Non-ribosomal peptide synthase profiles remain structurally similar despite minimally shared features across fungus-farming termite microbiomes.

ABSTRACT: Fungus-farming termites (Macrotermitinae) engage in an obligate mutualism with members of the fungal genus Termitomyces, which they maintain as a monoculture on specialized comb structures. Both these comb structures and the guts of the termites host diverse bacterial communities that are believed to assist in sustaining monoculture farming through antagonist suppression. Among candidate bacteria-derived compounds serving this function are non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs), which are a highly bioactive class of specialized metabolites, frequently produced by symbionts within eukaryotic hosts. However, our understanding of specialized metabolites in termite-associated microbiomes is limited. Here we use amplicon sequencing to characterize both bacterial composition and NRP potential. We

SUBMITTER: Murphy R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11789546 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature