title: Characterization and transcriptional analysis of two gene clusters for type IV secretion machinery in Wolbachia of Armadillidium vulgare.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Symbiose, UMR CNRS 6556, 40 avenue du recteur Pineau, F-86022 Poitiers Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Félix
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pichon
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braquart-Varnier
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Braig
authors.forename: Lanming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Roger A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grève
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins