How a reproductive parasite turns its host asexual
Informations
- Funding country
Netherlands- Acronym
- -
- URL
- -
- Start date
- 8/20/2015
- End date
- -
- Budget
- 241,663 EUR
Fundings
| Name | Role | Start | End | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALW Open Programme 2015 | Grant | 8/20/2015 | - | 241,663 EUR |
Abstract
Parasites often manipulate the behaviour, physiology or even reproduction of their hosts to enhance their own transmission. Some hymenopteran insects are manipulated into asexual reproduction by endosymbiotic bacteria. The molecular details of how this manipulation is achieved remain largely unknown, but DNA methylation and small interfering RNAs have recently been implicated. We found evidence that in the parasitoid Asobara japonica, Wolbachia bacteria cause both an alteration of meiosis (genome duplication) and sex determination (feminization). The aim of this proposal is to elucidate the sex determination pathway and the mechanism of induced asexuality in A. japonica. This will yield insight in the evolution of sex determination mechanisms and in the ways endosymbionts can manipulate host reproduction to their own advantage.