Molecular evidence for ongoing complementarity and horizontal gene transfer in endosymbiotic systems of mealybugs

Lopez Sergio, Beltrá Ivars Aleixandre, S. Resurrección, Soto Sánchez Antonia Isabel, LATORRE AMAPARO, ANDRÉS MOYA , ROSARIO GIL MASCARELL

2014

Frontiers in Microbiology

Intracellularbacterialsupplyofessentialaminoacidsiscommonamongsap-feedinginsects,thuscomplementingthescarcityofnitrogenouscompoundsinplantphloem.Thisisalsotheroleofthetwomealybugendosymbioticsystemswhosegenomeshavebeensequenced.InthenestedendosymbioticsystemfromPlanococcuscitri(Pseudococcinae),“CandidatusTremblayaprinceps”and“CandidatusMoranellaendobia”cooperatetosynthesizeessentialaminoacids,whileinPhenacoccusavenae(Phenacoccinae)thisfunctionisperformedbyitssingleendosymbiont“CandidatusTremblayaphenacola.”However,littleisknownregardingtheevolutionofessentialaminoacidsupplementationstrategiesinothermealybugsystems.Toaddressthisknowledgegap,wescreenedforthepresenceofsixselectedlociinvolvedinessentialaminoacidbiosynthesisinfiveadditionalmealybugspecies.WefoundevidenceofongoingcomplementarityamongendosymbiontsfrominsectsofsubfamilyPseudococcinae,aswellashorizontalgenetransferaffectingendosymbiontsfrominsectsoffamilyPhenacoccinae,providingamorecomprehensivepictureoftheevolutionaryhistoryoftheseendosymbioticsystems.Additionally,wereporttwodiagnosticmotifstohelpidentifyinvasivemealybugspecies.