Impact of Wood Age on Termite Microbial Assemblages

0576687 - MBÚ 2024 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Chakraborty, A. - Šobotník, J. - Votýpková, K. - Hradecký, J. - Stiblik, P. - Synek, J. - Bourguignon, T. - Baldrian, Petr - Engel, M. S. - Novotný, Vojtěch - Odriozola Larranga, Inaki - Větrovský, Tomáš
Impact of Wood Age on Termite Microbial Assemblages.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Roč. 89, č. 5 (2023), č. článku e0036123. ISSN 0099-2240. E-ISSN 1098-5336
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-05318S; GA ČR(CZ) GX19-28126X
Institutional support: RVO:61388971 ; RVO:60077344
Keywords : wood-feeding termites * Reticulitermes flavipes * Microcerotermes biroi * plant defenses * terpenoids * core-microbiome * ectosymbionts * endosymbionts * bacteria * fungi
OECD category: Microbiology; Ecology (BC-A)
Impact factor: 4.4, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.00361-23

The decomposition of wood and detritus is challenging to most macroscopic organisms due to the recalcitrant nature of lignocellulose. Moreover, woody plants often protect themselves by synthesizing toxic or nocent compounds which infuse their tissues. Termites are essential wood decomposers in warmer terrestrial ecosystems and, as such, they have to cope with high concentrations of plant toxins in wood. In this paper, we evaluated the influence of wood age on the gut microbial (bacterial and fungal) communities associated with the termites Reticulitermes flavipes (Rhinotermitidae) (Kollar, 1837) and Microcerotermes biroi (Termitidae) (Desneux, 1905). We confirmed that the secondary metabolite concentration decreased with wood age. We identified a core microbial consortium maintained in the gut of R. flavipes and M. biroi and found that its diversity and composition were not altered by the wood age. Therefore, the concentration of secondary metabolites had no effect on the termite gut microbiome. We also found that both termite feeding activities and wood age affect the wood microbiome. Whether the increasing relative abundance of microbes with termite activities is beneficial to the termites is unknown and remains to be investigated.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0346131