Bacterial endosymbionts in animals
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2026

Methods for the Extraction of Endosymbionts from the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci
Published on: June 19, 2017
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721, USA. nmoran@u.arizona.edu
Abstract:
Molecular phylogenetic studies reveal that many endosymbioses between bacteria and invertebrate hosts result from ancient infections followed by strict vertical transmission within host lineages. Endosymbionts display a distinctive constellation of genetic properties including AT-biased base composition, accelerated sequence evolution, and, at least sometimes, small genome size; these features suggest increased genetic drift. Molecular genetic characterization also has revealed adaptive, host-beneficial traits such as amplification of genes underlying nutrient provision.
Related Concept Videos
Eukaryotic Evolution
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
Three-Domain System of Life
Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
Diversity of Protists II
Microbial Interactions: Mutualism

