{"id":1072,"date":"2018-12-09T20:38:35","date_gmt":"2018-12-09T20:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aassie.net\/Pro\/?p=1072"},"modified":"2018-12-09T22:54:32","modified_gmt":"2018-12-09T22:54:32","slug":"mac-2k18-09","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aassie.net\/Pro\/mac-2k18-09\/","title":{"rendered":"Microbial Advent Calendar 2k18 – Bad turning Good"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][image_with_animation image_url=”1085″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][image_with_animation image_url=”1084″ alignment=”right” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]\n

Yesterday was the first blog post<\/a> about our “Wolbachia Special<\/strong>” in the Microbial Advent Calendar. Today we have a look at the other side of the story. In some cases, Wolbachia infections can be beneficial to their host. Some help the host resist viral infection, increase lifespan\u00a0or fecundity while others help their host’s diet by producing some vitamins unavailable otherwise. You can find a good review here<\/a>.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” text_align=”left” css=”.vc_custom_1544387878216{margin-top: 1% !important;}”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][image_with_animation image_url=”1077″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][vc_column_text]\n

A Drosophila<\/em> fly (source Wikipedia<\/a>)<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_text_separator title=”Diet supplements” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-cutlery” i_color=”orange” title_align=”separator_align_left” add_icon=”true”][vc_column_text]\n

Wolbachia,<\/em>\u00a0in some associations, provides extra nutrients to its host and help it survive in poor nutrient environments. In the case of the bedbug Cimex lectularius<\/em>, the bacteria are housed in specific organs called bacteriomes. The bacteria are vertically transmitted via the somatic stem cell niche of germalia to oocytes, infecting the incipient symbiotic organ at an early stage of the embryogenesis. The genome of this bacteria was sequenced and looked like any other typical Wolbachia<\/em> but had an extra genetic operon carrying all the genes necessary for the vitamin B synthesis. More on those two paper here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]\n

Another notable case of\u00a0Wolbachia<\/i>\u2010induced nutritional benefit is reported in the leaf miner\u00a0Phyllonorycter blancardella<\/i>. In autumn,\u00a0Ph. blancardella<\/i>\u00a0larvae induce \u2018green islands\u2019 in otherwise senescent leaves. These photosynthetically active patches present a nutrient\u2010rich microenvironment feeding the larvae. Interestingly, if you cure\u00a0Wolbachia <\/i>from the mother, the green islands are not induced leading to high mortality rates (More here<\/a>).<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_text_separator title=”Lifespan or Fecundity boost” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-line-chart” i_color=”orange” title_align=”separator_align_left” add_icon=”true”][vc_column_text]\n

In some species of Drosophila <\/em>and mosquitoes, it has been shown that Wolbachia<\/em> infections increased their lifespan. More info here<\/a> for mosquitoes and here<\/a> for Drosophila<\/em>. If your host lives longer you increase the chance to be spread across\u00a0its population. It also happens in the spider mites\u00a0Tetranychus phaselus\u00a0<\/em>(here<\/a>), but in this case, you have a more complicated situation where the mites are also infected with Cardinium<\/em> bacteria and it is still unclear how all of this works.<\/p>\n

As probably a counter effect of inducing constraints on reproduction\u00a0Wolbachia<\/em> also increases fecundity. If it becomes more complicated to find a partner when you induce Cytoplasmic incompatibility (see yesterday’s post about this) it is worth boosting fecundity when it does happen. It has been cataloged for many species such as Drosophila<\/em> (here<\/a>),\u00a0\u00a0the planthopper\u00a0Laodelphax striatellus\u00a0<\/i>(here<\/a>) and mosquitoes (here<\/a>).<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_text_separator title=”Resistance to viral infection” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-shield” i_color=”orange” title_align=”separator_align_left” add_icon=”true”][vc_column_text]\n

Last but not least,\u00a0Wolbachia\u00a0<\/em>has been shown to increase resistance to viral infection in the host it infects. Which is a clever move, as you want to be the only one there and not sharing resources with others. The exact mechanism is not fully understood but has been reported many times, this paper here<\/a> summarizes the work done very well. The effect of\u00a0Wolbachia\u00a0<\/em>varies a lot between host species and bacterial strains. However, some pairing induces significant resistance to infection and viral load.<\/p>\n

Viral resistance combined to Cytoplasmic Incompatibility has been the center of a global effort to use Wolbachia<\/em> as an agent to reduce\/suppress mosquito populations. The video below from the Vanderbilt University summarizes the approach very well:[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DaFXC7V5TEg”][vc_column_text]Artificial control of mosquito populations is part of ongoing programs to fight human viruses, like the dengue fever, malaria or zika. But it is not without many concerns from part of the scientific communities. Here are links to both side of the debate:<\/p>\n

Supporters of Wolbachia<\/em> induced control on mosquito populations include The World Mosquito Program here<\/a>, which aims to reduce the spread of mosquito-borne infectious diseases. And a whole bunch of studies working toward this goal here<\/a>, another describing Wolbachia<\/em> blocking dengue infections in mosquitos\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n

On the other side, published concerns on the method here<\/a>\u00a0and here<\/a>. A few studies\u00a0also discussed how to regulate such trials (here)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Finally, here are three small science articles discussion the regulation<\/a>, control<\/a>, and\u00a0testing<\/a> of such an\u00a0approach.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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