#Bostrichidae #beetles have two #symbionts with important functions. One encodes the pathways to produce tyrosine precursors and is presumably involved in #cuticle and #exoskeleton formation. The second recycles urea, synthesizes lysine, and is strictly #evolving with its host. These types of "dual symbioses" have only been described in sap-feeding #Hemiptera.
#Biology #Entomology #Evolution #Bacteria #Coevolution #Genome
biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/20…
Cuticle supplementation and nitrogen recycling by a dual bacterial symbiosis in a family of xylophagous beetles (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)
Many insects engage in stable nutritional symbioses with bacteria that supplement limiting essential nutrients to their host.bioRxiv