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Eco-Taxonomic Insights into Actinomycete Symbionts of Termites for Discovery of Novel Bioactive Compounds

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Book cover Biotechnological Applications of Biodiversity

Part of the book series: Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology ((ABE,volume 147))

Abstract

Termites play a major role in foraging and degradation of plant biomass as well as cultivating bioactive microorganisms for their defense. Current advances in “omics” sciences are revealing insights into function-related presence of these symbionts, and their related biosynthetic activities and genes identified in gut symbiotic bacteria might offer a significant potential for biotechnology and biodiscovery. Actinomycetes have been the major producers of bioactive compounds with an extraordinary range of biological activities. These metabolites have been in use as anticancer agents, immune suppressants, and most notably, as antibiotics. Insect-associated actinomycetes have also been reported to produce a range of antibiotics such as dentigerumycin and mycangimycin. Advances in genomics targeting a single species of the unculturable microbial members are currently aiding an improved understanding of the symbiotic interrelationships among the gut microorganisms as well as revealing the taxonomical identity and functions of the complex multilayered symbiotic actinofloral layers. If combined with target-directed approaches, these molecular advances can provide guidance towards the design of highly selective culturing methods to generate further information related to the physiology and growth requirements of these bioactive actinomycetes associated with the termite guts. This chapter provides an overview on the termite gut symbiotic actinoflora in the light of current advances in the “omics” science, with examples of their detection and selective isolation from the guts of the Sunshine Coast regional termite Coptotermes lacteus in Queensland, Australia.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Professor Manfred Rohde (GBF, Germany) for the electron micrographs of the termite symbiotic actinomycete.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD, 4558, Australia

    D. İpek Kurtböke & John R. J. French

  2. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia

    R. Andrew Hayes

  3. Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia

    Ronald J. Quinn

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  1. D. İpek Kurtböke
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  2. John R. J. French
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  3. R. Andrew Hayes
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  4. Ronald J. Quinn
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Correspondence to D. İpek Kurtböke .

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  1. School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Joydeep Mukherjee

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Kurtböke, D.İ., French, J.R.J., Hayes, R.A., Quinn, R.J. (2014). Eco-Taxonomic Insights into Actinomycete Symbionts of Termites for Discovery of Novel Bioactive Compounds. In: Mukherjee, J. (eds) Biotechnological Applications of Biodiversity. Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology, vol 147. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/10_2014_270

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