Contrasting Patterns of Virus Protection and Functional Incompatibility Genes in Two Conspecific Wolbachia Strains from Drosophila pandora

Wolbachia strains are common endosymbionts in insects, with multiple strains often coexisting in the same species. The coexistence of multiple strains is poorly understood but may rely onWolbachia organisms having diverse phenotypic effects on their hosts. AsWolbachia is increasingly being developed as a tool to control disease transmission and suppress pest populations, it is important to understand the ways in which multipleWolbachia strains persist in natural populations and how these might then be manipulated. We have therefore investigated viral protection and the molecular basis of cytoplasmic incompatibility in two coexistingWolbachia strains with contrasting effects on host reproduction.