Open AccessDiversity and resilience of the wood‐feeding higher termite Mironasutitermes shangchengensis gut microbiota in response to temporal and diet variations
Author(s) -
Wang Ying,
Su Lijuan,
Huang Shi,
Bo Cunpei,
Yang Sen,
Li Yan,
Wang Fengqin,
Xie Hui,
Xu Jian,
Song Andong
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.2497
Subject(s) - firmicutes , biology , gut flora , actinobacteria , metagenomics , acidobacteria , microbiome , obligate , phylogenetic diversity , pyrosequencing , proteobacteria , bacterial phyla , ecology , bacteria , 16s ribosomal rna , phylogenetics , bioinformatics , biochemistry , genetics , gene , immunology
Termites are considered among the most efficient bioreactors, with high capacities for lignocellulose degradation and utilization. Recently, several studies have characterized the gut microbiota of diverse termites. However, the temporal dynamics of the gut microbiota within a given termite with dietary diversity are poorly understood. Here, we employed 16S rDNA barcoded pyrosequencing analysis to investigate temporal changes in bacterial diversity and richness of the gut microbiota of wood‐feeding higher termite Mironasutitermes shangchengensis under three lignocellulose content‐based diets that feature wood, corn stalks, and filter paper. Compositions of the predominant termite gut residents were largely constant among the gut microbiomes under different diets, but each diet caused specific changes in the bacterial composition over time. Notably, microbial communities exhibited an unexpectedly strong resilience during continuous feeding on both corn stalks and filter paper. Members of five bacterial phyla, that is, Spirochaetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Tenericutes, and Acidobacteria, were strongly associated with the resilience. These findings provide insights into the stability of the gut microbiota in higher termites and have important implications for the future design of robust bioreactors for lignocellulose degradation and utilization.