1
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Garzón MJ, Reyes-Prieto M, Gil R. The Minimal Translation Machinery: What We Can Learn From Naturally and Experimentally Reduced Genomes. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:858983. [PMID: 35479634 PMCID: PMC9035817 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.858983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The current theoretical proposals of minimal genomes have not attempted to outline the essential machinery for proper translation in cells. Here, we present a proposal of a minimal translation machinery based on (1) a comparative analysis of bacterial genomes of insects’ endosymbionts using a machine learning classification algorithm, (2) the empiric genomic information obtained from Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn3.0 the first minimal bacterial genome obtained by design and synthesis, and (3) a detailed functional analysis of the candidate genes based on essentiality according to the DEG database (Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis) and the literature. This proposed minimal translational machinery is composed by 142 genes which must be present in any synthetic prokaryotic cell designed for biotechnological purposes, 76.8% of which are shared with JCVI-syn3.0. Eight additional genes were manually included in the proposal for a proper and efficient translation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariana Reyes-Prieto
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València–Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Paterna, Spain
- Sequencing and Bioinformatics Service, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rosario Gil
- Departament de Genètica, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València–Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Paterna, Spain
- *Correspondence: Rosario Gil,
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2
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Oborník M. Organellar Evolution: A Path from Benefit to Dependence. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10010122. [PMID: 35056571 PMCID: PMC8781833 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic organelles supposedly evolved from their bacterial ancestors because of their benefits to host cells. However, organelles are quite often retained, even when the beneficial metabolic pathway is lost, due to something other than the original beneficial function. The organellar function essential for cell survival is, in the end, the result of organellar evolution, particularly losses of redundant metabolic pathways present in both the host and endosymbiont, followed by a gradual distribution of metabolic functions between the organelle and host. Such biological division of metabolic labor leads to mutual dependence of the endosymbiont and host. Changing environmental conditions, such as the gradual shift of an organism from aerobic to anaerobic conditions or light to dark, can make the original benefit useless. Therefore, it can be challenging to deduce the original beneficial function, if there is any, underlying organellar acquisition. However, it is also possible that the organelle is retained because it simply resists being eliminated or digested untill it becomes indispensable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Oborník
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic;
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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3
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Milenovic M, Ghanim M, Hoffmann L, Rapisarda C. Whitefly endosymbionts: IPM opportunity or tilting at windmills? JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE 2021; 95:543-566. [PMID: 34744550 PMCID: PMC8562023 DOI: 10.1007/s10340-021-01451-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Whiteflies are sap-sucking insects responsible for high economic losses. They colonize hundreds of plant species and cause direct feeding damage and indirect damage through transmission of devastating viruses. Modern agriculture has seen a history of invasive whitefly species and populations that expand to novel regions, bringing along fierce viruses. Control efforts are hindered by fast virus transmission, insecticide-resistant populations, and a wide host range which permits large natural reservoirs for whiteflies. Augmentative biocontrol by parasitoids while effective in suppressing high population densities in greenhouses falls short when it comes to preventing virus transmission and is ineffective in the open field. A potential source of much needed novel control strategies lays within a diverse community of whitefly endosymbionts. The idea to exploit endosymbionts for whitefly control is as old as identification of these bacteria, yet it still has not come to fruition. We review where our knowledge stands on the aspects of whitefly endosymbiont evolution, biology, metabolism, multitrophic interactions, and population dynamics. We show how these insights are bringing us closer to the goal of better integrated pest management strategies. Combining most up to date understanding of whitefly-endosymbiont interactions and recent technological advances, we discuss possibilities of disrupting and manipulating whitefly endosymbionts, as well as using them for pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Milenovic
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, Rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Università degli Studi di Catania, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), via Santa Sofia 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Murad Ghanim
- Department of Entomology, Volcani Center, ARO, HaMaccabim Road 68, PO Box 15159, 7528809 Rishon Le Tsiyon, Israel
| | - Lucien Hoffmann
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, Rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Carmelo Rapisarda
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Università degli Studi di Catania, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), via Santa Sofia 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
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4
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Militello G, Bich L, Moreno A. Functional Integration and Individuality in Prokaryotic Collective Organisations. Acta Biotheor 2021; 69:391-415. [PMID: 32816285 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-020-09390-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Both physiological and evolutionary criteria of biological individuality are underpinned by the idea that an individual is a functionally integrated whole. However, a precise account of functional integration has not been provided so far, and current notions are not developed in the details, especially in the case of composite systems. To address this issue, this paper focuses on the organisational dimension of two representative associations of prokaryotes: biofilms and the endosymbiosis between prokaryotes. Some critical voices have been raised against the thesis that biofilms are biological individuals. Nevertheless, it has not been investigated which structural and functional obstacles may prevent them from being fully integrated physiological or evolutionary units. By contrast, the endosymbiotic association of different species of prokaryotes has the potential for achieving a different type of physiological integration based on a common boundary and interlocked functions. This type of association had made it possible, under specific conditions, to evolve endosymbionts into fully integrated organelles. This paper therefore has three aims: first, to analyse the organisational conditions and the physiological mechanisms that enable integration in prokaryotic associations; second, to discuss the organisational differences between biofilms and prokaryotic endosymbiosis and the types of integration they achieve; finally, to provide a more precise account of functional integration based on these case studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guglielmo Militello
- IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind and Society, Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Avenida de Tolosa 70, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Leonardo Bich
- IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind and Society, Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Avenida de Tolosa 70, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
| | - Alvaro Moreno
- IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind and Society, Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Avenida de Tolosa 70, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
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5
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Cocco N, Llabrés M, Reyes-Prieto M, Simeoni M. MetNet: A two-level approach to reconstructing and comparing metabolic networks. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246962. [PMID: 33577575 PMCID: PMC7880445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic pathway comparison and interaction between different species can detect important information for drug engineering and medical science. In the literature, proposals for reconstructing and comparing metabolic networks present two main problems: network reconstruction requires usually human intervention to integrate information from different sources and, in metabolic comparison, the size of the networks leads to a challenging computational problem. We propose to automatically reconstruct a metabolic network on the basis of KEGG database information. Our proposal relies on a two-level representation of the huge metabolic network: the first level is graph-based and depicts pathways as nodes and relations between pathways as edges; the second level represents each metabolic pathway in terms of its reactions content. The two-level representation complies with the KEGG database, which decomposes the metabolism of all the different organisms into “reference” pathways in a standardised way. On the basis of this two-level representation, we introduce some similarity measures for both levels. They allow for both a local comparison, pathway by pathway, and a global comparison of the entire metabolism. We developed a tool, MetNet, that implements the proposed methodology. MetNet makes it possible to automatically reconstruct the metabolic network of two organisms selected in KEGG and to compare their two networks both quantitatively and visually. We validate our methodology by presenting some experiments performed with MetNet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Cocco
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Venice, Italy
| | - Mercè Llabrés
- Mathematics and Computer Science Department, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
| | - Mariana Reyes-Prieto
- Evolutionary Systems Biology of Symbionts, Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I 2 SysBio), Universitat de Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
- Sequencing and Bioinformatics Service, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencia Region (FISABIO), València, Spain
| | - Marta Simeoni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Venice, Italy
- European Centre for Living Technology (ECLT), Venice, Italy
- * E-mail:
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7
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Gruber A. What's in a name? How organelles of endosymbiotic origin can be distinguished from endosymbionts. MICROBIAL CELL (GRAZ, AUSTRIA) 2019; 6:123-133. [PMID: 30740457 PMCID: PMC6364258 DOI: 10.15698/mic2019.02.668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria and plastids evolved from free-living bacteria, but are now considered integral parts of the eukaryotic species in which they live. Therefore, they are implicitly called by the same eukaryotic species name. Historically, mitochondria and plastids were known as "organelles", even before their bacterial origin became fully established. However, since organelle evolution by endosymbiosis has become an established theory in biology, more and more endosymbiotic systems have been discovered that show various levels of host/symbiont integration. In this context, the distinction between "host/symbiont" and "eukaryote/organelle" systems is currently unclear. The criteria that are commonly considered are genetic integration (via gene transfer from the endosymbiont to the nucleus), cellular integration (synchronization of the cell cycles), and metabolic integration (the mutual dependency of the metabolisms). Here, I suggest that these criteria should be evaluated according to the resulting coupling of genetic recombination between individuals and congruence of effective population sizes, which determines if independent speciation is possible for either of the partners. I would like to call this aspect of integration "sexual symbiont integration". If the partners lose their independence in speciation, I think that they should be considered one species. The partner who maintains its genetic recombination mechanisms and life cycle should then be the name giving "host"; the other one would be the organelle. Distinguishing between organelles and symbionts according to their sexual symbiont integration is independent of any particular mechanism or structural property of the endosymbiont/host system under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansgar Gruber
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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8
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López-Madrigal S, Gil R. Et tu, Brute? Not Even Intracellular Mutualistic Symbionts Escape Horizontal Gene Transfer. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8100247. [PMID: 28961177 PMCID: PMC5664097 DOI: 10.3390/genes8100247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Many insect species maintain mutualistic relationships with endosymbiotic bacteria. In contrast to their free-living relatives, horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has traditionally been considered rare in long-term endosymbionts. Nevertheless, meta-omics exploration of certain symbiotic models has unveiled an increasing number of bacteria-bacteria and bacteria-host genetic transfers. The abundance and function of transferred loci suggest that HGT might play a major role in the evolution of the corresponding consortia, enhancing their adaptive value or buffering detrimental effects derived from the reductive evolution of endosymbionts’ genomes. Here, we comprehensively review the HGT cases recorded to date in insect-bacteria mutualistic consortia, and discuss their impact on the evolutionary success of these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio López-Madrigal
- Biologie Fonctionnelle Insectes et Interactions, UMR203 BF2I, INRA, INSA-Lyon, Université de Lyon, 69100 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Rosario Gil
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València/CSIC, 46980 Paterna (València), Spain.
- Departament de Genètica, Universitat de València, Dr. Moliner, 50, 46100 Burjassot (València), Spain.
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9
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Latorre A, Manzano-Marín A. Dissecting genome reduction and trait loss in insect endosymbionts. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1389:52-75. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amparo Latorre
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat I Biologia Evolutiva; Universitat de Valencia; C/Catedrático José Beltrán Paterna Valencia Spain
- Área de Genómica y Salud de la Fundación para el fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO)-Salud Pública; València Spain
| | - Alejandro Manzano-Marín
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat I Biologia Evolutiva; Universitat de Valencia; C/Catedrático José Beltrán Paterna Valencia Spain
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10
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Gil R, Peretó J. Small genomes and the difficulty to define minimal translation and metabolic machineries. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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11
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Santos-Garcia D, Vargas-Chavez C, Moya A, Latorre A, Silva FJ. Genome evolution in the primary endosymbiont of whiteflies sheds light on their divergence. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:873-88. [PMID: 25716826 PMCID: PMC5322561 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Whiteflies are important agricultural insect pests, whose evolutionary success is related to a long-term association with a bacterial endosymbiont, Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum. To completely characterize this endosymbiont clade, we sequenced the genomes of three new Portiera strains covering the two extant whitefly subfamilies. Using endosymbiont and mitochondrial sequences we estimated the divergence dates in the clade and used these values to understand the molecular evolution of the endosymbiont coding sequences. Portiera genomes were maintained almost completely stable in gene order and gene content during more than 125 Myr of evolution, except in the Bemisia tabaci lineage. The ancestor had already lost the genetic information transfer autonomy but was able to participate in the synthesis of all essential amino acids and carotenoids. The time of divergence of the B. tabaci complex was much more recent than previous estimations. The recent divergence of biotypes B (MEAM1 species) and Q (MED species) suggests that they still could be considered strains of the same species. We have estimated the rates of evolution of Portiera genes, synonymous and nonsynonymous, and have detected significant differences among-lineages, with most Portiera lineages evolving very slowly. Although the nonsynonymous rates were much smaller than the synonymous, the genomic dN/dS ratios were similar, discarding selection as the driver of among-lineage variation. We suggest variation in mutation rate and generation time as the responsible factors. In conclusion, the slow evolutionary rates of Portiera may have contributed to its long-term association with whiteflies, avoiding its replacement by a novel and more efficient endosymbiont.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Santos-Garcia
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Carlos Vargas-Chavez
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud, FISABIO-Salud Pública and Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud, FISABIO-Salud Pública and Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Francisco J Silva
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud, FISABIO-Salud Pública and Universitat de València, Spain
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12
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Reyes-Prieto M, Vargas-Chávez C, Latorre A, Moya A. SymbioGenomesDB: a database for the integration and access to knowledge on host-symbiont relationships. Database (Oxford) 2015; 2015:bav109. [PMID: 26607947 PMCID: PMC4659445 DOI: 10.1093/database/bav109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic relationships occur naturally throughout the tree of life, either in a commensal, mutualistic or pathogenic manner. The genomes of multiple organisms involved in symbiosis are rapidly being sequenced and becoming available, especially those from the microbial world. Currently, there are numerous databases that offer information on specific organisms or models, but none offer a global understanding on relationships between organisms, their interactions and capabilities within their niche, as well as their role as part of a system, in this case, their role in symbiosis. We have developed the SymbioGenomesDB as a community database resource for laboratories which intend to investigate and use information on the genetics and the genomics of organisms involved in these relationships. The ultimate goal of SymbioGenomesDB is to host and support the growing and vast symbiotic-host relationship information, to uncover the genetic basis of such associations. SymbioGenomesDB maintains a comprehensive organization of information on genomes of symbionts from diverse hosts throughout the Tree of Life, including their sequences, their metadata and their genomic features. This catalog of relationships was generated using computational tools, custom R scripts and manual integration of data available in public literature. As a highly curated and comprehensive systems database, SymbioGenomesDB provides web access to all the information of symbiotic organisms, their features and links to the central database NCBI. Three different tools can be found within the database to explore symbiosis-related organisms, their genes and their genomes. Also, we offer an orthology search for one or multiple genes in one or multiple organisms within symbiotic relationships, and every table, graph and output file is downloadable and easy to parse for further analysis. The robust SymbioGenomesDB will be constantly updated to cope with all the data being generated and included in major databases, in order to serve as an important, useful and timesaving tool. Database URL: http://symbiogenomesdb.uv.es.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Reyes-Prieto
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, València, Spain
| | - Carlos Vargas-Chávez
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, València, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, València, Spain, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO)-Salud Púbica, Avenida de Catalunya 21 46020, València, Spain and CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBEResp), Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, València, Spain, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO)-Salud Púbica, Avenida de Catalunya 21 46020, València, Spain and CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBEResp), Madrid, Spain
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy A. Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Texas 78712; ,
| | - Gordon M. Bennett
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Texas 78712; ,
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Santos-Garcia D, Latorre A, Moya A, Gibbs G, Hartung V, Dettner K, Kuechler SM, Silva FJ. Small but powerful, the primary endosymbiont of moss bugs, Candidatus Evansia muelleri, holds a reduced genome with large biosynthetic capabilities. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 6:1875-93. [PMID: 25115011 PMCID: PMC4122945 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Moss bugs (Coleorrhyncha: Peloridiidae) are members of the order Hemiptera, and like many hemipterans, they have symbiotic associations with intracellular bacteria to fulfill nutritional requirements resulting from their unbalanced diet. The primary endosymbiont of the moss bugs, Candidatus Evansia muelleri, is phylogenetically related to Candidatus Carsonella ruddii and Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum, primary endosymbionts of psyllids and whiteflies, respectively. In this work, we report the genome of Candidatus Evansia muelleri Xc1 from Xenophyes cascus, which is the only obligate endosymbiont present in the association. This endosymbiont possesses an extremely reduced genome similar to Carsonella and Portiera. It has crossed the borderline to be considered as an autonomous cell, requiring the support of the insect host for some housekeeping cell functions. Interestingly, in spite of its small genome size, Evansia maintains enriched amino acid (complete or partial pathways for ten essential and six nonessential amino acids) and sulfur metabolisms, probably related to the poor diet of the insect, based on bryophytes, which contains very low levels of nitrogenous and sulfur compounds. Several facts, including the congruence of host (moss bugs, whiteflies, and psyllids) and endosymbiont phylogenies and the retention of the same ribosomal RNA operon during genome reduction in Evansia, Portiera, and Carsonella, suggest the existence of an ancient endosymbiotic Halomonadaceae clade associated with Hemiptera. Three possible scenarios for the origin of these three primary endosymbiont genera are proposed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Santos-Garcia
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud (FISABIO-Salud Pública and Universitat de València), Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud (FISABIO-Salud Pública and Universitat de València), Spain
| | - George Gibbs
- School of Biological Science, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Viktor Hartung
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity, Berlin, Germany
| | - Konrad Dettner
- Department of Animal Ecology II, University of Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Stefan Martin Kuechler
- Department of Animal Ecology II, University of Bayreuth, Germany
- *Corresponding author: E-mail: ;
| | - Francisco J. Silva
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud (FISABIO-Salud Pública and Universitat de València), Spain
- *Corresponding author: E-mail: ;
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15
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Kupper M, Gupta SK, Feldhaar H, Gross R. Versatile roles of the chaperonin GroEL in microorganism-insect interactions. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2014; 353:1-10. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kupper
- Chair of Microbiology; Biocenter; University of Würzburg; Würzburg Germany
| | - Shishir K. Gupta
- Chair of Microbiology; Biocenter; University of Würzburg; Würzburg Germany
- Chair of Bioinformatics; Biocenter; University of Würzburg; Würzburg Germany
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Animal Ecology I; Bayreuth Center for Environment and Ecology Research (BayCEER); University of Bayreuth; Bayreuth Germany
| | - Roy Gross
- Chair of Microbiology; Biocenter; University of Würzburg; Würzburg Germany
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16
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Martínez-Cano DJ, Reyes-Prieto M, Martínez-Romero E, Partida-Martínez LP, Latorre A, Moya A, Delaye L. Evolution of small prokaryotic genomes. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:742. [PMID: 25610432 PMCID: PMC4285135 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/07/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
As revealed by genome sequencing, the biology of prokaryotes with reduced genomes is strikingly diverse. These include free-living prokaryotes with ∼800 genes as well as endosymbiotic bacteria with as few as ∼140 genes. Comparative genomics is revealing the evolutionary mechanisms that led to these small genomes. In the case of free-living prokaryotes, natural selection directly favored genome reduction, while in the case of endosymbiotic prokaryotes neutral processes played a more prominent role. However, new experimental data suggest that selective processes may be at operation as well for endosymbiotic prokaryotes at least during the first stages of genome reduction. Endosymbiotic prokaryotes have evolved diverse strategies for living with reduced gene sets inside a host-defined medium. These include utilization of host-encoded functions (some of them coded by genes acquired by gene transfer from the endosymbiont and/or other bacteria); metabolic complementation between co-symbionts; and forming consortiums with other bacteria within the host. Recent genome sequencing projects of intracellular mutualistic bacteria showed that previously believed universal evolutionary trends like reduced G+C content and conservation of genome synteny are not always present in highly reduced genomes. Finally, the simplified molecular machinery of some of these organisms with small genomes may be used to aid in the design of artificial minimal cells. Here we review recent genomic discoveries of the biology of prokaryotes endowed with small gene sets and discuss the evolutionary mechanisms that have been proposed to explain their peculiar nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariana Reyes-Prieto
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de ValenciaValencia, Spain
| | | | | | - Amparo Latorre
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de ValenciaValencia, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de ValenciaValencia, Spain
| | - Luis Delaye
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Cinvestav Unidad IrapuatoIrapuato, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Luis Delaye, Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Cinvestav Unidad Irapuato, Kilometer 9.6, Libramiento Norte, Carretera Irapuato-León, Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, Mexico e-mail:
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