Abstract
The subterranean termite Psammotermes hypostoma Desneux is considered as an important pest that could cause severe damage to buildings, furniture, silos of grain and crops or any material containing cellulose. This species of termites is widespread in Egypt and Africa. The lower termite’s ability to digest cellulose depends on the association of symbiotic organisms gut that digest cellulose (flagellates and bacteria). In this study, 33 different bacterial isolates were obtained from the gut of the termite P. hypostoma which were collected using cellulose traps. Strains were grown on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as a sole source of carbon. Cellulolytic strains were isolated in two different cellulose medium (mineral salt medium containing carboxymethylcellulose as the sole carbon source and agar cellulose medium). Five isolates showed significant cellulolytic activity identified by a Congo red assay which gives clear zone. Based on biochemical tests and sequencing of 16s rRNA genes these isolates were identified as Paenibacillus lactis, Lysinibacillus macrolides, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Lysinibacillus fusiformis and Bacillus cereus, that deposited in GenBank with accession numbers MG991563, MG991564, MG991565, MG991566 and MG991567, respectively.
Highlights
Termites are social insects occurring in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions of the world
Cellulase producing bacteria were isolated according to the method of Gupta et al (2012), the guts samples were inoculated in broth mineral salt medium (NaNO3 2.5 g; KH2PO4 2 g; M gSO4 0.2 g; NaCl 0.2 g; C aCl2·6H2O 0.1 g in a liter) containing 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as a sole carbon source, the pH of the medium is adjusted to 7.0
Collected termite belong to the species of the subterranean termite Psammotermes hypostoma Deseunex (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) as identified based on their morphological characteristics
Summary
Termites are social insects occurring in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions of the world. Termites are regarded as harmful insects because of their ability to destroy all materials containing cellulose. Several species of wood-feeding termites are known for causing serious economic damage. In the United States, the costs for damage repair and termite control may reach up to 5 billion dollars per year (NPMA 2006). The dangers of termites are known to most of people. Throughout the tropical regions everyone knows that termites are voracious eaters of houses, living trees and crops or any material contains cellulose, they can cause severe damage.
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