Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Testing Protozoacidal Activity of Ligand-lytic Peptides Against Termite Gut Protozoa in vitro (Protozoa Culture) and in vivo (Microinjection into Termite Hindgut)
17:36

Testing Protozoacidal Activity of Ligand-lytic Peptides Against Termite Gut Protozoa in vitro (Protozoa Culture) and in vivo (Microinjection into Termite Hindgut)

Published on: December 29, 2010

Presumptive horizontal symbiont transmission in the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis

H H de Fine Licht1, J J Boomsma, D K Aanen

  • 1Department of Population Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Molecular Ecology
|September 14, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Fungus-growing termites Macrotermes natalensis do not transmit symbionts vertically. Instead, Termitomyces symbionts are transmitted horizontally and sexually, leading to high genetic variation and unique genotypes in each termite colony.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Mycology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Fungus-growing termites like Macrotermes natalensis associate with Termitomyces fungi.
  • Previous studies suggested limited Termitomyces genetic variation and vertical transmission in M. natalensis.
  • Vertical transmission implies symbionts are passed from parent to offspring.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the transmission mode of Termitomyces symbionts in Macrotermes natalensis.
  • To analyze the genetic population structure of Termitomyces symbionts within M. natalensis colonies.

Main Methods:

  • DNA sequencing of four single-copy gene fragments from Termitomyces isolates.
  • Analysis of DNA sequence polymorphisms as codominant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers.
  • Examination of multilocus genotypes, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and linkage disequilibrium.

Main Results:

  • All 31 Termitomyces strains analyzed exhibited unique multilocus genotypes.
  • SNP markers showed a signature of free recombination, with high proportions in Hardy-Weinberg and linkage equilibrium.
  • Extensive intragenic recombination was detected, particularly in the EF1alpha gene fragment.

Conclusions:

  • Frequent horizontal and sexual transmission of Termitomyces symbionts explains the observed genetic variation and population structure.
  • Symbiont transmission modes can evolve rapidly among Macrotermes species.
  • The absence of Termitomyces mushrooms on M. natalensis mounds, despite horizontal transmission, remains an intriguing question.

More Related Videos

Isolation, Behavioral Identification, and Pathogenicity Assessment of Entomopathogenic Fungi from a Forest Wood Borer06:58

Isolation, Behavioral Identification, and Pathogenicity Assessment of Entomopathogenic Fungi from a Forest Wood Borer

Published on: September 29, 2023

Extracting DNA from the Gut Microbes of the Termite (Zootermopsis Angusticollis) and Visualizing Gut Microbes15:27

Extracting DNA from the Gut Microbes of the Termite (Zootermopsis Angusticollis) and Visualizing Gut Microbes

Published on: May 28, 2007

Related Concept Videos

Symbiosis00:58

Symbiosis

Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...
Microbial Interactions: Cooperation01:26

Microbial Interactions: Cooperation

Microbial cooperation involves beneficial interactions in which different species work together for individual or mutual advantage. These interactions can profoundly influence ecological dynamics and evolutionary processes, and they are essential to many pathogenic and symbiotic relationships.Nematode–Bacteria CooperationA striking example is the relationship between the Gram-negative bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila and the parasitic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. Juvenile nematodes...
American Trypanosomiasis01:22

American Trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...