Author’s Email: [email protected] Chemical ecology studies are needed to better understand the relationships between species and how the production of secondary metabolites influences these associations. The symbiotic relationship between insects, fungi and bacteria has been investigated and new findings in the area have shown how these relationships have evolved and which substances are i...

Haemoglobins are found ubiquitously in eukaryotes and many bacteria. In plants, haemoglobins were first identified in species, which can fix nitrogen via symbiosis with bacteria. Recent findings suggest that another class of haemoglobins termed as nonsymbiotic haemoglobins are present through out the plant kingdom and are expressed differentially during plant development. Limited data available...

Some organochlorine pesticides and other synthetic chemicals mimic hormones in representatives of each vertebrate class, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and fish. These compounds are called endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Similarly, hormonelike signaling has also been observed when vertebrates are exposed to plant chemicals called phytoestrogens. Previous research has sho...

Symbiotic relationships between animals and microorganisms are common in nature, yet the factors controlling the abundance and distributions of symbionts are mostly unknown. Aphids have an obligate association with the bacterium Buchnera aphidicola (the primary symbiont) that has been shown to contribute directly to aphid fitness. In addition, aphids sometimes harbor other vertically transmitte...

Locusts are able to digest the cellulose of Gramineae plants, resulting in their being considered as major crop pests. To illustrate the mechanism involved in cellulose digestion, the cellulolytic activity and zymography in the gut contents of 16 locust species were determined using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as substrate. The diversity of gut symbiotic bacteria was studied using denaturing ...

Bacteria belonging to the genera Rhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, and Azorhizobium (collectively referred to as rhizobia) grow in the soil as free-living organisms but can also live as nitrogen-fixing symbionts inside root nodule cells of legume plants. The interactions between several rhizobial species and their host plants have become models for this type of nitrogen-f...

Bacteria retain certain proteins at their cell envelopes by attaching them in a non-covalent manner to peptidoglycan, using specific protein domains, such as the prominent LysM (Lysin Motif) domain. More than 4000 (Pfam PF01476) proteins of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes have been found to contain one or more Lysin Motifs. Notably, this collection contains not only truly secreted proteins, but...

Under conditions of nitrogen limitation, soil bacteria of the genus Rhizobium are able to induce the development of symbiotic nodules on the roots of leguminous plants. During nodule organogenesis, bacteria are released endocytotically inside the invaded plant cells where they differentiate into their endosymbiotic form called bacteroids. Bacteroids surrounded by a plant-derived peribacteroid m...

The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is the causal agent of citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) and has been associated with important losses in commercial orchards of all sweet orange [Citrus sinensis (L.)] cultivars. The development of this disease depends on the environmental conditions, including the endophytic microbial community associated with the host plant. Previous studies have shown that X...

Adhesion and biofilm forming ability of symbiotic bacteria play a crucial role in host colonization and tissue infection. Bacteria benefit by adhering to their host in a manner that allows them to successfully maintain contact for the exchange of nutrients, hormones, or other necessary products. This study examined pili morphology, motility, and biofilm formation exhibited by Vibrio fischeri st...