From Inquilines to Gall Inducers: Genomic Signature of a Life-Style Transition in Synergus Gall Wasps.

ABSTRACT: Gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) induce complex galls on oaks, roses, and other plants, but the mechanism of gall induction is still unknown. Here, we take a comparative genomic approach to revealing the genetic basis of gall induction. We focus on Synergus itoensis, a species that induces galls inside oak acorns. Previous studies suggested that this species evolved the ability to initiate gall formation recently, as it is deeply nested within the genus Synergus, whose members are mostly inquilines that develop inside the galls of other species. We compared the genome of S. itoensis with that of three related Synergus inquilines to identify genomic changes associated with the origin of gall induction. We used a novel Bayesian selection analysis, which accounts for branch-specific and ge

SUBMITTER: Gobbo E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7674688 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature