Fine-scale phylogenetic diversity and underlying mechanisms of coexisting oxymonad protists in termite guts

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16208
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 45030:Biodiversity and systematics-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Igai Katsura 東京工業大学, 生命理工学院, 研究員 (60806438)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 種多様性 / 種分化 / 多種共存 / 共生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To elucidate the true diversity and underlying mechanism of the coexistence of oxymonad symbiont community in guts of the termite Reticulitermes speratus, this study preformed fine-scale phylogenetic analysis, in silico simulation of speciation, and examination of interspecies niche differentiation of the protist community. The results strongly suggested the possibilities that phylogenetically closely related but distinct 33 oxymonad species coexist in a gut of Reticulitermes speratus and that the predicted species correspond with ecotypes with different niches.

Free Research Field

微生物生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は難培養性のシロアリ腸内原生生物の種多様性と多種共存機構について新たな研究方法と知見を提示した。種とはなにかまた自然界の多様な多種共存機構の理解は、生物学および生態学の根幹的テーマである。本研究の成果は、シロアリ腸内原生生物ばかりでなく、近年発展著しい原生生物(全般)の種多様性研究に貴重な知見を付与するものである。