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Becoming a Friend Instead of a Foe

An Attempt to Create Mutualistic Symbiosis

By Melissa R. Eslinger, Cameron B. Marlow

Becoming a Friend Instead of a Foe


 

Abstract

This case study centers on symbiotic relationships between insects and bacteria using Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, and the recently discovered bacterial species Sodalis praecaptivus. Until recently, the only known Sodalis species of bacteria were symbiotically associated with several different species of insects. However, free-living non-symbiont Sodalis species are being tested in several different insect species to determine if they can transition into symbiotic relationships. A pre-class assignment (see Supplemental Materials) directs students to read an open access research journal article providing a comprehensive review of S. praecaptivus and describing an experimental weevil model that parallels that of the fruit fly. A PowerPoint presentation shown in class (see Supplemental Materials) provides further background before students work in small groups to complete the case study focusing on results from D. melanogaster and S. praecaptivus model experiments.  Although developed for a genetics course, this interrupted case is appropriate for an upper-level biology course. It can be completed within a 75-minute class meeting, or adapted for shorter time periods.

   

Date Posted

01/25/2021

Overview

Objectives

  • Understand fundamental bacteria-insect symbiotic relationships.
  • Understand how to select organisms and develop an experimental design to test scientific hypotheses.
  • Analyze and interpret collected data from a symbiotic designed experiment.

Keywords

Symbiosis; bacteria-insect symbiosis; experimental modeling; Drosophila; Sodalis; quorum sensing: endosymbiont; mutation; genome degeneration;

  

Subject Headings

Biology (General)
Genetics / Heredity
Microbiology

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division

  

FORMAT

PDF, PowerPoint

   

TOPICAL AREAS

N/A

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Interrupted, Journal Article

 

 

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