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Metatranscriptomic profiles of Eastern subterranean termites, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) fed on second generation feedstocks

Overview of attention for article published in BMC Genomics, April 2015
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Title
Metatranscriptomic profiles of Eastern subterranean termites, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) fed on second generation feedstocks
Published in
BMC Genomics, April 2015
DOI 10.1186/s12864-015-1502-8
Pubmed ID
Authors

Swapna Priya Rajarapu, Jacob T Shreve, Ketaki P Bhide, Jyothi Thimmapuram, Michael E Scharf

Abstract

Second generation lignocellulosic feedstocks are being considered as an alternative to the first generation biofuels that are derived from grain starches and sugars. However, the current pre-treatment methods for second generation biofuel production are inefficient and expensive due to the recalcitrant nature of lignocellulose. In this study, we used the lower termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), as a model to identify potential pretreatment genes/enzymes specifically adapted for use against agricultural feedstocks. Metatranscriptomic profiling was performed on worker termite guts after feeding on corn stover (CS), soybean residue (SR), or 98% pure cellulose (paper) to identify (i) microbial community, (ii) pathway level and (iii) gene-level responses. Microbial community profiles after CS and SR feeding were different from the paper feeding profile, and protist symbiont abundance decreased significantly in termites feeding on SR and CS relative to paper. Functional profiles after CS feeding were similar to paper and SR; whereas paper and SR showed different profiles. Amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism pathways were downregulated in termites feeding on SR relative to paper and CS. Gene expression analyses showed more significant down regulation of genes after SR feeding relative to paper and CS. However, stereotypical lignocellulase genes/enzymes were not differentially expressed, but rather were among the most abundant/ constitutively-expressed genes. These results suggest that the effect of CS and SR feeding on termite gut lignocellulase composition is minimal and thus, the most abundantly expressed enzymes appear to encode the best candidate catalysts for use in saccharification of these and related second-generation feedstocks. Further, based on these findings we hypothesize that the most abundantly expressed lignocellulases, rather than those that are differentially expressed have the best potential as pretreatment enzymes for CS and SR feedstocks.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 43 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Brazil 1 2%
Unknown 42 98%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 10 23%
Researcher 8 19%
Student > Doctoral Student 5 12%
Professor 4 9%
Student > Master 4 9%
Other 9 21%
Unknown 3 7%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 25 58%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 4 9%
Environmental Science 2 5%
Immunology and Microbiology 2 5%
Medicine and Dentistry 2 5%
Other 4 9%
Unknown 4 9%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 22 April 2015.
All research outputs
#20,273,512
of 22,805,349 outputs
Outputs from BMC Genomics
#9,275
of 10,650 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#224,016
of 265,515 outputs
Outputs of similar age from BMC Genomics
#244
of 270 outputs
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