Wolbachia Effect on Drosophila melanogaster Lipid and Carbohydrate Metabolism

SIMPLE SUMMARY: A study to investigate the effect that different Wolbachia pipientis strains have on the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, starvation resistance and feeding behavior of Drosophila melanogaster females has been performed. The data obtained demonstrate that Wolbachia most likely change their hosts’ metabolism in different aspects, including the effect on energy metabolism, fitness and behavior, to ensure the host’s competitive advantage over uninfected insects, which contributes to the spread of the bacteria in the population. ABSTRACT: The effect of maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia on triglyceride and carbohydrate metabolism, starvation resistance and feeding behavior of Drosophila melanogaster females was studied. Eight D. melanogaster lines of the same nuclear background were investigated; one had no infection and served as the control, and seven others were infected with different Wolbachia strains pertaining to wMel and wMelCS groups of genotypes. Most of the infected lines had a higher overall lipid content and triglyceride level than the control line and their expression of the bmm gene regulating triglyceride catabolism was reduced. The glucose content was higher in the infected lines compared to that in the control, while their trehalose levels were similar. It was also found that the Wolbachia infection reduced the level of tps1 gene expression (coding for enzyme for trehalose synthesis from glucose) and had no effect on treh gene expression (coding for trehalose degradation enzyme). The infected lines exhibited lower appetite but higher survival under starvation compared to the control. The data obtained may indicate that Wolbachia foster their hosts’ energy exchange through increasing its lipid storage and glucose content to ensure the host’s competitive advantage over uninfected individuals. The scheme of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism regulation under Wolbachia’s influence was suggested.