Dirofilaria immitis
WIKI IN PROGRESS
Ex. [[]]
Characteristics of the symbiont/pathogen
Wolbachia are of the diverse order Rickettsiales which encompasses intracellular bacteria that have commensal, mutualistic, and parasitic host relationships. Wolbachia are gram negative bacterial symbionts that take the forms of small rods and coccids and are 0.5 to 1.3 μm in size. Wolbachia is the most plentiful intracellular bacteria found to date with 65% of insect species containing this microbe. There are only two fully sequenced Wolbachia genomes available, but partial genomes have been assembled through invertebrate sequencing projects. The Wolbachia genome is small at around 1.08-1.7 Mb. There is not a fully sequenced Wolbachia genome with the Dirofilaria immitis host. However, the Wolbachia genomes that have been sequenced have a high number of replicates and repetitive factors. A large number of these repeats are ankyrin domains that are uncommon in bacteria. However, these domains influence the protein interactions of the host and pathogen. [1]
Characteristics of the host
What host/s is/are involved? Is there host specificity? Are there secondary reservoirs?
Host-Symbiont Interaction
What kind of interaction do host and symbiont have? How is the host affected by the relationship? How does the host acquire and transmit the symbiont? Is the interaction obligate or facultative?
Molecular Insights into the Symbiosis
Describe molecular/genetic studies on the symbiosis.
Ecological and Evolutionary Aspects
What is the evolutionary history of the interaction? Do particular environmental factors play a role in regulating the symbiosis?
Recent Discoveries
Describe two findings on the symbiosis published within the last two years.
References
[Sample reference] [[2] Seemanapalli SV, Xu Q, McShan K, Liang FT. 2010. Outer surface protein C is a dissemination-facilitating factor of Borrelia burgdorferi during mammalian infection. PLoS One 5:e15830.]
[1] Werren, John H., Laura Baldo, and Michael E. Clark. "Wolbachia: Master Manipulators of Invertebrate Biology." Nature Reviews Microbiology 6.10 (2008): 741-51
Edited by Jessie Holt, student of Grace Lim-Fong
