Massive presence of insertion sequences in the genome of SOPE, the primary endosymbiont of the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae Authors Rosario Gil Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Eugeni Belda Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain María J. Gosalbes Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Luis Delaye Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Faculty of Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico Agnès Vallier Functional Biology, Insects and Interactions (BF2I), IFR41, INRA, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne, France Carole Vincent-Monégat Functional Biology, Insects and Interactions (BF2I), IFR41, INRA, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne, France Abdelaziz Heddi Functional Biology, Insects and Interactions (BF2I), IFR41, INRA, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne, France Francisco J. Silva Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Andrés Moya Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Amparo Latorre Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Keywords: SOPE (Sitophilus oryzae primary endosymbiont), Sitophilus oryzae (rice weevil), insertion sequences (IS), endosymbiosis Abstract Bacteria that establish an obligate intracellular relationship with eukaryotic hosts undergo an evolutionary genomic reductive process. Recent studies have shown an increase in the number of mobile elements in the first stage of the adaptive process towards intracellular life, although these elements are absent in ancient endosymbionts. Here, the genome of SOPE, the obligate mutualistic endosymbiont of rice weevils, was used as a model to analyze the initial events that occur after symbiotic integration. During the first phases of the SOPE genome project, four different types of insertion sequence (IS) elements, belonging to well-characterized IS families from γ-proteobacteria, were identified. In the present study, these elements, which may represent more than 20% of the complete genome, were completely characterized; their relevance as a source of gene inactivation, chromosomal rearrangements, and as participants in the genome reductive process are discussed herein. [Int Microbiol 2008; 11(1): 41-48] Author Biographies Rosario Gil, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Eugeni Belda, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain María J. Gosalbes, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Luis Delaye, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Faculty of Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Faculty of Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico Agnès Vallier, Functional Biology, Insects and Interactions (BF2I), IFR41, INRA, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne, France Functional Biology, Insects and Interactions (BF2I), IFR41, INRA, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne, France Carole Vincent-Monégat, Functional Biology, Insects and Interactions (BF2I), IFR41, INRA, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne, France Functional Biology, Insects and Interactions (BF2I), IFR41, INRA, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne, France Abdelaziz Heddi, Functional Biology, Insects and Interactions (BF2I), IFR41, INRA, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne, France Functional Biology, Insects and Interactions (BF2I), IFR41, INRA, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne, France Francisco J. Silva, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Andrés Moya, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Amparo Latorre, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Genetics, University of Valencia, Spain Downloads PDF Published 2010-01-19 Issue Vol. 11 No. 1 (2008) Section Research Articles License Submission of a manuscript to International Microbiology implies: that the work described has not been published before, including publication in the World Wide Web (except in the form of an Abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that all the coauthors have agreed to its publication. 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