Metatranscriptome analysis reveals bacterial symbiont contributions to lower termite physiology and potential immune functions

摘要: Background Symbioses throughout the animal kingdom are known to extend physiological and ecological capabilities hosts. Insect-microbe associations extremely common often related novel niche exploitation, fitness advantages, even speciation events. These phenomena include expansions in host diet, detoxification of insecticides toxins, increased defense against pathogens. However, dissecting contributions individual groups symbionts at molecular level is underexplored due methodological analytical limitations. Termites one best studied systems for collaborations between symbiota; however, most work lower termites (those with bacterial protist symbionts) focuses on eukaryotic members this symbiotic consortium. Here we present a metatranscriptomic analysis which provides insights into holobiont eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes, presence absence fungal pathogen.