Two horizontally acquired bacterial genes steer the exceptionally efficient and flexible nitrogenous waste cycling in whiteflies

文献类型： 外文期刊

第一作者： Yang, Zezhong

作者： Yang, Zezhong;Guo, Zhaojiang;Gong, Cheng;Xia, Jixing;Hu, Yuan;Zhong, Jie;Yang, Xin;Xie, Wen;Wang, Shaoli;Wu, Qingjun;Zhang, Youjun;Yang, Zezhong;Liu, Baiming;Ye, Wenfeng;Turlings, Ted C. J.;Zhou, Xuguo

作者机构：

期刊名称：SCIENCE ADVANCES （ 影响因子：13.6； 五年影响因子：15.4 ）

ISSN： 2375-2548

年卷期： 2024 年 10 卷 5 期

页码：

收录情况： SCI

摘要： Nitrogen is an essential element for all life on earth. Nitrogen metabolism, including excretion, is essential for growth, development, and survival of plants and animals alike. Several nitrogen metabolic processes have been described, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Here, we reveal a unique process of nitrogen metabolism in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, a global pest. We show that it has acquired two bacterial uricolytic enzyme genes, B. tabaci urea carboxylase (BtUCA) and B. tabaci allophanate hydrolase (BtAtzF), through horizontal gene transfer. These genes operate in conjunction to not only coordinate an efficient way of metabolizing nitrogenous waste but also control B. tabaci's exceptionally flexible nitrogen recycling capacity. Its efficient nitrogen processing explains how this important pest can feed on a vast spectrum of plants. This finding provides insight into how the hijacking of microbial genes has allowed whiteflies to develop a highly economic and stable nitrogen metabolism network and offers clues for pest management strategies.

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