Does Spiroplasma protect against trypanosome infection in Drosophila?

NERC：Jordan Jones：NE/L002450/1超过50%的昆虫物种携带的细菌会从母体传给后代。这些细菌依赖于它们的宿主生存和传播，在许多情况下，它们已经进化到有利于它们的昆虫宿主。一个特别有益的细菌介导的性状，这是被发现越来越普遍的昆虫是保护免受天敌。例如，果蝇的母系遗传细菌螺旋体可以保护其宿主免受寄生线虫和黄蜂的攻击。细菌介导的保护性性状具有重要的潜在应用价值。母体遗传的细菌现在被部署在蚊子身上，以帮助控制登革热和寨卡等病媒传播疾病的传播。它们也可能决定敌人生物控制的成功。因此，确定母系遗传细菌对新寄生虫的保护能力，特别是那些具有社会重要性的寄生虫，是非常重要的。作为几种人类和动物疾病（如非洲昏睡病）的病原体，锥虫是对社会具有重要医学和经济意义的寄生虫。最近的证据表明，细菌，如螺原体，可能能够防止锥虫感染采采蝇。然而，尽管这一证据令人鼓舞，但我们目前还没有分子工具来充分深入地了解这种关联。果蝇是常见的锥虫寄生虫感染，是确定免疫和保护进化生态学的最佳模型系统之一。本项目将确定果蝇的天然细菌螺原体是否可以保护果蝇免受锥虫感染。这个项目的目的是进一步了解螺原体介导的昆虫防御的一般性，更广泛地说，在实验室内一个相对新颖和未被充分认识的模型系统有更好的理解。我们的目标是发展果蝇螺原体锥虫相互作用作为一个理想的实验室研究。

NERC : Jordan Jones : NE/L002450/1Over 50% of all insect species carry bacteria that are passed from mother to offspring. These bacteria rely on their host for survival and transmission, and in many cases have evolved to benefit their insect hosts. One particular beneficial bacterial-mediated trait which is being found to be increasingly common among insects is protection against natural enemies. For instance, the maternally inherited bacteria of fruit flies, Spiroplasma, can protect its host against attack by parasitic nematodes and wasps. Bacterial-mediated protective traits have important potential applications. Maternally inherited bacteria are now being deployed in mosquitoes to help control the spread of vector transmitted diseases such as Dengue and Zika. They may also determine the success of biocontrol by enemies. Hence, it is of great importance to determine the ability of maternally inherited bacteria to protect against novel parasites, particularly those of societal importance. As the causal agent of several human and animal diseases such as African sleeping sickness, the trypanosomatids represent parasites of great medical and economic importance to society. Recent evidence has indicated that bacteria such as Spiroplasma, may be able to protect against trypanosomatid infection in Tsetse flies. However, although this evidence is encouraging, we do not currently have the molecular tools to fully understand this association in great depth. The fruit fly is commonly infected with trypanosomatid parasites and is one of the best model systems for determining the evolutionary ecology of immunity and protection. This project will determine whether the natural bacteria of fruit flies, Spiroplasma, can protect fruit flies against trypanosomatid infection. This project aims to further our knowledge on the generality of Spiroplasma-mediated defence within insects and more widely, a greater understanding of a relatively novel and underappreciated model system within the laboratory. We aim to develop the Drosophila-Spiroplasma-trypanosome interaction as one that is ideal for laboratory study.