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Editorial
. 2016 Oct 19;14(1):92.
doi: 10.1186/s12915-016-0312-z.

Open questions: how does Wolbachia do what it does?

Francis M Jiggins  1
Affiliations
Editorial

Open questions: how does Wolbachia do what it does?

Francis M Jiggins. BMC Biol. .

Abstract

A common symbiont of insects, the bacterium Wolbachia has been implicated in phenomena as diverse as sex determination, pathogen defence and speciation and is being used in public health programs to prevent mosquitoes transmitting disease. Despite decades of research, we know remarkably little about how it exerts its effects.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A female Aedes aegypti mosquito taking a blood meal from her human host. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia are being released in Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Australia to prevent the transmission of dengue and Zika viruses. Photo credit: James Gathany
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The butterfly Acraea encedon is a victim of Wolbachia sex ratio distortion. In populations of A. encedon over 99 % of females are infected by a strain of Wolbachia that kills their sons, leaving most females unable to find a mate. Photo credit: Roger Jiggins
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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