Self-stabilization mechanism encoded by a bacterial toxin facilitates reproductive parasitism

• DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.08.527603
• Publication Date: 2023-02-09T03:00:21Z
• Authors: Toshiyuki Harumoto
• Keywords: Deubiquitinating enzyme

ABSTRACT A wide variety of bacterial endosymbionts in insects are associated with reproductive parasitism, whereby they interfere host systems to spread within populations. Recent successes identifying factors responsible for parasitism have highlighted the common appearance deubiquitinase domains, although their functional roles remain unknown. For example, Spiroplasma symbionts Drosophila selectively kill male progeny a male-killing toxin Spaid that encodes an OTU domain. Here I show without function OTU, activity is attenuated, though not eliminated, since it polyubiquitinated and degraded through ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Furthermore, find utilizes its domain deubiquitinate itself intermolecular manner. Collectively, serves as self-stabilization mechanism facilitate killing flies, optimizing molecular strategy enables efficient manipulation at low-cost.