Cited by 110Insect symbiosis and bacterial influencesCrustacean biology and ecologyMicrobial Community Ecology and Physiology

The Terrestrial Isopod Microbiome: An All-in-One Toolbox for Animal–Microbe Interactions of Ecological Relevance

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Bouchon, Didier, Zimmer, Martin, Dittmer, Jessica·2016·Frontiers in Microbiology

Abstract

Bacterial symbionts represent essential drivers of arthropod ecology and evolution, influencing host traits such as nutrition, reproduction, immunity and speciation. However, the majority of work on arthropod microbiota has been conducted in insects and more studies in non-model species across different ecological niches will be needed to complete our understanding of host-microbiota interactions. In this review, we present terrestrial isopod crustaceans as an emerging model organism to investigate symbiotic associations with potential relevance to ecosystem functioning. Terrestrial isopods comprise a group of crustaceans that have evolved a terrestrial lifestyle and represent keystone species in terrestrial ecosystems, contributing to the decomposition of organic matter and regulating the microbial food web. Since their nutrition is based on plant detritus, it has long been suspected that bacterial symbionts located in the digestive tissues might play an important role in host nutrition via the provisioning of digestive enzymes, thereby enabling the utilization of recalcitrant food compounds (e.g. cellulose or lignins). If this were the case, then (i) the acquisition of these bacteria might have been an important evolutionary prerequisite for the colonization of land by isopods, and (ii) these bacterial symbionts would directly mediate the role of their hosts in ecosystem functioning. Several bacterial symbionts have indeed been discovered in the midgut caeca of terrestrial isopods and some of them might be specific to this group of animals (i.e. Candidatus Hepatoplasma crinochetorum, Candidatus Hepatincola porcellionum and Rhabdochlamydia porcellionis), while others are well-known intracellular pathogens (Rickettsiella spp.) or reproductive parasites (Wolbachia sp.). Moreover, a recent investigation of the microbiota in Armadillidium vulgare has revealed that this species harbors a highly diverse bacterial community which varies between host populations, suggesting an important share of environmental microbes in the host-associated microbiota. In this review, we synthesize our current knowledge on the terrestrial isopod microbiome and identify future directions to (i) fully understand the functional roles of particular bacteria (both intracellular or intestinal symbionts and environmental gut passengers), and (ii) whether and how the host-associated microbiota could influence the performance of terrestrial isopods as keystone species in soil ecosystems.

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Authors
Bouchon, D., Zimmer, M., & Dittmer, J.
Affiliations
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (DE)
  • Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Bouchon, Didier
Venue
Frontiers in Microbiology
Published
2016-09-23
Volume
7
Issue
1472
Pages
1472-1472
ISSN
1664-302X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2520819341
Cited by
110
References
181
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 8
FWCI
0.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Microbiology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Informationszentrum Lebenswissenschaften (ZB MED) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-10-BLAN-1701, ANR-10)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
  • Université de Poitiers
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Crustacean biology and ecology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
Keywords
terrestrial isopods, symbiotic bacteria, host-microbe interactions, Armadillidium vulgare, Rickettsiella, Wolbachia, gut microbiota, detritivory, keystone species, soil ecosystems, microbial food web

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