Investigation of glucose absorption capabilities within the digestive tract of the lower termite Reticulitermes flavipes using two different approaches

Termites possess the unique ability to feed upon, digest, and receive nourishment from materials composed of the recalcitrant substance lignocellulose. Nourishment can potentially come from the simple five-carbon and six-carbon sugars that are released as cellulose and hemicellulose are degraded. The majority of this degradative process has been shown to occur in the paunch (hindgut) which houses a variety of protists and bacteria. Due to the region of the gut in which this digestion occurs, it has been speculated that most, if not all, of the glucose absorption takes place in the hindgut as well. A better understanding of glucose absorptive regions of the lower termite digestive tract will further our understanding of termite digestion and may lead to internal termite specific control methods such as RNA interference. In order to investigate glucose absorption capabilities, expression studies on candidate transporter genes were conducted and novel in situ staining techniques investigated. This presentation will include results of novel investigations into monosaccharide transport machinery in the termite gut, with emphasis on candidate genes and in situ methods development.