Gram-Negative Bacteria Across Spatial Scales: A Meta-Analysis of Ant-Associated Bacterial Communities Under Distinct Environmental Conditions.

ABSTRACT: Shaped by ecological and evolutionary factors, microbial communities influence host health and resistance to environmental stressors. Ants that host diverse bacterial communities may rely on these communities for adaptation to different environmental conditions. This meta-analysis investigates the proportion of Gram-negative (GN) bacteria in ants' bacterial communities (gut and whole body) under contrasting environments at distinct scales: (i) arboreal vs. ground habitats and (ii) tropical vs. temperate zones. We hypothesize that ants under greater environmental variability (arboreal and in temperate zones) host higher proportions of GN bacteria, which are better suited to extreme ecological pressures. We analyzed data from 193 ant bacterial communities across 27 studies and found that ant

SUBMITTER: Bitar MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12575185 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature