Dear All,
I have a query regarding feminizing effects of Wolbachia strain in the isopod Armadillidium vulgare. In 1973, a french group published an exciting paper (Martin, G. et. al. 1973. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris III 276, 2313-2316.) in which they reported that Males infected with Wolbachia become functionally females in Armadillidium vulgare.
Wolbachia bacteria are known to reside in the isopod cells and are transmitted through one isopod to another strictly through the cytoplasm of an isopod egg; because sperms contain little or no cytoplasm, the bacteria are not trasmitted by males. Thus bacteria that end up inside a male isopod are at a dead end. So, over evolutionary time, these bacteria have developed an ability to convert male isopods into females!
The first thing that comes to mind is 'How'? Since this was reported first in 1973 and has been followed by a lot of reports, I am hopeful to find an answer to the mechanistic aspects. While this also highlights the intelligent moves developed by cells to promote their survival, what is more inquisitive to me about this conversion is that How on earth do these bacteria get to know that they are inside a male cell?
Kindly feel free to share your views in the comments section: http://hotbacteria.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/open-science
Many Thanks and Kind Regards,
Tarun Gupta
--
MSc Human Genomics
C/o Prof.Tapas Mukhopadhyay
National Centre for Human Genome Studies and Research
Panjab University
Chandigarh-India
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing ~Albert Einstein
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--
MSc Human Genomics
C/o Prof.Tapas Mukhopadhyay
National Centre for Human Genome Studies and Research
Panjab University
Chandigarh-India
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing ~Albert Einstein
*************************************************
~About Me: http://hotbacteria.wordpress.com
~Exciting Science forum: http://groups.google.com/group/exciting-science
~Scientific Information Sharing Resource: http://sisr.blogspot.com
~My Department: http://nchgsr.puchd.ac.in
*************************************************
This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.
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