Fig. 1: MEP-degrading genes are differentially expressed in cultured and gut-colonizing symbiont cells.

a A male of Riptortus pedestris and its dissected gut. An arrow indicates symbiotic organ with numerous crypts. The inset is a fluorescence microscopy image of the crypts infected with a GFP-labeled MEP-degrading symbiont. b MEP-degrading genes encoded in plasmid 2 of the symbiont strain SFA1. c A phylogenetic tree of mpd (292 aa), showing frequent horizontal gene transfer of the MEP-degrading gene. See also Supplementary Fig. 3. d Gene expression patterns of the MEP-degrading genes in in vitro and in vivo conditions. Mean ± SEM of three replicates are indicated. Abbreviations of chemical compounds: MEP O,O-dimethyl O-[4-nitro-m-tolyl] phosphorothioate or fenitrothion, 3M4N 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol, 2MBQ 2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone, 2MHQ 2-methylhydroquinone, THT trihydroxytoluene, TOH 2,4,6-trioxoheptanoate.