Evolution of host support for two ancient bacterial symbionts with differentially degraded genomes in a leafhopper host.

ABSTRACT: Plant sap-feeding insects (Hemiptera) rely on bacterial symbionts for nutrition absent in their diets. These bacteria experience extreme genome reduction and require genetic resources from their hosts, particularly for basic cellular processes other than nutrition synthesis. The host-derived mechanisms that complete these processes have remained poorly understood. It is also unclear how hosts meet the distinct needs of multiple bacterial partners with differentially degraded genomes. To address these questions, we investigated the cell-specific gene-expression patterns in the symbiotic organs of the aster leafhopper (ALF), Macrosteles quadrilineatus (Cicadellidae). ALF harbors two intracellular symbionts that have two of the smallest known bacterial genomes: Nasuia (112 kb) a

SUBMITTER: Mao M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6294904 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature