Extensively duplicated and transcriptionally active recent lateral gene transfer from a bacterial Wolbachia endosymbiont to its host filarial nematode Brugia malayi

Ioannidis, Panagiotis, Johnston, Kelly, Riley, David R, Kumar, Nikhil, White, James R, Olarte, Karen T, Ott, Sandra, Tallon, Luke J, Foster, Jeremy M, Taylor, Mark ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3396-9275 and Dunning Hotopp, Julie C (2013) 'Extensively duplicated and transcriptionally active recent lateral gene transfer from a bacterial Wolbachia endosymbiont to its host filarial nematode Brugia malayi'. BMC Genomics, Vol 14, :639.

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Abstract

Background
Lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease afflicting more than 120 million people, while another 1.3 billion people are at risk of infection. The nematode worm Brugia malayi is one of the causative agents of the disease and exists in a mutualistic symbiosis with Wolbachia bacteria. Since extensive lateral gene transfer occurs frequently between Wolbachia and its hosts, we sought to measure the extent of such LGT in B. malayi by whole genome sequencing of Wolbachia-depleted worms.

Results
A considerable fraction (at least 115.4-kbp, or 10.6%) of the 1.08-Mbp Wolbachia wBm genome has been transferred to its nematode host and retains high levels of similarity, including 227 wBm genes and gene fragments. Complete open reading frames were transferred for 32 of these genes, meaning they have the potential to produce functional proteins. Moreover, four transfers have evidence of life stage-specific regulation of transcription at levels similar to other nematode transcripts, strengthening the possibility that they are functional.

Conclusions
There is extensive and ongoing transfer of Wolbachia DNA to the worm genome and some transfers are transcribed in a stage-specific manner at biologically relevant levels.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	QU Biochemistry > Genetics > QU 500 Genetic phenomena QW Microbiology and Immunology > Bacteria > QW 150 Proteobacteria. Rickettsiaceae, Wolbachia QX Parasitology > Helminths. Annelida > QX 203 Nematoda QX Parasitology > Helminths. Annelida > QX 301 Filarioidea WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 880 Filariasis and related conditions (General)
Faculty: Department:	Biological Sciences > Department of Tropical Disease Biology
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-14-639
Depositing User:	Martin Chapman
Date Deposited:	05 Feb 2015 16:18
Last Modified:	16 Sep 2019 09:01
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/4857

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