Obligate mutualism within a host drives the extreme specialization of a fig wasp genome.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fig pollinating wasps form obligate symbioses with their fig hosts. This mutualism arose approximately 75 million years ago. Unlike many other intimate symbioses, which involve vertical transmission of symbionts to host offspring, female fig wasps fly great distances to transfer horizontally between hosts. In contrast, male wasps are wingless and cannot disperse. Symbionts that keep intimate contact with their hosts often show genome reduction, but it is not clear if the wide dispersal of female fig wasps will counteract this general tendency. We sequenced the genome of the fig wasp Ceratosolen solmsi to address this question.

Results

The genome size of the fig wasp C. solmsi is typical of insects, but has undergone dramatic reductions of gene families involved in

SUBMITTER: Xiao JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4053974 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature