No evidence for bacteriophage WO orf7 correlation with Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in the Culex pipiens complex (Culicidae: Diptera)

Yibayiri O. Sanogo, Avi Eitam, Stephen L. Dobson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Gene flow between populations of Culex pipiens L. is relevant to observed differences in disease transmission, insecticide resistance, behavior, and physiology. Intracellular Wolbachia bacteria have been hypothesized to affect gene flow in insects. Specifically, Wolbachia cause a form of embryonic mortality known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in crosses between individuals with different Wolbachia types. Incompatibility in Culex is exceptional in that it represents the most complex CI pattern known, and yet Culex populations are not infected with divergent Wolbachia strains. This has led to the hypothesis that extrachromosomal factors such as phages or mobile genetic elements may be involved in determining CI phenotype. Recent molecular characterization of Culex laboratory strains has identified variation in the orf7 locus of the Wolbachia-associated bacteriophage WO. Here, crosses between eight Culex strains differing in their orf7 type were conducted to examine for the hypothesized involvement of bacteriophage WO in determining CI in Culex. Although crossing results show examples of compatibility, partial compatibility, and incompatibility, the results fail to show a correlation between the CI phenotypes and orf7 type. Specific examples include high egg hatch resulting in crosses between Culex strains that differ significantly in their orf7 type and low egg hatch resulting in crosses between Culex strains with similar orf7 types. Thus, the phage orf7 locus alone cannot predict CI type in the Culex strains examined in this study. However, rejection of the hypothesized role of WO phage in Culex CI will require the characterization of additional phage loci.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)789-794
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Medical Entomology
Volume42
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2005

Keywords

  • Culex pipiens
  • Cytoplasmic incompatibility
  • Mobile genetic elements
  • WO bacteriophage

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • General Veterinary
  • Insect Science
  • Infectious Diseases

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'No evidence for bacteriophage WO orf7 correlation with Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in the Culex pipiens complex (Culicidae: Diptera)'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this