Members

About half of all insects living on earth are estimated to have some symbiotic microorganisms within their bodies. These symbionts do not just live inside host insects for their stable transmission from generation to generation, but establish unique relations with their hosts to provide versatile functions, for example, improvement in fitness/fecundity and protection against their natural enemies. Meanwhile, some symbionts behave more selfishly within their hosts: they manipulate host reproduction to spread through the population. “Male killing” is a form of reproductive manipulation where male offspring of symbiont-infected females are selectively killed during development. I have been studying the molecular mechanism of male killing, and recently discovered a toxin responsible for the male-specific death caused by a symbiotic bacterium. In the Hakubi project, I will elucidate the action of this bacterial protein, the so-called “male-killing toxin”. Furthermore, I will extend my mechanistic investigation into other male-killing symbionts harbored in various insect species. I hope this study will provide novel biological insights, and besides, innovative technology for controlling pest insects in the world.