Recherche et étude comparative des activités protéasiques des castes neutres du termite Macrotermes subhyalinus (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) et de son champignon symbiotique Termitomyces sp

Research and Comparative Study of Proteasic Activities of Neutral Castes of Termite Macrotermes subhyalinus (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) and its Symbiotic Fungus Termitomyces sp. Crude extracts from neutral castes of the termite Macrotermes subhyalinus, its symbiotic fungus Termitomyces sp. and its comb are not able to hydrolyze acyl-pNA tested on acid medium. However, these substrates on alkaline medium are hydrolysed, indicating that these enzymatic sources possess proteolytic activities. Hydrolyzed acyl-pNA are Gly-pNA, LeupNA, Met-pNA, Phe-pNA, Pro-pNA, Lys-pNA, ArgpNA and Asp-pNA. The highest proteolytic activities were obtained with Leu-pNA and BA-pNA with a Macrotermes subhyalinus termite worker. It is therefore more active than the soldier. Proteolytic activities were higher in small soldiers than in large ones. The proteolytic activities of the fungus are higher than those of the fungus comb, its growth backbone. Mutal competition studies among the best hydrolysed substrates by symbiotic fungus and worker have shown that trypsic activities (Arg-pNA, Lys-pNA and BA-pNA) are derived from the same enzyme. This enzymatic reaction has also been observed with Leu-pNA, MetpNA and Ala-pNA.