The Association of Wolbachia on the Gene Expression in Drosophila Adult Testis

Abstract Background: Wolbachia is a type of intracellular symbiotic bacteria widely distributed in arthropods including most insects and nematodes. These maternally inherited bacteria can regulate the host's reproductive system in various ways for their own vertical transmission. Since the identification of Wolbachia in many insects, the relationship between Wolbachia and host has attracted great interest. Wolbachia must rely on the host cells to survive, and they can also improve the fitness of the host through a variety of ways. However, the molecular basis of interaction between Wolbachia and their host has not been well resolved so far. Results: We performed transcriptome sequencing on testis tissues of adults of Wolbachia-infected and Wolbachia-free Drosophila melanogaster. Comparison of gene expression profiles revealed 471 significantly differentially expressed genes that involved in cell metabolism, cell membrane component correlation and hydrolysis process.Conclusions: Our results show that lipid and carbohydrate metabolism are more active in Wolbachia-infected testis than in Wolbachia free testis. This work strengthens our general understanding of the Wolbachia-host intracellular relationship and may provide a new perspective for Wolbachia-mediated virus-blocking.