Symbiotic Plant Biomass Decomposition in Fungus-Growing Termites

Rafael R. da Costa; Haofu Hu; Hongjie Li; Michael Poulsen

doi:10.3390/insects10040087

Symbiotic Plant Biomass Decomposition in Fungus-Growing Termites

Rafael R. da Costa, Haofu Hu, Hongjie Li, Michael Poulsen^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Ecology and Evolution

17 Citations (Scopus)

18 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Termites are among the most successful animal groups, accomplishing nutrient acquisition through long-term associations and enzyme provisioning from microbial symbionts. Fungus farming has evolved only once in a single termite sub-family: Macrotermitinae. This sub-family has become a dominant decomposer in the Old World; through enzymatic contributions from insects, fungi, and bacteria, managed in an intricate decomposition pathway, the termites obtain near-complete utilisation of essentially any plant substrate. Here we review recent insights into our understanding of the process of plant biomass decomposition in fungus-growing termites. To this end, we outline research avenues that we believe can help shed light on how evolution has shaped the optimisation of plant-biomass decomposition in this complex multipartite symbiosis.

Original language	English
Article number	87
Journal	Insects
Volume	10
Issue number	4
Number of pages	15
ISSN	2075-4450
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10040087
Publication status	Published - 2019

Keywords

Blattodea
Carbohydrate-active enzymes
Macrotermitinae
Microbiota
Social insects
Termitomyces

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10.3390/insects10040087Licence: CC BY

Symbiotic Plant Biomass Decomposition in Fungus-Growing TermitesFinal published version, 1.11 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Symbiotic Plant Biomass Decomposition in Fungus-Growing Termites",

abstract = "Termites are among the most successful animal groups, accomplishing nutrient acquisition through long-term associations and enzyme provisioning from microbial symbionts. Fungus farming has evolved only once in a single termite sub-family: Macrotermitinae. This sub-family has become a dominant decomposer in the Old World; through enzymatic contributions from insects, fungi, and bacteria, managed in an intricate decomposition pathway, the termites obtain near-complete utilisation of essentially any plant substrate. Here we review recent insights into our understanding of the process of plant biomass decomposition in fungus-growing termites. To this end, we outline research avenues that we believe can help shed light on how evolution has shaped the optimisation of plant-biomass decomposition in this complex multipartite symbiosis.",

keywords = "Blattodea, Carbohydrate-active enzymes, Macrotermitinae, Microbiota, Social insects, Termitomyces",

author = "{da Costa}, {Rafael R.} and Haofu Hu and Hongjie Li and Michael Poulsen",

year = "2019",

doi = "10.3390/insects10040087",

language = "English",

volume = "10",

journal = "Insects",

issn = "2075-4450",

publisher = "M D P I AG",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Symbiotic Plant Biomass Decomposition in Fungus-Growing Termites

AU - da Costa, Rafael R.

AU - Hu, Haofu

AU - Li, Hongjie

AU - Poulsen, Michael

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Termites are among the most successful animal groups, accomplishing nutrient acquisition through long-term associations and enzyme provisioning from microbial symbionts. Fungus farming has evolved only once in a single termite sub-family: Macrotermitinae. This sub-family has become a dominant decomposer in the Old World; through enzymatic contributions from insects, fungi, and bacteria, managed in an intricate decomposition pathway, the termites obtain near-complete utilisation of essentially any plant substrate. Here we review recent insights into our understanding of the process of plant biomass decomposition in fungus-growing termites. To this end, we outline research avenues that we believe can help shed light on how evolution has shaped the optimisation of plant-biomass decomposition in this complex multipartite symbiosis.

AB - Termites are among the most successful animal groups, accomplishing nutrient acquisition through long-term associations and enzyme provisioning from microbial symbionts. Fungus farming has evolved only once in a single termite sub-family: Macrotermitinae. This sub-family has become a dominant decomposer in the Old World; through enzymatic contributions from insects, fungi, and bacteria, managed in an intricate decomposition pathway, the termites obtain near-complete utilisation of essentially any plant substrate. Here we review recent insights into our understanding of the process of plant biomass decomposition in fungus-growing termites. To this end, we outline research avenues that we believe can help shed light on how evolution has shaped the optimisation of plant-biomass decomposition in this complex multipartite symbiosis.

KW - Blattodea

KW - Carbohydrate-active enzymes

KW - Macrotermitinae

KW - Microbiota

KW - Social insects

KW - Termitomyces

U2 - 10.3390/insects10040087

DO - 10.3390/insects10040087

M3 - Review

C2 - 30925664

AN - SCOPUS:85065193514

SN - 2075-4450

VL - 10

JO - Insects

JF - Insects

IS - 4

M1 - 87

ER -

Symbiotic Plant Biomass Decomposition in Fungus-Growing Termites

Abstract

Keywords

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