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Bacterial Community Diversity Harboured by Interacting Species
Mikaël Bili1,2, Anne Marie Cortesero1,2, Christophe Mougel3
1Université Rennes 1, UMR1349 IGEPP, F-35000, Rennes, France.
Plos One
|June 4, 2016
Summary
Insect microbial communities are shaped by host phylogeny and geography. Despite trophic links, cabbage root flies and their parasitoids share few microbes, suggesting limited horizontal transfer. Further research is needed to understand these symbiotic dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Insect-Microbe Interactions
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Animals host diverse microbial communities influencing host traits.
- Factors like diet, development, and phylogeny shape these microbiomes.
- Cross-taxonomic comparisons, especially in trophic networks, are scarce.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare microbial communities in the cabbage root fly (Delia radicum) and its parasitoids.
- To investigate the influence of host phylogeny and trophic interactions on microbial composition.
- To identify potential horizontal microbial transfers within a food web.
Main Methods:
- Culture-independent 454 pyrosequencing of microbial DNA.
- Sampling of Delia radicum and its parasitoids (Aleochara spp., Trybliographa rapae) from Western France.
- Phylogenetic analysis to infer microbial transmission patterns.
Main Results:
- Microbial communities varied significantly between host species, primarily driven by host phylogeny and secondarily by geography.
- Parasitoids shared minimal microbial partners with their host, despite strong trophic interactions.
- The symbionts Wolbachia and Spiroplasma were detected in both the fly and its parasitoids, suggesting potential horizontal transfer.
Conclusions:
- Host phylogeny is a major determinant of insect-associated microbial communities.
- Trophic interactions appear to facilitate limited horizontal transfer of specific symbionts (e.g., Wolbachia, Spiroplasma) between insects.
- Further investigation is required to elucidate the dynamics of microbial symbiosis in insect food webs and its impact on host fitness.
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