Characterization of the dynamic microbiome evolution across thrips species

Area of Science:

• * Insect microbiome research
• * Genomics and evolutionary biology

Background:

• * The insect microbiome significantly impacts host physiology and ecology.
• * Thrips-associated microbiomes and their evolutionary dynamics are poorly understood.
• * Existing microbiome research faces methodological challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To systematically characterize thrips-associated microbiomes using integrated approaches.
• * To develop and validate a dual-sequencing framework for microbiome analysis.
• * To investigate the genomic basis of host-specific adaptations in thrips symbionts.

Main Methods:

• * Integrated metagenomic and culture-based approaches.
• * Dual-sequencing framework combining short-read and long-read sequencing.
• * Metagenome-assembled genome reconstruction and pan-genome analyses.
• * Isolation and whole-genome sequencing of dominant extracellular symbionts.

Main Results:

• * Thrips microbiomes are dominated by intracellular (e.g., Wolbachia, Spiroplasma) and extracellular symbionts (e.g., Serratia, Pantoea, Acinetobacter).
• * Species-specific microbiome compositions exhibit frequent bacterial lineage gains and losses.
• * Thrips microbiomes show low interspecific microbial sharing, forming host-specific communities.
• * Functional genes, including hydrolases and N-acetyltransferases, were identified in symbiont accessory genomes, suggesting roles in host adaptation.

Conclusions:

• * This study establishes a foundational genomic resource and analytical pipeline for thrips microbiome research.
• * The findings illuminate the evolutionary dynamics and host-specific nature of thrips microbiomes.
• * Understanding these insect-microbe interactions is crucial for symbiont-mediated adaptations and insect ecology.