Zhou Jiachang, Qin Wenquan, Zeng Yang, Huang Xin, Yuan Jing, Yin Yuting, Xu Paike, Fan Xiaohong, Zhang Runfeng, Li Ganghua, Zhang Yinqi
Hubei Key Laboratory of Edible Wild Plants Conservation and Utilization, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi 435002, China.
Key Laboratory of Termite Control of Ministry of Water Resources, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100048, China.
Insects. 2025 Apr 29;16(5):470. doi: 10.3390/insects16050470.
is a typical fungus-growing termite that forms both monogynous (single queen) and polygynous (multiple queen) colonies in nature. This species influences the local soil fertility in part by redistributing nutrients across the landscape in its habitats. However, how the colony structure of affects nutrient cycling and microbial communities within the nest is not well understood. In this study, we compared the physicochemical properties and microbial communities across nest parts between monogynous and polygynous colonies of . Our results showed that the fungus garden is the most nutrient-rich part of the nest, with higher soil moisture, organic matter, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, available sulfur, available potassium, available silicon, and available boron than other nest parts. Notably, the fungus garden in monogynous colonies had higher nitrate nitrogen, available sulfur, and available silicon than those in the polygynous colonies. The microbial α-diversity in the fungus garden was lower than that in other parts of the nest. β-diversity analysis revealed a clear separation of microbial communities between monogynous and polygynous colonies across nest parts. Furthermore, the relative abundance of functional genes associated with "cell cycle control, cell division, and chromosome partitioning" was higher in the fungus garden of polygynous colonies compared to monogynous colonies. Our results suggest that the fungus garden plays a crucial role in maintaining colony stability in colonies. The rapid depletion of nutrients in the fungus garden to sustain the larger population in polygynous colonies likely influences microbial community dynamics and nutrient cycling.
是一种典型的培菌白蚁，在自然界中形成单蚁后（单个蚁后）和多蚁后（多个蚁后）群体。该物种部分通过在其栖息地的景观中重新分配养分来影响当地土壤肥力。然而，其群体结构如何影响巢内的养分循环和微生物群落尚不清楚。在本研究中，我们比较了单蚁后和多蚁后群体的巢各部分的理化性质和微生物群落。我们的结果表明，菌圃是巢中营养最丰富的部分，其土壤湿度、有机质、铵态氮、硝态氮、有效硫、有效钾、有效硅和有效硼含量均高于巢的其他部分。值得注意的是，单蚁后群体的菌圃中硝态氮、有效硫和有效硅含量高于多蚁后群体。菌圃中的微生物α多样性低于巢的其他部分。β多样性分析揭示了单蚁后和多蚁后群体的巢各部分微生物群落的明显分离。此外，与“细胞周期控制、细胞分裂和染色体分配”相关的功能基因在多蚁后群体菌圃中的相对丰度高于单蚁后群体。我们的结果表明，菌圃在维持群体稳定性方面起着关键作用。多蚁后群体中为维持更大种群数量而导致菌圃中养分的快速消耗可能影响微生物群落动态和养分循环。
