Molecular Mechanism of the Two-Component Suicidal Weapon of Neocapritermes taracua Old Workers
Jazyk angličtina Země Spojené státy americké Médium print-electronic
Typ dokumentu časopisecké články, práce podpořená grantem
PubMed
26609080
DOI
10.1093/molbev/msv273
PII: msv273
Knihovny.cz E-zdroje
- Klíčová slova
- Isoptera, altruism, colony defense, laccase, termite,
- MeSH
- aktivace enzymů MeSH
- exprese genu MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- hmyzí proteiny genetika metabolismus MeSH
- Isoptera genetika metabolismus MeSH
- lakasa genetika metabolismus MeSH
- shluková analýza MeSH
- stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
- substrátová specifita MeSH
- transkriptom MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Názvy látek
- hmyzí proteiny MeSH
- lakasa MeSH
In termites, as in many social insects, some individuals specialize in colony defense, developing diverse weaponry. As workers of the termite Neocapritermes taracua (Termitidae: Termitinae) age, their efficiency to perform general tasks decreases, while they accumulate defensive secretions and increase their readiness to fight. This defensive mechanism involves self-sacrifice through body rupture during which an enzyme, stored as blue crystals in dorsal pouches, converts precursors produced by the labial glands into highly toxic compounds. Here, we identify both components of this activated defense system and describe the molecular basis responsible for the toxicity of N. taracua worker autothysis. The blue crystals are formed almost exclusively by a specific protein named BP76. By matching N. taracua transcriptome databases with amino acid sequences, we identified BP76 to be a laccase. Following autothysis, the series of hydroquinone precursors produced by labial glands get mixed with BP76, resulting in the conversion of relatively harmless hydroquinones into toxic benzoquinone analogues. Neocapritermes taracua workers therefore rely on a two-component activated defense system, consisting of two separately stored secretions that can react only after suicidal body rupture, which produces a sticky and toxic cocktail harmful to opponents.
Department of Entomology Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology Jena Germany
Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium
Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Czech Republic
IMP the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology Vienna Austria
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