Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Verster KI
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6759069 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Verster Kirsten I KI Wisecaver Jennifer H JH Karageorgi Marianthi M Duncan Rebecca P RP Gloss Andrew D AD Armstrong Ellie E EE Price Donald K DK Menon Aruna R AR Ali Zainab M ZM Whiteman Noah K NK
Molecular biology and evolution 20191001 10
Horizontal gene transfer events have played a major role in the evolution of microbial species, but their importance in animals is less clear. Here, we report horizontal gene transfer of cytolethal distending toxin B (cdtB), prokaryotic genes encoding eukaryote-targeting DNase I toxins, into the genomes of vinegar flies (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae). We found insect-encoded cdtB genes are most closely related to orthologs from bacteriophage that infect Candidatus Ham ...[more]