Studies on the formation process of symbiotic microbial community using host hybridization technique

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23657013
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Ibaraki University
• Principal Investigator: KITADE Osamu 茨城大学, 理学部, 准教授 (80302321)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NODA Satoko 山梨大学, 総合研究部, 准教授 (80342830)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 共生 / 原生生物 / 群集 / 群集構造 / 群集の混合

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To elucidate characteristics of microbial community in its formation process, we crossed three termite species harboring species-specific symbiotic microbial compositions, and examined community structure of newly formed symbiont community of their hybrids. In most cases symbiont compositions in the hybrid termites converged to a stable composition of a particular parent species. Antibiotic treatment had significant negative effects on the establishment of symbiotic protist compositions of the hybrid colonies. These results probably reflect long-term complex co-adaptaion between symbiotic microorganisms. We also clarified effects of temperature on the sybiotic protist community structures and protist faunae of the field colonies of two host termite species.

Free Research Field

動物生態学