Wolbachia and the paradox of growth regulation

(Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia) The findings, described in a study published in PLOS Genetics, expand on the complex role of a region of the genome of Wolbachia called Octomom, which is known to regulate its growth inside the host. And bring to light a paradox. If Octomom is deleted, Wolbachia grows uncontrolled inside the host. If amplified, with extra copies, it also grows uncontrolled. Both absence and excess lead to the same observable characteristic.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news