Bacterial symbionts in arthropods
Arthropods and their bacterial symbionts represent well-known models for studying microbial symbiosis and the interaction between microbes and animal. In our lab, we are particularly interested in the less well studied microbial symbionts and arthropod groups and have investigated bacterial symbionts in the wood louse Porcellio scaber, the dwarf spider Oedothorax gibbosus, mealybugs, and adelgids of the Adelges laricis/Adelges tardus species complex. This research is carried out by Alejandro Manzano Marín in collaboration with the Matthias Horn group.
Selected publications on this theme:
- Halter T, Köstlbacher S, Rattei T, Hendrickx F, Manzano-Marín A, Horn M. One to host them all: genomics of the diverse bacterial endosymbionts of the spider Oedothorax gibbosus. 2023 - Microb. Genomics, 9: 10.1099/mgen.0.00094 http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000943
- Szabó G, Schulz F, Manzano-Marín A, Toenshoff ER, Horn M. 2022. Evolutionarily recent dual obligatory symbiosis among adelgids indicates a transition between fungus- and insect-associated lifestyles. ISME J, 1: 247-256 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41396-021-01056-z
- Szabó G, Schulz F, Toenshoff ER, Volland JM, Finkel OM, Belkin S, Horn M. 2017. Convergent patterns in the evolution of mealybug symbioses involving different intrabacterial symbionts. ISME J, 3: 715-726. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2016.148