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Geographical and ecological stability of the symbiotic mid‐gut microbiota in E uropean firebugs, P yrrhocoris apterus ( H emiptera, P yrrhocoridae)
Author(s) -
Sudakaran Sailendharan,
Salem Hassan,
Kost Christian,
Kaltenpoth Martin
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/mec.12027
Subject(s) - biology , facultative , symbiosis , obligate , gut flora , host (biology) , ecology , bacteria , ecological niche , zoology , genetics , habitat , biochemistry
Symbiotic bacteria often play an essential nutritional role for insects, thereby allowing them to exploit novel food sources and expand into otherwise inaccessible ecological niches. Although many insects are inhabited by complex microbial communities, most studies on insect mutualists so far have focused on single endosymbionts and their interactions with the host. Here, we provide a comprehensive characterization of the gut microbiota of the red firebug ( P yrrhocoris apterus, H emiptera, P yrrhocoridae), a model organism for physiological and endocrinological research. A combination of several culture‐independent techniques (454 pyrosequencing, quantitative PCR and cloning/sequencing) revealed a diverse community of likely transient bacterial taxa in the mid‐gut regions M 1, M 2 and M 4. However, the completely anoxic M3 region harboured a distinct microbiota consisting of facultative and obligate anaerobes including A ctinobacteria ( C oriobacterium glomerans and G ordonibacter sp.), F irmicutes ( C lostri‐dium sp. and L actococcus lactis) and P roteobacteria ( K lebsiella sp. and a previously undescribed R ickettsiales bacterium). Characterization of the M 3 microbiota in different life stages of P . apterus indicated that the symbiotic bacterial community is vertically transmitted and becomes well defined between the second and third nymphal instar, which coincides with the initiation of feeding. Comparing the mid‐gut M 3 microbial communities of P . apterus individuals from five different populations and after feeding on three different diets revealed that the community composition is qualitatively and quantitatively very stable, with the six predominant taxa being consistently abundant. Our findings suggest that the firebug mid‐gut microbiota constitutes a functionally important and possibly coevolved symbiotic community.