Phylogenetic Diversity of Symbiotic Methanogens Living in the Hindgut of the Lower Termite Reticulitermes speratus Analyzed by PCR and In Situ Hybridization

A phylogenetic analysis of the sequences of 60 clones of archaeal small-subunit rRNA genes amplified from the termite Reticulitermes speratus revealed that most of them (56 clones) clustered in the genus Methanobrevibacter. Three clones were classified in the order Thermoplasmales. The Methanobrevibacter-related symbionts were detected by in situ hybridization analysis.