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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Insect Gut Microbiology and Symbiosis
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Insect Gut Microbiology and Symbiosis

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Gut Microbiota".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 23622

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Michael Thomas-Poulsen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: symbiosis; insects; evolution; co-evolution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Ms. Veronica M. Sinotte

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: social evolution; microbiome; symbiosis
Mr. Justinn Renelies-Hamilton

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: microbial ecology; symbiosis; cooperation; evolution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many insects host gut microorganisms that shape fundamental aspects of their biology and influence their ecology and evolution. Recent research has begun to characterize the composition and function of insect gut microbiomes, detailing their role in host development, nutrition, immune modulation, and defense. In turn, research on insect–microbe associations has elucidated the extent to which symbioses may support the dominance and diversity of insects across ecosystems.

Technological advances and the availability of insects make them ideal models for unifying proximate and ultimate questions in microbiome and symbiosis research. The proximate mechanisms that drive host–microbe and microbe–microbe interactions can be disentangled and consequentially clarify the causes of the symbiosis, such as host dietary specialization or competition between microbes. Succession in microbial community composition through time may further reflect patterns of microbiome development and host needs. Proximate understanding of the insect microbiome informs the evolutionary ecology of symbiosis. The effect of microbial symbionts may govern host niches, including range expansions as invaders in non-native ecosystems. Further, properties of transmission, specificity, and dependence can foster co-diversification and symbiont maintenance.

For this Special Issue of Microorganisms, we invite contributions encompassing any aspects related to the ecology and evolution of gut symbioses between microorganisms and insect hosts.

Prof. Dr. Michael Thomas-Poulsen
Ms. Veronica M. Sinotte
Mr. Justinn Renelies-Hamilton
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • evolution and adaptation
  • microbiota
  • microbiome
  • symbiosis
  • specificity

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1790 KiB  
Article
Characterization of the Kenyan Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Gut Microbiota: A First Look at Tropical and Sub-Saharan African Bee Associated Microbiomes
by Yosef Hamba Tola, Jacqueline Wahura Waweru, Gregory D. D. Hurst, Bernard Slippers and Juan C. Paredes
Microorganisms 2020, 8(11), 1721; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8111721 - 03 Nov 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6040
Abstract
Gut microbiota plays important roles in many physiological processes of the host including digestion, protection, detoxification, and development of immune responses. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) has emerged as model for gut-microbiota host interaction studies due to its gut microbiota being [...] Read more.
Gut microbiota plays important roles in many physiological processes of the host including digestion, protection, detoxification, and development of immune responses. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) has emerged as model for gut-microbiota host interaction studies due to its gut microbiota being highly conserved and having a simple composition. A key gap in this model is understanding how the microbiome differs regionally, including sampling from the tropics and in particular from Africa. The African region is important from the perspective of the native diversity of the bees, and differences in landscape and bee management. Here, we characterized the honey bee gut microbiota in sub-Saharan Africa using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. We confirm the presence of the core gut microbiota members and highlight different compositions of these communities across regions. We found that bees from the coastal regions harbor a higher relative abundance and diversity on core members. Additionally, we showed that Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, and Frischella dominate in all locations, and that altitude and humidity affect Gilliamella abundance. In contrast, we found that Lactobacillus was less common compared temperate regions of the world. This study is a first comprehensive characterization of the gut microbiota of honey bees from sub-Saharan Africa and underscores the need to study microbiome diversity in other indigenous bee species and regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Gut Microbiology and Symbiosis)
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17 pages, 2263 KiB  
Article
Inter- and Intra-Species Diversity of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Apis mellifera ligustica Colonies
by Massimo Iorizzo, Gianfranco Pannella, Silvia Jane Lombardi, Sonia Ganassi, Bruno Testa, Mariantonietta Succi, Elena Sorrentino, Sonia Petrarca, Antonio De Cristofaro, Raffaele Coppola and Patrizio Tremonte
Microorganisms 2020, 8(10), 1578; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8101578 - 14 Oct 2020
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3079
Abstract
Lactic acid bacteria could positively affect the health of honey bees, including nutritional supplementation, immune system development and pathogen colonization resistance. Based on these considerations the present study evaluated predominant Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) species from beebread as well as from the social [...] Read more.
Lactic acid bacteria could positively affect the health of honey bees, including nutritional supplementation, immune system development and pathogen colonization resistance. Based on these considerations the present study evaluated predominant Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) species from beebread as well as from the social stomach and midgut of Apis mellifera ligustica honey bee foragers. In detail, for each compartment, the diversity in species and biotypes was ascertained through multiple culture-dependent approaches, consisting of Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), 16S rRNA gene sequencing and Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RAPD-PCR). The study of a lactic acid bacteria community, performed with PCR-DGGE and sequence analysis targeting the V1–V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene (rDNA), highlighted the presence of a few species, including Apilactobacillus kunkeei, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Fructobacillus fructosus, Levilactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis. Depending on the different compartments, diverse levels of biodiversity in species were found. Particularly, a very low inter-species biodiversity was detected in the midgut that was prevalently dominated by the presence of Apilactobacillus kunkeei. On the other hand, the beebread was characterized by a reasonable biodiversity showing the presence of five species and the predominance of Apilactobacillus kunkeei, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Fructobacillus fructosus. The RAPD-PCR analysis performed on the three predominant species allowed the differentiation into several biotypes for each species. Moreover, a relationship between biotypes and compartments has been detected and each biotype was able to express a specific biochemical profile. The biotypes that populated the social stomach and midgut were able to metabolize sugars considered toxic for bees while those isolated from beebread could contribute to release useful compounds with functional properties. Based on this knowledge, new biotechnological approaches could be developed to improve the health of honey bees and the quality of bee products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Gut Microbiology and Symbiosis)
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Review

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16 pages, 1140 KiB  
Review
The Gut Microbiota of the Insect Infraorder Pentatomomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) for the Light of Ecology and Evolution
by Hongwei Shan, Wei Wu, Zongtao Sun, Jianping Chen and Hongjie Li
Microorganisms 2021, 9(2), 464; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020464 - 23 Feb 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5087
Abstract
The stinkbugs of the infraorder Pentatomomorpha are a group of important plant sap-feeding insects, which host diverse microorganisms. Some are located in their complex morphological midgut compartments, while some within the specialized bacteriomes of insect hosts. This perpetuation of symbioses through host generations [...] Read more.
The stinkbugs of the infraorder Pentatomomorpha are a group of important plant sap-feeding insects, which host diverse microorganisms. Some are located in their complex morphological midgut compartments, while some within the specialized bacteriomes of insect hosts. This perpetuation of symbioses through host generations is reinforced via the diverse routes of vertical transmission or environmental acquisition of the symbionts. These symbiotic partners, reside either through the extracellular associations in midgut or intracellular associations in specialized cells, not only have contributed nutritional benefits to the insect hosts but also shaped their ecological and evolutionary basis. The stinkbugs and gut microbe symbioses present a valuable model that provides insights into symbiotic interactions between agricultural insects and microorganisms and may become potential agents for insect pest management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Gut Microbiology and Symbiosis)
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26 pages, 1790 KiB  
Review
The Role of Bacterial Symbionts in Triatomines: An Evolutionary Perspective
by Nicolas Salcedo-Porras, Claudia Umaña-Diaz, Ricardo de Oliveira Barbosa Bitencourt and Carl Lowenberger
Microorganisms 2020, 8(9), 1438; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8091438 - 19 Sep 2020
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 8136
Abstract
Insects have established mutualistic symbiotic interactions with microorganisms that are beneficial to both host and symbiont. Many insects have exploited these symbioses to diversify and expand their ecological ranges. In the Hemiptera (i.e., aphids, cicadas, and true bugs), symbioses have established and evolved [...] Read more.
Insects have established mutualistic symbiotic interactions with microorganisms that are beneficial to both host and symbiont. Many insects have exploited these symbioses to diversify and expand their ecological ranges. In the Hemiptera (i.e., aphids, cicadas, and true bugs), symbioses have established and evolved with obligatory essential microorganisms (primary symbionts) and with facultative beneficial symbionts (secondary symbionts). Primary symbionts are usually intracellular microorganisms found in insects with specialized diets such as obligate hematophagy or phytophagy. Most Heteroptera (true bugs), however, have gastrointestinal (GI) tract extracellular symbionts with functions analogous to primary endosymbionts. The triatomines, are vectors of the human parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. A description of their small GI tract microbiota richness was based on a few culturable microorganisms first described almost a century ago. A growing literature describes more complex interactions between triatomines and bacteria with properties characteristic of both primary and secondary symbionts. In this review, we provide an evolutionary perspective of beneficial symbioses in the Hemiptera, illustrating the context that may drive the evolution of symbioses in triatomines. We highlight the diversity of the triatomine microbiota, bacterial taxa with potential to be beneficial symbionts, the unique characteristics of triatomine-bacteria symbioses, and the interactions among trypanosomes, microbiota, and triatomines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Gut Microbiology and Symbiosis)
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