Ana Simão Pinto de Carvalho

Phd Thesis started in 2022
Ecology and evolution of gene expression in genome-eroded beetle symbionts
JGU Mainz
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Martin Kaltenpoth, Prof. Dr. Susanne Foitzik

Bacterial endosymbionts can suffer drastic genome reductions over evolutionary time. This often leaves them with a minimal set of genes necessary for symbiont replication and benefit provision to the host. Regulation of the provided benefits is often done by the host by controlling symbiont titers. Little is known about the importance of transcriptional regulation in such symbionts, despite the presence of certain transcription factors across symbiotic bacteria with reduced genomes. In my project, I aim at understanding the transcriptional regulatory capabilities the symbiont of the reed-beetles (Donaciinae), a symbiotic Enterobacteriaceae with a genome of 0.5 Mb. I do this by looking at changes in symbiont gene expression across host life stages and connecting them to its predicted transcription factors. Furthermore, I study how gene expression of this symbiont has changed across the Donaciinae and try to assess how host ecological niche differences may impact the gene expression of a symbiont that is genetically very similar.