The Stolen Gene Between the Whitefly and Plants

The stolen plant gene in the tobacco whitefly, B. tabaci, was found to have elude its host's defences in the whitefly. The first known example of natural gene transfer from a plant to an insect enables it to neutralize a toxin to defend against insects. Whiteflies are usually vulnerable to the certain toxin destroy agricultural plants all over the world which is dangerous for the crop because they take in a sugary sap from different plants while excreting honeydew that serves as a breeding ground for mould. Additionally, whiteflies are the main reason for more than 100 pathogenic plant viruses which hinders the plants' ability to produce certain nutrients. Stolen genes are common between plants and pests and have been common for over millions of years to allow for the development of defensive or offensive strategies. For example, some insects have stolen microbial genes to extract more nutrients and fight off diseases. In the tobacco whitefly, one unknown stolen gene was found to have not evolved in other insects or microbes but evolved in plants. This gene allowed for the transfer of a defensive compound called phenolic glycosides, which keeps pests off. The gene was tested between whiteflies and tomatoes found that the flies that fed on the tomatoes died, which meant that the stolen gene worked and could be beneficial in the future for crop protection. 

Solar-powered sea slug harnesses stolen plant genes

There is a bright green sea slug, the Elysia chlorotica, which can eat algae and become photosynthetic, getting it's energy from solar power. The article says that an expert on the slug from the University of Maine has no discovered that the sea slug gets this ability from genes "stolen" from the algae it eats. It was known before that the slug acquired chloroplasts, which allow plant cells to convert sunlight into energy, from the algae then stored them in the cells that outline its gut. What they didn't know was how, after eating algae for two weeks, it could survive the rest of its life without eating. If the sea slug used only the algal chloroplasts, it would not have all the genes needed to photosynthesize. Then, recently, it was discovered that one of the vital algal genes were found in the sea slug's DNA indicating that the slug probably stole the genes from its food. There is no explanation as of right now, only postulates. One possible explanation is as the algae is being processed, the slug's cells take in the genes along with the chloroplasts. The genes are then incorporated into the Slug's DNA, allowing it to produce the necessary proteins to keep the chloroplasts working. Another possible explanation is that a virus found in the sea slug carries the DNA from the algal cells to the slug's cells.

Another recent discovery involving this gene in the sea slug was the finding of the algal gene in the sea slug's sex cells, allowin the ability to maintain functional chloroplasts coul be passed on to the next generation.

Researchers believe that E. chlorotica acquire many more photosynthesis genes from their food but it is still unknown how these genes are activated inside the sea slugs.