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Imaging approaches to study a very unusual case of grain beetle-bacteria symbiosis

Many insects have evolved in beneficial associations with microorganisms, among which is the supplementation of nutrients. Some grain pest beetles successfully adapted to dry conditions due to their thick cuticles, which is attributed to their ancient endosymbiont. Among tyrosine supplementary symbiosis, one beetle species harbors at least three symbiont strains with partitioned gene repertoires, therefore metabolically interdependent. This lineage splitting of endosymbionts is rare and likely non-adaptive, however, there are many challenges to explain how this system has evolved and maintained through its long evolutionary history. In this science chat, I would like to talk about the genome size reduction of symbionts and various imaging approaches to unveil this unimaginable symbiotic interaction. Applying techniques such as Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH), advanced fluorescence imaging, volumetric electron microscopy, and µCT scanning, I aim to illustrate dynamics and mechanisms of interactions among the interdependent bacteria and their contribution to host beetles.

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