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Namias A, Ngaku A, Makoundou P, Unal S, Sicard M, Weill M. Intra-lineage microevolution of Wolbachia leads to the emergence of new cytoplasmic incompatibility patterns. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002493. [PMID: 38315724 PMCID: PMC10868858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes of the Culex pipiens complex are worldwide vectors of arbovirus, filarial nematodes, and avian malaria agents. In these hosts, the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), i.e., reduced embryo viability in so-called incompatible crosses. Wolbachia infecting Culex pipiens (wPip) cause CI patterns of unparalleled complexity, associated with the amplification and diversification of cidA and cidB genes, with up to 6 different gene copies described in a single wPip genome. In wPip, CI is thought to function as a toxin-antidote (TA) system where compatibility relies on having the right antidotes (CidA) in the female to bind and neutralize the male's toxins (CidB). By repeating crosses between Culex isofemale lines over a 17 years period, we documented the emergence of a new compatibility type in real time and linked it to a change in cid genes genotype. We showed that loss of specific cidA gene copies in some wPip genomes results in a loss of compatibility. More precisely, we found that this lost antidote had an original sequence at its binding interface, corresponding to the original sequence at the toxin's binding interface. We showed that these original cid variants are recombinant, supporting a role for recombination rather than point mutations in rapid CI evolution. These results strongly support the TA model in natura, adding to all previous data acquired with transgenes expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Namias
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Annais Ngaku
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Makoundou
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Sandra Unal
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Mathieu Sicard
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Mylène Weill
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
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McNamara CJ, Ant TH, Harvey-Samuel T, White-Cooper H, Martinez J, Alphey L, Sinkins SP. Transgenic expression of cif genes from Wolbachia strain wAlbB recapitulates cytoplasmic incompatibility in Aedes aegypti. Nat Commun 2024; 15:869. [PMID: 38287029 PMCID: PMC10825118 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45238-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia can invade insect populations by modifying host reproduction through cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), an effect that results in embryonic lethality when Wolbachia-carrying males mate with Wolbachia-free females. Here we describe a transgenic system for recreating CI in the major arbovirus vector Aedes aegypti using CI factor (cif) genes from wAlbB, a Wolbachia strain currently being deployed to reduce dengue transmission. CI-like sterility is induced when cifA and cifB are co-expressed in testes; this sterility is rescued by maternal cifA expression, thereby reproducing the pattern of Wolbachia-induced CI. Expression of cifB alone is associated with extensive DNA damage and disrupted spermatogenesis. The strength of rescue by maternal cifA expression is dependent on the comparative levels of cifA/cifB expression in males. These findings are consistent with CifB acting as a toxin and CifA as an antitoxin, with CifA attenuating CifB toxicity in both the male germline and in developing embryos. These findings provide important insights into the interactions between cif genes and their mechanism of activity and provide a foundation for the building of a cif gene-based drive system in Ae. aegypti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron J McNamara
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Thomas H Ant
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Tim Harvey-Samuel
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey, GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Helen White-Cooper
- Molecular Biosciences Division, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Julien Martinez
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Luke Alphey
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey, GU24 0NF, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Steven P Sinkins
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
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Porter J, Sullivan W. The cellular lives of Wolbachia. Nat Rev Microbiol 2023; 21:750-766. [PMID: 37430172 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00918-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia are successful Gram-negative bacterial endosymbionts, globally infecting a large fraction of arthropod species and filarial nematodes. Efficient vertical transmission, the capacity for horizontal transmission, manipulation of host reproduction and enhancement of host fitness can promote the spread both within and between species. Wolbachia are abundant and can occupy extraordinary diverse and evolutionary distant host species, suggesting that they have evolved to engage and manipulate highly conserved core cellular processes. Here, we review recent studies identifying Wolbachia-host interactions at the molecular and cellular levels. We explore how Wolbachia interact with a wide array of host cytoplasmic and nuclear components in order to thrive in a diversity of cell types and cellular environments. This endosymbiont has also evolved the ability to precisely target and manipulate specific phases of the host cell cycle. The remarkable diversity of cellular interactions distinguishes Wolbachia from other endosymbionts and is largely responsible for facilitating its global propagation through host populations. Finally, we describe how insights into Wolbachia-host cellular interactions have led to promising applications in controlling insect-borne and filarial nematode-based diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian Porter
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - William Sullivan
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
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Hochstrasser M. Molecular Biology of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Caused by Wolbachia Endosymbionts. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:299-316. [PMID: 37285552 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041020-024616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Among endosymbiotic bacteria living within eukaryotic cells, Wolbachia is exceptionally widespread, particularly in arthropods. Inherited through the female germline, it has evolved ways to increase the fraction of bacterially infected offspring by inducing parthenogenesis, feminization, male killing, or, most commonly, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In CI, Wolbachia infection of males causes embryonic lethality unless they mate with similarly infected females, creating a relative reproductive advantage for infected females. A set of related Wolbachia bicistronic operons encodes the CI-inducing factors. The downstream gene encodes a deubiquitylase or nuclease and is responsible for CI induction by males, while the upstream product when expressed in females binds its sperm-introduced cognate partner and rescues viability. Both toxin-antidote and host-modification mechanisms have been proposed to explain CI. Interestingly, male killing by either Spiroplasma or Wolbachia endosymbionts involves deubiquitylases as well. Interference with the host ubiquitin system may therefore be a common theme among endosymbiont-mediated reproductive alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hochstrasser
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA;
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Wang W, Cui W, Yang H. Toward an accurate mechanistic understanding of Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:4519-4532. [PMID: 35859330 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia are the most successful intracellular bacteria in arthropods. They can manipulate host reproduction to favour infected females, which transmit Wolbachia to their progeny and increase the presence of Wolbachia in the population. The reproductive alterations caused by Wolbachia include feminization, parthenogenesis, male killing and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), among which CI is the most common. CI leads to embryonic lethality when Wolbachia-infected males mate with uninfected females or those infected with an incompatible strain. This lethality can be rescued if females are infected with a compatible strain. Although CI was described in the 1960s and its connection to Wolbachia was made in the 1970s, the genes responsible for CI, called CI factors, were not identified until recently. Since then, significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanism of CI using a combination of genetic, phylogenetic, biochemical and structural approaches. The detailed molecular mechanisms behind this fascinating endosymbiotic bacteria-induced phenotype have begun to emerge. Here, we summarize recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanism of CI, especially focusing on the recently solved CI factor structures and discussing what these new structures brought in terms of CI mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wen Cui
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Haitao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biotechnology and Medicine, Tianjin, China
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Hochstrasser M. Cytoplasmic incompatibility: A Wolbachia toxin-antidote mechanism comes into view. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R287-R289. [PMID: 35349818 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Wolbachia cidA and cidB genes promote bacterial endosymbiont inheritance through the host female germline. CidB is now shown to load into maturing sperm nuclei. Following fertilization, it disrupts paternal chromosome condensation, triggering embryonic arrest if not countered by CidA in Wolbachia-infected eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hochstrasser
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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