Using ultraconserved elements to reconstruct the termite tree of life

Hellemans, Simon; Wang, Menglin; Hasegawa, Nonno; Šobotník, Jan; Scheffrahn, Rudolf H.; Bourguignon, Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107520

Cited by 18 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…We used the nine fossil calibrations used by Arora et al [31], which we implemented as exponential priors on node times. Sphaerotermitinae and Macrotermitinae were constrained to form a monophyletic group, as supported by phylogenetic trees based on transcriptomes and UCEs [30,55]. Similar constraints were applied to non-Stylotermitidae Neoisoptera, which were constrained to be monophyletic [31].…”

Section: (B) Reconstruction Of Marker Gene Phylogenetic Treesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We extracted from each gut metagenome assembly termite UCEs, and their flanking 200 bp at both 5 0 and 3 0 ends, using PHYLUCE v. 1.6.6 [56] and LASTZ [57]. We used the termitespecific bait set targeting the 50 616 UCE loci described in Hellemans et al [55] and followed the procedure described therein.…”

Section: (D) Phylogenetic Reconstruction Of Termites Using Ultraconse...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence of cospeciation between termites and their gut bacteria on a geological time scale

et al. 2023

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Termites host diverse communities of gut microbes, including many bacterial lineages only found in this habitat. The bacteria endemic to termite guts are transmitted via two routes: a vertical route from parent colonies to daughter colonies and a horizontal route between colonies sometimes belonging to different termite species. The relative importance of both transmission routes in shaping the gut microbiota of termites remains unknown. Using bacterial marker genes derived from the gut metagenomes of 197 termites and one Cryptocercus cockroach, we show that bacteria endemic to termite guts are mostly transferred vertically. We identified 18 lineages of gut bacteria showing cophylogenetic patterns with termites over tens of millions of years. Horizontal transfer rates estimated for 16 bacterial lineages were within the range of those estimated for 15 mitochondrial genes, suggesting that horizontal transfers are uncommon and vertical transfers are the dominant transmission route in these lineages. Some of these associations probably date back more than 150 million years and are an order of magnitude older than the cophylogenetic patterns between mammalian hosts and their gut bacteria. Our results suggest that termites have cospeciated with their gut bacteria since first appearing in the geological record.

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Section: (B) Reconstruction Of Marker Gene Phylogenetic Treesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: (D) Phylogenetic Reconstruction Of Termites Using Ultraconse...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of cospeciation between termites and their gut bacteria on a geological time scale

et al. 2023

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“…Simplified phylogenetic scheme of Blattodea modified from Evangelista et al (2019) and Hellemans et al (2022). The sequence logo represents the degree of conservation of amino acids in Adipokinetic hormone (AKH) neuropeptides in Blaberoidea and Solumblattodea.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of adipokinetic hormones and their receptors in Blattodea reveals novel patterns of gene evolution

Jiang,

Marco,

Scheich

et al. 2023

Insect Molecular Biology

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Adipokinetic hormone (AKH) is a neuropeptide produced in the insect corpora cardiaca that plays an essential role in mobilising carbohydrates and lipids from the fat body to the haemolymph. AKH acts by binding to a rhodopsin‐like G protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR), the adipokinetic hormone receptor (AKHR). In this study, we tackle AKH ligand and receptor gene evolution as well as the evolutionary origins of AKH gene paralogues from the order Blattodea (termites and cockroaches). Phylogenetic analyses of AKH precursor sequences point to an ancient AKH gene duplication event in the common ancestor of Blaberoidea, yielding a new group of putative decapeptides. In total, 16 different AKH peptides from 90 species were obtained. Two octapeptides and seven putatively novel decapeptides are predicted for the first time. AKH receptor sequences from 18 species, spanning solitary cockroaches and subsocial wood roaches as well as lower and higher termites, were subsequently acquired using classical molecular methods and in silico approaches employing transcriptomic data. Aligned AKHR open reading frames revealed 7 highly conserved transmembrane regions, a typical arrangement for GPCRs. Phylogenetic analyses based on AKHR sequences support accepted relationships among termite, subsocial (Cryptocercus spp.) and solitary cockroach lineages to a large extent, while putative post‐translational modification sites do not greatly differ between solitary and subsocial roaches and social termites. Our study provides important information not only for AKH and AKHR functional research but also for further analyses interested in their development as potential candidates for biorational pest control agents against invasive termites and cockroaches.

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“…The analyses with third codon positions included were run for more generations than those without third codon positions as the chains converged at a slower rate. For all analyses, the topology was constrained to ensure a sister relationship between the subfamilies Sphaerotermitinae and Macrotermitinae, as supported by both transcriptome‐ and ultraconserved‐elements‐based phylogenies (Bucek et al 2019, Hellemans et al 2022).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neoisoptera repeatedly colonised Madagascar after the Middle Miocene climatic optimum

et al. 2023

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Madagascar is home to many endemic plant and animal species owing to its ancient isolation from other landmasses. This unique fauna includes several lineages of termites, a group of insects known for their key role in organic matter decomposition in many terrestrial ecosystems. How and when termites colonised Madagascar remains unknown. In this study, we used 601 mitochondrial genomes, 93 of which were generated from Malagasy samples, to infer the global historical biogeography of Neoisoptera, a lineage containing more than 80% of described termite species. Our results indicate that Neoisoptera colonised Madagascar between 7 and 10 times independently during the Miocene, between 8.4 and 16.6 Ma (95% HPD: 6.1-19.9 Ma). This timing matches that of the colonization of Australia by Neoisoptera. Furthermore, the taxonomic composition of the Neoisopteran fauna of Madagascar and Australia are strikingly similar, with Madagascar harbouring an additional two lineages absent from Australia. Therefore, akin to Australia, Neoisoptera colonised Madagascar during the global expansion of grasslands, possibly helped by the ecological opportunities arising from the spread of this new biome.

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Using ultraconserved elements to reconstruct the termite tree of life

Cited by 18 publications

References 73 publications

Evidence of cospeciation between termites and their gut bacteria on a geological time scale

Evidence of cospeciation between termites and their gut bacteria on a geological time scale

Comparative analysis of adipokinetic hormones and their receptors in Blattodea reveals novel patterns of gene evolution

Neoisoptera repeatedly colonised Madagascar after the Middle Miocene climatic optimum

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