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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Wolbachia reduces virus infection in a natural population of Drosophila

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Author(s):
Cogni, Rodrigo [1] ; Ding, Shuai Dominique [2] ; Pimentel, Andre C. [1] ; Day, Jonathan P. [2] ; Jiggins, Francis M. [2]
Total Authors: 5
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ecol, Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Cambridge, Dept Genet, Cambridge - England
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY; v. 4, n. 1 NOV 25 2021.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Wolbachia is a maternally transmitted bacterial symbiont that is estimated to infect approximately half of arthropod species. In the laboratory it can increase the resistance of insects to viral infection, but its effect on viruses in nature is unknown. Here we report that in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster, individuals that are infected with Wolbachia are less likely to be infected by viruses. By characterising the virome by metagenomic sequencing and then testing individual flies for infection, we found the protective effect of Wolbachia was virus-specific, with the prevalence of infection being up to 15% greater in Wolbachia-free flies. The antiviral effects of Wolbachia may contribute to its extraordinary ecological success, and in nature the symbiont may be an important component of the antiviral defences of insects. Cogni et al. report a protective effect of Wolbachia on viral infection of a natural Drosophila population through metagenomics sequencing of the virome. This study provides new evidence showing that Wolbachia confers viral resistance in natural population of flies. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 15/08307-3 - Evolution of virus resistance in D. melanogaster: effects of the endosymbiont Wolbachia and polymorphisms in the gene pastrel in a selection experiment
Grantee:Rodrigo Cogni
Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
FAPESP's process: 13/25991-0 - Ecological genomics of insects: climate adaptations and evolution of ecological interactions
Grantee:Rodrigo Cogni
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants