title: Variability of Bacterial Communities in the Moth Heliothis virescens Indicates Transient Association with the Host.
abstract: Microbes associated with insects can confer a wide range of ecologically relevant benefits to their hosts. Since insect-associated bacteria often increase the nutritive value of their hosts' diets, the study of bacterial communities is especially interesting in species that are important agricultural pests. We investigated the composition of bacterial communities in the noctuid moth Heliothis virescens and its variability in relation to developmental stage, diet and population (field and laboratory), using bacterial tag-encoded FLX pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons. In larvae, bacterial communities differed depending on the food plant on which they had been reared, although the within-group variation between biological replicates was high as well. Moreover, larvae originating from a field or laboratory population did not share any OTUs. Interestingly, Enterococcus sp. was found to be the dominant taxon in laboratory-reared larvae, but was completely absent from field larvae, indicating dramatic shifts in microbial community profiles upon cultivation of the moths in the laboratory. Furthermore, microbiota composition varied strongly across developmental stages in individuals of the field population, and we found no evidence for vertical transmission of bacteria from mothers to offspring. Since sample sizes in our study were small due to pooling of samples for sequencing, we cautiously conclude that the high variability in bacterial communities suggests a loose and temporary association of the identified bacteria with H. virescens.
authors.affiliation: University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Staudacher
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaltenpoth
authors.affiliation: University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johannes A J
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Breeuwer
authors.affiliation: University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Steph B J
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Menken
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Heckel
authors.affiliation: University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Astrid T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Groot
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D044822:Biodiversity; D005260:Female; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D009036:Moths / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S