Wolbachia is a ubiquitous endosymbiont in arthropods that is maternally transmitted and affects host reproduction in various ways. Among these, skewing the host sex ratio towards females, either by ki...

Scientists have learned how to turn off moths’ sex signals – this could help farmers fight pests without pesticides.

Abstract. The Canary Islands harbor numerous endemic species, showcasing a wide array of colonization and diversification patterns. Butterflies belonging t

Kaur et al. identify histone acetylation as a host-encoded mechanism underlying Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Chemical and genetic inhibition of histone acetyltransferase activit...

Kaur et al. demonstrate reduced histone acetylation as a key mechanism underpinning Wolbachia’s paternal-effect embryonic lethality trait in Drosophila melanogaster. Recapitulation of this trait by in...

Silva and King discuss the concept of virulence and the ecological and evolutionary factors that shape it.

Abstract. Symbiont-mediated male killing (MK) is a mechanism that selectively eliminates male offspring, often by disrupting sex-specific developmental pro

Symbiosis is a fundamental characteristic of eukaryotic biology. Arthropods, including insects, often harbor maternally inherited endosymbiotic microb…

Bacteria belonging to the Wolbachia family employ distinct genes to kill the male offspring of different insect species.

Oscar homologs play a conserved role in Wolbachia-induced male-killing in Lepidoptera but not in other insects, highlighting the evolution of diverse male-killing mechanisms induced by Wolbachia.

Male-killing bacterial symbionts, prevalent in arthropods, skew population sex ratios by selectively killing male progeny, profoundly impacting ecolog…

Male-killing bacterial symbionts, prevalent in arthropods, skew population sex ratios by selectively killing male progeny, profoundly impacting ecology and evolution of their hosts. Male-killing is a ...