Snodgrassella alvi wkB2: Difference between revisions
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Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.<br> | Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.<br> | ||
A transformed <i> S. alvi </i> wkB2 cells using RNAi have been proposed as a solution to the decreasing honey bee population (Leonard 2020). It has been shown that these synthetic <i> S. alvi </i> wkB2 cells can sucessfully colonize <i> A. mellifera </i> in the same part of the ileum that it usually occupies. This engineered microbe was transformed with a plasmid coding for double stranded RNA targeting an essential mRNA on the deformed wing virus | For <i> A. mellifera </i> two pests that have been attributed to the large decline in honey bee populations are, the Varroa mite (<i> Varroa destructor </i>) and the Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) | ||
A transformed <i> S. alvi </i> wkB2 cells using RNAi have been proposed as a solution to the decreasing honey bee population (Leonard 2020). It has been shown that these synthetic <i> S. alvi </i> wkB2 cells can sucessfully colonize <i> A. mellifera </i> in the same part of the ileum that it usually occupies. <br> | |||
This engineered microbe was transformed with a plasmid coding for double stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting an essential mRNA on the deformed wing virus which plagues the western honey bee. Leonard et al. were able to show an increase in bee survival for bees incoulated with the DWV and had sucessful colonizations of transformed <i> S. alvi </i> wkB2 cells. <br> | |||
In another experiment, <i> S. alvi </i> wkB2 was transformed with a plasmid which coded for dsRNA which targeted 14 essential Varroa mite genes. They were also able to show a decrease in survival rates for the Varroa mites feeding on these bees. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 05:54, 29 April 2020
Classification
Taxonomy
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Proteobacteria
Class: Betaproteobacteria
Order: Neisseriales
Family: Neisseriaceae
Genus: Snodgrassella
Species: alvi
Strain: wkB2
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NCBI: Taxonomy |
Names
Snodgrassella alvi wkB2
Candidatus Snodgrassella alvi wkB2
S. alvi wkB2
Description and Significance
S. alvi is a core member of the western honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) gut microbiota.
Genome Structure
Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?
The genome of S. alvi wkB2 consists of a singular circular chromosome containing 2,527,978 bp (Kwong 2014). GENES?? Of these genes, 2,299 of them code for proteins. The G+C content is 41.3% (Kwong 2014).
Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle
Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
Cell Structure
Metabolism
S. alvi wkB2 is an obligate aerobe. S. alvi wkB2 has transportation systems for taking up carboxylates like citrate, malate, & α-ketoclutarate. These can then be used in the TAC cycle. Transportation systems within S. alvi wkB2 can also allow for the uptake of lactate which can be directly converted into pyruvate through lactate dehydrogenase.
Lost Metabolic Pathways
Evidence has been found suggesting that S. alvi was able to take up and break down carbohydrates, but has since lost that ability (Kwong 2014). The Glycolosis pathway, Pentose phosphate pathway, & Entner-Doudoroff pathway have all lost essential enzymes (Kwong 2014). These pathways are typically used to convert sugars to pyruvate.
Life Cycle
Ecology
Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.
For A. mellifera two pests that have been attributed to the large decline in honey bee populations are, the Varroa mite ( Varroa destructor ) and the Deformed Wing Virus (DWV)
A transformed S. alvi wkB2 cells using RNAi have been proposed as a solution to the decreasing honey bee population (Leonard 2020). It has been shown that these synthetic S. alvi wkB2 cells can sucessfully colonize A. mellifera in the same part of the ileum that it usually occupies.
This engineered microbe was transformed with a plasmid coding for double stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting an essential mRNA on the deformed wing virus which plagues the western honey bee. Leonard et al. were able to show an increase in bee survival for bees incoulated with the DWV and had sucessful colonizations of transformed S. alvi wkB2 cells.
In another experiment, S. alvi wkB2 was transformed with a plasmid which coded for dsRNA which targeted 14 essential Varroa mite genes. They were also able to show a decrease in survival rates for the Varroa mites feeding on these bees.
References
Author
Page authored by Samantha Worthington, student of Prof. Jay Lennon at Indiana University.
