Abstract
Simple SummaryTermite digestion of lignocellulosic materials is aided by their gut microbial community, which includes protists, bacteria, and archaea. They play important roles in termite growth and environmental adaptation. Dark southern subterranean termites (Reticulitermes virginicus) are native to North America and significantly damage wooden structures. Because of their considerable economic impact, a more thorough understanding of the relationship between host termite and microbial community is needed to develop target-specific and environmentally benign wood protection systems. The overall aim of this study was to investigate the potential influence of chitosan, a biodegradable and antimicrobial compound, on termite gut bacteria. A significant effect of chitosan treatment was observed in the relative abundance of two bacteria phyla (Firmicutes and Actinobacteria). The results suggest that chitosan treatment not only affects the structure of the microbial community in the gut, but other treatments also cause shifts in termite gut communities.A thorough understanding of microbial communities in the gut of lower termites is needed to develop target-specific and environmentally benign wood protection systems. In this study, the bacterial community from Reticulitermes virginicus was examined by Illumina sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) spanning the V3 and V4 regions. Prior to library preparation, the termites were subjected to five treatments over an 18-day period: three groups were fed on wood treated with 0.5% chitosan, 25% acetic acid, or water, the fourth group was taken directly from the original collection log, and the fifth group was starved. Metagenomic sequences were analyzed using QIIME 2 to understand the treatments’ effects on the dynamics of the gut bacteria. Four dominant phyla were detected: Bacteroidetes (34.4% of reads), Firmicutes (20.6%), Elusimicrobia (15.7%), and Proteobacteria (12.9%). A significant effect of chitosan treatment was observed in two phyla; Firmicutes abundance was significantly lower with chitosan treatment when compared to other groups, while Actinobacteria was lower in unexposed and starved termites. The results suggest that chitosan treatment not only affects the structure of the microbial community in the gut, but other treatments such as starving also cause shifts in termite gut communities.
Highlights
Termites are social insects belonging to the order Blattodea
A visual estimation of termite death displayed less than 50% mortality in termites subjected to wood samples with ≤ 29 mg g−1 chitosan retention (0.5% chitosan, chitosan-treated wood-exposed termites (CTE)), while approximately 25%
No difference in average mass loss observed between chitosan treatment and controls could be assigned to the low concentration of chitosan treatment, which did not prevent termites from consuming wood, or fewer numbers of termites in the chitosan jar eating the same amount of food as in the control containing 50% more termites due to less mortality
Summary
Termites are social insects belonging to the order Blattodea. Termites are divided into phylogenetic lower termite and higher termite lineages. The major difference between these two termite subgroups is the unique presence of symbiotic protists in lower termite gut, which are absent in the gut of higher termites. Subterranean termites (Rhinotermitidae) are lower termites that have a significant economic impact on wood structures in the United States. Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks), Reticulitermes hesperus (Banks), Reticulitermes hageni Banks, Reticulitermes tibialis Banks, and Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki cause the majority of termite damage to wooden, human-built structures [1]. Both R. flavipes and R. virginicus are commonly found in forest and residential areas in Mississippi [2].
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