Nguyen Tuan T, Kanaori Kenji, Hojo Masaru K, Kawada Tatsuro, Yamaoka Ryohei, Akino Toshiharu
Chemical Ecology Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology.
Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2011;75(9):1818-22. doi: 10.1271/bbb.110372. Epub 2011 Sep 7.
We identified the soldier-specific compounds in the Japanese subterranean termite, Reticulitermes speratus, to clarify their ethological roles. Silica gel column chromatography separated one major soldier-specific compound in the hexane fraction accounting for 70-80% of the total amount of the fraction, while cuticular hydrocarbons constituted the rest. We identified the compound as β-selinene by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Comparative GC analyses of the major exocrine glands detected the compound in the soldier's frontal gland. Both soldiers and workers made aggregation to the hexane fraction, as well as to the crushed heads and head extract of the soldiers. They did not aggregate to cuticular hydrocarbons, making it likely that β-selinene was the aggregation pheromone in this species. The opportunistic predator of this termite, Lasius japonicus, was also attracted to the compounds. The ant workers, therefore, would use the termite aggregation pheromone as a kairomone for hunting them.
我们鉴定了日本地下白蚁(Reticulitermes speratus)中特定于兵蚁的化合物,以阐明它们的行为学作用。硅胶柱色谱法从己烷馏分中分离出一种主要的特定于兵蚁的化合物,该化合物占该馏分总量的70 - 80%,其余部分为表皮碳氢化合物。我们通过气相色谱 - 质谱联用(GC - MS)和核磁共振(NMR)光谱法将该化合物鉴定为β -石竹烯。对主要外分泌腺的比较气相色谱分析在兵蚁的额腺中检测到了该化合物。兵蚁和工蚁都聚集到己烷馏分以及兵蚁的碾碎头部和头部提取物上。它们不会聚集到表皮碳氢化合物上,这表明β -石竹烯可能是该物种的聚集信息素。这种白蚁的机会主义捕食者日本弓背蚁(Lasius japonicus)也被这些化合物所吸引。因此,蚂蚁工蚁会将白蚁聚集信息素用作捕猎它们的利它素。