title: Chromosome stability and gene loss in cockroach endosymbionts.
abstract: Insect endosymbiont genomes reflect massive gene loss. Two Blattabacterium genomes display colinearity and similar gene contents, despite high orthologous gene divergence, reflecting over 140 million years of independent evolution in separate cockroach lineages. We speculate that distant homologs may replace the functions of some eliminated genes through broadened substrate specificity.
authors.affiliation: Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Zakee L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Sabree
authors.forename: Patrick H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Degnan
authors.forename: Nancy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Moran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D041963:Bacteroidetes / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000382:microbiology*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D017353:Gene Deletion; D010802:Phylogeny; D013559:Symbiosis; D026801:Synteny