Parthenogenesis and Incompatiability Microorganisms in Insects

9318783 Werren最近有研究表明，一组细菌(沃尔巴克氏菌)在许多细菌中同时导致不相容和孤雌生殖，导致染色体被破坏或阻止未受精卵中的染色体分离，从而产生不需要受精的雌性后代。Wolbacia之所以令人感兴趣，是因为它们可能参与了昆虫新物种的快速进化。此外，由于它们可能用于害虫的生物防治(例如，通过导致绝育)、改良有益昆虫(通过利用孤雌生殖)，以及作为有益昆虫和有害昆虫的遗传改良工具，它们引起了相当大的兴趣。这里描述的研究将涉及两个不同的基因区域的测序。来自不同昆虫的沃尔巴克氏菌之间的关系将被确定，并将确定沃尔巴克氏菌之间的孤雌生殖是否进化了一次以上，沃尔巴克氏菌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移动的媒介。这里提出的研究将提供有关沃尔巴克氏菌的信息，与它们在昆虫生物防治和昆虫发育研究中的使用有关。

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.