Symbiotic and Non-Symbiotic Micro Flora of Termite
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Research Article Ravi Kant Upadhyay et al. / Journal of Pharmacy Research 2011,4(4),1161-1166 ISSN: 0974-6943 Available online through http://jprsolutions.info Symbiotic and non-symbiotic micro flora of termite gut: a unique nonhuman agricultural system that can recycle photo-synthetically fixed carbon and nutrients Ravi Kant Upadhyay Department of Zoology, D D U Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, 273009. India Received on: 05-12-2010; Revised on: 14-01-2011; Accepted on:09-03-2011 ABSTRACT Termites are xylophagous insects which house a range of microorganisms including protozoan, bacteria and fungi inside their gut. These microbes associate to form mutualistic associations that help the termites to degrade the plant-derived biomass. These gut symbionts specially fungi predigest plant substrate and maintain food supply to termites. Besides this, fungi secrete few chemicals from decayed wood, which attract termites for feeding. Interestingly, presence of microflora in the gut makes termites able to degrade wood and wood constituents such as cellulose and hemi-cellulose. In turn, termites help the fungi by transporting and spreading them to new areas. Fungi play an important role in nutrition of termites by being a direct source of food, or by modifying it and do recycling of photo-synthetically fixed carbon with the aid of symbiotic gut micro-flora. These also play important role in termite survival and possess nitrogen fixation genes (nifH) that show potential for nitrogen fixation in natural environment. But, few termite species lack this gene. After being development of appropriate microbial technology, this unique nonhuman agricultural system can be used for the improvement of soil fertility, biological nitrogen fixation and in pest management. From scientific standpoint, if products and biological processes of novel microbial strains will be identified these might have wider applications in agriculture and industry. Certainly, in coming future it would become a part of sustainable agricultural development. The purpose of present article is to signify the importance of gut symbionts in termite life mainly in establishment of colony, decomposition of food material, recycling of nutrients and survival in adverse environmental conditions. Key words: Termite-gut, microflora, symbionts, fungi, decayed-wood, cellulose, antagonistic, mutualistic-associations INTRODUCTION Termites predominantly occur in tropical and subtropical forest environment mainly in arid Sands, 1960). These are designated as “ecological equivalents” (Chen and Henderson, 1997) ecosystem. These also occur in Sahara desert and Savannah grass lands of Africa (Havarty and and become potentially important source of heterogeneity in tropical forest soil system (Donovana Nutting, 1975) and mainly found highly colonized in humid areas of tropics. Termites live in et al., 2001). fringes by nesting, in drifting sands, in fertile soil and occur in woody plants. In deserts, termites do not build conspicuous above ground epigeal nests or mounds. Their diversity falls TERMITE NESTS off sharply in temperate regions and is absent altogether in boreal and arctic regions. These are Most of the termite species inhabit in moist decaying areas especially in trunks, logs of trees more diverse on continents in comparison to distantly placed islands from main land. Termites and make simple nests (Emerson, 1939), while few termite species inhabit inside galleries by as ecotone species also compete for food and foraging grounds in grassland and forest ecosys- excavating the wood and do not show any external manifestation of their presence. Normally tems. In arid ecosystem, their populations typically range from 2,000 to 4,000 individuals per forest living termites construct huge mounds or ‘termitaria’ which protect them from high square meter but may occasionally run as high as 10,000 individuals per square meter. Their temperature and strong sunlight. Termites also construct nests of soil mixed with termite feces biomass (up to 22 g/sq. m.) exceeds the combined biomass of all vertebrate species living in and make galleries and tunnels extend them far into the soil. This constructive architectural the same area. Termites are adapted to survive on optimum temperature i.e. 300C to 370C but approach helps nitrogenous compounds to adsorb into soil components with feces (Wood and show inability to tolerate the high relative humidity (Woodrow et al., 2000). Termites Sands, 1978). Brood is settled in inner galleries for a softer consistency, is made up of woody construct underground galleries or tunnels, which enable them to concealed from the light and or other comminuted material, which is passed through the alimentary canal. Some other enemies. More than 2700 species of termites are known in the world and most of them are seen genera such as Mastotermes, Kalotermes, Neotermes and Cryptotermes species, bore into dry highly destructive (Culliney and Grace, 2000). wood such as furniture, building doors, windows and other wood materials (Inta et al., 2007). Neotermes militaris and N. greeni found in forests of Ceylon make burrows inside tea stems HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE SOCIAL INSECTS while Rhinotermes, Reticulitermes and Coptotermes live in the ground and infest wood Termites are highly destructive polyphagous insect pests, which largely damage household indirectly through the soil (Laine et al., 2003). Most remarkable features of termitaria are the materials, agricultural crops, forest products and other commercial products above threshold lofty steep structures constructed by termites (Hadlington, 1987). Macrotermes make very level (Su and Tamashiro, 1987; Lax and Osbrink, 2003). Termites cause heavy damage wood huge termitaria which measures over 8 m in height. It uses greater bulk of the earth and sand and wood products after capturing little humidity. Whether it is a rural area or an urban and soil collected from the surface to form the termitaria. Termites also build large and elaborate domestic site, termite menace is everywhere. Termites eat upon dung, plant litter, wood, nests and make air holes and chambers to maintain humidity.The interior of such a termitarium clothes, paper, fibers and other household and woody building material. They also infest green presents maze of irregular chambers and passages, and its walls are so resistant that it is difficult standing foliages and cereals stored in godowns. Termites also attack wood houses, boats, to make any impression upon them even with a sharp pick. It also provides requisite humidity doors, bridges, bullock carts, underground electrical and telephone cables, finished goods such and manages to escape in underground chambers and reach the upper storey of buildings or as books, papers and fibrous plant materials (Lai et al., 1983; Tamashiro et al., 1987; Felix ascend lofty trees. Other termite species such as Indian, African and Australian construct huge and Henderson, 1995). Termites cause greater harm to wood and wood products and convert termitaria excavated over earth and make underground chambers. They also make passages and it into half digested earthy biomass within a short period of time (Mauldin, 1986). Termites royal cells composed of wet soil, plastered from outside to form a hard brick-like substance. depend on gut flora for wood digestion and their survival (Eutick et al., 1978). Termites make Subterranean termites make their mounds inside soil and increase the soil porosity. They heavy losses to crop yield, deteriorate crop quality and increase harvesting costs and cereal usually collect soil particles, cemented it from inside and make large structures resistant to crops mostly at seedling stage of crop. Normally, termite’s infestation starts in the early sapling erosion, and prevent the penetration of water to the underlying soil. Contrary to this Coptotermes stage of crop and it become higher at seedling stage (Umeh et al., 1999). In rainy season compress porous soil and excavate compact soil, to make tunnels with their feces and silt/ termites, start eating from root to top and construct foraging galleries inside plants. Overall saliva mixture (Lee and Wood, 1971). Termite species secrete agglutinating fluids consist of damage caused by termites around the globe is $120-200 billion approximately. Termites saliva and excrement. occur in different climatic regions and become economic pests. They possess appetite for wood and wood products; extend their search to find woody building material and other commercial TERMITE AND MICROBIAL RELATIONSHIP products. Few termite species such as Macrotermes, Microtermes, Odontotermes, Coptotermes In nature, interactions between insects, bacteria and fungi range from antagonistic to mutual- and Reticulitermes become highly destructive and make heavy losses and known as economi- istic and include many spectacular examples of complex symbiosis (Martin, 1992). Most of cally harmful species (Lewis and Haverty, 1996; them are still unknown. Termites as a social insect domesticate fungi in their nests, which help in decaying plant litter and other woody materials. Termites forage for plant material to provision their fungus gardens and convert carbon-rich plant material into nitrogen-rich fungal *Corresponding author. biomass. These fungus-growing termites eat unripe mushroom-like structures that contain Ravi Kant Upadhyay asexual spores. Termites mix spores with the consumed plant substrate and deposit it with the feces on top of the fungus garden. Fungus gardens are constructed from primary