Lignin degradation in wood-feeding insects

The aromatic polymer lignin protects plants from most forms of microbial attack. Despite the fact that a significant fraction of all lignocellulose degraded passes through arthropod guts, the fate of lignin in these systems is not known. Using tetramethylammonium hydroxide thermochemolysis, we show...

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Published in:	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 105; no. 35; pp. 12932 - 12937
Main Authors:	Geib, Scott M, Filley, Timothy R, Hatcher, Patrick G, Hoover, Kelli, Carlson, John E, Jimenez-Gasco, Maria del Mar, Nakagawa-Izumi, Akiko, Sleighter, Rachel L, Tien, Ming
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States National Academy of Sciences 02-09-2008 National Acad Sciences
Subjects:	Animals Anoplophora glabripennis Aromatics Arthropoda Arthropods Bacteria Beetles Biodegradation Biological Sciences Demethylation Depolymerization digestion Digestive System - microbiology Digestive tract Feeding Behavior Frass Fungi Fusarium solani hindgut Hydroxylation intestinal microorganisms Isoptera Isoptera - metabolism Isoptera - microbiology Lignin Lignin - chemistry Lignin - metabolism lignocellulose Methylation Molecular Sequence Data Nectria haematococca Oxidation Oxidation-Reduction Plant protection Polymerase chain reaction Polymers Termites Wood Wood - metabolism Zootermopsis angusticollis
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Summary:	The aromatic polymer lignin protects plants from most forms of microbial attack. Despite the fact that a significant fraction of all lignocellulose degraded passes through arthropod guts, the fate of lignin in these systems is not known. Using tetramethylammonium hydroxide thermochemolysis, we show lignin degradation by two insect species, the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) and the Pacific dampwood termite (Zootermopsis angusticollis). In both the beetle and termite, significant levels of propyl side-chain oxidation (depolymerization) and demethylation of ring methoxyl groups is detected; for the termite, ring hydroxylation is also observed. In addition, culture-independent fungal gut community analysis of A. glabripennis identified a single species of fungus in the Fusarium solani/Nectria haematococca species complex. This is a soft-rot fungus that may be contributing to wood degradation. These results transform our understanding of lignin degradation by wood-feeding insects.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 Edited by T. Kent Kirk, University of Wisconsin, Deerfield, WI, and approved July 7, 2008 Author contributions: K.H., J.E.C., M.d.M.J.-G., and M.T. designed research; S.M.G., A.N.-I., and R.L.S. performed research; T.R.F. and P.G.H. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; T.R.F., P.G.H., and M.d.M.J.-G. analyzed data; and S.M.G. and M.T. wrote the paper.
ISSN:	0027-8424 1091-6490
DOI:	10.1073/pnas.0805257105