Dehiscent organs used for defensive behavior of kamikaze termites of the genus Ruptitermes (Termitidae,Apicotermitinae) are not glands |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China;2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA;3. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Resource Processing and Process Intensification Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China;1. Central Michigan University, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Brooks Hall 314, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858, United States;2. The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Geological Sciences, 2275 Speedway Stop C9000, Austin, TX 78712-1722, United States;1. State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China;2. UC Davis Stable Isotope Facility, Department of Plant Sciences, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA;3. Department of Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China;1. School of Public Health, Medical College, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, 947Heping Avenue, Wuhan 430081, PR China;2. Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201700, PR China;3. Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China;4. Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, United States;1. RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA;2. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC, USA;3. Department of Chemistry, University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY, USA |
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| Abstract: | During Isoptera evolution, the caste of soldiers disappeared in some Apicotermitinae termites as in the Neotropical Ruptitermes. Paired dorsolateral structures located between the metathorax and abdomen of foraging workers of Ruptitermes were previously denominated dehiscent glands, and are responsible for releasing an adhesive secretion that immobilizes enemies, causing their death. In this study, we investigated the morphology of dehiscent organs of workers of Ruptitermes reconditus, Ruptitermes xanthochiton, and Ruptitermes pitan and also second instar larvae of R. reconditus using light, laser scanning confocal, and transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, we performed a preliminary protein analysis using SDS-PAGE to further characterize the secretion of Ruptitermes dehiscent organs. Our results showed that the dehiscent organs do not exhibit the typical characteristics of the exocrine glandular cells class I, II or III of insects, suggesting that they constitute a new type of defensive organ. Thus, the denomination dehiscent gland was not used but dehiscent organ. Dehiscent organs in larvae are formed by fat body cells. In workers, dehiscent organs are composed by compact masses of cells that accumulate a defensive secretion and are poor in organelles related to the production of secretion. Since the dehiscent organs are not glands, we hypothesize that the dehiscent organs originate from larval fat body. The defensive secretion may have been produced at younger developmental stages of worker or the defensive compounds were absorbed from food and accumulated in the worker fat body. Histochemical techniques and SDS-PAGE revealed that the secretion of Ruptitermes dehiscent organs is constituted mainly by a protein of high molecular weight (200 kDa). In conclusion, the dehiscent organs are extremely different from the exocrine glands of termites and other insects described until now. In fact, they seem to be a specialized fat body that is peculiar and exclusive of Ruptitermes termites. |
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| Keywords: | Abdominal rupture Fat body Histochemistry Protein Soldierless termites Workers |
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