genome sequence of Rickettsiella viridis. Candidatus Rickettsiella viridis

Members of the genus Rickettsiella are bacterial pathogens of insects and other arthropods, phylogenetically related to notorious human pathogens Coxiella burnetii and Legionella pneumophila, and specialized for endocellular lifestyle within eukaryotic cells. Recently, a novel facultative endosymbiont Candidatus Rickettsiella viridis was described from the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, whose infection causes a striking host phenotype: red and green genetic color morphs are present in aphid populations, and when infected with the symbiont, red aphids become green due to increased green polycyclic quinone pigments. Here we determined the complete genome sequence of the symbiont. Members of the genus Rickettsiella are bacterial pathogens of insects and other arthropods, phylogenetically related to notorious human pathogens Coxiella burnetii and Legionella pneumophila, and specialized for endocellular lifestyle within eukaryotic cells. Recently, a novel facultative endosymbiont Candidatus Rickettsiella viridis was described from the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, whose infection causes a striking host phenotype: red and green genetic color morphs are present in aphid populations, and when infected with the symbiont, red aphids become green due to increased green polycyclic quinone pigments. Here we determined the complete genome sequence of the symbiont.