduction to improve its transmission. one way wolbachia achieves this is by inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), where crosses between infected males and uninfected females are inviable. infected males suffer reduced fertility through ci and reduced sperm production. however, wolbachia induce lower levels of ci in nonvirgin males. we examined the impact of wolbachia on mating behavi ...	2006	17040394
deep mtdna divergences indicate cryptic species in a fig-pollinating wasp.	figs and fig-pollinating wasps are obligate mutualists that have coevolved for ca. 90 million years. they have radiated together, but do not show strict cospeciation. in particular, it is now clear that many fig species host two wasp species, so there is more wasp speciation than fig speciation. however, little is known about how fig wasps speciate.	2006	17040562
doxycycline reduces plasma vegf-c/svegfr-3 and improves pathology in lymphatic filariasis.	lymphatic filariasis is a disease of considerable socioeconomic burden in the tropics. presently used antifilarial drugs are able to strongly reduce transmission and will thus ultimately lower the burden of morbidity associated with the infection, however, a chemotherapeutic principle that directly induces a halt or improvement in the progression of the morbidity in already infected individuals would constitute a major lead. in search of such a more-effective drug to complement the existing ones ...	2006	17044733
effects of temephos and temperature on wolbachia load and life history traits of aedes albopictus.	maternally inherited wolbachia (gram-negative bacteria) often affect the reproductive fitness of their arthropod hosts and may cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci). comparing wolbachia-infected and uninfected strains of the mosquito aedes albopictus (skuse) (diptera: culicidae), we assessed the effects on fitness of two stressors: temperature elevation (25 degrees c vs. 37 degrees c) and exposure to temephos insecticide (concentration range 0.0017-0.0167 mg/l) during larval development. fitnes ...	2006	17044881
supergroup f wolbachia bacteria parasitise lice (insecta: phthiraptera).	we studied six species of lice from three of the four suborders of lice. these lice were infected with wolbachia bacteria from supergroups a and f. this is the first report of an infection of supergroup f wolbachia in lice. to date, wolbachia from supergroup f have been found in filarial nematodes, mansonella spp., and, rarely, in insects. we inferred the phylogeny of the wolbachia from lice and representatives of all wolbachia supergroups, with nucleotide sequences from the small subunit riboso ...	2007	17048002
co-cladogenesis spanning three phyla: leafhoppers (insecta: hemiptera: cicadellidae) and their dual bacterial symbionts.	endosymbioses are a major form of biological complexity affecting the ecological and evolutionary diversification of many eukaryotic groups. these associations are exemplified by nutritional symbioses of insects for which phylogenetic studies have demonstrated numerous cases of long-term codiversification between a bacterial and a host lineage. some insects, including most leafhoppers (insecta: hemiptera: cicadellidae), have more than one bacterial symbiont within specialized host cells, raising ...	2006	17054511
a survey of the bacteriophage wo in the endosymbiotic bacteria wolbachia.	bacteriophages are common viruses infecting prokaryotes. in addition to their deadly effect, phages are also involved in several evolutionary processes of bacteria, such as coding functional proteins potentially beneficial to them, or favoring horizontal gene transfer through transduction. the particular lifestyle of obligatory intracellular bacteria usually protects them from phage infection. however, wolbachia, an intracellular alpha-proteobacterium, infecting diverse arthropod and nematode sp ...	2007	17095536