Mathews Stephanie L, Epps Mary Jane, Blackburn R Kevin, Goshe Michael B, Grunden Amy M, Dunn Robert R
Department of Biological Sciences, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC 27506, USA.
Department of Biology, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA 24401, USA.
R Soc Open Sci. 2019 Mar 20;6(3):180748. doi: 10.1098/rsos.180748. eCollection 2019 Mar.
A citizen science project found that the greenhouse camel cricket () is common in North American homes. Public response was to wonder 'what good are they anyway?' and ecology and evolution guided the search for potential benefit. We predicted that camel crickets and similar household species would likely host bacteria with the ability to degrade recalcitrant carbon compounds. Lignocellulose is particularly relevant as it is difficult to degrade yet is an important feedstock for pulp and paper, chemical and biofuel industries. We screened gut bacteria of greenhouse camel crickets and another household insect, the hide beetle () for the ability to grow on and degrade lignocellulose components as well as the lignocellulose-derived industrial waste product black liquor. From three greenhouse camel crickets and three hide beetles, 14 bacterial strains were identified that were capable of growth on lignocellulosic components, including lignin. was selected for further study due to growth on most lignocellulose components. The secretome was identified using LC/MS/MS analysis. This work demonstrates a novel source of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria and introduces an effective workflow to identify bacterial enzymes for transforming industrial waste into value-added products. More generally, our research suggests the value of ecologically guided discovery of novel organisms.
一个公民科学项目发现，温室脊足蟋蟀（ ）在北美家庭中很常见。公众的反应是好奇“它们到底有什么用？”，生态学和进化指导了对潜在益处的探索。我们预测，脊足蟋蟀和类似的家居物种可能携带能够降解难降解碳化合物的细菌。木质纤维素尤其相关，因为它难以降解，但却是纸浆和造纸、化工及生物燃料行业的重要原料。我们筛选了温室脊足蟋蟀和另一种家居昆虫皮蠹（ ）的肠道细菌，看它们是否有能力在木质纤维素成分以及木质纤维素衍生的工业废料黑液上生长和降解。从三只温室脊足蟋蟀和三只皮蠹中，鉴定出了14种能够在包括木质素在内的木质纤维素成分上生长的细菌菌株。由于能在大多数木质纤维素成分上生长， 被选作进一步研究对象。使用液相色谱串联质谱分析鉴定了 的分泌蛋白组。这项工作展示了一种新型的木质纤维素降解细菌来源，并引入了一种有效的工作流程来鉴定将工业废料转化为增值产品的细菌酶。更广泛地说，我们的研究表明了生态指导下发现新生物体的价值。
