Monday 27 November 2017

Bacterium in a beetle makes it a leaf-eater


The specialized diet of a beetle is largely due to bacteria that live inside the insect

Date:  November 16, 2017
Source:  Emory Health Sciences

Summary:
A leaf-eating beetle has evolved a symbiotic relationship that allows the insect to break down pectin. The findings on the novel function of the bacterium, which has a surprisingly tiny genome -- much smaller than previous reports on the minimum size required for an organism not subsisting within a host cell.

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