Dataset Information

Seasonal Variations in Soil Microbiota Profile of Termite (Syntermes wheeleri) Mounds in the Brazilian Tropical Savanna.

ABSTRACT: Eusocial animals, such as the termites, often build a nest-like structure called a mound that provides shelter with stable internal conditions and protection against predators. Termites are important components of the Brazilian Cerrado biota. This study aimed to investigate the bacterial community composition and diversity of the Syntermes wheeleri termite-mound soil using culture-independent approaches. We considered the vertical profile by comparing two different mound depths (mound surface and 60 cm) and seasonality with samplings during the rainy and dry seasons. We compared the mound soil microbiota to the adjacent soil without the influence of the mound to test the hypothesis that the Cerrado soil bacterial community was more diverse and more susceptible to seasonality than the mound soil microbiota. The results support the hypothesis that the Cerrado soil bacterial community is more diverse than the mound soil and also has a higher variability among seasons. The number of observed OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) was used to express bacterial richness, and it indicates that soil moisture has an effect on the community distribution and richness of the Cerrado samples in comparison to mound samples, which remain stable across seasons. This could be a consequence of the protective role of the mound for the termite colony. The overall community taxonomic profile was similar between soil samples, especially when compared to the taxonomic composition of the Syntermes wheeleri termite's gut, which might be explained by the different characteristics and functionality between the soil and the gut microbial community.

SUBMITTER: Guimaraes HIP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7600031 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Seasonal Variations in Soil Microbiota Profile of Termite (<i>Syntermes wheeleri</i>) Mounds in the Brazilian Tropical Savanna.

Guimaraes Helena Ipe Pinheiro HIP Santana Renata Henrique RH Silveira Rafaella R Pinto Otavio Henrique Bezerra OHB Quirino Betania Ferraz BF Barreto Cristine Chaves CC Bustamante Mercedes Maria da Cunha MMDC Krüger Ricardo Henrique RH

Microorganisms 20200927 10

Eusocial animals, such as the termites, often build a nest-like structure called a mound that provides shelter with stable internal conditions and protection against predators. Termites are important components of the Brazilian Cerrado biota. This study aimed to investigate the bacterial community composition and diversity of the <i>Syntermes wheeleri</i> termite-mound soil using culture-independent approaches. We considered the vertical profile by comparing two different mound depths (mound sur ...[more]

PMID: 32992494

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Project description:Termite mounds have recently been confirmed to mitigate approximately half of termite methane (CH4) emissions, but the aerobic CH4 oxidising bacteria (methanotrophs) responsible for this consumption have not been resolved. Here, we describe the abundance, composition and CH4 oxidation kinetics of the methanotroph communities in the mounds of three distinct termite species sampled from Northern Australia. Results from three independent methods employed show that methanotrophs are rare members of microbial communities in termite mounds, with a comparable abundance but distinct composition to those of adjoining soil samples. Across all mounds, the most abundant and prevalent methane monooxygenase sequences were affiliated with upland soil cluster α (USCα), with sequences homologous to Methylocystis and tropical upland soil cluster (TUSC) also detected. The reconstruction of a metagenome-assembled genome of a mound USCα representative highlighted the metabolic capabilities of this group of methanotrophs. The apparent Michaelis-Menten kinetics of CH4 oxidation in mounds were estimated from in situ reaction rates. Methane affinities of the communities were in the low micromolar range, which is one to two orders of magnitude higher than those of upland soils, but significantly lower than those measured in soils with a large CH4 source such as landfill cover soils. The rate constant of CH4 oxidation, as well as the porosity of the mound material, were significantly positively correlated with the abundance of methanotroph communities of termite mounds. We conclude that termite-derived CH4 emissions have selected for distinct methanotroph communities that are kinetically adapted to elevated CH4 concentrations. However, factors other than substrate concentration appear to limit methanotroph abundance and hence these bacteria only partially mitigate termite-derived CH4 emissions. Our results also highlight the predominant role of USCα in an environment with elevated CH4 concentrations and suggest a higher functional diversity within this group than previously recognised.

Dataset Information

Seasonal Variations in Soil Microbiota Profile of Termite (Syntermes wheeleri) Mounds in the Brazilian Tropical Savanna.

Publications

Seasonal Variations in Soil Microbiota Profile of Termite (<i>Syntermes wheeleri</i>) Mounds in the Brazilian Tropical Savanna.

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