Potential for Nitrogen Fixation in the Fungus-Growing Termite Symbiosis
| Autor: | Jane De Verges, Kathrin Rousk, Panagiotis Sapountzis, B.J. Vorster, Magdeleen Cilliers, Michael Poulsen |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Centre for Social Evolution (CSE), Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences [Copenhagen], Faculty of Science [Copenhagen], University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (KU)-University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (KU)-Faculty of Science [Copenhagen], University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (KU)-University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (KU)-Department of Biology [Copenhagen], University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (KU)-University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (KU) |
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
0301 basic medicine
Microbiology (medical) food.ingredient Macrotermes 030106 microbiology lcsh:QR1-502 Fungus Microbiology lcsh:Microbiology 03 medical and health sciences food Termitomyces Symbiosis Nitrogenase Botany Macrotermitinae ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS 2. Zero hunger nifH biology Host (biology) biology.organism_classification Perspective Nitrogen fixation Diazotroph [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology Odontotermes |
| Zdroj: | Frontiers in Microbiology, Vol 7 (2016) Frontiers in Microbiology Frontiers in Microbiology, Frontiers Media, 2016, 7 (1), pp.235. ⟨10.3389/fmicb.2016.01993⟩ Sapountzis, P, de Verges, J, Rousk, K, Cilliers, M, J. Vorster, B & Thomas-Poulsen, M 2016, ' Potential for nitrogen fixation in fungus-growing termite symbiosis ', Frontiers in Microbiology, vol. 7, 1993 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01993 |
| ISSN: | 1664-302X |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01993 |
| Popis: | Termites host a gut microbiota of diverse and essential symbionts that enable specialization on dead plant material; an abundant, but nutritionally imbalanced food source. To supplement the severe shortage of dietary nitrogen (N), some termite species make use of diazotrophic bacteria to fix atmospheric nitrogen (N2). Fungus-growing termites (subfamily Macrotermitinae) host a fungal exosymbiont (genus Termitomyces) that provides digestive services and the main food source for the termites. This has been thought to obviate the need for N2-fixation by bacterial symbionts. Here, we challenge this notion by performing acetylene reduction assays of live colony material to show that N2 fixation is present in two major genera (Macrotermes and Odontotermes) of fungus-growing termites. We compare and discuss fixation rates in relation to those obtained from other termites, and suggest avenues of research that may lead to a better understanding of N2 fixation in fungus-growing and other termites. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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