感染了沃爾巴克氏菌的雌性昆蟲常常會(huì)比未感染這種菌的雌性昆蟲產(chǎn)生更多的后代,，一項(xiàng)新的研究幫助解釋這種現(xiàn)象,。
沃爾巴克氏菌可感染大多數(shù)種類的昆蟲及某些其它的無脊椎動(dòng)物,，它們是由雌性宿主向下傳遞給其后代的。 許多容留這些細(xì)菌的生物體或是其攜帶者（如蚊子）或是極具破壞性的人類傳染病的致病原（如絲蟲）。
研究人員希望，更好地理解這種細(xì)菌與它們的宿主之間的相互作用可幫助他們研發(fā)絲蟲病的治療方法以及對(duì)帶菌昆蟲的控制方法,。
這種理解可能還會(huì)使人們對(duì)這種細(xì)菌的許多宿主的進(jìn)化史有所了解。 Eva Fast及其同事現(xiàn)在發(fā)現(xiàn)了宿主中的2種由沃爾巴克氏菌驅(qū)動(dòng)的細(xì)胞事件,。
他們報(bào)告說,，當(dāng)果蠅感染了這種細(xì)菌時(shí)，其生殖系干細(xì)胞的有絲分裂活性會(huì)增強(qiáng),，而在發(fā)育的卵泡室中的程序性細(xì)胞死亡會(huì)減少,。
其結(jié)果是，感染的雌性果蠅會(huì)比沒有感染的雌性果蠅產(chǎn)生的卵子多4倍,。 這些發(fā)現(xiàn)提示,，沃爾巴克氏菌已經(jīng)進(jìn)化出了一種以支持生殖系干細(xì)胞的細(xì)胞微環(huán)境為標(biāo)靶的特別能力。（生物谷 Bioon.com）
doi:10.1126/science.1209609
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Wolbachia Enhance Drosophila Stem Cell Proliferation and Target the Germline Stem Cell Niche
Eva M. Fast, Michelle E. Toomey, Kanchana Panaram, Danielle Desjardins, Eric D. Kolaczyk, Horacio M. Frydman
Wolbachia are widespread maternally transmitted intracellular bacteria that infect most insect species and are able to alter the reproduction of innumerous hosts. The cellular bases of these alterations remain largely unknown. Here, we report that Drosophila mauritiana infected with a native Wolbachia wMau strain produces about four times more eggs than the noninfected counterpart. Wolbachia infection leads to an increase in the mitotic activity of germline stem cells (GSCs) as well as a decrease in programmed cell death in the germarium. Our results suggest that up-regulation of GSCs division is mediated by a tropism of Wolbachia for the germline stem cell niche (GSCN), the cellular microenvironment that supports GSCs.
