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Arthropod–Spiroplasma relationship in the genomic era

2014; Oxford University Press; Volume: 91; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/femsec/fiu008

1574-6941

Luis M. Bolaños, Luis E. Servín-Garcidueñas, Esperanza Martı́nez-Romero,

Plant Virus Research Studies

The genus Spiroplasma comprises wall-less, low-GC bacteria that establish pathogenic, mutualistic and commensal symbiotic associations with arthropods and plants. This review focuses on the symbiotic relationships between Spiroplasma bacteria and arthropod hosts in the context of the available genomic sequences. Spiroplasma genomes are reduced and some contain highly repetitive plectrovirus-related sequences. Spiroplasma's diversity in viral invasion susceptibility, virulence factors, substrate utilization, genome dynamics and symbiotic associations with arthropods make this bacterial genus a biological model that provides insights about the evolutionary traits that shape bacterial symbiotic relationships with eukaryotes.