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The composition of the bacterial community in the foam produced by Mahanarva fimbriolata is distinct from those at gut and soil

  • Environmental Microbiology - Research Paper
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Abstract

The development of insects is strongly influenced by their resident microorganisms. Symbionts play key roles in insect nutrition, reproduction, and defense. Bacteria are important partners due to the wide diversity of their biochemical pathways that aid in the host development. We present evidence that the foam produced by nymphs of the spittlebug Mahanarva fimbriolata harbors a diversity of bacteria, including some that were previously reported as defensive symbionts of insects. Analysis of the microbiomes in the nymph gut and the soil close to the foam showed that the microorganisms in the foam were more closely related to those in the gut than in the soil, suggesting that the bacteria are actively introduced into the foam by the insect. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria were the predominant groups found in the foam. Since members of Actinobacteria have been found to protect different species of insects by producing secondary metabolites with antibiotic properties, we speculate that the froth produced by M. fimbriolata may aid in defending the nymphs against entomopathogenic microorganisms.

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Funding

This work was supported in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brazil (CAPES), Finance Code 001, and the National Institute of Science and Technology – Semiochemicals in Agriculture (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [grants #2014/50871-0 and #465511/2014-7, respectively]).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

    Mateus Tonelli & José Maurício S. Bento

  2. Department of Soil Science, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

    Simone Raposo Cotta, Alessandra Rigotto, Armando Cavalcante F. Dias & Fernando Dini Andreote

  3. Laboratory of Chemical Ecology and Insect Behavior, ESALQ/USP, Av. Pádua Dias 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil

    José Maurício S. Bento

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  1. Mateus Tonelli
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Tonelli, M., Cotta, S.R., Rigotto, A. et al. The composition of the bacterial community in the foam produced by Mahanarva fimbriolata is distinct from those at gut and soil. Braz J Microbiol 51, 1151–1157 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-019-00211-1

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