organism: Planococcus citri
description: The smallest bacterial genome yet reported is from Tremblaya princeps, a symbiont of the mealybug Planococcus citri (PCIT). Tremblaya PCIT is unusual not only for having a 139 kb genome, but for possessing a bacterial endosymbiont of its own, Moranella endobia. Here, using a combination of genome and transcriptome sequencing, we show that the extreme genomic degeneracy of Tremblaya PCIT is likely due to the presence of Moranella as an endosymbiont, and that horizontal gene transfer from Tremblaya PCIT to the insect host has not been a factor enabling this reductive process. We find at least 22 expressed horizontally transferred genes from other bacterial lineages on the Pl. citri genome that appear to complement missing symbiont genes. Our data show that the functioning of this complex symbiosis is dependent on genes from at least six distinct groups of organisms, including several horizontally transferred genes from a diverse suite of bacteria to the host insect genome.
attributes.tag: estimated_size
attributes.value: 362000000
attributes.tag: ploidy
attributes.value: diploid
attributes.tag: lat_lon
attributes.value: 51.53 N 0.08 W
attributes.tag: biome
attributes.value: sap-feeding insect
attributes.tag: collection_date
attributes.value: 2012-01-01
attributes.tag: isolate
attributes.value: Logan UT, USA, and London, England
attributes.tag: feature
attributes.value: plant
attributes.tag: project_name
attributes.value: Draft genome of Planococcus citri
attributes.tag: geo_loc_name
attributes.value: United Kingdom: London
attributes.tag: investigation_type
attributes.value: eukaryote
attributes.tag: material
attributes.value: plant
attributes.tag: num_replicons
attributes.value: 1
attributes.tag: is_reference
attributes.value: 0
attributes.tag: isol_growth_condt
attributes.value: from plants
attributes.tag: env_package
attributes.value: MIGS/MIMS/MIMARKS.miscellaneous
attributes.tag: propagation
attributes.value: sexual
attributes.tag: BioSampleModel
attributes.value: MIGS.eu