Unravelling the evolution of wood-feeding in termites with 47 high-resolution genome assemblies

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F25%3A00643906" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/25:00643906 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/60460709:41340/25:103287

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65969-5.pdf" target="_blank" >https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65969-5.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65969-5" target="_blank" >10.1038/s41467-025-65969-5</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Unravelling the evolution of wood-feeding in termites with 47 high-resolution genome assemblies

Original language description

Termites are a lineage of social cockroaches abundant in tropical ecosystems where they are key decomposers of organic matter. Despite their ecological significance, only a handful of reference-quality termite genomes have been sequenced, which is insufficient to unravel the genetic mechanisms that have contributed to their ecological success. Here, we perform sequencing and hybrid assembly of 45 taxonomically and ecologically diverse termites and two cockroaches, resulting in haplotype-merged genome assemblies of 47 species, 22 of which were near-chromosome level. Next, we examine the link between termite dietary evolution and major genomic events. We find that Termitidae, which include similar to 80% of described termite species, have larger genomes with more genes and a higher proportion of transposons than other termites. Our analyses identify a gene number expansion early in the evolution of Termitidae, including an expansion of the repertoire of CAZymes, the genes involved in lignocellulose degradation. Notably, this expansion of genomes and gene repertoires coincided with the origin of soil-feeding in Termitidae and remained unchanged in lineages that secondarily reverted to a wood-based diet. Overall, our sequencing effort multiplies the number of available termite genomes by six and provides insights into the genome evolution of an ancient lineage of social insects.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10616 - Entomology

Project

<a href="/en/project/GM23-08010M" target="_blank" >GM23-08010M: Trajectories of genome evolution in convergent organisms</a><br>

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Nature Communications

ISSN

2041-1723

e-ISSN

2041-1723

Volume of the periodical

16

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

14

Pages from-to

11154

UT code for WoS article

001641318100001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105025150433