This database was developed at The University of Arizona, with the support of the National Science Foundation, Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories grant, "Discovery and characterization of bacterial endosymbiont diversity in Drosophila" (PIs are Nancy Moran, Ph.D., and Therese Markow, Ph.D.).
The bulk of the dataset was reported in Mateos, M., Castrezana, S.J., Nankivell, B.J., Estes, A.M., Markow, T.A., and Moran, N.A. (2006) Heritable Endosymbionts of Drosophila. Genetics 174: 363–376. Additional data will continue to be added from continuing screens at the University of Arizona and from other publications.
This site provides an interactive interface to the database.
Suggested format:
Flyendo: Drosophila endosymbiont database. Retrieved [date] from http://flyendo.arl.arizona.edu/
Among the most remarkable recent developments in our knowledge of biological diversity is the increase in understanding of the phylogenetic relationships and the ecological distributions of microbes. A prominent instance of this increased knowledge concerns symbionts living in the tissues and cells of eukaryotes. For example, members of all major insect orders harbor heritable symbiotic bacteria, often having substantial consequences for the biology and reproduction of hosts.
One limitation on progress in understanding the role of symbiosis in host ecology, genetics and development is the lack, to date, of general surveys for bacterial symbionts of those host taxa most amenable to genetic and experimental studies. This issue is addressed here through a program of surveying and characterizing symbiotic bacteria occurring naturally in the genus Drosophila and relatives. These flies are among the most intensively studied of all animals and provide an ideal group for which to obtain a worldwide inventory of symbiotic bacteria. The community of scientists using Drosophila to address biological questions is both huge and diverse, spanning the disciplines of genetics, development, molecular biology, ecology, and behavior.
The database of genetic and other knowledge for these insects provides unique opportunities for exploring intimate interactions between bacteria and eukaryotes, so a catalog of symbionts and their features would be invaluable. There has been no major effort to catalog symbionts in Drosophila, although a variety of symbiont lineages have been documented in specific studies.
Symbionts are being surveyed primarily in newly collected insects and are also being screened in established cultures from the Tucson Drosophila Stock Center, located at the University of Arizona. The collection scheme is designed to reveal the extent to which symbiont distributions are governed by host phylogeny, habitat, resource type, or geographic location. New collections will be made in Asia, Central America, Europe as well as several sites in the US and Mexico; they will include tropical, subtropical, temperate and boreal sites.
Symbiont screens are based on molecular features, primarily sequences of bacterial ribosomal DNA and several additional bacteria genes. For each symbiont type, vertical transmission is being tested with live insects; in situ hybridizations based on diagnostic sequences are being used to localize bacteria within host tissues; real-time PCR is being used to quantify abundance in specific tissues and individuals; and efforts are being made to establish bacterial cultures. The most studied insect symbiont, Wolbachia pipientis, is being screened, but other, little-known, symbiont lineages are the primary focus of the survey.
In addition to providing an overview of the distribution and diversity of symbionts of Drosophila, the project will yield data and materials of use to the scientific community. This will be achieved by providing online images of flies and symbionts (via a web page linked to that of the Stock Center), DNA samples of known symbionts, living lines of Drosophila harboring symbionts, and any established bacterial cultures. Fly stocks of interest will be submitted to and distributed by the Stock Center. An added value of the project will be the expansion of the living inventory of the Stock Center.