The functional evolution of termite gut microbiota.
Jigyasa AroraYukihiro KinjoJan ŠobotníkAleš BučekCrystal ClitheroePetr StiblíkYves RoisinLucia ŽifčákováYung-Chul ParkKi Yoon KimDavid Sillam-DussèsVincent HervéNathan LoGaku TokudaAndreas BruneThomas BourguignonPublished in: Microbiome (2022)
Our results reveal that the composition and function of termite gut prokaryotic communities have been remarkably conserved since termites first appeared ~ 150 million years ago. Therefore, the "world's smallest bioreactor" has been operating as a multipartite symbiosis composed of termites, archaea, bacteria, and cellulolytic flagellates since its inception. Video Abstract.