Population Genomics of Infectious and Integrated Wolbachia pipientis Genomes in Drosophila ananassae.

ABSTRACT: Coevolution between Drosophila and its endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis has many intriguing aspects. For example, Drosophila ananassae hosts two forms of W. pipientis genomes: One being the infectious bacterial genome and the other integrated into the host nuclear genome. Here, we characterize the infectious and integrated genomes of W. pipientis infecting D. ananassae (wAna), by genome sequencing 15 strains of D. ananassae that have either the infectious or integrated wAna genomes. Results indicate evolutionarily stable maternal transmission for the infectious wAna genome suggesting a relatively long-term coevolution with its host. In contrast, the integrated wAna genome showed pseudogene-like characteristics accumulating many variants that are predicted to have deleterious effects if pre

SUBMITTER: Choi JY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4558871 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature