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Science 4 March 2005:
Vol. 307. no. 5714, p. 1371
DOI: 10.1126/science.307.5714.1371i
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This Week in Science
Certain cytoplasmically inherited microorganisms disturb the reproduction of their host to increase their own propagation. The mechanism by which host systems are affected are unclear. In particular, "male-killer" bacteria pass from a female insect to her daughters and sons, and selectively kill sons during embryogenesis. Around 20% of insect species may be afflicted in this way, but how do these bacteria kill just males? Veneti et al. (p. 1461) used the male-killer Spiroplasma poulsonii, which infects Drosophila melanogaster, to address this question. When male-killers were placed in flies carrying mutations within the gene dosage compensation system that is involved in male specification, any mutation in the dosage compensation complex increased the survival of male offspring.
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)
