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Bacteria Encrypts Sperm, Encourages Speciation
Loiosh writes "EurekaAlert has an interesting short report concerning sperm.
Scientists have found the most convincing evidence yet that a parasite can contribute to splitting a species in two, thanks to a phenomenon where a wasp's damaged sperm can be "rescued" or fixed only by mating with particular females. A bacterium called Wolbachia prevents the successful development of embryos in matings between two very closely related wasp species that could otherwise produce viable offspring. Instead of merely helping its host compete against non-infected hosts as many parasites do, Wolbachia actively seeks to eliminate non-infected hosts by stopping them from reproducing. To do this, the parasite alters the sperm of its male host, rendering it infertile when paired with an uninfected female. If, however, the male mates with an infected female, the damaged reproductive cells are "rescued" by the female's parasite. It's as if the bacterium encodes the sperm cell, rendering it useless unless it encounters the de-coding bacterium from another infected wasp. The result is that infected males can only impregnate other infected females, not uninfected ones, and makes it difficult for uninfected females to find a compatible mate."
I'm a computer geek who works in public health so I've been following the Wolbachia story for some time.
"Splitting a species in two is probably just a side effect of the bacteria's reproductive method, of their way of eliminating non-infected hosts."
Note that infected females can still breed with uninfected males, so the bacterium's "strategy" is to eliminate uninfected offspring. If speciation per se was beneficial to its strategy you'd expect infected females to be unable to breed with uninfected males.
This really is old news. As the article states, the effect was first discovered by entomologists in the 1950s and finally attributed to Wolbachia in the 1970s despite the fact that it was isolated in mosquitoes in the 1920s. Mosquito research is not the most aggressively funded field despite that the mosquito kills more people than any other animal on earth. Most animals we think of as "dangerous" (like sharks and grizzly bears) don't even come within five orders of magnitude of the Anopheles mosquitoes.
Wolbachia infects the reproductive organs of a wide variety of arthopods where it pulls a number interesting reengineering stunts, such as enabling virgin births.
Wolbachia has some interesting public health implications. Somebody did a paper last year that showed that some worms in the genus that causes river blindness have evolved to become dependent upon Wolbachia for survival -- and Wolbachia can be killed by tetracycline. Eighteen million people in Subsaharan Africa are infected with Onchocerca, which to date has had no effective treatment. This has tremendous economic impact in an underdeveloped region.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
This discovery could have great impact on how human beings use contraception. Every man could be infected with a modified parasite (modified just for that person) and then he will not have children until he really wants to and his mate also really wants, at which point she only has to be infected with the properly DNA modified parasite that would work with only her man. There will be no unwanted pregnancies, and both parents mutual consent would be needed to have a child. Of-course the child will inherit the parasite but that is just good for the next phase of contraception.
You can't handle the truth.
To be Numbered
A Standard for the Transmission of Encrypted IP Datagrams on WASP
Status of this Memo
This memo describes an experimental method for the encapsulation of IP datagrams on WASP (Wide-Area Sperm Protocol). This specification is primarily useful wooded areas. This is an experimental, not recommended standard. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Overview and Rational
WASP transmissions offer encryption with the complexity of DNA encoding with the convenience of naturally-occuring encoding methods via reproductive methods. The connection topology is limited to any vessel which may carry the encrypted datagrams; however, encryption and decryption of the data must be done within the confines of the reproductive genitalia of a WASP carrier. Thusly, the throughput of data is limited to the ability of the WASP to make the necessary connections with other WASPs during the transmission interval. Note that high-bandwidth transmissions are not recommended, as the carrier may die from repeated use and packets will be lost.
Frame Format
The IP datagram is submitted in the form of a complex protein strand which the WASP ingests. This is then translated into a DNA fragment in the SM (Sperm Module) and encrypted by the bacterial cultures within the host carrier. Transmission may then commence. During transmission, various system messages may be transmitted via broadcast datagrams. Some of these possible messages are:
- "0100: SYSTEM: HONEY HAVE YOU COME YET?"
- "0233: SYSTEM: WATCH WHERE YOU'RE POKING THAT THING!"
- "0355:
/dev/penile0: Device not responding"
- "0556: module 'p0rn' not found: Unable to continue"
Upon transmission to the receiving host, the datagram is decrypted using similar methods and produces the requested result.Discussion
Transmission quality of service (QoS) is dependent upon the level of low-lighting and available singular-typed WASP carriers. High transmission rates are most often found in alleys behind popular adult establishments and in dorm rooms of universities.
Security Considerations
Security is guaranteed by the complex encoding system; however, precautions should be made to keep such transmissions away from RAID devices, as this could cause premature data loss. Other outside influences, such as TROJAN viruses, may keep the data from reaching its intended recipient.
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