Diversity of Cellulolytic Bacteria from Coptotermes curvignatus and Macrotermes gilvus Termite Gut Isolated from Bengkulu Coastal Region
Dwita Oktiarni (a,b*), Lusiana (a), Winda Shasha Regina (c), and Elva Maidani Supardin (c)

(a) Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Bengkulu, Jalan W.R. Supratman, Kandang Limun, Muara Bangkahulu, Kota Bengkulu 38122, Indonesia, Telp: 0736 20919

(b) Research Center of Sumatera Natural Products and Functional Materials, Universitas Bengkulu, Jalan W.R. Supratman, Kandang Limun, Muara Bangkahulu, Kota Bengkulu, 38122, Indonesia

(c) Undergraduate Student of Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Bengkulu, Jalan W.R. Supratman, Kandang Limun, Muara Bangkahulu, Kota Bengkulu

Abstract

Bioethanol as an alternative energy resource, has become essential to be developed as an eco-environmentally energy. Termites, like other eusocial insects, require bacteria in their gut to break-down cellulose biomass into glucose using bacteria that produce cellulolytic enzymes in their guts. The process of converting lignocellulosic biomass into bioethanol offers a solution to two problems faced globally- the production of new energy and the processing of lignocellulosic biomass. Hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass requires the use of cellulolytic bacteria. Termites are one of the organisms that possess this capability. The study aimed to isolate and identify of cellulolytic bacteria from termite gut obtained from Bengkulu coastal region. Identification of the new species of cellulolytic bacteria from termite was performed by biomolecular assay. The bacteria isolates were isolated and purified by using DNA kit and the optical density of bacterial DNA isolates was carried out by using nanodrop spectrophotometer. The isolated bacterial strains were amplified by PCR to determine the 16S rRNA gene segment, performed using BLAST-N program and compared with NCBI database. Data sequences of 16S rRNA gene of isolate bacteria from Coptotermes curvignatus showed that the new species were identify as Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis. Whereas data sequences of 16S rRNA gene of isolate bacteria from Macrotermes gilvus showed that the new species were identify as Bacillus paramycoides, Staphylococcus hominis, Cellulomonas taurus, and Acinetobacter nosocomialis.

Keywords: biomass, cellulolytic bacteria, cellulolytic enzyme, termite

Topic: Biology