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Extracting DNA from the Gut Microbes of the Termite Zootermopsis Angusticollis and Visualizing Gut Microbes
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Bacterial communities in termite fungus combs are comprised of consistent gut deposits and contributions from the

Saria Otani1, Lars H Hansen2,3, Søren J Sørensen4

  • 1Department of Biology, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Centre for Social Evolution, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Building 3, 2100, Copenhagen East, Denmark. Saria.Otani@bio.ku.dk.

Microbial Ecology
|November 1, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Fungus-growing termites cultivate symbiotic fungi in specialized combs. Their gut bacteria are deposited in these combs, influencing the microbial community composition over time and varying by termite species and environment.

Area of Science:

  • Termite biology
  • Microbial ecology
  • Symbiotic relationships

Background:

  • Fungus-growing termites (Macrotermitinae) cultivate symbiotic fungi (Termitomyces) in specialized combs for nutrition.
  • Plant matter is degraded within these combs, and gut contents, including bacteria, are inevitably deposited.
  • The specific bacterial communities within fungus combs and their origins have not been well-characterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the bacterial community composition of termite fungus combs.
  • To determine the origin of bacteria found in fungus combs.
  • To explore how environmental factors and termite species influence comb bacterial communities.

Main Methods:

  • High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was used to analyze bacterial communities.
  • Fungus comb samples from 33 colonies of four termite species across four locations were analyzed.
  • Termite gut microbiota from 25 colonies were also analyzed for comparison.

Main Results:

  • 33 bacterial phyla were identified, with Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and TM7 dominating (92% of reads).
  • Dominant bacteria in fungus combs were found to originate from the termite gut.
  • While gut bacterial communities remained consistent, comb communities showed temporal shifts in relative abundances, not taxa, influenced by termite species and environment.

Conclusions:

  • Fungus comb microbiotas are largely determined by the termite host's gut bacteria.
  • Environmental factors influence the relative abundance of gut-derived bacteria within the combs.
  • This study elucidates the complex interplay between termites, their fungal symbionts, gut bacteria, and the environment in shaping fungus comb ecosystems.
Keywords:
16S rRNA sequencingMacrotermitinaeMicrobiotaSymbiosisTermitomyces

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