Description
What are cutting-edge methods in symbiosis research and how are they applied across systems?
The astonishing diversity of eukaryotes results from a continuous evolution process and the emergence of functional traits. Such innovations allowed eukaryotes to adapt to all biomes and conditions on Earth and are regulated by complex genetic mechanisms. One of the key innovations that paved the way of eukaryotes diversity is their ability to establish mutualistic interactions with...
The Eurasian spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) is currently the most economically relevant pest of Norway spruce (Picea abies). This insect associates with filamentous fungi that may help it overcome the tree’s chemical defenses. However, the involvement of other microbial partners in this pest’s ecological success is unclear. In past works, we have shown that the core fungal and bacterial...
Mosquito saliva was shown to play a key role in arbovirus transmission and pathogenesis. In this study, we explored the presence of microbiota (fungi and bacteria) in mosquito saliva and their effect on mosquito-borne virus infection in vitro. Culturable fungal and bacterial colonies were isolated and identified from saliva harvested from Aedes aegypti (lab strain mosquitoes) and Culex pipiens...
Endosymbioses can give rise to new combinations of biochemical capabilities that promote evolutionary innovation and diversification. But despite the many examples of known endosymbioses across the tree of life, their de novo emergence is rare and challenging to uncover in retrospect. Using fluidic force microscopy (FluidFM), we directly implant bacteria into the filamentous fungus Rhizopus...
