Bacteria Associated with the Antarctic Endemic Insect Belgica antarctica Jacobs (Diptera Chironomidae)

• Published in: Cytology and Genetics
• Main Authors: Maistrenko, O., M., Serga, S., V., Kovalenko, P., A., Kozeretska, I., A.
• Other Authors: European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg (EMBL), Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR CBGP), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD France-Sud )-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut Agro Montpellier, Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine = Національна академія наук України = Académie nationale des sciences d'Ukraine (NASU / НАН України), Institute for Evolutionary Ecology (IEE), This study was financially supported by the State Targeted Scientific and Technical Program of Studies in the Antarctic for the Period of 2011-2023 (resolution no. 1002of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine from November 3,2010; https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1002-2010-%D0%BF#n12)). Svitlana Serga was supported by the PAUSE Program (PAUSE-Solidarity with Ukraine; PAUSE ANR Ghandi-Ukraine). Pavlo Kovalenko was supported by a scholarship from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for Young Scientists (decree no. 509 of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine from October 31, 2022).
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2023
• Subjects: microbiome; endosymbionts; Wolbachia; Spiroplasma; [SDV.BID.SPT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Systematics; Phylogenetics and taxonomy; [SDV.MP.BAC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; Belgica antarctica
• Online Access: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04181555; https://doi.org/10.3103/S0095452723030064

International audience Insects are one of the most successful groups of multicellular organisms with more than a million species. Among them, there is Belgica antarctica Jacobs (Diptera Chironomidae) representing an endemic species of Antarctica that exists under extremely cold conditions. A significant number of microorganisms colonize most species of insects resulting in symbiotic interaction, which may improve the adaptability of a host organism to cold conditions. Using PCR and metagenomic analysis, it has been demonstrated that endosymbiotic bacteria Spiroplasma and Wolbachia seem to be absent in Belgica antarctica. Nevertheless, 14 species of bacteria have been revealed that can be potentially associated with Belgica antarctica and/or with the substrate where this species lives by screening the whole-genome sequences available in open databases. To ascertain the constant association of identified microorganisms with Belgica antarctica and their possible preference to this species, it is necessary to perform further analysis.