By closely associating and influencing host cell cycle and cytoskeletal dynamics, Wolbachia has successfully proliferated and established itself in millions of insect species worldwide. Wolbachia's concentration at the centrosomes is thought to be critical to its somatic transmission. To gain further insights into the cellular mechanisms underlying Wolbachia's centrosomal localization, we have developed techniques to monitor Wolbachia in living embryos. We observed that while Wolbachia localize near centrosomes throughout the cell cycle, they do not permanently associate with the same centrosome. Wolbachia move across the mitotic spindle and exchange their centrosomal partner. These movements appear to be microtubule dependent and indicate that Wolbachia can move along microtubules in both the plus and minus directions. Wolbachia also hop between neighboring centrosomes throughout the cell cycle. Since these movements occur in regions devoid of microtubules, they may rely on other cytoskeletal elements.

Myofibrils