The
Sullivan Laboratory
Molecular,
Cell, and Developmental Biology
University of California at Santa Cruz
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Wolbachia Transmission
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Maternal transmission of Wolbachia relies on Dynein microtubule-based
transport.
Overexpression of
Dynamitin (p50) causes loss of Wolbachia (small red dots, see
arrow) localization
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One factor contributing to the
evolutionary success of Wolbachia
is its efficient maternal transmission. We have discovered that Wolbachia are
uniformly distributed throughout the germline early in
oogenesis, but that during mid-oogenesis bacteria concentrate in the
future oocyte, exhibiting a striking anterior localization that is
distinct from mitochondria and all known axis determinants. We
demonstrated that this anterior localization requires microtubules and
the minus-end motor protein complex Dynein/Dynactin. This work is
published in PLOS Pathogens (Ferree
et al. 2005).
We have also discovered that in some cases, Wolbachia exhibit and
distinct posterior localization in the oocyte during late
oogenesis. Experiments are currently underway to determine the
cellular mechanisms involved in this localization.
Our studies provide strong evidence that Wolbachia interacts with the
microtubule motor proteins Dynein. We are very interested in
identifying Wolbachia
proteins involved in this interaction. This
is a difficult task given that Wolbachia
cannot be cultured.
Therefore, we are collaborating with the Werren lab and TIGR and have
taken a genomics approach to identify candidate Wolbachia surface
proteins that will be used to prepare affinity columns for biochemical
identification of Wolbachia-host
protein interactions.
In addition, we are developing the reagents required to develop
high-throughput approaches to identify potent small molecule Wolbachia
inhibitors. The identification of inhibitors may lead to new
drugs to combat elephantiasis and river blindness. In
collaboration with Alain Debec we have established a number of stable Wolbachia-infected
cell lines in which the microtubules are GFP
labeled. With these lines we are in a position to perform
high-throughput fluorescent RNAi and small molecule assays for
disruption of Wolbachia
replication, subcellular location and survival.
This material is based
upon work supported by the National Science
Foundation under Grant No. 0091265.
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Last
updated: December 2006
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