Table_5_Three feminizing Wolbachia strains in a single host species: comparative genomics paves the way for identifying sex reversal factors.XLSX

IntroductionEndosymbiotic bacteria in the genus Wolbachia have evolved numerous strategies for manipulating host reproduction in order to promote their own transmission. This includes the feminization of males into functional females, a well-studied phenotype in the isopod Armadillidium vulgare. Despite an early description of this phenotype in isopods and the development of an evolutionary model of host sex determination in the presence of Wolbachia, the underlying genetic mechanisms remain elusive.MethodsHere we present the first complete genomes of the three feminizing Wolbachia (wVulC, wVulP, and wVulM) known to date in A. vulgare. These genomes, belonging to Wolbachia B supergroup, contain a large number of mobile elements such as WO prophages with eukaryotic association modules. Taking advantage of these data and those of another Wolbachia-derived feminizing factor integrated into the host genome (f element), we used a comparative genomics approach to identify putative feminizing factors.ResultsThis strategy has enabled us to identify three prophage-associated genes secreted by the Type IV Secretion System: one ankyrin repeat domain-containing protein, one helix-turn-helix transcriptional regulator and one hypothetical protein. In addition, a latrotoxin-related protein, associated with phage relic genes, was shared by all three genomes and the f element.ConclusionThese putative feminization-inducing proteins shared canonical interaction features with eukaryotic proteins. These results pave the way for further research into the underlying functional interactions.

引言：魏氏菌属（Wolbachia）中的共生细菌为操纵宿主繁殖以促进自身传播而进化出多种策略。这包括将雄性转变为功能性雌性，这是在等足纲的蜱螨亚目的拟步行虫（Armadillidium vulgare）中研究较为深入的表型。尽管早期在蜱螨亚目中描述了这一表型，并在魏氏菌存在的情况下发展了宿主性别决定的进化模型，但其背后的遗传机制仍然难以捉摸。方法：在此，我们首次报道了拟步行虫中三种已知使雄性雌化的魏氏菌（wVulC、wVulP和wVulM）的完整基因组。这些基因组属于魏氏菌B超群，包含大量可移动元件，如具有真核相关模块的WO前噬菌体。利用这些数据以及整合到宿主基因组中的另一种魏氏菌衍生雌化因子（f元件）的数据，我们采用比较基因组学方法来识别潜在的雌化因子。结果：此策略使我们能够识别出由IV型分泌系统分泌的三个与噬菌体相关基因：一个含有锚蛋白重复域的蛋白质，一个螺旋-转角-螺旋转录调节因子和一个假设性蛋白质。此外，所有三种基因组以及f元件都共享一种与噬菌体遗迹基因相关的拉托毒素相关蛋白。结论：这些潜在的雌化诱导蛋白与真核蛋白共享典型的相互作用特征。这些结果为深入探究其背后的功能相互作用奠定了基础。