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Termite Gut Microbiome

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Termites and Sustainable Management

Part of the book series: Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection ((SUPP))

Abstract

Termites depend on their gut microbes for digestion of complex polysaccharides of wood into simpler molecules. Cellulose is a major polymeric carbohydrate present in the wood which is broken down to simpler byproducts through metabolic steps by the hindgut microbes. Termite gut microbes also produce gases during the cellulose degradation process, of which methane is the major product. Gut microbes belong to three major groups, namely, bacteria, archaea and protozoa. They show a mutualistic relationship and typically convert 95% of cellulose into simple sugars within 24 h. More than 200 species of microbes form this community, producing different types of wood-busting enzymes, mainly cellulases, cellubiases, hemicellulases, glucosidases and gluconases, during wood degradation. Studies suggest that lower termites utilize both endogenous and protozoal enzymes for cellulose digestion, while higher termites acquire enzymes from their diet instead of protozoal enzymes. Some termite species change their feeding habits with seasonal variations. These affect gut microbes population and therefore are responsible for enhancing their survival under changed environmental conditions.

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  1. Laboratory of Immunology, Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary

    Navodita Maurice

  2. Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary

    László Erdei

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    Wasim Ahmad

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Maurice, N., Erdei, L. (2018). Termite Gut Microbiome. In: Khan, M., Ahmad, W. (eds) Termites and Sustainable Management. Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72110-1_4

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