Symbiotic Bacteria Enable Insect To Utilise A Nutritionally-Inadequate Diet

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 03 Dec 2008 - 8:00 PST

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Animals require a 'balanced' diet because, as a group, they lack key metabolic capabilities, including the capacity to synthesise essential amino acids and vitamins.

Some animals have escaped this metabolic limitation by forming symbioses with microorganisms that have a wider metabolic repertoire.

We have quantified the nutritional importance of symbiotic microorganisms in one animal, the pea aphid.

The observed aphid growth rate cannot be supported by the supply of essential amino acids in its diet of plant phloem sap, and the symbiotic bacteria in these insects are capable of providing sufficient essential amino acids to meet the dietary shortfall.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Proceedings B is the Royal Society's flagship biological research journal, dedicated to the rapid publication and broad dissemination of high-quality research papers, reviews and comment and reply papers. The scope of journal is diverse and is especially strong in organismal biology.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences