Abstract
Wolbachia is an intracellular bacterium that infects many species of arthropods. It induces several forms of reproductive manipulations that aim to increase the number of infected females in a population since the infection is transferred maternally. Because of the ability to spread rapidly in an uninfected population and induce reproductive failure in crosses between uninfected females with infected males, Wolbachia has great potential as a tool for control of pest and disease insects. By using whole genome sequencing and comparative genome analyses, I aim to identify the Wolbachia genes involved in expression of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI, a crossing sterility induced by Wolbachia), and investigate the mechanisms and rates of evolution in Wolbachia. The four strains that will be used for genome sequencing all naturally infect Drosophila and have been chosen based on their phylogenetic relationships and induced phenotypic differences in their hosts. Since Wolbachia can´t be grown outside the host, standard genetic analyses cannot be applied, and comparative genome analyses of closely related strains with different phenotypic expression provide the best chance of identifying the Wolbachia genes involved in CI and will give a better idea of evolutionary parameters. The proposed project will greatly influence the research field, as the mechanism of CI and the evolutionary properties of Wolbachia are the main interests in both basic and applied Wolbachia research.
Sweden