Presumptive horizontal symbiont transmission in the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis

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Presumptive horizontal symbiont transmission in the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis. / de Fine Licht, Henrik Hjarvard; Boomsma, Jacobus Jan; Aanen, Duur Kornelis.

In: Molecular Ecology, Vol. 15, No. 11, 2006, p. 3131-3138.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Harvard

de Fine Licht, HH, Boomsma, JJ & Aanen, DK 2006, 'Presumptive horizontal symbiont transmission in the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis', Molecular Ecology, vol. 15, no. 11, pp. 3131-3138. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.03008.x

APA

de Fine Licht, H. H., Boomsma, J. J., & Aanen, D. K. (2006). Presumptive horizontal symbiont transmission in the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis. Molecular Ecology, 15(11), 3131-3138. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.03008.x

Vancouver

de Fine Licht HH, Boomsma JJ, Aanen DK. Presumptive horizontal symbiont transmission in the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis. Molecular Ecology. 2006;15(11):3131-3138. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.03008.x

Author

de Fine Licht, Henrik Hjarvard ; Boomsma, Jacobus Jan ; Aanen, Duur Kornelis. / Presumptive horizontal symbiont transmission in the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis. In: Molecular Ecology. 2006 ; Vol. 15, No. 11. pp. 3131-3138.

Bibtex

@article{112216806c3711dcbee902004c4f4f50,
title = "Presumptive horizontal symbiont transmission in the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis",
abstract = "All colonies of the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis studied so far are associated with a single genetically variable lineage of Termitomyces symbionts. Such limited genetic variation of symbionts and the absence of sexual fruiting bodies (mushrooms) on M. natalensis mounds would be compatible with clonal vertical transmission, as is known to occur in Macrotermes bellicosus. We investigated this hypothesis by analysing DNA sequence polymorphisms as codominant SNP markers of four single-copy gene fragments of Termitomyces isolates from 31 colonies of M. natalensis. A signature of free recombination was found, indicative of frequent sexual horizontal transmission. First, all 31 strains had unique multilocus genotypes. Second, SNP markers (n = 55) were largely in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (90.9%) and almost all possible pairs of SNPs between genetically unlinked loci were in linkage equilibrium (96.7%). Finally, extensive intragenic recombination was found, especially in the EF1a fragment. Substantial genetic variation and a freely recombining population structure can only be explained by frequent horizontal and sexual transmission of Termitomyces. The apparent variation in symbiont transmission mode among Macrotermes species implies that vertical symbiont transmission can evolve rapidly. The unexpected finding of horizontal transmission makes the apparent absence of Termitomyces mushrooms on M. natalensis mounds puzzling. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed study of the genetic population structure of a single lineage of Termitomyces.",
author = "{de Fine Licht}, {Henrik Hjarvard} and Boomsma, {Jacobus Jan} and Aanen, {Duur Kornelis}",
note = "KEYWORDS mutualism • population structure • recombination • symbiont transmission • symbiosis • Termitomyces",
year = "2006",
doi = "10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.03008.x",
language = "English",
volume = "15",
pages = "3131--3138",
journal = "Molecular Ecology",
issn = "0962-1083",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "11",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Presumptive horizontal symbiont transmission in the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis

AU - de Fine Licht, Henrik Hjarvard

AU - Boomsma, Jacobus Jan

AU - Aanen, Duur Kornelis

N1 - KEYWORDS mutualism • population structure • recombination • symbiont transmission • symbiosis • Termitomyces

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - All colonies of the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis studied so far are associated with a single genetically variable lineage of Termitomyces symbionts. Such limited genetic variation of symbionts and the absence of sexual fruiting bodies (mushrooms) on M. natalensis mounds would be compatible with clonal vertical transmission, as is known to occur in Macrotermes bellicosus. We investigated this hypothesis by analysing DNA sequence polymorphisms as codominant SNP markers of four single-copy gene fragments of Termitomyces isolates from 31 colonies of M. natalensis. A signature of free recombination was found, indicative of frequent sexual horizontal transmission. First, all 31 strains had unique multilocus genotypes. Second, SNP markers (n = 55) were largely in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (90.9%) and almost all possible pairs of SNPs between genetically unlinked loci were in linkage equilibrium (96.7%). Finally, extensive intragenic recombination was found, especially in the EF1a fragment. Substantial genetic variation and a freely recombining population structure can only be explained by frequent horizontal and sexual transmission of Termitomyces. The apparent variation in symbiont transmission mode among Macrotermes species implies that vertical symbiont transmission can evolve rapidly. The unexpected finding of horizontal transmission makes the apparent absence of Termitomyces mushrooms on M. natalensis mounds puzzling. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed study of the genetic population structure of a single lineage of Termitomyces.

AB - All colonies of the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes natalensis studied so far are associated with a single genetically variable lineage of Termitomyces symbionts. Such limited genetic variation of symbionts and the absence of sexual fruiting bodies (mushrooms) on M. natalensis mounds would be compatible with clonal vertical transmission, as is known to occur in Macrotermes bellicosus. We investigated this hypothesis by analysing DNA sequence polymorphisms as codominant SNP markers of four single-copy gene fragments of Termitomyces isolates from 31 colonies of M. natalensis. A signature of free recombination was found, indicative of frequent sexual horizontal transmission. First, all 31 strains had unique multilocus genotypes. Second, SNP markers (n = 55) were largely in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (90.9%) and almost all possible pairs of SNPs between genetically unlinked loci were in linkage equilibrium (96.7%). Finally, extensive intragenic recombination was found, especially in the EF1a fragment. Substantial genetic variation and a freely recombining population structure can only be explained by frequent horizontal and sexual transmission of Termitomyces. The apparent variation in symbiont transmission mode among Macrotermes species implies that vertical symbiont transmission can evolve rapidly. The unexpected finding of horizontal transmission makes the apparent absence of Termitomyces mushrooms on M. natalensis mounds puzzling. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed study of the genetic population structure of a single lineage of Termitomyces.

U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.03008.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.03008.x

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16968259

VL - 15

SP - 3131

EP - 3138

JO - Molecular Ecology

JF - Molecular Ecology

SN - 0962-1083

IS - 11

ER -

ID: 1094823