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Evolutionary Rates are Correlated Between Buchnera Endosymbionts and the Mitochondrial Genomes of Their Aphid Hosts

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Abstract

The evolution of bacterial endosymbiont genomes is strongly influenced by host-driven selection. Factors affecting host genome evolution will potentially affect endosymbiont genomes in similar ways. One potential outcome is correlations in molecular rates between the genomes of the symbiotic partners. Recently, we presented the first evidence of such correlations between the mitochondrial genomes of cockroaches and the genomes of their endosymbiont (Blattabacterium cuenoti). Here we investigate whether similar patterns are found in additional host-symbiont partners. We use partial genome data from multiple strains of the bacterial endosymbionts Buchnera aphidicola and Sulcia muelleri, and the mitochondrial genomes of their sap-feeding insect hosts. Both endosymbionts show phylogenetic congruence with the mitochondria of their hosts, a result that is expected due to their identical mode of inheritance. We compared root-to-tip distances and branch lengths of phylogenetically independent species pairs. Both analyses showed a highly significant correlation of molecular rates between the genomes of Buchnera and the mitochondrial genomes of their hosts. A similar correlation was detected between Sulcia and their hosts, but was not statistically significant. Our results indicate that evolutionary rate correlations between hosts and long-term symbionts may be a widespread phenomenon.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Simon Ho for advice on data analysis, and for reviewing the manuscript

Funding

Daej A. Arab was supported by an International Postgraduate Research Stipend from the Australian Government. Nathan Lo was supported by a Future Fellowship from the Australian Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Daej A. Arab & Nathan Lo

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  1. Daej A. Arab
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  2. Nathan Lo
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DAA and NL contributed to the study conception and design. Data collection, analysis, and figure preparation were performed by DAA. DAA wrote the manuscript. DAA and NL revised the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Daej A. Arab or Nathan Lo.

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Arab, D.A., Lo, N. Evolutionary Rates are Correlated Between Buchnera Endosymbionts and the Mitochondrial Genomes of Their Aphid Hosts. J Mol Evol 89, 238–248 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-021-10001-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-021-10001-9

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