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Gut bacteria are essential for normal cuticle development in herbivorous turtle ants
Christophe Duplais1, Vincent Sarou-Kanian2, Dominique Massiot2
1CNRS UMR8172 EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou, France. christophe.duplais@cnrs.fr.
Nature Communications
|January 30, 2021
Summary
Gut bacteria in turtle ants recycle nitrogenous waste, enriching their cuticle with essential proteins and chitin. This symbiosis is crucial for herbivorous insects adapting to low-nitrogen diets.
Area of Science:
- Insect biology
- Microbial symbiosis
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Insect evolution involved a dietary shift to herbivory, necessitating adaptations for nutrient acquisition.
- The gut microbiome in herbivorous ants like Cephalotes recycles nitrogenous waste, potentially enhancing nutrient availability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the extent to which gut bacteria contribute to nitrogen assimilation within the ant cuticle.
- To identify specific cuticular components that are nitrogen-enriched by symbiotic gut bacteria.
Main Methods:
- Gut bacterial manipulation in Cephalotes ants.
- Stable isotope probing using nitrogen-15 (15N) isotopic enrichment.
- Analysis via isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and 15N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated bacterial contribution to the formation of proteins, catecholamine cross-linkers, and chitin in the ant cuticle.
- Identified specific cuticular components that incorporate nitrogen supplied by gut symbionts.
- Quantified the flow of nitrogen from ingested nutrients, through bacteria, into the insect cuticle.
Conclusions:
- Gut symbionts play a significant role in nitrogen assimilation into the ant cuticle.
- This microbial contribution is vital for insect adaptation to nitrogen-poor diets.
- Provides a model for understanding nutrient cycling in insect-microbe symbioses.
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