Presence of nitrogen fixing Klebsiella pneumoniae in the gut of the Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus)

Bioresour Technol. 2008 May;99(8):3297-300. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2007.07.013. Epub 2007 Aug 20.

Abstract

A gram-negative facultative anaerobic enteric bacterium, Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from the hindgut of the Formosan subterranean termite (FST). It was characterized using, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis, BIOLOG assay, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and biochemical studies. The role of this isolate seems to be nitrogen fixation because the termite's diet is nitrogen deficient and the isolate produced significant amounts of ammonia when it was grown on nitrogen deficient medium under anaerobic condition with nitrogen gas in the headspace.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aerobiosis
  • Anaerobiosis
  • Animal Feed
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Digestive System / microbiology
  • Isoptera / microbiology*
  • Kinetics
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / growth & development
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / isolation & purification*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / metabolism*
  • Nitrogen / deficiency
  • Nitrogen Fixation*

Substances

  • Nitrogen