The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia enhances its spread via vertical transmission by generating reproductive effects in its hosts, most notably cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Additionally, freque
Microbial symbionts are widespread in insects and some of them have been associated to adaptive changes. Primary symbionts (P-symbionts) have a nutritional role that allows their hosts to feed on un
Recurring species interactions can cause species to adapt to each other. Specialization will increase the fitness of symbionts in the coevolved association but may reduce the flexibility of symbiont c
Several Trichonympha protist species in the termite gut have independently acquired Desulfovibrio ectosymbionts in apparently different stages of symbiosis. Here, we obtained the near-co
