Abstract
Termites effectively feed on many types of lignocellulose assisted by their gut microbial symbionts. To better understand the microbial decomposition of biomass with varied chemical profiles, it is important to determine whether termites harbor different microbial symbionts with specialized functionalities geared toward different feeding regimens. In this study, we compared the microbiota in the hindgut paunch of Amitermes wheeleri collected from cow dung and Nasutitermes corniger feeding on sound wood by 16S rRNA pyrotag, comparative metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses. We found that Firmicutes and Spirochaetes were the most abundant phyla in A. wheeleri, in contrast to N. corniger where Spirochaetes and Fibrobacteres dominated. Despite this community divergence, a convergence was observed for functions essential to termite biology including hydrolytic enzymes, homoacetogenesis and cell motility and chemotaxis. Overrepresented functions in A. wheeleri relative to N. corniger microbiota included hemicellulose breakdown and fixed-nitrogen utilization. By contrast, glycoside hydrolases attacking celluloses and nitrogen fixation genes were overrepresented in N. corniger microbiota. These observations are consistent with dietary differences in carbohydrate composition and nutrient contents, but may also reflect the phylogenetic difference between the hosts.
Highlights
As some of the most abundant and efficient lignocellulose decomposers on the planet, termites tremendously impact lignocellulose biorecycling, and rank as one of the most important ‘‘ecosystem engineers’’
Rarefaction curves and Shannon diversity index based on operational taxonomic units (OTUs) defined by 97% sequence identity indicated that A. wheeleri microbiota has about three-fold higher species richness than the laboratory N. corniger microbiota (Figure S1a)
It is not clear whether this indicates an adaption of A. wheeleri microbial community to the higher complexity of their diet or a decrease in species diversity in N. corniger community caused by the laboratory rearing
Summary
As some of the most abundant and efficient lignocellulose decomposers on the planet, termites tremendously impact lignocellulose biorecycling, and rank as one of the most important ‘‘ecosystem engineers’’. Termite success is enabled by their gut microbial symbionts which participate in lignocellulose depolymerization, perform subsequent fermentation, and provide important nutrients to the hosts [1]. The third proctodeal segment, P3, called the paunch, is the largest hindgut compartment with the highest microbial cell count and concentration of fermentation products, and has been suggested to be the major microbial bioreactor in the higher termite gut [5]. Consistent with this suggestion, a metagenomic analysis of the P3 microbiota of wood-feeding Nasutitermes sp. Utilization of cow dung by termites facilitates the return of nutrients contained in dung to soil, impacting ecosystem nutrient cycling and maintaining the fertility and productivity of tropical soil [9]
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