Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences

Microbiome-mediated resilience and cross-generational consequences in male Drosophila exposed to combined environmental stressors

This study examines how combined environmental stressors affect male Drosophila reproduction and offspring fitness, showing microbiome diversity can buffer stress effects across generations.

The tiniest genomes shrink much further: extreme reductive evolution in planthopper symbionts

The paper presents the smallest bacterial genomes known and evaluates patterns of reductive evolution in planthopper symbionts.

Utilizing full-length 16S rRNA sequencing to assess the impact of diet formulation and age on targeted gut microbiome colonization in laboratory and mass-reared Mediterranean fruit flies

This study evaluates how diet and age affect gut microbiome colonization in Mediterranean fruit flies using full-length 16S rRNA sequencing, finding diet has a strong interaction with age in bacterial establishment.

An obligate symbiont of Haematomyzus elephantis with a strongly reduced genome resembles symbiotic bacteria in sucking lice

The paper reports the genome of a symbiotic bacterium from Haematomyzus elephantis, showing it has a highly reduced genome and retains B vitamin synthesis pathways, similar to other sucking lice symbionts.

Abiotic factors are the primary determinants of endemic Hawaiian Drosophila microbiome assembly

The study investigates how abiotic factors influence microbiome assembly in Hawaiian Drosophila, finding that elevation, temperature, rainfall, and evapotranspiration drive microbial community composition more than phylogenetic relatedness.

Concerted genome expansion of heritable symbionts in an insect host

The paper reports genome expansion in two co-infecting heritable symbionts, attributing it to host-related factors rather than a common mobile element invasion.

Variable prevalence of protective Spiroplasma infection over time in two natural populations of Drosophila hydei

The paper examines the temporal variation in Spiroplasma infection prevalence in two Drosophila hydei populations over time.

Cultures of Tyrophagus putrescentiae experimentally infected with Cardinium and Wolbachia presented reduced fitness

The paper experiments with mite cultures infected with Cardinium and Wolbachia, finding that Cardinium outcompetes Wolbachia and reduces mite population growth.

Fitness compatibility and dengue virus inhibition in a Bangladeshi strain of Aedes aegypti infected with the Wolbachia strain wAlbB

The paper creates and characterizes a Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti strain with a Dhaka genetic background, showing it has reduced dengue virus transmission potential and comparable fitness to wild-type mosquitoes.

Targeted knockdown of in vitro candidates does not alter Wolbachia density in vivo

The study tests in vivo effects of host genes identified in an in vitro RNAi screen on Wolbachia density but finds no significant changes in systemic or tissue-specific densities.

Counting rare Wolbachia endosymbionts using digital droplet PCR

This paper develops three ddPCR assays to accurately count rare Wolbachia endosymbionts in individual insect tissues, improving sensitivity over qPCR and enabling detailed studies of Wolbachia dynamics.

Vertical transmission of Wolbachia bypassing the germ line in an aphid

This study shows Wolbachia in aphids bypasses the germ line by directly transmitting from maternal bacteriocytes to embryos, using the obligate symbiont transfer system.

A stochastic ratchet during genome streamlining can commit insect endosymbionts to a parasitic or mutualistic fate

This study shows that uni-obligate endosymbionts have lost metabolic genes present in free-living bacteria and bi-obligate endosymbionts, suggesting a stochastic ratchet model for endosymbiotic fate.

The bacterial microbiome in Spider and Deathwatch beetles

This study surveys the bacterial microbiomes of 116 Ptinidae beetles, finding no consistent bacterial members and identifying Wolbachia strain variations.

Evolution of Wolbachia male-killing mechanism within a host species

This study identifies a novel male-killing mechanism in Wolbachia that persists despite the presence of a male-killing suppressor in its host.

A microbiome-derived nutrient underlies tyrosine metabolism and predator avoidance in mosquito larvae

This study shows that microbiome-derived queuosine (Q) affects tyrosine metabolism and predator avoidance in mosquito larvae, leading to impaired behavior and survival.

How The Transition of Aphid Life Cycles Affect Endosymbiotic Bacteria

This study examines how symbiotic bacteria in aphids change across their complex life cycles, finding that Buchnera is absent in sexual males and less abundant in gall-forming generations.

Wolbachia and its pWCP plasmid show differential dynamics during the development of Culex mosquitoes

This study examines the developmental dynamics of Wolbachia and its pWCP plasmid in two Culex mosquito species, finding differential abundance levels and co-replication during development.

ArtSymbioCyc, a metabolic network database collection dedicated to arthropod symbioses: a case study, the tripartite cooperation in Sipha maydis

The paper introduces ArtSymbioCyc, a database for arthropod symbiosis metabolism, and applies it to study the tripartite symbiosis in Sipha maydis, showing interdependence in amino acid and vitamin metabolism.

Horizontal gene transfers are widespread across termite genomes but do not confer metabolic innovations

Origins of cin: Lateral Gene Transfer of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Nuclease Operon to Orientia tsutsugamushi

The paper demonstrates that a cytoplasmic incompatibility operon from Wolbachia has laterally transferred to Orientia tsutsugamushi and can induce CI in Drosophila, supporting the toxin-antidote model of CI.

Enantiomer-Specific Malathion Degradation by Gut Microbes of the Colorado Potato Beetle

The paper investigates malathion degradation by gut microbes of the Colorado potato beetle, finding enantiomer-specific degradation by three bacterial isolates.

Placozoan microbiomes reveal evolutionary trajectories towards mutualism among the largely parasitic Rickettsiales

The paper studies Rickettsiales microbiomes in placozoans to reveal evolutionary shifts towards mutualism, finding some symbionts have lost parasitic traits.

Blanking on Blanks: Few Insect Microbiota Studies Control for Contaminants - A Systematic Review

This paper reviews 243 insect microbiota studies and finds that two-thirds lack negative controls, highlighting a major gap in contamination control practices.

High genomic stability of wMel Wolbachia after introgression into three geographically distinct Aedes aegypti populations

The study tracks genomic changes in wMel Wolbachia over six years in three Aedes aegypti populations and finds minimal evolution, supporting its stability as a biocontrol agent.

Characterization of an enigmatic tubular ultrastructure in the bacterial defensive symbiont of the Asian citrus psyllid

This study characterizes a unique tubular structure in the bacterial symbiont of the Asian citrus psyllid, revealing its structural features and potential role in mechanical stability and protein synthesis.

Machine Learning to Predict Gut Microbiomes of Agricultural Pests

This paper develops three machine learning models to predict gut microbiome composition in fruit flies using metagenomic data, with the best model achieving a mean Coefficient of Variance of 1.25.

Stochastic fluctuations of the facultative endosymbiont Wolbachia due to finite host population size

The paper uses a discrete generation model to show that finite host population size and maternal transmission rates drive stochastic fluctuations in Wolbachia prevalence.

Wolbachia feminizes a spider host with assistance from co-infecting symbionts

The paper identifies Wolbachia strain W1 as the feminizing agent in spiders and shows that co-infecting symbionts enhance feminization efficacy.

From Eggs to Guts: Symbiotic Association of Sodalis nezarae sp. nov. with the Southern Green Shield Bug Nezara viridula

This study identifies a new Sodalis symbiont in Nezara viridula shield bugs, showing its presence in multiple organs and suggesting paternal vertical transmission.