Synergistic activities of the symbiotic fungus Termitomyces albuminosus on the cellulase of Odontotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Termitidae)

Higher termites feed primarily on wood and wood-related materials. The degradation of cellulose in food by termites depends on cellulase, which is secreted by the termite itself and/or its symbionts. This study investigated the synergistic activities of the symbiotic fungus Termitomyces albuminosus on the cellulase of a higher termite, Odontotermes formosanus. We initially used salicin or carboxymethylcellulose as a substrate and no substrate as a control, then mixed these enzyme extracts of each caste of O. formosanus with its symbiotic fungus T albuminosus. The amount of sugar degraded was measured by the Somogyi-Nelson methods. The results indicated that the mixture of enzyme extracts between the workers or the soldiers and the symbiotic fungus showed significantly higher reducing sugar content compared with. the enzyme extracts of the workers, the soldiers or the symbiotic fungus (p > 0.05). These data could provide new proofs for explaining the relationship between higher termites and their symbiotic fungus.