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Lefoulon E, Foster JM, Truchon A, Carlow CKS, Slatko BE. The Wolbachia Symbiont: Here, There and Everywhere. Results Probl Cell Differ 2021; 69:423-451. [PMID: 33263882 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-51849-3_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia symbionts, first observed in the 1920s, are now known to be present in about 30-70% of tested arthropod species, in about half of tested filarial nematodes (including the majority of human filarial nematodes), and some plant-parasitic nematodes. In arthropods, they are generally viewed as parasites while in nematodes they appear to be mutualists although this demarcation is not absolute. Their presence in arthropods generally leads to reproductive anomalies, while in nematodes, they are generally required for worm development and reproduction. In mosquitos, Wolbachia inhibit RNA viral infections, leading to populational reductions in human RNA virus pathogens, whereas in filarial nematodes, their requirement for worm fertility and survival has been channeled into their use as drug targets for filariasis control. While much more research on these ubiquitous symbionts is needed, they are viewed as playing significant roles in biological processes, ranging from arthropod speciation to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Lefoulon
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy M Foster
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Alex Truchon
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - C K S Carlow
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Barton E Slatko
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, USA.
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Lefoulon E, Clark T, Guerrero R, Cañizales I, Cardenas-Callirgos JM, Junker K, Vallarino-Lhermitte N, Makepeace BL, Darby AC, Foster JM, Martin C, Slatko BE. Diminutive, degraded but dissimilar: Wolbachia genomes from filarial nematodes do not conform to a single paradigm. Microb Genom 2020; 6:mgen000487. [PMID: 33295865 PMCID: PMC8116671 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are alpha-proteobacteria symbionts infecting a large range of arthropod species and two different families of nematodes. Interestingly, these endosymbionts are able to induce diverse phenotypes in their hosts: they are reproductive parasites within many arthropods, nutritional mutualists within some insects and obligate mutualists within their filarial nematode hosts. Defining Wolbachia 'species' is controversial and so they are commonly classified into 17 different phylogenetic lineages, termed supergroups, named A-F, H-Q and S. However, available genomic data remain limited and not representative of the full Wolbachia diversity; indeed, of the 24 complete genomes and 55 draft genomes of Wolbachia available to date, 84 % belong to supergroups A and B, exclusively composed of Wolbachia from arthropods. For the current study, we took advantage of a recently developed DNA-enrichment method to produce four complete genomes and two draft genomes of Wolbachia from filarial nematodes. Two complete genomes, wCtub and wDcau, are the smallest Wolbachia genomes sequenced to date (863 988 bp and 863 427 bp, respectively), as well as the first genomes representing supergroup J. These genomes confirm the validity of this supergroup, a controversial clade due to weaknesses of the multilocus sequence typing approach. We also produced the first draft Wolbachia genome from a supergroup F filarial nematode representative (wMhie), two genomes from supergroup D (wLsig and wLbra) and the complete genome of wDimm from supergroup C. Our new data confirm the paradigm of smaller Wolbachia genomes from filarial nematodes containing low levels of transposable elements and the absence of intact bacteriophage sequences, unlike many Wolbachia from arthropods, where both are more abundant. However, we observe differences among the Wolbachia genomes from filarial nematodes: no global co-evolutionary pattern, strong synteny between supergroup C and supergroup J Wolbachia, and more transposable elements observed in supergroup D Wolbachia compared to the other supergroups. Metabolic pathway analysis indicates several highly conserved pathways (haem and nucleotide biosynthesis, for example) as opposed to more variable pathways, such as vitamin B biosynthesis, which might be specific to certain host-symbiont associations. Overall, there appears to be no single Wolbachia-filarial nematode pattern of co-evolution or symbiotic relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Lefoulon
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA
- Present address: School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Travis Clark
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Ricardo Guerrero
- Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Israel Cañizales
- Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Ediciones La Fauna KPT SL, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Manuel Cardenas-Callirgos
- Neotropical Parasitology Research Network - NEOPARNET, Asociación Peruana de Helmintología e Invertebrados Afines – APHIA, Peru
| | - Kerstin Junker
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - Nathaly Vallarino-Lhermitte
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR7245), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin L. Makepeace
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Alistair C. Darby
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jeremy M. Foster
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Coralie Martin
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR7245), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Barton E. Slatko
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA
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Lindsey ARI. Sensing, Signaling, and Secretion: A Review and Analysis of Systems for Regulating Host Interaction in Wolbachia. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E813. [PMID: 32708808 PMCID: PMC7397232 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia (Anaplasmataceae) is an endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes that resides within host cells and is well known for manipulating host biology to facilitate transmission via the female germline. The effects Wolbachia has on host physiology, combined with reproductive manipulations, make this bacterium a promising candidate for use in biological- and vector-control. While it is becoming increasingly clear that Wolbachia's effects on host biology are numerous and vary according to the host and the environment, we know very little about the molecular mechanisms behind Wolbachia's interactions with its host. Here, I analyze 29 Wolbachia genomes for the presence of systems that are likely central to the ability of Wolbachia to respond to and interface with its host, including proteins for sensing, signaling, gene regulation, and secretion. Second, I review conditions under which Wolbachia alters gene expression in response to changes in its environment and discuss other instances where we might hypothesize Wolbachia to regulate gene expression. Findings will direct mechanistic investigations into gene regulation and host-interaction that will deepen our understanding of intracellular infections and enhance applied management efforts that leverage Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia R I Lindsey
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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