Virtually all plants and animals, including humans, are home to symbiotic microorganisms.
Symbiotic interactions can be neutral, harmful or have beneficial effects on the host …

Mammalian gut microbiomes profoundly influence host fitness, but the processes that drive
the evolution of host-microbiome systems are poorly understood. Recent studies suggest …

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is an important evolutionary force shaping prokaryotic and
eukaryotic genomes. HGT-acquired genes have been sporadically reported in insects, a …

Bacteria influence eukaryotic biology as parasitic, commensal or beneficial symbionts. Aside
from these organismal interactions, bacteria have also been important sources of new …

For over 300 million years, insects have relied on symbiotic microbes for nutrition and
defence. However, it is unclear whether specific ecological conditions have repeatedly …

For over 100 years, endosymbiotic theories have figured in thoughts about the differences
between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. More than 20 different versions of endosymbiotic …

Understanding the evolution of eukaryotic cellular complexity is one of the grand challenges
of modern biology. It has now been firmly established that mitochondria and plastids, the …

Animal hosts have initiated myriad symbiotic associations with microorganisms and often
have maintained these symbioses for millions of years, spanning drastic changes in …

Viruses and other selfish genetic elements are dominant entities in the biosphere, with
respect to both physical abundance and genetic diversity. Various selfish elements …

Many eukaryotes have obligate associations with microorganisms that are transmitted
directly between generations. A model for heritable symbiosis is the association of aphids, a …