Gut microbe of aphid closely related to its intracellular symbiont
1Zoological Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
Pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum harbors prokaryotic intracellular symbionts and, at least, two species of gut microbes. It has been shown that the aphid symbiont is more closely related to Escherichia coli than to any other free-living bacterium. Analysis of RFLP of their 16S rDNA and groE homologues suggested that one of the gut microbes is a close relative of E. coli and that the aphid symbiont is still closer to this microbe than to E. coli. In addition, the optimal temperature for the growth of this gut microbe was significantly lower than that of E. coli suggesting that this microbe has been adapted to the ambient temperature of the host insect and shares a very close ancestor with the aphid symbiont in common.
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