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Genome degeneration affects both extracellular and intracellular bacterial endosymbionts

Heike Feldhaar1 and Roy Gross2*

Author Affiliations

1 Lehrstuhl für Verhaltensphysiologie, Barbarastraß 11, Universität Osnabrück, D-49076 Osnabrück, Germany

2 Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany

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Journal of Biology 2009, 8:31 doi:10.1186/jbiol129

Published: 6 April 2009

Abstract

The obligate intracellular bacterial endosymbionts of insects are a paradigm for reductive genome evolution. A study published recently in BMC Biology demonstrates that similar evolutionary forces shaping genome structure may also apply to extracellular endosymbionts.