Inheritance and diversification of symbiotic trichonymphid flagellates from a common ancestor of termites and the cockroach Cryptocercus.

ABSTRACT: Cryptocercus cockroaches and lower termites harbour obligate, diverse and unique symbiotic cellulolytic flagellates in their hindgut that are considered critical in the development of social behaviour in their hosts. However, there has been controversy concerning the origin of these symbiotic flagellates. Here, molecular sequences encoding small subunit rRNA and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were identified in the symbiotic flagellates of the order Trichonymphida (phylum Parabasalia) in the gut of Cryptocercus punctulatus and compared phylogenetically to the corresponding species in termites. In each of the monophyletic lineages that represent family-level groups in Trichonymphida, the symbionts of Cryptocercus were robustly sister to those of termites. Together with the recent

SUBMITTER: Ohkuma M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2674353 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature