Type III CI factors from wAlbB induce cytoplasmic incompatibility via a Host Modification mechanism.

wAlbB Type III cifA and cifB induce cytoplasmic incompatibility in Drosophila via a Host-Modification mechanism, acting together during early spermatogenesis.

• Why it matters: CI is central to how Wolbachia spreads through insect populations, but the molecular model—Host-Modification versus Toxin-Antidote—remains unresolved for wAlbB Type III factors.
• What they did: The study tested wAlbB cifA/cifB in cultured insect cells and transgenic Drosophila, using genetic, biochemical, cellular, and proteomic analyses to map when and how CI is triggered.
• The result: cifA and cifB are both required for CI-linked DNA damage, act in a two-by-one spermatogenesis pattern, and maternal cifA can reverse the effect, supporting HM-based CI induction.

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