''Serratia symbiotica'' is a species of bacteria that lives as a
symbiont
Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...
of
aphid
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...
s.
In the aphid ''
Cinara cedri'', it coexists with ''
Buchnera aphidicola
''Buchnera aphidicola'', a member of the Pseudomonadota and the only species in the genus ''Buchnera'', is the primary endosymbiont of aphids, and has been studied in the pea aphid, ''Acyrthosiphon pisum''. ''Buchnera'' is believed to have had ...
'', given the latter cannot produce
tryptophan
Tryptophan (symbol Trp or W)
is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Tryptophan contains an α-amino group, an α- carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a polar molecule with a non-polar aromatic ...
.
It is also known to habitate in ''
Aphis fabae
The black bean aphid (''Aphis fabae'') is a small black insect in the genus ''Aphis'', with a broad, soft body, a member of the order Hemiptera. Other common names include blackfly, bean aphid, and beet leaf aphid. In the warmer months of the ye ...
''.
Together with other endosymbionts, it provides aphids protection against
parasitoids
In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionary strategies within parasi ...
.
References
Further reading
*Genome analysis:
External links
Type strain of ''Serratia symbiotica'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
Bacteria described in 2005
Enterobacterales
{{gammaproteobacteria-stub