Takema Fukatsu

Global transcriptional rewiring provides recurrent evolutionary routes to insect-Escherichia coli mutualism

The paper studies the evolution of insect-Escherichia coli mutualism by analyzing transcriptional changes in bacterial lineages that improve host performance.

Symbiotic Escherichia coli strains can better colonize host stinkbugs and outcompete natural symbiotic bacteria, but confer less fitness benefits

This study shows that engineered Escherichia coli strains can outcompete native Pantoea symbionts in stinkbugs but provide less host fitness benefits, revealing a conflict between colonization success and mutualism.

Adaptive laboratory evolution of a minimal cell to low temperature

This study evolves a minimal genome bacterium to grow at a lower temperature, revealing genetic and non-genetic adaptation mechanisms.

Tryptophanase disruption underlies the evolution of insect-bacterium mutualism

The paper shows that disrupting the tryptophanase gene in bacteria enables mutualism with stinkbugs, suggesting this gene loss facilitated the evolution of insect-bacterium mutualism.

Cockroach bacteriocytes migrate into the ovaries for vertical transmission of the bacterial endosymbiont Blattabacterium

The paper investigates the migration of bacteriocytes into cockroach ovaries during postembryonic development, revealing how symbiont transmission occurs through nymphal stages and inter-oocyte movement.

Uric acid accumulation in cockroach wings

This study identifies uric acid accumulation in cockroach wings, showing it is present in multiple species and reversibly affected by feeding and starvation.

Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs

The paper identifies a novel defensive fungal symbiosis in stinkbugs where females transfer fungi to eggs to protect them from wasp parasitism.

Robust and highly efficient transformation method for a minimal Mycoplasma cell

This paper introduces a highly efficient transformation method for the minimal Mycoplasma cell JCVI-syn3B, achieving transformation efficiencies up to 4.4 x 10^-2 with minimal DNA and cell amounts.

Frequent and asymmetric cell division in endosymbiotic bacteria of cockroaches

This paper reports that Blattabacterium, an endosymbiont of cockroaches, exhibits frequent and asymmetric cell division, unlike other uncultivable symbiotic bacteria.

Host range of naturally and artificially evolved symbiotic bacteria for a specific host insect

The paper investigates host specificity in symbiotic bacteria by testing artificial and natural E. coli strains in stinkbug species, finding that artificial strains show strict host specificity while natural strains have broader host ranges.

High temperature treatment optimized for symbiont suppression in an obligatory gut bacterial symbiosis in the stinkbug Plautia stali

This study investigates the effect of high temperature on symbiont suppression in the stinkbug Plautia stali, finding that 37°C treatment effectively reduces symbiont titers with minimal host damage.