一种在鳞翅目昆虫中导致雄性致死的沃尔巴克氏体因子。

Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan.

Division of Cell Signaling, Fujii Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan.

Nat Commun. 2022 Nov 14;13(1):6764. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-34488-y.

Bacterial symbionts, such as Wolbachia species, can manipulate the sexual development and reproduction of their insect hosts. For example, Wolbachia infection induces male-specific death in the Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis by targeting the host factor Masculinizer (Masc), an essential protein for masculinization and dosage compensation in lepidopteran insects. Here we identify a Wolbachia protein, designated Oscar, which interacts with Masc via its ankyrin repeats. Embryonic expression of Oscar inhibits Masc-induced masculinization and leads to male killing in two lepidopteran insects, O. furnacalis and the silkworm Bombyx mori. Our study identifies a mechanism by which Wolbachia induce male killing of host progeny.

细菌共生体，如 Wolbachia 物种，可以操纵其昆虫宿主的性发育和繁殖。例如，Wolbachia 感染通过靶向宿主因子 Masculinizer（Masc）来诱导亚洲玉米螟 Ostrinia furnacalis 的雄性特异性死亡，Masc 是鳞翅目昆虫中雄性化和剂量补偿所必需的蛋白质。在这里，我们鉴定出一种 Wolbachia 蛋白，命名为 Oscar，它通过其锚蛋白重复序列与 Masc 相互作用。Oscar 的胚胎表达抑制了 Masc 诱导的雄性化，并导致两种鳞翅目昆虫，O. furnacalis 和家蚕 Bombyx mori 中的雄性死亡。我们的研究确定了 Wolbachia 诱导宿主后代雄性死亡的一种机制。