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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Testing the Physiological Barriers to Viral Transmission in Aphids Using Microinjection
Published on: May 14, 2008
Vertical transmission of biosynthetic plasmids in aphid endosymbionts (Buchnera)
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA. jwernegreen@mbl.edu
Abstract:
This study tested for horizontal transfer of plasmids among Buchnera aphidicola strains associated with ecologically and phylogenetically related aphid hosts (Uroleucon species). Phylogenetic congruence of Buchnera plasmid (trpEG and leuABC) and chromosomal (dnaN and trpB) genes supports strictly vertical long-term transmission of plasmids, which persist due to their contributions to host nutrition rather than capacity for infectious transfer. Synonymous divergences indicate elevated mutation on plasmids relative to chromosomal genes.
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