title: Insect gut microbiome - An unexploited reserve for biotechnological application.
abstract: Metagenomics research has been developed over the past decade to elucidate the genomes of the uncultured microorganisms with an aim of understanding microbial ecology. On the other hand, it has also been provoked by the increasing biotechnological demands for novel enzymes, antibiotic and signal mimics. The gut microbiota of insects plays crucial roles in the growth, development and environmental adaptation to the host insects. Very recently, the insect microbiota and their genomes (microbiome), isolated from insects were recognized as a major genetic resources for bio-processing industry. Consequently, the exploitation of insect gut microbiome using metagenomic approaches will enable us to find novel biocatalysts and to develop innovative strategies for identifying smart molecules for biotechnological applications. In this review, we discuss the critical footstep in extraction and purification of metagenomic DNA from insect gut, construction of metagenomic libraries and screening procedure for novel gene identification. Recent innovations and potential applications in bioprocess industries are highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 024, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Muthukalingan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 024, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Chinnapandi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bharathiraja
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 024, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Jeyaraj
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pandiarajan
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 024, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Vimalanathan Arun
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Prasanna
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, School of Biological Science, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai - 625 021, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Jeyaprakash
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajendhran
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, School of Biological Science, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai - 625 021, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Paramasamy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gunasekaran
keywords: 16S rRNA; Gypsy moth; Metagenomics; Microbiome; Non-cultivable microbes; Termite gut