麦氏安瘿蜂体内侵染Wolbachia的WO噬菌体的检测及其orf7基因序列分析

Wolbachia为节肢动物等的细胞质共生细菌,能对宿主的繁殖模式进行调控,包括诱导胞质不亲和、孤雌生殖、雌性化及雄性致死。WO噬菌体是一类侵染节肢动物体内Wolbachia的细菌病毒。为检测麦氏安瘿蜂Wolbachia是否被WO噬菌体侵染,本研究使用WO噬菌体的orf 7基因引物,对信阳、六安及长沙3种群的WO噬菌体进行了PCR检测。结果显示,3种群的雌、雄虫体内的Wolbachia均有WO噬菌体的侵染,感染率为100%。获得的3种群麦氏安瘿蜂Wolbachia的WO噬菌体orf 7基因序列均为371 bp,序列完全一致。其序列与粉斑螟Ephestia cautella的wECau B3-1和wCauA5-1株系、反颚茧蜂Asobara tabida的wAtabA3-3株系的一致性最高,在NJ和ML系统树中,均聚合在同一分支,属于WO噬菌体的第Ⅲ大群。     

我国三地区黑腹果蝇中Wolbachia的系统发育关系及其对宿主生殖的影响

【目的】Wolbachia 是广泛存在于节肢动物和丝状线虫体内的一类共生菌, 能够以多种方式对宿主产生影响。精卵细胞质不亲和（CI）是其引起的最普遍的表型, 即感染Wolbachia的雄性宿主与未感染或感染不同品系的雌性宿主交配后, 不能产生后代或后代极少, 而感染同品系Wolbachia的雌雄宿主交配后则能正常产生后代。我们前期研究发现, 湖北武汉、 云南六库和天津3个地区黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster被Wolbachia感染。本研究旨在明确这3个地区黑腹果蝇中Wolbachia的系统发育关系及其对宿主生殖的影响。【方法】利用Clustal X软件对Wolbachia的wsp基因序列进行比对, 利用MEGA软件构建系统发育树。采用多位点序列分型（MLST）的方法对Wolbachia进行分型。通过区内交配和区之间杂交的方式研究不同地区黑腹果蝇体内Wolbachia 的关系及其对果蝇生殖的影响。【结果】湖北武汉、 云南六库和天津3个地区黑腹果蝇中感染的Wolbachia都是属于A大组的Mel亚群。这3个地区果蝇感染的Wolbachia的序列类型（ST）不同, Wolbachia之间存在一定的差异。湖北武汉和天津果蝇中的Wolbachia能引起强烈的CI表型, 而云南六库果蝇中的Wolbachia引起的CI强度相对较弱。武汉果蝇中Wolbachia不能完全挽救天津果蝇中Wolbachia引起的CI表型, 而天津果蝇中Wolbachia也不能完全挽救武汉果蝇中Wolbachia引起的CI表型。【结论】武汉和天津地区黑腹果蝇中的Wolbachia可能距离较远。Wolbachia的长期共生可能对黑腹果蝇的进化产生了一定的影响, 湖北武汉与云南六库的黑腹果蝇中感染的Wolbachia属于不同的序列类型, 这2个地区的黑腹果蝇已发生了一定的分歧, 产生了一定的生殖隔离。     

采用RAPD-PCR技术评估果蝇肠道噬菌体多样性

噬菌体作为微生物群落结构和功能的主要驱动力之一,研究其在动物肠道中的生态进化过程具有重要意义。本研究以黑腹果蝇为模型,探究以随机多态性DNA聚合酶链式反应(RAPD-PCR)病毒指纹技术评估肠道噬菌体的多样性。结果表明,野生型黑腹果蝇肠道噬菌体的多样性高于InR突变体黑腹果蝇。InR突变体果蝇在孵化为成虫后,可能经历一段短期的肠道噬菌体扰动,与第3天相比,第15天的肠道噬菌体多样性显著降低,而健康的野生型果蝇则没有明显变化。进一步利用落射荧光显微镜测量噬菌体和细菌的丰度,在第3天和15天,野生型果蝇游离噬菌体和细菌均处于稳定状态。第3天InR突变体果蝇肠道细菌的丰度显著降低,病毒与细菌丰度的比值(VBR)明显高于其他组;第15天InR突变型果蝇噬菌体的多样性降低,VBR明显低于各处理组。本文证实了InR突变体果蝇肠道噬菌体生态学特征与野生型存在一定的差异,也表明RAPD-PCR病毒指纹技术可以实现对肠道病毒多样性的快速评估。     

白背飞虱中的Wolbachia和Cardinium双重感染特性

为了明确自然种群白背飞虱Sogatella furcifera中Wolbachia和Cardinium的感染情况以及Wolbachia与其特有的WO噬菌体之间的关系, 以采自中国7个省区9个地点的白背飞虱为研究材料, 运用PCR检测的方法调查了Wolbachia, Cardinium以及WO噬菌体在各飞虱种群中的感染率和组织分布特点。结果表明： 白背飞虱广泛双重感染Wolbachia和Cardinium, 并且都表现出很高的感染率。白背飞虱各种群Cardinium的感染率几乎均为100%; Wolbachia的感染率也较高, 但雌雄虫感染率差异较大, 雌虫的感染率几乎均为100％, 而雄虫的感染率从22.2%~95.0%不等。另外, 通过不同DNA聚合酶、 不同提取方法的对比, 揭示了DNA粗提样品在基于PCR技术的胞内共生菌检测中的不足之处。对白背飞虱头部、 胸部、 腹部、 足和翅5个不同部位组织的检测结果表明, 不仅在含有生殖组织的腹部有这两类共生菌的感染, 在其他非生殖组织中同样也感染了这两类共生菌; 虽然Wolbachia和Cardinium在寄主的各个组织中均有分布, 但是两者在白背飞虱成虫（尤其是雄虫）阶段的动态变化有明显的差异。进一步对Wolbachia宿主特异性WO噬菌体的检测结果表明, 自然种群雄虫中Wolbachia的感染率与不感染个体中WO噬菌体的比率呈明显的负相关。因此推测, 雄虫中Wolbachia感染率相对较低的原因可能是由于Wolbachia基因组中溶原性的WO噬菌体受到某种因素的诱导已转化为裂解性噬菌体。研究结果为进一步揭示Wolbachia和Cardinium双重感染条件下对寄主的生殖调控作用及其机制、 垂直传播规律、 两者之间的相互关系以及进一步的应用研究等方面提供了重要的理论基础。     

灰飞虱体内WO噬菌体和Wolbachia的侵染关系

WO噬菌体是侵染节肢动物体内感染的Wolbachia的细菌病毒, 人们推测WO噬菌体可能参与了寄主遗传变异的过程。我们对采自中国境内4个地理种群（上海闵行、 云南普洱、 山东济宁和宁夏青铜峡）的灰飞虱Laodelphax striatellus 1~2龄若虫用抗生素HCl-tetracycline处理过的水稻饲养, 每隔20 d取样测定并比较其体内Wolbachia和WO噬菌体的感染率, 以此来初步研究灰飞虱体内WO噬菌体与Wolbachia的侵染关系, 结果表明: WO噬菌体感染率的变化趋势与其宿主Wolbachia的基本一致, 都随着时间推移逐步下降。我们进一步对未经HCl-tetracycline处理的灰飞虱, 用实时定量PCR的方法对WO噬菌体和Wolbachia在不同日龄灰飞虱雌虫体内的菌量进行测定, 结果显示, 二者菌量都随着日龄的增长有所变化, 在第8天达到最大, 二者的变化趋势基本一致。由此我们推断WO噬菌体是侵染胞内共生菌Wolbachia的专性病毒, 并且感染Wolbachia的WO噬菌体很可能是溶原性的噬菌体。     

铃木氏果蝇不同地理种群中Wolbachia的检测和系统发育分析

铃木氏果蝇Drosophila suzukii是原产于东南亚地区的重要果树害虫, 近年来传入北美和欧洲等地区造成严重的危害。本研究利用Wolbachia的16S rDNA和wsp基因特异引物（分别为16S-F/16S-R和81F/691R）对铃木氏果蝇7个地理种群（中国的5个种群、 韩国的1个种群和美国的1个种群）的Wolbachia进行了PCR检测并对检测结果进行了比较; 对感染个体体内Wolbachia的16S rDNA基因片段进行测序, 确定了我国铃木氏果蝇体内Wolbachia的分类地位。基于Wolbachia的16S rDNA基因特异引物检测结果发现, 我国5个铃木氏果蝇种群广泛感染Wolbachia（感染率36.7%~80.0%）, 而韩国和美国2个种群均未检测到该菌的感染。而利用wsp基因特异引物无法检测到该菌。基于Wolbachia的16S rDNA基因构建系统发育树表明, 我国铃木氏果蝇种群感染的Wolbachia全部属于A组。这些结果为研究Wolbachia感染对铃木氏果蝇生物学及生态学的影响奠定了基础。     

黑腹果蝇Mst84Db敲降引起的父本缺陷类似Wolbachia诱导的细胞质不亲和

【目的】Wolbachia 是广泛存在于昆虫体内的一类通过母系传递的共生菌,能够通过多种方式影响宿主的生殖。细胞质不亲和（CI）是Wolbachia 引起的最普遍的一种表型,即感染Wolbachia的雄性和未感染的雌性宿主交配后,胚胎发育停滞于早期阶段。但目前有关CI的分子机理还不清楚。本研究组前期实验表明,Wolbachia感染引起黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster 3龄幼虫精巢中Mst84Db基因的表达显著下调。本研究的目的是进一步研究Mst84Db与CI的关系。【方法】我们体外合成了Mst84Db的双链RNA（dsRNA）,注射雄性果蝇,将注射过的雄果蝇与野生雌果蝇交配,检测其繁殖力。基因表达采用定量RT-PCR方法进行检测。胚胎表型采用DAPI染色进行分析。【结果】注射dsRNA 24 h后,Mst84Db基因的表达水平发生显著下调。注射后72 h,基因表达下调幅度最大。与对照组相比,基因敲降后的雄蝇繁殖能力显著下降,与雌果蝇交配后胚胎孵化率显著低于对照组,这与Wolbachia诱导的CI现象类似。未孵化胚胎的表皮上没有体节出现,说明胚胎停滞于发育的早期。部分胚胎细胞核分裂不同步,且有染色质间桥出现,这也与CI胚胎中的细胞学表型一致。【结论】Wolbachia感染可能抑制果蝇精子发生过程中Mst84Db基因的表达,从而使精子失去正常功能,最终导致与雌性果蝇交配后,胚胎发育停滞,并最终死亡。Mst84Db基因在雄性果蝇中表达下调可能是产生CI的重要原因之一。     

Wolbachia引起黑腹果蝇产生“修饰-挽救”因子的初步探究

沃尔巴克氏体(Wolbachia)是一种广泛分布于昆虫体内的共生细菌,对宿主的生殖具有多种调控作用,其中,最常见的调控方式称为细胞质不亲和(Cytoplasmic Incompatibility,CI),即感染了Wolbachia的雄性宿主与未感染或感染不同品系Wolbachia的雌性宿主交配后,胚胎在发育早期死亡。关于CI产生的原因,目前人们认为是一种"精子修饰-卵子挽救"机制,本研究初步探索了黑腹果蝇中参与"修饰-挽救"机制的重要因子。本研究采用定量RT-PCR方法,检测了3种基因:yem-α(yemanuclein)、uif(uninflatable)、Prosα4T1(proteasomeα4 subunit,Testis-specific 1)在感染和未感染果蝇中的表达差异。结果发现,Wolbachia感染能够显著上调雌蝇中yem-α和uif的表达,并且显著下调雄蝇中yem-α的表达。尽管Prosα4T1在雄性果蝇体内特异表达,但是Wolbachia感染对Prosα4T1表达无明显影响。因此,yem-α可能是Wolbachia产生"修饰-挽救"机制的重要因子之一,Wolbachia可能通过调控果蝇体内yem-α的表达,影响卵子发生和精子发生进程,导致CI的产生。     

植物乳杆菌促进黑腹果蝇生长发育

【目的】检测乳酸菌对果蝇发育历期的影响,进一步探讨其对果蝇促生长的分子机制。【方法】利用选择性培养基MRS从黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster体内分离乳酸菌,利用革兰氏染色、生化方法及16S rRNA基因进行鉴定;通过体内定植和世代传递实验验证该菌是黑腹果蝇的共生菌;采用悉生模型检测乳酸菌对黑腹果蝇发育的促生长作用;利用实时定量PCR技术检测黑腹果蝇体内促前胸腺激素基因PTTH和胰岛素通路相关基因InR的表达水平;利用葡萄糖试剂盒检测血淋巴液葡萄糖浓度。【结果】从黑腹果蝇中分离到的菌株鉴定为植物乳杆菌Lactobacillus plantarum FY1菌株(Gen Bank登录号:KY038178),可在黑腹果蝇肠道内定植,每个肠道定植量约为104CFU,并能在世代间稳定传递。FY1菌株体外发酵可降低p H值至5.2,可诱导无菌果蝇卵至蛹发育时间由20.0 d缩短至6.9 d,卵至成虫发育时间由30.0 d缩短至10.7 d,其生长速率是无菌果蝇的约2倍。实时定量PCR结果表明,FY1菌株显著地提前了PTTH表达高峰期,同时降低果蝇中InR表达水平,血淋巴液葡萄糖浓度从5.1 mg/mL降低至2.7 mg/mL。【结论】植物乳杆菌是黑腹果蝇的一种益生菌,推测能通过胰岛素信号通路促进宿主黑腹果蝇的生长和发育。     

霍氏肠杆菌对黑腹果蝇生长和发育的影响

【背景】共生菌群可以影响宿主的生理、代谢以及神经行为,黑腹果蝇是研究宿主与共生菌作用机制的优秀遗传模型。【目的】分离和鉴定黑腹果蝇体内的共生菌,并研究其对果蝇生长和发育的影响。【方法】利用YG固体培养基分离果蝇肠道菌;革兰氏染色、生化鉴定和16S rRNA基因比对鉴定菌种;体内定殖和世代传递实验验证细菌与果蝇的共生关系;建立无菌和悉菌模型,通过发育历期和生长速率来验证其促生长作用;RT-PCR检测促生长分子基因表达;免疫荧光染色检测果蝇肠道细胞的增殖;葡萄糖氧化酶法检测葡萄糖浓度。【结果】分离到一株能够明显促进果蝇生长发育的细菌,经鉴定为霍氏肠杆菌(Enterobacter hormaechei),该菌可以稳定定殖于黑腹果蝇肠道以及培养基内,而且可以世代垂直传递。该菌可明显地促进果蝇的生长,并通过加速促胸腺激素的分泌来发挥促生长作用,同时可以促进果蝇肠道细胞的增殖。霍氏肠杆菌相较于无菌果蝇可以降低体内葡萄糖水平。【结论】霍氏肠杆菌是黑腹果蝇的有益共生菌,实验证实其可以促进果蝇的生长和发育。     

A Survey of the bacteriophage WO in the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia

Bacteriophages are common viruses infecting prokaryotes. In addition to their deadly effect, phages are also involved in several evolutionary processes of bacteria, such as coding functional proteins potentially beneficial to them, or favoring horizontal gene transfer through transduction. The particular lifestyle of obligatory intracellular bacteria usually protects them from phage infection. However, Wolbachia, an intracellular alpha-proteobacterium, infecting diverse arthropod and nematode species and best known for the reproductive alterations it induces, harbors a phage named WO, which has recently been proven to be lytic. Here, phage infection was checked in 31 Wolbachia strains, which induce 5 different effects in their hosts and infect 25 insect species and 3 nematodes. Only the Wolbachia infecting nematodes and Trichogramma were found devoid of phage infection. All the 25 detected phages were characterized by the DNA sequence of a minor capsid protein gene. Based on all data currently available, phylogenetic analyses show a lack of congruency between Wolbachia or insect and phage WO phylogenies, indicating numerous horizontal transfers of phage among the different Wolbachia strains. The absence of relation between phage phylogeny and the effects induced by Wolbachia suggests that WO is not directly involved in these effects. Implications on phage WO evolution are discussed.     

Hypervariable prophage WO sequences describe an unexpected high number of Wolbachia variants in the mosquito Culex pipiens

Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria that infect many arthropod species and may induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) resulting in abortive embryonic development. Among all the described host species, mosquitoes of the Culex pipiens complex display the highest variability of CI crossing types. Paradoxically, searches for polymorphism in Wolbachia infecting strains and field populations hitherto failed or produced very few markers. Here, we show that an abundant source of the long-sought polymorphism lies in WO prophage sequences present in multiple copies dispersed in the genome of Wolbachia infecting C. pipiens (wPip). We identified up to 66 different Wolbachia variants in C. pipiens strains and field populations and no occurrence of superinfection was observed. At least 49 different Wolbachia occurred in Southern Europe C. pipiens populations, and up to 10 different Wolbachia were even detected in a single population. This is in sharp contrast with North African and Cretan samples, which exhibited only six variants. The WO polymorphism appeared stable over time, and was exclusively transferred maternally. Interestingly, we found that the CI pattern previously described correlates with the variability of Gp15, a prophage protein similar to a bacterial virulence protein. WO prophage sequences thus represent variable markers that now open routes for approaching the molecular basis of CI, the host effects, the structure and dynamics of Wolbachia populations.     

基于16S rDNA序列的Wolbachia的检测及分型

Wolbachia是广泛分布于节肢动物体内的一类共生细菌。采用16S rDNA特异片段的PCR-RFLP方法对烟粉虱Bemisia tabaci （Gennadius）不同生物型及米蛾Corcyra cephalonica （Stainton）共生菌Wolbachia进行了检测与分型分析。基于wsp基因对烟粉虱共生菌B组Wolbachia以及米蛾共生菌Wolbachia进行了系统树分析,并对相应的Wolbachia16S rDNA特异片段进行了克隆、测序以及序列比对。结果表明:16S rDNA的特异片段经NheⅠ酶切后RFLP图谱可有效检测与鉴别Wolbachia。烟粉虱共生菌Wolbachia的16S rDNA特异片段经VspⅠ酶切后可得到预期RFLP图谱,而米蛾共生菌B组Wolbachia （基于wsp序列分析为B组）则产生不同的RFLP图谱。序列分析表明,Nauru型烟粉虱体内B组Wolbachia的16S rDNA片段序列与已知B组Wolbachia对应序列（DQ278884）同源性为100%;米蛾体内B组Wolbachia 16S rDNA特异片段有碱基变异,并存在于VspⅠ识别位点内,这是导致VspⅠ酶切后RFLP图谱不同的原因。结果提示,B组Wolbachia 16S rDNA特异片段经VspⅠ酶切的RFLP图谱存在多态性。本研究结果可为今后Wolbachia的检测与分型提供借鉴。     

Bacteriophage WO-B and Wolbachia in natural mosquito hosts: infection incidence, transmission mode and relative density

Bacteriophages of Wolbachia bacteria have been proposed as a potential transformation tool for genetically modifying mosquito vectors. In this study, we report the presence of the WO-B class of Wolbachia-associated phages among natural populations of several mosquito hosts. Eighty-eight percent (22/25) of Wolbachia-infected mosquito species surveyed were found to contain WO-B phages. WO-B phage orf7 sequence analysis suggested that a single strain of WO-B phage was found in most singly (23/24) or doubly (1/1) Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. However, the single Wolbachia strain infecting Aedes perplexus was found to harbour at least two different WO-B phages. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that horizontal transmission of WO-B phages has occurred on an evolutionary scale between the Wolbachia residing in mosquitoes. On an ecological scale, a low trend of co-transmission occurred among specific WO-B phages within Wolbachia of each mosquito species. Assessment of the density of WO-B phage by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTQ-PCR) revealed an average relative density of 7.76 x 10(5)+/- 1.61 x 10(5) orf7 copies per individual mosquito for a single Wolbachia strain infecting mosquitoes, but a threefold higher density in the doubly Wolbachia-infected Aedes albopictus. However, the average combined density of WO-B phage(s) did not correlate with that of their Wolbachia hosts, which varied in different mosquito species. We also confirmed the presence of WO-B-like virus particles in the laboratory colony of Ae. albopictus (KLPP) morphologically, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The viral-like particles were detected after purification and filtration of Ae. albopictus ovary extract, suggesting that at least one WO-B-like phage is active (temperate) within the Wolbachia of this mosquito vector. Nevertheless, the idea of utilizing these bacteriophages as transformation vectors still needs more investigation and is likely to be unfeasible.     

RNAi in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos: effectiveness of hairpin dsRNA

Wolbachia are intracellular symbionts mainly found in arthropods, causing various sexual alterations on their hosts by unknown mechanisms. Here we report the results that strongly suggest that Wolbachia have virus-like particles of phage WO, which was previously identified as a prophage-like element in the Wolbachia genome. Wolbachia (strain wTai) infection in an insect was detected with the antibody against Wsp, an outer surface protein of Wolbachia, by fluorescence microscopy and immunoelectron-microscopy for the first time. Virus-like particles in Wolbachia were observed by electron-microscopy. The 0.22-microm filtrate of insect ovary contained DAPI-positive particles, and PCR analysis demonstrated that a phage WO DNA passed through the filter while Wolbachia DNA were eliminated, suggesting that the DAPI-positive particles were phage WO.     

Temperature affects the tripartite interactions between bacteriophage WO, Wolbachia, and cytoplasmic incompatibility

Wolbachia infections are a model for understanding intracellular, bacterial symbioses. While the symbiosis is often studied from a binary perspective of host and bacteria, it is increasingly apparent that additional trophic levels can influence the symbiosis. For example, Wolbachia in arthropods harbor a widespread temperate bacteriophage, termed WO, that forms virions and rampantly transfers between coinfections. Here we test the hypothesis that temperatures at the extreme edges of an insect's habitable range alter bacteriophage WO inducibility and in turn, Wolbachia densities and the penetrance of cytoplasmic incompatibility. We report four key findings using the model wasp, Nasonia vitripennis: First, both cold treatment at 18 C and heat treatment at 30 C reduce Wolbachia densities by as much as 74% relative to wasps reared at 25 C. Second, in all cases where Wolbachia densities decline due to temperature changes, phage WO densities increase and inversely associate with Wolbachia densities. Heat has a marked effect on phage WO, yielding phage densities that are 552% higher than the room temperature control. Third, there is a significant affect of insect family on phage WO and endoysmbiont densities. Fourth, at extreme temperatures, there was a temperature-mediated adjustment to the density threshold at which Wolbachia cause complete cytoplasmic incompatibility. Taken together, these results demonstrate that temperature simultaneously affects phage WO densities, endosymbiont densities, and the penetrance of cytoplasmic incompatibility. While temperature shock enhances bacteriophage inducibility and the ensuing bacterial mortality in a wide range of medically and industrially-important bacteria, this is the first investigation of the associations in an obligate intracellular bacteria. Implications to a SOS global sensing feedback mechanism in Wolbachia are discussed.     

Tripartite associations among bacteriophage WO, Wolbachia, and host affected by temperature and age in Tetranychus urticae

A phage density model of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), which means lytic phages reduce bacterial density associated with CI, significantly enhances our understanding of the tripartite associations among bacteriophage WO, Wolbachia and host. However, WO may alternate between lytic and lysogenic life cycles or change phage production under certain conditions including temperature, host age and host species background. Here, extreme temperatures can induce an alteration in the life cycle of WO and change the tripartite associations among WO, Wolbachia and CI. Based on the accumulation of the WO load, WO can transform into the lytic life cycle with increasing age. These findings confirmed that the environment plays an important role in the associations among WO, Wolbachia and host.