By Entomology Today
An international research team has successfully mapped the genome of the bed bug (Cimex lectularius) to get a better understanding of its genetic makeup. The findings — by researchers from 36 institutions — have been published in the journal Nature Communications.
The genome is sort of like the bed bug’s blueprint. Now that the scientists have identified all of the genes that are in a bed bug, they can then figure out which ones are critical for its survival.
“This paper provides a publicly accessible resource that scientists can use to develop new and specific targets for bedbug control,” said Dr. Ed Vargo, one of the co-authors.
Notably, they discovered 805 possible instances of genes being transferred from bacteria within the bed bug to the insect’s chromosomes — a process called lateral gene transfer (LGT). Of those 805 instances, 459 have been attributed to the Arsenophonus bacteria, and 87 from Wolbachia, both of which are common bacterial associates of insects.....
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