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Hydrogen Cyanide-Producing Rhizobacteria Kill Subterranean Termite Odontotermes obesus (Rambur) by Cyanide Poisoning Under In Vitro Conditions

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Abstract

The subterranean termite Odontotermes obesus is an important pest of the Indian subcontinent, causing extensive damage to major agricultural crops and forest plantation trees. Control of termites by strategies employing their parasites has limitations because they have evolved a complex social structure, immune responses, and adaptive behavior toward pathogen-infected individuals. Nonparasitic rhizobacteria that produce harmful metabolites might facilitate the biocontrol of termites. In the present investigation, three different species of hydrogen cyanide-producing rhizobacteria were tested for their potential to kill O. obesus. The three bacterial species were found to be effective in killing the termites under in vitro conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Prof. C.R. Babu (CEMDE), Dr. Suresh Nair (ICGEB, India) for critical advice and valuable help, to Dr. V. V. Ramamurthy (IARI, India) and Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed (FRI, India) for identification of O. obesus, to Dr. Suresh Kopole (IMTECH, India) for identification of the bacterial isolates, to the anonymous referees for advice, to the DBT for financial assistance to K.K.D. and N.S. The Biolog facility of IMTECH was used in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Soil Biology and Microbial Ecology, Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India

    K. Kanchana Devi, Nidhi Seth, Shalini Kothamasi & David Kothamasi

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  1. K. Kanchana Devi
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  2. Nidhi Seth
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  3. Shalini Kothamasi
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  4. David Kothamasi
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Correspondence to David Kothamasi.

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Devi, K.K., Seth, N., Kothamasi, S. et al. Hydrogen Cyanide-Producing Rhizobacteria Kill Subterranean Termite Odontotermes obesus (Rambur) by Cyanide Poisoning Under In Vitro Conditions. Curr Microbiol 54, 74–78 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-006-0473-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-006-0473-z

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