The site of cellulose breakdown in higher termites (Nasutitermes walkeri and Nasutitermes exitiosus)

Hogan, Margaret E.; Veivers, P.C.; Slaytor, M.; Czolij, R.

doi:10.1016/0022-1910(88)90123-0

Cited by 63 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Since the described species of the Fibrobacteres, Fibrobacter intestinalis and F. succinogenes, characteristically ferment cellulose and produce acetate as a major component in the rumen or cecum of mammals (22), one may expect a similar function for the Fibrobacteres bacteria in termite guts. However, only traces of cellulase have been detected from the hindguts of N. takasagoensis (42) and other Nasutitermes termites (10).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogenetic Diversity, Localization, and Cell Morphologies of Members of the Candidate Phylum TG3 and a Subphylum in the PhylumFibrobacteres, Recently Discovered Bacterial Groups Dominant in Termite Guts

Hongoh

Deevong

Hattori

et al. 2006

Appl Environ Microbiol

100

119

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Recently we discovered two novel, deeply branching lineages in the domainHere, we report on the specific detection of these bacteria, the candidate phylum TG3 (Termite Group 3) and a subphylum in the phylum Fibrobacteres, by fluorescence in situ hybridization in the guts of the wood-feeding termites Microcerotermes sp. and Nasutitermes takasagoensis. Both bacterial groups were detected almost exclusively from the luminal fluid of the dilated portion in the hindgut. Each accounted for approximately 10% of the total prokaryotic cells, constituting the second-most dominant groups in the whole-gut microbiota. The detected cells of both groups were in undulate or vibroid forms and apparently resembled small spirochetes. The cell sizes were 0.2 to 0.4 by 1.3 to 6.0 m and 0.2 to 0.3 by 1.3 to 4.9 m in the TG3 and Fibrobacteres, respectively. Using PCR screenings with specific primers, we found that both groups are distributed among various termites. The obtained clones formed monophyletic clusters that were delineated by the host genus rather than by the geographic distance, implying a robust association between these bacteria and host termites. TG3 clones were also obtained from a cockroach gut, lake sediment, rice paddy soil, and deep-sea sediments. Our results suggest that the TG3 and Fibrobacteres bacteria are autochthonous gut symbionts of various termites and that the TG3 members are also widely distributed among various other environments.Termites harbor an abundance and diversity of gut bacteria, which are thought to play essential roles in the carbon and nitrogen metabolism of their host termites (4, 26). Recent culture-independent analyses have revealed that the bacterial gut microbiota comprises many termite-specific lineages that are as yet uncultured (11-13, 27, 33, 35, 39). Among them, the candidate phylum Termite Group I (TG1) was first recognized in our previous study as a novel, deeply branching lineage specific to termites (27) and later found to constitute a new phylum, together with clones from various environments (13, 15). Now, the termite-specific cluster in this candidate phylum has been partly characterized as endosymbionts of gut protists in various lower termites (28, 38), whereas no isolate exists so far from this phylum. In higher termites, which generally lack gut symbiotic protists and harbor only prokaryotes (in contrast to lower termites that harbor both), there have been found other novel, deeply branching lineages in the domain Bacteria.Using clonal analyses of 16S rRNA, we recently discovered a novel phylum-level cluster, temporarily named TG3 (Termite Group 3), and a novel subphylum-level cluster in the phylum Fibrobacteres (designated Fibrobacteres subphylum 2 in this study) from the guts of the wood-feeding higher termites Microcerotermes spp. (11). Each group accounted for approximately 10% of the analyzed clones, constituting the second-most dominant groups, together with the orders Bacteroidales and Clostridiales, following the predominant genus, Treponema. The candidate phylum...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogenetic Diversity, Localization, and Cell Morphologies of Members of the Candidate Phylum TG3 and a Subphylum in the PhylumFibrobacteres, Recently Discovered Bacterial Groups Dominant in Termite Guts

Hongoh

Deevong

Hattori

et al. 2006

Appl Environ Microbiol

100

119

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In N. walkeri and the mound-building higher species N. exitiosus, the majority of the activity of cellulase against CMC was located in the epithelia and the luminal contents of the midgut, with lesser amounts in the foregut and mixed-segment and only 8% in the hindgut (O'Brien et al, 1979;Hogan et al, 1988). Kovoor (1970) found that most endo-b-1,4-glucanase activity of Macrocerotermes edentatus workers was in the midgut.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the endoglucanase activity in the salivary glands was only 2% in Nasutitermes walkeri (Hogan et al, 1988) and 7-9% in Macrotermes michaelseni (Veivers et al, 1991). In Termes obesus, the cellulase activity against cellulose suspension, which was prepared from filter paper, even resided completely in the hindgut (Misra and Ranganathan, 1954).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cellulase activity in five species of important termites in China

Tianci

Song

et al. 2004

Appl. Entomol. Zool.

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The cellulase activities of workers (or pseudoergate) of five species of common termites, Reticulitermes flaviceps, R. leptomandibularis, Coptotermes formosanus, Odontotermes formosanus, and Cryptotermes pingyangensis, were studied in China. The results indicated that R. leptomandibularis workers had the highest activity of b-glucosidase and cellulase against carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), Cry. pingyangensis pseudoergate had the highest activity of cellulase against CMC and O. formosanus had the largest b-glucosidase activity in the head compared to other tested termites. R. leptomandibularis in the foregut and hindgut and C. formosanus in the midgut had the highest activity of cellulase against CMC, and R. flaviceps in the hindgut and C. formosanus in the midgut had the largest b-glucosidase activity among the five tested termites. The main digestive sites of CMC and salicin for Cry. pingyangensis were in the foregut and midgut. The strongest digestibility of CMC was in the foregut for R. flaviceps and R. leptomandibularis and in the foregut and midgut for C. formosanus. The digestion of salicin for O. formosanus and C. formosanus were concentrated in the head and midgut, respectively. R. leptomandibularis and R. flaviceps had the strongest digestibility of salicin in the head and hindgut.

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“…Apart from being structural pests, termites have a huge impact on terrestrial ecological processes, as they are part of the main terrestrial cellulose recyclers (Inoue et al, 1997). Cellulase activity in the midgut of these insects is very high (Hogan et al, 1988), and studies have shown that they rely solely on their own cellulases (Slaytor, 1992;Slaytor, 2000) rather than the cellulases of symbiotic bacteria present in their lower intestine (Brune & Stingl, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Purification and Characterization of Cellulase from Termite Ametermes eveuncifer (Silverstri) Soldiers

Fagbohunka¹,

Okonji²,

Ayinla³

2016

IJB

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Cellulase enzyme was purified and characterized from termite soldiers (Ametermes eveuncifer) using 70% ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography. The enzyme isolated had a specific activity of 5.04 U/mg with a percentage yield of 11.7%. The enzyme showed maximum activity at 50 0 C and pH 8. The enzyme was not inhibited by Ba 2+ at a concentration of 1mM and Pb 2+ at 10 mM concentration but was inhibited by other metal ions at 1 mM and 10 mM concentrations of their salts (NaCl, KCl, MnCl 2 , and NiCl 2 ) ,

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The site of cellulose breakdown in higher termites (Nasutitermes walkeri and Nasutitermes exitiosus)

Cited by 63 publications

References 24 publications

Phylogenetic Diversity, Localization, and Cell Morphologies of Members of the Candidate Phylum TG3 and a Subphylum in the PhylumFibrobacteres, Recently Discovered Bacterial Groups Dominant in Termite Guts

Phylogenetic Diversity, Localization, and Cell Morphologies of Members of the Candidate Phylum TG3 and a Subphylum in the PhylumFibrobacteres, Recently Discovered Bacterial Groups Dominant in Termite Guts

Cellulase activity in five species of important termites in China

Purification and Characterization of Cellulase from Termite Ametermes eveuncifer (Silverstri) Soldiers

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