Lee M. Henry

Phenotypic divergence is driven by mobile genetic elements in a heritable insect symbiont

The paper shows that mobile genetic elements drive phenotypic divergence in the insect symbiont Regiella insecticola by mediating gene gains and losses that affect host defense.

Metabolic plasticity supports a flexible nutritional symbiosis in Cardiocondyla ants

This study shows how Cardiocondyla ants regulate their symbiotic bacteria to balance nutrient needs across different developmental and environmental conditions.

Phage toxin variants are linked to protection specificity in a defensive symbiont

The paper identifies phage toxin variants as key determinants of specificity in Hamiltonella defensa's defense against parasitoid wasps.

Defensive symbiont genotype distributions are linked to parasitoid attack networks

The paper shows that Hamiltonella defensa genotype distributions in aphids align with shared parasitoids rather than host plants, indicating parasitoids drive symbiosis prevalence.

The hologenome of Osedax frankpressi reveals the genetic interplay for the symbiotic digestion of vertebrate bone

This paper analyzes the genome of Osedax frankpressi to show how genetic changes enable symbiotic digestion of bone, with reduced immunity genes and expanded protease genes.