Pilibacter termitis gen. nov., sp. nov., a lactic acid bacterium from the hindgut of the Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus)

Abstract

Pilibacter termitis gen. nov., sp. nov., a lactic acid bacterium from the hindgut of the Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) A previously undescribed anaerobic, heterofermentative, non-spore-forming, Gram-positive rod was isolated from the hindgut of the Formosan subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. The DNA G+C content of this bacterium was 37?8 mol%. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that this organism is related to, but distinct from, several genera of lactic acid bacteria, principally several species of the genus Enterococcus. Phenotypic traits that serve to separate this organism from related genera include high levels of the cellular fatty acid C18 : 1v9c and the production of ethanol along with lactic acid as fermentation products. Based on the collected phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, it is proposed that the unknown organism represents a novel species in a new genus, Pilibacter termitis gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain isIt has been demonstrated that the guts of termites house a diverse collection of bacteria encompassing several disparate phyla and even a novel phylum (Ohkuma & Kudo, 1996). However, the majority of the microbial population is thought to be recalcitrant to isolation in the laboratory. Despite this problem, there remains a considerable population of bacteria in termites which may be isolated and characterized using conventional bacteriological techniques. An example includes bacteria of the order 'Lactobacillales', which have been recovered from several different species of termites, including Mastotermes darwiniensis, Cryptotermes primus, Heterotermes ferox, Coptotermes lacteus, Schedorhinotermes intermedius, Nasutitermes exitiosus (Eutick et al., 1978), Reticulitermes flavipes (Schultz & Breznak, 1978;Bauer et al., 2000), Nasutitermes arborum, Thoracotermes macrothorax and Anoplotermes pacificus (Bauer et al., 2000). Many of the endemic bacteria associated with the termite hindgut, such as species of the genus Bacteroides, Desulfovibrio termitidis and Acetonema longum, readily utilize lactic acid as a carbon source (Schultz & Breznak, 1979;Trinkerl et al., 1990;Kane & Breznak, 1991). Therefore, it is feasible that the lactic acid bacteria play an important role in maintaining the homeostasis of the bacterial community associated with the termite hindgut. In this paper, we report the isolation of a member of a new genus of lactic acid bacteria isolated from the gut of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).Workers of the termite species Coptotermes formosanus were obtained from three separate colonies on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The termites were divided into three treatment groups for study. The first group was dissected within 24 h of collection. The second group was maintained for 1 week on a diet of Douglas fir wafers in arenas of sand moistened with distilled water. The third group was maintained in Petri dish arenas and fed a diet of Whatman No. 3 filter paper for 1 week. Fifteen te...

Protozoacidal Trojan-Horse: Use of a Ligand-Lytic Peptide for Selective Destruction of Symbiotic Protozoa within Termite Guts

“…The ligands are most likely protozoa-specific as they did not bind to non-target microorganisms, such as gram negative Escherichia coli , gram positive Pilibacter termitis (a lactic acid bacterium exclusively found in the gut of C . formosanus ) [28] and the yeast K . lactis .…”

Stenoxybacter acetivorans gen. nov., sp. nov., an Acetate-Oxidizing Obligate Microaerophile among Diverse O 2 -Consuming Bacteria from Termite Guts

“…With the exception of the TAM strains, the isolates reported above were typical of organisms isolated from termite guts previously or whose 16S rRNA genes were represented in clone libraries prepared from various termite species, including R. flavipes (1,5,19,23,24,37,38,43,44,51,56). A 16S rRNA gene clone closely related to that of the TAM isolates was obtained from a gut wall fraction prepared from R. santonensis (56).…”

Effects of Caste on the Expression of Genes Associated with Septic Injury and Xenobiotic Exposure in the Formosan Subterranean Termite

“…To determine the appropriate sublethal treatment for inducing gene expression related to septic injury non-pathogenic bacteria, that were previously cultured from the guts of Formosan termite workers (gram-negative Escherichia coli [87] and gram-positive Pilibacter termitis [88] ATCC BAA-1030), were revived from glycerol stocks. E. coli was cultured under aerobic conditions in 1 mL of BHI broth for 1 day on a shaking incubator at 30°C, while P. termitis was grown anaerobically, using H 2 /CO 2 BBL GasPaks (Becton Dickinson and Company: Franklin Lakes, NJ), in 1 mL of BHI broth at 30°C for 3 days.…”