## Results  
### Identification of MVA Pathway Genes and Phylogenetic Analysis  
The highest similarity percentages of all MVA pathway genes from _D. rhizophagus_ were found with the sequences from _D. ponderosae_ followed by other _Dendroctous_ species. The _MK_ gene had the lowest nucleotide (83%) and aminoacidic (69.8%) similarities, whereas _HMGR_ (nt 96%) and AACT (aa 97.6%) had the highest. The similarities obtained with other coleopterans--like _Tribolium castaneum_ and _Leptinotars decemlineata_--were on average 70% for nucleotides and 69% for amino acids (Table 1). In general, _MK_ was the most variable of all MVA pathway genes. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Gene**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Species**} & **Blast NCBI** & **\% Similarity** & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Blast UniProt**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**\% Similarity**} \\  & & **GenBank No.** & & & **UniProt No.** & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{_AACT_} & _Dendroctous ponderosae_ & JQS565638.1 & 93 & 11V/17 & 97.6 \\  & _Dendroctous idfreyt_ & AY966010.1 & 92 & Q56C76 & 91.5 \\  & _Leptinotars decemlineata_ & KP689334.1 & 72 & A0A0H4 HR16 & 81.1 \\  & _Tribolium castaneum_ & XM\_969915.4 & 72 & D6 WAN7 & 79.9 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{_HMGS_} & _Dendroctous ponderosae_ & JQS85690.1 & 95 & IVJ69 & 96.7 \\  & _Dendroctous jeffreyi_ & AFI6002.1 & 94 & Q9 NDA8 & 93.7 \\  & _Dendroctous armandi_ & KJ71812.1 & 92 & A0A0F/IEE21 & 94.5 \\  & _Tpis ipimi_ & AY902193.1 & 72 & Q5 EE42 & 75.9 \\  & _Leptinotars decemlineata_ & KP689335.1 & 71 & A0A0H4J592 & 67.6 \\  & _Tribolium castaneum_ & XM\_968344.4 & 71 & D6 WTE1 & 65.9 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{_HMGR_} & _Dendroctous ponderosae_ & KFA44677.1 & 96 & USZ40 & 96.8 \\  & _Dendroctous jeffreyi_ & AFI59136.1 & 95 & Q9N6S & 96.3 \\  & _Dendroctous armandi_ & KP317811.1 & 93 & A0A0F/I7 LG51 & 95.4 \\  & _Ips paracontosus_ & AF071750.2 & 75 & Q9 XY99 & 78.5 \\  & _Tpis ipimi_ & AY90444.1 & 74 & Q9 SW1T & 78.1 \\  & _Leptinotars decemlineata_ & KFe989337.1 & 72 & A0A0H4 HG3G & 66.6 \\  & _Tribolium castaneum_ & XM\_008195109.2 & 69 & A0A139 WIA9 & 68.3 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{_MK_} & _Dendroctous ponderosae_ & JQS85693.1 & 83 & IVJ72 & 69.8 \\  & _Leptinotars decemlineata_ & KP689338.1 & - & A0A0H4 LUW0 & 41.8 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{_PMK_} & _Dendroctous ponderosae_ & JQS855702.1 & 91 & IVJ81 & 89.1 \\  & _Leptinotars decemlineata_ & KP689339.1 & 68 & A0A0H4 HR1 & 59.2 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{_MDPC_} & _Dendroctous ponderosae_ & JQS85692.1 & 93 & IVJ81 & 92 \\  & _Leptinotars decemlineata_ & KP689340.1 & 68 & A0A0H4J596 & 61.6 \\  & _Tribolium castaneum_ & XM\_00819276.2 & 66 & D6 WE42 & 64.4 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{_IPPI_} & _Dendroctous ponderosae_ & JQS85691.1 & 94 & IVJ70 & 92.9 \\  & _Dendroctous jeffreyi_ & AY966011.1 & 94 & Q56C75 & 92.9 \\  & _Dendroctous armandi_ & KT748804.1 & 86 & A0A0N0H4F857 & 89.6 \\  & _Leptinotars decemlineata_ & KP689341.1 & 71 & A0A0H4 HW70 & 70.1 \\  & _Tribolium castaneum_ & XM\_966431.3 & 65 & D6 WF58 & 76.6 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{_GPPS/FPPS_} & _Dendroctous ponderosae_ & JQS85705.1 & 95 & IVJ84 & 96.3 \\  & _Dendroctous jeffreyi_ & AY966009.1 & 94 & Q56C77 & 94.9 \\  & _Dendroctous armandi_ & KR140284.1 & 93 & A0A0N0E179 & 96 \\  & _Tpisimi_ & AY953057.1 & 72 & Q58 Ge9 & 72.1 \\  & _Tribolium castaneum_ & NM\_001170618.1 & 70 & D6 WE55 & 70.4 \\  & _Leptinotars decemlineata_ & KP689343.1 & 66 & A0A0H4 LUW5 & 55.5 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{_GGPS_} & _Dendroctous ponderosae_ & JQS855707.1 & 94 & IIVJ86 & 95.3 \\  & _Dendroctous frontalis_ & AF01012895.1 & 93 & T1 DSZ4 & 94.6 \\  & _Leptinotars decemlineata_ & KP689342.1 & 72 & A0A0H4 HG7 & 75.7 \\  & _Tribolium castaneum_ & XM\_966351.3 & 71 & D6 WD18 & 68.3 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Nucleotide and aminoacidic similarities from mexonate (MVA) pathway sequences isolated from _D. rhizophagus_ compared with previously reported _Dendroctous_ species and other coleopteran sequences. (NCBI, National Center of Biotechnology Information).