Transposable element loads in a bacterial symbiont of weevils are extremely variable.

ABSTRACT: Not only are transposable elements profuse in the bacterial endosymbiont of maize weevils, but we found that their quantities also vary approximately 10-fold among individual weevils. Because multicopy elements can facilitate homologous recombination, this insertion sequence (IS) load variability suggests that these essentially asexual bacteria may exhibit substantial intraspecific genomic variation.

SUBMITTER: Dougherty KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2607175 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature