Mining for cellulases and hemicellulases in the microbiota of two termite using functional metagenomics. Hemicellulase in termite microbiote

Lignocellulose is a promising resource to replace petroleum-based energy, chemicals and fuels. Termite gut is a rich reservoir of CAZymes and metagenomics is one of the best approaches to explore this specialized environment. A function-driven screening was previously developed in our laboratory for the investigation of the microbiome of P. militaris gut, a fungus-growing termite. In this article, a similar approach was implemented to mine for cellulases and hemicellulases in the microbiome of two termite species having different diet preferences. Two metagenomic libraries were created from the gut of Nasutitermes corniger, a wood-feeder termite, and Termes hispaniolae supposed to be a soil-wood feeder, both coming from the dry forest of the island Grande Terre, Guadeloupe. A total of 30 000 metagenomic clones were screened on an array of 10 substrates.