Bacterial microbiome of Platypus cylindrus-Quercus suber interaction

Oak forests are declining due to a complex process involving biotic and abiotic stresses, affecting ecological interactions. In Portugal, the ambrosia beetle Platypus cylindrus Fab. and its mycobiota promote cork oak (Quercus suber L.) tree death within a few years. If on the one hand the fungi involved in this relationship are well studied, no knowledge exists about the bacteria. The aim of this study was to characterize the bacterial microbiome associated with cork oak and P. cylindrus, using a 16S metagenomics approach. The bored galleries from different cork oak trees, together with the mycangia from male and female beetles were investigated.