Termites host specific fungal communities that differ from those in their ambient environments

Abstract

Termites are important plant biomass decomposers. Their digestive activity typically relies on prokaryotes and protozoa present in their guts. In some cases, such as in fungus-growing termites, digestion also relies on ectosymbiosis with specific fungal taxa. To date, the mycobiome of termites has yet to be investigated in detail. We evaluated the specificity of whole-termite associated fungal communities in three wood-feeding termite species. We showed that the whole-termite fungal community spectra are stable over diverse environments, regardless of the host species, and differ markedly from the wood in which they nest. The core mycobiome is similar to that found in other ecologically related insects and consists of a narrow spectrum of common filamentous fungi and yeasts, known for their stress tolerance and their ability to decompose plant biomass. The observed patterns suggest that a number of fungal strains may have a symbiotic relationship with termites, and our results set the stage for future investigations into the interactions between fungi, termites, and their other gut microbiota. • Termite body associated mycobiome is systematically studied for the first time. • Whole termite bodies were used as a proxy for the intestinal mycobiota study. • Body associated fungal communities differ from the ambient environment. • Body associated communities are stable over variable habitats and termite species. • This is a first sign that termites have a symbiosis with intestinal fungi.