Parthenogenesis and Incompatiability Microorganisms in Insects

最近有研究表明，一组细菌（沃尔巴克氏体）在许多情况下引起不亲和和孤雌生殖，通过破坏染色体或阻止未受精卵的染色体分离，导致不需要受精就能产生雌性后代。Wolbacia之所以引起人们的兴趣，是因为它们可能与昆虫中新物种的快速进化有关。此外，它们具有相当大的价值，因为它们可能用于害虫的生物防治（例如，通过引起绝育）、益虫的改良（通过孤雌生殖）以及作为益虫和害虫基因改造的工具。这里描述的研究将涉及两个不同遗传区域的测序。来自不同昆虫的沃尔巴克氏体之间的关系将被确定，并且将确定沃尔巴克氏体是否在孤雌生殖中进化不止一次，沃尔巴克氏体在昆虫物种之间水平传播的程度，以及寄生昆虫是否可能是这些细菌在物种之间传播的媒介。本文提出的研究将为沃尔巴克氏体在昆虫生物防治和昆虫发育研究中的应用提供相关信息。

9318783 WERREN Recently it has been shown that a single group of bacteria (Wolbachia) cause both incompatibility and parthenogenesis in many causing destruction of chromosomes or by preventing segregation of chromosomes in unfertilized eggs, resulting in generation of female offspring without the need of fertilization. Wolbacia are of interest because they may be involved in the rapid evolution of new species in insects. In addition, they are of considerable interest because of their potential uses in biological control of pests (e.g. by causing sterilization), improvement of beneficial insects (by use of parthenogenesis), and as a tool for genetic modification of both beneficial and pest insects. Research described here will involve sequencing of two different genetic regions. The relationships among Wolbachia from different insects will be determined and it will be determined whether parthenogenesis has evolved more than once among Wolbachia, to what extent Wolbachia have been horizontally transmitted among insects species, and whether parasitic insects are likely vectors for movement of these bacteria between species. The research proposed here will provide information on Wolbachia relevant to their use in biological control of insects and to studies of insect development.