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Kathbaruah S, Bhattacharyya B, Borkataki S, Gogoi B, Hatibarua P, Gogoi S, Bhairavi KS, Dutta P. Termite mound soil based potting media: a better approach towards sustainable agriculture. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1387434. [PMID: 39011142 PMCID: PMC11246991 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1387434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Termite mound soils are known to possess unique physico-chemical and biochemical properties, making them highly fertile. Considering their rich nutrient content, the objective of the current experiment is to assess the physico-chemical properties and enzyme activities of termite mound based potting media and evaluate theirperformance for further exploration in floriculture. Potting media consisting of termite mound soil (TS) of a subterranean termite, Odontotermes obesus were prepared in 7 different combinations with garden soil (GS), sand (S) and farmyard manure (FYM) and a control (without termite mound soil), i.e., T1 (TS, GS, S, FYM (v:v:v:v /1:2:1:1)), T2 (TS, GS, S, FYM (v:v:v:v / 2:1:1:1)), T3 (TS, S, FYM (v:v:v / 2:1:1)), T4 (TS, GS, FYM (v:v:v / 2:1:1)), T5 (TS, GS, S (v:v:v / 2:1:1)), T6 (TS, S, FYM (v:v:v / 3:1:1)), T7 (TS, S, FYM (v:v:v / 1:1:2)) and control (GS, S, FYM (v:v:v / 2:1:1)). The samples were then analysed in laboratory. Experimental analysis on physico-chemical and biological parameters revealed superiority of T7 (TS, S, FYM (v:v:v / 1:1:2)) in terms of pH (7.15), organic carbon (2.13%), available nitrogen (526.02 kg ha-1), available phosphorus (56.60 kg ha-1), available potassium (708.19 kg ha-1), dehydrogenase activity (18.21 μg TTF g-1 soil day-1), Phosphomonoesterase (PME) activity (46.68 54 μg p-nitrophenol/gsoil/h) and urease activity (3.39 μg NH4-N g-1 soil h-1). Whereas T4 (TS, GS, FYM (v:v:v /2:1:1)) registered superiority in terms of PME activity (50.54 μg p-nitrophenol/gsoil/h), Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) activity (11.01 μgfluorescein/gsoil/h) and Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon (SMBC) (262.25 μg/g). Subsequent to the laboratory analysis, two best potting mixtures (T7 & T4) were selected and their performance was assessed by growing a test crop, Tagetes erecta cv. Inca Orange. Considering the growth parameters, the potting media: T7 was found to be significantly superior in terms of plant spread (39.64 cm), leaf area index (4.07), fresh weight (37.72 g), yield (317.81 g/plant), and diameter (9.38 cm) of flower over T4 & control. The Benefit:Cost (B:C) ratio meaning the ratio of net returns to total cost of cultivation was determined. The B:C ratio of raising marigold flower as potted plant in T7 was 1.10 whereas the B:C ratio of the potting mixture of T7 was 2.52. This shows that T7 potting media is also economically viable choice for commercial purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pranab Dutta
- CPGSAS, Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Umiam, India
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Alom MS, Cen Y, Tang R, Chen D, Dou H, Mo Z, Du H. Change of termite hindgut metabolome and bacteria after captivity indicates the hindgut microbiota provides nutritional factors to the host. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 11:1228918. [PMID: 38288244 PMCID: PMC10823432 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1228918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The gut-dwelling microbiota is an indispensable part of termites. It is influenced by a series of factors, such as diet and captivity. The objectives of this study were to study the metabolic functions of hindgut microbiota and to investigate the influence of captivity on the hindgut microbiota. The dampwood termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti was reared in the laboratory for 6 months. We conducted the metabolome analysis of the fat body from the freshly-collected workers (FBF), the hindgut fluid of the freshly-collected workers (HFF), and the hindgut fluid of laboratory-maintained workers. In addition, the 16S rRNA genes from the hindgut bacteria in the freshly-collected and laboratory-maintained workers were sequenced. According to our results, the concentrations of metabolites associated with amino acid biosynthesis, vitamin biosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and cofactor biosynthesis were higher in HFF compared with those in FBF, suggesting that the hindgut microbiota provides nutritional factors to the host. However, after captivity, the concentrations of metabolites in the hindgut associated with amino acid biosynthesis, nucleotide sugar metabolism, vitamin biosynthesis, and carbon metabolism decreased, while those associated with the steroid hormone biosynthesis and ovarian steroidogenesis increased. Meanwhile, the 16S amplicon study revealed that the abundance of certain bacteria changed after captivity, such as uncultured Termite Group 1 bacterium, Candidatus Symbiothrix dinenymphae, and unclassified Desulfovibrio. Our findings show that captivity influences the hindgut microbiota and shed light on the metabolic potential of the hindgut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Most Shormi Alom
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yijing Cen
- College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Tang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dasong Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongliang Dou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenzuan Mo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - He Du
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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Pequeno PACL. Resource adaptation drives the size-complexity rule in termites. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232363. [PMID: 38196360 PMCID: PMC10777143 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The size-complexity rule posits that the evolution of larger cooperative groups should favour more division of labour. Examples include more cell types in larger multicellular organisms, and more polymorphic castes in larger eusocial colonies. However, a correlation between division of labour and group size may reflect a shared response of both traits to resource availability and/or profitability. Here, this possibility was addressed by investigating the evolution of sterile caste number (worker and soldier morphotypes) in termites, a major clade of eusocial insects in which the drivers of caste polymorphism are poorly understood. A novel dataset on 90 termite species was compiled from the published literature. The analysis showed that sterile caste number did increase markedly with colony size. However, after controlling for resource adaptations and phylogeny, there was no evidence for this relationship. Rather, sterile caste number increased with increasing nest-food separation and decreased with soil-feeding, through changes in worker (but not soldier) morphotype number. Further, colony size increased with nest-food separation, thus driving the false correlation between sterile caste number and colony size. These findings support adaptation to higher energy acquisition as key to the rise of complex insect societies, with larger size being a by-product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A. C. L. Pequeno
- Natural Resources Program, Federal University of Roraima, Av. Nova Iorque, Aeroporto, Boa Vista – RR, CEP: 69.304-000, Brazil
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Chen J, Setia G, Lin LH, Sun Q, Husseneder C. Weight and protozoa number but not bacteria diversity are associated with successful pair formation of dealates in the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293813. [PMID: 37956140 PMCID: PMC10642788 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
New colonies of Formosan subterranean termites are founded by monogamous pairs. During swarming season, alates (winged reproductives) leave their parental colony. After swarming, they drop to the ground, shed their wings, and male and female dealates find suitable nesting sites where they mate and become kings and queens of new colonies. The first generation of offspring is entirely dependent on the nutritional resources of the founder pair consisting of the fat and protein reserves of the dealates and their microbiota, which include the cellulose-digesting protozoa and diverse bacteria. Since termite kings and queens can live for decades, mate for life and colony success is linked to those initial resources, we hypothesized that gut microbiota of founders affect pair formation. To test this hypothesis, we collected pairs found in nest chambers and single male and female dealates from four swarm populations. The association of three factors (pairing status, sex of the dealates and population) with dealate weights, total protozoa, and protozoa Pseudotrichonympha grassii numbers in dealate hindguts was determined. In addition, Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the QIIME2 pipeline were used to determine the impact of those three factors on gut bacteria diversity of dealates. Here we report that pairing status was significantly affected by weight and total protozoa numbers, but not by P. grassii numbers and bacteria diversity. Weight and total protozoa numbers were higher in paired compared to single dealates. Males contained significantly higher P. grassii numbers and bacteria richness and marginally higher phylogenetic diversity despite having lower weights than females. In conclusion, this study showed that dealates with high body weight and protozoa numbers are more likely to pair and become colony founders, probably because of competitive advantage. The combined nutritional resources provided by body weight and protozoa symbionts of the parents are important for successful colony foundation and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyan Chen
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Garima Setia
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Li-Hsiang Lin
- Department of Experimental Statistics, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Qian Sun
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Claudia Husseneder
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, United States of America
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Tong RL, Patel JS, Gordon JM, Lee SB, Chouvenc T, Su NY. Exuviae Recycling Can Enhance Queen Oviposition and Colony Growth in Subterranean Termites (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae: Coptotermes). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:254-258. [PMID: 36773009 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Wood-feeding termites have a nitrogen-poor diet and have therefore evolved nitrogen conservation strategies. However, termite workers molt periodically, and throughout the lifetime of a colony, millions of exuviae, a nitrogen-rich resource, are produced by the colony. In Coptotermes Wasmann, workers foraging at remote feeding sites must return to the central part of the nest to molt, where the queen, king, eggs, and larvae are located. It was hypothesized that this molting-site fidelity is an efficient way to recycle nitrogen for reproduction and colony growth, as nestmates involved in exuviae consumption can directly transfer such resources to individuals engaged in reproduction (the queen) or growth (larvae). This study investigates whether incipient colonies of C. gestroi (Wasmann) can gain additional biomass when they are fed supplementary exuviae. Incipient colonies were reared in nitrogen-poor or nitrogen-rich conditions, and 0, 1, 5, or 10 exuviae were added to 3-month-old colonies. After 6.5 months, colonies reared in nitrogen-poor environments gained significantly more biomass when exuviae were added than colonies with no added exuviae. However, the addition of exuviae had no effect on colony growth for colonies reared in nitrogen-rich environments. In a second experiment, queens from colonies in which exuviae were effectively removed laid fewer eggs than queens from colonies in which exuviae were not removed. Therefore, consumption of exuviae from molting individuals by nestmates is an important part of the nitrogen recycling strategy in Coptotermes colonies, as it facilitates queen oviposition and colony growth, especially when such colonies have limited access to nitrogen-rich soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reina L Tong
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Jayshree S Patel
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Johnalyn M Gordon
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Sang-Bin Lee
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Thomas Chouvenc
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Nan-Yao Su
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, 33314, USA
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Tong RL, Choi EK, Ugarelli K, Chouvenc T, Su NY. Trophic Path of Marked Exuviae Within Colonies of Coptotermes gestroi (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:3. [PMID: 36916276 PMCID: PMC10011875 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen, a limiting growth factor in wood-feeding insects, was hypothesized to play a role in the recently discovered behavior of subterranean termites returning to the nest to molt. Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) exuviae is approximately 11% N by dry weight, and therefore a potentially rich source of recyclable nitrogen. Exuviae from a C. gestroi colony were marked with immunoglobulin G (IgG) and were fed to two-year-old C. gestroi colonies. IgG-marked exuviae were detected with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The IgG marker was later detected in every caste and life stage except first-instar larvae (L1). The proportion of individuals positive for the marker varied by caste, with the queens always being positive for the marker. The queens and second-or-higher-instar workers (W2+) had significantly higher concentrations of the marker than the eggs and L1. The trophic path of exuviae includes individuals that directly fed on marked exuviae (workers and possibly second-instar larvae) and individuals that secondarily received marked exuviae through trophallaxis (queens, kings, and soldiers). This study described the trophic path of consumed exuviae and demonstrated its role in the recycling of nitrogen in a subterranean termite. Molting at the central nest may be an efficient means to transfer nitrogen from shed exuviae to recipients and may be a nitrogen recycling behavior conserved from a termite ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eun-Kyung Choi
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Kelly Ugarelli
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Thomas Chouvenc
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Nan-Yao Su
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, USA
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Konishi T, Tasaki E, Takata M, Matsuura K. King- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid contributes to reproduction in termites. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221942. [PMID: 36598016 PMCID: PMC9811635 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Caste-based reproductive division of labour in social insects is built on asymmetries in resource allocation within colonies. Kings and queens dominantly consume limited resources for reproduction, while non-reproductive castes such as workers and soldiers help reproductive castes. Studying the regulation of such asymmetries in resource allocation is crucial for understanding the maintenance of sociality in insects, although the molecular background is poorly understood. We focused on uric acid, which is reserved and used as a valuable nitrogen source in wood-eating termites. We found that king- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid contributes to reproduction in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus. The urate oxidase gene (RsUAOX), which catalyses the first step of nitrogen recycling from stored uric acid, was highly expressed in mature kings and queens, and upregulated with differentiation into neotenic kings/queens. Suppression of uric acid degradation decreased the number of eggs laid per queen. Uric acid was shown to be provided by workers to reproductive castes. Our results suggest that the capacity to use nitrogen, which is essential for the protein synthesis required for reproduction, maintains colony cohesion expressed as the reproductive monopoly held by kings and queens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao Konishi
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Eisuke Tasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Mamoru Takata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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Mizumoto N, Bourguignon T, Kanao T. Termite nest evolution fostered social parasitism by termitophilous rove beetles. Evolution 2022; 76:1064-1072. [PMID: 35319096 PMCID: PMC9311137 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Colonies of social insects contain large amounts of resources often exploited by specialized social parasites. Although some termite species host numerous parasitic arthropod species, called termitophiles, others host none. The reason for this large variability remains unknown. Here, we report that the evolution of termitophily in rove beetles is linked to termite nesting strategies. We compared one-piece nesters, whose entire colony life is completed within a single wood piece, to foraging species, which exploit multiple physically separated food sources. Our epidemiological model predicts that characteristics related to foraging (e.g., extended colony longevity and frequent interactions with other colonies) increase the probability of parasitism by termitophiles. We tested our prediction using literature data. We found that foraging species are more likely to host termitophilous rove beetles than one-piece nesters: 99.6% of known termitophilous species were associated with foraging termites, whereas 0.4% were associated with one-piece nesters. Notably, the few one-piece nesting species hosting termitophiles were those having foraging potential and access to soil. Our phylogenetic analyses confirmed that termitophily primarily evolved with foraging termites. These results highlight that the evolution of complex termite societies fostered social parasitism, explaining why some species have more social parasites than others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnna‐son904‐0495Japan
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnna‐son904‐0495Japan,Faculty of Tropical AgriSciencesCzech University of Life SciencesPrague165 00Czech Republic
| | - Taisuke Kanao
- Faculty of ScienceYamagata UniversityYamagata990‐8560Japan
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Ganguly RK, Al-Helal MA, Chakraborty SK. Role of bioactive xenobiotics towards reproductive potential of Odontotermes longignathus through in silico study: An amalgamation of ecoinformatics and ecotechnological insights of termite mounds from a tropical forest, India. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 232:113275. [PMID: 35131584 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The present research study has evaluated the roles of different naturally occurring compounds in termite mounds of Odontotermes longignathus (GenBank Id: MZ542727.1) which facilitate to promote higher population growth of termites and subsequent biodegradation. The study has also monitored the change in physicochemical parameters along with the trend of biodegradation of complex organic carbon-based compounds like lignin, polysaccharides etc. and nitrogenous compounds from two different types of termite mounds such as developing (T1) and developed (T2) mounds. The GC MS profiling of mound samples have revealed the occurrence of different humic acids like organic materials in both T1 and T2 mound samples. Both the termite mounds have demonstrated a high population density as T1 (23.67 ± 1.56) individuals and T2 (43.51 ± 2.36) individuals per 0.1 kg of mound materials. Such observations have prompted to undertake molecular docking experiments which revealed that different molecules interact at low binding affinity with hormone receptors involved in moulting, spermatogenesis and oogenesis of termite like Adamantane carboxylate (EcR: -7.6 Kcal/mol; BTB-KLHL10: -6.2 Kcal/mol; USP-LBD: -7.3 Kcal/mol; VgR: -6.8 Kcal/mol), Benzene dicarboxylic acid (EcR: -5.5 Kcal/mol; BTB-KLHL10: -5.1 Kcal/mol; USP-LBD: -5.4 Kcal/mol; VgR: -5.6 Kcal/mol), Hexadecanol (EcR: -6.0 Kcal/mol; BTB-KLHL10: -4.4 Kcal/mol; USP-LBD: -6.9 Kcal/mol; VgR: -6.0 Kcal/mol), oxirane (EcR: -5.3 Kcal/mol; BTB-KLHL10: -4.9 Kcal/mol; USP-LBD: -5.2 Kcal/mol; VgR: -5.3 Kcal/mol) and tocopherol (EcR: -8.0 Kcal/mol; BTB-KLHL10: -5.4 Kcal/mol; USP-LBD: -7.6 Kcal/mol; VgR: -7.0 Kcal/mol). Such spontaneous ligand binding phenomenon coupled with high population density of termites have established the significance of different bioactive xenobiotics in achieving high reproductive potential of termites which in turn facilitate the process of biodegradation and enhance the nutrient enrichment in the soils of tropical deciduous forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram Kumar Ganguly
- Department of Zoology, Vidyasagar university, Midnapore 721102, West Bengal, India.
| | - Md Abdullah Al-Helal
- Department of Zoology, Vidyasagar university, Midnapore 721102, West Bengal, India
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