RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Natural Wolbachia Infections in the <em>Drosophila yakuba</em> Species Complex Do Not Induce Cytoplasmic Incompatibility but Fully Rescue the <em>w</em>Ri Modification
JF Genetics
JO Genetics
FD Genetics Society of America
SP 827
OP 834
DO 10.1534/genetics.103.015990
VO 167
IS 2
A1 Zabalou, Sofia
A1 Charlat, Sylvain
A1 Nirgianaki, Androniki
A1 Lachaise, Daniel
A1 Merçot, Hervé
A1 Bourtzis, Kostas
YR 2004
UL http://www.genetics.org/content/167/2/827.abstract
AB In this study, we report data about the presence of Wolbachia in Drosophila yakuba, D. teissieri, and D. santomea. Wolbachia strains were characterized using their wsp gene sequence and cytoplasmic incompatibility assays. All three species were found infected with Wolbachia bacteria closely related to the wAu strain, found so far in D. simulans natural populations, and were unable to induce cytoplasmic incompatibility. We injected wRi, a CI-inducing strain naturally infecting D. simulans, into the three species and the established transinfected lines exhibited high levels of CI, suggesting that absence of CI expression is a property of the Wolbachia strain naturally present or that CI is specifically repressed by the host. We also tested the relationship between the natural infection and wRi and found that it fully rescues the wRi modification. This result was unexpected, considering the significant evolutionary divergence between the two Wolbachia strains.