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  • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4 2007 12:00 PM

Excuse Me Waiter, But There's Something In My DNA

Submitted by Flux

Edited by erin_broadley

Tags: science, biology, bacteria, DNA



Long before fly DNA became inextricable from that of Jeff Goldblum, there was Wolbachia.

On Thursday, the University of Rochester issued a press release relating that some of its scientists, in conjunction with the J. Craig Venter Institute, had discovered the entire genome of the bacterial parasite Wolbachia inside the genome of its host.

The research ... shows that lateral gene transfer—the movement of genes between unrelated species—may happen much more frequently between bacteria and multicellular organisms than scientists previously believed, posing dramatic implications for evolution.


For those of you who slept through high school biology, this means that the DNA of a parasitic bacteria has become part of the DNA of the fruit fly it was found in. Wolbachia exists within 70% of the world's invertebrates, meaning that there may be many more cases of genetically influenced bugs out there as these mutant individuals reproduce.

So, if microbes and multicellular organisms have been doing the genome shuffle, what does this mean for us? Is there a little M. tuberculosis in my making, or perhaps some M. leprae? The idea that evolution might have received a kick in the rump due to the inheritance of the genes of unrelated species makes you wonder.

"Such transfers have happened before in the distant past" notes Werren. "In our very own cells and those of nearly all plants and animals are mitochondria, special structures responsible for generating most of our cells' supply of chemical energy. These were once bacteria that lived inside cells, much like wolbachia does today. Mitochondria still retain their own, albeit tiny, DNA, and most of the genes moved into the nucleus in the very distant past. Like wolbachia, they have passively exchanged DNA with their host cells. It's possible wolbachia may follow in the path of mitochondria, eventually becoming a necessary and useful part of a cell.

"In a way, wolbachia could be the next mitochondria," says Werren. "A hundred million years from now, everyone may have a wolbachia organelle."

"Well, not us," he laughs. "We'll be long gone, but wolbachia will still be around."


Oh, shit.

I, for one, welcome our new Wolbachia overlords.

Flux would like to remind you that as a trusted intertubez personality, she can be helpful in rounding up others whose genetic code is ripe for infection.

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Comments
Skywisdom

Skywisdom

Portland, OR
December 2005

SEP 04, 2007 12:29 PM

I'm sorry, I stopped at genetically influenced bugs. This means I get to be Spider-Man, right? Right?

FunkySkunk

FunkySkunk

Gainesville, FL
July 2004

SEP 04, 2007 12:36 PM



I, for one, welcome our new Wolbachia overlords.



Wow, havn't seen that quote on these boards in awhile. Let me add I look forward to toiling in their underground genome mines...

Gerry_D

Gerry_D

Los Angeles, CA
May 2003

SEP 04, 2007 12:37 PM

If only evolution could be sped up

gcash056

gcash056

Orlando, FL
October 2004

SEP 04, 2007 12:42 PM

Gerry_D said:
If only evolution could be sped up



All the local drivers appear to be hell-bent on doing just that...

gcash056

gcash056

Orlando, FL
October 2004

SEP 04, 2007 12:46 PM

Another interesting thing about this discovery is that it's been seen before, except all the experimenters went "oh damn, I got some Wolbachia contamination in my fruit-fly DNA" and tossed the samples.

I think the hard part of this particular paper was proving beyond a doubt that the samples and laboratory protocol was pristine.

bcguitar33

bcguitar33

Jamaica Plain, MA
January 2004

SEP 04, 2007 01:05 PM

Can somebody cut to the chase? Pig and elephant DNA...might they splice?

ndklinst

ndklinst

New Albany, IN
February 2007

SEP 04, 2007 01:09 PM

Oh, the possibilities.

Flux

Flux

SUICIDEGIRL

Georgia, USA

SEP 04, 2007 01:46 PM

gcash056 said:
Another interesting thing about this discovery is that it's been seen before, except all the experimenters went "oh damn, I got some Wolbachia contamination in my fruit-fly DNA" and tossed the samples.



Well, yeah, and the implications of that are pretty incredible. They tossed out a lot of bacteria-coding as contamination when they mapped the human genome.

Going back and looking at that may be very interesting.

MrCrisp

MrCrisp

I'm lost
August 2004

SEP 04, 2007 01:53 PM

Gerry_D

Gerry_D

Los Angeles, CA
May 2003

SEP 04, 2007 02:04 PM

Flux said:

gcash056 said:
Another interesting thing about this discovery is that it's been seen before, except all the experimenters went "oh damn, I got some Wolbachia contamination in my fruit-fly DNA" and tossed the samples.



Well, yeah, and the implications of that are pretty incredible. They tossed out a lot of bacteria-coding as contamination when they mapped the human genome.

Going back and looking at that may be very interesting.



so cool. what is in there that was trashed?

Gylrek

Gylrek

Chula Vista, CA
August 2007

SEP 04, 2007 02:16 PM

very well written ,great article

Garfish

Garfish

United Kingdom
August 2007

SEP 04, 2007 02:17 PM

Hmm... does this mean that one day, potentially, specially altered bacteria could be used for gene therapy OR more importantly giving me x-ray vision?

Arcanum

Arcanum

Jersey City, NJ
June 2006

SEP 04, 2007 02:34 PM

Skywisdom said:
I'm sorry, I stopped at genetically influenced bugs. This means I get to be Spider-Man, right? Right?



I laughed over this one comment far longer than necessary. For that I apologize.

Very interesting article.

flyonwall

flyonwall

London, ON
October 2004

SEP 04, 2007 02:42 PM

Skywisdom said:
I'm sorry, I stopped at genetically influenced bugs. This means I get to be Spider-Man, right? Right?



i think that means you get to be fruit-fly man actually..

me? i'm waiting for my very own spider-pig!

Moneyshot29

Moneyshot29

Toledo, OH
May 2004

SEP 04, 2007 03:01 PM

Garfish said:
Hmm... does this mean that one day, potentially, specially altered bacteria could be used for gene therapy OR more importantly giving me x-ray vision?




That's a possibility, but I don't think that will really be in the works for quite a long time. Currently most work in the gene therapy field is using viruses, which are incredibly simple where as bacteria are quite complex. Keep It Simple, Stupid! I think viruses are still the way to go for gene therapy. That being said... I could be wrong smile

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