Genome dynamics of protective bacterial symbionts in insects

昆虫保护性细菌共生体的基因组动力学

• 批准号: 0709992
• 负责人: Nancy Moran
• 金额: $ 1.17万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-06-01 至 2009-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0709992&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Genome; dynamics; protective; bacterial; symbionts

Insects, bacteria and viruses outnumber most organisms on earth in both diversity and abundance by several orders of magnitude. This study will examine the evolution and maintenance of a symbiosis that occurs between aphids, the bacterium Hamiltonella defensa, and a bacterial virus (phage). Parasitoid wasps are commonly used as a biological control to mediate agricultural damage caused by aphids. However, aphids infected with H. defensa and the phage are resistant to parasitoid wasps. Preliminary data revealed that the bacteria and the phage have genes encoding many virulence factors, including toxins that have been found in human pathogens. Analyses of bacteria and phage genome sequences and of gene expression will elucidate which virulence factors are conserved and are involved in protecting aphids.This study has implications for the control of insect pests. An understanding of H. defensa biology will also help in refining the ability to predict efficacy of biological control using parasitoid enemies. More generally, bacterial and phage-borne insecticidal toxins may have broader use or interest as means of biological control of crop pests. In addition, this work will continue to provide mentorship and training in molecular biology and bioinformatics for female and minority undergraduate students.

昆虫、细菌和病毒的数量在多样性和丰富性上都超过了地球上大多数生物。本研究将研究蚜虫，细菌防御汉密尔顿菌和细菌病毒（噬菌体）之间共生的进化和维持。寄生蜂通常被用作生物控制来调解蚜虫造成的农业损害。然而，感染H. defensa和噬菌体对寄生蜂具有抗性。初步数据显示，细菌和噬菌体具有编码许多毒力因子的基因，包括在人类病原体中发现的毒素。对细菌和噬菌体基因组序列以及基因表达的分析将阐明哪些毒力因子是保守的，并参与保护蚜虫。对H.防御生物学还将有助于提高预测利用寄生性天敌进行生物控制的效力的能力。更一般地说，细菌和噬菌体携带的杀虫毒素作为作物害虫的生物防治手段可能具有更广泛的用途或利益。此外，这项工作将继续为女生和少数民族本科生提供分子生物学和生物信息学方面的指导和培训。