Abstract:

The degradation of cellulose in food of termites depends on cellulases, which were secreted by termite itself or its symbionts. The GenBank database established by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in U.S.A. showed that, the cellulase genes from nine species of termites, which belong to 6 genera, 4 families, have been cloned, and the sequences of these genes have been determined at present. The analysis of homology indicated that the sequence of genes encoding endo-1,4-β-D-glucanase from termites and its symbionts had high comparability.

Key words: termite, cellulase, symbiotic microorganism, gene clone, gene sequence