Isolation and Identification of Termite Trail-following Pheromone

Matsumura, Fumio; Coppel, H. C.; Tai, Akira

doi:10.1038/219963a0

Cited by 110 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Primer pheromones are distinct from "releaser" pheromones, which elicit rapid behavioral responses in recipients (Vander Meer et al, 1998). Two examples of releaser pheromones in termites are the trail pheromone (Z,Z,E)-3,6,8-dodecatrien-1-ol (Matsumura, 1968) and the phagostimulatory pheromone hydroquinone (Reinhard et al, 2002). Three examples of primer pheromones from the honey bee are worker behavioral maturation inhibitory pheromone (ethyl oleate; Leoncini et al, 2004), brood pheromone (fatty acid esters; LeConte et al, 2006), and queen mandibular pheromone (5 carboxylate and aromatic components; Grozinger et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Soldier-Derived Terpenes on Soldier Caste Differentiation in the Termite Reticulitermes flavipes

et al. 2009

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-Primer pheromones play key roles in regulating division of labor, which is one of the most fundamental and defining aspects of insect sociality. Primer pheromones are chemical messengers that transmit hormone-like messages among colony members; in recipients these messages can either induce or suppress phenotypic caste differentiation. Here, we investigated soldier-caste-derived chemicals as possible primer pheromones in the lower termite Reticulitermes flavipes, a species for which no primer pheromones have yet been identified. We determined that soldier head extracts (SHE), when provided to totipotent workers along with the insect morphogenetic juvenile hormone (JH), significantly enhanced soldier caste differentiation. When applied alone, however, SHE had no impacts on caste differentiation, survivorship, or any other aspect of worker biology. These findings support that soldier-derived chemicals serve as primer pheromones which enhance the action of the endogenous morphogenetic hormone JH.Thus, SHE chemicals apparently have no effect when received under natural conditions by non-receptive individuals with presumably low JH titers. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified two terpenes as the most plentiful components of R.flavipes SHE. Through GC-MS and NMR analyses, these terpenes were identified as γ-cadinene and its corresponding aldehyde, γ-cadinenal. Validative bioassays with commercially available cadinene confirmed its activity. However, several other previously identified terpenes were also significantly active. These findings reveal a novel primer pheromone-like function for soldier-derived terpenes in termites, and further suggest convergent evolution of terpene functions in enhancing JH-dependent soldier caste differentiation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Soldier-Derived Terpenes on Soldier Caste Differentiation in the Termite Reticulitermes flavipes

et al. 2009

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“…Whereas Matsumura et al (1968) found only one highly active compound to be present in cultures of the fungus on aspen wood, we found that at least two such compounds are present in L. trabea-invaded pine wood. One of them may be the same as the compound isolated by Matsumura et aI.…”

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confidence: 66%

“…From the data of Smythe et al (1967) and Matsumura et al (1968) and from our experiments it is strongly suggested that the trail-following pheromone of the termites is the same compound as one of the products formed in the L. trabeainvaded wood, which has been called an attractant. As this wood serves as food for the insect, this would probably be the first example of a pheromone being identical with a food-attractant.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Food Attractants and a Pheromone as Trail‐following Substances for the Saintonge Termite

Ritter

Coenen‐Saraber

1969

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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Column chromatography of the unsaponifiable lipids from pine wood, on which the fungus Lenzites trabea was cultured, yielded two well‐separated fractions, which were highly active in choice tests as well as in a trail‐following test with the termite Reticulitermes lucifugus var. santonensis (Feytaud). Thin layer and gas chromatography confirmed that these fractions contained distinctly different active compounds. Column chromatography of the non‐saponifiable lipids of the worker termites yielded only one active fraction, which corresponded to one of the fractions obtained from the wood. These results are in agreement with the opinion of Smythe et al., (1967), that a trail‐following pheromone may at Ü12 same time be a food attractant. Our data show, however, that the “food” contains more than one highly active trail‐following substance. Comparison of gas chromatographic data showed that cis‐3, cis‐6, trans‐8‐dodecatrien‐l‐ol, described by Matsumura et al. in 1968, may be present in one of these fractions. RÉSUMÉ ATTRACTIFS ALIMENTAIRES ET PHÉROMONE, AGISSANT COMME SUBSTANCES DE MARQUAGE DES PISTES, POUR LE TERMITE DE SAINTONGE. MULTIPLICITÉ DE SUBSTANCES DE MARQUAGE DES PISTES DANS LE BOIS ATTAQUÉ PAR L. TRABEA Le champignon Lenzites trabea a été cultivé sur le bois de Pinus silvestris, qui, en conséquence, devient attractif pour le termite de Saintonge, Reticulitermes lucifugus var. santonensis. Le bois attaqué est soumis à une distillation par la vapeur d'eau et le distillât est extrait avec l'hexane. La saponification de cet extrait et la séparation des lipides non‐saponifiables donnent un produit très actif dans des tests de choix et dans un essai quantitatif pour des “substances de pistage”. Par la Chromatographie sur colonne de ces lipides on a obtenu deux fractions très actives. Une de celles‐ci est semblable à la fraction active obtenue par une méthode analogue, à partir d'extraits d'ouvriers du Termite de Saintonge. La Chromatographie en phase gazeuse démontre qu'une des fractions des lipides du bois peut contenir la substance de pistage, cis‐3, cis‐6, trans‐8‐dodecatrièn‐l‐ol, qui a été décrite par Matsumura en 1968. L'autre fraction se comporte différemment, non seulement en Chromatographie sur colonne, mais aussi en Chromatographie en phase gazeuse et sur couche mince. Néanmoins elle aussi est fort active dans des tests de choix et dans l'essai de pistage. Les résultats indiquent que la pheromone de pistage du termite de Saintonge est aussi présente dans le bois attaqué par le champignon, qui peut être considéré comme une source de nourriture du termite. En outre les résultats démontrent que ce bois contient au moins une autre substance très active.

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“…The ink of some ballpoint pens elicits the trail-following behavior in subterranean termites of the genus Reticulitermes and in Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki due to the fact that the reported ink contains 2-phenoxyethanol whose structure is similar to that of dodecatrien-1-ol, the main component of the trail pheromone of these species (Chen et al 1988). In addition, extracts of wood infested with the fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum (Persoon) also induce trail following and orientation in foraging termites because they contain dodecatrien-1-ol (Matsumura et al 1968, Rust et al 1996.…”

Section: Trail Pheromonesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical communication in isoptera

Costa–Leonardo¹,

Casarin²,

Lima³

2009

Neotrop. entomol.

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Edited by José Maurício Simões Bento -ESALQ/USPNeotropical Entomology 38(1): 001-006 (2009) Comunicação Química em Isoptera RESUMO -Os semioquímicos dos cupins têm sido pouco estudados quando comparados aos de formigas e abelhas. Um dos fatores limitantes é o hábito críptico dos térmitas, aliado à difi culdade de manutenção de muitas espécies em laboratório. Entre os semioquímicos de Isoptera destacam-se os feromônios sexuais, de trilha, de alarme e uma mistura complexa de substâncias responsável pelo reconhecimento dos companheiros de ninho. Apesar de os semioquímicos dos cupins serem pouco conhecidos, os dados disponíveis indicam uma estratégia de parcimônia feromonal na comunicação química desses insetos, ou seja, algumas vezes o mesmo composto é secretado por diferentes glândulas, diferentes espécies e para diferentes funções. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Semioquímico, feromônio de trilha, feromônio de alarme, feromônio sexual, cupimABSTRACT -The semiochemicals produced by termites have been little studied compared to those of ants and bees. Among the limiting factors are the cryptic habits of termites, together with the diffi culty in maintaining many species in the laboratory. The semiochemicals of Isoptera include trail, sex and alarm pheromones and a complex mixture of substances responsible for the recognition of nestmates. Although little is known about the semiochemicals of termites, available data indicate a strategy of pheromonal parsimony in the chemistry communication of these insects, i.e., the same compound is sometimes secreted by different glands, different species and for different functions.

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Isolation and Identification of Termite Trail-following Pheromone

Cited by 110 publications

References 5 publications

Effects of Soldier-Derived Terpenes on Soldier Caste Differentiation in the Termite Reticulitermes flavipes

Effects of Soldier-Derived Terpenes on Soldier Caste Differentiation in the Termite Reticulitermes flavipes

Food Attractants and a Pheromone as Trail‐following Substances for the Saintonge Termite

Chemical communication in isoptera

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