Drosophila simulans ovary tissue 16S microbiome

This study focuses on reproductive manipulation by Wolbachia pipientis, a bacterium that is carried widely among insect species. Researchers have studied Wolbachia-induced Cytoplasmic Incompatibility, a form of sterility in which sperm from Wolbachia-infected males selectively kill uninfected embryos, when crossed with uninfected females. Comparatively little is known about possible host contributions to these processes. This study investigates whether the Drosophila simulans host has the ability to suppress CI lethality. To test this, uninfected D. simulans females were exposed to chemical feeding treatments, and their egg hatch rates were monitored. Prior to these feds, infection status was monitored for ovaries isolated from cured, wRi-infected and wMel-infected females, in two experimental isolates each. These results complement studies of Wolbachia-generated CI factors, and will support future pursuit of reproductive manipulation in diverse endosymbiotic relationships.