Genomic erosion and extensive horizontal gene transfer in gut-associated Acetobacteraceae.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Symbiotic relationships between animals and bacteria have profound impacts on the evolutionary trajectories of each partner. Animals and gut bacteria engage in a variety of relationships, occasionally persisting over evolutionary timescales. Ants are a diverse group of animals that engage in many types of associations with taxonomically distinct groups of bacterial associates. Here, we bring into culture and characterize two closely-related strains of gut associated Acetobacteraceae (AAB) of the red carpenter ant, Camponotus chromaiodes.

Results

Genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation of both strains delineate stark patterns of genomic erosion and sequence divergence in gut associated AAB. We found widespread horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in these bacterial a

SUBMITTER: Brown BP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6558740 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature