16S-rRNA-based analysis of bacterial diversity in the gut of fungus-cultivating termites (Microtermes and Odontotermes species)

Abstract

The interaction between termites and their gut symbionts has continued to attract the curiosity of researchers over time. The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the bacterial diversity and community structure in the guts of three termites (Odontotermes somaliensis, Odontotermes sp. and Microtermes sp.) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of clone libraries. Clone libraries were screened by restriction fragment length polymorphism and representative clones from O. somaliensis (100 out of 330 clones), Odontotermes sp. (100 out of 359 clones) and Microtermes sp. (96 out 336 clones) were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis indicated seven bacterial phyla were represented: Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Synergistetes, Planctomycetes and Actinobacteria. Sequences representing the phylum Bacteroidetes (>60 %) were the most abundant group in Odontotermes while those of Spirochaetes (29 %) and Firmicutes (23 %) were the abundant groups in Microtermes. The gut bacterial community structure within the two Odontotermes species investigated here was almost identical at the phylum level, but the Microtermes sp. had a unique bacterial community structure. Bacterial diversity was higher in Odontotermes than in Microtermes. The affiliation and clustering of the sequences, often with those from other termites' guts, indicate a majority of the gut bacteria are autochthonous having mutualistic relationships with their hosts. The findings underscore the presence of termite-specific bacterial lineages, the majority of which are still uncultured.

The Gut Microbiota of Termites: Digesting the Diversity in the Light of Ecology and Evolution

“…Individual lineages differ in abundance between host groups (22,92), occur either as free-swimming cells or are associated with the surface of flagellates (9,47) or the fiber fraction (65), and may comprise different functional guilds (see below). The highest proportion of spirochetes is found in wood-feeding termites, whereas their numbers among fungus-cultivating and humus-feeding termites are typically rather low (22,63,83).…”

“…Over the last two decades, clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes have provided a wealth of information on bacterial diversity in a variety of termite guts (36,81), and more recent studies have added information for termite genera that were so far not represented (e.g., 33,63). Many of the libraries, particularly from older studies, were relatively small, and the diversity of the gut communities was severely undersampled.…”

“…Bacteroidetes are highly abundant in fungus-cultivating termites (e.g., 36,63) and contribute to the similarity of gut microbiota between termites and cockroaches (22,83). Many of the predominant taxa (e.g., Alistipes, Dysgonomonas, Paludibacter, and Parabacteroides) readily isolated from termite guts (90, 101, 125) possess a general preference for intestinal habitats: They are encountered in the guts of mammals as well.…”

Identifying the core microbial community in the gut of fungus‐growing termites

“…; Makonde et al . ), precluding comparative analyses across the Macrotermitinae. Using 454‐pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we analyse and compare the bacterial community structure of nine fungus‐growing termite species, spanning five genera of the Macrotermitinae.…”

A novel d-amino acid oxidase from a contaminated agricultural soil metagenome and its characterization

“…The approach of generating a metagenomic library from soils or sediments that are known to harbor a high level of microbial diversity has been used successfully to find a wide variety of novel catalytic proteins and secondary metabolites (Makonde et al 2013). The metagenomic DNA in the current study was directly extracted from samples of contaminated agricultural soil (Supplementary Fig.…”