ArticlebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2026
Ultra-accurate sequencing reveals an extreme transmission bottleneck in a deep-sea clam symbiosis.
Article in bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Vertically transmitted symbionts experience progressive genome degradation driven by transmission bottlenecks each host generation that reduce genetic diversity and promote fixation of deleterious mutations. Direct estimates remain rare because inference requires scarce parent-offspring samples and sequencing sensitive enough to detect rare variants. Here, we investigate symbiont transmission bottlenecks in a vesicomyid clam by deeply sampling within-host endosymbiont genetic diversity using two ultra-accurate sequencing methods. Demographic modeling revealed an effective bottleneck size of approximately eight symbionts (95% CI: 1-17 genomes) per host generation. This estimate is sharply reduced relative to prior cytological estimates of bottleneck census size, with important implications for understanding the rate and dynamics of endosymbiont genome degradation.
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