Ecological specificity of the metagenome in a set of lower termite species supports contribution of the microbiome to adaptation of the host

Waidele, Lena; Korb, Judith; Voolstra, Christian R.; Dedeine, Franck; Staubach, Fabian

doi:10.1101/526038

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…This study is the first to clearly demonstrate the existence of urate oxidase in termites. Previously, it was believed that termites lack this enzyme in their tissues, instead completely relying on symbiotic microbes in their hindguts for uric acid degradation [8,[12][13][14][15]. We also showed that uric acid degradation by urate oxidase is the key to reproduction in termites.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

“…ammonia) [8,[12][13][14][15]. However, termites cannot access the nutritionally useful metabolites produced in the hindguts without trophallaxis [7].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As in a number of cockroach species, uric acid is a major product of purine metabolism stored in specialized urocyto cells of fat bodies in termites [10,11]. Termites are capable of transporting uric acid stored in fat bodies to the hindgut via the Malpighian tubules, whereas intestinal anaerobic bacteria efficiently recycle nitrogen via ammonia production and downstream amino acid synthesis [8,[12][13][14][15]. It is generally understood that termites lack urate oxidase (uricase), which catalyses the first step of nitrogen recycling from stored uric acid, in their tissues and completely rely on symbiotic microbes in the hindgut for uric acid degradation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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King- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid is the key to reproduction in termites

Konishi

Tasaki

Takata

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Caste-based reproductive division of labour in social insects is built on asymmetries in resource allocation within colonies. Kings and queens dominantly consume limited resources for reproduction, while non-reproductive castes such as workers and soldiers help reproductive castes. Studying the regulation of such asymmetries in resource allocation is crucial for understanding the maintenance of sociality in insects, although the molecular background is poorly understood. We focused on uric acid, which is reserved and utilized as a valuable nitrogen source in wood-eating termites. We found that king- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid is the key to reproduction in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus. The urate oxidase gene (RsUAOX), which catalyses the first step of nitrogen recycling from stored uric acid, was highly expressed in mature kings and queens, and upregulated with differentiation into neotenic kings/queens. Suppression of uric acid degradation decreased the number of eggs laid per queen. Uric acid was shown to be provided by workers to reproductive castes. Our results suggest that the capacity to use nitrogen, which is essential for the protein synthesis required for reproduction, contributes to colony cohesion expressed as the reproductive monopoly held by kings and queens.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

“…ammonia) [8,[12][13][14][15]. However, termites cannot access the nutritionally useful metabolites produced in the hindguts without trophallaxis [7].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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King- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid is the key to reproduction in termites

Konishi

Tasaki

Takata

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…Although we did not perform a temporal study, the differences in bacterial diversity were observed after 18 days of exposure to new diets. Higher microbial diversity is expected in UNX since termites in their natural habitat forage different food sources and acquire new microorganisms as well as micronutrients from soil [ 48 , 49 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Study of the Gut Bacterial Community of Reticulitermes virginicus Exposed to Chitosan Treatment

Telmadarrehei

Tang

Raji

et al. 2020

Insects

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A thorough understanding of microbial communities in the gut of lower termites is needed to develop target-specific and environmentally benign wood protection systems. In this study, the bacterial community from Reticulitermes virginicus was examined by Illumina sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) spanning the V3 and V4 regions. Prior to library preparation, the termites were subjected to five treatments over an 18-day period: three groups were fed on wood treated with 0.5% chitosan, 25% acetic acid, or water, the fourth group was taken directly from the original collection log, and the fifth group was starved. Metagenomic sequences were analyzed using QIIME 2 to understand the treatments’ effects on the dynamics of the gut bacteria. Four dominant phyla were detected: Bacteroidetes (34.4% of reads), Firmicutes (20.6%), Elusimicrobia (15.7%), and Proteobacteria (12.9%). A significant effect of chitosan treatment was observed in two phyla; Firmicutes abundance was significantly lower with chitosan treatment when compared to other groups, while Actinobacteria was lower in unexposed and starved termites. The results suggest that chitosan treatment not only affects the structure of the microbial community in the gut, but other treatments such as starving also cause shifts in termite gut communities.

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“…Microbes are important drivers of host phenotype and evolution [1]. Benefits derived from microorganisms can facilitate the occupation of new ecological niches [2][3][4][5] and microbial effects on host phenotypes and fitness can spur adaptive processes [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Changes in the effects of microbes on host fitness can alter interactions along the parasitism mutualism continuum [6,[15][16][17][18], thus affecting the evolutionay trajectories of the partners.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Horizontal gene transfer-mediated bacterial strain variation affects host fitness

Wang

Baumdicker

Kuenzel

et al. 2020

Preprint

Self Cite

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How microbes affect host fitness and environmental adaptation has become a fundamental research question in evolutionary biology. We tested for associations of bacterial genomic variation and Drosophila melanogaster offspring number in a microbial Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS). Leveraging strain variation in the genus Gluconobacter, a genus of bacteria that are commonly associated with Drosophila under natural conditions, we pinpoint the thiamine biosynthesis pathway (TBP) as contributing to differences in fitness conferred to the fly host. By tracing the evolutionary history of TBP genes in Gluconobacter, we find that TBP genes were most likely lost and reacquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). We suggest that HGT might contribute to microbiome flexibility and speculate that it can also more generally contribute to host adaptation.

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Ecological specificity of the metagenome in a set of lower termite species supports contribution of the microbiome to adaptation of the host

Abstract: nutrients from more diverse sources. This supports the idea that specific subsets of functions encoded by the microbiome can contribute to host adaptation.

Cited by 4 publications

References 83 publications

King- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid is the key to reproduction in termites

King- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid is the key to reproduction in termites

A Study of the Gut Bacterial Community of Reticulitermes virginicus Exposed to Chitosan Treatment

Horizontal gene transfer-mediated bacterial strain variation affects host fitness

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