TY - JOUR A1 - Strassert, J.F.H. A1 - Köhler, T. A1 - Wienemann, T. H. G. A1 - Ikeda-Ohtsubo, W. A1 - Faivre, N. A1 - Franckenberg, S. A1 - Plarre, Rüdiger A1 - Radek, R. A1 - Brune, A. T1 - 'Candidatus ancillula trichonymphae', a novel lineage of endosymbiotic actinobacteria in termite gut flagellates of the genus trichonympha N2 - Termite gut flagellates are colonized by host-specific lineages of ectosymbiotic and endosymbiotic bacteria. Previous studies have shown that flagellates of the genus Trichonympha may harbour more than one type of symbiont. Using a comprehensive approach that combined cloning of SSU rRNA genes with fluorescence in situ hybridization and electron microscopy, we investigated the phylogeny and subcellular locations of the symbionts in a variety of Trichonympha species from different termites. The flagellates in Trichonympha Cluster I were the only species associated with 'Endomicrobia', which were located in the posterior part of the cell, confirming previous results. Trichonympha species of Cluster II from the termite genus Incisitermes (family Kalotermitidae) lacked 'Endomicrobia' and were associated with endosymbiotic Actinobacteria, which is highly unusual. The endosymbionts, for which we suggest the name 'Candidatus Ancillula trichonymphae', represent a novel, deep-branching lineage in the Micrococcineae that consists exclusively of clones from termite guts. They preferentially colonized the anterior part of the flagellate host and were highly abundant in all species of Trichonympha Cluster II except Trichonympha globulosa. Here, they were outnumbered by a Desulfovibrio species associated with the cytoplasmic lamellae at the anterior cell pole. Such symbionts are present in both Trichonympha clusters, but not in all species. Unlike the intracellular location reported for the Desulfovibrio symbionts of Trichonympha agilis (Cluster I), the Desulfovibrio symbionts of T. globulosa (Cluster II) were situated in deep invaginations of the plasma membrane that were clearly connected to the exterior of the host cell. PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.12012 SN - 1462-2912 SN - 1462-2920 VL - 14 IS - 12 SP - 3259 EP - 3270 PB - Blackwell Science CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-27566 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Desai, M.S. A1 - Strassert, J.F.H. A1 - Meuser, K. A1 - Hertel, Horst A1 - Ikeda-Ohtsubo, W. A1 - Radek, R. A1 - Brune, A. T1 - Strict cospeciation of devescovinid flagellates and Bacteroidales ectosymbionts in the gut of dry-wood termites (Kalotermitidae) N2 - The surface of many termite gut flagellates is colonized with a dense layer of bacteria, yet little is known about the evolutionary relationships of such ectosymbionts and their hosts. Here we investigated the molecular phylogenies of devescovinid flagellates (Devescovina spp.) and their symbionts from a wide range of dry-wood termites (Kalotermitidae). From species-pure flagellate suspensions isolated with micropipettes, we obtained SSU rRNA gene sequences of symbionts and host. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Devescovina spp. present in many species of Kalotermitidae form a monophyletic group, which includes also the unique devescovinid flagellate Caduceia versatilis. All members of this group were consistently associated with a distinct lineage of Bacteroidales, whose location on the cell surface was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The well-supported congruence of the phylogenies of devescovinids and their ectosymbionts documents a strict cospeciation. In contrast, the endosymbionts of the same flagellates (´Endomicrobia´) were clearly polyphyletic and must have been acquired independently by horizontal transfer from other flagellate lineages. Also the Bacteroidales ectosymbionts of Oxymonas flagellates present in several Kalotermitidae belonged to several distantly related lines of descent, underscoring the general perception that the evolutionary history of flagellate-bacteria symbioses in the termite gut is complex. KW - Symbionts KW - Termite gut KW - Flagellates KW - Cospeciation KW - Bacteroidales KW - Devescovinids KW - Kalotermitidae KW - Dry-wood termites PY - 2010 DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.02080.x SN - 1462-2912 SN - 1462-2920 VL - 12 IS - 8 SP - 2120 EP - 2132 PB - Blackwell Science CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-20885 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -