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Screening termite species for laccase: Role of symbiotic fungi

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

P. Mora  and
C. Lattaud
P. Mora*
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Ecophysiologie des Invertébrés, Université Paris XII Val de Marne Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France
C. Lattaud
Affiliation:
ORSTOM Ile de France–Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Sols Tropicaux 32, Avenue Varagnat 93000 Bondy Cedex 09
*
Corresponding author: PM. E-mail: mora@univ-paris.12.fr
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Abstract

A survey for laccase, an enzyme involved in phenol oxidation, was carried out in 23 termite species from three different feeding guilds. In soil-feeding (6 species) and wood-feeding (7 species) termites, laccase activity was not detected. In contrast, all the fungus-growing termites (10 species) tested showed laccase activity. The symbiotic fungi (conidia) and fungus combs showed higher activity than the termites themselves in 6 species: Macrotermes bellicosiis, M. miilleri, Odontotermes sp., O. sp. aff. interveniens, Pseudacanthotermes spiniger and P. militaris. Fungus combs always had the highest laccase activity. The absence of laccase activity in soil-feeding and wood-feeding termites is discussed. The presence of laccase activity in both termites and Termitomyces constitutes novel information relevant to the degradation of phenols.

Résumé

La présence d'une activité laccase a été recherchée chez 23 espèces de termites appartenant à différents régimes alimentaires: humivores, xylophages et champignonnistes. Chez les 6 espèces humivores et les 7 espèces xylophages, l'activité laccase n'a jamais été observée contrairement à ce qui a été obtenu chez les termites champignonnistes. Dans la meule et les champignons symbiotiques des espèces Macrotermes bellicosus, M. miilleri, Odontotermes sp., O. sp. aff. interveniens, Pseudacanthotermes spiniger et P. militaris l'activité est toujours plus importante que celle du termite. L'absence d'activité laccase chez les espèces humivores et xylophages est discutée. Pour la première fois, l'oxydation de phénols par voie enzymatique a été démontrée chez les termites champignonnistes et leur champignon symbiotique indiquant ainsi l'existence d'un métabolisme oxydatif des phénols chez ce groupe de termites.

Keywords

laccasetermiteTermitomycesphenoloxidaselaccasetermiteTermitomycesphenoloxidase
Type
Research Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , March 1999 , pp. 51 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1999

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