Journal article
Genome Evolution of Bartonellaceae Symbionts of Ants at the Opposite Ends of the Trophic Scale
Genome biology and evolution, v 10(7), pp 1687-1704
01 Jul 2018
PMID: 29982531
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Many insects rely on bacterial symbionts to supply essential amino acids and vitamins that are deficient in their diets, but metabolic comparisons of closely related gut bacteria in insects with different dietary preferences have not been performed. Here, we demonstrate that herbivorous ants of the genus
Dolichoderus
from the Peruvian Amazon host bacteria of the family Bartonellaceae, known for establishing chronic or pathogenic infections in mammals. We detected these bacteria in all studied
Dolichoderus
species, and found that they reside in the midgut wall, that is, the same location as many previously described nutritional endosymbionts of insects. The genomic analysis of four divergent strains infecting different
Dolichoderus
species revealed genes encoding pathways for nitrogen recycling and biosynthesis of several vitamins and all essential amino acids. In contrast, several biosynthetic pathways have been lost, whereas genes for the import and conversion of histidine and arginine to glutamine have been retained in the genome of a closely related gut bacterium of the carnivorous ant
Harpegnathos saltator
. The broad biosynthetic repertoire in Bartonellaceae of herbivorous ants resembled that of gut bacteria of honeybees that likewise feed on carbohydrate-rich diets. Taken together, the broad distribution of Bartonellaceae across
Dolichoderus
ants, their small genome sizes, the specific location within hosts, and the broad biosynthetic capability suggest that these bacteria are nutritional symbionts in herbivorous ants. The results highlight the important role of the host nutritional biology for the genomic evolution of the gut microbiota—and conversely, the importance of the microbiota for the nutrition of hosts.
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Details
- Title
- Genome Evolution of Bartonellaceae Symbionts of Ants at the Opposite Ends of the Trophic Scale
- Creators
- Gaelle Bisch - Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Evolution, Uppsala University, SwedenMinna-Maria Neuvonen - Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Evolution, Uppsala University, SwedenNaomi E Pierce - Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityJacob A Russell - Department of Biology, Drexel UniversityRyuichi Koga - Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, JapanJon G Sanders - Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityPiotr Łukasik - Department of Biology, Drexel UniversitySiv G E Andersson - Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Evolution, Uppsala University, Sweden
- Publication Details
- Genome biology and evolution, v 10(7), pp 1687-1704
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Grant note
- ; 2011.0148; 2012.0075 / ; ; ; ; 349-2007-8732; 621-2014-4460 / ; ;
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000442378100006
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85051691705
- Other Identifier
- 991014878357204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics & Heredity