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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Investigating the Microbial Community in the Termite Hindgut - Interview
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Investigating the Microbial Community in the Termite Hindgut - Interview

Published on: May 28, 2007

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Arms races between selfish genetic elements and their host defence in termites

Bitao Qiu1, Daniel Elsner2, Judith Korb3,4

  • 1Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. bitao.qiu.88@gmail.com.

Nature Communications
|February 13, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Transposable elements (TEs) in termites engage in evolutionary arms races with DNA methylation. This epigenetic defense mechanism reduces TE activity and harm, similar to host-parasite interactions, shaping genome evolution.

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