黑胸散白蚁肠道共生锐滴虫目鞭毛虫的多样性分析与原位杂交鉴定

低等木食性白蚁肠道内的鞭毛虫在纤维素降解过程中扮演着重要的角色。黑胸散白蚁Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder是一种广泛分布于我国的低等木食性白蚁,然而目前对于其肠道内的共生鞭毛虫却鲜见报道。采用锐滴虫目18S rDNA特异引物扩增鞭毛虫18S rRNA 基因并构建文库,对得到的基因进行系统发育多样性分析。针对得到的序列设计特异性的荧光探针,用荧光原位杂交技术对锐滴虫目鞭毛虫进行了鉴定。从黑胸散白蚁肠道得到11个锐滴虫目鞭毛虫18S rDNA序列,它们之间的相似性为86.9%-99.3%。系统发育分析表明,锐滴虫目鞭毛虫主要属于Dinenympha和Pyrsonympha两个属。应用荧光原位杂交技术鉴定出了Dinenympha parva、Dinenympha exilis和Pyrsonympha sp.三种锐滴虫。研究表明,在黑胸散白蚁肠道共生的锐滴虫为Dinenympha和Pyrsonympha属的鞭毛虫。     

肠道鞭毛虫群落及在宿主白蚁分类学上的意义

于国内五个常见白蚁种肠道内共记录到十七个鞭毛虫种。鞭毛虫种群具特异性和稳定性。群落相的变异度反映了宿主白蚁亲缘关系的离散度。异域同种白蚁肠道鞭毛虫群落显示稳定的同一相,同属异种白蚁的鞭毛虫群落部分相同;异科异属或同科异属白蚁的鞭毛虫群落绝然相异。 鉴于传统的生物分类法已明显地显示出其片面性及局限性,为此,人们正试图从其它学科领域,各个不同角度去探索能更客观反映各物种在系统发生上关系的新分类法。迄今,精确定性的生化分类、免疫分类和以群体力对象的定量的数量分类等已倪露头角,从而为以形态描述为主的经典生物分类学注入了新的活力。 本文试图通过对白蚁肠道鞭毛虫群落及种群的研究而借以探讨其在宿主白蚁系统分类研究中的潜在意义。     

台湾乳白蚁与赭黄乳白蚁的异名关系---基于形态与分子特征的分析(等翅目：鼻白蚁科）

乳白蚁属Coptotermes是鼻白蚁科Rhinotermitidae最具经济意义的属之一,其中的台湾乳白蚁Coptotermes formosanus Shriaki分布广、适应性强,个体在不同种群以及不同巢龄间外部形态存在明显变异,已报道多个同物异名。本研究发现在模式产地重新采集到经形态学鉴定为赭黄乳白蚁Coptotermes ochraceus Ping et Xu的标本,其形态特征与台湾乳白蚁相似度较高,又以线粒体16S rRNA和CO II基因作为分子标记,将两者进行了序列比对,并与美国国立生物技术信息中心(NCBI)中台湾乳白蚁以及其他一些乳白蚁种类的相应序列一起进行了遗传差异比较和同源性分析。结果表明,台湾乳白蚁与赭黄乳白蚁16S rRNA和CO II序列的遗传差异均明显小于台湾乳白蚁与属内其它种之间的差异;在基于两种分子标记构建的支序图中,台湾乳白蚁和赭黄乳白蚁均聚为一支,并得到了很高的自展支持率。综合分子和形态两方面的证据,本研究建议赭黄乳白蚁为台湾乳白蚁的次异名。     

台湾乳白蚁种群兵蚁量度特征变异及其分类学意义分析

台湾乳白蚁Coptotermes formosanus是我国南方木材及其建筑结构最主要的有害白蚁,也是世界重要的入侵性物种。台湾乳白蚁兵蚁品级的量度特征是其描述鉴定的重要依据,本文对台湾乳白蚁兵蚁主要量度特征数据进行了整合,并就台湾乳白蚁11个地理种群兵蚁品级的主要量度特征进行了比较,探讨了台湾乳白蚁相应量度特征的分类学意义。     

乳白蚁属Coptotermes(Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)检疫分子鉴定研究进展

白蚁是一类受到世界广泛关注的重要社会性昆虫,对人类生活、经济以及生态环境等有很大的影响,特别是乳白蚁属Coptotermes众多种类危害尤为严重。乳白蚁常随木质包装或原木远距离传播异地建群,其为害隐蔽、潜伏期长,一旦爆发则为害严重且难防治,因其种类多、形态趋同,同一巢群中有龄期不一的虫态和多种生物型,可用分类特征少,造成形态分类困难、人为分类现象普遍。近年来分子生物学技术的日益发展,使得白蚁的分类鉴定更加快速、灵敏和可靠,系统发育分析研究更为深入全面,遗传进化方面取得大量研究成果。本文对基于生物信息学的乳白蚁属检疫分类鉴定和系统发育研究方法进行了介绍和评述,并对DNA技术在乳白蚁属分类和进化研究中的应用进行了讨论。     

前沟藻18S rDNA序列克隆和分子鉴定分析

旨在扩增一株未知微藻18S rDNA,并进行序列分析和物种鉴定分析.提取该微藻总DNA,用PCR技术扩增其18S rDNA,对序列进行测序,在GenBank进行序列比对分析,用ClustalX软件构建进化树;用光学显微镜进行形态学分析.经测序其序列长度为1 736 bp,G+C为47％;同源性分析表明,与GenBank中多个强壮前沟藻种的18S rDNA基因序列同源性迭99％;与前沟藻属的其它藻种同源性均迭95％以上.而与裸甲藻属和环藻属的藻株同源性为85％左右.经光学显微镜观察,该藻具有典型的强壮前沟藻形态.结合该藻18S rDNA序列分析和粗略的形态学分析,推断该藻可能为前沟藻属的强壮前沟藻.微藻形体微小,结构简单,需借助电子显微镜才可准确地从形态学上签定其种属,鉴定工作繁琐费时;而利用分子技术,则可能使鉴定工作变得简单快捷.     

碘泡虫属粘孢子虫分子进化及其与宿主协同关系的研究

以18S rDNA为分子标记,对碘泡虫属Myxobolus粘孢子虫的分子进化规律进行了系统研究。结果显示:碘泡虫属各物种18S rDNA的AT含量(53.2%)高于GC含量(46.8%),表现出一定的AT组成偏向性;各物种18S rDNA遗传距离在0.00~0.35;脑碘泡虫M.cerebralis保守区序列变异介于淡水物种和广盐性物种之间;碘泡虫属18S rDNA分子系统发育树呈现生境相同先聚枝,形态相似后聚枝的规律,并表现出一定的宿主特异性和组织向性。此外,以线粒体COⅠ基因为分子标记,对碘泡虫属相应宿主进行了系统进化分析,结果表明:淡水物种与广盐性物种分别聚在不同的分类枝系中,与寄生于宿主体内的碘泡虫所呈现的支序树有相同的进化趋势,并表现出一定的协同进化关系;海水起源的虹鳟Oncorhynchus mykiss在适应淡水过程中被脑碘泡虫寄生,两者经过长期的演化,最终适应淡水环境。     

黄颡单尾虫(粘体门,双壳目)的重描述及基于28S rDNA和ITS-5.8S序列的系统地位分析

采用形态分类学方法与以28S rDNA和ITS-5.8S序列为基础的分子系统学研究方法,对采自嘉陵江重庆市磁器口江段的黄颡单尾虫Unicauda pelteobagrusMa,1998进行了形态学和分子生物学的研究。基于28S rDNA数据探讨了黄颡单尾虫以及单尾虫属与相邻种属粘孢子虫间的系统地位;基于5.8S rDNA数据比较分析了粘孢子虫的系统地位。补充了黄颡单尾虫重庆种群形态学信息和28S rDNA、ITS-5.8S rDNA序列的分子信息。     

黑胸散白蚁（Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder）肠道共生古菌的系统发育分析

摘要：【目的】利用非培养法对黑胸散白蚁（Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder）肠道共生古菌进行系统发育分析。【方法】采用古菌16S rDNA通用引物以黑胸散白蚁全肠DNA为模板扩增共生菌的16S rDNA并建立基因文库,对得到的基因序列进行系统发育分析。【结果】从黑胸散白蚁肠道得到5个不同的16S rDNA序列,它们之间的相似性为93.2%～99.2%,系统发育分析表明这5个16S rDNA序列代表的克隆分别与来源于黑胸散白蚁近缘种,栖北散白蚁和北美散白蚁肠道中的甲烷短杆菌克隆或     

四种散白蚁的分子鉴定及系统发育地位(等翅目:鼻白蚁科)

【目的】目前对白蚁的物种鉴定主要依赖形态学特征,本文从分子水平对4种散白蚁进行了鉴定和系统发育分析。【方法】对4种散白蚁(湖南散白蚁Reticulitermes hunanensis Tsai et Peng、平额散白蚁Reticulitermes planifrons Li et Ping、近暗散白蚁Reticulitermes perilucifugus Ping和侏儒散白蚁Reticulitermes minuts Ping et Xu)的线粒体16Sr DNA和COⅡ基因序列进行扩增和测序,对序列进行比对及碱基组成分析后上传至GeneBank,并构建系统发育树对4种散白蚁进行系统发育分析。【结果】16S rDNA和COⅡ基因片段长度分别约380bp和720bp,两个基因的AT碱基含量均远远大于GC,16S rDNA序列的遗传距离普遍大于COⅡ序列,且两者的系统发育情况不一致。【结论】COⅡ基因系统发育与地理位置差距相关较为明显,16S rDNA基因序列碱基差异较COⅡ多,推断COⅡ基因更适合于白蚁由于地理位置引起的系统发育和地理迁徙及传入情况的研究,16S rDNA基因更适合于白蚁种类的鉴别。     

Inheritance and diversification of symbiotic trichonymphid flagellates from a common ancestor of termites and the cockroach Cryptocercus

Cryptocercus cockroaches and lower termites harbour obligate, diverse and unique symbiotic cellulolytic flagellates in their hindgut that are considered critical in the development of social behaviour in their hosts. However, there has been controversy concerning the origin of these symbiotic flagellates. Here, molecular sequences encoding small subunit rRNA and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were identified in the symbiotic flagellates of the order Trichonymphida (phylum Parabasalia) in the gut of Cryptocercus punctulatus and compared phylogenetically to the corresponding species in termites. In each of the monophyletic lineages that represent family-level groups in Trichonymphida, the symbionts of Cryptocercus were robustly sister to those of termites. Together with the recent evidence for the sister-group relationship of the host insects, this first comprehensive study comparing symbiont molecular phylogeny strongly suggests that a set of symbiotic flagellates representative of extant diversity was already established in an ancestor common to Cryptocercus and termites, was vertically transmitted to their offspring, and subsequently became diversified to distinct levels, depending on both the host and the symbiont lineages.     

Hidden cellulases in termites: revision of an old hypothesis

The intestinal flagellates of termites produce cellulases that contribute to cellulose digestion of their host termites. However, 75% of all termite species do not harbour the cellulolytic flagellates; the endogenous cellulase secreted from the midgut tissue has been considered a sole source of cellulases in these termites. Using the xylophagous flagellate-free termites Nasutitermes takasagoensis and Nasutitermes walkeri, we successfully solubilized cellulases present in the hindgut pellets. Zymograms showed that the hindguts of these termites possessed several cellulases and contained up to 59% cellulase activity against crystalline cellulose when compared with the midgut. Antibiotic treatment administered to N. takasagoensis significantly reduced cellulase activity in the hindgut, suggesting that these cellulases were produced by symbiotic bacteria.     

高效降解木质纤维素的白蚁肠道微生物组

木食性白蚁是自然界木质纤维素的高效降解者,在长期进化过程中白蚁与其肠道微生物组协同作用发展出不同的纤维素降解机制。木食性白蚁具有分别来源于白蚁和共生微生物的两套纤维素酶系统。在低等白蚁中,木质颗粒经过白蚁前、中肠分泌的内源性酶初步消化后,在后肠共生鞭毛虫中被降解为乙酸、二氧化碳和氢。高等木食性白蚁在进化中丢失了鞭毛虫,木质颗粒经白蚁自身分泌的酶初步消化后,在后肠大量共生细菌的帮助下被有效降解。培菌类白蚁利用其菌圃中的蚁巢伞菌和肠道微生物协同作用降解木质纤维素。共生微生物在白蚁的氮素固定与循环、中间产物代谢及纤维素降解等过程中发挥了重要作用。学习和模拟白蚁高效降解木质纤维素的体系,对生物质能源的产业化发展具有积极的意义。     

Cospeciation of termite gut flagellates and their bacterial endosymbionts: Trichonympha species and 'Candidatus Endomicrobium trichonymphae'

Symbiotic flagellates play a major role in the digestion of lignocellulose in the hindgut of lower termites. Many termite gut flagellates harbour a distinct lineage of bacterial endosymbionts, so-called Endomicrobia, which belong to the candidate phylum Termite Group 1. Using an rRNA-based approach, we investigated the phylogeny of Trichonympha , the predominant flagellates in a wide range of termite species, and of their Endomicrobia symbionts. We found that Trichonympha species constitute three well-supported clusters in the Parabasalia tree. Endomicrobia were detected only in the apical lineage (Cluster I), which comprises flagellates present in the termite families Termopsidae and Rhinotermitidae, but apparently absent in the basal lineages (Clusters II and III) consisting of flagellates from other termite families and from the wood-feeding cockroach, Cryptocercus punctulatus . The endosymbionts of Cluster I form a monophyletic group distinct from many other lineages of Endomicrobia and seem to have cospeciated with their flagellate host. The distribution pattern of the symbiotic pairs among different termite species indicates that cospeciation of flagellates and endosymbionts is not simply the result of a spatial separation of the flagellate lineages in different termite species, but that Endomicrobia are inherited among Trichonympha species by vertical transmission. We suggest extending the previously proposed candidatus name ' Endomicrobium trichonymphae ' to all Endomicrobia symbionts of Trichonympha species, and estimate that the acquisition by an ancestor of Trichonympha Cluster I must have occurred about 40–70 million years ago, long after the flagellates entered the termites.     

Marked variations in patterns of cellulase activity against crystalline- vs. carboxymethyl-cellulose in the digestive systems of diverse, wood-feeding termites

Abstract.  Throughout the history of studies on cellulose digestion in termites, carboxymethyl-cellulose has been preferably used as a substrate for measuring cellulase activity in termites due to its high solubility. However, carboxymethyl-cellulose degradation is not directly related to digestibility of naturally occurring cellulose because many noncellulolytic organisms can also hydrolyse carboxymethyl-cellulose. To address this issue, a comparative study of microcrystalline cellulose digestion is performed in diverse xylophagous termites, using gut homogenates. For those termites harbouring gut flagellates , the majority of crystalline cellulose appears to be digested in the hindgut, both in the supernatant and the pellet. For Nasutitermes takasagoensis , a termite free of gut flagellates, crystalline cellulose is degraded primarily in the midgut supernatant, and partially in the pellet of the hindgut. The fungus-growing termite Odontotermes formosanus , which also does not possess intestinal flagellates, shows only a trace of crystalline cellulose hydrolysis throughout the gut. Comparison of levels of activity against crystalline cellulose with previously reported levels of activity against carboxymethyl-cellulose in the gut of each termite reveals significant differences between these activities. The results suggest that the hindgut flagellates produce commonly cellobiohydrolases in addition to endo-β-1,4-glucanases, which presumably act synergistically to digest cellulose. Preliminary evidence for the involvement of bacteria in the cellulose digestion of N. takasagoensis is also found.     

Exclusive Gut Flagellates of Serritermitidae Suggest a Major Transfaunation Event in Lower Termites: Description of Heliconympha glossotermitis gen. nov. spec. nov.

The guts of lower termites are inhabited by host‐specific consortia of cellulose‐digesting flagellate protists. In this first investigation of the symbionts of the family Serritermitidae, we found that Glossotermes oculatus and Serritermes serrifer each harbor similar parabasalid morphotypes: large Pseudotrichonympha‐like cells, medium‐sized Leptospironympha‐like cells with spiraled bands of flagella, and small Hexamastix‐like cells; oxymonadid flagellates were absent. Despite their morphological resemblance to Pseudotrichonympha and Leptospironympha, a SSU rRNA‐based phylogenetic analysis identified the two larger, trichonymphid flagellates as deep‐branching sister groups of Teranymphidae, with Leptospironympha sp. (the only spirotrichosomid with sequence data) in a moderately supported basal position. Only the Hexamastix‐like flagellates are closely related to trichomonadid flagellates from Rhinotermitidae. The presence of two deep‐branching lineages of trichonymphid flagellates in Serritermitidae and the absence of all taxa characteristic of the ancestral rhinotermitids underscores that the flagellate assemblages in the hindguts of lower termites were shaped not only by a progressive loss of flagellates during vertical inheritance but also by occasional transfaunation events, where flagellates were transferred horizontally between members of different termite families. In addition to the molecular phylogenetic analyses, we present a detailed morphological characterization of the new spirotrichosomid genus Heliconympha using light and electron microscopy.     

Diet is the primary determinant of bacterial community structure in the guts of higher termites

The gut microbiota of termites plays critical roles in the symbiotic digestion of lignocellulose. While phylogenetically ‘lower termites’ are characterized by a unique association with cellulolytic flagellates, higher termites (family Termitidae) harbour exclusively prokaryotic communities in their dilated hindguts. Unlike the more primitive termite families, which primarily feed on wood, they have adapted to a variety of lignocellulosic food sources in different stages of humification, ranging from sound wood to soil organic matter. In this study, we comparatively analysed representatives of different taxonomic lineages and feeding groups of higher termites to identify the major drivers of bacterial community structure in the termite gut, using amplicon libraries of 16S rRNA genes from 18 species of higher termites. In all analyses, the wood‐feeding species were clearly separated from humus and soil feeders, irrespective of their taxonomic affiliation, offering compelling evidence that diet is the primary determinant of bacterial community structure. Within each diet group, however, gut communities of termites from the same subfamily were more similar than those of distantly related species. A highly resolved classification using a curated reference database revealed only few genus‐level taxa whose distribution patterns indicated specificity for certain host lineages, limiting any possible cospeciation between the gut microbiota and host to short evolutionary timescales. Rather, the observed patterns in the host‐specific distribution of the bacterial lineages in termite guts are best explained by diet‐related differences in the availability of microhabitats and functional niches.     

Phylogenetic identification of symbiotic protists of five Chinese Reticulitermes species indicates a cospeciation of gut microfauna with host termites

Symbiotic protists play important roles in the wood digestion of lower termites. Previous studies showed that termites generally possess host-specific flagellate communities. The genus Reticulitermes is particularly interesting because its unique assemblage of gut flagellates bears evidence for transfaunation. The gut fauna of Reticulitermes species in Japan, Europe, and North America had been investigated, but data on species in China are scarce. For the first time, we analyzed the phylogeny of protists in the hindgut of five Reticulitermes species in China. A total of 22 protist phylotypes were affiliated with the family Trichonymphidae, Teranymphidae, Trichomonadidae, and Holomastigotoididae (Phylum Parabasalia), and 45 protist phylotypes were affiliated with the family Pyrsonymphidae (Phylum Preaxostyla). The protist fauna of these five Reticulitermes species is similar to those of Reticulitermes species in other geographical regions. The topology of Trichonymphidae subtree was similar to that of Reticulitermes tree. All Preaxostyla clones were affiliated with the genera Pyrsonympha and Dinenympha (Order Oxymonadida) as in the other Reticulitermes species. The results of this study not only add to the existing information on the flagellates present in other Reticulitermes species but also offer the opportunity to test the hypotheses for the coevolution of symbiotic protists with their host termites.     

低等白蚁肠道共生微生物的多样性及其功能

低等白蚁肠道里存在着复杂的微生物区系,包括真核微生物鞭毛虫和原核生物,细菌及古细菌。低等白蚁的后肠以特别膨大的囊形胃及其氢氧浓度的明显梯度分布和丰富的微生物区系为特征,是白蚁进行木质纤维素消化的主要器官。后肠内的鞭毛虫能将纤维素水解并发酵为乙酸,二氧化碳和氢,为白蚁提供营养和能源。系统发育研究表明,低等白蚁肠道共生细菌的主要类群为白蚁菌群1、螺旋体、拟杆菌,低G C mol%含量的革兰氏阳性菌和紫细菌等。而古细菌主要为甲烷短杆菌属的产甲烷菌。共生原核生物与二氧化碳的还原和氮的循环等代谢有关。但肠道共生微生物的具体功能和作用机制还有待进一步的揭示。     

Strict cospeciation of devescovinid flagellates and Bacteroidales ectosymbionts in the gut of dry-wood termites (Kalotermitidae)

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.