Comparative screening of endosymbiotic bacteria associated with the asexual and sexual lineages of the termite Glyptotermes nakajimai

Abstract

Males provide opportunities both for sexual reproduction and for sex-based phenotypic differences within animal societies. In termites, the ubiquitous presence of both male and female workers and soldiers indicate that males play a critical role in colonies of these insects. However, we have recently reported all-female asexual societies in a lineage of the termite Glyptotermes nakajimai - a dramatic transition from mixed-sex to all-female asexual societies. It is known that female-producing parthenogenesis in insects can be induced by maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria, such as Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Rickettsia. Here, we screen for the presence of endosymbiotic bacteria in the asexual and sexual lineages of G. nakajimai. Our bacterial screening of the asexual lineage did not reveal any likely causal agents for parthenogenetic reproduction, whereas screening of the sexual lineage resulted in Wolbachia being detected. Our findings suggest that the asexuality in G. nakajimai is likely to be maintained without manipulation by endosymbiotic bacteria.

Keywords: All-female asexual societies; reproductive parasites; social insects; thelytokous parthenogenesis.

Figure 1.

Bacterial taxa associated with the termite Glyptotermes nakajimai. The left bar graph is for the asexual lineage and the right is for the sexual lineage. Bacterial screening is based on whole workers (excluding guts) (n = 15).