Wolbachia: Endosymbiont of Onchocercid Nematodes and Their Vectors

Overview

Journal Parasit Vectors

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Parasitology
Tropical Medicine

Date 2021 May 8

PMID 33962669

Citations 19

Authors

Ranju Ravindran Santhakumari Manoj

Maria Stefania Latrofa

Sara Epis

Domenico Otranto

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular maternally transmitted, gram-negative bacterium which forms a spectrum of endosymbiotic relationships from parasitism to obligatory mutualism in a wide range of arthropods and onchocercid nematodes, respectively. In arthropods Wolbachia produces reproductive manipulations such as male killing, feminization, parthenogenesis and cytoplasmic incompatibility for its propagation and provides an additional fitness benefit for the host to protect against pathogens, whilst in onchocercid nematodes, apart from the mutual metabolic dependence, this bacterium is involved in moulting, embryogenesis, growth and survival of the host.

Methods: This review details the molecular data of Wolbachia and its effect on host biology, immunity, ecology and evolution, reproduction, endosymbiont-based treatment and control strategies exploited for filariasis. Relevant peer-reviewed scientic papers available in various authenticated scientific data bases were considered while writing the review.

Conclusions: The information presented provides an overview on Wolbachia biology and its use in the control and/or treatment of vectors, onchocercid nematodes and viral diseases of medical and veterinary importance. This offers the development of new approaches for the control of a variety of vector-borne diseases.

Citing Articles

Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry detection of Wolbachia in adult Dirofilaria immitis from dogs treated with doxycycline and ivermectin.

Chu Y, Sakamoto K, Evans C, Dzimianski M, Fricks C, Mansour A Parasit Vectors. 2025; 18(1):78.

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Insights from draft genomes of Heterodera species isolated from field soil samples.

Jain A, Li T, Huston D, Kaur J, Trollip C, Wainer J BMC Genomics. 2025; 26(1):158.

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Wolbachia enhances the survival of Drosophila infected with fungal pathogens.

Perlmutter J, Atadurdyyeva A, Schedl M, Unckless R BMC Biol. 2025; 23(1):42.

PMID: 39934832 PMC: 11817339. DOI: 10.1186/s12915-025-02130-0.

Wolbachia-Based Approaches to Controlling Mosquito-Borne Viral Threats: Innovations, AI Integration, and Future Directions in the Context of Climate Change.

Branda F, Cella E, Scarpa F, Slavov S, Bevivino A, Moretti R Viruses. 2025; 16(12.

PMID: 39772178 PMC: 11680244. DOI: 10.3390/v16121868.

Wolbachia in Antarctic terrestrial invertebrates: Absent or undiscovered?.

Serga S, Kovalenko P, Maistrenko O, Deconninck G, Shevchenko O, Iakovenko N Environ Microbiol Rep. 2024; 16(6):e70040.

PMID: 39533947 PMC: 11558105. DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.70040.

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