Abstract
Esterases of Nasutitermes globiceps termites which occur on the Upper Paran´a River floodplain (Brazil) were characterized. The electrophoretic pattern of the termite esterases Nasutitermes globiceps was obtained by starch gel electrophoresis. Six esterase activity zones were obtained and numbered, with esterase-1 being the most anodall one and esterase-6 the most cathodal one. Esterase-2 was detected only with substrates derived from the 4-methylumbelliferyl radical. The esterases of N. globiceps present wide substrate specificity, having been observed with substrates derived from α-naphthyl (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) and β-naphthyl (acetate, butyrate) and from 4-methylumbelliferyl (acetate, propionate and butyrate). Esterase-6 is a caste-specific enzyme detected in soldiers. Only esterases 1, 3 and 5 were detected in nymphs. No genetic polymorphism has been detected thus far in the esterases of Nasutitermes globiceps. This study suggests that allozyme variation can be explored to understand Nasutitermes social structure.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Bagine, R. K. N., Darlington, J. P. E. C., Kat, P., and Ritchic, J. M. (1989). Nest structure, population structure and genetic differentiation of some morphologically similar species of Macrotermes in Kenya. Sociobiology 15:125.
Bandeira, A. G., and Torres, M. F. (1985). Abundância e distribuição de invertebrados do solo em ecossistemas da Amazônia Oriental. O papel ecológico dos cupins. Bol. Mus. Par. Emilio Goeldi Zool. 2:13.
Bitondi, M. M. G., and Mestriner, M. A. (1983). Esterase isozymes of Apis mellifera: Substrate and inhibition characteristics, developmental ontogeny, and electrophoretic variability. Biochem. Genet. 21:985.
Brandit, E., Hymann, E., and Menthein, R. (1980). Selective inhibition of rat liver carboxylesterases by various organophosphorus diesters in vivo and in vitro. Biochem. Pharmacol. 29:1927.
Coates, P. M., Mestriner, M. A., and Hopkinson, D. A. (1975). A preliminary genetic interpretation of the esterase isozymes of human tissues. Ann. Hum. Genet. 39:1.
Constantino, R. (1992). Abundance and diversity of termites (Insecta: Isoptera) in two sites of primary rain forest in Brazilian Amazonia. Biotropica 24:420.
Davis, R. W., Kamble, S. T., and Prabhakaran, S. K. (1995). Characterization of general esterases in workers of the eastern subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhintermitidade). J. Econ. Entomol. 88:574.
Del Lama, S. N., and Del Lama, M. A. (1987). Estudos quantitativos da atividade esterásica no desenvolvimento ontogenético de Apis mellifera. Ciência Cult. Suppl. 39:737.
Del Lama, S. N., Del Lama, M. A., and Souza, D. C. (1984). Medidas da atividade esterásica no desenvolvimento ontogenético de Apis mellifera. Ciência Cult. Suppl. 36:824.
Hopkinson, D. A., Mestriner, M. A., Cortner, J., and Harris, H. (1973). Esterase D: A new human polymorphism. Ann. Hum. Genet. 37:119.
Hosokawa, M., Makit, T., and Sato, H. (1990). Characterization of molecular species of liver microsomal carboxylesterases of several animal species and humans. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 277:219.
Lepage, M. L., Abbadie, and Mariotti, A. (1993). Food habitats of sympatric termite species (Isoptera, Macrotermitinae) as determined by stable carbon isotope analysis in Guinean savanna (Lamto, Cote d'Ivoire). J. Trop. Ecol. 9:303.
Noirot, C. (1969). Formation of castes in the higher termites. In Krishna, K., and Weesner, F. M. (eds.), Biology of termites, Vol. 1, Academic Press, New York.
Redford, K. H. (1984). The termitaria of Cornitermes cumulans (Isoptera, Termitidae) and their role in determining a potential Keystone species. Biotropica 16:112.
Roisin, Y. (1996). Castes in humivorus and litter-dwelling neotropical nasute termites (Isoptera, Termitidae). Insectes Soc. 43:375.
Ruvolo-Takasusuki, M. C. C., Del Lama, M. A., and Soares, A. E. E. (1997). Genetic caracterization of a new Apis mellifera esterase. Agidologie 28:259.
Schaella, W. H. (1996). Some observations on the mating flights of Thai termites. Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 44:53.
Shen, S. K., and Dowd, P. F. (1991). 1-naphthyl acetate esterase activity from cultures of the symbiont yeast of the cigarrete beetle (Coleoptera: Anobiidae). J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 84:402.
Sivakumaran, S., and Mayo, Z. B. (1991). Electrophoretic characterization of esterases in the greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Homoptera: Aphididae). J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 64:357.
Smithies, O. (1955). Zone electrophoresis in starch gels: Group variation in the serum proteins of normal human adults. Biochem. J. 61:620.
Sreerama, L., and Veerabhadrappa, P. (1991). Purification and properties of carboxylesterases from the mid-gut of the termite Odentotermes horni W. Insect Biochem. 21:833.
Thompson, G. J., and Hebert, P. D. N. (1998). Population genetic structure of the neotropical termite Nasutitermes nigriceps (Isoptera: Termitidae), Heredity 80:48.
Tripathi, R. K., and Dixon, S. E. (1968). Haemolymph esterases in the female larval honeybee, Apis mellifera L., during caste development, Can. J. Zool. 46:1013.
Wyss-Hubber, M. (1981). Caste differences in haemolymph proteins in two species of termites. Insectes Soc. 28:71.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ruvolo-Takasusuki, M.C.C., Collet, T. Characterization of Nasutitermes globiceps (Isoptera: Termitidae) Esterases. Biochem Genet 38, 367–375 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026486321957
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026486321957