Origin and activities of glycolytic enzymes in the gut of the tropical geophagous earthworm Millsonia anomala from Lamto (Côte d'Ivoire)

The tropical endogeic earthworms have developed strong mutualism with the ingested microflora to digest soil organic matter. In order to determine the role of the intestinal mucus in these mutualistic relationships, glycolytic enzymatic activities have been assayed in the gut contents of adult Millsonia anomala from Lamto (Cote d'Ivoire). Twenty one tested substrates selected for their plant origin were broken down. which indicates that this species may use root and fungal substrates available in soils. With the aim of comparing the origins of these glycolytic enzymes found in the gut, the intestinal wall tissues were cultured in vitro and enzymatic activities were measured in both cultured tissues and culture media. M. anomala cannot produce cellulase and mannanase and use instead the digestive enzymatic capabilities of the ingested microflora which synthesize extracellular glycolytic enzymes. These enzyme capabilities are similar to those of Pontoscolex corethrurus, and inferior to Polypheretima elongata that produces cellulase and mannanase.