Expressed sequence tags from a polyphenic Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) cDNA library

A Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) cDNA library was constructed using multiple castes, developmental stages, and workers exposed to different experimental conditions. Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) were obtained that verified the integrity of the library, and enabled us to begin to evaluate the composition of expressed genes in R. flavipes. Random positive clones (n = 96) were isolated from plated library replicates. EST sequences were successfully obtained for eighty-eight of these clones. The resulting pool of ESTs represented an approximate 1 : 1 ratio of mitochondrial to nuclear-encoded gene transcripts. Of the mitochondrial ESTs, five encoded various cytochrome oxidase I homologous sequences and thirty-four encoded four apparently different transcription variants of 16S rRNA. Twenty nuclear-encoded ESTs were identified that had putative identities based on highly significant BLAST search results. Fifteen additional ESTs were obtained that had either no identity to sequences that existed within sequence databases, or had identity to database sequences with no associated function / identity.