Journal
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
Volume 80, Issue 13, Pages 3793-3803Publisher
AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00322-14
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Funding
- Center for Insect Science (University of Arizona)
- National Science Foundation award [NSF 1046153]
- NIH Director's Pioneer [1DP1OD006416-01]
- NIH [R01-HG006677]
- Swiss National Science Foundation [140157, 147881]
- Division Of Environmental Biology
- Direct For Biological Sciences [1415604] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Here, we report the genome of one gammaproteobacterial member of the gut microbiota, for which we propose the name Candidatus Schmidhempelia bombi, that was inadvertently sequenced alongside the genome of its host, the bumble bee, Bombus impatiens. This symbiont is a member of the recently described bacterial order Orbales, which has been collected from the guts of diverse insect species; however, Ca. Schmidhempelia has been identified exclusively with bumble bees. Metabolic reconstruction reveals that Ca. Schmidhempelia lacks many genes for a functioning NADH dehydrogenase I, all genes for the high-oxygen cytochrome o, and most genes in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Ca. Schmidhempelia has retained NADH dehydrogenase II, the low-oxygen specific cytochrome bd, anaerobic nitrate respiration, mixed-acid fermentation pathways, and citrate fermentation, which may be important for survival in low-oxygen or anaerobic environments found in the bee hindgut. Additionally, a type 6 secretion system, a Flp pilus, and many antibiotic/multidrug transporters suggest complex interactions with its host and other gut commensals or pathogens. This genome has signatures of reduction (2.0 megabase pairs) and rearrangement, as previously observed for genomes of host-associated bacteria. A survey of wild and laboratory B. impatiens revealed that Ca. Schmidhempelia is present in 90% of individuals and, therefore, may provide benefits to its host.
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