Genomic Insight into Symbiosis-Induced Insect Color Change by a Facultative Bacterial Endosymbiont, "Candidatus Rickettsiella viridis".

ABSTRACT: Members of the genus Rickettsiella are bacterial pathogens of insects and other arthropods. Recently, a novel facultative endosymbiont, "Candidatus Rickettsiella viridis," was described in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, whose infection causes a striking host phenotype: red and green genetic color morphs exist in aphid populations, and upon infection with the symbiont, red aphids become green due to increased production of green polycyclic quinone pigments. Here we determined the complete genome sequence of the symbiont. The 1.6-Mb circular genome, harboring some 1,400 protein-coding genes, was similar to the genome of entomopathogenic Rickettsiella grylli (1.6 Mb) but was smaller than the genomes of phylogenetically allied human pathogens Coxiella burneti

SUBMITTER: Nikoh N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6016236 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature