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

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Abstract

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.

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Funding

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. 1002 of 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).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Structural and Computational Biology Department, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany

    O. M. Maistrenko

  2. Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 1797 SZ, Horntje (Texel), Netherlands

    O. M. Maistrenko

  3. CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, 34980, Montpellier, France

    S. V. Serga

  4. Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 01601, Kyiv, Ukraine

    S. V. Serga

  5. National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine, 01601, Kyiv, Ukraine

    S. V. Serga & I. A. Kozeretska

  6. Institute for Evolutionary Ecology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 03143, Kyiv, Ukraine

    P. A. Kovalenko

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  1. O. M. Maistrenko
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  2. S. V. Serga
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  3. P. A. Kovalenko
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  4. I. A. Kozeretska
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Correspondence to O. M. Maistrenko.

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Translated by E. Glushachenkova

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Maistrenko, O.M., Serga, S.V., Kovalenko, P.A. et al. Bacteria Associated with the Antarctic Endemic Insect Belgica antarctica Jacobs (Diptera Chironomidae). Cytol. Genet. 57, 207–212 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3103/S0095452723030064

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