ArticleBMC genomics2019
The first draft genomes of the ant Formica exsecta, and its Wolbachia endosymbiont reveal extensive gene transfer from endosymbiont to host.
Article in BMC genomics, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
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19 citing papers in PubMed, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Ancient but dynamic: structural expansion, massive gene duplication, and transposable element colonization in a supergene controlling ant social organization.Molecular biology and evolution · 2026Article
- Introgression and Divergence in a Young Species Group.Molecular ecology · 2026Article
- Comparative analysis of 163 ant genomes reveals recurrent horizontal gene transfer from bacteria to ants.GigaScience · 2026Article
- A Chromosome-level genome assembly of the black ant Formica fusca.Scientific data · 2025Article
- The loss of the urea cycle and ornithine metabolism in different insect orders: An omics approach.Insect molecular biology · 2025Article
- Reference genome of the kidnapper ant, Polyergus mexicanus.The Journal of heredity · 2025Article
- Genome assembly of the temporary socially parasitic spiny ant Polyrhachis lamellidens and its host Camponotus japonicus.DNA research : an international journal for rapid publication of reports on genes and genomes · 2025Article
- The genome of the solitary bee Tetrapedia diversipes (Hymenoptera, Apidae).G3 (Bethesda, Md.) · 2025Article
- Evolution of five environmentally responsive gene families in a pine-feeding sawfly,Ecology and evolution · 2023Article
- Facing lethal temperatures: Heat-shock response in desert and temperate ants.Ecology and evolution · 2023Article
- Rapid and predictable genome evolution across three hybrid ant populations.PLoS biology · 2022Article
- Article
- Assembly of a Hybrid Formica aquilonia × F. polyctena Ant Genome From a Haploid Male.The Journal of heredity · 2022Article
- Impact of host demography and evolutionary history on endosymbiont molecular evolution: A test in carpenter ants (genusEcology and evolution · 2022Article
- Multiple long-range host shifts of major Wolbachia supergroups infecting arthropods.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Hymenoptera Genome Database: new genomes and annotation datasets for improved go enrichment and orthologue analyses.Nucleic acids research · 2022Article
- Ongoing Coevolution ofMicroorganisms · 2020Article
- Transcriptomic signatures of cold adaptation and heat stress in the winter ant (Prenolepis imparis).PloS one · 2020Article
- Evolution ofPeerJ · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAdapting to changes in the environment is the foundation of species survival, and is usually thought to be a gradual process. However, transposable elements (TEs), epigenetic modifications, and/or genetic material acquired from other organisms by means of horizontal gene transfer (HGTs), can also lead to novel adaptive traits. Social insects form dense societies, which attract and maintain extra- and intracellular accessory inhabitants, which may facilitate gene transfer between species. The wood ant Formica exsecta (Formicidae; Hymenoptera), is a common ant species throughout the Palearctic region. The species is a well-established model for studies of ecological characteristics and evolutionary conflict.
resultsIn this study, we sequenced and assembled draft genomes for F. exsecta and its endosymbiont Wolbachia. The F. exsecta draft genome is 277.7 Mb long; we identify 13,767 protein coding genes, for which we provide gene ontology and protein domain annotations. This is also the first report of a Wolbachia genome from ants, and provides insights into the phylogenetic position of this endosymbiont. We also identified multiple horizontal gene transfer events (HGTs) from Wolbachia to F. exsecta. Some of these HGTs have also occurred in parallel in multiple other insect genomes, highlighting the extent of HGTs in eukaryotes.
conclusionWe present the first draft genome of ant F. exsecta, and its endosymbiont Wolbachia (wFex), and show considerable rates of gene transfer from the symbiont to the host. We expect that especially the F. exsecta genome will be valuable resource in further exploration of the molecular basis of the evolution of social organization.
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