Restriction-Modification Systems as Mobile Genetic Elements in the Evolution of an Intracellular Symbiont

Genome reduction and horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of Endomicrobia-rise and fall of an intracellular symbiosis with termite gut flagellates

Bacterial endosymbionts of eukaryotic hosts typically experience massive genome reduction, but the underlying evolutionary processes are often obscured by the lack of free-living relatives. Endomicrobia, a family-level lineage of host-associated bacteria in the phylum Elusimicrobiota that comprises both free-living representatives and endosymbionts of termite gut flagellates, are an excellent model to study evolution of intracellular symbionts. We reconstructed 67 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of Endomicrobiaceae among more than 1,700 MAGs from the gut microbiota of a wide range of termites. Phylogenomic analysis confirmed a sister position of representatives from termites and ruminants, and allowed to propose eight new genera in the radiation of Endomicrobiaceae. Comparative genome analysis documented progressive genome erosion in the new genus Endomicrobiellum, which comprises all flagellate endosymbionts characterized to date. Massive gene losses were accompanied by the acquisition of new functions by horizontal gene transfer, which led to a shift from a glucose-based energy metabolism to one based on sugar phosphates. The breakdown of glycolysis and many anabolic pathways for amino acids and cofactors in several subgroups was compensated by the independent acquisition of new uptake systems, including an ATP/ADP antiporter, from other gut microbiota. The putative donors are mostly flagellate endosymbionts from other bacterial phyla, including several, hitherto unknown lineages of uncultured Alphaproteobacteria, documenting the importance of horizontal gene transfer in the convergent evolution of these intracellular symbioses. The loss of almost all biosynthetic capacities in some lineages of Endomicrobiellum suggests that their originally mutualistic relationship with flagellates is on its decline.IMPORTANCEUnicellular eukaryotes are frequently colonized by bacterial and archaeal symbionts. A prominent example are the cellulolytic gut flagellates of termites, which harbor diverse but host-specific bacterial symbionts that occur exclusively in termite guts. One of these lineages, the so-called Endomicrobia, comprises both free-living and endosymbiotic representatives, which offers the unique opportunity to study the evolutionary processes underpinning the transition from a free-living to an intracellular lifestyle. Our results revealed a progressive gene loss in energy metabolism and biosynthetic pathways, compensated by the acquisition of new functions via horizontal gene transfer from other gut bacteria, and suggest the eventual breakdown of an initially mutualistic symbiosis. Evidence for convergent evolution of unrelated endosymbionts reflects adaptations to the intracellular environment of termite gut flagellates.

Characterization of erm(B)-Carrying Integrative and Conjugative Elements Transferred from Streptococcus anginosus to Other Streptococci and Enterococci

Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are important vectors of lateral gene transfer and contribute to the evolution of bacterial pathogens. However, studies on the transfer among species and the physiological consequences of ICEs are rare. The objective of this study was to investigate the cross-species transferability of newly identified erm(B)-carried ICE in Streptococcus anginosus San95 and its physiological consequences after transfer. The erm(B)-carried ICE, characterized by a triple serine integrase module, integrated into hsdM genes, thus designated ICESan95_hsdM. Analysis of ICESan95_hsdM revealed 32 additional ICESan95-like ICEs in the available NCBI genome (n = 24) and sequence of clinical isolates (n = 8). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to evaluate the 467 clinical isolates, of which 84 were positive for core genes (integrase, relaxase, and T4SS genes) of ICESan95_hsdM. Cross-species transfer experiments demonstrated that ICESan95_hsdM could transfer from S. anginosus to different streptococcal and enterococcal recipients. Growth and competitive culture assays showed acquisition of ICESan95_hsdM incurred no fitness cost. Our work discovered a group of ICEs in Streptococci and Enterococci. For the first time, we demonstrated the broad cross-species transferability to different species or genera of ICEs with no fitness cost that enables commensal S. anginosus to deliver antimicrobial resistance genes to other streptococci and enterococci.

Protist symbionts of termites: diversity, distribution, and coevolution

The symbiosis between termites and their hindgut protists is mutually obligate and vertically inherited. It was established by the late Jurassic in the cockroach ancestors of termites as they transitioned to wood feeding. Since then, protist symbionts have been transmitted from host generation to host generation by proctodeal trophallaxis (anal feeding). The protists belong to multiple lineages within the eukaryotic superphylum Metamonada. Most of these lineages have evolved large cells with complex morphology, unlike the non-termite-associated Metamonada. The species richness and taxonomic composition of symbiotic protist communities varies widely across termite lineages, especially within the deep-branching clade Teletisoptera. In general, closely related termites tend to harbour closely related protists, and deep-branching termites tend to harbour deep-branching protists, reflecting their broad-scale co-diversification. A closer view, however, reveals a complex distribution of protist lineages across hosts. Some protist taxa are common, some are rare, some are widespread, and some are restricted to a single host family or genus. Some protist taxa can be found in only a few, distantly related, host species. Thus, the long history of co-diversification in this symbiosis has been complicated by lineage-specific loss of symbionts, transfer of symbionts from one host lineage to another, and by independent diversification of the symbionts relative to their hosts. This review aims to introduce the biology of this important symbiosis and serve as a gateway to the diversity and systematics literature for both termites and protists. A searchable database with all termite-protist occurrence records and taxonomic references is provided as a supplementary file to encourage and facilitate new research in this field.

Pangenome Evolution in Environmentally Transmitted Symbionts of Deep-Sea Mussels Is Governed by Vertical Inheritance

Microbial pangenomes vary across species; their size and structure are determined by genetic diversity within the population and by gene loss and horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Many bacteria are associated with eukaryotic hosts where the host colonization dynamics may impact bacterial genome evolution. Host-associated lifestyle has been recognized as a barrier to HGT in parentally transmitted bacteria. However, pangenome evolution of environmentally acquired symbionts remains understudied, often due to limitations in symbiont cultivation. Using high-resolution metagenomics, here we study pangenome evolution of two co-occurring endosymbionts inhabiting Bathymodiolus brooksi mussels from a single cold seep. The symbionts, sulfur-oxidizing (SOX) and methane-oxidizing (MOX) gamma-proteobacteria, are environmentally acquired at an early developmental stage and individual mussels may harbor multiple strains of each symbiont species. We found differences in the accessory gene content of both symbionts across individual mussels, which are reflected by differences in symbiont strain composition. Compared with core genes, accessory genes are enriched in genome plasticity functions. We found no evidence for recent HGT between both symbionts. A comparison between the symbiont pangenomes revealed that the MOX population is less diverged and contains fewer accessory genes, supporting that the MOX association with B. brooksi is more recent in comparison to that of SOX. Our results show that the pangenomes of both symbionts evolved mainly by vertical inheritance. We conclude that genome evolution of environmentally transmitted symbionts that associate with individual hosts over their lifetime is affected by a narrow symbiosis where the frequency of HGT is constrained.

Simultaneous Single-Cell Genome and Transcriptome Sequencing of Termite Hindgut Protists Reveals Metabolic and Evolutionary Traits of Their Endosymbionts

Some of the protist species which colonize the hindguts of wood-feeding Reticulitermes termites are associated with endosymbiotic bacteria belonging to the genus Endomicrobium. In this study, we focused on the endosymbionts of three protist species from Reticulitermes flavipes, as follows: Pyrsonympha vertens, Trichonympha agilis, and Dinenympha species II. Since these protist hosts represented members of different taxa which colonize separate niches within the hindguts of their termite hosts, we investigated if these differences translated to differential gene content and expression in their endosymbionts. Following assembly and comparative genome and transcriptome analyses, we discovered that these endosymbionts differed with respect to some possible niche-specific traits, such as carbon metabolism. Our analyses suggest that species-specific genes related to carbon metabolism were acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and may have come from taxa which are common in the termite hind gut. In addition, our analyses suggested that these endosymbionts contain and express genes related to natural transformation (competence) and recombination. Taken together, the presence of genes acquired by HGT and a putative competence pathway suggest that these endosymbionts are not cut off from gene flow and that competence may be a mechanism by which members of Endomicrobium can acquire new traits.

IMPORTANCE The composition and structure of wood, which contains cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, prevent most organisms from using this common food source. Termites are a rare exception among animals, and they rely on a complex microbiota housed in their hindguts to use wood as a source of food. The lower termite, Reticulitermes flavipes, houses a variety of protists and prokaryotes that are the key players in the disassembly of lignocellulose. Here, we describe the genomes and the gene expression profiles of five Endomicrobium endosymbionts living inside three different protist species from R. flavipes. Data from these genomes suggest that these Endomicrobium species have different mechanisms for using carbon. In addition, they harbor genes that may be used to import DNA from their environment. This process of DNA uptake may contribute to the high levels of horizontal gene transfer noted previously in Endomicrobium species.

Genic Selection Within Prokaryotic Pangenomes

Understanding the evolutionary forces shaping prokaryotic pangenome structure is a major goal of microbial evolution research. Recent work has highlighted that a substantial proportion of accessory genes appear to confer niche-specific adaptations. This work has primarily focused on selection acting at the level of individual cells. Herein, we discuss a lower level of selection that also contributes to pangenome variation: genic selection. This refers to cases where genetic elements, rather than individual cells, are the entities under selection. The clearest examples of this form of selection are selfish mobile genetic elements, which are those that have either a neutral or a deleterious effect on host fitness. We review the major classes of these and other mobile elements and discuss the characteristic features of such elements that could be under genic selection. We also discuss how genetic elements that are beneficial to hosts can also be under genic selection, a scenario that may be more prevalent but not widely appreciated, because disentangling the effects of selection at different levels (i.e., organisms vs. genes) is challenging. Nonetheless, an appreciation for the potential action and implications of genic selection is important to better understand the evolution of prokaryotic pangenomes.

Genomic Characterization of a Novel Tenericutes Bacterium from Deep-Sea Holothurian Intestine

Intestinal bacterial communities are highly relevant to the digestion, nutrition, growth, reproduction, and immunity of animals, but little is known about the composition and function of intestinal microbiota in deep-sea invertebrates. In this study, the intestinal microbiota of six holothurian Molpadia musculus were investigated, showing that their midguts were predominantly occupied by Izemoplasmatales bacteria. Using metagenomic sequencing, a draft genome of 1,822,181 bp was successfully recovered. After comparison with phylogenetically related bacteria, genes involved in saccharide usage and de novo nucleotide biosynthesis were reduced. However, a set of genes responsible for extracellular nucleoside utilization and 14 of 20 amino acid synthesis pathways were completely retained. Under oligotrophic condition, the gut-associated bacterium may make use of extracellular DNA for carbon and energy supplement, and may provide essential amino acids to the host. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) and restriction–modification (RM) systems presented in the genome may provide protection against invading viruses. A linear azol(in)e-containing peptide gene cluster for bacteriocin synthesize was also identified, which may inhibit the colonization and growth of harmful bacteria. Known virulence factors were not found by database searching. On the basis of its phylogenetic position and metabolic characteristics, we proposed that the bacterium represented a novel genus and a novel family within the Izemoplasmatales order and suggested it be named “Candidatus Bathyoplasma sp. NZ”. This was the first time describing host-associated Izemoplasmatales.

Parallel reductive genome evolution in Desulfovibrio ectosymbionts independently acquired by Trichonympha protists in the termite gut

Several Trichonympha protist species in the termite gut have independently acquired Desulfovibrio ectosymbionts in apparently different stages of symbiosis. Here, we obtained the near-complete genome sequence of Desulfovibrio phylotype ZnDsv-02, which attaches to the surface of Trichonympha collaris cells, and compared it with a previously obtained genome sequence of 'Candidatus Desulfovibrio trichonymphae' phylotype Rs-N31, which is almost completely embedded in the cytoplasm of Trichonympha agilis. Single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis indicated that although Rs-N31 is almost clonal, the ZnDsv-02 population on a single host cell is heterogeneous. Despite these differences, the genome of ZnDsv-02 has been reduced to 1.6 Mb, which is comparable to that of Rs-N31 (1.4 Mb), but unlike other known ectosymbionts of protists with a genome similar in size to their free-living relatives. Except for the presence of a lactate utilization pathway, cell-adhesion components and anti-phage defense systems in ZnDsv-02, the overall gene-loss pattern between the two genomes is very similar, including the loss of genes responsive to environmental changes. Our study suggests that genome reduction can occur in ectosymbionts, even when they can be transmitted horizontally and obtain genes via lateral transfer, and that the symbiont genome size depends heavily on their role in the symbiotic system.

Genome analyses of uncultured TG2/ZB3 bacteria in 'Margulisbacteria' specifically attached to ectosymbiotic spirochetes of protists in the termite gut

We investigated the phylogenetic diversity, localisation and metabolism of an uncultured bacterial clade, Termite Group 2 (TG2), or ZB3, in the termite gut, which belongs to the candidate phylum 'Margulisbacteria'. We performed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing analysis and detected TG2/ZB3 sequences in 40 out of 72 termite and cockroach species, which exclusively constituted a monophyletic cluster in the TG2/ZB3 clade. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation analysis in lower termites revealed that these bacteria are specifically attached to ectosymbiotic spirochetes of oxymonad gut protists. Draft genomes of four TG2/ZB3 phylotypes from a small number of bacterial cells were reconstructed, and functional genome analysis suggested that these bacteria hydrolyse and ferment cellulose/cellobiose to H2, CO2, acetate and ethanol. We also assembled a draft genome for a partner Treponema spirochete and found that it encoded genes for reductive acetogenesis from H2 and CO2. We hypothesise that the TG2/ZB3 bacteria we report here are commensal or mutualistic symbionts of the spirochetes, exploiting the spirochetes as H2 sinks. For these bacteria, we propose a novel genus, 'Candidatus Termititenax', which represents a hitherto uncharacterised class-level clade in 'Margulisbacteria'. Our findings add another layer, i.e., cellular association between bacteria, to the multi-layered symbiotic system in the termite gut.

The Obscure World of Integrative and Mobilizable Elements, Highly Widespread Elements that Pirate Bacterial Conjugative Systems

Conjugation is a key mechanism of bacterial evolution that involves mobile genetic elements. Recent findings indicated that the main actors of conjugative transfer are not the well-known conjugative or mobilizable plasmids but are the integrated elements. This paper reviews current knowledge on “integrative and mobilizable elements” (IMEs) that have recently been shown to be highly diverse and highly widespread but are still rarely described. IMEs encode their own excision and integration and use the conjugation machinery of unrelated co-resident conjugative element for their own transfer. Recent studies revealed a much more complex and much more diverse lifecycle than initially thought. Besides their main transmission as integrated elements, IMEs probably use plasmid-like strategies to ensure their maintenance after excision. Their interaction with conjugative elements reveals not only harmless hitchhikers but also hunters that use conjugative elements as target for their integration or harmful parasites that subvert the conjugative apparatus of incoming elements to invade cells that harbor them. IMEs carry genes conferring various functions, such as resistance to antibiotics, that can enhance the fitness of their hosts and that contribute to their maintenance in bacterial populations. Taken as a whole, IMEs are probably major contributors to bacterial evolution.

Genome Analysis of Endomicrobium proavitum Suggests Loss and Gain of Relevant Functions during the Evolution of Intracellular Symbionts

Bacterial endosymbionts of eukaryotes show progressive genome erosion, but detailed investigations of the evolutionary processes involved in the transition to an intracellular lifestyle are generally hampered by the lack of extant free-living lineages. Here, we characterize the genome of the recently isolated, free-living Endomicrobium proavitum, the second member of the Elusimicrobia phylum brought into pure culture, and compare it to the closely related "Candidatus Endomicrobium trichonymphae" strain Rs-D17, a previously described but uncultured endosymbiont of termite gut flagellates. A reconstruction of the metabolic pathways of Endomicrobium proavitum matched the fermentation products formed in pure culture and underscored its restriction to glucose as the substrate. However, several pathways present in the free-living strain, e.g., for the uptake and activation of glucose and its subsequent fermentation, ammonium assimilation, and outer membrane biogenesis, were absent or disrupted in the endosymbiont, probably lost during the massive genome rearrangements that occurred during symbiogenesis. While the majority of the genes in strain Rs-D17 have orthologs in Endomicrobium proavitum, the endosymbiont also possesses a number of functions that are absent from the free-living strain and may represent adaptations to the intracellular lifestyle. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the genes encoding glucose 6-phosphate and amino acid transporters, acetaldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase, and the pathways of glucuronic acid catabolism and thiamine pyrophosphate biosynthesis were either acquired by horizontal gene transfer or may represent ancestral traits that were lost in the free-living strain. The polyphyletic origin of Endomicrobia in different flagellate hosts makes them excellent models for future studies of convergent and parallel evolution during symbiogenesis.IMPORTANCE The isolation of a free-living relative of intracellular symbionts provides the rare opportunity to identify the evolutionary processes that occur in the course of symbiogenesis. Our study documents that the genome of "Candidatus Endomicrobium trichonymphae," which represents a clade of endosymbionts that have coevolved with termite gut flagellates for more than 40 million years, is not simply a subset of the genes present in Endomicrobium proavitum, a member of the ancestral, free-living lineage. Rather, comparative genomics revealed that the endosymbionts possess several relevant functions that were either prerequisites for colonization of the intracellular habitat or might have served to compensate for genes losses that occurred during genome erosion. Some gene sets found only in the endosymbiont were apparently acquired by horizontal transfer from other gut bacteria, which suggests that the intracellular bacteria of flagellates are not entirely cut off from gene flow.

Metagenomic binning of a marine sponge microbiome reveals unity in defense but metabolic specialization

Marine sponges are ancient metazoans that are populated by distinct and highly diverse microbial communities. In order to obtain deeper insights into the functional gene repertoire of the Mediterranean sponge Aplysina aerophoba, we combined Illumina short-read and PacBio long-read sequencing followed by un-targeted metagenomic binning. We identified a total of 37 high-quality bins representing 11 bacterial phyla and two candidate phyla. Statistical comparison of symbiont genomes with selected reference genomes revealed a significant enrichment of genes related to bacterial defense (restriction-modification systems, toxin-antitoxin systems) as well as genes involved in host colonization and extracellular matrix utilization in sponge symbionts. A within-symbionts genome comparison revealed a nutritional specialization of at least two symbiont guilds, where one appears to metabolize carnitine and the other sulfated polysaccharides, both of which are abundant molecules in the sponge extracellular matrix. A third guild of symbionts may be viewed as nutritional generalists that perform largely the same metabolic pathways but lack such extraordinary numbers of the relevant genes. This study characterizes the genomic repertoire of sponge symbionts at an unprecedented resolution and it provides greater insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial-sponge symbiosis.

The Evolution of Bacterial Genome Architecture

The genome architecture of bacteria and eukaryotes evolves in opposite directions when subject to genetic drift, a difference that can be ascribed to the fact that bacteria exhibit a mutational bias that deletes superfluous sequences, whereas eukaryotes are biased toward large insertions. Expansion of eukaryotic genomes occurs through the addition of non-functional sequences, such as repetitive sequences and transposable elements, whereas variation in bacterial genome size is largely due to the acquisition and loss of functional accessory genes. These properties create the situation in which eukaryotes with very similar numbers of genes can have vastly different genome sizes, while in bacteria, gene number scales linearly with genome size. Some bacterial genomes, however, particularly those of species that undergo bottlenecks due to recent association with hosts, accumulate pseudogenes and mobile elements, conferring them a low gene content relative to their genome size. These non-functional sequences are gradually eroded and eliminated after long-term association with hosts, with the result that obligate symbionts have the smallest genomes of any cellular organism. The architecture of bacterial genomes is shaped by complex and diverse processes, but for most bacterial species, genome size is governed by a non-adaptive process, i.e., genetic drift coupled with a mutational bias toward deletions. Thus, bacteria with small effective population sizes typically have the smallest genomes. Some marine bacteria counter this near-universal trend: despite having immense population sizes, selection, not drift, acts to reduce genome size in response to metabolic constraints in their nutrient-limited environment.

Discovery and Complete Genome Sequence of a Bacteriophage from an Obligate Intracellular Symbiont of a Cellulolytic Protist in the Termite Gut

Termites depend nutritionally on their gut microbes, and protistan, bacterial, and archaeal gut communities have been extensively studied. However, limited information is available on viruses in the termite gut. We herein report the complete genome sequence (99,517 bp) of a phage obtained during a genome analysis of “Candidatus Azobacteroides pseudotrichonymphae” phylotype ProJPt-1, which is an obligate intracellular symbiont of the cellulolytic protist Pseudotrichonympha sp. in the gut of the termite Prorhinotermes japonicus. The genome of the phage, designated ProJPt-Bp1, was circular or circularly permuted, and was not integrated into the two circular chromosomes or five circular plasmids composing the host ProJPt-1 genome. The phage was putatively affiliated with the order Caudovirales based on sequence similarities with several phage-related genes; however, most of the 52 protein-coding sequences had no significant homology to sequences in the databases. The phage genome contained a tRNA-Gln (CAG) gene, which showed the highest sequence similarity to the tRNA-Gln (CAA) gene of the host “Ca. A. pseudotrichonymphae” phylotype ProJPt-1. Since the host genome lacked a tRNA-Gln (CAG) gene, the phage tRNA gene may compensate for differences in codon usage bias between the phage and host genomes. The phage genome also contained a non-coding region with high nucleotide sequence similarity to a region in one of the host plasmids. No other phage-related sequences were found in the host ProJPt-1 genome. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a phage from an obligate, mutualistic endosymbiont permanently associated with eukaryotic cells.

Metabolism of Toxic Sugars by Strains of the Bee Gut Symbiont Gilliamella apicola

Social bees collect carbohydrate-rich food to support their colonies, and yet, certain carbohydrates present in their diet or produced through the breakdown of pollen are toxic to bees. The gut microbiota of social bees is dominated by a few core bacterial species, including the Gram-negative species Gilliamella apicola. We isolated 42 strains of G. apicola from guts of honey bees and bumble bees and sequenced their genomes. All of the G. apicola strains share high 16S rRNA gene similarity, but they vary extensively in gene repertoires related to carbohydrate metabolism. Predicted abilities to utilize different sugars were verified experimentally. Some strains can utilize mannose, arabinose, xylose, or rhamnose (monosaccharides that can cause toxicity in bees) as their sole carbon and energy source. All of the G. apicola strains possess a manO-associated mannose family phosphotransferase system; phylogenetic analyses suggest that this was acquired from Firmicutes through horizontal gene transfer. The metabolism of mannose is specifically dependent on the presence of mannose-6-phosphate isomerase (MPI). Neither growth rates nor the utilization of glucose and fructose are affected in the presence of mannose when the gene encoding MPI is absent from the genome, suggesting that mannose is not taken up by G. apicola strains which harbor the phosphotransferase system but do not encode the MPI. Given their ability to simultaneously utilize glucose, fructose, and mannose, as well as the ability of many strains to break down other potentially toxic carbohydrates, G. apicola bacteria may have key roles in improving dietary tolerances and maintaining the health of their bee hosts.

Bees are important pollinators of agricultural plants. Our study documents the ability of Gilliamella apicola, a dominant gut bacterium in honey bees and bumble bees, to utilize several sugars that are harmful to bee hosts. Using genome sequencing and growth assays, we found that the ability to metabolize certain toxic carbohydrates is directly correlated with the presence of their respective degradation pathways, indicating that metabolic potential can be accurately predicted from genomic data in these gut symbionts. Strains vary considerably in their range of utilizable carbohydrates, which likely reflects historical horizontal gene transfer and gene deletion events. Unlike their bee hosts, G. apicola bacteria are not detrimentally affected by growth on mannose-containing medium, even in strains that cannot metabolize this sugar. These results suggest that G. apicola may be an important player in modulating nutrition in the bee gut, with ultimate effects on host health.

Comparison of Intracellular "Ca. Endomicrobium Trichonymphae" Genomovars Illuminates the Requirement and Decay of Defense Systems against Foreign DNA

“Candidatus Endomicrobium trichonymphae” (Bacteria; Elusimicrobia) is an obligate intracellular symbiont of the cellulolytic protist genus Trichonympha in the termite gut. A previous genome analysis of “Ca. Endomicrobium trichonymphae” phylotype Rs-D17 (genomovar Ri2008), obtained from a Trichonympha agilis cell in the gut of the termite Reticulitermes speratus, revealed that its genome is small (1.1 Mb) and contains many pseudogenes; it is in the course of reductive genome evolution. Here we report the complete genome sequence of another Rs-D17 genomovar, Ti2015, obtained from a different T. agilis cell present in an R. speratus gut. These two genomovars share most intact protein-coding genes and pseudogenes, showing 98.6% chromosome sequence similarity. However, characteristic differences were found in their defense systems, which comprised restriction-modification and CRISPR/Cas systems. The repertoire of intact restriction-modification systems differed between the genomovars, and two of the three CRISPR/Cas loci in genomovar Ri2008 are pseudogenized or missing in genomovar Ti2015. These results suggest relaxed selection pressure for maintaining these defense systems. Nevertheless, the remaining CRISPR/Cas system in each genomovar appears to be active; none of the “spacer” sequences (112 in Ri2008 and 128 in Ti2015) were shared whereas the “repeat” sequences were identical. Furthermore, we obtained draft genomes of three additional endosymbiotic Endomicrobium phylotypes from different host protist species, and discovered multiple, intact CRISPR/Cas systems in each genome. Collectively, unlike bacteriome endosymbionts in insects, the Endomicrobium endosymbionts of termite-gut protists appear to require defense against foreign DNA, although the required level of defense has likely been reduced during their intracellular lives.

Genome analysis of 'Candidatus Ancillula trichonymphae', first representative of a deep-branching clade of Bifidobacteriales, strengthens evidence for convergent evolution in flagellate endosymbionts

The flagellate protists in the hindgut of lower termites play an essential role in the digestion of lignocellulose. Most flagellate species are associated with host-specific symbionts from various bacterial lineages, which typically lack cultured representatives. In this study, we analyzed the genome of 'Candidatus Ancillula trichonymphae', an endosymbiont of Trichonympha flagellates from dry-wood termites, which represents a novel, family-level lineage of uncultured Actinobacteria encountered so far only in termite guts. The draft genome of 'Ca. A. trichonymphae' (ca. 1.48 Mbp; 95% complete) revealed a purely fermentative metabolism that is probably fueled by xylose, N-acetyl-glucosamine and glycerol 3-phosphate acquired from the flagellate host. The absence of fructose bisphosphate aldolase and the presence of a complete gene set encoding the phosphoketolase pathway underscore the sister position of the new lineage to Bifidobacteriaceae. The preservation of the pathways for the assimilation of ammonia and the synthesis of 18 amino acids and several cofactors and vitamins suggests that 'Ca. A. trichonymphae' - like other endosymbionts of termite gut flagellates - provides essential amino acids and vitamins to its host. Our findings corroborate the emerging concept that numerous lineages of unrelated flagellate endosymbionts have convergently evolved to fill similar ecological niches.

Experimental Evolution as an Underutilized Tool for Studying Beneficial Animal-Microbe Interactions

Microorganisms play a significant role in the evolution and functioning of the eukaryotes with which they interact. Much of our understanding of beneficial host–microbe interactions stems from studying already established associations; we often infer the genotypic and environmental conditions that led to the existing host–microbe relationships. However, several outstanding questions remain, including understanding how host and microbial (internal) traits, and ecological and evolutionary (external) processes, influence the origin of beneficial host–microbe associations. Experimental evolution has helped address a range of evolutionary and ecological questions across different model systems; however, it has been greatly underutilized as a tool to study beneficial host–microbe associations. In this review, we suggest ways in which experimental evolution can further our understanding of the proximate and ultimate mechanisms shaping mutualistic interactions between eukaryotic hosts and microbes. By tracking beneficial interactions under defined conditions or evolving novel associations among hosts and microbes with little prior evolutionary interaction, we can link specific genotypes to phenotypes that can be directly measured. Moreover, this approach will help address existing puzzles in beneficial symbiosis research: how symbioses evolve, how symbioses are maintained, and how both host and microbe influence their partner’s evolutionary trajectories. By bridging theoretical predictions and empirical tests, experimental evolution provides us with another approach to test hypotheses regarding the evolution of beneficial host–microbe associations.