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A phylogenetic characterization of the microbiome of the ponerine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae)
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A phylogenetic characterization of the microbiome of the ponerine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae)

Narayan Hin-Lun Wong
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Dec 2015
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-6694
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Abstract

Biology Microbial growth--Development Microorganisms--Development Evolution Symbiosis
Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) provide a range of ecosystem services across the world. Understanding the composition of bacterial communities associated with this diverse family of insects is crucial for understanding ecological roles. Here, I present a review of the current state of host-symbiont research in the ants. My original research focuses on the subfamily Ponerinae, a clade of primarily carnivorous ants consisting of ~1,600 species found worldwide. By utilizing next-generation sequencing technology, I characterized the gut microbial communities of 48 individuals from seven of the 47 total ponerine genera. This 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing approach was complemented with phylogenetic analyses of several of the dominant bacterial taxa via sequencing of protein coding genes, as well as a newly revised phylogeny of the host ants. My main findings include: (1) a comparative 16S rRNA profile of gut microbiomes across the ponerines; (2) the distribution of the symbiont known as Wolbachia across the ponerines; (3) the distributions and evolutionary histories of two ant-specific bacteria limited to carnivorous ants; and (5) phylogenetic analyses of the major bacterial taxa that make up the gut communities of the ponerines.

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