Evolution of termite symbiosis informed by transcriptome-based phylogenies

The derived termite family Termitidae comprises ~80% of all termite species, which collectively play dominant decomposer roles in tropical ecosystems across the globe. Two major events during termite evolution were the loss of cellulolytic gut protozoans in the ancestor of Termitidae, and the subsequent gain in the termitid subfamily Macrotermitinae of fungal nutritional symbionts cultivated externally in ‘combs’ constructed within the nest. How these symbiotic transitions occurred remain unresolved questions of outstanding interest.We sequenced transcriptomes of 53 termite species and low-coverage draft genomes of 2 termite species to infer single-copy orthologous genes and reconstruct a robust termite phylogenetic tree.