Insect–microbe interactions and their influence on organisms and ecosystems

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(7)

Published: July 1, 2024

Abstract Microorganisms are important associates of insect and arthropod species. Insect‐associated microbes, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, can drastically impact host physiology, ecology, fitness, while many microbes still have no known role. Over the past decade, we increased our knowledge taxonomic composition functional roles insect‐associated microbiomes viromes. There has been a more recent shift toward examining complexity microbial communities, how they vary in response to different factors (e.g., genome, strain, environment, time), consequences this variation for wider ecological community. We provide an overview insect–microbe interactions, variety associated functions, evolutionary ecology these relationships. explore influence environment interactive effects insects their across trophic levels. Additionally, discuss potential subsequent synergistic reciprocal impacts on microbiomes, communities. Lastly, some avenues future insect‐microbe interactions that include modification existing symbionts as well construction synthetic

Language: Английский

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Impact of Species and Developmental Stage on the Bacterial Communities of Aphaenogaster Ants

Current Microbiology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 82(4)

Published: Feb. 26, 2025

Language: Английский

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Special issue “The overlooked biodiversity of ant associates”

Insectes Sociaux, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 2, 2025

Language: Английский

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Evidence of phylosymbiosis in Formica ants

Frontiers in Microbiology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14

Published: May 5, 2023

Introduction Insects share intimate relationships with microbes that play important roles in their biology. Yet our understanding of how host-bound microbial communities assemble and perpetuate over evolutionary time is limited. Ants host a wide range diverse functions are an emerging model for studying the evolution insect microbiomes. Here, we ask whether phylogenetically related ant species have formed distinct stable Methods To answer this question, investigated associated queens 14 Formica from five clades, using deep coverage 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Results We reveal clades harbor highly defined dominated by four bacteria genera: Wolbachia, Lactobacillus , Liliensternia Spiroplasma . Our analysis reveals composition microbiomes mirrors phylogeny host, i.e., phylosymbiosis, hosts more similar communities. In addition, find there significant correlations between microbe co-occurrences. Discussion results demonstrate ants carry recapitulate hosts. data suggests co-occurrence different genera may at least part be due to synergistic antagonistic interactions microbes. Additional factors potentially contributing phylosymbiotic signal discussed, including phylogenetic relatedness, host-microbe genetic compatibility, modes transmission, similarities ecologies (e.g., diets). Overall, support growing body evidence community closely depends on hosts, despite having transmission localization within host.

Language: Английский

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Bacterial Community Survey of Wolbachia-Infected Parthenogenetic Parasitoid Trichogramma pretiosum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) Treated with Antibiotics and High Temperature

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 24(9), P. 8448 - 8448

Published: May 8, 2023

Wolbachia has been shown to induce thelytokous parthenogenesis in Trichogramma species, which have widely used as biological control agents around the world. Little is known about changes of bacterial community after restoring arrhenotokous or bisexual reproduction T. pretiosum. Here, we investigate emergence males pretiosum through curing experiments (antibiotics and high temperature), crossing experiments, high-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing (rRNA-seq). The results showed that both antibiotics temperatures could cause produce male offspring. was dominant with 99.01% relative abundance. With abundance being depleted by antibiotics, diversity content other endosymbiotic bacteria increased, reproductive mode reverted from thelytoky arrhenotoky Although did not eliminate pretiosum, sulfadiazine an advantage entirely successive reproduction. This study first demonstrate communities parthenogenetic before high-temperature treatment. Our findings supported hypothesis titer-dependence drives a switch between arrhenotoky.

Language: Английский

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What does your gut tell you? Influences of a zombie-making and generalist fungal entomopathogen on carpenter ant micro- and mycobiota

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 2, 2024

Microbiome composition impacts many host aspects including health, nutrition, reproduction, and behavior. This warrants the recent uptick in insect microbiota research across species ecosystems. Commensurate with this, bacterial microbiome of ant Camponotus floridanus has been well characterized body regions maturation levels. However, potential effects entomopathogens on gut microbiome, fungal communities therein, are yet to be assessed. Investigation during infection could provide insight into entomopathogenic manipulation strategies inform effective biopesticide strategies. Additionally, mycobiome remains often overlooked despite playing a vital role ecology implications for health outcomes. To improve our limited understanding infections insects, ants particular, we two different micro- mycobiota C. over time; Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani Beauveria bassiana. Specialist, zombie-making O. fungi hijack behavior three weeks, causing them find an elevated position, fix themselves place their mandibles. summiting is adaptive as transports fungus conditions that favor fruiting development, spore production, dispersal, transmission. In contrast, generalist entomopathogen B. bassiana infects kills within few days, without induction obvious fungus-adaptive behaviors. By comparing healthy Beauveria- Ophiocordyceps-infected aimed 1) describe dynamics infection, 2) determine if distinctive between have While did not measurably affect micro-and mycobiome, did, especially mycobiome. Moreover, were sampled Ophiocordyceps-adaptive had significantly compared controls those before after took place. suggests might play strategy Ophiocordyceps.

Language: Английский

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Vertical transmission of fungus-growing ant microbiota is species-specific and constrained by queens

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: June 11, 2024

Abstract Multipartite symbioses are inherently complex, involving dynamic ecological interactions between organisms with intertwined yet distinct evolutionary histories. The fungus-growing (attine) ants facilitate maintenance of a symbiotic species network through maternal vertical transmission an obligate fungal symbiont. While the gut microbiomes ant remarkably simple, their gardens support diverse microbial communities. Here, we focus on understudied bottleneck: garden pellet that nest-founding queens transfer to inoculate new garden. We used 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing reconstruct extent bacteria via queen pellets in four sympatric ( Atta sexdens , cephalotes Acromyrmex echinatior and Mycetomoellerius mikromelanos ) from Central Panama. also characterized bacterial communities associated eggs somatic tissues (mesosomas, guts ovaries) assess whether likely transmit workers, such as cuticular Actinobacteria endosymbionts Wolbachia Mesoplasma Spiroplasma ). Our results suggest garden-associated mainly horizontally acquired shared few taxa mature investigated. showed some species-specificity, subset prevalent were across species. Further, our findings provide evidence for species-specific endosymbiotic transovarial route and/or fecal droplets. Overall, while found mixed bacteria, primary gut-associated symbionts. associates is mediated by hosts, mechanism behind this host control not understood.

Language: Английский

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Colony life history of the tropical arboreal ant, Cephalotes goniodontus De Andrade, 1999

Insectes Sociaux, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 71(3), P. 271 - 281

Published: June 27, 2024

Arboreal ants are ecologically important in tropical forests, but there few studies using DNA markers to examine their population and colony structure. Colonies of the arboreal turtle ant

Language: Английский

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Arthropod-microbe interactions and their influence on organisms and ecosystems

Authorea (Authorea), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: July 30, 2024

Microorganisms are essential associates for virtually all arthropod species. Insect-associated microbes can improve the fitness of their host, be pathogens, or have no known role. During past decade, we increased our collective knowledge composition insect-associated along with range roles that these symbionts perform. Increases in partly due to continued advancements genomic sequencing technologies. This understanding individual microbe contributions and allowed a shift towards examining complexity microbial communities, as well how communities vary different factors (e.g., and/or host genetics, environment). We provide an overview arthropod-symbiont interactions, variety symbiont functionalities, evolutionary ecology relationships. Additionally, explored influence environment on modulation insect-microbe projected impacts climate change, subsequent consequences ecological interactions. Lastly, discuss some potential avenues future arthropod-microbe interactions include modification existing construction synthetic communities. Our aim was condense current while discussing research gaps challenges possible directions.

Language: Английский

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Consequences of “zombie-making” and generalist fungal pathogens on carpenter ant microbiota

Current Research in Insect Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 7, P. 100102 - 100102

Published: Nov. 30, 2024

Language: Английский

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