Cellulase activity in five species of important termites in China

Abstract

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.

Comparative Lignocellulase Activity and Distribution Among Selected Termite (Isoptera) Genera

“…As for EG activity, the present assay confirmed that EG activity in wood-feeding termites was higher than that of fungus-growers, and it was highly concentrated in the midgut (Tokuda et al 2004;. However, O. formosanus was found to have relatively high EG activity in the midgut and hindgut rather than in the salivary glands (Tokuda et al 2004) or foregut (Mo et al 2004). In the humus-feeding termite S. mushae, EG activities were not significantly different between gut segments, rather than mainly in the midgut as previously reported (Tokuda et al 2004).…”

“…The activities of EG and BG were determined using 120 μl of 1% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and 120 μl of 1% salicin as the substrates, respectively. The determination conditions of cellulase activity previously described were referenced (Mo et al 2004;Tokuda et al 2004;Zeng et al 2012). The substrates were placed into microtubes with 120 μl sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.6) after high temperature sterilization, and the crude enzyme (12 μl) was incubated with filter paper at 37° C for 60 min.…”

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

“…Findings by Tokuda et al (2004Tokuda et al ( , 2005 established that the endogenous cellulase genes were expressed in the salivary glands of lower termites while being expressed in the midgut of higher termites. Mo et al (2004) and Lu et al (2010) also independently compared the differences in total cellulase activity among lower termites, while Fujita et al (2008) reported the differences in cellulase expression between soldier and worker termites of Hodotermopsis sjostedti and Nasutitermes Takasagoensis.…”

Character of Cellulase Activity in the Guts of Flagellate-Free Termites with Different Feeding Habits

“…As for EG activity, the present assay confirmed that EG activity in wood-feeding termites was higher than that of fungus-growers, and it was highly concentrated in the midgut (Tokuda et al 2004; Lo et al 2011). However, O. formosanus was found to have relatively high EG activity in the midgut and hindgut rather than in the salivary glands (Tokuda et al 2004) or foregut (Mo et al 2004). In the humus-feeding termite S. mushae , EG activities were not significantly different between gut segments, rather than mainly in the midgut as previously reported (Tokuda et al 2004).…”

“…The activities of EG and BG were determined using 120 µl of 1% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and 120 µl of 1% salicin as the substrates, respectively. The determination conditions of cellulase activity previously described were referenced (Mo et al 2004; Tokuda et al 2004; Zeng et al 2012). The substrates were placed into microtubes with 120 µl sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.6) after high temperature sterilization, and the crude enzyme (12 µl) was incubated with filter paper at 37° C for 60 min.…”