Susan's Place Logo

News:

Since its founding in 1995 Susan's Place forums have blossomed into a truly global lifeline. To date we've delivered roughly 1.4 billion page views to hundreds of millions of unique visitors, guided more than 41,000 registered members through 1,985,081 posts and 188,474 topics across 193 boards, and—most importantly—helped save tens of thousands of lives by connecting people to vital information and support at their most vulnerable moments.

Main Menu

"Sex Puppeteers" Force Sex Change, Virgin Birth in Bugs via Genes

Started by Shana A, January 27, 2010, 01:21:40 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Print
Go Down Pages1
User actions

Shana A

January 27, 2010, 01:21:40 PM
 "Sex Puppeteers" Force Sex Change, Virgin Birth in Bugs via Genes

Christine Dell'Amore
National Geographic News
Published January 26, 2010

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/01/100126-sex-puppeteers-wasps-parasites-virgin-birth-sex-changes/

Fast-spreading parasite species force sex changes on their victims, induce virgin births, and turn animals into "gross monsters"—among other horrors.

Now a new study has decoded how the bacteria may be able to wreak their havoc: by shutting down immune systems.

The parasites, of the Wolbachia bacteria genus, cause a gene in wasps to stifle the insect's protein-based "alarms" against the bacterial invaders, say researchers who mapped the genomes of three species of Nasonia wasp for the first time.
"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde
  •  
Print
Go Up Pages1
User actions