Disproportionate investment in Spiralin B production limits in-host growth and favors the vertical transmission of Spiroplasma insect endosymbionts.

ABSTRACT: Insects frequently harbor endosymbionts, which are bacteria housed within host tissues. These associations are stably maintained over evolutionary timescales through vertical transmission of endosymbionts from host mothers to their offspring. Some endosymbionts manipulate host reproduction to facilitate spread within natural populations. Consequently, such infections have major impacts on insect physiology and evolution. However, technical hurdles have limited our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying such insect-endosymbiont interactions. Here, we investigate the nutritional interactions between endosymbiotic partners using the tractable insect Drosophila melanogaster and its natural endosymbiont Spiroplasma poulsonii. Using a combination of functional assays,

SUBMITTER: Masson F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9335233 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature