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Geographical and Ecological Stability of the Symbiotic Midgut Microbiota in European Firebugs, Pyrrhocoris Apterus (Hemiptera, P

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Geographical and Ecological Stability of the Symbiotic Midgut Microbiota in European Firebugs, Pyrrhocoris Apterus (Hemiptera, P Molecular Ecology (2012) 21, 6134–6151 doi: 10.1111/mec.12027 Geographical and ecological stability of the symbiotic mid-gut microbiota in European firebugs, Pyrrhocoris apterus (Hemiptera, Pyrrhocoridae) SAILENDHARAN SUDAKARAN,* HASSAN SALEM,* CHRISTIAN KOST†‡ and MARTIN KALTENPOTH* *Max Planck Research Group Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany, †Experimental Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany, ‡Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany Abstract Symbiotic bacteria often play an essential nutritional role for insects, thereby allowing them to exploit novel food sources and expand into otherwise inaccessible ecological niches. Although many insects are inhabited by complex microbial communities, most studies on insect mutualists so far have focused on single endosymbionts and their interactions with the host. Here, we provide a comprehensive characterization of the gut microbiota of the red firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus, Hemiptera, Pyrrhocoridae), a model organism for physiological and endocrinological research. A combination of several culture-independent techniques (454 pyrosequencing, quantitative PCR and cloning/sequencing) revealed a diverse community of likely transient bacterial taxa in the mid-gut regions M1, M2 and M4. However, the completely anoxic M3 region har- boured a distinct microbiota consisting of facultative and obligate anaerobes including Actinobacteria (Coriobacterium glomerans and Gordonibacter sp.), Firmicutes (Clostri- dium sp. and Lactococcus lactis) and Proteobacteria (Klebsiella sp. and a previously undescribed Rickettsiales bacterium). Characterization of the M3 microbiota in differ- ent life stages of P. apterus indicated that the symbiotic bacterial community is verti- cally transmitted and becomes well defined between the second and third nymphal instar, which coincides with the initiation of feeding. Comparing the mid-gut M3 microbial communities of P. apterus individuals from five different populations and after feeding on three different diets revealed that the community composition is qual- itatively and quantitatively very stable, with the six predominant taxa being consis- tently abundant. Our findings suggest that the firebug mid-gut microbiota constitutes a functionally important and possibly coevolved symbiotic community. Keywords: 16S rRNA amplicon 454 pyrosequencing, bacterial microbiota, Hemiptera, insect symbiosis, Pyrrhocoridae Received 1 March 2012; revision received 30 July 2012; accepted 3 August 2012 et al. 2008), and in many cases, the microbial cells out- Introduction number the host’s own cells (Dillon & Dillon 2004). Symbiotic interactions with microorganisms play an Microbial symbionts have been shown to assist their important role for a broad range of plants and animals insect hosts in various functions such as nutritional (Buchner 1965; Smith 1989; Moran et al. 2008; Moya upgrading of the diet (Douglas 1998; Akman et al. et al. 2008). Insects harbour a particularly large diversity 2002), detoxifying the ingested food material (Dowd of symbiotic microorganisms (Buchner 1965; Moran 1989; Genta et al. 2006), providing defence against para- sites or pathogens (Currie et al. 1999, 2003; Oliver et al. Correspondence: Martin Kaltenpoth, Fax: +49 3641 571810; 2003, 2009; Kaltenpoth et al. 2005; Kaltenpoth 2009; E-mail: [email protected] Kroiss et al. 2010), mediating thermal tolerance to the © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd ECOLOGICALLY STABLE MICROBIOTA OF FIREBUGS 6135 host (Dunbar et al. 2007) and facilitating the exploitation et al. 2005; Prado et al. 2006; Kikuchi et al. 2009). In of novel host plants (Tsuchida et al. 2011). These some cases, experimental elimination of the symbiotic associations with bacteria can be vital for insects to bacteria has resulted in high mortality and reduced invade otherwise inaccessible ecological niches growth, indicating that the symbionts of these bugs (Feldhaar 2011). play an important role for the fitness of the host insect Most studies on insect-symbiont interactions so far (Mu¨ ller 1956; Huber-Schneider 1957; Schorr 1957; Abe have focused on individual obligate endosymbionts that et al. 1995; Fukatsu & Hosokawa 2002; Kikuchi et al. are typically harboured in specialized organs, so-called 2009; Tada et al. 2011). bacteriomes. However, many insects are inhabited by a The Pyrrhocoridae are a family of around 300 species complex microbial community (Lysenko 1985; Dillon & of terrestrial bugs, most of which feed on seeds of Dillon 2004), but functional analyses of complete plants of the order Malvales. Among them, the red fire- communities are scarce. This is mainly due to problems bug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) is one of the most common and in discriminating the ‘core’ indigenous microbial widespread Palaearctic species, which has been exten- community from more transient microbes that were sively studied in the fields of ecological, biochemical, taken up with the food material as well as the difficulty physiological and endocrinological research (Socha to specifically manipulate the often very complex 1993). Before reaching adulthood, P. apterus passes communities. through five nymphal instar stages. The development of Until recently, detailed culture-independent surveys the initial four instar stages takes approximately on insect-associated microbial communities could only 14 days, and they remain between 7 and 10 days in the be achieved using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) final instar stage (Socha 1993). Earlier observations sug- amplification, cloning, and sequencing of the 16S ribo- gest that the bugs do not start to feed until they have somal RNA gene, which is time-consuming and costly reached the second instar (Puchkov 1974). (Wintzingerode et al. 1997; Konstantinidis & Tiedje Pyrrhocoris apterus predominantly utilizes dry ripe 2005). However, recent advances in high-throughput seeds of linden trees (Tilia cordata and T. platyphyllos) next-generation sequencing technologies such as 454 as a food source. However, during limited access to pyrosequencing and Illumina sequencing provide more linden seeds, P. apterus has been shown to easily cost- and labour-efficient alternatives to comprehen- adapt to seeds of other Malvales (Kristenova´ et al. sively characterize complex microbial communities of 2011) as well as host plants from different families environmental samples including insects (Metzker 2010; (Socha 1993; Tischler 1959). Additionally, firebugs are Sun et al. 2011). opportunistic scavengers feeding occasionally on dead The Heteroptera, also known as true bugs, comprise insects, and they even attack and consume freshly mo- around 38 000 species worldwide, representing one of ulted conspecifics (Henrici 1938; Southwood & Leston the most diverse hemimetabolous insect taxa (Schaefer 1959). 1993; Schuh & Slater 1995; Henry 1997). The infraorder The digestion of food material in pyrrhocorids takes Pentatomomorpha comprising over 12 500 insect spe- between three and four days (Silva & Terra 1994). Pre- cies (‘stinkbugs’) are predominantly phytophagous spe- vious studies in Dysdercus peruvianus and P. apterus cies that exploit resources from roots to seeds of their have shown that the ingested food particles are host plants, with the exception of several predacious retained in the M1 region for only about 5 h, whereas and mycophagous groups (Schaefer 1993; Schuh & Sla- the passage through M2 and M3 takes approximately ter 1995; Henry 1997). It forms a monophyletic clade 70–90 h before the ingested food quickly passes within the Heteroptera, consisting of the five superfami- through the M4 and the hindgut (Silva & Terra 1994; lies Lygaeoidea, Coreoidea, Pyrrhocoroidea, Pentato- Kodrı´k et al. 2012). Despite considerable interest the moidea and Aradoidea (Schuh & Slater 1995). Most of digestive processes of P. apterus, little is known yet on the pentatomomorphan bugs have a specific symbiotic the symbiotic microbial community that inhabits the interaction with bacteria harboured in sacs or tubular different gut regions and its possible contribution to outgrowths, called crypts or caeca, in a posterior region the host’s digestion. However, previous studies of the mid-gut (Glasgow 1914; Miyamoto 1961; Buchner reported on a specific actinobacterial symbiont (Corio- 1965; Fukatsu & Hosokawa 2002; Prado & Almeida bacterium glomerans) that occupies the mid-gut section 2009; Hosokawa et al. 2010a; Kikuchi et al. 2011a). Most M3 (Haas & Ko¨nig 1987, 1988). Coriobacterium glomerans of these gut symbionts are vertically transmitted by is vertically transmitted to the offspring through egg posthatching transmission mechanisms such as egg sur- smearing (Kaltenpoth et al. 2009) and appears to be face contamination, coprophagy or the formation and essential for successful development and reproduction deposition of special symbiont-containing capsules by of the bugs (H. Salem, E. Kreutzer, S. Sudakaran & M. the mother (Schorr 1957; Abe et al. 1995; Hosokawa Kaltenpoth, submitted). © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 6136 S. SUDAKARAN ET AL. In the present study, we used a combination of several ensure sufficient DNA extraction yields. In all culture-independent techniques (454 pyrosequencing, cases, complete animals were used to extract genomic cloning/sequencing, quantitative PCR and fluorescence DNA. in situ hybridization (FISH)) to comprehensively To assess variation
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