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Bringhurst B, Allert M, Greenwold M, Kellner K, Seal JN. Environments and Hosts Structure the Bacterial Microbiomes of Fungus-Gardening Ants and their Symbiotic Fungus Gardens. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02138-x. [PMID: 36344828 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02138-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The fungus gardening-ant system is considered a complex, multi-tiered symbiosis, as it is composed of ants, their fungus, and microorganisms associated with either ants or fungus. We examine the bacterial microbiome of Trachymyrmex septentrionalis and Mycetomoellerius turrifex ants and their symbiotic fungus gardens, using 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing, over a region spanning approximately 350 km (east and central Texas). Typically, microorganisms can be acquired from a parent colony (vertical transmission) or from the environment (horizontal transmission). Because the symbiosis is characterized by co-dispersal of the ants and fungus, elements of both ant and fungus garden microbiome could be characterized by vertical transmission. The goals of this study were to explore how both the ant and fungus garden bacterial microbiome are acquired. The main findings were that different mechanisms appear to explain the structure the microbiomes of ants and their symbiotic fungus gardens. Ant associated microbiomes had a strong host ant signature, which could be indicative of vertical inheritance of the ant associated bacterial microbiome or an unknown mechanism of active uptake or screening. On the other hand, the bacterial microbiome of the fungus garden was more complex in that some bacterial taxa appear to be structured by the ant host species, whereas others by fungal lineage or the environment (geographic region). Thus bacteria in fungus gardens appear to be acquired both horizontally and vertically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Bringhurst
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA
| | - Mattea Allert
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA
| | - Matthew Greenwold
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA
| | - Katrin Kellner
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA
| | - Jon N Seal
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA.
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Kovach JD, Long JC, Barbosa LM, Moura ARSS, Silva LK, Reis MG, Blanton RE. A Schistosoma mansoni tri- and tetramer microsatellite catalog for genetic population diversity and differentiation. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:1007-1014. [PMID: 34022195 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
All Schistosoma mansoni tri- and tetranucleotide repeat microsatellites published as of December 2018 were identified. All 52 were evaluated for autosomal location, strength of amplification, scorability and behavior as single-copy loci by polyacrylamide and capillary gel electrophoresis. Of these, 27 were unique, autosomal, polymorphic, easily scored and single copy as assessed on pooled adult worm DNA from two different continental origins and adult worm clones. These microsatellites were distributed across all seven autosomal chromosomes. On laboratory strains their heterozygosity ranged from 0.22 to 0.77. Individual markers had 5-13 alleles, allelic richness of 2-10 and an effective allele number of 1.3-8.14. Those infected by Schistosoma mansoni carry many genetically distinct, sexually reproducing parasites, therefore, for an individual infection the complete allele frequency profile of their progeny consists of a pool of DNA from multiple diploid eggs. Using a set of 25 microsatellites, we calculated allele frequency profiles of eggs in fecal samples from people in two Brazilian communities separated by 6 km: Jenipapo (n = 80) and Volta do Rio (n = 38). There were no a priori characteristics that could predict the performance of markers in natural infections based on their performance with laboratory strains. Increasing marker number did not change accuracy for differentiation and diversity but did improve precision. Our data suggest that using a random set of 10-20 microsatellites appears to result in values that exhibit low standard deviations for diversity and differentiation indices. All identified microsatellites as well as PCR conditions, allele size, primer sequences and references for all tri- and tetramer microsatellites markers presented in this work are available at: https://sites.google.com/case.edu/cwru-and-fiocruz-wdrc/home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Kovach
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Biomedical Research Building, 2109 Adelbert Rd., Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Long
- University of New Mexico, Department of Anthropology, Albuquerque, 1 University of New Mexico, NM 87131, USA
| | - Lúcio M Barbosa
- Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health, Av. Silveira Martins, n° 3386, Salvador, Bahia 41150-100, Brazil; Gonçalo Moniz Research Centre, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121 Brotas, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Ana Rafaela Silva Simões Moura
- Gonçalo Moniz Research Centre, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121 Brotas, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Luciano K Silva
- Gonçalo Moniz Research Centre, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121 Brotas, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Mitermayer G Reis
- Gonçalo Moniz Research Centre, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121 Brotas, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil; School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ronald E Blanton
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tidewater Building, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
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Matthews AE, Kellner K, Seal JN. Male-biased dispersal in a fungus-gardening ant symbiosis. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2307-2320. [PMID: 33717457 PMCID: PMC7920773 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
For nearly all organisms, dispersal is a fundamental life-history trait that can shape their ecology and evolution. Variation in dispersal capabilities within a species exists and can influence population genetic structure and ecological interactions. In fungus-gardening (attine) ants, co-dispersal of ants and mutualistic fungi is crucial to the success of this obligate symbiosis. Female-biased dispersal (and gene flow) may be favored in attines because virgin queens carry the responsibility of dispersing the fungi, but a paucity of research has made this conclusion difficult. Here, we investigate dispersal of the fungus-gardening ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis using a combination of maternally (mitochondrial DNA) and biparentally inherited (microsatellites) markers. We found three distinct, spatially isolated mitochondrial DNA haplotypes; two were found in the Florida panhandle and the other in the Florida peninsula. In contrast, biparental markers illustrated significant gene flow across this region and minimal spatial structure. The differential patterns uncovered from mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers suggest that most long-distance ant dispersal is male-biased and that females (and concomitantly the fungus) have more limited dispersal capabilities. Consequently, the limited female dispersal is likely an important bottleneck for the fungal symbiont. This bottleneck could slow fungal genetic diversification, which has significant implications for both ant hosts and fungal symbionts regarding population genetics, species distributions, adaptive responses to environmental change, and coevolutionary patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix E. Matthews
- Department of BiologyThe University of Texas at TylerTylerTXUSA
- Present address:
College of Sciences and Mathematics and Molecular Biosciences ProgramArkansas State UniversityJonesboroARUSA
| | - Katrin Kellner
- Department of BiologyThe University of Texas at TylerTylerTXUSA
| | - Jon N. Seal
- Department of BiologyThe University of Texas at TylerTylerTXUSA
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