ArticlePLoS pathogens2013
Dietary cholesterol modulates pathogen blocking by Wolbachia.
Article in PLoS pathogens, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 165 papers.
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Who cites it
165 citing papers in PubMed, 281 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mosquito-based malaria control through genetic, microbial and immunological innovations.Nature reviews. Microbiology · 2026Review
- Remodeling of host lipid metabolism by Wolbachia strain wAlbB is associated with lipid accumulation and cardiolipin dysregulation in the Aedes aegypti fat body.Parasites & vectors · 2026Article
- Species-Specific Bacterial Associations Emerge From Stochastically Assembled Microbiomes in Northeastern American Fireflies.Molecular ecology · 2026Article
- Horizons of the Future: Preparedness and Response.Current topics in microbiology and immunology · 2026Review
- Insect Lipid Metabolism in the Presence of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Viruses and Bacteria.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- Insect Sterols and Steroids.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- Changes in the Anopheles arabiensis transcriptome and gut microbiota profiles associated with the endosymbiotic Microsporidia MB.BMC genomics · 2025Article
- Endosymbiont hijacking of acylcarnitines regulates insect vector fecundity by suppressing the viability of stored sperm.PLoS genetics · 2025Article
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- Ecological Mercenaries: Why Aphids Remain Premier Models for the Study of Ecological Symbiosis.Insects · 2025Review
- Immune-mediated indirect interaction between gut microbiota and bacterial pathogens.BMC biology · 2025Article
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- The ecology, evolution, and physiology of Cardinium: a widespread heritable endosymbiont of invertebrates.FEMS microbiology reviews · 2025Review
- Potential effect ofFrontiers in microbiology · 2025Article
- UnveilingFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Article
- Symbiotic Bacteria: Wolbachia, Midgut Microbiota in Mosquitoes and Their Importance for Vector Prevention Strategies.Microbial ecology · 2024Review
- Viral-bacterial co-infections screen in vitro reveals molecular processes affecting pathogen proliferation and host cell viability.Nature communications · 2024Article
105 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis protects its hosts from a range of pathogens by limiting their ability to form infections inside the insect. This "pathogen blocking" could be explained by innate immune priming by the symbiont, competition for host-derived resources between pathogens and Wolbachia, or the direct modification of the cell or cellular environment by Wolbachia. Recent comparative work in Drosophila and the mosquito Aedes aegypti has shown that an immune response is not required for pathogen blocking, implying that there must be an additional component to the mechanism. Here we have examined the involvement of cholesterol in pathogen blocking using a system of dietary manipulation in Drosophila melanogaster in combination with challenge by Drosophila C virus (DCV), a common fly pathogen. We observed that flies reared on cholesterol-enriched diets infected with the Wolbachia strains wMelPop and wMelCS exhibited reduced pathogen blocking, with viral-induced mortality occurring 2-5 days earlier than flies reared on Standard diet. This shift toward greater virulence in the presence of cholesterol also corresponded to higher viral copy numbers in the host. Interestingly, an increase in dietary cholesterol did not have an effect on Wolbachia density except in one case, but this did not directly affect the strength of pathogen blocking. Our results indicate that host cholesterol levels are involved with the ability of Wolbachia-infected flies to resist DCV infections, suggesting that cholesterol contributes to the underlying mechanism of pathogen blocking.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.