Symbiosis: An escalating arms race between a butterfly and bacterium

Matthew R. Doremus; Martha S. Hunter

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.061

Symbiosis: An escalating arms race between a butterfly and bacterium

Matthew R. Doremus
, Martha S. Hunter

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Symbiotic bacteria such as Wolbachia can dramatically affect the reproduction of their arthropod hosts, in some instances causing male progeny to die as embryos. A recent paper describes an escalating arms race over Wolbachia-mediated male-killing in a tropical butterfly, with butterfly suppression of male-killing being overcome by acquisition of an additional male-killing gene via phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	R339-R341
Journal	Current Biology
Volume	35
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.061
State	Published - May 5 2025

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Access to Document

10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.061

Cite this

@article{10243ef25c28471e892595af0d2a2ec3,

title = "Symbiosis: An escalating arms race between a butterfly and bacterium",

abstract = "Symbiotic bacteria such as Wolbachia can dramatically affect the reproduction of their arthropod hosts, in some instances causing male progeny to die as embryos. A recent paper describes an escalating arms race over Wolbachia-mediated male-killing in a tropical butterfly, with butterfly suppression of male-killing being overcome by acquisition of an additional male-killing gene via phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer.",

author = "Doremus, \{Matthew R.\} and Hunter, \{Martha S.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Inc.",

year = "2025",

month = may,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.061",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "35",

pages = "R339--R341",

journal = "Current Biology",

issn = "0960-9822",

publisher = "Cell Press",

number = "9",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Symbiosis

T2 - An escalating arms race between a butterfly and bacterium

AU - Doremus, Matthew R.

AU - Hunter, Martha S.

PY - 2025/5/5

Y1 - 2025/5/5

N2 - Symbiotic bacteria such as Wolbachia can dramatically affect the reproduction of their arthropod hosts, in some instances causing male progeny to die as embryos. A recent paper describes an escalating arms race over Wolbachia-mediated male-killing in a tropical butterfly, with butterfly suppression of male-killing being overcome by acquisition of an additional male-killing gene via phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer.

AB - Symbiotic bacteria such as Wolbachia can dramatically affect the reproduction of their arthropod hosts, in some instances causing male progeny to die as embryos. A recent paper describes an escalating arms race over Wolbachia-mediated male-killing in a tropical butterfly, with butterfly suppression of male-killing being overcome by acquisition of an additional male-killing gene via phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105003780734

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105003780734#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.061

DO - 10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.061

M3 - Comment/debate

C2 - 40328220

AN - SCOPUS:105003780734

SN - 0960-9822

VL - 35

SP - R339-R341

JO - Current Biology

JF - Current Biology

IS - 9

ER -

Symbiosis: An escalating arms race between a butterfly and bacterium

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this