The Impact of Initial Symbiont Inoculation Density and Diversity on Fitness of the Anasa tristis Squash Bug Pubblico
De Las Casas, Valeria (Spring 2021)
Abstract
Microbiome composition, which encompasses both the quantity and the diversity of microbes present, can have profound impacts on the function and development of surrounding biotic environments, including the living hosts within which microbiomes are often found. While the importance of host-associated microbes for hosts has been studies across systems, less is known about how the initial conditions at the onset of these interactions impact subsequent outcomes. I explored this question using a tractable insect-microbe system, Anasa tristis squash bugs and Caballeronia bacterial symbionts. I analyzed the impact of symbiont inoculation density on host and microbial fitness by comparing differences in host survival, host development time, and within host symbiont population size across three different bacterial inoculation densities. There were no statistically significant differences in measures of host and symbiont fitness across the treatments, suggesting that initial inoculation density may have little influence on final outcome. I also analyzed the impact of symbiont diversity on host fitness by comparing differences in host survival and development time across treatments varying from inoculation with single strains of bacteria to inoculation with a more complex microbiome. There was no statistically significant difference in host survival between the four treatment groups, though there were statistically significant differences in development time, suggesting that the composition of the initial symbiont inoculation may impact final outcome. Future studies need to continue to assess how microbiome composition affects host fitness and health.
Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….1
Chapter 1: The Impact of Symbiont Inoculation Density on Host and Microbial Fitness………..4
Methods…………………………………………………………………………………...4
Results…………………………………………………………………………………….7
Figure 1…………………………………………………………………………...8
Figure 2…………………………………………………………………………...8
Figure 3…………………………………………………………………………...9
Discussion………………………………………………………………………………...9
Chapter 2: The Impact of Symbiont Diversity on Host Fitness………………………………….11
Methods…………………………………………………………………………………..12
Results……………………………………………………………………………………15
Figure 4…………………………………………………………………………..16
Figure 5…………………………………………………………………………..17
Discussion………………………………………………………………………………..17
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….20
References………………………………………………………………………………………..21
About this Honors Thesis
| School | |
|---|---|
| Department | |
| Degree | |
| Submission | |
| Language |
|
| Research Field | |
| Parola chiave | |
| Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor | |
| Committee Members |
Primary PDF
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
The Impact of Initial Symbiont Inoculation Density and Diversity on Fitness of the Anasa tristis Squash Bug () | 2021-04-12 21:40:25 -0400 |
|
Supplemental Files
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|