Proteome Insights into the Symbiotic Relationship Between a Captive Colony of Nasutitermes corniger and its Hindgut Microbiome

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · The ISME Journal, 5(1):161-164

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2010.97· OSTI ID:1009706

Burnum, Kristin E; Callister, Stephen J; Nicora, Carrie D; Purvine, Samuel O; Hugenholtz, Philip; Warnecke, Falk; Scheffrahn, Rudolf H; Smith, Richard D; Lipton, Mary S

Termites degrade and thrive on lignocellulose with help from the bacterial microbiome harbored within their guts. Because most of the diverse microorganisms within the gut microcobial community have yet to be cultivated, the proteomics details of the symbiotic mechanism remain unclear. In a metaproteomics study, we analyzed the bacterial community resident in the hindgut paunch of the wood-feeding ‘higher’ Nasutitermes species and identified 886 proteins, 197 of which have known enzymatic function. Using these enzymes, we reconstructed known metabolic pathways to gain a better understanding of carbohydrate transport and metabolism, nitrogen fixation and assimilation, energy production, and amino acid synthesis in these bacterial microbiomes.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1009706
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-68831; 31590; KP1601010
• Journal Information: The ISME Journal, 5(1):161-164, Journal Name: The ISME Journal, 5(1):161-164 Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 5; ISSN 1751-7362
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ACETATE
AMINO ACIDS
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
BIOLOGY
CARBOHYDRATES
CELLULASES
ENZYMES
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
HIGHER TERMITE
METABOLISM
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN FIXATION
Nasutitermes
PRODUCTION
PROTEINS
SYNTHESIS
TRANSPORT
mass spectrometry
microbial communities