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Turtle ants harbor metabolically versatile microbiomes with conserved functions across development and phylogeny.

Benoît Béchade1, Yi Hu1,2, Jon G Sanders3

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Turtle ant larvae and adult workers host gut bacteria that aid digestion and nutrient production. These specialized symbionts, crucial for colony nutrition, have co-evolved with ants for millions of years.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbial ecology
  • Insect symbiosis
  • Nutritional biochemistry

Background:

  • Gut bacterial symbionts are vital for animal nutrition, aiding digestion and metabolite production.
  • The dynamic roles of symbionts across different life stages, particularly in ants, remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the metabolic functions of gut microbiomes in herbivorous turtle ant (Cephalotes sp.) larvae and adults.
  • To characterize the digestive and metabolic capabilities of bacterial symbionts in both immature and adult ants.

Main Methods:

  • Metagenomic screening of gut microbiomes from turtle ant larvae and workers.
  • In vitro metabolic assays to assess bacterial symbiont functions.
  • (Meta)genomic analysis to infer metabolic pathways.

Main Results:

  • Larval gut symbionts exhibit significant metabolic potential for breaking down plant and fungal fibers and fermentation.
  • Adult gut symbionts possess conserved abilities to depolymerize various dietary fibers.
  • Symbionts from both life stages can recycle nitrogen and synthesize essential amino acids and B-vitamins.

Conclusions:

  • Turtle ant larvae utilize gut symbionts for enhanced digestion and nutrient provisioning, contributing to colony nitrogen, energy, and vitamin budgets.
  • The specialized digestive capacities of adult symbionts suggest a long-term co-evolutionary relationship, shaping the nutritional ecology of turtle ant colonies over 45 million years.
  • Behavioral transfer of gut bacteria plays a critical role in maintaining these specialized symbiotic relationships across generations.