Small genome of Candidatus Blochmannia, the bacterial endosymbiont of Camponotus, implies irreversible specialization to an intracellular lifestyle

J. J. Wernegreen; A. B. Lazarus; P. H. Degnan

doi:10.1099/00221287-148-8-2551

Small genome of Candidatus Blochmannia, the bacterial endosymbiont of Camponotus, implies irreversible specialization to an intracellular lifestyle

J. J. Wernegreen, A. B. Lazarus, P. H. Degnan

Microbiology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Blochmannia (Candidatus Blochmannia gen. nov.) is the primary bacterial endosymbiont of the ant genus Camponotus. Like other obligate endosymbionts of insects, Blochmannia occurs exclusively within eukaryotic cells and has experienced long-term vertical transmission through host lineages. In this study, PFGE was used to estimates the genome size of Blochmannia as approximately 800 kb, which is significantly smaller than its free-living relatives in the enterobacteria. This small genome implies that Blochmannia has deleted most of the genetic machinery of related free-living bacteria. Due to restricted gene exchange in obligate endosymbionts, the substantial gene loss in Blochmannia and other insect mutualists may reflect irreversible specialization to a host cellular environment.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	2551-2556
Number of pages	6
Journal	Microbiology
Volume	148
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-148-8-2551
State	Published - Aug 2002

Keywords

Asexuality
Bacteriocytes
Genetic drift
Genome reduction
Symbiosis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Microbiology

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title = "Small genome of Candidatus Blochmannia, the bacterial endosymbiont of Camponotus, implies irreversible specialization to an intracellular lifestyle",

abstract = "Blochmannia (Candidatus Blochmannia gen. nov.) is the primary bacterial endosymbiont of the ant genus Camponotus. Like other obligate endosymbionts of insects, Blochmannia occurs exclusively within eukaryotic cells and has experienced long-term vertical transmission through host lineages. In this study, PFGE was used to estimates the genome size of Blochmannia as approximately 800 kb, which is significantly smaller than its free-living relatives in the enterobacteria. This small genome implies that Blochmannia has deleted most of the genetic machinery of related free-living bacteria. Due to restricted gene exchange in obligate endosymbionts, the substantial gene loss in Blochmannia and other insect mutualists may reflect irreversible specialization to a host cellular environment.",

keywords = "Asexuality, Bacteriocytes, Genetic drift, Genome reduction, Symbiosis",

author = "Wernegreen, {J. J.} and Lazarus, {A. B.} and Degnan, {P. H.}",

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AU - Wernegreen, J. J.

AU - Lazarus, A. B.

AU - Degnan, P. H.

PY - 2002/8

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N2 - Blochmannia (Candidatus Blochmannia gen. nov.) is the primary bacterial endosymbiont of the ant genus Camponotus. Like other obligate endosymbionts of insects, Blochmannia occurs exclusively within eukaryotic cells and has experienced long-term vertical transmission through host lineages. In this study, PFGE was used to estimates the genome size of Blochmannia as approximately 800 kb, which is significantly smaller than its free-living relatives in the enterobacteria. This small genome implies that Blochmannia has deleted most of the genetic machinery of related free-living bacteria. Due to restricted gene exchange in obligate endosymbionts, the substantial gene loss in Blochmannia and other insect mutualists may reflect irreversible specialization to a host cellular environment.

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KW - Asexuality

KW - Bacteriocytes

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KW - Genome reduction

KW - Symbiosis

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