Environmental Nutrients Alter Bacterial and Fungal Gut Microbiomes in the Common Meadow Katydid, Orchelimum vulgare

Abstract

Insect gut microbiomes consist of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that can act as mutualists to influence the health and fitness of their hosts. While much has been done to increase understanding of the effects of environmental factors that drive insect ecology, there is less understanding of the effects of environmental factors on these gut microbial communities. For example, the effect of environmental nutrients on most insect gut microbiomes is poorly defined. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the relationship between environmental nutrients and the gut microbial communities in a small study of katydids (n = 13) of the orthopteran species Orchelimum vulgare collected from a costal prairie system. We sampled O. vulgare from unfertilized plots, as well as from plots fertilized with added nitrogen and phosphorus or sodium separately and in combination. We found significantly higher Shannon diversity for the gut bacterial communities in O. vulgare from plots fertilized with added sodium as compared to those collected from plots without added sodium. In contrast, diversity was significantly lower in the gut fungal communities of grasshoppers collected from plots with added nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as those with added sodium, in comparison to those with no added nutrients. There was also a strong positive correlation between the gut bacterial and gut fungal community diversity within each sample. Indicator group analysis for added sodium plots included several taxa with known salt-tolerant bacterial and fungal representatives. Therefore, despite the small sample number, these results highlight the potential for the gut bacterial and fungal constituents to respond differently to changes in environmental nutrient levels. Future studies with a larger sample size will help identify mechanistic determinants driving these changes. Based on our findings and the potential contribution of gut microbes to insect fitness and function, consideration of abiotic factors like soil nutrients along with characteristic gut microbial groups is necessary for better understanding and conservation of this important insect herbivore.

Sodium as a subsidy in the spring: evidence for a phenology of sodium limitation

“…For example, the breakdown of cellulose by microbes requires Na (Shen et al 2018 ; Mafa et al 2020 ); thus, increased access to Na may have facilitated increased rates of fungal decomposition. This could also include increasing the diversity and function of endosymbiotic microbes that aid detritivores in the digestion of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin (e.g., Muratore et al 2020 ).…”

Diversity, antibacterial activity and chemical analyses of gut-associated fungi isolated from the Crocothemis servilia

“…The insect gut contains a vast number of microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, many of which influence the health and development of their hosts (Muratore et al, 2020). However, the fungal component of the microbiota is frequently overlooked compared to bacteria (Engel and Moran, 2013).…”

“…Synthetic low-nutrient agar (SNA) medium at 25 • C was used to isolate Wojnowiciella, which remains to be explored further (Marin-Felix et al, 2019). Additionally, due to the taxonomic resolution of fungal community has remained relatively low, some fungal OTUs were unidentified (Muratore et al, 2020).…”

The Comparison of Gut Bacteria Communities and the Functions Among the Sympatric Grasshopper Species From the Loess Plateau

“…Recently, the increasing interest in the research of insect microbiome has helped to reveal new insights into insect ecology ( Muratore et al, 2020a ). As an important part of the insect microbiome, gut bacteria played an essential role in the life course of their insect hosts, including nutrient absorption ( Muratore et al, 2020b ), behavioral changes ( Dillon et al, 2000 ), improved reproduction ( Kaltenpoth et al, 2009 ), and protection from environmental pathogens ( Paniagua Voirol et al, 2018 ). In agricultural production, the interaction of gut bacteria with herbivores and pollinators can affect the yield of crops ( Ray et al, 2007 ; Fierer et al, 2009 ).…”