From the standpoints of both basic research and biotechnology, there is considerable
interest in reaching a clearer understanding of the diversity of biological mechanisms …

Symbiotic digestion of lignocellulose in wood-feeding higher termites (family Termitidae) is a
two-step process that involves endogenous host cellulases secreted in the midgut and a …

Termites harbor diverse symbiotic gut microorganisms, the majority of which are as yet
uncultivable and their interrelationships unclear. Here, we present the complete genome …

Termites consume an estimated 3–7 billion tonnes of lignocellulose annually, a role in
nature which is unique for a single order of invertebrates. Their food is digested with the help …

Their ability to degrade lignocellulose gives termites an important place in the carbon cycle.
This ability relies on their partnership with a diverse community of bacterial, archaeal and …

Symbiotic digestion of lignocellulose in higher termites (family Termitidae) is accomplished
by an exclusively prokaryotic gut microbiota. By deep sequencing of amplified 16S rRNA …

Termites digest lignocellulose with the help of their symbiotic gut microbiota. In the hindgut
of evolutionary lower termites, a dense community of cellulolytic flagellates sequesters wood …

Beneficial microbial associations enhance the fitness of most living organisms, and wood-
feeding insects offer some of the most striking examples of this. Odontotaenius disjunctus is …

Termites thrive in great abundance in terrestrial ecosystems and play important roles in
biorecycling of lignocellulose. Together with their microbial symbionts, they efficiently …

The gut microbiota of termites plays critical roles in the symbiotic digestion of lignocellulose.
While phylogenetically 'lower termites' are characterized by a unique association with …