Name: extracting dna from the gut microbes of the termite (zootermopsis angusticollis) and visualizing gut microbes
Uploaded: 2007-05-28T00:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Extracting DNA from the Gut Microbes of the Termite Zootermopsis Angusticollis and Visualizing Gut Microbes at JoVE.com

Procedural summary for termite whole-gut DNA extraction:
<ol>
<li>Chill termites on ice, remove gut using sterile tweezers and stabilize gut samples in buffer.</li>
<li>Homogenize samples in PVPP/SDS/phenol buffer.</li>
<li>Extract and purify DNA from crude lysate using Qiagen DNeasy columns.</li>
</ol>
Protocol:
<ol>
<li>On ice, remove the guts from worker caste termites using sterile forceps.</li>
<li>Immediately transfer the guts and c...

<ol>
	<li>Berthelet, M., Whyte, L. G., Greer, C. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapid,+Direct+Extraction+of+DNA+from+Soils+for+PCR+Analysis+using+Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone+Spin+Columns.">Rapid, Direct Extraction of DNA from Soils for PCR Analysis using Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone Spin Columns.</a> FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 138, 17-22 (1996).</li><li>Kudo, T., Ohkuma, M., Moriya, S., Noda, S., Ohtoko, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+Phylogenetic+Identification+of+the+Intestinal+Anaerobic+Microbial+Community+in+the+Hindgut+of+the+Termite,+Reticulitermes+Speratus,+without+Cultivation.">Molecular Phylogenetic Identification of the Intestinal Anaerobic Microbial Community in the Hindgut of the Termite, Reticulitermes Speratus, without Cultivation.</a> Extremophiles. 2, 155-161 (1998).</li><li>Mor&#233;, M. I., Herrick, J. B., Silva, M. C., Ghiorse, W. C., Madsen, E. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Quantitative+Cell+Lysis+of+Indigenous+Microorganisms+and+Rapid+Extraction+of+Microbial+DNA+from+Sediment.">Quantitative Cell Lysis of Indigenous Microorganisms and Rapid Extraction of Microbial DNA from Sediment.</a> Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60, 1572-1580 (1994).</li><li>Odelson, D. A., Breznak, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Volatile+Fatty+Acid+Production+by+the+Hindgut+Microbiota+of+Xylophagous+Termites.">Volatile Fatty Acid Production by the Hindgut Microbiota of Xylophagous Termites.</a> Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 45, 1602-1613 (1983).</li><li>Ottesen, E. A., Hong, J. W., Quake, S. R., Leadbetter, J. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microfluidic+Digital+PCR+Enables+Multigene+Analysis+of+individual+Environmental+Bacteria.">Microfluidic Digital PCR Enables Multigene Analysis of individual Environmental Bacteria.</a> Science. 314, 1464-1467 (2006).</li><li>Purdy, K. J., Embley, T. M., Takii, S., Newdell, D. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapid+Extraction+of+DNA+and+rRNA+from+Sediments+by+a+Novel+Hydroxyapatite+Spin-Column+Method.">Rapid Extraction of DNA and rRNA from Sediments by a Novel Hydroxyapatite Spin-Column Method.</a> Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62, 3905-3907 (1996).</li><li>Salmassi, T. M., Leadbetter, J. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Analysis+of+Genes+of+Tetrahydrofolate-Dependent+Metabolism+from+Cultivated+Spirochaetes+and+the+Gut+Community+of+the+Termite+Zootermopsis+Angusticollis.">Analysis of Genes of Tetrahydrofolate-Dependent Metabolism from Cultivated Spirochaetes and the Gut Community of the Termite Zootermopsis Angusticollis.</a> Microbiology. 149, 2529-2537 (2003).</li><li>Schmitt-Wagner, D., Friedrich, M. W., Wagner, B., Brune, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Phylogenetic+Diversity,+Abundance,+and+Axial+Distribution+of+Bacteria+in+the+Intestinal+Tract+of+Two+Soil-Feeding+Termites+(Cubitermes+spp).">Phylogenetic Diversity, Abundance, and Axial Distribution of Bacteria in the Intestinal Tract of Two Soil-Feeding Termites (Cubitermes spp).</a> Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69, 6007-6017 (2003).</li><li>Tsai, Y. L., Olson, B. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapid+Method+for+Separation+of+Bacterial+DNA+from+Humic+Substances+in+Sediments+for+Polymerase+Chain+Reaction.">Rapid Method for Separation of Bacterial DNA from Humic Substances in Sediments for Polymerase Chain Reaction.</a> Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 58, 2292-2295 (1992).</li></ol>

In our experience, DNA extracted from the microbial communities of wood-feeding termite species like Zootermopis nevadensis is sufficiently pure for PCR template after one round of extraction and purification. However, some termites such as litter-feeding and soil-feeding species may have a higher concentration of humic acids in their gut contents and may require additional purification of gut microbial DNA. The total DNA yield from the guts of 5 Z. nevadensis workers is in the range of 10-30 &mu;g. For termite specie...

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">	
		
		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>PVPP/SDS/phenol</td>
<td>Buffer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>homogeneization buffer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DNeasy Tissue Kit</td>
<td>Kit</td>
<td>Qiagen</td>
<td>77607</td>
<td>Used according to the protocol for isolation of genomic DNA from crude lysates (Appendix H, product manual version: July 2003)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TE</td>
<td>Buffer</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>T9285</td>
<td>1x buffer (1 mM Tris-HCl, 0.1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0) from 100x concentrate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>zirconia/silica beads </td>
<td>Supplies</td>
<td>BioSpec Products</td>
<td>11079101z</td>
<td>0.1 mm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PVPP</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>P6755</td>
<td>1% w/v polyvinylpolypyrrolidone prepared from dry reagent as a 1x suspension in TE buffer </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Zootermopsis nevadensis</td>
<td>Animal</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Termites</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SDS</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>L4390</td>
<td>Sodium dodecyl sulfate 20% soln. in water from dry reagent</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Phenol</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>77607</td>
<td>TE-saturated, ~73%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MiniBeadbeater-8</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>BioSpec Products</td>
<td>963</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>BSS</td>
<td>Buffered Salt Solution, pH 7.2</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Formulation per liter: 2.5 g K2HPO4, 1.0 g KH2PO4, 1.6 g KCl, 1.4 g NaCl, 0.075 g CaCl, 1 g MgCl, and 10 mL of a 1M soln. of NaHCO3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AxioPlan-2</td>
<td>Microscope</td>
<td>Carl Zeiss, Inc. USA</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Outfitted with 40x objective, 1.6x optivar and 10x ocular lenses. Samples were viewed using phase contrast illumination</td>
</tr>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>
			<div>
					</div>

extracting dna from the gut microbes of the termite (zootermopsis angusticollis) and visualizing gut microbes

Termites are among the few animals known to have the capacity to subsist solely by consuming wood.  The termite gut tract contains a dense and species-rich microbial population that assists in the degradation of lignocellulose predominantly into acetate, the key nutrient fueling termite metabolism (Odelson &amp; Breznak, 1983).  Within these microbial populations are bacteria, methanogenic archaea and, in some ("lower") termites, eukaryotic protozoa. Thus, termites are excellent research subjects for studying the interactions among microbial species and the numerous biochemical functions they perform to the benefit of their host.  The species composition of microbial populations in termite guts as well as key genes involved in various biochemical processes has been explored using molecular techniques (Kudo et al., 1998; Schmit-Wagner et al., 2003; Salmassi &amp; Leadbetter, 2003). These techniques depend on the extraction and purification of high-quality nucleic acids from the termite gut environment.  The extraction technique described in this video is a modified compilation of protocols developed for extraction and purification of nucleic acids from environmental samples (Mor  et al., 1994; Berthelet et al., 1996; Purdy et al., 1996; Salmassi &amp; Leadbetter, 2003; Ottesen et al. 2006) and it produces DNA from termite hindgut material suitable for use as template for polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Extracting DNA from the Gut Microbes of the Termite Zootermopsis Angusticollis and Visualizing Gut Microbes at JoVE.com

Extracting DNA from the Gut Microbes of the Termite Zootermopsis Angusticollis and Visualizing Gut Microbes

This video illustrates the technique for extracting DNA from the species of microbes resident in the termite hindgut. The preparation of a wet mount slide, which is useful for visualizing the gut microbial community is also illustrated, and a tour through the species-rich gut environment is given.

Extracting DNA from the Gut Microbes of the Termite (Zootermopsis Angusticollis) and Visualizing Gut Microbes

Termites are among the few animals known to have the capacity to subsist solely by consuming wood.  The termite gut tract contains a dense and ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

Investigating the Microbial Community in the Termite Hindgut - Interview

Jared Leadbetter explains why the termite-gut microbial community is an excellent system for studying the complex interactions between microbes.     The ...

Layers of Symbiosis - Visualizing the Termite Hindgut Microbial Community

Jared Leadbetter takes us for a nature walk through the diversity of life resident in the termite hindgut - a microenvironment containing 250 different ...

Testing Protozoacidal Activity of Ligand-lytic Peptides Against Termite Gut Protozoa in vitro (Protozoa Culture) and in vivo (Microinjection into Termite Hindgut)

Testing Protozoacidal Activity of Ligand-lytic Peptides Against Termite Gut Protozoa in vitro Protozoa Culture and in vivo Microinjection into Termite Hindgut

We are developing a novel approach to subterranean termite control that would lead to reduced reliance on the use of chemical pesticides. Subterranean ...

A Simple Protocol for Extracting Hemocytes from Wild Caterpillars

Insect hemocytes (equivalent to mammalian white blood cells) play an important role in several physiological processes throughout an insect's life cycle ...

Depletion of Ribosomal RNA for Mosquito Gut Metagenomic RNA-seq

The mosquito gut accommodates dynamic microbial communities across different stages of the insect's life cycle. Characterization of the genetic capacity ...

Identification of Metabolically Active Bacteria in the Gut of the Generalist Spodoptera littoralis via DNA Stable Isotope Probing Using 13C-Glucose

Identification of Metabolically Active Bacteria in the Gut of the Generalist Spodoptera littoralis via DNA Stable Isotope Probing Using 13C-Glucose

Guts of most insects are inhabited by complex communities of symbiotic nonpathogenic bacteria. Within such microbial communities it is possible to ...

Amplification, Next-generation Sequencing, and Genomic DNA Mapping of Retroviral Integration Sites

Retroviruses exhibit signature integration preferences on both the local and global scales. Here, we present a detailed protocol for (1) generation of ...

A Method to Assess Bacteriocin Effects on the Gut Microbiota of Mice

Very intriguing questions arise with our advancing knowledge on gut microbiota composition and the relationship with health, particularly relating to the ...

Analyzing Oxidative Stress in Murine Intestinal Organoids using Reactive Oxygen Species-Sensitive Fluorogenic Probe

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play essential roles in intestinal homeostasis. ROS are natural by-products of cell metabolism. They are produced in ...

Monitoring Gut Acidification in the Adult Drosophila Intestine

Monitoring Gut Acidification in the Adult Drosophila Intestine

The fruit fly midgut consists of multiple regions, each of which is composed of cells that carry out unique physiological functions required for the ...