Comparative genomics of a vertically transmitted thiotrophic bacterial ectosymbiont and its close free-living relative.

ABSTRACT: Thiotrophic symbioses between sulphur-oxidizing bacteria and various unicellular and metazoan eukaryotes are widespread in reducing marine environments. The giant colonial ciliate Zoothamnium niveum, however, is the only host of thioautotrophic symbionts that has been cultivated along with its symbiont, the vertically transmitted ectosymbiont Candidatus Thiobius zoothamnicola (short Thiobius). Because theoretical predictions posit a smaller genome in vertically transmitted endosymbionts compared to free-living relatives, we investigated whether this is true also for an ectosymbiont. We used metagenomics to recover the high-quality draft genome of this bacterial symbiont. For comparison we have also sequenced a closely related free-living cultured but not formally described strain Milos ODI

SUBMITTER: Espada-Hinojosa S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10952691 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature