Microbial Communities of the Gut and Nest of the Humus- and Litter-Feeding Termite Procornitermes araujoi (Syntermitinae)

Author(s)

Moreira, Edimar A. ^[1] ; Alvarez, Thabata M. ^{[2, 3]} ; Persinoti, Gabriela F. ^[2] ; Alvaredo Paixao, Douglas Antonio ^[2] ; Menezes, Leticia R. ^[4] ; Franco Cairo, Joao P. ^[5] ; Squina, Fabio Marcio ^[6] ; Costa-Leonardo, Ana M. ^[4] ; Carrijo, Tiago ^[1] ; Arab, Alberto ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed ABC, Ctr Ciencias Nat & Humanas, BR-09210580 Santo Andre, SP - Brazil

^[2] CNPEM, Lab Nacl Ciencia & Tecnol Bioetanol CTBE, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Posit, Biotecnol Ind, BR-81280330 Curitiba, Parana - Brazil

^[4] Univ Estadual Paulista UNESP, Inst Biociencias, Dept Biol, Rio Claro, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Bioquim & Biol Tecidual, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Sorocaba UNISO, Programa Proc Tecnol & Ambientais, Sorocaba, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Current Microbiology; v. 75, n. 12, p. 1609-1618, DEC 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

The evolution of the symbiotic association with microbes allowed termites to decompose ingested lignocellulose from plant-derived substrates, including herbivore dung and soil humus. Representatives of the Syntermitinae (Termitidae) range in their feeding habits from wood and litter-feeding to humus-feeding species. However, only limited information is available about their feeding ecology and associated microbial communities. Here we conducted a study of the microbial communities associated to the termite Procornitermes araujoi using Illumina sequencing of the 16S and ITS rRNA genes. This species has been previously included in different feeding guilds. However, most aspects of its feeding ecology are unknown, especially those associated to its symbiotic microbiota. Our results showed that the microbial communities of termite guts and nest substrates of P. araujoi differed significantly for bacteria and fungi. Firmicutes dominated the bacterial gut community of both workers and soldiers, whereas Actinobacteria was found in higher prevalence in the nest walls. Sordariomycetes was the most abundant fungal class in both gut and nest samples and distinguish P. araujoi from the grass/litter feeding Cornitermes cumulans. Our results also showed that diversity of gut bacteria were higher in P. araujoi and Silvestritermes euamignathus than in the grass/litter feeders (C. cumulans and Syntermes dirus), that could indicate an adaptation of the microbial community of polyphagous termites to the higher complexity of their diets. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/21497-6 - Ecological and molecular aspects of lignocellulose digestion in neotropical higher termites
• Grantee: Alberto José Arab Olavarrieta
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants