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Yves Roisin - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the functional evolution of Termite gut microbiota
Social Science Research Network, 2021Co-Authors: Jigyasa Arora, Yves Roisin, Jan Šobotník, Yukihiro Kinjo, Ales Bucek, Crystal Clitheroe, Petr Stiblik, Lucia žifcakova, Yung Chul Park, Ki Yoon KimAbstract:Termites primarily feed on lignocellulose or soil in association with specific gut microbes. The functioning of the Termite gut microbiota is partly understood in a handful of wood-feeding pest species, but remains largely unknown in other taxa, preventing a global understanding of the functional evolution of Termite gut microbiota. Here, we sequenced the gut metagenomes of 145 Termites and Cryptocercus kyebangensis, a representative of the sister group of Termites. We show that the prokaryotic fraction of the gut microbiota of all Termites possesses similar genes for carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolisms, in proportions varying with Termite phylogenetic position and diet. The presence of a conserved set of gut prokaryotic genes implies that key nutritional functions were present in the ancestor of Termites and Cryptocercus. Furthermore, the abundance of these genes largely correlated with the host phylogeny. Finally, we found that the adaptation to a diet of soil by some Termite lineages was accompanied by a change in the stoichiometry of genes involved in important nutritional functions rather than by the acquisition of new genes and pathways. Our results reveal that the composition and function of Termite gut prokaryotic communities have been remarkably conserved since Termites first appeared >150 million years ago. Therefore, the “world smallest bioreactor” has been operating as a multipartite symbiosis composed of Termites, archaea, bacteria, and cellulolytic flagellates since its inception.
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Compositional and functional characterisation of biomass-degrading microbial communities in guts of plant fibre- and soil-feeding higher Termites
2020Co-Authors: Martyna Marynowska, David Sillam-dussès, Yves Roisin, Xavier Goux, Corinne Rouland-lefèvre, Rashi Halder, Paul Wilmes, Piotr Gawron, Philippe Delfosse, Magdalena CalusinskaAbstract:Abstract Background: Termites are among the most successful insect lineages on the globe and are responsible for providing numerous ecosystem services. They mainly feed on wood and other plant material at different stages of humification. Lignocellulose is often a principal component of such plant diet and Termites largely rely on their symbiotic microbiota and associated enzymes to decompose their food efficiently. While lower Termites and their gut flagellates were given larger scientific attention in the past, the gut lignocellulolytic bacteria of higher Termites remain less explored. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the structure and function of gut prokaryotic microbiomes from 11 higher Termite genera representative of Syntermitinae, Apicotermitinae, Termitidae and Nasutitermitinae subfamilies, broadly grouped into plant fibre- and soil-feeding Termite categories. Results: Despite the different compositional structures of the studied Termite gut microbiomes, reflecting well the diet and host lineage, we observed a surprisingly high functional congruency between gut metatranscriptomes from both feeding groups. The abundance of transcripts encoding for carbohydrate active enzymes as well as expression and diversity profiles of assigned glycoside hydrolase families were also similar between plant fibre- and soil-feeding Termites. Yet, dietary imprints highlighted subtle metabolic differences specific to each feeding category. Roughly 0.18 % of de novo re-constructed gene transcripts were shared between the different Termite gut microbiomes, making each Termite gut a unique reservoir of genes encoding for potentially industrially applicable enzymes, e.g. relevant to biomass degradation. Taken together, we demonstrated the functional equivalence in microbial populations across different Termite hosts.Conclusions: Our results provide valuable insight into the bacterial component of the Termite gut system and significantly expand the inventory of Termite prokaryotic genes participating in the deconstruction of plant biomass.
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Farmers’ perception of Termites in agriculture production and their indigenous utilization in Northwest Benin
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 2017Co-Authors: Laura Estelle Yêyinou Loko, Paterne Agre, Azize Orobiyi, Manuele Tamo, Alexandre Dansi, Yves RoisinAbstract:BackgroundAlthough Termites are considered as agricultural pests, they play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem. Therefore, it matters to investigate the farmers’ perception of the impacts of the Termites on the agriculture and their indigenous utilization.MethodsA semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview 94 farmers through 10 villages of Atacora department, in the northwestern region of Benin, to obtain information for the development of successful strategies of Termite management and conservation. Their perceptions on the importance and management of Termites along with the indigenous nomenclature and utilization of Termite mounds were assessed. Termite species identified by farmers were collected and preserved in 80% alcohol for identification.ResultsEight crops were identified by farmers as susceptible to Termites with maize, sorghum, and yam as being the most susceptible. According to farmers, the susceptibility to Termites of these crops is due to their high-water content and sweet taste. A total of 27 vernacular names of Termites were recorded corresponding to 10 species, Amitermes evuncifer, Macrotermes subhyalinus, and Trinervitermes oeconomus being the most damaging Termite species. All the names given to Termite species had a meaning. The drought was identified by farmers as the main factor favouring Termite attacks. Demolition of Termite mounds in the fields was the most commonly reported control method. Salt and other pesticides were commonly used by farmers to protect stored farm products. The lack of effective control methods is the main constraint for Termite management. In northwestern Benin, farmers reported different purpose utilizations of Termite mounds and Termites.ConclusionsThe study has shown that farmers perceived Termites as pests of several agricultural crops and apply various indigenous control practices whose efficiency need to be verified. Utilization of Termites and Termite mound soil as food and medicinal resources underlines the need for a more focused approach to Termite control for the conservation of non-pest Termite species. The sensitization of farmers on the importance of Termites as well as the development of an integrated control method to combat Termite pests proved necessary.
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the evolutionary history of Termites as inferred from 66 mitochondrial genomes
Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2015Co-Authors: Thomas Bourguignon, Yves Roisin, Jan Šobotník, Stephen L. Cameron, Yoshinobu Hayashi, Shuji Shigenobu, Dai Watanabe, Toru MiuraAbstract:Termites have colonized many habitats and are among the most abundant animals in tropical ecosystems, which they modify considerably through their actions. The timing of their rise in abundance and of the dispersal events that gave rise to modern Termite lineages is not well understood. To shed light on Termite origins and diversification, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of 48 Termite species and combined them with 18 previously sequenced Termite mitochondrial genomes for phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses using multiple fossil calibrations. The 66 genomes represent most major clades of Termites. Unlike previous phylogenetic studies based on fewer molecular data, our phylogenetic tree is fully resolved for the lower Termites. The phylogenetic positions of Macrotermitinae and Apicotermitinae are also resolved as the basal groups in the higher Termites, but in the crown termitid groups, including Termitinae + Syntermitinae + Nasutitermitinae + Cubitermitinae, the position of some nodes remains uncertain. Our molecular clock tree indicates that the lineages leading to Termites and Cryptocercus roaches diverged 170 Ma (153-196 Ma 95% confidence interval [CI]), that modern Termitidae arose 54 Ma (46-66 Ma 95% CI), and that the crown termitid group arose 40 Ma (35-49 Ma 95% CI). This indicates that the distribution of basal Termite clades was influenced by the final stages of the breakup of Pangaea. Our inference of ancestral geographic ranges shows that the Termitidae, which includes more than 75% of extant Termite species, most likely originated in Africa or Asia, and acquired their pantropical distribution after a series of dispersal and subsequent diversification events.
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biology of Termites a modern synthesis
2011Co-Authors: D E Bignell, Yves RoisinAbstract:Biology of Termites, a Modern Synthesis brings together the major advances in Termite biology, phylogenetics, social evolution and biogeography made in the decade since Abe et al Termites: Evolution, Sociality, Symbioses, Ecology became the standard modern reference work on Termite science. Building on the success of the Kluwer book, David Bignell, Yves Roisin and Nathan Lo have brought together in the new volume most of the world's leading experts on Termite taxonomy, behaviour, genetics, caste differentiation, physiology, microbiology, mound architecture, distribution and control. Very strong evolutionary and developmental themes run through the individual chapters, fed by new data streams from molecular sequencing, and for the first time it is possible to compare the social organisation of Termites with that of the social Hymenoptera, focusing on caste determination, population genetics, cooperative behaviour, nest hygiene and symbioses with microorganisms. New chapters have been added on Termite pheromones, Termites as pests of agriculture and on destructive invasive species, and new molecular and cladistic frameworks are presented for clarifying taxonomy, especially in the higher Termites which dominate many tropical ecosystems. Applied entomologists, developmental and evolutionary biologists, microbial ecologists, sociobiologists and tropical agriculture specialists will all benefit from the new insights provided by this work. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011. All rights reserved.
Michael Poulsen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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identifying the core microbial community in the gut of fungus growing Termites
Molecular Ecology, 2014Co-Authors: Saria Otani, Aram Mikaelyan, Tânia Nobre, Lars Hestbjerg Hansen, Ngolo Abdoulaye Kone, Soren J Sorensen, Duur K Aanen, Jacobus J Boomsma, Andreas Brune, Michael PoulsenAbstract:Gut microbes play a crucial role in decomposing lignocellulose to fuel Termite societies, with protists in the lower Termites and prokaryotes in the higher Termites providing these services. However, a single basal subfamily of the higher Termites, the Macrotermitinae, also domesticated a plant biomass-degrading fungus (Termitomyces), and how this symbiont acquisition has affected the fungus-growing Termite gut microbiota has remained unclear. The objective of our study was to compare the intestinal bacterial communities of five genera (nine species) of fungus-growing Termites to establish whether or not an ancestral core microbiota has been maintained and characterizes extant lineages. Using 454-pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we show that gut communities have representatives of 26 bacterial phyla and are dominated by Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes, Proteobacteria and Synergistetes. A set of 42 genus-level taxa was present in all Termite species and accounted for 56–68% of the species-specific reads. Gut communities of Termites from the same genus were more similar than distantly related species, suggesting that phylogenetic ancestry matters, possibly in connection with specific Termite genus-level ecological niches. Finally, we show that gut communities of fungus-growing Termites are similar to cockroaches, both at the bacterial phylum level and in a comparison of the core Macrotermitinae taxa abundances with representative cockroach, lower Termite and higher nonfungus-growing Termites. These results suggest that the obligate association with Termitomyces has forced the bacterial gut communities of the fungus-growing Termites towards a relatively uniform composition with higher similarity to their omnivorous relatives than to more closely related Termites.
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exploring the potential for actinobacteria as defensive symbionts in fungus growing Termites
Microbial Ecology, 2012Co-Authors: Anna A Visser, Cameron R Currie, Tânia Nobre, Duur K Aanen, Michael PoulsenAbstract:In fungus-growing Termites, fungi of the subgenus Pseudoxylaria threaten colony health through substrate competition with the Termite fungus (Termitomyces). The potential mechanisms with which Termites suppress Pseudoxylaria have remained unknown. Here we explore if Actinobacteria potentially play a role as defensive symbionts against Pseudoxylaria in fungus-growing Termites. We sampled for Actinobacteria from 30 fungus-growing Termite colonies, spanning the three main Termite genera and two geographically distant sites. Our isolations yielded 360 Actinobacteria, from which we selected subsets for morphological (288 isolates, grouped in 44 morphotypes) and for 16S rRNA (35 isolates, spanning the majority of morphotypes) characterisation. Actinobacteria were found throughout all sampled nests and colony parts and, phylogenetically, they are interspersed with Actinobacteria from origins other than fungus-growing Termites, indicating lack of specificity. Antibiotic-activity screening of 288 isolates against the fungal cultivar and competitor revealed that most of the Actinobacteria-produced molecules with antifungal activity. A more detailed bioassay on 53 isolates, to test the specificity of antibiotics, showed that many Actinobacteria inhibit both Pseudoxylaria and Termitomyces, and that the cultivar fungus generally is more susceptible to inhibition than the competitor. This suggests that either defensive symbionts are not present in the system or that they, if present, represent a subset of the community isolated. If so, the antibiotics must be used in a targeted fashion, being applied to specific areas by the Termites. We describe the first discovery of an assembly of antibiotic-producing Actinobacteria occurring in fungus-growing Termite nests. However, due to the diversity found, and the lack of both phylogenetic and bioactivity specificity, further work is necessary for a better understanding of the putative role of antibiotic-producing bacteria in the fungus-growing Termite mutualistic system.
Susumu Shimizu - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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S: Odor aversion and pathogen-removal efficiency in grooming behavior of the Termite Coptotermes formosanus
2016Co-Authors: Aya Yanagawa, Toshiharu Akino, Tsuyoshi Yoshimura, Takashi Yanagawa, Nao Fujiwara-tsujii, Susumu ShimizuAbstract:The results of biocontrol with entomopathogens in Termites have been discouraging because of the strong social hygiene behavior for removing pathogens from Termite colonies. However, the mechanism of pathogen detection is still unclear. For the successful application of biopesticides to Termites in nature, it would be beneficial to identify substances that could disrupt the Termite’s ability to perceive pathogens. We hypothesized that Termites can perceive pathogens and this ability plays an important role in effective hygiene behavior. In this study, pathogen-detection in the subterranean Termite Coptotermes formosanus was investigated. We performed quantitative assays on conidia removal by grooming behavior using epifluoresence microscopy and Y-maze tests to examine the perception of fungal odor by Termites. Three species each of high- and low-virulence entomopathogenic fungi were used in each test. The results demonstrated that Termites removed conidia more effectively from a nestmate’s cuticle if its odor elicited stronger aversion. Highly virulent pathogens showed higher attachment rates to Termite surfaces and their odors were more strongly avoided than those of low-virulence isolates in the same species. Moreover, Termites appeared to groom each other more persistently when they had more conidia on their bodies. In brief, insect perception of pathogen-related odor seems to play a role in the mechanism o
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odor aversion and pathogen removal efficiency in grooming behavior of the Termite coptotermes formosanus
PLOS ONE, 2012Co-Authors: Aya Yanagawa, Toshiharu Akino, Nao Fujiwaratsujii, Tsuyoshi Yoshimura, Takashi Yanagawa, Susumu ShimizuAbstract:The results of biocontrol with entomopathogens in Termites have been discouraging because of the strong social hygiene behavior for removing pathogens from Termite colonies. However, the mechanism of pathogen detection is still unclear. For the successful application of biopesticides to Termites in nature, it would be beneficial to identify substances that could disrupt the Termite’s ability to perceive pathogens. We hypothesized that Termites can perceive pathogens and this ability plays an important role in effective hygiene behavior. In this study, pathogen-detection in the subterranean Termite Coptotermes formosanus was investigated. We performed quantitative assays on conidia removal by grooming behavior using epifluoresence microscopy and Y-maze tests to examine the perception of fungal odor by Termites. Three species each of high- and low-virulence entomopathogenic fungi were used in each test. The results demonstrated that Termites removed conidia more effectively from a nestmate’s cuticle if its odor elicited stronger aversion. Highly virulent pathogens showed higher attachment rates to Termite surfaces and their odors were more strongly avoided than those of low-virulence isolates in the same species. Moreover, Termites appeared to groom each other more persistently when they had more conidia on their bodies. In brief, insect perception of pathogen-related odor seems to play a role in the mechanism of their hygiene behavior.
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the role of antennae in removing entomopathogenic fungi from cuticle of the Termite coptotermes formosanus
Journal of Insect Science, 2009Co-Authors: Fumio Yokohari, Aya Yanagawa, Susumu ShimizuAbstract:Our previous research has shown that the Termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), protects itself from entomopathogenic fungi by mutual grooming behavior. The Termite removes and discards foreign organisms, such as fungal conidia, from the body surface of its nestmates by mutual grooming behavior. The role of the antennae in detecting the condia was examind here. Three entomopathogenic fungi were used, Beauveria brongniartii 782 (Saccardo) (Hypocreales), Paecilomyces fumosoroseus K3 (Wize) (Hyphomycetes), and Metarhizium anisopliae 455 Sorokin (Hyphomycetes). Termites with antennae removed conidia more efficiently than Termites without antennae. There were differences between Termites with and without antennae in selection of sites to be groomed on nestmates, in the length of grooming and in occurrence of grooming. Electroantennogram (EAG) responses were recorded from Termite antennae and the waveforms were rather specific to the kinds of fungi used as odor sources. Termites were able to distinguish between the tested fungi in feeding tests. These results show that the antennae play important roles in the mutual grooming behavior of the Termite.
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pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi to the Termite reticulitermes speratus
Japanese Journal of Applied Entomology and Zoology, 2002Co-Authors: Susumu Shimizu, Motoko YamajiAbstract:Twenty isolates of entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Paecilomyces sp.) were bioassayed against groups (5 Termites in 90×15 mm petri dishes) of the Termite, Reticulitermes speratus. Termites were susceptible to the various isolates. Effect of Termite density on susceptibility to B. bassiana and M. anisopliae was also assayed. Reared individually, Termites were highly susceptible to B. bassiana and M. anisopliae. When groups of Termites (10 Termites in 90×15 mm petri dishes) were exposed to B. bassiana and M. anisopliae, they were highly resistant to infection.
Mark A Bradford - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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consistent effects of eastern subterranean Termites reticulitermes flavipes on properties of a temperate forest soil
Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 2015Co-Authors: Avishesh Neupane, Daniel S Maynard, Mark A BradfordAbstract:Abstract Termites inhabit a large portion of land covered by temperate forests. Climate warming and urbanization will likely extend their range and increase their densities in these ecosystems but, compared to their tropical counterparts, little is known about their effects on soil properties and processes. If temperate Termites have the strong ecosystem engineering effects of tropical Termites, then knowledge of their ecology and impacts will be vital for predicting how temperate systems respond to environmental change. We investigated how feeding and tunneling by the eastern subterranean Termite, Reticulitermes flavipes , affected wood decomposition and soil properties under decaying wood. Twelve laboratory microcosms filled with mineral soil and with wood blocks of four common temperate tree species, received R. flavipes soldiers and workers at field densities, with an additional five Termite-free microcosms serving as controls. After 25 weeks, the effects of Termites on wood mass loss, and on carbon and nitrogen dynamics, differed across tree species, yet their effects on soil properties were consistent regardless of wood type. Microbially-available carbon in soil was 20% higher with Termites and soil moisture content 20% lower. Soil pH was more acid with Termites and their effects on soil microbial biomass were positive but non-significant. These soil responses were consistent regardless of the wood species, suggesting that Termite effects on soil are dictated largely by their activity within the soil matrix and not by their feeding rate on specific wood substrates. These results are among the first to quantify the effects of temperate forest Termite activity on soil properties, demonstrating the potential for these Termites to shape biogeochemical cycling and plant communities through their alteration of the soil environment.
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temperate forest Termites ecology biogeography and ecosystem impacts
Ecological Entomology, 2015Co-Authors: Daniel S Maynard, Thomas W Crowther, Joshua R King, Robert J Warren, Mark A BradfordAbstract:1. Wood decomposition in temperate forests is dominated by Termites, fungi, and some species of ants and beetles. Outside of urban areas, temperate Termite ecology is largely unknown, particularly when compared to tropical Termites and other temperate organisms in the functional guild of wood-decomposing animals. 2. This review combines climate habitat modelling with knowledge of species physiology, behaviour, and community interactions to identify and prioritise future research on temperate Termite ecology and biogeography. 3. Using a correlative climate model, the regional distributions of three common temperate forest Termite species are shown to correlate with different aspects of climate (e.g. mean versus minimum monthly temperature), but that overall their distributions within temperate systems correlate more strongly with temperature variables than with precipitation variables. 4. Existing data are synthesised to outline how the subterranean, wood-nesting behaviour of most temperate forest Termite species links their activity to an additional set of non-climate controls: wood type and tree species, soil depth, fungal activity, ant abundances and phenology, and competitive asymmetries among Termite species. 5. Although fine-scale estimates of temperate Termite abundances are rare, we provide upper bounds on their ecosystem impacts and illustrate how their regional abundances may influence forest structure and habitat availability for other organisms. 6. This review highlights that rigorous ecological studies in non-urban, intact ecosystems – with a particular focus on community interactions – are critically needed to accurately project future abundances, economic impacts, and ecosystem effects of temperate forest Termites.
Magdalena Calusinska - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Compositional and functional characterisation of biomass-degrading microbial communities in guts of plant fibre- and soil-feeding higher Termites.
Microbiome, 2020Co-Authors: Martyna Marynowska, Xavier Goux, Corinne Rouland-lefèvre, Rashi Halder, Paul Wilmes, Piotr Gawron, Philippe Delfosse, Magdalena CalusinskaAbstract:Termites are among the most successful insect lineages on the globe and are responsible for providing numerous ecosystem services. They mainly feed on wood and other plant material at different stages of humification. Lignocellulose is often a principal component of such plant diet, and Termites largely rely on their symbiotic microbiota and associated enzymes to decompose their food efficiently. While lower Termites and their gut flagellates were given larger scientific attention in the past, the gut lignocellulolytic bacteria of higher Termites remain less explored. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the structure and function of gut prokaryotic microbiomes from 11 higher Termite genera representative of Syntermitinae, Apicotermitinae, Termitidae and Nasutitermitinae subfamilies, broadly grouped into plant fibre- and soil-feeding Termite categories. Despite the different compositional structures of the studied Termite gut microbiomes, reflecting well the diet and host lineage, we observed a surprisingly high functional congruency between gut metatranscriptomes from both feeding groups. The abundance of transcripts encoding for carbohydrate active enzymes as well as expression and diversity profiles of assigned glycoside hydrolase families were also similar between plant fibre- and soil-feeding Termites. Yet, dietary imprints highlighted subtle metabolic differences specific to each feeding category. Roughly, 0.18% of de novo re-constructed gene transcripts were shared between the different Termite gut microbiomes, making each Termite gut a unique reservoir of genes encoding for potentially industrially applicable enzymes, e.g. relevant to biomass degradation. Taken together, we demonstrated the functional equivalence in microbial populations across different Termite hosts. Our results provide valuable insight into the bacterial component of the Termite gut system and significantly expand the inventory of Termite prokaryotic genes participating in the deconstruction of plant biomass.
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Compositional and functional characterisation of biomass-degrading microbial communities in guts of plant fibre- and soil-feeding higher Termites
2020Co-Authors: Martyna Marynowska, David Sillam-dussès, Yves Roisin, Xavier Goux, Corinne Rouland-lefèvre, Rashi Halder, Paul Wilmes, Piotr Gawron, Philippe Delfosse, Magdalena CalusinskaAbstract:Abstract Background: Termites are among the most successful insect lineages on the globe and are responsible for providing numerous ecosystem services. They mainly feed on wood and other plant material at different stages of humification. Lignocellulose is often a principal component of such plant diet and Termites largely rely on their symbiotic microbiota and associated enzymes to decompose their food efficiently. While lower Termites and their gut flagellates were given larger scientific attention in the past, the gut lignocellulolytic bacteria of higher Termites remain less explored. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the structure and function of gut prokaryotic microbiomes from 11 higher Termite genera representative of Syntermitinae, Apicotermitinae, Termitidae and Nasutitermitinae subfamilies, broadly grouped into plant fibre- and soil-feeding Termite categories. Results: Despite the different compositional structures of the studied Termite gut microbiomes, reflecting well the diet and host lineage, we observed a surprisingly high functional congruency between gut metatranscriptomes from both feeding groups. The abundance of transcripts encoding for carbohydrate active enzymes as well as expression and diversity profiles of assigned glycoside hydrolase families were also similar between plant fibre- and soil-feeding Termites. Yet, dietary imprints highlighted subtle metabolic differences specific to each feeding category. Roughly 0.18 % of de novo re-constructed gene transcripts were shared between the different Termite gut microbiomes, making each Termite gut a unique reservoir of genes encoding for potentially industrially applicable enzymes, e.g. relevant to biomass degradation. Taken together, we demonstrated the functional equivalence in microbial populations across different Termite hosts.Conclusions: Our results provide valuable insight into the bacterial component of the Termite gut system and significantly expand the inventory of Termite prokaryotic genes participating in the deconstruction of plant biomass.
