L-type symbiont (SMLS) is a bacterial symbiont commonly found in the wheat aphid . A new aphid densovirus, densovirus (SmDV), was recently identified in . In this study, the similar cellular tropism of SmDV and SMLS in aphid embryos was uncovered using in situ hybridization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutritional symbionts are restricted to specialized host cells called bacteriocytes in various insect orders. These symbionts can provide essential nutrients to the host. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying the regulation of these insect-symbiont metabolic associations remain largely unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe functional diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) affects the resistance and resilience of plant communities to environmental stress. However, considerable uncertainty remains regarding how the complex interactions among elevated atmospheric CO (eCO), nitrogen deposition (eN), precipitation (eP), and warming (eT) affect AMF communities. These global change factors (GCFs) do not occur in isolation, and their interactions likely affect AMF community structure and assembly processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntracellular symbionts in insects often have reduced genomes. Host acquisition of genes from bacteria is an important adaptation that supports symbionts. However, the function of horizontally transferred genes in insect symbiosis remains largely unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSymbionts can regulate animal reproduction in multiple ways, but the underlying physiological and biochemical mechanisms remain largely unknown. The presence of multiple lineages of maternally inherited, intracellular symbionts (the primary and secondary symbionts) in terrestrial arthropods is widespread in nature. However, the biological, metabolic, and evolutionary role of co-resident secondary symbionts for hosts is poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsect symbionts are widespread in nature and lateral gene transfer is prevalent in insect symbiosis. However, the function of horizontally transferred genes (HTGs) in insect symbiosis remains speculative, including the mechanism that enables insects to feed on plant phloem deficient in B vitamins. Previously, we found there is redundancy in biotin synthesis pathways from both whitefly Bemisia tabaci and symbiotic Hamiltonella due to the presence of whitefly HTGs.
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