Preliminary data on cellulase encoding genes in the xylophagous beetle, Hylotrupes bajulus (Linnaeus)

Published Date

January 2014, Vol.86:92–95, doi:10.1016/j.ibiod.2013.09.009

2nd International Conference on Biodeterioration of Wood and Wood Products, Tartu, Estonia

Title 

Preliminary data on cellulase encoding genes in the xylophagous beetle, Hylotrupes bajulus (Linnaeus)

• Author 

• Matteo Busconi ^a
• Alessia Berzolla ^b,
• Elisabetta Chiappini ^b,

• aIstituto di Agronomia, genetica e coltivazioni erbacee, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
• bCentro per la Protezione dei Beni Culturali dagli organismi dannosi, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy

Received 3 April 2013. Revised 11 September 2013. Accepted 18 September 2013. Available online 7 November 2013.

Highlights

• •
  Cerambycidae cellulose digestion.
• •
  Presence of endogenous endoglucanase genes in Hylotrupess bajulus larvae.
• •
  Cellulase activity and nature.

Abstract

Hylotrupes bajulus (Linnaeus) (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), a wood-boring beetle attacking softwood, utilises both wood starch and cellulose as food. The fibre is digested in variable percentages, depending on the starch content. A role for symbiotic bacteria was presumed as well as the presence of endogenous cellulases. The aim of our investigation was to verify the presence of endogenous endoglucanase genes in H. bajulus larvae. After performing an online search, three sequences for the endoglucanases of the class GHF5 and four for the endoglucanases of the class GHF45 were recovered and aligned in order to develop some primers on the most conserved regions and try the amplification of the genes in H. bajulus. Seven degenerated primers for GHF5 endoglucanase and five for GHF45 endoglucanase were tested. By using two different primer combinations we obtained two fragments: both of them showed homology with significant identity with insect endoglucanases of the GHF45 family available online, and one also with microbial cellulases. The first fragment is undoubtedly of endogenous origin while we cannot exclude that the second one is of microbial origin. No results were obtained for the endoglucanase of the class GHF5.

Keywords

• Wood-destroying insects
• Beetles
• Endoglucanases
• Cellulose digestion

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• ∗ 
  Corresponding author. Tel.:+39 (0)523 599236.

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