title: Phylogenomic analyses uncover origin and spread of the Wolbachia pandemic.
abstract: Of all obligate intracellular bacteria, Wolbachia is probably the most common. In general, Wolbachia are either widespread, opportunistic reproductive parasites of arthropods or essential mutualists in a single group of filarial nematodes, including many species of medical significance. To date, a robust phylogenetic backbone of Wolbachia is lacking and consequently, many Wolbachia-related phenomena cannot be discussed in a broader evolutionary context. Here we present the first comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of Wolbachia supergroup relationships based on new whole-genome-shotgun data. Our results suggest that Wolbachia has switched between its two major host groups at least twice. The ability of some arthropod-infecting Wolbachia to universally infect and to adapt to a broad range of hosts quickly is restricted to a single monophyletic lineage (containing supergroups A and B). Thus, the currently observable pandemic has likely a single evolutionary origin and is unique within the radiation of Wolbachia strains.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstrasse 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerth
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Marie-Theres
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gansauge
authors.affiliation: Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstrasse 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weigert
authors.affiliation: 1] Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstrasse 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany [2] German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5d, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bleidorn
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D023281:Genomics; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D010802:Phylogeny; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000235:genetics; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins