FIBR: Integrative Studies of Wolbachia-Eukaryotic Interactions; Genomes to Communities and Back

了解微生物及其宿主如何在不同的生物水平（如遗传、细胞、生态和种群）相互作用至关重要。我们将使用一种广泛而重要的细胞内细菌沃尔巴克氏体来解决这个问题。沃尔巴克氏体存在于高达70%的昆虫物种中，它的传播代表了这个星球上生命的大流行病之一。它们对宿主有广泛的影响，从精卵不相容到雌性化、杀死雄性和诱导孤雌生殖。我们将进行一系列综合研究，以调查沃尔巴克氏体-宿主相互作用。 为实现这一目标，组建了一个在基因组学、遗传学、分子生物学、种群生物学、生态学和系统分类学方面具有专门知识的小组。 我们的研究将确定沃尔巴克氏体的基因组多样性，与宿主转移相关的遗传变化，从沃尔巴克氏体到宿主的基因转移程度，以及沃尔巴克氏体在全球和昆虫群落内的运动模式。 这些生物多样性调查将与沃尔巴克氏体诱导其宿主生殖改变的机制以及沃尔巴克氏体宿主修饰的遗传、分子和种群基础的研究相结合。最后，我们将研究感染的长期后果，包括沃尔巴克氏体在宿主物种形成中的潜在作用。 该项目的更广泛的意义包括增强对寄生虫操纵宿主基本细胞过程的机制的理解，细菌和宿主基因组的相互作用，以及沃尔巴克氏体在昆虫惊人的多样化中可能发挥的作用。此外，Wolbachia可能是一种有效的手段，生物防治害虫和疾病的媒介。 我们的计划，通过解决关于沃尔巴克氏体对昆虫基因组，物种和社区的影响的关键问题，将让从高中到博士后水平的学员接触到跨学科方法的方法和角度来科学。因此，这些学员将有能力从综合的角度探索重要的生物学问题。由于沃尔巴克氏体具有如此戏剧性的效果，它们吸引了相当大的公众兴趣。 因此，该项目的研究成果将有效地作为广泛促进科学教育的一种手段。

Understanding how microorganisms and their hosts interact at different biological levels (e.g. genetic, cellular, ecological and population) is of fundamental importance. We will address this question using a widespread and important group of intracellular bacteria called Wolbachia. Wolbachia occurs in up to 70% of insect species and its spread represents one of the great pandemics of life on this planet. They have broad effects on their hosts, ranging from sperm-egg incompatibility to feminization, male-killing and induction of parthenogenesis. We will conduct a set of integrated studies to investigate Wolbachia-host interactions. A team with expertise in genomics, genetics, molecular biology, population biology, ecology and systematics have been assembled to achieve this goal. Our studies will determine the genomic diversity of Wolbachia, genetic changes associated with host shifts, extent of gene transfer from Wolbachia to hosts, and the patterns of movement of Wolbachia globally and within insect communities. These biodiversity investigations will be combined with studies of the mechanisms by which Wolbachia induce reproductive alterations in their hosts, and the genetic, molecular and population basis of host modifications of Wolbachia. Finally, we will investigate the long-term consequences of infection, including the potential role of Wolbachia in host speciation. Broader implications of this project include enhancing understanding of the mechanisms by which parasites manipulate fundamental cellular processes in their hosts, interactions of bacterial and host genomes, and the role Wolbachia may have played in the spectacular diversification of insects. Furthermore, Wolbachia could be an effective means for biological control of insect pests and vectors of disease. Our program, by addressing key questions on the effects of Wolbachia on insect genomes, species and communities, will give trainees from high school to postdoctoral levels exposure to both the methods and perspective of an interdisciplinary approach to science. These trainees, therefore, will be well equipped to explore important biological questions from an integrative perspective. Because Wolbachia have such dramatic effects, they have attracted considerable public interest. Research resulting from this project therefore will be effective as a means of broadly promoting science education.