Diversifying selection and host adaptation in two endosymbiont genomes |
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Authors: | Jeremy C Brownlie Marcin Adamski Barton Slatko Elizabeth A McGraw |
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Institution: | (1) School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, 4072 Brisbane, QLD, Australia;(2) Molecular Parasitology Division, New England Biolabs, 01938 Ipswich, MA, USA |
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Abstract: | Background The endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis infects a broad range of arthropod and filarial nematode hosts. These diverse associations form an attractive model for understanding
host:symbiont coevolution. Wolbachia 's ubiquity and ability to dramatically alter host reproductive biology also form the foundation of research strategies aimed
at controlling insect pests and vector-borne disease. The Wolbachia strains that infect nematodes are phylogenetically distinct, strictly vertically transmitted, and required by their hosts
for growth and reproduction. Insects in contrast form more fluid associations with Wolbachia. In these taxa, host populations are most often polymorphic for infection, horizontal transmission occurs between distantly
related hosts, and direct fitness effects on hosts are mild. Despite extensive interest in the Wolbachia system for many years, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms that mediate its varied interactions with
different hosts. We have compared the genomes of the Wolbachia that infect Drosophila melanogaster, w Mel and the nematode Brugia malayi, w Bm to that of an outgroup Anaplasma marginale to identify genes that have experienced diversifying selection in the Wolbachia lineages. The goal of the study was to identify likely molecular mechanisms of the symbiosis and to understand the nature
of the diverse association across different hosts. |
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