Microbial Communities of the Gut and Nest of the Humus- and Litter-Feeding Termite Procornitermes araujoi (Syntermitinae)

Abstract

The evolution of the symbiotic association with microbes allowed termites to decompose ingested lignocellulose from plant-derived substrates, including herbivore dung and soil humus. Representatives of the Syntermitinae (Termitidae) range in their feeding habits from wood and litter-feeding to humus-feeding species. However, only limited information is available about their feeding ecology and associated microbial communities. Here we conducted a study of the microbial communities associated to the termite Procornitermes araujoi using Illumina sequencing of the 16S and ITS rRNA genes. This species has been previously included in different feeding guilds. However, most aspects of its feeding ecology are unknown, especially those associated to its symbiotic microbiota. Our results showed that the microbial communities of termite guts and nest substrates of P. araujoi differed significantly for bacteria and fungi. Firmicutes dominated the bacterial gut community of both workers and soldiers, whereas Actinobacteria was found in higher prevalence in the nest walls. Sordariomycetes was the most abundant fungal class in both gut and nest samples and distinguish P. araujoi from the grass/litter feeding Cornitermes cumulans. Our results also showed that diversity of gut bacteria were higher in P. araujoi and Silvestritermes euamignathus than in the grass/litter feeders (C. cumulans and Syntermes dirus), that could indicate an adaptation of the microbial community of polyphagous termites to the higher complexity of their diets.

Phylogenomic analysis of 589 metagenome-assembled genomes encompassing all major prokaryotic lineages from the gut of higher termites

“…Among these 71 MAGs, 36 were recovered from humus feeders, 33 from soil feeders but only two from wood feeders, which suggests a higher prevalence in termites with a more humified diet. This phylum is known to be present and of significant abundance in both the nest (Sujada, Sungthong & Lumyong, 2014) and gut of termites (Le Roes-Hill, Rohland & Burton, 2011), but to be more abundant in the nest (Moreira et al, 2018). This was for instance the case for the families Acidimicrobiaceae, Nocardiaceae, Promicromonosporaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Nocardioidaceae, and Propionibacteriaceae, which were more abundant in the nest than in the gut of workers or soldiers of Procornitermes araujoi (Moreira et al, 2018).…”

Phylogenomic analysis of 589 metagenome-assembled genomes encompassing all major prokaryotic lineages from the gut of higher termites

“…Among these 71 MAGs, were recovered from humus feeders, 33 from soil feeders but only 2 from wood feeders, which suggests a higher prevalence in termites with a more humified diet. This phylum is known to be present and of significant abundance in both the nest (Sujada, Sungthong & Lumyong, 2014) and gut of termites (Le Roes-Hill, Rohland & Burton, 2011), but to be more abundant in the nest (Moreira et al, 2018). This was for instance the case for the families Acidimicrobiaceae, Nocardiaceae, Promicromonosporaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Nocardioidaceae, and Propionibacteriaceae, which were more abundant in the nest than in the gut of workers or soldiers of Procornitermes araujoi (Moreira et al, 2018).…”

Seasonal Variations in Soil Microbiota Profile of Termite (Syntermes wheeleri) Mounds in the Brazilian Tropical Savanna

“…In fact, the entire colony can be considered one superorganism divided according to its functions: reproduction (alates, kings, and queens), feeding and structure (workers), defense (soldiers), and protection and homeostasis (the mound) [ 17 ]. Workers are responsible for constructing the mound and foraging for food [ 18 ]. The use of soil for mound construction and consumption was the most important evolutionary event for the termites, and overlapped with the loss of protists which were substituted by bacterial symbionts in the gut of Termitidae termites [ 18 ].…”

“…Workers are responsible for constructing the mound and foraging for food [ 18 ]. The use of soil for mound construction and consumption was the most important evolutionary event for the termites, and overlapped with the loss of protists which were substituted by bacterial symbionts in the gut of Termitidae termites [ 18 ].…”

“…Previous studies showed that the microbiota of the intestinal region and mound soil of the Syntermes termites are very different, indicating a higher prevalence of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria in the mound. In contrast, Firmicutes and Spirochaetes are prevalent in the gut [ 18 , 20 ].…”