IRBI, institut de recherche sur la biologie de l'insecte, université François-Rabelais, Tours, France.
C R Biol. 2011 Oct;334(10):737-41. doi: 10.1016/j.crvi.2011.06.008. Epub 2011 Aug 24.
Carpenter ants (genus Camponotus) have mutualistic, endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Blochmannia whose main contribution to their hosts is alimentary. It was also recently demonstrated that they play a role in improving immune function as well. In this study, we show that treatment with an antibiotic produces a physiological response inducing an increase in both the quantity of cuticular hydrocarbons and in the melanization of the cuticle probably due to a nutritive and immunological deficit. We suggest that this is because it enhances the protection the cuticle provides from desiccation and also from invasions by pathogens and parasites. Nevertheless, the cuticular hydrocarbon profile is not modified by the antibiotic treatment, which indicates that nestmate recognition is not modified.
木匠蚁（Camponotus 属）有一种共生的内共生细菌，属于 Blochmannia 属，它们对宿主的主要贡献是营养。最近还证明，它们在改善免疫功能方面也发挥了作用。在这项研究中，我们表明，抗生素处理会产生一种生理反应，导致表皮碳氢化合物的数量增加，表皮的黑化也增加，这可能是由于营养和免疫缺陷。我们认为，这是因为它增强了表皮提供的对脱水以及病原体和寄生虫入侵的保护。然而，抗生素处理并不改变表皮碳氢化合物的分布，这表明巢内识别没有改变。
