TY  - JOUR
AU  - Ruiz-González, M.X.
AU  - Leroy, C.
AU  - Dejean, A.
AU  - Gryta, H.
AU  - Jargeat, P.
AU  - Carrión, A.D.A.
AU  - Orivel, J.
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Do host plant and associated ant species affect microbial communities in myrmecophytes?
T2  - Insects
JO  - Insects
SP  - 391
VL  - 10
IS  - 11
PB  - Mdpi Ag
KW  - Allomerus decemarticulatus
KW  - Allomerus octoarticulatus
KW  - Azteca sp
KW  - Cf
KW  - Cordia nodosa
KW  - Depilis
KW  - Domatia
KW  - Hirtella physophora
KW  - Microbial diversity
N2  - Ant-associated microorganisms can play crucial and often overlooked roles, and given the diversity of interactions that ants have developed, the study of the associated microbiomes is of interest. We focused here on specialist plant-ant species of the genus Allomerus that grow a fungus to build galleries on their host-plant stems. Allomerus-inhabited domatia, thus, might be a rich arena for microbes associated with the ants, the plant, and the fungus. We investigated the microbial communities present in domatia colonised by four arboreal ants: Allomerus decemarticulatus, A. octoarticulatus, A. octoarticulatus var. demerarae, and the non-fungus growing plant-ant Azteca sp. cf. depilis, inhabiting Hirtella physophora or Cordia nodosa in French Guiana. We hypothesized that the microbial community will differ among these species. We isolated microorganisms from five colonies of each species, sequenced the 16S rRNA or Internal TranscribedSpacer (ITS) regions, and described both the alpha and beta diversities. We identified 69 microbial taxa, which belong to five bacterial and two fungal phyla. The most diverse phyla were Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. The microbial community of Azteca cf. depilis and Allomerus spp. differed in composition and richness. Geographical distance affected microbial communities and richness but plant species did not. Actinobacteria were only associated with Allomerus spp.
SN  - 20754450 (Issn)
UR  - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85074696706&doi=10.3390%2finsects10110391&partnerID=40&md5=5fa68627ffa02bb9e36bc28aaa9c48d1
L1  - http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/files/ruiz-gonzalez/2019/896_Ruiz-Gonzalez_etal2019.pdf
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects10110391
N1  - Export Date: 18 November 2019; Correspondence Address: Ruiz-González, M.X.; Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto s/n, Ecuador; email: marioxruizgonzalez@gmail.com
ID  - Ruiz-Gonzalez_etal2019
ER  -