Publications

challenges and future perspective for dengue vector control in the western pacific region.	dengue remains a significant public health issue in the western pacific region. in the absence of a vaccine, vector control is the mainstay for dengue prevention and control. in this paper we describe vector surveillance and vector control in the western pacific countries and areas. vector surveillance and control strategies used by countries and areas of the western pacific region vary. vector control strategies include chemical, biological and environmental management that mainly target larval ...	2011	23908883
transposable element proliferation as a possible side effect of endosymbiont manipulations.	the mode of reproduction has been predicted to affect the proliferation of transposable elements (tes). a population that switches from sexual to asexual reproduction could either accumulate tes because purifying selection becomes less efficient, or a decrease in te load because the opportunity for horizontal transmission is reduced. a third possibility is that the mechanism that induces asexual reproduction affects te dynamics as a side effect. we propose two such mechanisms that might explain ...	2012	23550173
cloning and sequence analysis of partial genomic dna coding for htra-type serine protease of wolbachia from human lymphatic filarial parasite, wuchereria bancrofti.	periplasmic serine proteases of htra type of wolbachia have been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of filarial disease.	2011	23508470
targeted genome enrichment for efficient purification of endosymbiont dna from host dna.	wolbachia endosymbionts are widespread in arthropods and are generally considered reproductive parasites, inducing various phenotypes including cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, feminization and male killing, which serve to promote their spread through populations. in contrast, wolbachia infecting filarial nematodes that cause human diseases, including elephantiasis and river blindness, are obligate mutualists. dna purification methods for efficient genomic sequencing of these uncult ...	2012	23482460
detection of wolbachia endobacteria in culex quinquefasciatus by gimenez staining and confirmation by pcr.	wolbachia are common intracellular bacteria that are found in arthropods and nematodes. these endosymbionts are transmitted vertically through host eggs and alter host biology in diverse ways, including the induction of reproductive manipulations, such as feminization, parthenogenesis, male killing and sperm-egg incompatibility. since they can also move horizontally across species boundaries, wolbachia is gaining importance in recent days as it could be used as a biological control agent to cont ...	2012	23428527
first record of wolbachia in south american terrestrial isopods: prevalence and diversity in two species of balloniscus (crustacea, oniscidea).	wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria that commonly infect arthropods, inducing certain phenotypes in their hosts. so far, no endemic south american species of terrestrial isopods have been investigated for wolbachia infection. in this work, populations from two species of balloniscus (b. sellowii and b. glaber) were studied through a diagnostic pcr assay. fifteen new wolbachia 16s rdna sequences were detected. wolbachia found in both species were generally specific to one population, and five po ...	2012	23413179
deep sympatric mtdna divergence in the autumnal moth (epirrita autumnata).	deep sympatric intraspecific divergence in mtdna may reflect cryptic species or formerly distinct lineages in the process of remerging. preliminary results from dna barcoding of scandinavian butterflies and moths showed high intraspecific sequence variation in the autumnal moth, epirrita autumnata. in this study, specimens from different localities in norway and some samples from finland and scotland, with two congeneric species as outgroups, were sequenced with mitochondrial and nuclear markers ...	2012	23404314
the native wolbachia symbionts limit transmission of dengue virus in aedes albopictus.	the chikungunya (chik) outbreak that struck la reunion island in 2005 was preceded by few human cases of dengue (den), but which surprisingly did not lead to an epidemic as might have been expected in a non-immune population. both arboviral diseases are transmitted to humans by two main mosquito species, aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus. in the absence of the former, ae. albopictus was the only species responsible for viral transmission on la reunion island. this mosquito is naturally super-in ...	2012	23301109
detection of the wolbachia-encoded dna binding protein, hu beta, in mosquito gonads.	wolbachia are obligate intracellular bacteria that cause cytoplasmic incompatibility in mosquitoes. in an incompatible cross, eggs of uninfected females fail to hatch when fertilized by sperm from infected males. we used polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and tandem mass spectrometry to identify wolbachia proteins in infected mosquito gonads. these included surface proteins with masses of 25 and 18 kda and the dna binding protein, hu beta. using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, w ...	2012	23287400
a veritable menagerie of heritable bacteria from ants, butterflies, and beyond: broad molecular surveys and a systematic review.	maternally transmitted bacteria have been important players in the evolution of insects and other arthropods, affecting their nutrition, defense, development, and reproduction. wolbachia are the best studied among these and typically the most prevalent. while several other bacteria have independently evolved a heritable lifestyle, less is known about their host ranges. moreover, most groups of insects have not had their heritable microflora systematically surveyed across a broad range of their t ...	2012	23284655
population genomics of the wolbachia endosymbiont in drosophila melanogaster.	wolbachia are maternally inherited symbiotic bacteria, commonly found in arthropods, which are able to manipulate the reproduction of their host in order to maximise their transmission. the evolutionary history of endosymbionts like wolbachia can be revealed by integrating information on infection status in natural populations with patterns of sequence variation in wolbachia and host mitochondrial genomes. here we use whole-genome resequencing data from 290 lines of drosophila melanogaster from ...	2012	23284297
wolbachia from the planthopper laodelphax striatellus establishes a robust, persistent, streptomycin-resistant infection in clonal mosquito cells.	the obligate intracellular bacterium, wolbachia pipientis (rickettsiales: anaplasmataceae), distorts reproduction of its arthropod hosts to facilitate invasion of naïve populations. this property makes wolbachia an attractive "gene drive" agent with potential applications in the control of insect vector populations. genetic manipulation of wolbachia will require in vitro systems for its propagation, genetic modification, amplification, and introduction into target insects. here we show that wolb ...	2012	23271364
molecular characterization of wolbachia strains associated with the invasive asian citrus psyllid diaphorina citri in brazil.	wolbachia is a symbiont intensively studied due to its ability to interfere with their host's reproduction, and it has been recently proposed as an alternative tool to control insect pests or vectors of diseases. the asian citrus psyllid diaphorina citri is an important pest of citrus since it vectors the bacterium that causes the "huanglongbing" disease in citrus. the frequency and diversity of wolbachia associated with d. citri is unknown, limiting the utilization of wolbachia as an alternativ ...	2012	23269454
filamentation temperature-sensitive protein z (ftsz) of wolbachia, endosymbiont of wuchereria bancrofti: a potential target for anti-filarial chemotherapy.	lymphatic filariasis (lf) is a leading cause of morbidity in the tropical world. it is caused by the filarial parasites wuchereria bancrofti, brugia malayi and brugia timori and transmitted by vector mosquitoes. currently a programme for the elimination of lf, global programme for elimination of lymphatic filariasis (gpelf), is underway with the strategy of mass administration of single dose of diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin, in combination with an anthelmintic drug, albendazole. however, anti ...	2012	23262214
wolbachia as an "infectious" extrinsic factor manipulating host signaling pathways.	wolbachia pipientis is a widespread endosymbiont of filarial nematodes and arthropods. while in worms the symbiosis is obligate, in arthropods wolbachia induces several reproductive manipulations (i.e., cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, feminization of genetic males, and male-killing) in order to increase the number of infected females. these various phenotypic effects may be linked to differences in host physiology, and in particular to endocrine-related processes governing growth, ...	2011	22654845
genetic and cytogenetic analysis of the american cherry fruit fly, rhagoletis cingulata (diptera: tephritidae).	the american eastern cherry fruit fly, rhagoletis cingulata, a pest of cherries in the western hemisphere, invaded europe in 1983, and since then dispersed to several european countries. information on the genetics and cytogenetics of this pest is very scarce. the mitotic karyotype and detailed photographic maps of the salivary gland polytene chromosomes of r. cingulata are presented here. the mitotic metaphase complement consists of six pairs of chromosomes with the sex chromosomes being very s ...	2011	22447527
wolbachia endobacteria in a natural population of culex quinquefasciatus from filariasis endemic villages of south india and its phylogenetic implication.	understanding wolbachia mosquito interactions have been recognized as an important concept to develop novel vector control strategies. the prevalence of wolbachia endobacteria in a natural population of the filariasis vector culex quinquefasciatus was determined by the polymerase chain reaction method. earlier workers had estimated the infection rates of wolbachia with only one or very few individuals per species. in our study large number of specimens were assayed, and a total of 750 adult cule ...	2011	22433886
maintenance of a male-killing wolbachia in drosophila innubila by male-killing dependent and male-killing independent mechanisms.	many maternally inherited endosymbionts manipulate their host's reproduction in various ways to enhance their own fitness. one such mechanism is male killing (mk), in which sons of infected mothers are killed by the endosymbiont during development. several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the advantages of mk, including resource reallocation from sons to daughters of infected females, avoidance of inbreeding by infected females, and, if transmission is not purely maternal, the facilitati ...	2011	22380432
presence and distribution of the endosymbiont wolbachia among solenopsis spp. (hymenoptera: formicidae) from brazil and its evolutionary history.	wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that commonly infect arthropods. its prevalence among ants of the genus solenopsis is high. in the present study, the presence and distribution of these endosymbionts was examined among populations of solenopsis spp. from brazil. a phylogenetic analysis based on the wsp gene was conducted to infer the evolutionary history of wolbachia infections within the populations surveyed. a high frequency of wolbachia bacteria was observed among the genus solenopsis, 51 ...	2012	22266203
gut microbiota in nymph and adults of the giant mesquite bug (thasus neocalifornicus) (heteroptera: coreidae) is dominated by burkholderia acquired de novo every generation.	the coreid bug thasus neocalifornicus brailovsky and barrera, commonly known as the giant mesquite bug, is a ubiquitous insect of the southwestern united states. both nymphs and adults are often found aggregated on mesquite trees (prosopis spp.: fabaceae) feeding on seedpods and plant sap. we characterized the indigenous bacterial populations of nymphs and adults of this species by using molecular and phylogenetic techniques and culturing methods. results show that this insect's bacterial gut co ...	2011	22251722
a test using wolbachia bacteria to identify eurasian source populations of cabbage seedpod weevil, ceutorhynchus obstrictus (marsham), in north america.	previous research using mitochondrial haplotypes indicates that north american populations of cabbage seedpod weevil, ceutorhynchus obstrictus (marsham), originated from at least two separate introductions from source populations in eurasia. we tested this hypothesis by comparing the genetic variation of symbiotic wolbachia bacteria in c. obstrictus among seven north american and four european populations. because wolbachia are maternally inherited, infections acquired by a host species at one g ...	2011	22251682
molecular characterization of bemisia tabaci populations in tunisia: genetic structure and evidence for multiple acquisition of secondary symbionts.	a survey was conducted during 2009-2010 seasons to identify the distribution of bemisia tabaci (gennadius) biotypes in tunisia. the genetic affiliation of collected populations was determined by polymerase chain reaction (pcr)-restriction fragment-length polymorphism (taqi) of the mitochondrial cytochrom oxidase i (mtcoi) gene. results, validated by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, allowed the clustering of sampled sweetpotato whiteflies into b and q biotypes. as b. tabaci harbors the obli ...	2011	22251681
retarded onchocerca volvulus l1 to l3 larval development in the simulium damnosum vector after anti-wolbachial treatment of the human host.	abstract: background: the human parasite onchocerca volvulus harbours wolbachia endosymbionts essential for worm embryogenesis, larval development and adult survival. in this study, the development of wolbachia-depleted microfilariae (first stage larvae) to infective third stage larvae (l3) in the insect vector simulium damnosum was analysed. methods: infected volunteers in cameroon were randomly and blindly allocated into doxycycline (200 mg/day for 6 weeks) or placebo treatment groups. after ...	2012	22236497
detection and phylogenetic analysis of wolbachia in the asiatic rice leafroller, cnaphalocrocis medinalis, in chinese populations.	wolbachia are a group of intracellular inherited endosymbiontic bacteria infecting a wide range of insects. in this study the infection status of wolbachia (rickettsiales: rickettsiaceae) was measured in the asiatic rice leafroller, cnaphalocrocis medinalis (guenée) (lepidoptera: pyralidae), from twenty locations in china by sequencing wsp, ftsz and 16s rdna genes. the results showed high infection rates of wolbachia in c. medinalis populations. wolbachia was detected in all geographically separ ...	2011	22233324
molecular subgrouping of wolbachia and bacteriophage wo infection among some indian drosophila species.		2011	22227942
a male-killing wolbachia carries a feminizing factor and is associated with degradation of the sex-determining system of its host.	endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus wolbachia induce diverse reproductive alterations in their insect hosts. wolbachia (wsca) infecting the moth ostrinia scapulalis causes unusual male killing, in which males (genotype: zz) selectively die during embryonic and larval development, whereas females (genotype: zw), in turn, selectively die when cured of infection. to gain insight into the interaction between wsca and the host, we analysed phenotypic and genetic sexes of the embryos and larvae of nor ...	2012	22219393
characterization of intersex production in trichogramma kaykai infected with parthenogenesis-inducing wolbachia.	sexually aberrant individuals, displaying both male and female characteristics, are rare in occurrence but are documented throughout the animal kingdom. in parasitoid wasps of the genus trichogramma, such individuals typically appear as a result of rearing wolbachia-infected thelytokous wasps at high temperatures. sexually aberrant trichogramma have been referred to interchangeably in the literature as gynandromorphs, sexual mosaics and intersexes. however, accurately used, the terms "gynandromo ...	2012	22218612
wolbachia and its implications for the immunopathology of filariasis.	filarial infections are characterized by immunopathological phenomena, that are responsible for the onset of often dramatic pathological outcomes, such as blindness (onchocerca volvulus) and elephantiasis (w. bancrofti). in addition, the long-term survival (as long as 10 years) of these parasites in otherwise immunocompetent hosts indicates that these nematodes are capable of manipulating the host immune response. the ground-breaking discovery of the bacterial endosymbiont wolbachia, which resid ...	2011	22214329
wolbachia strain walbb enhances infection by the rodent malaria parasite plasmodium berghei in anopheles gambiae mosquitoes.	wolbachia, a common bacterial endosymbiont of insects, has been shown to protect its hosts against a wide range of pathogens. however, not all strains exert a protective phenotype on their host. here we assess the affect of two divergent wolbachia strains, walbb from aedes albopticus and wmelpop from drosophila melanogaster, on the vector competence of anopheles gambiae challenged with plasmodium berghei. we show the walbb strain significantly increases p. berghei oocyst levels in the mosquito m ...	2011	22210220
cytoplasmic incompatibility as a means of controlling culex pipiens quinquefasciatus mosquito in the islands of the south-western indian ocean.	the use of the bacterium wolbachia is an attractive alternative method to control vector populations. in mosquitoes, as in members of the culex pipiens complex, wolbachia induces a form of embryonic lethality called cytoplasmic incompatibility, a sperm-egg incompatibility occurring when infected males mate either with uninfected females or with females infected with incompatible wolbachia strain(s). here we explore the feasibility of the incompatible insect technique (iit), a species-specific co ...	2011	22206033
temperature affects the tripartite interactions between bacteriophage wo, wolbachia, and cytoplasmic incompatibility.	wolbachia infections are a model for understanding intracellular, bacterial symbioses. while the symbiosis is often studied from a binary perspective of host and bacteria, it is increasingly apparent that additional trophic levels can influence the symbiosis. for example, wolbachia in arthropods harbor a widespread temperate bacteriophage, termed wo, that forms virions and rampantly transfers between coinfections. here we test the hypothesis that temperatures at the extreme edges of an insect's ...	2011	22194999
a feedback loop between wolbachia and the drosophila gurken mrnp complex influences wolbachia titer.	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 dr ...	2011	22193955
Constraints on the use of lifespan-shortening Wolbachia to control dengue fever.	Dengue fever, a viral disease spread by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, affects 50-100 million people a year in many tropical countries. Because the virus must incubate within mosquito hosts for two weeks before being able to transmit the infection, shortening the lifespan of mosquitoes may curtail dengue transmission. We developed a continuous time reaction-diffusion model of the spatial spread of Wolbachia through a population of A. aegypti. This model incorporates the lifespan-shortening effects ...	2011	22192469
effects of parasitic sex-ratio distorters on host genetic structure in the armadillidium vulgare-wolbachia association.	in the pill bug armadillidium vulgare (crustacea, oniscidea), wolbachia facilitates its spread through vertical transmission via the eggs by inducing feminization of genetic males. the spread of feminizing wolbachia within and across populations is therefore expected to influence mitochondrial dna (mtdna) genetic structure by hitchhiking. to test this hypothesis, we analysed nuclear and mtdna genetic structure, and wolbachia prevalence in 13 populations of the pill bug host. wolbachia prevalence ...	2011	22188300
culture independent survey of the microbiota of the glassy-winged sharpshooter (homalodisca vitripennis) using 454 pyrosequencing.	the glassy-winged sharpshooter, homalodisca vitripennis (germar), is an invasive pest that has spread across the southern and western united states. h. vitripennis is highly polyphagous and voracious, feeding on at least 100 plant species and consuming up to 100 times its weight in xylem fluid daily. the insect is a vector of the phytopathogen xylella fastidiosa (wells), which is the causative agent of pierce's disease in grapevines. to evaluate the microbial flora associated with h. vitripenni ...	2011	22182607
population dynamics of noncytoplasmic incompatibility-inducing wolbachia in nilaparvata lugens and its effects on host adult life span and female fitness.	wolbachia are bacteria that live intracellularly in a wide variety of arthropods. they are maternally inherited and can affect both reproduction and fitness of its host. when infected males mate with uninfected females or females infected by a different wolbachia strain, there is often a failure of karyogamy, which is usually attributed to cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci). we measured the strength of ci induced by wolbachia and the fitness effects in three chinese populations of the brown plant ...	2010	22182545
detection and characterization of wolbachia infections in natural populations of aphids: is the hidden diversity fully unraveled?	aphids are a serious threat to agriculture, despite being a rather small group of insects. the about 4,000 species worldwide engage in highly interesting and complex relationships with their microbial fauna. one of the key symbionts in arthropods is wolbachia, an α-proteobacterium implicated in many important biological processes and believed to be a potential tool for biological control. aphids were thought not to harbour wolbachia; however, current data suggest that its presence in aphids has ...	2011	22174869
wolbachia symbiont infections induce strong cytoplasmic incompatibility in the tsetse fly glossina morsitans.	tsetse flies are vectors of the protozoan parasite african trypanosomes, which cause sleeping sickness disease in humans and nagana in livestock. although there are no effective vaccines and efficacious drugs against this parasite, vector reduction methods have been successful in curbing the disease, especially for nagana. potential vector control methods that do not involve use of chemicals is a genetic modification approach where flies engineered to be parasite resistant are allowed to replace ...	2011	22174680
infections with wolbachia and spiroplasma in the scathophagidae and other muscoidea.	the microbes wolbachia and spiroplasma are common reproductive parasites of arthropods and may strongly influence reproduction of infected hosts and also impact on reproductive isolation. such infections could hence influence results of many studies assessing reproductive behaviour and fitness of possible hosts, as well as reproductive isolation. previous work indicates that infections with the microbes wolbachia and spiroplasma are common in the drosophilidae. however, extensive and targeted su ...	2011	22172602
parasites of vectors - ixodiphagus hookeri and its wolbachia symbionts in ticks in the netherlands.	abstract:	2011	22152674
introduction to the alpha-proteobacteria: wolbachia and bartonella, rickettsia, brucella, ehrlichia, and anaplasma.	wolbachia is an obligate intracellular endosymbiont and likely mutualist living within the heartworm dirofilaria immitis and a number of other filarial nematodes in the family onchocercidae. the bacterial infection is passed from worm to worm transovarially; the organisms are in ovarian cells, the developing microfilariae, and multiply and persist in all later developmental stages through the mosquito and into the next host. besides being present in the ovaries of the adult worms, they also are ...	2011	22152604
Deep mitochondrial divergence within a Heliconius butterfly species is not explained by cryptic speciation or endosymbiotic bacteria.	ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Cryptic population structure can be an indicator of incipient speciation or historical processes. We investigated a previously documented deep break in the mitochondrial haplotypes of Heliconius erato chestertonii to explore the possibility of cryptic speciation, and also the possible presence of endosymbiont bacteria that might drive mitochondrial population structure. RESULTS: Among a sample of 315 individuals from 16 populations of western Colombia, two principal mtDNA ...	2011	22151691
Differentially expressed profiles in the larval testes of Wolbachia infected and uninfected Drosophila.	ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria that are frequently found in arthropods and nematodes. These maternally inherited bacteria manipulate host reproduction by several mechanisms including cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI is the most common phenotype induced by Wolbachia and results in the developmental arrest of embryos derived from crosses between Wolbachia-infected males and uninfected females. Although the molecular mechanisms of CI are currently unknown, several s ...	2011	22145623
targeting the wolbachia cell division protein ftsz as a new approach for antifilarial therapy.	the use of antibiotics targeting the obligate bacterial endosymbiont wolbachia of filarial parasites has been validated as an approach for controlling filarial infection in animals and humans. availability of genomic sequences for the wolbachia (wbm) present in the human filarial parasite brugia malayi has enabled genome-wide searching for new potential drug targets. in the present study, we investigated the cell division machinery of wbm and determined that it possesses the essential cell divis ...	2011	22140592
[endosymbionts of arthropods and nematodes: allies to fight infectious diseases?].	arthropods and nematodes are important protagonists in human health because either they act as vectors of pathogens (bacteria, protozoa, viruses or fungus), or are themselves parasites. fighting infectious diseases is based essentially on vaccination (prevention) or chemotherapeutic (curative) approaches in human, but one can envisage as an alternative to reduce the number of vectors or limit their ability to spread pathogens. such strategies controling dissemination will undoubtedly benefit fro ...	2011	22130021
effect of a high dose of three antibiotics on the reproduction of a parthenogenetic strain of folsomia candida (isotomidae: collembola).	folsomia candida willem (isotomidae: collembola) is an edaphic parthenogenetic species commonly used in ecotoxicity studies. we exposed f. candida to a high dose of three antibiotics, tylosin, ampicillin, and oxytetracycline, that target different bacterial groups. possible toxic effects were assessed through egg production, hatching, and body size. all three antibiotics caused toxic effects. treatment with oxytetracycline proved the most toxic. this group showed the smallest body size and lowe ...	2010	22127168
Endosymbiotic bacteria associated with nematodes, ticks and amoebae.	Endosymbiosis is a mutualistic, parasitic or commensal symbiosis in which one symbiont is living within the body of another organism. Such symbiotic relationship with free-living amoebae and arthropods has been reported with a large biodiversity of microorganisms, encompassing various bacterial clades and to a lesser extent some fungi and viruses. By contrast, current knowledge on symbionts of nematodes is still mainly restricted to Wolbachia and its interaction with filarial worms that lead to ...	2011	22126456
wolbachia induces reactive oxygen species (ros)-dependent activation of the toll pathway to control dengue virus in the mosquito aedes aegypti.	wolbachia are maternally transmitted symbiotic bacteria that can spread within insect populations because of their unique ability to manipulate host reproduction. when introduced to nonnative mosquito hosts, wolbachia induce resistance to a number of human pathogens, including dengue virus (denv), plasmodium, and filarial nematodes, but the molecular mechanism involved is unclear. in this study, we have deciphered how wolbachia infection affects the aedes aegypti host in inducing resistance to d ...	2011	22123956
wolbachia strain wmel induces cytoplasmic incompatibility and blocks dengue transmission in aedes albopictus.	wolbachia inherited bacteria are able to invade insect populations using cytoplasmic incompatibility and provide new strategies for controlling mosquito-borne tropical diseases, such as dengue. the overreplicating wmelpop strain was recently shown to strongly inhibit the replication of dengue virus when introduced into aedes aegypti mosquitoes, as well as to stimulate chronic immune up-regulation. here we show that stable introduction of the wmel strain of drosophila melanogaster into aedes albo ...	2011	22123944
wolbachia endosymbiont infection in two indian butterflies and female-biased sex ratio in the red pierrot, talicada nyseus.	the maternally inherited obligate bacteria wolbachia is known to infect various lepidopteran insects. however, so far only a few butterfly species harbouring this bacterium have been thoroughly studied. the current study aims to identify the infection status of these bacteria in some of the commonly found butterfly species in india. a total of nine butterfly species belonging to four different families were screened using pcr with wolbachia-specific wsp and ftsz primers. the presence of the wolb ...	2011	22116282
Recent speciation in three closely related sympatric specialists: inferences using multi-locus sequence, post-mating isolation and endosymbiont data.	Shifting between unrelated host plants is relatively rare for phytophagous insects, and distinct host specificity may play crucial roles in reproductive isolation. However, the isolation status and the relationship between parental divergence and post-mating isolation among closely related sympatric specialists are still poorly understood. Here, multi-locus sequence were used to estimate the relationship among three host plant-specific closely related flea beetles, Altica cirsicola, A. fragariae ...	2011	22110767
Microbial control of malaria: Biological warfare against the parasite and its vector.	Microbial applications in malaria transmission control have drawn global attention. Mosquito midgut microbiota can modulate vector immunity and block Plasmodium development. Paratransgenic manipulation of bacterial symbionts and Wolbachia can affect reproductive characteristics of mosquitoes. Bacillus-based biolarvicides can control mosquito larvae in different breeding habitats, but their effectiveness differs according to the type of formulation applied, and the physical and ecological conditi ...	2012	22100545
Filarial and Wolbachia Genomics.	Filarial nematode parasites, the causative agents of a spectrum of acute and chronic diseases including lymphatic filariasis and river blindness, threaten the wellbeing and livelihood of hundreds of millions of people in the developing regions of the world. The 2007 publication on a draft assembly of the 95 Mb genome of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi - representing the first helminth parasite genome to be sequenced - has been followed in rapid succession by projects that have resulted ...	2011	22098559
the bacteriophage woric is the active phage element in wri of drosophila simulans and represents a conserved class of wo phages.	the alphaproteobacterium wolbachia pipientis, the most common endosymbiont in eukaryotes, is found predominantly in insects including many drosophila species. although wolbachia is primarily vertically transmitted, analysis of its genome provides evidence for frequent horizontal transfer, extensive recombination and numerous mobile genetic elements. the genome sequence of wolbachia in drosophila simulans riverside (wri) is available along with the integrated bacteriophages, enabling a detailed e ...	2011	22085419
What ails Wolbachia transinfection to control disease vectors?		2012	22079163
ecology. mosquito trials.		2011	22076370
anti-filarial activity of antibiotic therapy is due to extensive apoptosis after wolbachia depletion from filarial nematodes.	filarial nematodes maintain a mutualistic relationship with the endosymbiont wolbachia. depletion of wolbachia produces profound defects in nematode development, fertility and viability and thus has great promise as a novel approach for treating filarial diseases. however, little is known concerning the basis for this mutualistic relationship. here we demonstrate using whole mount confocal microscopy that an immediate response to wolbachia depletion is extensive apoptosis in the adult germline, ...	2011	22072969
Ocular onchocerciasis: current management and future prospects.	This paper reviews the current management of onchocerciasis and its future prospects. Onchocerciasis is a disease affecting millions of people in Africa, South and Central America, and Yemen. It is spread by the blackfly as a vector and caused by the filarial nematode, Onchocerca volvulus. A serious attempt was made by the Onchocerciasis Control Program between 1975 and 2002 to eliminate the vector in eleven of the endemic countries in West Africa, and with remarkable success. Formerly, the trea ...	2011	22069350
comparison of the gut microbiota from soldier and worker castes of the termite reticulitermes grassei.	the bacterial microbiota from the whole gut of soldier and worker castes of the termite reticulitermes grassei was isolated and studied. in addition, the 16s rdna bacterial genes from gut dna were pcr-amplified using bacteria-selective primers, and the 16s rdna amplicons subsequently cloned into escherichia coli. sequences of the cloned inserts were then used to determine closest relatives by comparison with published sequences and with sequences from our previous work. the clones were found to ...	2011	22069152
new mariner elements in anastrepha species (diptera: tephritidae).	mariner-like elements (mle) are members from class ii of transposable elements also known as dna transposons. these elements have a wide distribution among different groups of organisms, including insects, which can be explained by horizontal and vertical gene-transfer. mle families have been described in tephritid flies and other genera. during screening for wolbachia bacteria in fruit flies of the genus anastrepha, we discovered two sequences related to mariner-like elements. based on these se ...	2011	22068943
absence of wolbachia endobacteria in chandlerella quiscali: an avian filarial parasite.	abstract chandlerella quiscali is a filarial nematode parasite of the common grackle (quiscalus quiscula), a widespread bird species found throughout most of north america. worms collected from wild-caught birds were morphologically identified as c. quiscali and tested for the presence of wolbachia, an alphaproteobacterial endosymbiont required for reproduction and maturation by many filarial species. although various methods, including pcr, in situ hybridization and immunohistology, were empl ...	2011	22032328
genetic diversity, population structure and wolbachia infection status in a worldwide sample of drosophila melanogaster and d. simulans populations.	drosophila melanogaster and its close relatives have been extremely important model species in the development of population genetic models that serve to explain patterns of diversity in natural populations, a major goal of evolutionary biology. a detailed picture of the evolutionary history of these species is beginning to emerge, as the relative importance of forces including demographic changes and natural selection is established. a continuing aim is to characterise levels of genetic diversi ...	2011	22022599
Metagenomic profile of the bacterial communities associated with Ixodes ricinus ticks.	Assessment of the microbial diversity residing in arthropod vectors of medical importance is crucial for monitoring endemic infections, for surveillance of newly emerging zoonotic pathogens, and for unraveling the associated bacteria within its host. The tick Ixodes ricinus is recognized as the primary European vector of disease-causing bacteria in humans. Despite I. ricinus being of great public health relevance, its microbial communities remain largely unexplored to date. Here we evaluate the ...	2011	22022422
wolbachia enhance drosophila stem cell proliferation and target the germline stem cell niche.	wolbachia are widespread maternally transmitted intracellular bacteria that infect most insect species and are able to alter the reproduction of innumerous hosts. the cellular bases of these alterations remain largely unknown. here, we report that drosophila mauritiana infected with a native wolbachia wmau strain produces about four times more eggs than the noninfected counterpart. wolbachia infection leads to an increase in the mitotic activity of germline stem cells (gscs), as well as a decrea ...	2011	22021671
high prevalence and lack of diversity of wolbachia pipientis in aedes albopictus populations from northeast brazil.	the use of wolbachia as a tool to control insect vectors has recently been suggested. in this context, studies on the prevalence and diversity of this bacterium in wild populations are relevant. here, we evaluated the diversity of two wolbachiagenes (ftsz and wsp) and the prevalence of this endosymbiont in wild aedes albopictus. using semi-nested polymerase chain reaction, our results showed that 99.3% of the individuals were superinfected with wolbachia. in regards to genetic diversity, the two ...	2011	22012236
wolbachia-mediated antibacterial protection and immune gene regulation in drosophila.	the outcome of microbial infection of insects is dependent not only on interactions between the host and pathogen, but also on the interactions between microbes that co-infect the host. recently the maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria wolbachia has been shown to protect insects from a range of microbial and eukaryotic pathogens. mosquitoes experimentally infected with wolbachia have upregulated immune responses and are protected from a number of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, pla ...	2011	21980455
wolbachia infections that reduce immature insect survival: predicted impacts on population replacement.	the evolutionary success of wolbachia bacteria, infections of which are widespread in invertebrates, is largely attributed to an ability to manipulate host reproduction without imposing substantial fitness costs. here, we describe a stage-structured model with deterministic immature lifestages and a stochastic adult female lifestage. simulations were conducted to better understand wolbachia invasions into uninfected host populations. the model includes conventional wolbachia parameters (the leve ...	2011	21975225
effect of certain antibiotics against filarial parasite brugia malayi in vitro: possible role of oxidative stress.	who-tropical disease research scheme highlighted the need for development of new anti-filarial drugs. certain antibiotics have recently been found effective against wolbachia, co-existing symbiotically with filarial parasites. inflammatory response entails oxidative mechanism to educe direct anti-microbial effect. in the present study microfilariae were maintained in vitro in medium supplemented with varying concentrations of tetracycline, doxycycline (20-100 µg/ml) or ciprofloxacin (50-250 µg/m ...	2010	21966105
Evolutionary genomics of a temperate bacteriophage in an obligate intracellular bacteria (Wolbachia).	Genome evolution of bacteria is usually influenced by ecology, such that bacteria with a free-living stage have large genomes and high rates of horizontal gene transfer, while obligate intracellular bacteria have small genomes with typically low amounts of gene exchange. However, recent studies indicate that obligate intracellular species that host-switch frequently harbor agents of horizontal transfer such as mobile elements. For example, the temperate double-stranded DNA bacteriophage WO in Wo ...	2011	21949820
Extended starvation reduced and eliminated Wolbachia, but not Cardinium, from Metaseiulus occidentalis females (Acari: Phytoseiidae): A need to reassess Wolbachia's status in this predatory mite?	The presence of Wolbachia and Cardinium bacteria has been documented in many arthropod species, including the predatory mite Metaseiulus (=Typhlodromus or Galendomus) occidentalis (Nesbitt) (Acari: Phytoseiidae). We show that Tetranychus urticae, the prey of Metaseiulus occidentalis, contains Wolbachia and no detectable Cardinium using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Starvation for 72h at 22°C eliminated most, if not all, Wolbachia in M. occidentalis adult females from 7 laboratory colonies. Refeeding ...	2012	21946455
Wolbachia pipientis is associated with different mitochondrial haplotypes in natural populations of Drosophila willistoni.	The prevalence of the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis and its effects on mitochondrial genetic diversity were analyzed in natural populations of Drosophila willistoni, a neotropical species recently infected. Total infection rate was 55% and no evidence was found that the Wolbachia infection decreased the diversity of mtDNA. Wolbachia was seen to be associated with different mitochondria, suggesting multiple horizontal transmission events and/or transmission paternal leakage of mitochondrial an ...	2012	21945051
analysis of transcriptional regulation of tetracycline responsive genes in brugia malayi.	the wolbachia endosymbiont of the human filarial parasites is necessary for parasite reproduction, making it an attractive chemotherapeutic target. previous studies have demonstrated that mrna levels of several nuclearly encoded genes are altered as a result of exposure to antibiotics that eliminate the endosymbiont, suggesting that they may be involved in maintaining the parasite-endosymbiont relationship. here, we tested the hypothesis that the increase in mrna levels of certain nuclearly enco ...	2011	21944995
Short- and long-term evolutionary dynamics of bacterial insertion sequences: insights from Wolbachia endosymbionts.	Transposable elements (TE) are one of the major driving forces of genome evolution, raising the question of the long-term dynamics underlying their evolutionary success. Long-term TE evolution can readily be reconstructed in eukaryotes, thanks to many degraded copies constituting genomic fossil records of past TE proliferations. By contrast, bacterial genomes usually experience high sequence turnover and short TE retention times, thereby obscuring ancient TE evolutionary patterns. We found that ...	2011	21940637
wolbachia effects on host fitness and the influence of male aging on cytoplasmic incompatibility in aedes polynesiensis (diptera: culicidae).	the endosymbiotic bacteria wolbachia manipulate host reproduction by inducing a form of sterility known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), promoting the invasion of infection into natural host populations. ci has received attention for use in applied strategies to control insect vectors of disease. thus, to understand both naturally occurring wolbachia invasions and evaluate potential applied strategies, it is important to understand wolbachia interactions with its host, including impacts on f ...	2011	21936319
Changes in the genetic structure of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) populations in Queensland, Australia, across two seasons: implications for potential mosquito releases.	Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes could be controlled if vector populations were replaced with strains that have reduced vector competency. Such a strategy is being developed for control of dengue virus which is transmitted by Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae). Mosquitoes artificially infected with the bacterium, Wolbachia pipientis Hertig, are being assessed as candidates for release at the adult stage with the aim of replacement of the wild population. Wolbachia can reduce the capacity ...	2011	21936318
Occasional males in parthenogenetic populations of Asobara japonica (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): low Wolbachia titer or incomplete coadaptation?	Wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria known to manipulate the reproduction of their hosts. Some populations of the parasitoid wasp Asobara japonica are infected with Wolbachia and reproduce parthenogenetically, while other populations are not infected and reproduce sexually. Wolbachia-infected A. japonica females regularly produce small numbers of male offspring. Because all females in the field are infected and infected females are not capable of sexual reproduction, male production seems to be ...	2011	21934703
High-Resolution Melting technology: a new tool for studying the Wolbachia endosymbiont diversity in the field.	Stable infections by maternally transmitted symbionts are frequently found in field populations, especially in arthropods. Many questions remain regarding their contribution to host biology and ecology, and especially on environmental adaptation of their host. Wolbachia is one of the most common endosymbiont of invertebrates. This cytoplasmically inherited endocellular bacterium induces number of reproductive alterations in its arthropod hosts and various fitness effects that allow it to spread ...	2012	21923674
dirofilaria immitis and wolbachia pipientis: a thorough investigation of the symbiosis responsible for canine heartworm disease.	canine heartworm disease wreaks havoc inside canines all throughout the modern world, including the usa. any region where mosquitoes thrive will provide efficient dog-to-dog transportation for the microfilaria of the infectious nematode dirofilaria immitis. veterinary scientists have recently discovered both phylogenetic and biochemical evidence for the obligate symbiosis of d. immitis and the bacteria wolbachia pipientis. as a result, veterinarians have initiated testing of antibiotic therapies ...	2011	21922235
Anti-Wolbachia Surface Protein Antibodies Are Present in the Urine of Dogs Naturally Infected with Dirofilaria immitis with Circulating Microfilariae But Not in Dogs with Occult Infections.	Abstract Heartworm infection (Dirofilaria immitis) can cause kidney damage due to the presence of circulating microfilariae (mf) that contribute to the production and deposit of immune complexes. It has been shown that mf are a major source of Wolbachia antigen during active infection. Here the authors compared urine samples from 19 naturally infected dogs with (mf+) and 12 without (mf-) microfilariae for the presence of proteinuria and anti-Wolbachia Surface Protein (-WSP) IgG in ELISA. Kidne ...	2011	21919732
effects of wolbachia on fitness of culex quinquefasciatus (diptera; culicidae).	wolbachia are α-proteobacteria that were first reported in culex pipiens mosquitoes early in the twentieth century. since then, the effect of wolbachia on their host's reproduction has drawn attention and has been increasingly investigated. given the extreme complexity of this interaction, new study cases are welcomed to enhance its understanding. the present work addressed the influence of wolbachia on cx. quinquefasciatus, the cosmopolitan member of the cx. pipiens complex. samples of a cx. qu ...	2011	21907309
vertical and horizontal transmission drive bacterial invasion.	a huge variety of arthropod species is infected with endosymbiotic wolbachia bacteria that manipulate their host's reproduction to invade populations. in addition to vertical transmission from mother to offspring through the egg cytoplasm, it has been demonstrated through phylogenetic analyses and natural transfer experiments that horizontal transmission of wolbachia (i.e. contagion) can occur between arthropod hosts. more recently, factors influencing horizontal transfer have also been explored ...	2011	21884292
can wolbachia be used to control malaria?	malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by plasmodium parasites transmitted by the infectious bite of anopheles mosquitoes. vector control of malaria has predominantly focused on targeting the adult mosquito through insecticides and bed nets. however, current vector control methods are often not sustainable for long periods so alternative methods are needed. a novel biocontrol approach for mosquito-borne diseases has recently been proposed, it uses maternally inherited endosymbioti ...	2011	21881776
Bacterium blocks transmission of dengue by mosquitoes.		2011	21880685
fifty-year trend towards suppression of wolbachia-induced male-killing by its butterfly host, hypolimnas bolina.	some intracellular symbionts of arthropods induce a variety of reproductive alterations in their hosts, and the alterations tend to spread easily within the host populations. a few cases involving the spread of alteration-inducing wolbachia bacteria in natural populations with time have been reported, but the investigations on the increasing trend in counteracting the bacterial effect on hosts in natural populations (i.e., increased resistance in hosts against the alterations) have been limited. ...	2011	21870980
Successful establishment of Wolbachia in Aedes populations to suppress dengue transmission.	Genetic manipulations of insect populations for pest control have been advocated for some time, but there are few cases where manipulated individuals have been released in the field and no cases where they have successfully invaded target populations. Population transformation using the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia is particularly attractive because this maternally-inherited agent provides a powerful mechanism to invade natural populations through cytoplasmic incompatibility. When Wolbachia ...	2011	21866160
The wMel Wolbachia strain blocks dengue and invades caged Aedes aegypti populations.	Dengue fever is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease of humans with more than 50 million cases estimated annually in more than 100 countries. Disturbingly, the geographic range of dengue is currently expanding and the severity of outbreaks is increasing. Control options for dengue are very limited and currently focus on reducing population abundance of the major mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. These strategies are failing to reduce dengue incidence in tropical communities and there is ...	2011	21866159
dengue fever: mosquitoes attacked from within.		2011	21866151
Hybrid selection for sequencing pathogen genomes from clinical samples.	ABSTRACT: We have adapted a solution hybrid selection protocol to enrich pathogen DNA in clinical samples dominated by human genetic material. Using mock mixtures of human and Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite DNA as well as clinical samples from infected patients, we demonstrate an average of approximately 40-fold enrichment of parasite DNA after hybrid selection. This approach will enable efficient genome sequencing of pathogens from clinical samples, as well as sequencing of endosymbioti ...	2011	21835008
male mating competitiveness of a wolbachia-introgressed aedes polynesiensis strain under semi-field conditions.	lymphatic filariasis (lf), a global public health problem affecting approximately 120 million people worldwide, is a leading cause of disability in the developing world including the south pacific. despite decades of ongoing mass drug administration (mda) in the region, some island nations have not yet achieved the threshold levels of microfilaremia established by the world health organization for eliminating transmission. previously, the generation of a novel aedes polynesiensis strain (cp) inf ...	2011	21829750
wolbachia bacteria reside in host golgi-related vesicles whose position is regulated by polarity proteins.	wolbachia pipientis are intracellular symbiotic bacteria extremely common in various organisms including drosophila melanogaster, and are known for their ability to induce changes in host reproduction. these bacteria are present in astral microtubule-associated vesicular structures in host cytoplasm, but little is known about the identity of these vesicles. we report here that wolbachia are restricted only to a group of golgi-related vesicles concentrated near the site of membrane biogenesis and ...	2011	21829485
solving the wolbachia paradox: modeling the tripartite interaction between host, wolbachia, and a natural enemy.	abstract wolbachia is one of the most common symbionts of arthropods. its establishment requires lateral transfer to and successful transmission within novel host species. however, wolbachia performs poorly when introduced into new host species, and models predict that wolbachia should seldom be able to establish from low initial frequencies. recently, various symbionts, including wolbachia, have been shown to protect their hosts from natural enemies. hence, wolbachia invasion may be facilitated ...	2011	21828990
spatial waves of advance with bistable dynamics: cytoplasmic and genetic analogues of allee effects.	abstract unlike unconditionally advantageous "fisherian" variants that tend to spread throughout a species range once introduced anywhere, "bistable" variants, such as chromosome translocations, have two alternative stable frequencies, absence and (near) fixation. analogous to populations with allee effects, bistable variants tend to increase locally only once they become sufficiently common, and their spread depends on their rate of increase averaged over all frequencies. several proposed manip ...	2011	21828986
recombinant wolbachia heat shock protein 60 (hsp60) mediated immune responses in patients with lymphatic filariasis.	wolbachia, an endosymbiont present in filarial nematodes, have been implicated in a variety of roles, including the worm development and survival. elucidation of the role of wolbachia in filarial nematode biology and pathogenesis has become the focus of many studies and its contribution to parasite survival or immune response is still unclear. recombinant wolbachia hsp60 decreases t cell activation and lymphoproliferation in filarial infected people compared to endemic controls as observed by th ...	2011	21827871
invertebrate post-segregation distorters: a new embryo-killing gene.	cytoplasmic incompatibility induced by inherited intracellular bacteria of arthropods, and medea elements found in flour beetles, are both forms of postsegregation distortion involving the killing of embryos in order to increase the ratio of progeny that inherit them. the recently described peel-zeel element of caenorhabditis elegans also uses this mechanism; like medea the genes responsible are in the nuclear genome but it shares a paternal mode of action with the bacteria. the peel-1 gene has ...	2011	21814492
a re-examination of wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in california drosophila simulans.	in california drosophila simulans, the maternally inherited riverside strain wolbachia infection (wri) provides a paradigm for rapid spread of wolbachia in nature and rapid evolutionary change. wri induces cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), where crosses between infected males and uninfected females produce reduced egg-hatch. the three parameters governing wri infection-frequency dynamics quantify: the fidelity of maternal transmission, the level of cytoplasmic incompatibility, and the relative f ...	2011	21799900
host genotype changes bidirectional to unidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility in nasonia longicornis.	wolbachia are the most abundant maternally inherited endosymbionts of insects and cause various reproductive alterations in their hosts. one such manipulation is cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), which is a sperm-egg incompatibility typically resulting in zygotic death. nasonia longicornis (hymenoptera: pteromalidae) has an a supergroup and two closely related b supergroup wolbachia infections. the b supergroup bacteria co-diverged in this host genus. both triple (wnlonawnlonb1wnlonb2) and doubl ...	2011	21792226
allele intersection analysis: a novel tool for multi locus sequence assignment in multiply infected hosts.	wolbachia are wide-spread, endogenous a-proteobacteria of arthropods and filarial nematodes. 15-75% of all insect species are infected with these endosymbionts that alter their host's reproduction to facilitate their spread. in recent years, many insect species infected with multiple wolbachia strains have been identified. as the endosymbionts are not cultivable outside living cells, strain typing relies on molecular methods. a multi locus sequence typing (mlst) system was established for standa ...	2011	21789233
recombinant wolbachia surface protein (wsp)-induced t cell responses in wuchereria bancrofti infections.	human lymphatic filariasis is a debilitating parasitic disease characterized by downregulation of the host's immune response in asymptomatic carriers along with profound hyperreactivity in chronic patients apart from putatively immune endemic normals. the endosymbiont wolbachia, a bacterium of filarial nematodes has received much attention as possible chemotherapeutic target and its involvement in disease pathogenesis. the role of recombinant wolbachia surface protein (rwsp), one of the most abu ...	2011	21786068
interaction of a wolbachia wsp-like protein with a nuclear-encoded protein of brugia malayi.	the brugia malayi endosymbiont wolbachia has recently been shown to be essential for its host's survival and development. however, relatively little is known about wolbachia proteins that interact with the filarial host and which might be important in maintaining the obligate symbiotic relationship. the wolbachia surface proteins (wsps) are members of the outer membrane protein family and we hypothesise that they might be involved in the wolbachia-brugia symbiotic relationship. notably, immunolo ...	2011	21782817
a new species of litomosoides (nematoda: onchocercidae), parasite of nectomys palmipes (rodentia: cricetidae: sigmodontinae) from venezuela: description, molecular evidence, wolbachia pipientis screening.	abstract: the onchocercid filaria litomosoides taylori sp. n. is described from the sigmodontine cricetid nectomys palmipes allen et chapman in northeast venezuela. a voucher specimen of the new species was used for molecular analysis of the coxi and 12s rdna genes, and screened for the presence of the endobacterium wolbachia pipientis. litomosoides taylori belongs to the "sigmodontis group" of litomosoides and a combination of characters can be used to distinguish it from the remaining 18 speci ...	2011	21776894