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Spiroplasma Poulsonii
''Spiroplasma poulsonii'' are bacteria of the genus '' Spiroplasma'' that are commonly endosymbionts of flies. These bacteria live in the hemolymph (insect blood) of the flies, where they can act as reproductive manipulators or defensive symbionts. Biology ''Spiroplasma poulsonii'' is a maternally transmitted symbiont, meaning it is primarily inherited through the female germ line. This involves the co-option of the fly yolk proteins, which allow the symbiont to enter the developing ovary. In the fly hemolymph, ''S. poulsonii'' feeds on lipids as its primary food source. Male-killing The ''Drosophila melanogaster'' ''S. poulsonii'' strain MSRO kills ''D. melanogaster'' eggs fertilized by Y-bearing sperm. This mode of reproductive manipulation benefits the symbiont as the female fly has a greater reproductive output than males. Thus, by increasing the number of daughters the fly mother produces, the symbiont increases its ability to spread through the increased reproductive outp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spiroplasma
''Spiroplasma'' is a genus of Mollicutes, a group of small bacteria without cell walls. ''Spiroplasma'' shares the simple metabolism, parasitic lifestyle, fried-egg colony morphology and small genome of other ''Mollicutes'', but has a distinctive helical morphology, unlike '' Mycoplasma''. It has a spiral shape and moves in a corkscrew motion. Many ''Spiroplasma'' are found either in the gut or haemolymph of insects where they can act to manipulate host reproduction, or defend the host as endosymbionts. ''Spiroplasma'' are also disease-causing agents in the phloem of plants. Spiroplasmas are fastidious organisms, which require a rich culture medium. Typically they grow well at 30 °C, but not at 37 °C. A few species, notably '' Spiroplasma mirum'', grow well at 37 °C (human body temperature), and cause cataracts and neurological damage in suckling mice. The best studied species of spiroplasmas are '' Spiroplasma poulsonii'', a reproductive manipulator and defens ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hemolymph
Hemolymph, or haemolymph, is a fluid, analogous to the blood in vertebrates, that circulates in the interior of the arthropod (invertebrate) body, remaining in direct contact with the animal's tissues. It is composed of a fluid plasma in which hemolymph cells called hemocytes are suspended. In addition to hemocytes, the plasma also contains many chemicals. It is the major tissue type of the open circulatory system characteristic of arthropods (e.g. arachnids, crustaceans and insects). In addition, some non-arthropods such as molluscs possess a hemolymphatic circulatory system. Oxygen-transport systems were long thought unnecessary in insects, but ancestral and functional hemocyanin has been found in the hemolymph. Insect "blood" generally does not carry hemoglobin, although hemoglobin may be present in the tracheal system instead and play some role in respiration. Method of transport In the grasshopper, the closed portion of the system consists of tubular hearts and an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophila Melanogaster
''Drosophila melanogaster'' is a species of fly (the taxonomic order Diptera) in the family Drosophilidae. The species is often referred to as the fruit fly or lesser fruit fly, or less commonly the " vinegar fly" or "pomace fly". Starting with Charles W. Woodworth's 1901 proposal of the use of this species as a model organism, ''D. melanogaster'' continues to be widely used for biological research in genetics, physiology, microbial pathogenesis, and life history evolution. As of 2017, five Nobel Prizes have been awarded to drosophilists for their work using the insect. ''D. melanogaster'' is typically used in research owing to its rapid life cycle, relatively simple genetics with only four pairs of chromosomes, and large number of offspring per generation. It was originally an African species, with all non-African lineages having a common origin. Its geographic range includes all continents, including islands. ''D. melanogaster'' is a common pest in homes, restaurants, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophila Falleni Infected With Howardula Aoronymphium
''Drosophila'' () is a genus of flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or (less frequently) pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit. They should not be confused with the Tephritidae, a related family, which are also called fruit flies (sometimes referred to as "true fruit flies"); tephritids feed primarily on unripe or ripe fruit, with many species being regarded as destructive agricultural pests, especially the Mediterranean fruit fly. One species of ''Drosophila'' in particular, ''D. melanogaster'', has been heavily used in research in genetics and is a common model organism in developmental biology. The terms "fruit fly" and "''Drosophila''" are often used synonymously with ''D. melanogaster'' in modern biological literature. The entire genus, however, contains more than 1,500 species and is very diverse in appearance, be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophila Neotestacea
''Drosophila neotestacea'' is a member of the ''testacea'' species group of ''Drosophila''. Testacea species are specialist fruit flies that breed on the fruiting bodies of mushrooms. These flies will choose to breed on psychoactive mushrooms such as the Fly Agaric '' Amanita muscaria''. ''Drosophila neotestacea'' can be found in temperate regions of North America, ranging from the north eastern United States to western Canada. Immunity ''Drosophila neotestacea'' and other mushroom-breeding Drosophila have been studied extensively for their interactions with '' Howardula'' nematode parasites, particularly ''Howardula aoronymphium''. Unlike related species, ''D. neotestacea'' is sterilized by ''H. aoronymphium'' infection. The genetic basis of this susceptibility is unknown, and is nematode-dependent. For instance, a related ''Howardula'' species from Japan does not sterilize ''D. neotestacea'', even though the European and North American ''Howardula'' species do. Moreover, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Howardula Aoronymphium
''Howardula aoronymphium'' is a species of nematode that infects specialist mushroom-feeding fruit flies such as ''Drosophila falleni'' and ''Drosophila neotestacea''. Mated female nematodes pierce the fly larva cuticle and take up residence in the hemolymph (insect blood) where they mature alongside the fly. When the adult fly ecloses, the nematode motherworm has reached full size and sheds juvenile nematodes into the hemolymph which are eventually excreted by either the fly anus or ovipositor. ''Howardula'' nematodes can severely impact fly egg development, as infection can effectively sterilize some species. ''Howardula aoronymphium'' are attracted to mushroom sites by cuing in on specific odourants that are common in rotting mushrooms. However the odourants that attract ''H. aoronymphium'' to mushrooms are different from the odours that attract its fly host ''Drosophila falleni, D. falleni''. Yet when ''D. falleni'' are infected by ''H. aoronymphium'', their olfactory preferenc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ricin
Ricin ( ) is a lectin (a carbohydrate-binding protein) and a highly potent toxin produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant, ''Ricinus communis''. The median lethal dose (LD50) of ricin for mice is around 22 micrograms per kilogram of body weight via intraperitoneal injection. Oral exposure to ricin is far less toxic. An estimated lethal oral dose in humans is approximately 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight. Ricin was first described by Peter Hermann Stillmark, the founder of lectinology. Biochemistry Ricin is classified as a type 2 ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP). Whereas type 1 RIPs are composed of a single protein chain that possesses catalytic activity, type 2 RIPs, also known as holotoxins, are composed of two different protein chains that form a heterodimeric complex. Type 2 RIPs consist of an A chain that is functionally equivalent to a type 1 RIP, covalently connected by a single disulfide bond to a B chain that is catalytically inactive, but se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Horizontal Gene Transfer
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) or lateral gene transfer (LGT) is the movement of genetic material between unicellular and/or multicellular organisms other than by the ("vertical") transmission of DNA from parent to offspring (reproduction). HGT is an important factor in the evolution of many organisms. HGT is influencing scientific understanding of higher order evolution while more significantly shifting perspectives on bacterial evolution. Horizontal gene transfer is the primary mechanism for the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, and plays an important role in the evolution of bacteria that can degrade novel compounds such as human-created pesticides and in the evolution, maintenance, and transmission of virulence. It often involves temperate bacteriophages and plasmids. Genes responsible for antibiotic resistance in one species of bacteria can be transferred to another species of bacteria through various mechanisms of HGT such as transformation, transduction and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megaselia Nigra
''Megaselia nigra'' is a species of scuttle fly (also called hump-backed flies) in the family Phoridae. ''Megaselia'' species are common pests of mushroom cultivation, attracted by the aroma of developing fungal mycelium. The larvae feed on the developing mycelium of the mushroom, ultimately damaging both the mycelium and gill tissues. ''Megaselia nigra'' can be infected by the symbiotic bacteria ''Spiroplasma'', which may protect its fly host from attack by parasites.Ballinger et al. 2018. https://academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-article/doi/10.1093/gbe/evy272/5255877 See also * ''Megaselia halterata The mushroom phorid fly ''(Megaselia halterata)'' is a species of scuttle fly or hump-backed flies in the family Phoridae. "The mushroom phorid" is also used to refer to ''M. halterata''. ''Megaselia halterata'' is a common pest of mushroom cult ...'' * '' Megaselia scalaris'' References {{Taxonbar, from=Q14121807 Phoridae Insects described in 1830 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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