Finding Needles in Haystacks and Inferring Their Function: Challenges and Successes in Beneficial Symbiosis Research
ABSTRACT Symbioses between hosts and beneficial microbes are key drivers of biological innovation and diversity. While a range of systems have emerged that provide foundational insights into how symbioses function and evolve, we still have a limited understanding of the vast diversity of organisms t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2021-04-01
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| Series: | mSystems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSystems.00243-21 |
| _version_ | 1818573154521448448 |
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| author | Gordon M. Bennett Elizabeth Heath-Heckman E. Maggie Sogin |
| author_facet | Gordon M. Bennett Elizabeth Heath-Heckman E. Maggie Sogin |
| author_sort | Gordon M. Bennett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Symbioses between hosts and beneficial microbes are key drivers of biological innovation and diversity. While a range of systems have emerged that provide foundational insights into how symbioses function and evolve, we still have a limited understanding of the vast diversity of organisms that engage in such interactions. Recent advances in molecular tools, theory, and interdisciplinary approaches now permit researchers to expand our knowledge and to press forward the frontiers of symbiosis research. As described in a recent issue of mSystems, Myers and colleagues (K. N. Myers, D. Conn, and A. M. V. Brown, mSystems, 6:e01048-20, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.01048-20) conducted a genome skimming approach to understand the role of obligate beneficial symbionts in plant-parasitic dagger nematodes. Nematodes are extraordinarily abundant and key players in ecosystem function and health. However, they are difficult to harness in the lab. The approach used by Myers et al. ameliorates these challenges to illustrate a relatively complete picture of a poorly understood beneficial symbiosis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:07:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3caad5891b2544e6a9baf1f8b7c27270 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2379-5077 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:07:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | mSystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-3caad5891b2544e6a9baf1f8b7c272702022-12-21T22:42:41ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymSystems2379-50772021-04-016210.1128/mSystems.00243-21Finding Needles in Haystacks and Inferring Their Function: Challenges and Successes in Beneficial Symbiosis ResearchGordon M. Bennett0Elizabeth Heath-Heckman1E. Maggie Sogin2Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, California, USADepartment of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USADepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Merced, Merced, California, USAABSTRACT Symbioses between hosts and beneficial microbes are key drivers of biological innovation and diversity. While a range of systems have emerged that provide foundational insights into how symbioses function and evolve, we still have a limited understanding of the vast diversity of organisms that engage in such interactions. Recent advances in molecular tools, theory, and interdisciplinary approaches now permit researchers to expand our knowledge and to press forward the frontiers of symbiosis research. As described in a recent issue of mSystems, Myers and colleagues (K. N. Myers, D. Conn, and A. M. V. Brown, mSystems, 6:e01048-20, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.01048-20) conducted a genome skimming approach to understand the role of obligate beneficial symbionts in plant-parasitic dagger nematodes. Nematodes are extraordinarily abundant and key players in ecosystem function and health. However, they are difficult to harness in the lab. The approach used by Myers et al. ameliorates these challenges to illustrate a relatively complete picture of a poorly understood beneficial symbiosis.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSystems.00243-21agricultural pestbacteriaevolutiongenomenematodesnutrition |
| spellingShingle | Gordon M. Bennett Elizabeth Heath-Heckman E. Maggie Sogin Finding Needles in Haystacks and Inferring Their Function: Challenges and Successes in Beneficial Symbiosis Research mSystems agricultural pest bacteria evolution genome nematodes nutrition |
| title | Finding Needles in Haystacks and Inferring Their Function: Challenges and Successes in Beneficial Symbiosis Research |
| title_full | Finding Needles in Haystacks and Inferring Their Function: Challenges and Successes in Beneficial Symbiosis Research |
| title_fullStr | Finding Needles in Haystacks and Inferring Their Function: Challenges and Successes in Beneficial Symbiosis Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Finding Needles in Haystacks and Inferring Their Function: Challenges and Successes in Beneficial Symbiosis Research |
| title_short | Finding Needles in Haystacks and Inferring Their Function: Challenges and Successes in Beneficial Symbiosis Research |
| title_sort | finding needles in haystacks and inferring their function challenges and successes in beneficial symbiosis research |
| topic | agricultural pest bacteria evolution genome nematodes nutrition |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSystems.00243-21 |
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