Gut microbiome convergence and functional adaptation underlie the evolution of predation in stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

作者：Jingjing Sun, Yujie Meng, Zhuo Chen, Tianyou Zhao, Chengfeng Yang, Suyi Chen, Jiayi Wang, Tian Lu, Fan Song, Yuange Duan, Wanzhi Cai, X. -Z. Zhang, Hu Li · 发表于：Microbiome · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1186/s40168-025-02300-w · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences、Hemiptera Insect Studies、Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms

BACKGROUND: True bugs (Heteroptera) have undergone repeated evolutionary shifts between phytophagous and carnivorous feeding strategies. Although gut microbiomes are recognized for aiding dietary adaptation, their function in mediating these transitions is still unclear, specifically, how microbial communities change during dietary evolution and influence the diversification of feeding traits. RESULTS: Here, we selected a stink bug lineage of the subfamily Asopinae (Pentatomidae), representative of an independent feeding trait transition from phytophagy to carnivory. Their gut microbiomes were analyzed and compared to those of closely related phytophagous species within the Pentatomidae family, as well as predatory assassin bugs from the Reduviidae family, which represent the ancestral heteropteran feeding trait of predation. It was found that Asopinae lack the gammaproteobacterial symbionts and midgut crypts that are conserved in their phytophagous counterparts. Instead, their gut microbiomes converged on a community dominated by Enterococcus (Firmicutes) and select Proteobacteria (Serratia, Yokenella, Proteus), mirroring the microbiome of assassin bugs. This core community persisted despite prey variation, likely maintained through pentatomid ancestral eggshell-piercing behavior, enabling vertical transmission. Metagenomic analysis linked the Asopinae microbiome to functions potentially associated with predation adaptation, including the digestion of chitinous substrates li...