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Partner associations across sympatric broad‐headed bug species and their environmentally acquired bacterial symbionts
Author(s) -
Garcia J. R.,
Laughton A. M.,
Malik Z.,
Parker B. J.,
Trincot C.,
S. L. Chiang S.,
Chung E.,
Gerardo N. M.
Publication year - 2014
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.12655
Subject(s) - biology , sympatric speciation , insect , symbiosis , host (biology) , symbiotic bacteria , bacteria , ecology , zoology , pyrosequencing , population , gene , genetics , demography , sociology
Many organisms have intimate associations with beneficial microbes acquired from the environment. These host–symbiont associations can be specific and stable, but they are prone to lower partner specificity and more partner‐switching than vertically transmitted mutualisms. To investigate partner specificity in an environmentally acquired insect symbiosis, we used 16 S r RNA gene and multilocus sequencing to survey the bacterial population in the bacteria‐harbouring organ (crypts) of 49 individuals across four sympatric broad‐headed bug species ( A lydus calcaratus , A . conspersus , A . tomentosus and M egalotomus quinquespinosus ). Similar to other insect–bacteria associations, B urkholderia spp. were the most common residents of the crypts in all four insect species (77.2% of recovered sequences). B urkholderia presence was associated with prolonged survival to adulthood in A . tomentosus , suggesting a beneficial role of these specialized associations. Burkholderia were also found in environmental reservoirs in the insects’ habitat, which may facilitate acquisition by insects by increasing B urkholderia –insect encounters. Symbiont establishment could also be facilitated by resistance to insect defences; zone of inhibition assays demonstrated that B urkholderia and other bacteria isolated from crypts are resistant to insect defences that limit growth of E scherichia coli . Alternatively, the insects’ defences may not efficiently kill a broad range of bacteria. Although the symbiosis is targeted to B urkholderia , the insects’ crypts housed other bacteria, including non‐ B urkholderiaceae species. There is no significant effect of host insect species on B urkholderia distribution, suggesting a lack of strong partner specificity at finer scales. The presence of frequent partner‐switching between sympatric insects and their symbionts likely prevents tight co‐evolutionary dynamics.