Skip to main content
Log in

Specific Features of Nitrogen Fixation and Denitrification in Termites Neotermes castaneus, Zootermopsis angusticollis, and Reticulitermes lucifugus

  • Published:
Biology Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We studied specific features of microbial nitrogen fixation and denitrification in laboratory cultures of the termites Neotermes castaneus, Zootermopsis angusticollis, and Reticulitermes lucifugus, as well as in their nest materials. The nitrogenase activity in the termites was much higher than in the materials of termitarium. Denitrification was found only in the nest materials of termitarium. Studies of the bacterial community of gut nitrogen fixers Neotermes castaneus have shown the predominance of anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria that amount to up to 60% of the total number of “gut” bacteria. In the materials of termitarium, aerobic cellulose-destroying myxobacteria predominated, which are typical inhabitants of plant substrates, a food for the termites.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Alekhina, L.K., Nevskaya, D.V., Dobrovol'skaya, T.G., and Zvyagintsev, D.G., Bacterial Diversity in Forest Soils: Succession Analysis, Mikrobiologiya, 1997, vol. 66, no. 4, pp.558–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breznak, J.A., Intestinal Microbiota of Termites and Other Xylophagous Insects, Ann.Rev.Microbiol., 1982, vol. 36, pp. 323–343.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fall, S., Hamelin, J., Rouland, C., et al., Microbial Diversity and Activity in Soil Feeding Termite Nest in Tropical Arid Soil, ASM Conference on Microbial Biodiversity, American Society for Microbiology, August 5–8, Chicago, IL, 1999, pp. 41–42.

  • Krishna, K. and Wesner, F.M., Biology of Termites, New York: Academic, 1970, vol. 2, pp. 480–493.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, K.E. and Wood, T.G., Termites and Soils, New York: Academic, 1971, pp. 145–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Metody pochvennoi mikrobiologii i biokhimii (Methods of Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry), Zvyagintsev, D.G., Ed., Moscow Mosk. Gos. Univ., 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opredelitel' bakterii Bergi (Bergi's Key of Bacteria), Moscow: Mir, 1997.

  • Orlova, E.A., Termites, Sostav i znachenie simbiontov kishechnika u termitov Reticulitermes lucifugus Rossi (Composition and Significance of Gut Symbionts in Termites Reticulitermes lucifugus Rossi), Tr.entomol.sektora problem N.-I.lab.po razrabotke metodov bor'by s biol.povrezhdeniyami mater.biol.-pochv.fak-ta, Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ., 1972, pp. 157–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Potricus, C.J. and Breznak, J.A., Gut Bacteria Recycle Uric Acid Nitrogen in Termites: A Strategy for Nutrient Conservation, Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.USA, 1981, vol. 78, no. 7, pp.4601–4605.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tayasu, I., Use of Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Ratios in Termite Research, Ecol.Res., 1998, vol. 13, pp. 377–381.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsvetkova, V.P., Termite Reticulitermes lucifugus Rossi in South Ukraine, Termity i mery bor'by s nimi (Termites and Methods of Their Control), Ashkhabad: Akad. Nauk TSSR, 1962, pp. 28–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tret'yakova, E.B., Dobrovol'skaya, T.G., Byzov, B.A., and Zvyagintsev, D.G., Communities of Bacteria Associated with Soil Invertebrates, Mikrobiologiya, 1996, vol. 65, no. 1, pp.102–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Umarov, M.M., Current State and Perspectives of Studies on Microbial Nitrogen Fixation, Trudy konferentsii “Perspectivy razvitiya pochvennoi biologii” (Proceedings of the Conference “Perspectives of Development of Soil Biology”), Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ., 2001, pp. 47–55.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Golichenkov, M.V., Kostina, N.V., Ul'yanova, T.A. et al. Specific Features of Nitrogen Fixation and Denitrification in Termites Neotermes castaneus, Zootermopsis angusticollis, and Reticulitermes lucifugus. Biology Bulletin 29, 172–175 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014315318353

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014315318353

Keywords

Navigation