Symbionts with eroded genomes adjust gene expression according to host life-stage and environment.

ABSTRACT: Symbiotic bacteria in long-term host associations frequently undergo extreme genome reduction. While they retain genes beneficial to the host, their repertoire of transcription factors is severely reduced. Here, we assessed whether genome-eroded symbionts can still regulate gene expression by characterizing the transcriptional responses of obligate symbionts in reed beetles to different temperatures and host life stages. These symbionts feature a small genome (~0.5 Mb), encoding for 9-10 essential amino acid biosynthesis pathways, 0-2 pectinases, and 4-5 transcription factors. We found that the symbionts respond to winter conditions by upregulating a heat-shock sigma factor and downregulating translation machinery. Across life stages, symbionts adjusted gene expression to meet the hosts' n

SUBMITTER: Carvalho ASP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12508126 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature