BLANCO, JOSE ENRICO PAOLO L.

OCTOBER 22, 2019

VENTURING THE DIVERSITY, THE PARASITIC AND MUTUALISTIC EFFECTS, AND

THE POTENTIAL APPLICATION OF WOLBACHIA

When we think of bacteria, we always assume that it is pathogenic in nature or maybe

something that could kill us. Little do we know, there are some bacteria that could help us fight
disease and control pests. One example is Wolbachia. Though this organism is special in a way
it has parasitic effect on some, but a great contributor in our world pathogenic problem by
manipulating Wolbachia. Let’s take a look on what Wolbachia really is.

Wolbachia are classified as members of order Rickettsiales which are characterized as an

intracellular bacteria. It is commonly found in different species of nematodes and arthropods. It
was mentioned that the genus Wolbachia is divided into eight supergroups with monophyletic
relationship among each other (Casiraghi, et. al., 2005). Wolbachia genus is divided accordingly
into eight supergroups with monophyletic relationship among each other. Wolbachia is reportedly
transmittable through lateral and vertical gene transfer. In that way, Wolbachia bacteria can be
used in suppressing disease infection, controlling pest population, and reducing virus
transmission (World Mosquito Program, n.d.).

The uncertainty concerning the naming of Wolbachia has for quite some time been a
problem for organizing and understanding strain diversity. In fact, one problem for traditional
phylogeny methods is the rising findings of extensive recombination among strains because it
accelerates the modification of genomic characteristics specifically surface protein, housekeeping
genes, and prophage genes together with intergenic regions (Baldo, Bordenstein, Wernegreen,
& Werren, 2005).

Invertebrates have no excuse to Wolbachia as it has the ability to grow and to operate
their reproductive process and cellular mechanism on them. Moreover, on the study of Baldo,
Clark, & Werren (2008), it has been found that a particular group of bacteria, with the genus
Candidatus Cardinium on the class of Bacteroidetes, to have a unique particular set of
reproductive manipulation.

Studies had shown that Wolbachia infection causes phenotypical effects including
Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Parthenogenesis induction, feminization, male killing, and multi-
potent Wolbachia.

First, cytoplasmic incompatibility is caused by Wolbachia infection. It is the most often

found Wolbachia-induced phenotypical effect and is described by O’Neill, Giordano, Colbert, Karr,
& Robertson (1992) as an occurrence in which certain crosses between symbiont-infected
individuals lead to embryonic death or sex ratio distortion. It was seen commonly in each host
taxon that in the process of embryonic mitosis, evident modification was seen causing a
maldevelopment which is termed asynchronous development of the pronuclei in both male and
female resulting to incompatible cross (Lassy & Karr, 1996). This phenomenon brings out diploid
into haploid organism (Reed & Werren, 1995). Despite that, the molecular mechanism that
underlie CI remain unclear even though many scientists are spending their time on searching for
the mystery of its mechanism (Poinsot, Charlat, & Mercot, 2003).

Second, on the same hand, another cause of Wolbachia infection is Parthenogenesis

induction. But this one, it only be observable in selected species which on their life stage,
arrhenotokous development, define as phenomenon where unfertilized egg turns into a male
organism, is present (Weeks & Breeuwer, 2001). In the study of Stouthamer & Kazmer (1994), it
was mentioned that Wolbachia-induced parthenogenesis is the result of cell cycle disruption
during the early embryonic improvement which is similar to cytoplasmic incompatibility and
primarily behind why unfertilized eggs experience diploid development. But among male and
female organisms, those females are those responsible for transmission of the bacteria to
offspring, while those infected males are not capable (Pannebakker, Pijnacker, Zwaan, &
Beukeboom, 2003).

Third, another cause of Wolbachia infection is feminization. The wrath of feminization on

a species was first discovered on isopods. Later years, it has been found on some species of
insects. But how? Feminization occurs in the process when genetic male organism transforms
and develops as female organism. The reason behind of it is the development of the bacteria,
Wolbachia, on the androgenic gland which is responsible for the hypertrophy and with Wolbachia
in the organism, it has the ability to inhibit the function of the gland. Specific evidence on Oniscidea
happened when it has been appeared that Wolbachia grew and multiplied inside the androgenic
organ and did its effects on it (Vandekerckhove, et al., 2003). But given this claim, the mechanism
of the feminization is still questionable because there are other cases like on Eurema hecabe,
which Wolbachia interferes with the sex-determination pathway and present until the last stage of
its development.

Fourth, same cause of Wolbachia infection is male killing. During the stage of
embryogenesis of an arthropod, male killing occurs. Because it happens on the beginning stage
of life cycle, higher rate of survival on female progeny because more food materials for them.
According to Kageyama, Nishimura, Hoshizaki, & Isikawa the reason for male killing in
lepidopteran host namely Ostrinia scapulalis was brought from feminization induced by
Wolbachia. Genetic females die during larval development when there is an absence of
Wolbachia, while in the presence of Wolbachia, feminization happen to genetic males and
eventually die during the stage of larval development. Hence, Wolbachia-induced male killing
happens through lethal feminization (Kageyama & Traut, 2004).
Fifth, there are selected strains that can induce multiple phenotype. One evidence is a
Wolbachia strain that infects the lepidopteran host Cadra cautella normally causes CI, but when
cases that the strain transferred into different host, the same strain cause male killing but not CI
(Sasaki & Ishikawa, 2000).

Given all these phenotypical effects that make the dark side of Wolbachia, there are things
that could be bright side of the bacteria. In the world full of darkness disease and terror of pests,
Wolbachia is our light for combatting such things (Bourtzis, 2008; Pfarr & Houerauf, 2006). Not
only that, but it also fights the filarial pathogenicity (Saint André, 2002). Its mechanism is to target
bacteria that causes the pathogen by taking action using anti-Wolbachia treatment together with
the use of vermicides which causes reduction of nematode load (Debrah, et. al., 2007; Debrah,
et. al., 2006; Turner, et. al., 2006; Bazzocchi, et. al., 2008). Currently, the Wolbachia genomes
are being utilized to identify possible targets for therapeutic agents. Wolbachea can also be used
in proliferation of arthropod population by means of phenotypic alteration by cytoplasmic
incapability. Wolbachia-infected males is manipulated and use as a tool in controlling pest
population by inducing elevated cytoplasmic incapability (Xi, Koo, & Dobson, 2005; Zabalou, et.
al., 2004; Dogson, Fox, & Jiggins, 2002). Moreover, the use of Wolbachia in resolving problem is
not limited with filarial pathogenicity and proliferation of the arthropod population. It is useful in
resolving world problems such as dengue fever by shortening the lives of its vectors such us
Aedes mosquitoes by also phenotypic alteration with the aid of Wolbachia (Brownstein, Hett &
O’Neill, 2003).

Though given these information, Wolbachia has a lot more to discover. Its capacity to
infect is not just for negative but also can be useful in other aspects in life. If this organism has its
effect on shortening the lives of Aedes mosquitoes, then it has the potential on killing other pest
and pathogenic vectors. To end this discussion, Wolbachia is a good counter evidence for
misconception about all bacteria are harmful. We only need to open our scientific minds and look
for the bright side of everything.
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