Diverse insects are associated with ancient bacterial symbionts, whose genomes have often
suffered drastic reduction and degeneration. In extreme cases, such symbiont genomes …

Stable endosymbiosis of a bacterium into a host cell promotes cellular and genomic
complexity. The mealybug Planococcus citri has two bacterial endosymbionts with an …

The origin of eukaryotes stands as a major open question in biology. Central to this question
is the nature and timing of the origin of the mitochondrion, an ubiquitous eukaryotic …

For most, the mere mention of lice forces an immediate hand to the head and recollection of
childhood experiences with nits, medicated shampoos, and traumatic haircuts. But for a …

Highlights•Persistent endosymbionts of insects offer valuable models to study the evolution
of intimate host–bacterial interactions.•Comparative genomics has shed light on processes …

Bacterial symbionts that undergo long-term maternal transmission experience elevated
fixation of deleterious mutations, resulting in massive loss of genes and changes in gene …

Symbiotic associations with bacteria have facilitated important evolutionary transitions in
insects and resulted in long‐term obligate interactions. Recent evidence suggests that these …

Endosymbiosis plays an important role in ecology and evolution, but fundamental aspects of
the origin of intracellular symbionts remain unclear. The extreme age of many symbiotic …

ABSTRACT Roughly 10% to 15% of insect species host heritable symbiotic bacteria known
as endosymbionts. The lice parasitizing mammals rely on endosymbionts to provide …

Background Wolbachia belong to highly abundant bacteria which are frequently found in
invertebrate microbiomes and manifest by a broad spectrum of lifestyles from parasitism to …