Investigating the actinomycete diversity inside the hindgut of an indigenous termite, Microhodotermes viator

• Main Author: Rohland, Jeffrey
• Other Authors: Meyers, Paul
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2015
• Subjects: Cell Biology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11344

Includes abstract. === Includes bibliographical references. === Ever since the discovery of a cellulolytic actinomycete inside the gut of a termite, there has been considerable interest in the metabolic abilities and the diversity of these bacteria within this complex environment. However, until fairly recently, most investigations of termite hindguts involved the higher termites from the Termitidae family. Little attention was paid to the lower termites, and even less to the family Hodotermitidae. The main aim of this project was to explore the actinobacterial diversity of the paunch and colon hindgut regions of one particular member of the family Hodotermitidae, Microhodotermes viator. No previous work of this nature has ever been attempted on this particular termite species.