The assembled draft genome was composed of 3, 567, 128 base pairs and contained a mixture of both extrachromosomal DNA and bacterial chromosomes.

[4] Analyses also revealed that 67% of A. nasoniae open reading frames had homologous genes in the genera Proteus, Yersinia or Photorhabdus.

[6] Genomic analysis showed that A. nasoniae had conserved genes for ATP-binding cassette transporters for arginine, methionine and proline; therefore suggesting the bacterium is able to supplement its reduced bio-synthetic abilities by up-taking these amino acids from its environment.

[4] As for other biological pathways, A. nasoniae shares similarities with genomes of the insect-infecting bacterial genus, Wolbachia, by which genomic analysis revealed a bias towards the conservation of genes encoding enzymes and proteins involved in nucleotide, co-factor, vitamin and lipid metabolism.

[4] In contrast to the positive roles some symbiotic bacteria play with regards to insects, there are a variety of microbiological interactions which hinder the host.

In this case, the infecting microbe is transmitted vertically from parent to offspring, but leads to a reduction in host fitness.

[2] A. nasoniae exhibits the son-killer trait which causes lethality of approximately 80% of male embryos produced by infected female wasps.

The action of the killer-son trait by A. nasoniae results in unorganized mitotic spindles and developmental arrest prior to the establishment of somatic sexual identity of the host wasps' offspring.

[12] This mode of transmission also results in the bacterial infection moving horizontally between individual wasps in N. vitripennis populations following co-infection within host pupa.

[16] Male-killing has been observed in all four species, reflecting the ability of A. nasoniae to infect a variety of different host organisms and be passed on vertically and horizontally.

[16] Microscopic studies have revealed morphologically similar symbionts to A. nasoniae from various tissues of blood-sucking triatomine insects.

Overall, action of A. nasoniae could help to reduce the P. venustus population in the bees, with potential for application concerning the conservation of important or endangered species.