Identification of a queen primer pheromone in higher termites

0563357 - ÚOCHB 2023 RIV GB eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Dolejšová, Klára - Křivánek, Jan - Štáfková, Jitka - Horáček, Natan - Havlíčková, Jana - Roy, V. - Kalinová, B. - Roy, A. - Kyjaková, Pavlína - Hanus, Robert
Identification of a queen primer pheromone in higher termites.
Communications Biology. Roč. 5, č. 1 (2022), č. článku 1165. E-ISSN 2399-3642
Grant CEP: GA ČR(CZ) GA22-28470S
Institucionální podpora: RVO:61388963
Klíčová slova: termites * higher termites * queen pheromone * asexual queen succession * (3R,6E)-nerolidol
Obor OECD: Zoology
Impakt faktor: 5.9, rok: 2022
Způsob publikování: Open access
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-04163-5

It is long established that queens of social insects, including termites, maintain their reproductive dominance with queen pheromones. Yet, the queen pheromone chemistry has only been elucidated in a single species of lower termites. Here, we show that the queen- and egg-specific sesquiterpene (3R,6E)-nerolidol acts as the queen pheromone in the higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus. We demonstrate that the compound suppresses the development of new queens and thus mimics the presence of mature queen(s). It acts as an airborne signal and may be used to optimize the number of queens, thus being the key regulatory element in the breeding system of E. neotenicus.
Trvalý link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0335343