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Characterization of N2O emission and associated bacterial communities from the gut of wood-feeding termite Nasutitermes voeltzkowi

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Abstract

Xylophagous termites rely on nitrogen deficient foodstuff with a low C/N ratio. Most research work has focused on nitrogen fixation in termites highlighting important inflow and assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen into their bodies fundamentally geared up by their intestinal microbial symbionts. Most of termite body nitrogen is of atmospheric origin, and microbially aided nitrification is the principal source of this nitrogen acquisition, but contrarily, the information regarding potent denitrification process is very scarce and poorly known, although the termite gut is considered to carry all favorable criteria necessary for microbial denitrification. Therefore, in this study, it is hypothesized that whether nitrification and denitrification processes coexist in intestinal milieu of xylophagous termites or not, and if yes, then is there any link between the denitrification product, i.e., N2O and nitrogen content of the food substrate, and moreover where these bacterial communities are found along the length of termite gut. To answer these questions, we measured in vivo N2O emission by Nasutitermes voeltzkowi (Nasutitermitinae) maintained on different substrates with varying C/N ratio, and also, molecular techniques were applied to study the diversity (DGGE) and density (qPCR) of bacterial communities in anterior and posterior gut portions. Rersults revealed that xylophagous termites emit feeble amount of N2O and molecular studies confirmed this finding by illustrating the presence of an ample density of N2O-reductase (nosZ) gene in the intestinal tract of these termites. Furthermore, intestinal bacterial communities of these termites were found more dense and diverse in posterior than anterior portion of the gut.

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Acknowledgments

This study was done with financial and technical support from UMR Eco&Sols (Montpellier, France) and UMR BioEMCo (Bondy, France). The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. We acknowledge Alain Robert for identification of termite species. We are also grateful to Bruno Buatois (CEFE, Montpellier, France), Anne-Laure Pablo (UMR Eco&Sols, Montpellier, France), and Alain Robert (UMR BioEMCo, Bondy, France) for their technical assistance.

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The study protocol did not require any specific ethical consideration and approval.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agri. Entomology, University College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, 40100, Sargodha, Pakistan

    Muhammad Zeeshan Majeed & Muhammad Asam Riaz

  2. UMR BioEMCo (IBIOS), Université Paris Est, 94000, Créteil, France

    Edouard Miambi

  3. Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR Eco&Sols, 34000, Montpellier, France

    Alain Brauman

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  1. Muhammad Zeeshan Majeed
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  2. Edouard Miambi
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  3. Muhammad Asam Riaz
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  4. Alain Brauman
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Correspondence to Muhammad Zeeshan Majeed.

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Majeed, M.Z., Miambi, E., Riaz, M.A. et al. Characterization of N2O emission and associated bacterial communities from the gut of wood-feeding termite Nasutitermes voeltzkowi . Folia Microbiol 60, 425–433 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-015-0379-x

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