HORIZONTAL TRANSFER. “The frequent loss of cif genes raises a paradox when trying to explain the high prevalence of CI across Wolbachia strains. Hurst and McVean (1996) argued that CI-inducing Wolbachia infections were more likely to transfer horizontally between host species, so symbiont strains that induce CI are more likely to persist over an evolutionary timescale.” (CI = cytoplasmic incompatibility).
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