Francelino M R, Mendonça A L, Do Nascimento R R, Sant'ana A E G
Laboratório de Ecologia Química, CCEN, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus AC Simões, Maceió-AL, Brazil.
J Chem Ecol. 2006 Mar;32(3):643-56. doi: 10.1007/s10886-005-9020-9. Epub 2006 Apr 25.
The mandibular gland secretions of worker castes from wild colonies of the leaf-cutting ants Atta sexdens sexdens and Atta opaciceps were analyzed quantitatively by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The secretions comprised a complex mixture of volatile, mainly oxygenated compounds, and their profiles exhibited considerable qualitative and quantitative variations among species and castes. The known alarm pheromone 4-methyl-3-heptanone was common to both species. The elevated relative proportions of this ketone found in the secretions of gardeners and generalists suggest that such castes are primarily responsible for the production and release of the alarm pheromone. Quantitative variations (but no qualitative differences) in the profiles of secretions of soldiers from different colonies of A. sexdens sexdens were detected, supporting the view that intraspecific colony recognition is mediated through mandibular gland secretions. Subsequent laboratory assays showed that, among the compounds identified by GC-MS, 4-methyl-3-heptanone elicited a strong alarm response in workers of A. sexdens sexdens and A. opaciceps.
通过气相色谱 - 质谱联用技术对切叶蚁Atta sexdens sexdens和Atta opaciceps野生群体中工蚁等级的下颌腺分泌物进行了定量分析。这些分泌物是一种复杂的挥发性混合物，主要是含氧化合物，其成分在物种和等级之间表现出相当大的定性和定量差异。已知的警报信息素4 - 甲基 - 3 - 庚酮在这两个物种中都很常见。在园丁蚁和杂工蚁分泌物中发现这种酮的相对比例升高，表明这些等级主要负责警报信息素的产生和释放。检测到来自不同Atta sexdens sexdens群体的兵蚁分泌物成分存在定量差异（但无定性差异），这支持了种内群体识别是通过下颌腺分泌物介导的观点。随后的实验室分析表明，在通过气相色谱 - 质谱联用技术鉴定出的化合物中，4 - 甲基 - 3 - 庚酮在Atta sexdens sexdens和Atta opaciceps的工蚁中引发了强烈的警报反应。
