A reference genome for : A tiny desert-dwelling parasitoid wasp with competing sex-ratio distorters.

The tiny parasitoid wasp inhabits the Mojave Desert of the southwest United States. Populations of this tiny insect variably host up to two different sex-distorting genetic elements: (1) the endosymbiotic bacterium which induces the parthenogenetic reproduction of females, and (2) a B-chromosome, "Paternal Sex Ratio" (PSR), which converts would-be female offspring to PSR-transmitting males. We report here the genome of a -infected isofemale colony KSX58.

Identification of parthenogenesis-inducing effector proteins in .

Bacteria in the genus have evolved numerous strategies to manipulate arthropod sex, including the conversion of would-be male offspring to asexually reproducing females. This so-called "parthenogenesis-induction" phenotype can be found in a number of strains that infect arthropods with haplodiploid sex determination systems, including parasitoid wasps. Despite the discovery of microbe-mediated parthenogenesis more than 30 years ago, the underlying genetic mechanisms have remained elusive.

Common analysis of direct RNA sequencinG CUrrently leads to misidentification of mC at GCU motifs.

RNA modifications, such as methylation, can be detected with Oxford Nanopore Technologies direct RNA sequencing. One commonly used tool for detecting 5-methylcytosine (mC) modifications is Tombo, which uses an "Alternative Model" to detect putative modifications from a single sample. We examined direct RNA sequencing data from diverse taxa including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and animals.

The intracellular symbiont alters development and metabolism to buffer against nutritional stress.

Unlabelled: The intracellular bacterium is a common symbiont of many arthropods and nematodes, well studied for its impacts on host reproductive biology. However, its broad success as a vertically transmitted infection cannot be attributed to manipulations of host reproduction alone. Using the model and their natively associated strain " Mel", we show that infection supports fly development and buffers against nutritional stress.