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Nest specificity of the bacterial community in termite guts (Hodotermes mossambicus)

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Abstract.

While recent results have provided strong evidence for the presence of a stable gut microbiota among several termite species, little is known about variations at the colony or individual level. Using a cultivation-independent approach, we investigated the structure of the bacterial community in the gut of termites from four different colonies of Hodotermes mossambicus. 16S rRNA-based terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the bacterial gut microbiota revealed (1) a high consistency of the gut microbiota among nestmates and (2) subtle but distinct differences in community structure between individuals from different colonies. Since products of bacterial metabolism may contribute to a colony odor that can be used as discriminatory signal, the presence of a colony-specific bacterial community adds support to the hypothesis that the gut microbiota of termites is involved in nestmate recognition.

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Correspondence to W. H. Kirchner.

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Received 12 July 2005; revised 10 February and 15 March 2006; accepted 7 April 2006.

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Minkley, N., Fujita, A., Brune, A. et al. Nest specificity of the bacterial community in termite guts (Hodotermes mossambicus). Insect. Soc. 53, 339–344 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-006-0878-5

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