Distribution, Expression, and Motif Variability of Ankyrin Domain Genes inWolbachia pipientis

• DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.15.5136-5145.2005
• Publication Date: 2005-07-19T19:33:01Z
• Authors: Iñaki Iturbe-Orm...; Gaelen R. Burke; Markus Riegler; Scott L. O'Neill
• Keywords: Ankyrin repeat; Ankyrin; Cytoplasmic incompatibility

The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis infects a wide range of arthropods, in which it induces variety reproductive phenotypes, including cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), parthenogenesis, male killing, and reversal genetic sex determination. recent sequencing annotation the first genome revealed an unusually high number genes encoding ankyrin domain (ANK) repeats. These ANK are likely to be important mediating Wolbachia-host interaction. In this work we determined distribution expression different found sequenced wMel nine strains that induce phenotypic effects their hosts. A comparison non-CI-inducing wAu strain significant differences between strains. This was reflected sequence variability shared could result alterations encoded proteins, such as motif deletions, amino acid insertions, some cases disruptions due insertion transposable elements premature stops. addition, one gene, is part operon, absent genome. variations affect affinity, function, cellular location predicted proteins by these genes.