Identification of two subterranean termite species (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) using cellulase genes

Cloning, genomic organization and expression of two glycosyl hydrolase family 10 (GHF10) genes from golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata)

Two cellulase cDNAs (GHF10-Pc1 and GHF10-Pc3) belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 10 (GHF10) were successfully isolated and characterized from stomach tissue of golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata), a kind of herbivorous mollusca. Sequencing analysis revealed full-length cDNAs of 1300 and 1277 bp in length, respectively. The open reading frame (ORF) of cellulase cDNA was 1188 and 1191 bp, encoding 395 and 396 amino acid, respectively. Sequence alignment revealed that GHF10-Pc1 and GHF10-Pc3 shared high identity with glycosyl hydrolase family 10 (GHF10) and had an overall similarity of 98 and 82% to those of Ampullaria crossean cellulase EGX. A neighbour-joining tree showed a clear differentiation between each species and also indicated that GHF10-Pc1 and GHF10-Pc3 from P. canaliculata and A. crossean EGX are closely related phylogenetically. The genomic organization of cellulase GHF10-Pc1 and GHF10-Pc3 genes was also investigated. The GHF10-Pc1 and GHF10-Pc3 genes spanned over 4937 and 4512 bp, respectively. Both genes contained 9 exons interrupted by eight introns. The result verified the endogenous origin of the GHF10-Pc1 and GHF10-Pc3 genes. Analysis of RNA by RT-PCR from several ages of P. canaliculata revealed that neither gene was expressed in eggs. GHF10-Pc1 was also expressed in 1- and 10-day-old juvenile snails whereas GHF10-Pc3 was expressed only in 1-day-old juvenile snails. The result showed that two GHF10-Pc transcripts were developmentally expressed.