termite

Domains as functional protein units and their rearrangements along the phylogeny can shed light on the functional changes of proteomes associated with the evolution of complex traits like eusociality. This complex trait is associated with sterile soldiers and workers, and long-lived, highly fecund reproductives. Unlike in Hymenotpera (ants, bees, and wasps), the evolution of eusociality within Blattodea, where termites evolved from within cockroaches, was accompanied by a reduction in proteome size, raising the question of whether functional novelty was achieved with existing rather than novel proteins...

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Despite providing important ecosystem services, termites are also serious pests of wooden structures. Termites are highly adaptive organisms that cause concern as an invasive species. Predictions of the future spread of their distribution range due to factors such as climate change, urban growth, and global trade present new challenges to our capacity to protect our wood and wood-based materials and structures effectively. Reticulitermes grassei Clément, 1978 (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) is a subterranean termite native to the Iberian Peninsula and France, whose global distribution has widened over recent years...

Termites build complex nests which are an impressive example of self-organization. We know that the coordinated actions involved in the construction of these nests by multiple individuals are primarily mediated by signals and cues embedded in the structure of the nest itself. However, to date there is still no scientific consensus about the nature of the stimuli that guide termite construction, and how they are sensed by termites. In order to address these questions, we studied the early building behavior of Coptotermes gestroi termites in artificial arenas, decorated with topographic cues to stimulate construction...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Forest litter decomposition is an essential component of global carbon and nutrient turnover. Invertebrates play important roles in litter decomposition, but the regional pattern of their effects is poorly understood. We examined 476 case studies across 93 sites and performed a meta-analysis to estimate regional effects of invertebrates on forest litter decomposition. We then assessed how invertebrate diversity, climate and soil pH drive regional variations in invertebrate-mediated decomposition. We found that (1) invertebrate contributions to litter decomposition are 1...

Swarming and pairing behaviors are significant to population dispersal of termites. Tandem running is a key process in pairing behavior of dealates to find a mate. Succinylation can lead to significant changes in protein structure and function, which is widely involved in metabolism and behavior regulation in many organisms. However, whether succinylation modification regulates termites' tandem running is currently unknown. In this research, we performed quantitative modified proteomics of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder before and after alate swarming...

We report on the use of <u>n</u>itric <u>o</u>xide-<u>me</u>diated <u>t</u>ranscriptional <u>a</u>ctivation (NOMETA) as an innovative means to detect and access new classes of microbial natural products encoded within silent biosynthetic gene clusters. A small library of termite nest- and mangrove-derived fungi and actinomyces was subjected to cultivation profiling using a miniaturized 24-well format approach (MATRIX) in the presence and absence of nitric oxide, with the resulting metabolomes subjected to comparative chemical analysis using UPLC-DAD and GNPS molecular networking...

Eastern subterranean termites, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), are widely distributed across North America where they are exposed to a broad range of environmental conditions. However, mechanisms for overwintering are not well understood. Wisconsin is a unique location to study mechanisms of cold tolerance as it represents the northern boundary for persistent R. flavipes populations. In this study, we evaluated seasonal shifts in cold tolerance using critical thermal minimum (CTmin) and supercooling point (SCP) and examined how these measurements correlate to changes in the microbial community of the termite gut...

A revision, based on morphological and multigene analysis, of the Clitocella species currently present in Europe is provided. Portions of nrITS rDNA, nr28S rDNA (LSU), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( RPB2 ), translation elongation factor 1-alpha ( EF-1α ), and ATPase subunit 6 ( ATP6 ), were used to sort out the relationships of the species within the genus. Three subgenera were recognized: Clitocella subg. Clitocella encompassing C . popinalis , C . colorata , C . mundula , C . nigrescens , C ...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Psoraleae Fructus (Bu Gu Zhi) is the fruit of Psoralea corylifolia L. (PCL) and has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine formulas to treat osteoporosis (OP). A new drug called "BX" has been developed from PCL, but its mechanism for treating OP is not yet fully understood. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore the mechanism of action of BX in the treatment of ovariectomy-induced OP based function-oriented multi-omics analysis of gut microbiota (GM) and metabolites...

Termite hindguts are inhabited by symbionts that help with numerous processes, but changes in the gut microbiome due to season can potentially impact the physiology of termites. This study investigated the impact of seasonal changes on the composition of bacteria and protozoa in the termite gut. Termites were obtained monthly from May to October 2020 at a location in the central United States that typically experiences seasonal air temperatures ranging from < 0 to > 30 °C...

Subterranean termites construct a network of tunnels beneath the ground, comprising a main tunnel and branch tunnels. While termites do not construct tunnels that turn back in a "U" shape, the intersection of main and branch tunnels often forms closed curved structures (a loop). The loop structure can have either a positive or negative effect on the transport efficiency of termites in food transportation. However, little research has been conducted on the impact of loop tunnels on transport efficiency ( E ) due to the technical difficulties associated with direct observation...

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), comprising Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are systemic and multifaceted disorders which affect other organs in addition to the gastrointestinal tract in up to 50% of cases. Extraintestinal manifestations may present before or after IBD diagnosis and negatively impact the intestinal disease course and patients' quality of life, often requiring additional diagnostic evaluations or specific treatments. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide...

Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer that affects both sexes and has a poor prognosis due to aggressiveness and chemoresistance. Essential oils isolated from Calocedrus formosana (CF-EOs) have been shown to demonstrate anti-termite, antifungal, anti-mosquito, and anti-microbial activities. However, the anticancer effects of CF-EOs are not yet fully understood. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism underlying CF-EOs-mediated anti-proliferative activity in colon cancer cells...

Ecosystems that offer carbon sequestration by leaching bicarbonate to groundwater are valuable natural capital. One region that may offer this service is the west coast of South Africa. Over 20 % is covered by soil mounds ("heuweltjies") up to 40 m diameter, 2 m high, inhabited by the southern harvester termite Microhodotermes viator and enriched in soil organic and inorganic carbon and soluble minerals. We aimed to generate radiogenic and stable isotope data for soils and groundwater in a region where these data are absent, to 1) verify the atmosphere-soil-groundwater link, and 2) resolve the timing and pattern of calcite dissolution and water infiltration in the landscape...

The chitin and chitosan biopolymers are extremely valuable because of their numerous industrial and pharmacological uses. Chitin and chitosan were extracted from the exoskeleton of Periplaneta americana (cockroaches) and termites using various acid and alkali techniques. The extraction process involves an initial demineralization step, during which integument dry powder was subjected to 500 mL (2.07 mol/L) of concentrated HCl at 100 degrees Celsius for 30 min, followed by meticulous rinsing with distilled water to restore the pH to its baseline...

Strain Odt1-22T , an insect-derived actinomycete was isolated from a termite (Odontotermes formosanus) that was collected from Chanthaburi province, Thailand. Strain Odt1-22T was aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, and produced bud-like spore chain on the substrate hypha. According to chemotaxonomic analysis, strain Odt1-22T contained meso-diaminopimelic acid in peptidoglycan and the whole-cell hydrolysates contained arabinose, galactose, glucose, and ribose. The major menaquinone was MK-8(H4 ). The diagnostic phospholipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, hydroxyphosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol...

Termites are one of the most common pests that damage wood and other cellulosic materials . Although Africa has more varieties of termite species than any other continent, few entomological studies have been conducted in Gabon. Identifying termites poses significant difficulties for entomologists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and confirm the significance of MALDI-TOF MS in identifying fresh termites collected in equatorial Africa. A total of 108 termites were collected from 13 termite nests during a field mission in 2021 in Lekedi and Bongoville, Gabon...

The large abundance of termites is partially achieved by their defensive abilities. Stylotermitidae represented by a single extant genus, Stylotermes, is a member of a termite group Neoisoptera that encompasses 83% of termite species and 94% of termite genera and is characterized by the presence of the frontal gland. Within Neoisoptera, Stylotermitidae represents a species-poor sister lineage of all other groups. We studied the structure of the frontal, labral and labial glands in soldiers and workers of Stylotermes faveolus, and the composition of the frontal gland secretion in S...