Abstract
Wolbachia pipientis is an endosymbiotic bacterium that induces a wide range of effects in its insect hosts, including manipulation of reproduction and protection against pathogens. Little is known of the molecular mechanisms underlying the insect-Wolbachia interaction, though it is likely to be mediated via the secretion of proteins or other factors. There is an increasing amount of evidence that bacteria regulate many cellular processes, including secretion of virulence factors, using small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs), but sRNAs have not previously been described from Wolbachia. We have used two independent approaches, one based on comparative genomics and the other using RNA-Seq data generated for gene expression studies, to identify candidate sRNAs in Wolbachia. We experimentally characterized the expression of one of these candidates in four Wolbachia strains, and showed that it is differentially regulated in different host tissues and sexes. Given the roles played by sRNAs in other host-associated bacteria, the conservation of the candidate sRNAs between different Wolbachia strains, and the sex- and tissue-specific differential regulation we have identified, we hypothesise that sRNAs may play a significant role in the biology of Wolbachia, and in particular in its interactions with its host.
Highlights
Wolbachia pipientis is a vertically transmitted endosymbiotic Alphaproteobacteria that is thought to infect up to 40% of arthropod species [1]
To increase the probability that the candidates identified using the methods above are true small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs), we have conservatively focused on transcripts that are encoded entirely within intergenic regions rather than overlapping a CDS, and that are transcribed rather than as an intergenic component of a polycistronic mRNA
As these sequencing runs were exploratory trials and our treatments were not replicated, we cannot draw any firm conclusions about the effects of each treatment on the quality or content of the resulting sequence data
Summary
Wolbachia pipientis is a vertically transmitted endosymbiotic Alphaproteobacteria that is thought to infect up to 40% of arthropod species [1]. Different Wolbachia strains induce a diverse range of effects in their hosts, including multiple forms of reproductive manipulation that enhance transmission of the endosymbiont to the host generation [2,3]. More recently it has been discovered that a number of Wolbachia strains inhibit the replication of viral and other pathogens in both their natural hosts, such as Drosophila melanogaster, and heterologous hosts such as Aedes aegypti [4,5,6]. These effects make Wolbachia an attractive biocontrol. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0118595 March 4, 2015
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