Nitrogen Inventories and Nitrogenase Expression Rates of a Drywood and a Subterranean Termite. (1st September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mullins, Aaron; Scheffrahn, Rudolf; Su, Nan-Yao
• Editors: Szalanski, Allen
• Is Part Of: Annals of the Entomological Society of America. Volume 115:Number 5(2022)
• Page Start: 387
• Page End: 390
• Publication Date: 2022-09-01
• Subjects: nitrogen fixation -- nitrogen metabolism -- Isoptera; Entomology -- Periodicals; 595.7
• DOI: 10.1093/aesa/saac014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-8746

Abstract

Abstract: Recent research has shown that a subterranean termite ( Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) is dependent on dietary nitrogen in order to fulfill it's nitrogen requirements for colony growth and development. Crypototermes brevis (Walker) was chosen as a model for comparison, as it has no access to dietary nitrogen outside of it's wood diet. A full nitrogen inventory before and after colony growth was conducted in order to determine the species' dependence on atmospheric N2 fixation. In addition, an expression assay was conducted for a gene encoding a nitrogenase subunit ( nifH ). Nitrogenase expression was then compared between C. formosanus and Cr. brevis . Results showed that N2 fixation was an important source of nitrogen acquisition for Cr. brevis, and nitrogenase expression was approximately four-fold higher in Cr. brevis than in C. formosanus . The nitrogenase assay used in this study is proposed as a potential tool to measure dependence on N2 fixation versus dietary nitrogen roles in diverse species of termite.