Characterization and transcriptional analysis of two gene clusters for type IV secretion machinery in Wolbachia of Armadillidium vulgare.
Wolbachia are maternally inherited alpha-proteobacteria that induce feminization of genetic males in most terrestrial crustacean isopods. Two clusters of vir genes for a type IV secretion machinery have been identified at two separate loci and characterized for the first time in a feminizing Wolbachia. Furthermore, we demonstrated that these operons are transcriptionally active in ovaries and in all other tissues tested, suggesting that T4SS has a significant role in Wolbachia biology. These observations and the identification of homologous vir genes in Wolbachia strains infecting insects or nematodes show that vir genes are conserved among Wolbachia strains whatever the phenotype induced by the bacteria.
Félix
Christine
C
Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Symbiose, UMR CNRS 6556, 40 avenue du recteur Pineau, F-86022 Poitiers Cedex, France.
Pichon
Samuel
S
Braquart-Varnier
Christine
C
Braig
Henk
H
Chen
Lanming
L
Garrett
Roger A
RA
Martin
Gilbert
G
Grève
Pierre
P
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D005260:Female; D005262:Feminization; D033321:Isopoda / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins