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Thakur H, Agarwal S, Hradecký J, Sharma G, Li HF, Yang SE, Sehadová H, Chandel RS, Hyliš M, Mathur V, Šobotník J, Sillam-Dussès D. The Trail-Following Communication in Stylotermes faveolus and S. halumicus (Blattodea, Isoptera, Stylotermitidae). J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:642-651. [PMID: 37566284 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01447-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Stylotermitidae appear peculiar among all termites, feeding in trunks of living trees in South Asia only. The difficulty to collect them limits the ability to study them, and they thus still belong to critically unknown groups in respect to their biology. We used a combination of microscopic observations, chemical analysis and behavioural tests, to determine the source and chemical nature of the trail-following pheromone of Stylotermes faveolus from India and S. halumicus from Taiwan. The sternal gland located at the 5th abdominal segment was the exclusive source of the trail-following pheromone in both S. faveolus and S. halumicus, and it is made up of class I, II and III secretory cells. Using gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry, (3Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol (DOE) was identified as the trail-following pheromone which elicits strong behavioural responses in workers at a threshold around 10- 4 ng/cm and 0.1 ng/gland. Our results confirm the switch from complex aldehyde trail-following pheromones occurring in the basal groups to simpler linear alcohols in the ancestor of Kalotermitidae and Neoisoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Thakur
- Department of Entomology, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Surbhi Agarwal
- Animal-Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, 110021, New Delhi, India
| | - Jaromír Hradecký
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Garima Sharma
- Animal-Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, 110021, New Delhi, India
| | - Hou-Feng Li
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Rd, 402202, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shang-En Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Rd, 402202, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hana Sehadová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ravinder S Chandel
- Department of Entomology, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Mirek Hyliš
- Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vartika Mathur
- Animal-Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, 110021, New Delhi, India
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, LEEC, UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
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Mitaka Y, Akino T. A Review of Termite Pheromones: Multifaceted, Context-Dependent, and Rational Chemical Communications. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.595614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Termite colonies, composed of large numbers of siblings, develop an important caste-based division of labor; individuals in these societies interact via intra- or intercaste chemical communications. For more than 50 years, termites have been known to use a variety of pheromones to perform tasks necessary for maintenance of their societies, similar to eusocial hymenopterans. Although trail-following pheromones have been chemically identified in various termites, other types of pheromones have not been elucidated chemically or functionally. In the past decade, however, chemical compositions and biological functions have been successfully identified for several types of termite pheromones; accordingly, the details of the underlying pheromone communications have been gradually revealed. In this review, we summarize both the functions of all termite pheromones identified so far and the chemical interactions among termites and other organisms. Subsequently, we argue how termites developed their sophisticated pheromone communication. We hypothesize that termites have diverted defensive and antimicrobial substances to pheromones associated in caste recognition and caste-specific roles. Furthermore, termites have repeatedly used a pre-existing pheromone or have added supplementary compounds to it in accordance with the social context, leading to multifunctionalization of pre-existing pheromones and emergence of new pheromones. These two mechanisms may enable termites to transmit various context-dependent information with a small number of chemicals, thus resulting in formation of coordinated, complex, and rational chemical communication systems.
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Gao Y, Huang Q, Xu H. Silencing Orco Impaired the Ability to Perceive Trail Pheromones and Affected Locomotion Behavior in Two Termite Species. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 113:2941-2949. [PMID: 33128448 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toaa248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sophisticated social behaviors in termite colonies are mainly regulated via chemical communication of a wide range of pheromones. Trail pheromones play important roles in foraging behavior and building tunnels and nests in termites. However, it is almost unclear how termites perceive trail pheromones. Here, we cloned and sequenced of olfactory co-receptor (Orco) genes from the two termites Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) and Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) (Isoptera: Termitidae), and then examined their responses to trail pheromones after silencing Orco through RNA interference (RNAi). We found that Orco knockdown impaired their ability to perceive trail pheromones and resulted in the disability of following pheromone trails in the two termite species. Our locomotion behavior assays further showed that Orco knockdown significantly decreased the distance and velocity in the two termite species, but significantly increased the angular velocity and turn angle in the termite R. chinensis. These findings strongly demonstrated that Orco is essential for termites to perceive their trail pheromones, which provides a potential way to control termite pests by damaging olfactory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongyong Gao
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qiuying Huang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Huan Xu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Sillam-Dussès D, Šobotník J, Bourguignon T, Wen P, Sémon E, Robert A, Cancello EM, Leroy C, Lacey MJ, Bordereau C. Trail-Following Pheromones in the Termite Subfamily Syntermitinae (Blattodea, Termitoidae, Termitidae). J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:475-482. [PMID: 32529331 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01180-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Trail-following behavior is a key to ecological success of termites, allowing them to orient themselves between the nesting and foraging sites. This behavior is controlled by specific trail-following pheromones produced by the abdominal sternal gland occurring in all termite species and developmental stages. Trail-following communication has been studied in a broad spectrum of species, but the "higher" termites (i.e. Termitidae) from the subfamily Syntermitinae remain surprisingly neglected. To fill this gap, we studied the trail-following pheromone in six genera and nine species of Syntermitinae. Our chemical and behavioral experiments showed that (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol is the single component of the pheromone of all the termite species studied, except for Silvestritermes euamignathus. This species produces both (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol and neocembrene, but only (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol elicits trail-following behavior. Our results indicate the importance of (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol, the most widespread communication compound in termites, but also the repeated switches to other common pheromones as exemplified by S. euamignathus.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sillam-Dussès
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France.
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Ping Wen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 650223, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Etienne Sémon
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Alain Robert
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Institute of Research for Development - Sorbonne Universités, U 242, Bondy, France
| | - Eliana M Cancello
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, CP 42391 CEP 04218970, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Chloé Leroy
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Michael J Lacey
- CSIRO National Collections and Marine Infrastructure, G.P.O. Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Christian Bordereau
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
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Gössinger E. Chemistry of the Secondary Metabolites of Termites. PROGRESS IN THE CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC NATURAL PRODUCTS 2019; 109:1-384. [PMID: 31637529 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-12858-6_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Isolation, structure determination, synthesis, and biochemistry of the low-molecular-weight compounds of the secretion of exocrine glands of termites are described, with an emphasis on pheromones and defensive compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edda Gössinger
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- , Mistelbach, Austria.
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Kyjaková P, Roy V, Jirošová A, Krasulová J, Dolejšová K, Křivánek J, Hadravová R, Rybáček J, Pohl R, Roisin Y, Sillam-Dussès D, Hanus R. Chemical systematics of Neotropical termite genera with symmetrically snapping soldiers (Termitidae: Termitinae). Zool J Linn Soc 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pavlína Kyjaková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i.; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Flemingovo n. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Virginie Roy
- iEES-Paris; Université Paris-Est Créteil; 61, avenue du Général de Gaulle 94010 Créteil cedex France
| | - Anna Jirošová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i.; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Flemingovo n. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Jana Krasulová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i.; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Flemingovo n. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Klára Dolejšová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i.; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Flemingovo n. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science; Charles University in Prague; Albertov 2038/6 128 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic
| | - Jan Křivánek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i.; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Flemingovo n. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science; Charles University in Prague; Albertov 2038/6 128 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic
| | - Romana Hadravová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i.; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Flemingovo n. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Rybáček
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i.; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Flemingovo n. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Radek Pohl
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i.; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Flemingovo n. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Yves Roisin
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; Université Libre de Bruxelles; Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50 B-1050 Brussels Belgium
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- iEES-Paris; UMR 242; IRD - Sorbonne Universités; 32, avenue Henri Varagnat 93143 Bondy cedex France
- LEEC; EA4443; Université Paris XIII - Sorbonne Paris Cité; 99, avenue J.-B. Clément 93430 Villetaneuse France
| | - Robert Hanus
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i.; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Flemingovo n. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
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Wen P, Mo J, Lu C, Tan K, Šobotník J, Sillam-Dussès D. Sex-pairing pheromone of Ancistrotermes dimorphus (Isoptera: Macrotermitinae). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 83:8-14. [PMID: 26549129 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Ancistrotermes dimorphus is a common Macrotermitinae representative, facultative inquiline by its life-style, occurring in South-East China. Sex pheromone is used for couple formation and maintenance, and it is produced by and released from the female sternal gland and is highly attractive to males. Based on our combined behavioral, chemical and electrophysiological analyses, we identified (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol as the female sex pheromone of A. dimorphus as it evoked the tandem behavior at short distance, and the active quantities ranged from 0.01ng to 10ng. Interestingly, GC-MS analyses of SPME extracts showed another compound specific to the female sternal gland, (3Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol, which showed a clear GC-EAD response. However, this compound has no behavioral function in natural concentrations (0.1ng), while higher amounts (1ng) inhibit the attraction achieved by (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol. The function of (3Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol is not fully understood, but might be linked to recognition from sympatric species using the same major compound, enhancing the long-distance attraction, or informing about presence of other colonies using the compound as a trail-following pheromone. The sternal gland secretion of Ancistrotermes females contains additional candidate compounds, namely (3E,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol and (6Z)-dodec-6-en-1-ol, which are not perceived by males' antennae in biologically relevant amounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China; Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Jiangsu Agrochemical Laboratory, Changzhou, Jiangsu 212022, China
| | - Jianchu Mo
- Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
| | - Chunwen Lu
- Termite Control Center of Fangchengang, Fangchengang, Guangxi 538001, China
| | - Ken Tan
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- IRD - Sorbonne Universités, iEES-Paris, U 242, Bondy, France; University Paris 13 - Sorbonne Paris Cité, LEEC, EA 4443, Villetaneuse, France
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Mutual use of trail-following chemical cues by a termite host and its inquiline. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85315. [PMID: 24465533 PMCID: PMC3897442 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Termite nests are often secondarily inhabited by other termite species ( = inquilines) that cohabit with the host. To understand this association, we studied the trail-following behaviour in two Neotropical species, Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) and its obligatory inquiline, Inquilinitermes microcerus (Termitidae: Termitinae). Using behavioural experiments and chemical analyses, we determined that the trail-following pheromone of C. cyphergaster is made of neocembrene and (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol. Although no specific compound was identified in I. microcerus, workers were able to follow the above compounds in behavioural bioassays. Interestingly, in choice tests, C. cyphergaster prefers conspecific over heterospecific trails while I. microcerus shows the converse behaviour. In no-choice tests with whole body extracts, C. cyphergaster showed no preference for, while I. microcerus clearly avoided heterospecific trails. This seems to agree with the hypothesis that trail-following pheromones may shape the cohabitation of C. cyphergaster and I. microcerus and reinforce the idea that their cohabitation is based on conflict-avoiding strategies.
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