Two host clades, two bacterial arsenals: evolution through gene losses in facultative endosymbionts.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial endosymbiosis is an important evolutionary process in insects, which can harbor both obligate and facultative symbionts. The evolution of these symbionts is driven by evolutionary convergence, and they exhibit among the tiniest genomes in prokaryotes. The large host spectrum of facultative symbionts and the high diversity of strategies they use to infect new hosts probably impact the evolution of their genome and explain why they undergo less severe genomic erosion than obligate symbionts. Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa is suitable for the investigation of the genomic evolution of facultative symbionts because the bacteria are engaged in specific relationships in two clades of insects. In aphids, H. defensa is found in several species with an intermediate prevalence and confers

SUBMITTER: Rollat-Farnier PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5322557 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature