Distribution of lysozyme and protease, and amino acid concentration in the guts of a wood-feeding termite, Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe):: possible digestion of symbiont bacteria transferred by trophallaxis

被引：43

作者：

Fujita, A ^{[1
]}

Shimizu, I ^{[1
]}

Abe, T ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] Kyoto Univ, Ctr Ecol Res, Kyoto, Japan

来源：

PHYSIOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY | 2001年 / 26卷 / 02期

关键词：

amino acid; lysozyme; nitrogen metabolism; protease; termites; trophallaxis;

D O I：

10.1046/j.1365-3032.2001.00224.x

中图分类号：

Q96 [昆虫学];

学科分类号：

摘要：

Distribution of lysozyme and protease, and amino acid concentration in the guts of a wood-feeding termite, Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe) (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae) were studied to examine the possibility that termites digest symbiont bacteria transferred by trophallaxis. Total lysozyme activity was found predominantly in the salivary gland and to a minor extent in the digestive tracts. However, specific lysozyme activity was high in the foregut as well as in the salivary gland. The similarity of the lysozyme pH profile of the salivary gland and of the foregut suggested that the foregut lysozyme came from the salivary gland. Major protease activity having the optimum pH of 7.5 was found in the midgut. Total free amino acid amount and concentration in the midgut was higher than elsewhere in the digestive tract. The possibility that lysozyme secreted from the salivary gland into the foregut digests hindgut bacteria transferred by trophallaxis was discussed.

引用

页码：116 / 123

页数：8

共 51 条

[1] MORPHOLOGICAL, MICROBIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL-STUDIES OF THE GUT FLORA IN THE FUNGUS-GROWING TERMITE MACROTERMES SUBHYALINUS [J].