Gut bacteria are essential for normal cuticle development in herbivorous turtle ants

Christophe Duplais (), Vincent Sarou-Kanian, Dominique Massiot, Alia Hassan, Barbara Perrone, Yannick Estevez, John T. Wertz, Estelle Martineau, Jonathan Farjon, Patrick Giraudeau and Corrie S. Moreau ()
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Christophe Duplais: CNRS UMR8172 EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane
Vincent Sarou-Kanian: Université d’Orléans, CEMHTI CNRS UPR3079
Dominique Massiot: Université d’Orléans, CEMHTI CNRS UPR3079
Alia Hassan: Bruker Switzerland AG
Barbara Perrone: Bruker Switzerland AG
Yannick Estevez: CNRS UMR8172 EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane
John T. Wertz: Calvin University
Estelle Martineau: Université de Nantes, CNRS, CEISAM UMR 6230
Jonathan Farjon: Université de Nantes, CNRS, CEISAM UMR 6230
Patrick Giraudeau: Université de Nantes, CNRS, CEISAM UMR 6230
Corrie S. Moreau: Cornell University

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Across the evolutionary history of insects, the shift from nitrogen-rich carnivore/omnivore diets to nitrogen-poor herbivorous diets was made possible through symbiosis with microbes. The herbivorous turtle ants Cephalotes possess a conserved gut microbiome which enriches the nutrient composition by recycling nitrogen-rich metabolic waste to increase the production of amino acids. This enrichment is assumed to benefit the host, but we do not know to what extent. To gain insights into nitrogen assimilation in the ant cuticle we use gut bacterial manipulation, 15N isotopic enrichment, isotope-ratio mass spectrometry, and 15N nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to demonstrate that gut bacteria contribute to the formation of proteins, catecholamine cross-linkers, and chitin in the cuticle. This study identifies the cuticular components which are nitrogen-enriched by gut bacteria, highlighting the role of symbionts in insect evolution, and provides a framework for understanding the nitrogen flow from nutrients through bacteria into the insect cuticle.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21065-y

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