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Symbiotic Microorganisms and Their Different Association Types in Aquatic and Semiaquatic Bugs
Yu Men1, Zi-Wen Yang1, Jiu-Yang Luo1
1School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen Universitygrid.12981.33, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Microbiology Spectrum
|November 21, 2022
Summary
Symbiotic microorganisms help true bugs (Heteroptera) adapt to diverse habitats. This study analyzed microbial communities in 204 true bug species, revealing habitat-specific bacterial functions and shared symbiont types among similar habitats.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Microbiology
- Ecology
Background:
- True bugs (suborder Heteroptera) inhabit diverse terrestrial, semiaquatic, and aquatic environments.
- Microorganisms offer benefits to terrestrial insects, but their role in aquatic/semiaquatic bug adaptations is understudied.
- A comprehensive analysis of symbiotic microbes across Heteroptera's major lineages and habitats was lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of symbiotic microorganisms in the adaptation of true bugs to various ecological niches.
- To analyze the diversity and function of bacterial and fungal symbionts across different Heteroptera habitats.
- To understand how microbial communities influence the colonization of diverse environments by true bugs.
Main Methods:
- Collected 204 true bug samples from all seven infraorders of Heteroptera, covering most superfamilies and habitats.
- Analyzed symbiotic microbial communities using full-length bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS region amplicons.
- Employed co-occurrence network analysis and functional prediction to assess microbial community structure and roles.
Main Results:
- Bacterial communities differed significantly among terrestrial, semiaquatic, and aquatic bug hosts.
- Fungal communities showed a stronger correlation with host geographical distribution than habitat type.
- Co-occurrence networks revealed shared symbiotic association types among species from similar habitats.
- Aquatic bug symbionts exhibited enriched amino acid and lipid metabolism pathways; plant-feeders benefited from xenobiotic biodegradation pathways.
Conclusions:
- Symbiotic microorganisms play a crucial role in enabling true bugs to adapt to and inhabit diverse ecological niches, including aquatic and semiaquatic environments.
- Habitat type is a primary driver of symbiotic bacterial community composition and function in true bugs.
- Shared symbiotic microbial association types across similar habitats suggest convergent evolution in host-microbe interactions.
- This study provides a framework for understanding how symbionts facilitate insect adaptation to varied environments.
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