Diego Santos-Garcia

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• Biology, M. Sc. in Genetics, Ph. D.
• INRAe Research Scientist at French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE)

Whiteflies are important agricultural insect pests, whose evolutionary success is related to a long-term association with a bacterial endosymbiont, Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum. To completely characterize this endosymbiont clade, we sequenced the genomes of three new Portiera strains covering the two extant whitefly subfamilies. Using endosymb...

Many insect endosymbionts described so far are gram-negative bacteria. Primary endosymbionts are obligatory bacteria usually harboured by insects inside vacuoles in specialized cells called bacteriocytes. This combination produces a typical three-membrane system with one membrane derived from the insect vacuole and the other two from the bacterial...

Moss bugs (Coleorrhyncha: Peloridiidae) are members of the order Hemiptera, and like many hemipterans, they have symbiotic associations with intracellular bacteria to fulfil nutritional requirements resulting from their unbalanced diet. The primary endosymbiont of the moss bugs, Candidatus Evansia muelleri, is phylogenetically related to Candidatus...

Many insects harbour inherited bacterial endosymbionts. Although some of them are not strictly essential and are considered facultative, they can be a key to host survival under specific environmental conditions, such as parasitoid attacks, climate changes or insecticide pressures. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is top of the list of organisms inflict...

The genome of “Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum,” the primary endosymbiont of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Mediterranean species), is reported. It presents a reduced genome (357 kb) encoding the capability to synthetize, or participate in the synthesis of, several amino acids and carotenoids, being the first insect endosymbiont capable of supplyin...

Background The group of > 40 cryptic whitefly species called Bemisia tabaci sensu lato are amongst the world’s worst agricultural pests and plant-virus vectors. Outbreaks of B. tabaci s.l. and the associated plant-virus diseases continue to contribute to global food insecurity and social instability, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Pub...

The Coxiellaceae family is composed of five genera showing lifestyles ranging from free-living to symbiosis. Among them, Coxiella burnetii is a well-known pathogen causing Q fever in humans. This bacterium presents both intracellular (parasitic) and environmental (resistant) forms. Recently, several environmental Coxiella genomes have been reported...

A bstract The Coxiellaceae family is composed of five genera showing lifestyles ranging from free-living to symbiosis. Among them, Coxiella burnetii is a well-known pathogen causing Q fever in humans. This bacterium presents both intracellular (parasitic) and environmental (resistant) forms. Recently, several environmental Coxiella genomes have bee...

Although generalist insect herbivores can migrate and rapidly adapt to a broad range of host plants, they can face significant difficulties when accidentally migrating to novel and marginally-suitable hosts. What happens, both in performance and gene expression regulation, if these marginally-suitable hosts must be used for multiple generations bef...

Leprosy is a dreaded infection that still affects millions of people worldwide. Mycobacterium lepromatosis is a recently recognized cause in addition to the well-known Mycobacterium leprae . M. lepromatosis is likely specific for diffuse lepromatous leprosy, a severe form of the infection and endemic in Mexico. This study constructed and annotated...

Metabolic conversions allow organisms to produce essential metabolites from the available nutrients in an environment, frequently requiring metabolic exchanges among co-inhabiting organisms. Here, we applied genomic-based simulations for exploring tri-trophic interactions among the sap-feeding insect whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), its host-plants, and...

Supplementary Information for "Glucosylation prevents plant defense activation in phloem-feeding insects"

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a closely related group of >35 cryptic species that feed on the phloem sap of a broad range of host plants. Species in the complex differ in their host‐range breadth, but the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. We investigated, therefore, how six different B. tabaci species cope with the environmental unpred...

Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) are a superfamily of small phloem-feeding insects. They rely on their primary endosymbiont, Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum, to obtain essential amino acid not present in their diet. Portiera has been co-diverging with whiteflies since their origin and therefore reflects their host evolutionary...

Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) are a superfamily of small phloem-feeding insects. They rely on their primary endosymbionts Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum to produce essential amino acids not present in their diet. Portiera has been co-diverging with whiteflies since their origin and therefore reflects its host’s evolutionary...

The metabolic adaptations by which phloem-feeding insects counteract plant defense compounds are poorly known. Two-component plant defenses, such as glucosinolates, consist of a glucosylated protoxin that is activated by a glycoside hydrolase upon plant damage. Phloem-feeding herbivores are not generally believed to be negatively impacted by two-co...

Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) are a superfamily of small phloem-feeding insects. Their taxonomy is currently based on the morphology of nymphal stages that display phenotypic plasticity, which produces inconsistencies. To overcome this limitation, we developed a new phylogenetic framework that targets five genes of Candidatus...

The glutathione S-transferase (GST) family plays an important role in the adaptation of herbivorous insects to new host plants and other environmental constrains. The family codes for enzymes that neutralize reactive oxygen species and phytotoxins through the conjugation of reduced glutathione. Here, we studied the molecular evolution of the GST fa...

The glutathione S-transferase (GST) family plays an important role in the adaptation of herbivorous insects to new host plants and other environmental constrains. The family codes for enzymes that neutralize reactive oxygen species and phytotoxins through the conjugation of reduced glutathione. Here, we studied the molecular evolution of the GST fa...

While most insect herbivores are selective feeders, a small proportion of them feed on a wide range of plants. This polyphagous habit requires overcoming a remarkable array of defenses, which often necessitates an adaptation period. Efforts for understanding the mechanisms involved mostly focus on the insect’s phenotypic plasticity. Here, we hypoth...

A Dyella-like bacterium was previously isolated from the planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus (Hemiptera). Based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain DHo T was assigned to the family Rhodanobacteraceae with Dyella and Frateuria as its closest relatives. The closest 16S rRNA gene sequences were Frateuria aurantia DSM 6220 T (98.2 %), Dyella thiooxydans...

Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso) haplotype D (LsoD) is a suspected bacterial pathogen, spread by the phloem-feeding psyllid Bactericera trigonica Hodkinson and found to infect carrot plants throughout the Mediterranean. Haplotype D is one of six haplotypes of Lso that each have specific and overlapping host preferences, disease symptoms,...

Insect lineages feeding on nutritionally restricted diets such as phloem sap, xylem sap, or blood, were able to diversify by acquiring bacterial species that complement lacking nutrients. These bacteria, considered obligate/primary endosymbionts, share a long evolutionary history with their hosts. In some cases, however, these endosymbionts are not...

Insect‐plant associations and their role in diversification are mostly studied in specialists. Here, we aimed to identify macroevolution patterns in the relationships between generalists and their host plants that have the potential to promote diversification. We focused on the Bemisia tabaci species complex containing more than 35 cryptic species....

Background: Individual organisms are linked to their communities and ecosystems via metabolic activities. Metabolic exchanges and co-dependencies have long been suggested to have a pivotal role in determining community structure. In phloem-feeding insects such metabolic interactions with bacteria enable complementation of their deprived nutrition....

Linux cheatsheet as a mouse pad template. Can be modified with any Vector Graphics Software. InkScape is an open source alternative.

Insect lineages feeding on nutritionally restricted diets such as phloem, xylem, or blood, were able to diversify by acquiring bacterial species that complemented the missing nutrients. These bacteria, considered obligate/primary endosymbionts, share a long evolutionary history with their hosts. In some cases, however, these endosymbionts are not a...

Hemipteran insects are well-known in their ability to establish symbiotic relationships with bacteria. Among them, heteropteran insects present an array of symbiotic systems, ranging from the most common gut crypt symbiosis to the more restricted bacteriome-associated endosymbiosis, which have only been detected in members of the superfamily Lygaeo...

Many insects rely on bacterial endosymbionts to obtain nutrients that are scarce in their highly specialized diets. The most surprising example corresponds to the endosymbiotic system found in mealybugs from subfamily Pseudococcinae in which two bacteria, the betaproteobacterium /`Candidatus Tremblaya princeps/' and a gammaproteobacterium, maintain...

We report the genome sequence of Exiguobacterium chiriqhucha str. N139, isolated from a high-altitude Andean lake. Comparative genomic analyses of the Exiguobacterium genomes available suggest that our strain belongs to the same species as the previously reported E. pavilionensis str. RW-2 and Exiguobacterium str. GIC 31. We describe this species a...

Supplemental Material

rRNA copy numbers in E. chiriqhucha str. N139 and E. sp. S17. r ibosomal operons are shown in the gel, obtained by digesting the whole genome with enzyme I-Ceu l, as described in the Supplementary Methods. This enzyme binds to a 23 bp-sequence located in the middle of the 23S rRNA gene. The gel was exposed 0.5s to UV light. StLT2 corresponds to Sal...

Clade II Strain Specific Genes through their COG categories The pangenome of all the complete genome sequences of the Exiguobacterium genus from clade II was calculated with the OrthoMCL pipeline (Li, Jr & Roos, 2003; Fischer et al., 2011). From the pangenome, the core genome was calculated, as well as the Strain Specific Genes (SSGs). These SSGs c...

Megaplasmids in Exiguobacterium chiriqhucha str. N139 and E. sp. S17 (1) Weight molecular marker 50–100 kb; (2) N139; (3) S17; (4) Weight molecular marker 0.1–200 kb; (5) E. coli 3496. Three megaplasmids are observed in the Exiguobacterium strains from HAAL of sizes 250. 57, 137.48 and 48 kb in E. chiriqhucha. str. N139; and 251.98, 140.8 and 47.94...

BioCyc preliminary DB for E. chiriqhucha

Individual organisms are linked to their communities and ecosystems via metabolic activities. Metabolic exchanges and co-dependencies have long been suggested to have a pivotal role in determining community structure. Metabolic interactions with bacteria have been key drivers in the evolution of sap-feeding insects, enabling complementation of thei...

We report the genome sequence of Exiguobacterium pavilionensis str. N139, isolated from a high-altitude Andean lake. The 2,952,588-bp genome contains one chromosome and three megaplasmids. The genome analysis suggests the presence of enzymes that confer E. pavilionensis str. N139 the ability to grow under multiple environmental extreme conditions,...

We report the genome sequence of Exiguobacterium pavilionensis str. N139, isolated from a high-altitude Andean lake. The 2,952,588-bp genome contains one chromosome and three megaplasmids. The genome analysis suggests the presence of enzymes that confer E. pavilionensis str. N139 the ability to grow under multiple environmental extreme conditions,...

Bacterial lineages that establish obligate symbiotic associations with insect hosts are known to possess highly reduced genomes with streamlined metabolic functions that are commonly focused on amino acid and vitamin synthesis. We constructed a genome-scale metabolic model of the whitefly bacterial endosymbiont Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum to...

The availability of complete genome sequences of bacterial endosymbionts with strict vertical transmission to the host progeny opens the possibility to estimate molecular evolutionary rates in different lineages and understand the main biological mechanisms influencing these rates. We have compared the rates of evolution for non-synonymous and syno...

Background: Planar cell polarity (PCP) in the Drosophila eye is generated when immature ommatidial preclusters acquire opposite chirality in the dorsal and ventral halves of the eye imaginal disc and rotate 90° towards the equator. The scabrous (sca) gene is involved in R8 differentiation and in the correct spacing of ommatidial clusters in eye im...

Symbiosis between bacteria and insects is a common relationship. Some insect groups have developed specialized cells (bacteriocytes) for harbouring endosymbionts, which can be obligatory (P-endosymbiont) or facultative (S-endosymbiont). While P-endosymbionts are required by the host and exhibit a complete vertical transmission, S-endosymbionts can...

Symbiosis between bacteria and insects are estimated to be present in around 15-20% of all insect species. Members of the insct suborder Sternorrhyncha have developed specialized cells, called bacteriocytes, that harbour endosymbionts. These endosymbionts can be obligatory (primary) or facultative (secondary), depending if both the insect and the...

Existen cada vez mayores indicios de que la distribución geográfica de los insectos en general, y particularmente de las especies que se constituyen en plagas agrícolas, está cambiando a escala mundial. Las alteraciones climáticas terrestres están proporcionando a numerosas especies de insectos un mayor número de hábitats disponibles. Uno de los ej...

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is an important agricultural pest with global distribution. This phloem-sap feeder harbors a primary symbiont, "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum", which compensates for the deficient nutritional composition of its food sources, and a variety of secondary symbionts. Interestingly, all of these secondary symbionts are fou...

Bacterial endosymbiosis is an important evolutionary process in insects, which can harbor both obligate and facultative symbionts. The evolution of these symbionts is driven by evolutionary convergence, and they exhibit among the tiniest genomes in prokaryotes. The large host spectrum of facultative symbionts and the high diversity of strategies th...

This work is part of a research program which aims to elucidate the evolution of endosymbiotic bacteria using an insect-bacteria consortia as a model. The different studies carried out on insects and their endosymbiotic bacteria have shed light on intracellular live-style changes, and how different endosymbionts can interact forming endosymbiotic c...

Curated metabolic model of Ca. Evansia muelleri Xc1. The database can be viewed/edited with pathway-tools (http://bioinformatics.ai.sri.com/ptools/).

Curated metabolic model of Ca. Cardinium cBtQ1 endosymbiont of Bemisia tabaci. The database can be viewed/edited with pathway-tools (http://bioinformatics.ai.sri.com/ptools/).

Curated metabolic model of Ca. Portiera alyrodidarum BT-QVLC. The database can be viewed/edited with pathway-tools (http://bioinformatics.ai.sri.com/ptools/).

Linux cube cheat containing a selection of most used commnads. It was made for a Phylogeny workshop.

Around 15% of insects have established mutualistic relationships with bacteria. In most cases this symbioses gives some advantages to the insect like the supplementation of poor diets, resistence to different stresses, enhance descendants production... The main problem is that these bacteria are non-cultivable outside the host, for these reason seq...

Bayesian inference phylogeny based on gltA data. The three new Wolbachia strains are indicated with bold letters, and the other strains represent supergroups A, B, C, D, F, H, I, and K. Strains are designated with the names of their host species, followed by the collection site and the sample name. Bayesian posterior probabilities (top numbers) and...

Bayesian inference phylogeny based on fbpA data. The four new Wolbachia strains are indicated with bold letters, and the other strains represent supergroups A, B, D, and F. Strains are designated with the names of their host species, followed by the collection site and the sample name. Bayesian posterior probabilities (top numbers) and ML bootstrap...

Bayesian inference phylogeny based on gatB data. The 10 new Wolbachia strains are indicated with bold letters, and the other strains represent supergroups A, B, D, F, and H. Strains are designated with the names of their host species, followed by the collection site and the sample name. Bayesian posterior probabilities (top numbers) and ML bootstra...