The Termite Gut Habitat: Its Evolution and Co-Evolution

Eggleton, Paul

doi:10.1007/3-540-28185-1_16

Cited by 23 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…This provides further experimental support for previous proposals that termite or Cryptocercus gut microbes have coevolved with their host (1,4,19,21,36,37,40,50). Perhaps this observation may be explained as a consequence of the influence of environmental changes in the gut, such as the presence or lack of protozoa or various anatomical alterations (34,35), that have developed over the course of termite evolution.…”

Section: Congruence Of [Fefe] Hydrogenase and Host Phylogenysupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Moreover, the composition of termite gut communities has been shown to vary substantially with host feeding habits, which are closely linked with phylogeny (32,38,44). In the case of wood roaches, a very close correspondence of host and symbiont phylogenies has lent strong support for the cospeciation of a Cryptocercus endosymbiont with its hosts (16,19,28). Noda et al have reported the cospeciation of intestinal microorganisms with their termite hosts, thereby demonstrating the high stability of the association between a termite and its gut microbiota (33).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been proposed that the gut microbes of lower termites may "coevolve" with their respective hosts (4,19,21,50). Past analyses of nifH genes from the guts of higher and lower termites and Cryptocercus have shown that genes from the same genus or family of termite tend to be more similar to one another than to those from more distantly related termites (19,37,50).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patterns of [FeFe] Hydrogenase Diversity in the Gut Microbial Communities of Lignocellulose-Feeding Higher Termites

Ballor

Leadbetter

2012

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Hydrogen is the central free intermediate in the degradation of wood by termite gut microbes and can reach concentrations exceeding those measured for any other biological system. Degenerate primers targeting the largest family of [FeFe] hydrogenases observed in a termite gut metagenome have been used to explore the evolution and representation of these enzymes in termites. Sequences were cloned from the guts of the higher termites Amitermes sp. strain Cost010, Amitermes sp. strain JT2, Gnathamitermes sp. strain JT5, Microcerotermes sp. strain Cost008, Nasutitermes sp. strain Cost003, and Rhyncotermes sp. strain Cost004. Each gut sample harbored a more rich and evenly distributed population of hydrogenase sequences than observed previously in the guts of lower termites and Cryptocercus punctulatus. This accentuates the physiological importance of hydrogen for higher termite gut ecosystems and may reflect an increased metabolic burden, or metabolic opportunity, created by a lack of gut protozoa. The sequences were phylogenetically distinct from previously sequenced [FeFe] hydrogenases. Phylogenetic and UniFrac comparisons revealed congruence between host phylogeny and hydrogenase sequence library clustering patterns. This may reflect the combined influences of the stable intimate relationship of gut microbes with their host and environmental alterations in the gut that have occurred over the course of termite evolution. These results accentuate the physiological importance of hydrogen to termite gut ecosystems.

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Section: Congruence Of [Fefe] Hydrogenase and Host Phylogenysupporting

confidence: 84%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patterns of [FeFe] Hydrogenase Diversity in the Gut Microbial Communities of Lignocellulose-Feeding Higher Termites

Ballor

Leadbetter

2012

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…Hence, the facts that (i) rifampin did not eradicate protozoan symbionts of Z. angusticollis, (ii) the body mass of Z. angusticollis reproductives was transiently affected (Table 2) and that of R. flavipes was unaffected, and (iii) the experimental replicates survived up to the 465-and 730-day censuses (for Zootermopsis) and the 150-day census (for Reticulitermes) while continuing to show a reproductive output biased against rifampin treatment do not support antibiotic toxicity, malnutrition, and/or starvation as a factor reducing fitness. Furthermore, endogenous production of cellulases has been reported in this insect order, and hence nutrition in termites may not be completely dependent on their protozoa communities (7,25,71,72,77).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disruption of the Termite Gut Microbiota and Its Prolonged Consequences for Fitness

Rosengaus

Zecher

Schultheis

et al. 2011

Appl Environ Microbiol

108

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The disruption of host-symbiont interactions through the use of antibiotics can help elucidate microbial functions that go beyond short-term nutritional value. Termite gut symbionts have been studied extensively, but little is known about their impact on the termite's reproductive output. Here we describe the effect that the antibiotic rifampin has not only on the gut microbial diversity but also on the longevity, fecundity, and weight of two termite species, Zootermopsis angusticollis and Reticulitermes flavipes. We report three key findings: (i) the antibiotic rifampin, when fed to primary reproductives during the incipient stages of colony foundation, causes a permanent reduction in the diversity of gut bacteria and a transitory effect on the density of the protozoan community; (ii) rifampin treatment reduces oviposition rates of queens, translating into delayed colony growth and ultimately reduced colony fitness; and (iii) the initial dosages of rifampin had severe long-term fitness effects on Z. angusticollis. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the antibiotic-induced perturbation of the microbial community is associated with prolonged reductions in longevity and fecundity. A causal relationship between these changes in the gut microbial population structures and fitness is suggested by the acquisition of opportunistic pathogens and incompetence of the termites to restore a pretreatment, native microbiota. Our results indicate that antibiotic treatment significantly alters the termite's microbiota, reproduction, colony establishment, and ultimately colony growth and development. We discuss the implications for antimicrobials as a new application to the control of termite pest species.The long-standing associations between termites and prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms have been crucial to the evolutionary and ecological success of this social insect group. The presence of cellulolytic microorganisms in the hindguts of termites is one of the key events that allowed termites to thrive on nitrogenously deficient food resources (49, 63). Fossil records (80) and the similarity in gut flora and other microbial endosymbionts with those of their roach relatives (59) support the hypothesis that these associations existed in the termite ancestor (3,50,59). Termite gut symbionts reside in the lumen or are attached to the wall of the hindgut region and can represent more than 40% of the termite's weight (6). They are horizontally transmitted through coprophagy, a common behavior in termites. Indeed, the need for transfaunation of hindgut symbionts has been proposed as one of the main factors favoring group living (44) and specifically favoring the evolution and maintenance of termite sociality (18). However, little is known about the impact that termite gut symbionts have beyond their role in cellulose degradation and host nutrition.Here we report on the impact that antibiotic treatment has on the reproductive survival and fecundity of the dampwood termite Zootermopsis angusticollis and the Eastern su...

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“…Obviously also their fungi are able to live in different habitats; however, most fungi species are more restricted when it comes to fructification, then requiring special habitats. Most fungus-growing termites can be presently found in forests as well as in savanna habitats, likely due to several repeated colonization of savannas by different genera (Aanen and Eggleton, 2005) and the sophisticated mutualistic association developed with the Termitomyces during their evolution (Abe and Higashi, 2001;Eggleton, 2006).…”

Section: Diversity Of Termitomyces Species and Their Host Termitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental and biological determinants of Termitomyces species seasonal fructification in central and southern Côte d’Ivoire

et al. 2011

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The Macrotermitinae subfamily is characterized by its symbiosis with fungi of the genus Termitomyces. The most common and presumably primitive mode of reproduction for these fungi is to produce basidiocarps on the mounds of the host termite colony. The seasonal fructification pattern of the fungi seems to depend on the habitat type and termite ecology. We examined Termitomyces diversity and distribution in two phytogeographic zones in central and southern Côte d'Ivoire. Data were collected in different habitats in exhaustive searches with standardized methods for termites and basidiocarps as well. The respective findings were complemented with behavioral and life cycle data of the associated termite species. Basidiocarps occur speciesspecifically either during the long or the short rainy season in wooded habitats. The diversity and abundance of termites and their associated basidiocarps were significantly correlated only with woody plant species richness. Nuptial flight of termites, comb biomass and Termitomyces fructification periods were correlated. Termitomyces appear to fructify during (1) the period of strong precipitation, (2) in habitats with appropriate microclimatic characteristics.

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The Termite Gut Habitat: Its Evolution and Co-Evolution

Cited by 23 publications

References 77 publications

Patterns of [FeFe] Hydrogenase Diversity in the Gut Microbial Communities of Lignocellulose-Feeding Higher Termites

Patterns of [FeFe] Hydrogenase Diversity in the Gut Microbial Communities of Lignocellulose-Feeding Higher Termites

Disruption of the Termite Gut Microbiota and Its Prolonged Consequences for Fitness

Environmental and biological determinants of Termitomyces species seasonal fructification in central and southern Côte d’Ivoire

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