Some parasites affect their hosts’ behavior. Although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, one theory is that the change of behavior is to facilitate the spread of the parasite to others in the population. Wolbachia is a parasitic bacterium that infects at least two out of every five insect species. When Drosophila are infected with Wolbachia, their mating behavior changes dramatically.
Wolbachia are primarily spread through the maternal germline. Drosophila females are, in general, more receptive to mating when infected with Wolbachia. Infected females are more likely to mate more often and lay more eggs, so much so that they will even accept other species to lay hybrid eggs.
Female Drosophila rely on key brain functions to pick their mates. Now, researchers have found that Wolbachia colonize regions of the brain that control sense perception and behavior. To uncover more, a quantitative global proteomics approach identified 177 differentially abundant proteins in infected female larval brains. “It took a protein approach to find things that genomic work alone couldn’t find,” said Timothy Karr, PhD, research associate professor in the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center in the Biodesign Institute and manager of ASU’s Mass Spectrometry Facility.
The findings are published in Cell Reports in the paper, “Wolbachia-mediated reduction in the glutamate receptor mGluR promotes female promiscuity and bacteria spread.”
First, the team found that genetically altering the levels of three proteins in adults—the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR, the transcription factor TfAP-2, and the odorant binding protein Obp99b—”each mimic the effect of Wolbachia on female receptivity.” In addition, more than 700 Wolbachia proteins were detected in infected brains.
Using the AI program AlphaFold, Karr and colleagues studied the most abundant of those proteins in the brain. Two of them interacted with host Drosophila proteins tied to mating behavior.
“Wolbachia produce other proteins that may have nothing to do with these behavioral proteins we identified directly, but everything to do with producing what we call essential amino acids,” noted Karr. Wolbachia appears to make these nutrients for its hosts, perhaps giving infected flies an advantage.
Collectively, the authors wrote, these results “provide a molecular basis for an observed behavioral effect promoted by Wolbachia infection in the brain. Through modification of neurotransmission and sense perception, Wolbachia increase female receptivity, which contributes to increased progeny yields that can provide a driving force for the spread of Wolbachia into new populations.”
Previous research has shown that Wolbachia can block viruses like Zika and dengue from growing in mosquitoes. Efforts to control these diseases and reduce mosquito populations have had mixed success. This work could help curb mosquito-borne diseases and manage crop pests. “Insects rule this planet. Malaria, dengue, Zika viruses, they are all delivered by insects and kill millions of children and adults every year. The control of these insect pests is all dependent on our ability to understand their physiology and biochemistry and how that might be helpful,” said Karr.
Warecki et al. Graphical abstract
The post <i>Wolbachia</i> Drives Female <i>Drosophila</i> Promiscuity to Enhance It’s Spread appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
Wolbachia are primarily spread through the maternal germline. Drosophila females are, in general, more receptive to mating when infected with Wolbachia. Infected females are more likely to mate more often and lay more eggs, so much so that they will even accept other species to lay hybrid eggs.
Female Drosophila rely on key brain functions to pick their mates. Now, researchers have found that Wolbachia colonize regions of the brain that control sense perception and behavior. To uncover more, a quantitative global proteomics approach identified 177 differentially abundant proteins in infected female larval brains. “It took a protein approach to find things that genomic work alone couldn’t find,” said Timothy Karr, PhD, research associate professor in the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center in the Biodesign Institute and manager of ASU’s Mass Spectrometry Facility.
The findings are published in Cell Reports in the paper, “Wolbachia-mediated reduction in the glutamate receptor mGluR promotes female promiscuity and bacteria spread.”
First, the team found that genetically altering the levels of three proteins in adults—the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR, the transcription factor TfAP-2, and the odorant binding protein Obp99b—”each mimic the effect of Wolbachia on female receptivity.” In addition, more than 700 Wolbachia proteins were detected in infected brains.
Using the AI program AlphaFold, Karr and colleagues studied the most abundant of those proteins in the brain. Two of them interacted with host Drosophila proteins tied to mating behavior.
“Wolbachia produce other proteins that may have nothing to do with these behavioral proteins we identified directly, but everything to do with producing what we call essential amino acids,” noted Karr. Wolbachia appears to make these nutrients for its hosts, perhaps giving infected flies an advantage.
Collectively, the authors wrote, these results “provide a molecular basis for an observed behavioral effect promoted by Wolbachia infection in the brain. Through modification of neurotransmission and sense perception, Wolbachia increase female receptivity, which contributes to increased progeny yields that can provide a driving force for the spread of Wolbachia into new populations.”
Previous research has shown that Wolbachia can block viruses like Zika and dengue from growing in mosquitoes. Efforts to control these diseases and reduce mosquito populations have had mixed success. This work could help curb mosquito-borne diseases and manage crop pests. “Insects rule this planet. Malaria, dengue, Zika viruses, they are all delivered by insects and kill millions of children and adults every year. The control of these insect pests is all dependent on our ability to understand their physiology and biochemistry and how that might be helpful,” said Karr.
Warecki et al. Graphical abstract
The post <i>Wolbachia</i> Drives Female <i>Drosophila</i> Promiscuity to Enhance It’s Spread appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.