IPICyT, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, A.C. Camino a la Presa San Jose No. 2055, Lomas 4a sección, 78216, San Luis Potosí, SL, Mexico.
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Dr. Manuel Nava 6, Zona Universitaria, 78210, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2020 May 9;36(5):73. doi: 10.1007/s11274-020-02850-1.
Liometopum apiculatum is a species of ants widely distributed in arid and semi-arid ecosystems where there is a relative food shortage compared with tropical ecosystems. L. apiculatum has established an ecological balance involving symbiotic interactions, which have allowed them to survive through mechanisms that are still unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the metabolic potential of isolated bacteria from L. apiculatum using enzymatic activity assay and substrate assimilation. Results revealed a complex bacteria consortium belonging to Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria phylum. Most of the isolated bacteria showed activities associated with biopolymers degradation, from them Exiguobacterium and B. simplex showed the highest amylolytic activity (27 U/mg protein), while A. johnsonii and B. pumulis showed the highest cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities (1 and 2.9 U/mg protein, respectively). By other hand, some microorganisms such as S. ficaria, E. asburiae, P. agglomerans, A. johnsonii, S. rubidaea, S. marcescens, S. warneri, and M. hydrocarbonoxydans were able to grow up to 1000 mg/L of phthalates esters. These results not only revealed the important contribution of the symbionts in L apiculatum ants feeding habits, but also have shown a promising source of enzymes with potential biotechnological applications such as lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis and bioremediation processes.
刺角蚁是一种广泛分布于干旱和半干旱生态系统的蚂蚁，与热带生态系统相比，其食物相对短缺。刺角蚁已经建立了一种涉及共生相互作用的生态平衡，通过这些机制，它们得以生存，而这些机制尚不清楚。因此，本研究旨在利用酶活性测定和底物同化来探索从刺角蚁中分离的细菌的代谢潜力。结果显示，属于变形菌门、厚壁菌门和放线菌门的复杂细菌共生体。大多数分离的细菌表现出与生物聚合物降解相关的活性，其中，极端芽孢杆菌和短小芽孢杆菌表现出最高的淀粉酶活性（27 U/mg 蛋白），而约翰逊不动杆菌和短小芽孢杆菌表现出最高的纤维素酶和木聚糖酶活性（分别为 1 和 2.9 U/mg 蛋白）。另一方面，一些微生物，如鞘氨醇单胞菌、嗜酸鞘氨醇单胞菌、凝结芽孢杆菌、约翰逊不动杆菌、红球菌 rubidaea、粘质沙雷氏菌、沃氏葡萄球菌和烃氧化菌，能够在高达 1000 mg/L 的邻苯二甲酸酯中生长。这些结果不仅揭示了共生体在刺角蚁蚂蚁取食习性中的重要贡献，还展示了具有潜在生物技术应用的酶的有前途的来源，如木质纤维素生物质水解和生物修复过程。
