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Hayasaka D, Kato K, Hiraiwa MK, Kasai H, Osaki K, Aoki R, Sawahata T. Undesirable dispersal via a river pathway of a single Argentine ant supercolony newly invading an inland urban area of Japan. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21119. [PMID: 38036575 PMCID: PMC10689755 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47734-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive ants pose a risk to human well-being and social/ecosystem stability. Linepithema humile Mayr is among the most damaging invasive ants worldwide. Most L. humile populations invade ports/wharfs isolated from surrounding landscapes, but unfortunately, a new population was discovered in an inland urban area (Nara Prefecture) of Japan in 2021. In this study, first, the supercolony type of the Nara L. humile population was identified via a hostility test, and then its distribution pattern was characterized. In aggression tests between L. humile from Nara and four supercolonies (haplotypes LH1, LH2, LH3, LH4), this ant showed extremely strong hostility against all supercolonies exept LH2, which was detected only in Japan in its introduced range. In Nara, L. humile was abundant in and around the urban river. Simulations revealed that using this environment for movement/dispersal increased the annual dispersal ability by 14 times compared with that achieved via ground (125 m), as mentioned in the literature. Therefore, river channels can serve as major pathways of long-distance dispersal for L. humile invading inland urban areas. Since applying chemical strategies around rivers is problematic, preventing L. humile from moving to rivers from initial invasion sites is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Hayasaka
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nakamachi 3327-204, Nara, 631-8505, Japan.
| | - Kenshin Kato
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nakamachi 3327-204, Nara, 631-8505, Japan
- Fukui River and National Highway Office, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Hanando-minami 2-14-7, Fukui, 918-8015, Japan
| | - Masayoshi K Hiraiwa
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nakamachi 3327-204, Nara, 631-8505, Japan.
| | - Hiro Kasai
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nakamachi 3327-204, Nara, 631-8505, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Osaki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nakamachi 3327-204, Nara, 631-8505, Japan
| | - Retsushi Aoki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nakamachi 3327-204, Nara, 631-8505, Japan
| | - Takuo Sawahata
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nakamachi 3327-204, Nara, 631-8505, Japan
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Barassé V, Jouvensal L, Boy G, Billet A, Ascoët S, Lefranc B, Leprince J, Dejean A, Lacotte V, Rahioui I, Sivignon C, Gaget K, Ribeiro Lopes M, Calevro F, Da Silva P, Loth K, Paquet F, Treilhou M, Bonnafé E, Touchard A. Discovery of an Insect Neuroactive Helix Ring Peptide from Ant Venom. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:600. [PMID: 37888631 PMCID: PMC10610885 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15100600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ants are among the most abundant terrestrial invertebrate predators on Earth. To overwhelm their prey, they employ several remarkable behavioral, physiological, and biochemical innovations, including an effective paralytic venom. Ant venoms are thus cocktails of toxins finely tuned to disrupt the physiological systems of insect prey. They have received little attention yet hold great promise for the discovery of novel insecticidal molecules. To identify insect-neurotoxins from ant venoms, we screened the paralytic activity on blowflies of nine synthetic peptides previously characterized in the venom of Tetramorium bicarinatum. We selected peptide U11, a 34-amino acid peptide, for further insecticidal, structural, and pharmacological experiments. Insecticidal assays revealed that U11 is one of the most paralytic peptides ever reported from ant venoms against blowflies and is also capable of paralyzing honeybees. An NMR spectroscopy of U11 uncovered a unique scaffold, featuring a compact triangular ring helix structure stabilized by a single disulfide bond. Pharmacological assays using Drosophila S2 cells demonstrated that U11 is not cytotoxic, but suggest that it may modulate potassium conductance, which structural data seem to corroborate and will be confirmed in a future extended pharmacological investigation. The results described in this paper demonstrate that ant venom is a promising reservoir for the discovery of neuroactive insecticidal peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentine Barassé
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Laurence Jouvensal
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Propre de Recherche (UPR) 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche (UFR) Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Orléans, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Guillaume Boy
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Arnaud Billet
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Steven Ascoët
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Benjamin Lefranc
- Inserm, Univ Rouen Normandie, NorDiC Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1239, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Jérôme Leprince
- Inserm, Univ Rouen Normandie, NorDiC Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1239, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Alain Dejean
- Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31062 Toulouse, France
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (EcoFoG), AgroParisTech, Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, 97379 Kourou, France
| | - Virginie Lacotte
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Isabelle Rahioui
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Catherine Sivignon
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Karen Gaget
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Mélanie Ribeiro Lopes
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Federica Calevro
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Pedro Da Silva
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Karine Loth
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Propre de Recherche (UPR) 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche (UFR) Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Orléans, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Françoise Paquet
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Propre de Recherche (UPR) 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Michel Treilhou
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Elsa Bonnafé
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Axel Touchard
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
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Nonkhwao S, Rungsa P, Buraphaka H, Klaynongsruang S, Daduang J, Kornthong N, Daduang S. Characterization and Localization of Sol g 2.1 Protein from Solenopsis geminata Fire Ant Venom in the Central Nervous System of Injected Crickets ( Acheta domestica). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14814. [PMID: 37834262 PMCID: PMC10573061 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Solenopsis geminata is recognized for containing the allergenic proteins Sol g 1, 2, 3, and 4 in its venom. Remarkably, Sol g 2.1 exhibits hydrophobic binding and has a high sequence identity (83.05%) with Sol i 2 from S. invicta. Notably, Sol g 2.1 acts as a mediator, causing paralysis in crickets. Given its structural resemblance and biological function, Sol g 2.1 may play a key role in transporting hydrophobic potent compounds, which induce paralysis by releasing the compounds through the insect's nervous system. To investigate this further, we constructed and characterized the recombinant Sol g 2.1 protein (rSol g 2.1), identified with LC-MS/MS. Circular dichroism spectroscopy was performed to reveal the structural features of the rSol g 2.1 protein. Furthermore, after treating crickets with S. geminata venom, immunofluorescence and immunoblotting results revealed that the Sol g 2.1 protein primarily localizes to the neuronal cell membrane of the brain and thoracic ganglia, with distribution areas related to octopaminergic neuron cell patterns. Based on protein-protein interaction predictions, we found that the Sol g 2.1 protein can interact with octopamine receptors (OctRs) in neuronal cell membranes, potentially mediating Sol g 2.1's localization within cricket central nervous systems. Here, we suggest that Sol g 2.1 may enhance paralysis in crickets by acting as carriers of active molecules and releasing them onto target cells through pH gradients. Future research should explore the binding properties of Sol g 2.1 with ligands, considering its potential as a transporter for active molecules targeting pest nervous systems, offering innovative pest control prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siriporn Nonkhwao
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.N.); (P.R.); (H.B.)
| | - Prapenpuksiri Rungsa
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.N.); (P.R.); (H.B.)
| | - Hathairat Buraphaka
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.N.); (P.R.); (H.B.)
| | - Sompong Klaynongsruang
- Protein and Proteomics Research Center for Commercial and Industrial Purposes (ProCCI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand;
| | - Jureerut Daduang
- Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand;
| | - Napamanee Kornthong
- Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand;
| | - Sakda Daduang
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.N.); (P.R.); (H.B.)
- Protein and Proteomics Research Center for Commercial and Industrial Purposes (ProCCI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand;
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4
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Whyte BA, Sandidge R, Buellesbach J, Cash EI, Scheckel KJ, Gibson JD, Tsutsui ND. The role of body size and cuticular hydrocarbons in the desiccation resistance of invasive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile). J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245578. [PMID: 37497773 PMCID: PMC10482004 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
An insect's cuticle is typically covered in a layer of wax prominently featuring various hydrocarbons involved in desiccation resistance and chemical communication. In Argentine ants (Linepithema humile), cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) communicate colony identity, but also provide waterproofing necessary to survive dry conditions. Theory suggests different CHC compound classes have functional trade-offs, such that selection for compounds used in communication would compromise waterproofing, and vice versa. We sampled sites of invasive L. humile populations from across California to test whether CHC differences between them can explain differences in their desiccation survival. We hypothesized that CHCs whose abundance was correlated with environmental factors would determine survival during desiccation, but our regression analysis did not support this hypothesis. Interestingly, we found the abundance of most CHCs had a negative correlation with survival, regardless of compound class. We suggest that the CHC differences between L. humile nests in California are insufficient to explain their differential survival against desiccation, and that body mass is a better predictor of desiccation survival at this scale of comparison.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A. Whyte
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
| | - Rebecca Sandidge
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
| | - Jan Buellesbach
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Muenster, Hüfferstr. 1, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Elizabeth I. Cash
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
| | - Kelsey J. Scheckel
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
| | - Joshua D. Gibson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, PO Box 8042-1, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - Neil D. Tsutsui
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
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5
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Xu G, Chen L. Biological Activities and Ecological Significance of Fire Ant Venom Alkaloids. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:439. [PMID: 37505709 PMCID: PMC10467088 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15070439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Venoms produced by arthropods act as chemical weapons to paralyze prey or deter competitors. The utilization of venom is an essential feature in the biology and ecology of venomous arthropods. Solenopsis fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are medically important venomous ants. They have acquired different patterns of venom use to maximize their competitive advantages rendered by the venom when facing different challenges. The major components of fire ant venom are piperidine alkaloids, which have strong insecticidal and antibiotic activities. The alkaloids protect fire ants from pathogens over the course of their lives and can be used to defend them from predators and competitors. They are also utilized by some of the fire ants' natural enemies, such as phorid flies to locate host ants. Collectively, these ants' diverse alkaloid compositions and functions have ecological significance for their survival, successful invasion, and rapid range expansion. The venom alkaloids with powerful biological activities may have played an important role in shaping the assembly of communities in both native and introduced ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangxin Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China;
- Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interaction, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Li Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China;
- Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interaction, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
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Liu Y, Huang J, Zhang J, Xu Y, Li X, Lu Y. Sensitization of Guinea Pig Skin to Imported Fire Ant Alkaloids and Establishment of an Inflammatory Model. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:1904. [PMID: 36767271 PMCID: PMC9914866 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Imported fire ants (IFAs), Solenopsis invicta, release their venom through multiple stings that induce inflammation, allergies, shock, and even death. Although IFA venom protein sensitization and related subcutaneous immunotherapy have been studied, few studies have examined the potential toxicity or pathogenicity of alkaloids, the main substances in IFA venom. Here, IFA alkaloids were identified and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; we further determined an appropriate extraction method and its effectiveness for extracting high-purity alkaloids through comparative analysis and guinea pig skin sensitivity tests. The alkaloids released from the IFA abdomen included those present in the head and thorax, and the alkaloids in the abdomen accounted for the highest proportion of the total extract. The abdominal extirpation method yielded alkaloids with a purity above 97%, and the skin irritation response score and histopathological diagnosis suggest that intradermal injection of the extracted alkaloids produced symptoms effectively simulating those of IFA stings. The successful establishment of an inflammatory model in guinea pigs stung by IFAs provides a basis for further research on the mechanism of inflammatory diseases caused by IFAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueze Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MOA of China and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Jun Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MOA of China and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Institute of Garden Plants and Flowers, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 311202, China
| | - Yipeng Xu
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Xiaowei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MOA of China and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Yaobin Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MOA of China and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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Yang F, Zhang G, Liu J, Duan S, Li L, Lu Y, Wang MQ, Zhou A. Sublethal Exposure to Cadmium Induces Chemosensory Dysfunction in Fire Ants. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:12440-12451. [PMID: 35944015 PMCID: PMC9454817 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ants easily accumulate cadmium (Cd) from the food web in terrestrial ecosystems. Cd contamination may cause olfactory dysfunction and consequently disorders in the social behavior of ants. To explore the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of Cd exposure on the chemosensory process of ants, we characterized the Cd-induced variations in the expression of genes involved in chemoreception and electrophysiological and behavioral sensitivity to semiochemicals by using the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, as a model system. As a result, Cd exposure increased Cd accumulation and decreased the survival rate of S. invicta. Cd exposure altered the expression profiles of odor binding protein genes of S. invicta (SiOBPs). Specifically, SiOBP15 protein expression was upregulated upon Cd exposure. Both SiOBP7 and SiOBP15 exhibited high binding affinities to limonene, nonanal, and 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine. S. invicta exposed to Cd showed less sensitive electrophysiological and behavioral response to the three chemicals but exhibited sensitive perception to undecane. Silencing of SiOBP7 and SiOBP15 abolished the behavioral response of S. invicta to nonanal and undecane, respectively, suggesting that SiOBP7 and SiOBP15 play essential roles in the chemoreception of S. invicta. In general, our results suggest that Cd contamination may interfere with olfactory signal transduction by altering the expression of SiOBPs, consequently evoking chemosensory dysfunction in fire ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuxiang Yang
- Hubei
Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory,
College of Plant Science and Technology,
Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Guoqing Zhang
- Hubei
Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory,
College of Plant Science and Technology,
Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jinlong Liu
- Hubei
Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory,
College of Plant Science and Technology,
Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shuanggang Duan
- Hubei
Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory,
College of Plant Science and Technology,
Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lei Li
- Environment
and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese
Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Yongyue Lu
- Department
of Entomology, South China Agricultural
University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Man-Qun Wang
- Hubei
Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory,
College of Plant Science and Technology,
Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Aiming Zhou
- Hubei
Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory,
College of Plant Science and Technology,
Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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8
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Zhou A, Du Y, Chen J. Surfactant affects the tool use behavior of foraging ants. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2022; 238:113592. [PMID: 35526452 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Surfactants are commonly used in detergents, soaps and agrichemical products. After use, the residual surfactants can be dispersed into environmental compartments, directly or indirectly affecting aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Ants are one of the few insects that are able to make and use tools when foraging for liquid food. However, this unique behavior of ants may be greatly affected by environmental pollutants. Here, we hypothesized that surfactants have adversarial impacts on ant foraging behavior, and tested this hypothesis by investigating the effect of TWEEN 80 (a common nonionic surfactant) on the tool use behavior of black imported fire ants (Solenopsis richteri) when foraging for liquid food (sugar water). Natural pine needles and man-made sponges were provided as tools for ants. The results revealed increasing surfactant concentration induced ants to deposit more tools and caused a higher drowning rate of ants. S. richteri tended to deposit more pine needles and tools of smaller size when exposed to surfactant. Interactions between tool type and surfactant concentration showed significant effects on tool deposition and drowning rate of ants. Addition of surfactant into sugar water increased the drowning rate and reduced the foraging activity and food collection of ant workers, suggesting that surfactant in liquid food can affect the foraging efficiency of ants. However, availability of tools reduced drowning rate and increased sugar water collected compared to without tools. Our results demonstrated that ants can adjust their tool use strategies to manage the foraging risk caused by environmental surfactant, such as increasing the amount and selecting appropriate size of the tools and assembling tools of different structures. Therefore, long-term exposure to surfactants may alter foraging behavior of ants and contribute to evolve new foraging strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiming Zhou
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Yuzhe Du
- National Biological Control Laboratory, Biological Control of Pest Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
| | - Jian Chen
- National Biological Control Laboratory, Biological Control of Pest Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA.
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9
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Yasashimoto T, Sakata MK, Sakita T, Nakajima S, Ozaki M, Minamoto T. Environmental DNA detection of an invasive ant species (Linepithema humile) from soil samples. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10712. [PMID: 34040019 PMCID: PMC8154996 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89993-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Alien ant species (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) cause serious damage worldwide. Early detection of invasion and rapid management are significant for controlling these species. However, these attempts are sometimes hindered by the need for direct detection techniques, such as capture, visual observation, or morphological identification. In this study, we demonstrated that environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis can be used as a monitoring tool for alien ants using Linepithema humile (Argentine ant), one of the most invasive ants, as a model species. We designed a new real-time PCR assay specific to L. humile and successfully detected eDNA from the surface soil. The reliability of eDNA analysis was substantiated by comparing eDNA detection results with traditional survey results. Additionally, we examined the relationship between eDNA concentration and distance from nests and trails. Our results support the effectiveness of eDNA for alien ant monitoring and suggest that this new method could improve our ability to detect invasive ant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsu Yasashimoto
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, 3-11, Tsurukabuto, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Masayuki K Sakata
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, 3-11, Tsurukabuto, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan
- Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoya Sakita
- Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Satoko Nakajima
- Kyoto Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environment, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mamiko Ozaki
- Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
- KYOUSEI Science Center for Life and Nature, Nara Women's University, Nara, Japan
- Research Institute of Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Minamoto
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, 3-11, Tsurukabuto, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan.
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10
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Wagner GK, Jaszek M, Staniec B, Prendecka M, Pigoń D, Belcarz A, Stefaniuk D, Matuszewska A, Pietrykowska-Tudruj E, Zagaja M. Lasius fuliginosus Nest Carton as a Source of New Promising Bioactive Extracts with Chemopreventive Potential. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094392. [PMID: 33922345 PMCID: PMC8122773 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Six new water extracts (E1-E6) were obtained from nest carton produced by jet black ants Lasius fuliginosus and tested for their biochemical and bioactive properties, including antioxidative and anticancer effects. The present study demonstrated significant qualitative and quantitative differences in the content of individual biochemical constituents, as well as bioactive properties between the investigated samples. All tested extracts demonstrated antioxidant properties (determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) methods), and the highest antioxidative potential was recorded in extracts E1 and E2 (188.96 and 313.67 μg/mL of ascorbic acid equivalent for ABTS and 176.42 and 202.66 μg/mL for DPPH reagent). Furthermore the six extracts exhibited strong inhibitory activity towards human melanoma cells of the A-375 CRL-1619 line in a dose-dependent manner. The most interesting chemopreventive activity was exhibited by extract E2, which inhibited the proliferation of A-375 cells to the greatest extent, while having a minimal effect on Vero cells. The effect on cancer cells has been confirmed using the Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) technique. Significant impedance changes have been detected in A-375 and Vero cells following the administration of extract E2. The obtained results are really promising and constitute the basis for further research on the nest carton of jet black ant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Karol Wagner
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (B.S.); (E.P.-T.)
- Correspondence: (G.K.W.); (M.J.)
| | - Magdalena Jaszek
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (D.S.); (A.M.)
- Correspondence: (G.K.W.); (M.J.)
| | - Bernard Staniec
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (B.S.); (E.P.-T.)
| | - Monika Prendecka
- Chair and Department of Human Physiology, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska 11, 20-080 Lublin, Poland; (M.P.); (D.P.)
| | - Dominika Pigoń
- Chair and Department of Human Physiology, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska 11, 20-080 Lublin, Poland; (M.P.); (D.P.)
| | - Anna Belcarz
- Chair and Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Dawid Stefaniuk
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (D.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Anna Matuszewska
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (D.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Ewa Pietrykowska-Tudruj
- Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (B.S.); (E.P.-T.)
| | - Mirosław Zagaja
- Isobolographic Analysis Laboratory, Institute of Rural Health, Jaczewskiego 2, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
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11
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Abstract
Actinidine, a methylcyclopentane monoterpenoid pyridine alkaloid, has been found in many iridoid-rich plants and insect species. In a recent research on a well-known actinidine- and iridoid-producing ant species, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), no actinidine was detected in its hexane extracts by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis using a common sample injection method, but a significant amount of actinidine was detected when a solid injection technique with a thermal separation probe was used. This result led us to hypothesize that heat can induce the production of actinidine in iridoid-rich organisms. To test our hypothesis, the occurrence of actinidine was investigated in four iridoid-rich organisms under different sample preparation temperatures, including two ant species, T. melanocephalum and Iridomyrmex anceps Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and two plant species, Actinidia polygama Maxim (Ericales: Actinidiaceae) and Nepeta cataria L. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae). Within a temperature range of 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 °C, no actinidine was detected at 50 °C, but it appeared at temperatures above 100 °C for all four species. A positive relationship was observed between the heating temperature and actinidine production. The results indicate that actinidine could be generated at high temperatures. We also found that the presence of methylcyclopentane monoterpenoid iridoids (iridodials and nepetalactone) was needed for thermally induced actinidine production in all tested samples. These results suggest that the presence of actinidine in iridoid-rich plants and ants might be a consequence of using high temperatures during sample preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxing Shi
- Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 7 Jinying Rd., Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510640, China
| | - Yurong He
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Wushan Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510642, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Southeast Area, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, National Biological Control Laboratory, 59 Lee Road, Stoneville, Mississippi 38776, United States
| | - Lihua Lu
- Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 7 Jinying Rd., Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510640, China
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12
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Qin D, Zhang P, Zhou Y, Zheng Q, Hou R, Liu B, Chen J, Zhang Z. Different lethal treatments induce changes in piperidine (1,1'-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis-) in the epidermal compounds of red imported fire ants and affect corpse-removal behavior. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2020; 194:110391. [PMID: 32155480 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Corpse-removal behavior of the red imported fire ant (RIFA) and the effects of lethal substances on RIFA signal communication were investigated in this study. The RIFA corpses, obtained through freezing, ether, 0.25 mg/L thiamethoxam, and starvation to death treatments, and naturally dead red fire ants were subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles that had an effect on the corpse-removal behavior. The results showed that lethal toxic substances altered the epidermal compounds of RIFA and affected their corpse-removal behavior. Lethal toxic substances increased the number of worker touches with corpses and identification time of corpses. In addition, the content of piperidine (1,1'-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis-) on the surface of the corpse was different following the various treatments. Contamination with toxic substances resulted in the increased secretion of piperidine and led to increased identification time of corpses, number of touch with corpses, and total time for removal of corpses. Piperidine content was higher under conditions of natural death (4.67 ± 0.55%) and with thiamethoxam (10.43 ± 0.78%), freezing (0.83 ± 0.25%), and ether treatment (12.50 ± 0.70%) than under starvation treatment (0). The higher content of piperidine led to a longer number of touches with corpses and identification time. Piperidine compounds may be an element in warning information, which could affect the occurrence of different corpse-removal behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deqiang Qin
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Peiwen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - You Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Qun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Ruiquan Hou
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Benju Liu
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Department of Environmental Horticulture, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Apopka, FL 32703, USA.
| | - Zhixiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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13
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Menzel F, Morsbach S, Martens JH, Räder P, Hadjaje S, Poizat M, Abou B. Communication versus waterproofing: the physics of insect cuticular hydrocarbons. J Exp Biol 2019. [PMID: 31704903 DOI: 10.1242/jeb210807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the evolution of complex traits is among the major challenges in biology. One such trait is the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) layer in insects. It protects against desiccation and provides communication signals, especially in social insects. CHC composition is highly diverse within and across species. To understand the adaptive value of this chemical diversity, we must understand how it affects biological functionality. So far, CHCs have received ample research attention, but their physical properties were little studied. We argue that these properties determine their biological functionality, and are vital to understanding how CHC composition affects their adaptive value. We investigated melting behaviour and viscosity of CHCs from 11 ant species using differential scanning calorimetry and a novel microrheological technique. CHCs began melting below -45°C, and often were entirely liquid only above 30°C. Thus, they formed a solid-liquid mixture under ambient conditions, which contrasts to previous assumptions of entirely solid layers in many species. This may be adaptive as only biphasic CHC layers ensure uniform coating of the insect body, which is necessary for waterproofing. CHC viscosity was mostly between 0.1 and 0.2 Pa s-1, thus similar to motor oils. Surprisingly, chemically different CHC profiles had similar viscosities, suggesting that a certain viscosity level is adaptive and ensures that communication signals can be perceived. With this study, we draw attention to the importance of studying the physics of CHC layers. Only by understanding how chemical and physical mechanisms enable CHC functionality can we understand the causes and consequences of CHC diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, University of Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Svenja Morsbach
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jiska H Martens
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, University of Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Petra Räder
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Simon Hadjaje
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Marine Poizat
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Bérengère Abou
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
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14
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Abstract
Venomous imported fire ants cause significant medical problems. Alkaloids are an important component of imported fire ant venom. Piperidine and piperideine alkaloids have been identified in fire ant venom. In this study, we studied the venom alkaloids of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, the black imported fire ant, Solenopsis richteri Forel, and the hybrid, S. invicta × S. richteri. Pyridine alkaloids were detected the first time in fire ants using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). The thermal desorption process was manipulated to facilitate the isolation and identification of pyridine alkaloids that were coeluted with piperidine or piperideine alkaloids in GC. After SPME extraction of ant venom, we conducted a series of consecutive GC-MS injections, each with a partial desorption. Hidden pyridine alkaloid peaks were revealed after the overlapping piperidine or piperidiene alkaloid peaks had been desorbed. Using this approach, 10 2-methyl-6-alkyl (or alkenyl)pyridines (1-10) were found the first time in the venom of imported fire ants. Structures of three pyridine alkaloids were confirmed by synthesis, including 2-methyl-6-undecylpyridine (1), 2-methyl-6-tridecylpyridine (7), and 2-methyl-6-pentadecylpyridine (10). We also developed a silica gel column chromatography method to separate the pyridine alkaloids from other alkaloids. Using column chromatography and GC-MS with single ion monitoring at 107 m/z, five pyridine alkaloids were quantified for both workers and female alates of S. invicta and S. richteri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- USDA-ARS, National Biological Control Laboratory , 59 Lee Road , Stoneville , Mississippi 38776 , United States
| | - Yang Zhao
- Institute of Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027 , People's Republic of China
| | - Xing-Cong Li
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy , The University of Mississippi , University , Mississippi 38677 , United States
| | - Jin-Hao Zhao
- Institute of Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027 , People's Republic of China
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15
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Georgiou R, Gueriau P, Sahle CJ, Bernard S, Mirone A, Garrouste R, Bergmann U, Rueff JP, Bertrand L. Carbon speciation in organic fossils using 2D to 3D x-ray Raman multispectral imaging. Sci Adv 2019; 5:eaaw5019. [PMID: 31497643 PMCID: PMC6716953 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw5019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The in situ two-dimensional (2D) and 3D imaging of the chemical speciation of organic fossils is an unsolved problem in paleontology and cultural heritage. Here, we use x-ray Raman scattering (XRS)-based imaging at the carbon K-edge to form 2D and 3D images of the carbon chemistry in two exceptionally preserved specimens, a fossil plant dating back from the Carboniferous and an ancient insect entrapped in 53-million-year-old amber. The 2D XRS imaging of the plant fossil reveals a homogeneous chemical composition with micrometric "pockets" of preservation, likely inherited from its geological history. The 3D XRS imaging of the insect cuticle displays an exceptionally well preserved remaining chemical signature typical of polysaccharides such as chitin around a largely hollowed-out inclusion. Our results open up new perspectives for in situ chemical speciation imaging of fossilized organic materials, with the potential to enhance our understanding of organic specimens and their paleobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaella Georgiou
- IPANEMA, CNRS, ministère de la culture, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, l’Orme des Merisiers, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pierre Gueriau
- IPANEMA, CNRS, ministère de la culture, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christoph J. Sahle
- ESRF–The European Synchrotron, 71, avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Sylvain Bernard
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alessandro Mirone
- ESRF–The European Synchrotron, 71, avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Romain Garrouste
- Institut de Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205 MNHN/CNRS/Sorbonne Univ./EPHE/Univ. Antilles, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 50, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Uwe Bergmann
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Jean-Pascal Rueff
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, l’Orme des Merisiers, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Physique–Matière et Rayonnement, LCPMR, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Loïc Bertrand
- IPANEMA, CNRS, ministère de la culture, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, l’Orme des Merisiers, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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16
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Mukhtorova D, Hlava J, Száková J, Kubík Š, Vrabec V, Tlustoš P. Risk element accumulation in Coleoptera and Hymenoptera (Formicidae) living in an extremely contaminated area-a preliminary study. Environ Monit Assess 2019; 191:432. [PMID: 31190146 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7584-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The risk element accumulation ability of two groups of epigeic species, insects from families Coleoptera and Hymenoptera (namely Formicidae), was determined and related to soil risk element content and bioaccessibility. The study was conducted in the district of Příbram, Czech Republic, which was characterised by extremely high aged pollution in the soils, including risk elements, especially As, Pb, Zn and Cd, due to the former mining and smelting activity. Four sampling sites differing in their pseudo-total risk element contents were selected and composite samples of individuals representing either Coleoptera or Formicidae were sampled at the individual sampling points. The results indicate the ability of Coleoptera and Formicidae organisms to accumulate risk elements, especially at the location with extremely high soil risk element content. In soil containing up to 841 mg As kg-1, 84.6 mg Cd kg-1, 4250 mg Pb kg-1 and 8542 mg Zn kg-1, contents in insect bodies reached 239 mg As kg-1 As, 24.2 mg Cd kg-1, 70.4 mg Pb kg-1 and 335 mg Zn kg-1 in beetles and up to 20.9 mg As kg-1, 29.9 mg Cd kg-1, 111 mg Pb kg-1 and 657 mg Zn kg-1 in ants. Therefore, bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) varied between 0.02 and 0.55. Increasing Cd content in Coleoptera bodies with increasing soil pseudo-total element content was observed only among the investigated elements. However, the results indicate increasing BAF values with decreasing soil element levels, especially for Cd, Pb and Zn, indicating limited uptake of elements by the organisms living in contact with extremely contaminated soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilnora Mukhtorova
- Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Hlava
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Jiřina Száková
- Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague Suchdol, Czech Republic.
| | - Štěpán Kubík
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Vrabec
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Tlustoš
- Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague Suchdol, Czech Republic
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17
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Rosén K, Lenoir L, Stark K, Vinichuk M, Sundell-Bergman S. Transfer of radionuclides and dose assessment to ants and anthills in a Swedish forest ecosystem. J Environ Radioact 2018; 190-191:97-104. [PMID: 29775843 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In forest ecosystems soil organisms are important for immobilization, translocation and recycling of radionuclides. Still, there is a lack of studies on the role of insects such as ants in the turnover of radionuclides and how radioactivity affects an ant community. In this study seven anthills were sampled in an area that was heavily contaminated after the fallout from the Chernobyl accident. Samples of ant and anthill materials were taken from different depths of the anthills as well as from the surrounding soil and the activity concentrations of 137Cs were determined. In addition, a radiation dose assessment was performed for ants and anthills using the ERICA tool. The deposition of 137Cs in 1986 in the study area was calculated back to be on average 110,500 Bq m-2. The averaged data for all the seven locations investigated indicate that the level of 137Cs activity concentrations in the anthill's material increased with depth of the anthill being highest at the depth 50-65 cm. The concentration in the upper layers (0-2 cm) and of the ants showed significant correlations with the deposition upon multivariate analysis. The concentration ratio (CR) defined as the ratio between the mass activity for 137Cs density in ants (Bq kg-1 d.w.) and mass activity density in soil (Bq kg-1 d.w.) was determined to be in the range of 0.04-0.14. Also, the transfer factor (TF) defined as the ratio between the mass activity for 137Cs density in ant (Bq kg-1 d.w.) and to the unit area activity density (in Bq m-2 d.w.) was determined for 137Cs to be 0.0015 m2 kg-1 d.w. The assessed radiation doses were found to be a 4.9 μGy h-1 which is below international reference levels for non-human biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Rosén
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Box 7014, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - L Lenoir
- Brunnvalla 401, SE-740 45, Tärnsjö, Sweden
| | - K Stark
- Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, SSM, SE-171 16, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Vinichuk
- Department of Ecology, Zhytomyr State Technological University, 103 Chernyakhovsky Str., 10005, Zhytomyr, Ukraine
| | - S Sundell-Bergman
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Box 7014, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
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18
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Hu L, Balusu RR, Zhang WQ, Ajayi OS, Lu YY, Zeng RS, Fadamiro HY, Chen L. Intra- and inter-specific variation in alarm pheromone produced by Solenopsis fire ants. Bull Entomol Res 2018; 108:667-673. [PMID: 29223179 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485317001201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Some fire ants of the genus Solenopsis have become invasive species in the southern United States displacing native species by competition. Although the displacement pattern seems clear, the mechanisms underlying competitive advantage remain unclear. The ability of ant workers to produce relatively larger amount of alarm pheromone may correspond to relative greater fitness among sympatric fire ant species. Here we report on quantitative intra-specific (i.e. inter-caste) and inter-specific differences of alarm pheromone component, 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine (2E36DMP), for several fire ant species. The alarm pheromone component was extracted by soaking ants in hexane for 48 h and subsequently quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry at single ion monitoring mode. Solenopsis invicta workers had more 2E36DMP than male or female alates by relative weight; individual workers, however, contained significantly less pyrazine. We thus believe that alarm pheromones may serve additional roles in alates. Workers of Solenopsis richteri, S. invicta, and hybrid (S. richteri × S. invicta) had significantly more 2E36DMP than a native fire ant species, Solenopsis geminata. The hybrid fire ant had significantly less 2E36DMP than the two parent species, S. richteri and S. invicta. It seems likely that higher alarm pheromone content may have favored invasion success of exotic fire ants over native species. We discuss the potential role of inter-specific variation in pyrazine content for the relationship between the observed shifts in the spatial distributions of the three exotic fire ant species in southern United States and the displacement of native fire ant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents,Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,PR China
| | - R R Balusu
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology,Auburn University,Auburn, Alabama 36849,USA
| | - W-Q Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents,Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,PR China
| | - O S Ajayi
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology,Auburn University,Auburn, Alabama 36849,USA
| | - Y-Y Lu
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,PR China
| | - R-S Zeng
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,PR China
| | - H Y Fadamiro
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology,Auburn University,Auburn, Alabama 36849,USA
| | - L Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents,Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,PR China
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Xu M, Lu Z, Lu YY, Balusu RR, Ajayi OS, Fadamiro HY, Appel AG, Chen L. Cuticular hydrocarbon chemistry, an important factor shaping the current distribution pattern of the imported fire ants in the USA. J Insect Physiol 2018; 110:34-43. [PMID: 30130492 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Two sibling species, Solenopsis richteri and S. invicta, were both introduced into the southern USA from South America in the early 20th century. Today, S. richteri occupies higher latitudes and colder areas, while S. invicta occupies lower latitudes. Between the distributions of the two species, there is a large area of viable hybrid (S. richteri × S. invicta) populations. This study aimed to characterize the forces driving this distribution pattern and the underlying mechanisms. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of freshly killed workers of S. invicta, hybrids, and S. richteri were removed using hexane. Both intact and CHCs-extracted workers were subjected to a constant rate of increasing temperature from 10 to 60 °C to obtain relative water loss and the water loss transition temperature (Tc-ant). Mass loss and Tc-ant were both significantly increased with CHCs removal. We then examined the CHC composition of three species. CHC profiles of S. richteri are characterized by significant amounts of short-chain (C23-C27) saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons. In contrast, profiles of S. invicta consist primarily of long-chain (C27-C29) saturated hydrocarbons; unsaturated alkenes are completely lacking. Hybrid fire ants show intermediate profiles of the two parent species. We measured the melting point (Tm) and water-loss transition temperature of CHC blends (Tc-CHC) of different ant species colonies using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and an artificial membrane system, respectively. There were 3-5 Tms of each CHCs sample of different ant colonies due to their complex chemistry. The highest Tms (Tm-maxs) of CHCs samples from S. invicta and the hybrid were significantly higher than that from S. richteri. The correlation between Tc-CHC and Tm-max obtained from the same CHCs sample was highly significant. These results reveal that species having higher Tc and Tm-max retain more water under relatively higher temperature, and consequently are able to occupy warmer environments. We conclude that CHC chemistry plays a role in shaping current distribution patterns of S. richteri, S. invicta and their hybrid in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - ZeKuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Yong-Yue Lu
- Red Imported Fire Ant Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Rammohan R Balusu
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Olufemi S Ajayi
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Henry Y Fadamiro
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Arthur G Appel
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
| | - Li Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China.
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20
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Zamith-Miranda D, Fox EGP, Monteiro AP, Gama D, Poublan LE, de Araujo AF, Araujo MFC, Atella GC, Machado EA, Diaz BL. The allergic response mediated by fire ant venom proteins. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14427. [PMID: 30258210 PMCID: PMC6158280 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32327-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Fire ants are widely studied, invasive and venomous arthropod pests. There is significant biomedical interest in immunotherapy against fire ant stings. However, mainly due to practical reasons, the physiological effects of envenomation has remained poorly characterized. The present study takes advantage of a recently-described venom protein extract to delineate the immunological pathways underlying the allergic reaction to fire ant venom toxins. Mice were injected with controlled doses of venom protein extract. Following sensitization and a second exposure, a marked footpad swelling was observed. Based on eosinophil recruitment and production of Th2 cytokines, we hereby establish that fire ant proteins per se can lead to an allergic response, which casts a new light into the mechanism of action of these toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Laboratório de Inflamação, Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Eduardo G P Fox
- Fire Ant Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Ana Paula Monteiro
- Laboratório de Inflamação, Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Diogo Gama
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Insetos e Parasito (Labip), Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luiz E Poublan
- Laboratório de Inflamação, Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Almair Ferreira de Araujo
- Laboratório de Inflamação, Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Maria F C Araujo
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Lipídios e Lipoproteínas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Georgia C Atella
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Lipídios e Lipoproteínas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ednildo A Machado
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Insetos e Parasito (Labip), Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Bruno L Diaz
- Laboratório de Inflamação, Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Van Den Noortgate H, Lagrain B, Wenseleers T, Martens JA. Analysis of Cuticular Lipids of the Pharaoh Ant ( Monomorium pharaonis) and Their Selective Adsorption on Insecticidal Zeolite Powders. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19092797. [PMID: 30227639 PMCID: PMC6165539 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The pharaoh ant is a notorious and hard to eradicate pest, which poses a threat in hospitals, spreading pathogens and contaminating sterile equipment. When applied on ants, zeolites adsorb part of their epicuticular wax layer. The ants are then vulnerable to desiccation, since this layer regulates water exchange. We analyzed the chemical composition of this wax layer using GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry). A hexane wash of M. pharaonis foragers resulted in the identification of 53 components, four of which were not previously defined in Monomorium species. Selective adsorption of specific compounds on zeolites assisted in the identification of compounds which could not be separated on the GC column and allowed for the identification of three additional compounds. Zeolites show different affinities for the wax compounds depending on pore structure and chemical composition. Selective adsorption of alkanes on zeolites is also investigated in the fields of refinery processes and catalysis. Pore mouth and key lock adsorption mechanisms and selectivity according to molecular weight and branching, investigated in these fields, are also involved in adsorption processes of epicuticular waxes. The insecticidal activity of a zeolite is related to adsorption selectivity rather than capacity. One of the best adsorbing zeolites showed limited insecticidal activity and can be considered as a non-lethal alternative for epicuticular wax sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heleen Van Den Noortgate
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, Box 2461, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
| | - Bert Lagrain
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, Box 2461, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Lab of Socio-Ecology & Social Evolution, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Johan A Martens
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, Box 2461, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
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Skaldina O, Peräniemi S, Sorvari J. Ants and their nests as indicators for industrial heavy metal contamination. Environ Pollut 2018; 240:574-581. [PMID: 29763860 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.04.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Ants accumulate heavy metals and respond to pollution with modification in species composition, community structure, altered behaviour and immunity. However, the levels of heavy metals in ants' nests and explicit individual-level responses towards heavy metals have not been revealed. We found that red wood ants Formica lugubris accumulate high and correlated values of such heavy metals as Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn both in ants and nest material near cobalt smelter in Finland. Relative differences in metal concentrations were higher in nests than in ants. The highest values were obtained for elements such as Co (36.6), Zn (14.9), Cd (9.7), Pb (8.5), Cu (7.4), Ni (6.4), As (4.7), Cr (2.9) and Fe (2.4) in nest material, and Co (32.7), Cd (6.3), Pb (6), Fe (2.8), Ni (2.9) and Zn (2.1) in ants. In industrial and reference areas, ants have no differences in size, but differed in dry and residual body mass. In polluted areas, F. lugubris had less melanised heads, but not thoraxes. The sensitivity of cuticular colouration in red wood ants subjected to heavy metal pollution might be related to metal-binding properties of melanins. The overall results are useful for the improvement of biomonitoring techniques using ants as indicators of industrial contamination and for further discovery of novel ecotoxicological biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Skaldina
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sirpa Peräniemi
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jouni Sorvari
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
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23
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Korb J. Chemical Fertility Signaling in Termites: Idiosyncrasies and Commonalities in Comparison with Ants. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:818-826. [PMID: 29616376 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0952-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Termites evolved eusociality independently from social Hymenoptera. As a common trait, reproductive monopoly is maintained through chemical communication. The queen (and in termites also a king) prevents workers from reproduction by conveying their reproductive status. In termites all soldiers are sterile, but workers' potential to reproduce differs between species. It ranges from totipotency in wood-dwelling lower termites where workers are a transient stage from which all other castes develop, to sterile workers in some higher termites. Intermediate are species in which workers can develop into replacement sexuals within the nest but not into winged sexuals. I summarize the patchy picture about fertility signaling that we currently have for termites, pointing also to potential conflicts over reproduction that differ from those in social Hymenoptera. Recent findings imply that, similar to many social Hymenoptera, wood-dwelling termites that live in confined nests use long-chain cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) as fertility signals. Yet other compounds are important as well, comprising proteinaceous secretions and especially volatiles. For a subterranean termite, two volatiles have been identified as primer pheromones that prevent reproductive differentiation of workers. It requires more data to test whether wood-dwelling termites use CHCs, while species with larger colonies and less confined nests use volatiles, or whether all species rely on multicomponent signals. Ultimately, we need more effort to model and test potential conflicts over reproduction between queens, kings and workers. Here results from social Hymenoptera cannot be transferred to termites as the latter are diploid and commonly inbred. This review illustrates promising future research avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Korb
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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24
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Pattarayingsakul W, Nilavongse A, Reamtong O, Chittavanich P, Mungsantisuk I, Mathong Y, Prasitwuttisak W, Panbangred W. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant peptides from digestion of larvae and pupae of Asian weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, Fabricius. J Sci Food Agric 2017; 97:3133-3140. [PMID: 27882566 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.8155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mixed larvae and pupae of weaver ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) are widely used as an important food ingredient in regions of Thailand. They have high nutritional values and comprise 53% protein and 13% lipid. Peptides derived from food proteins have been shown to possess biological activities. RESULTS Peptides derived from pepsin and trypsin digestion of these weaver ant larvae and pupae were purified based on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and antioxidant activities, and their amino acid sequences were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In silico docking of peptides with ACE successfully predicted the inhibitory peptides as confirmed by their chemical synthesis. Two peptides with sequences of FFGT and LSRVP showed IC50 values for ACE inhibition of 19.5 ± 1.7 and 52.7 ± 4.0 µmol L-1 , respectively. In addition, one potent antioxidant peptide with a sequence of CTKKHKPNC showed IC50 values of 48.2 ± 2.1 µmol L-1 for DPPH assay and 38.4 ± 0.2 µmol L-1 for ABTS assay, respectively. CONCLUSION These results indicate that proteins from larvae and pupae of weaver ants are potential sources of peptides with anti-ACE and antioxidation bioactivities. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Werawich Pattarayingsakul
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Mahidol University - Osaka University Collaborative Research Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Arjaree Nilavongse
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Mahidol University - Osaka University Collaborative Research Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Onrapak Reamtong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Pamorn Chittavanich
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Idsada Mungsantisuk
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Mahidol University - Osaka University Collaborative Research Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Yuvadee Mathong
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Mahidol University - Osaka University Collaborative Research Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Wipoo Prasitwuttisak
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Mahidol University - Osaka University Collaborative Research Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Watanalai Panbangred
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Mahidol University - Osaka University Collaborative Research Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
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Csata E, Timuş N, Witek M, Casacci LP, Lucas C, Bagnères AG, Sztencel-Jabłonka A, Barbero F, Bonelli S, Rákosy L, Markó B. Lock-picks: fungal infection facilitates the intrusion of strangers into ant colonies. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46323. [PMID: 28402336 PMCID: PMC5389342 DOI: 10.1038/srep46323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies investigating host-parasite systems rarely deal with multispecies interactions, and mostly explore impacts on hosts as individuals. Much less is known about the effects at colony level, when parasitism involves host organisms that form societies. We surveyed the effect of an ectoparasitic fungus, Rickia wasmannii, on kin-discrimination abilities of its host ant, Myrmica scabrinodis, identifying potential consequences at social level and subsequent changes in colony infiltration success of other organisms. Analyses of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), known to be involved in insects' discrimination processes, revealed variations in chemical profiles correlated with the infection status of the ants, that could not be explained by genetic variation tested by microsatellites. In behavioural assays, fungus-infected workers were less aggressive towards both non-nestmates and unrelated queens, enhancing the probability of polygyny. Likewise, parasitic larvae of Maculinea butterflies had a higher chance of adoption by infected colonies. Our study indicates that pathogens can modify host recognition abilities, making the society more prone to accept both conspecific and allospecific organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enikő Csata
- Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor 5-7, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Natalia Timuş
- Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor 5-7, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Magdalena Witek
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Luca Pietro Casacci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10023 Torino, Italy
| | - Christophe Lucas
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR CNRS 7261, Université François Rabelais, 37200 Tours, France
| | - Anne-Geneviève Bagnères
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR CNRS 7261, Université François Rabelais, 37200 Tours, France
| | - Anna Sztencel-Jabłonka
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Francesca Barbero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10023 Torino, Italy
| | - Simona Bonelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10023 Torino, Italy
| | - László Rákosy
- Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor 5-7, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Bálint Markó
- Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor 5-7, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Bhagavathula N, Meedidoddi V, Bourque S, Vimaladevi R, Kesavakurup S, Selvadurai D, Shrivastava S, Krishnappa C. Characterization of two novel antimicrobial peptides from the cuticular extracts of the ant Trichomyrmex criniceps (Mayr), (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Arch Insect Biochem Physiol 2017; 94:e21381. [PMID: 28346717 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from cuticular extracts of worker ants of Trichomyrmex criniceps (Mayr, Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were isolated and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity. Eight peptides ranging in mass from 804.42 to 1541.04 Da were characterized using a combination of analytical and bioinformatics approach. All the eight peptides were novel with no similarity to any of the AMPs archived in the Antimicrobial Peptide Database. Two of the eight novel peptides, the smallest and the largest by mass were named Crinicepsin-1 and Crinicepsin-2 and were chemically synthesized by solid phase peptide synthesis. The two synthetic peptides had antibacterial and weak hemolytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagachaitanya Bhagavathula
- Department of Applied Zoology, School of Biological Sciences, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
- Department of Agricultural Entomology and School of Ecology & Conservation, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Venkateshwarlu Meedidoddi
- Department of Applied Zoology, School of Biological Sciences, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
| | - Simon Bourque
- Department of Biology and Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Reshmy Vimaladevi
- Department of Chemical Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Santoshkumar Kesavakurup
- Department of Chemical Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Dayanandan Selvadurai
- Department of Biology and Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sameer Shrivastava
- Veterinary Biotechnology Division, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Chandrashekara Krishnappa
- Department of Agricultural Entomology and School of Ecology & Conservation, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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27
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- National Biological Control Laboratory, Southeast Area, United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, 59 Lee Road, Stoneville, Mississippi, USA
| | - Michael J Grodowitz
- National Biological Control Laboratory, Southeast Area, United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, 59 Lee Road, Stoneville, Mississippi, USA
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28
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Vétillard A, Bouzid W. [Ants: a chemical library of anticancer molecules]. Biol Aujourdhui 2016; 210:119-25. [PMID: 27687602 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2016021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Animal venoms are complex mixtures containing simple organic molecules, proteins, peptides, and other bioactive elements with extraordinary biological properties associated with their ability to act on a number of molecular receptors in the process of incapacitating their target organisms. In such a context, arthropod venoms are invaluable sources of bioactive substances, with therapeutic interest but the limited availability of some venom such as those from ants, has restricted the potential that these biomolecules could represent. We investigated for the first time transcriptomic expression from the ant species Tetramorium bicarinatum. Four hundred randomly selected clones from cDNA libraries were sequenced and a total of 374 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were generated. Based on the results of BLAST searches, these sequences were clustered and assembled into 269 contigs. About 72% (269) of these matched BLASTx hits with an interesting diversity and unusual abundance of cellular transcripts (48%) related to gene and protein expression reflecting the specialization of this tissue. In addition, transcripts encoding transposases were relatively highly expressed (14%). It may be that transposable elements are present and that their presence accounts for some of the variation in venom toxins. About twenty per cent of the ESTs were categorized as putative toxins, the major part represented by allergens (48% of the total venom toxins) such as pilosulin 5, sol i 3 and Myp p I and II. Several contigs encoding enzymes, including zinc-metalloproteases (17%) that are likely involved in the processing and activation of venom proteins/peptides, were also identified from the library. In addition, a number of sequences (8%) had no significant similarity to any known sequence which indicates a potential source of for the discovery of new toxins. In order to provide a global insight on the transcripts expressed in the venom gland of the Brazilian ant species Tetramorium bicarinatum and to unveil the potential of their products, high-throughput expressed sequence tags were generated using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. A total of 212 371 758 pairs of quality-filtered, 100-base-pair Illumina reads were obtained. The de novo assemblies yielded 36 042 contigs for which 27 873 have at least one predicted ORF among which 59.77% produce significant hits in the available databases. The investigation of the read mapping toxin class revealed and confirmed a high diversification with the major part consistent with the classical hymenopteran venom protein signature represented by venom allergen (33.3%) followed by a diverse toxin-expression profile including several distinct isoforms of phospholipase A1 and A2, venom serine protease, hyaluronidase, protease inhibitor and secapin. Moreover, our results revealed for the first time the presence of toxin-like peptides that have been previously identified from unrelated venomous animals such as waprin-like (snakes) and agatoxins (spiders and conus). These studies provide a first insight of the gene expression scenario of the venom gland of T. bicarinatum which might contribute to acquiring a more comprehensive view about the origin and functional diversity of venom proteins of this ant. Based on such results, we conducted cytotoxic tests from the crude venom of T.bicarinatum ant and reported toxic effect on tumoral cells lines from one of the fifth of the most frequently occurring cancers with a 3-year survival rate of only 30%. In such a context, new therapeutic strategies are essential and the discovery of new molecules in ant venom could be one possible avenue. Thus our project aims to characterize, from the crude venom of T.bicarinatum, the molecule(s) which have potential anti-cancerous toxicity as well as their mechanisms of action.
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Lenoir A, Devers S, Touchard A, Dejean A. The Guianese population of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima is unicolonial. Insect Sci 2016; 23:739-745. [PMID: 25953710 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In this study, conducted in French Guiana, a part of the native range of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima, we compared the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of media workers with previous results based on intraspecific aggressiveness tests. We noted a strong congruence between the two studies permitting us to delimit 2 supercolonies extending over large distances (up to 54 km), a phenomenon known as unicoloniality. Solenopsis geminata workers, taken as an out-group for cluster analyses, have a very different cuticular hydrocarbon profile. Because S. saevissima has been reported outside its native range, our conclusion is that this species has the potential to become invasive because unicoloniality (i.e., the main attribute for ants to become invasive) was shown at least for the Guianese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Lenoir
- IRBI, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR CNRS 7261, Université François Rabelais, 37200, Tours, France.
| | - Séverine Devers
- IRBI, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR CNRS 7261, Université François Rabelais, 37200, Tours, France
| | - Axel Touchard
- CNRS, Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (UMR CNRS 8172), Campus agronomique, BP 316, 97379, Kourou cedex, France
| | - Alain Dejean
- CNRS, Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (UMR CNRS 8172), Campus agronomique, BP 316, 97379, Kourou cedex, France
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, INP, Ecolab, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse and CNRS, Ecolab (UMR-CNRS 5245), 31062, Toulouse, France
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Alberts JM, Sullivan SMP. Factors influencing aquatic-to-terrestrial contaminant transport to terrestrial arthropod consumers in a multiuse river system. Environ Pollut 2016; 213:53-62. [PMID: 26874875 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Emerging aquatic insects are important vectors of contaminant transfer from aquatic to terrestrial food webs. However, the environmental factors that regulate contaminant body burdens in nearshore terrestrial consumers remain largely unexplored. We investigated the relative influences of riparian landscape composition (i.e., land use and nearshore vegetation structure) and contaminant flux via the emergent aquatic insect subsidy on selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) body burdens of riparian ants (Formica subsericea) and spiders of the family Tetragnathidae along 11 river reaches spanning an urban-rural land-use gradient in Ohio, USA. Model-selection results indicated that fine-scale land cover (e.g., riparian zone width, shrub cover) in the riparian zone was positively associated with reach-wide body burdens of Se and Hg in both riparian F. subsericea and tetragnathid spiders (i.e., total magnitude of Hg and Se concentrations in ant and spider populations, respectively, for each reach). River distance downstream of Columbus, Ohio - where study reaches were impounded and flow through a large urban center - was also implicated as an important factor. Although stable-isotope analysis suggested that emergent aquatic insects were likely vectors of Se and Hg to tetragnathid spiders (but not to F. subsericea), emergent insect contaminant flux did not emerge as a significant predictor for either reach-wide body burdens of spider Hg or Se. Improved understanding of the pathways and influences that control aquatic-to-terrestrial contaminant transport will be critical for effective risk management and remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Alberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
| | - S Mažeika P Sullivan
- School of Environment & Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
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Simoes MR, Giannotti E, Tofolo VC, Pizano MA, Firmino ELB, Antonialli-Junior WF, Andrade LHC, Lima SM. Morphological and Chemical Characterization of the Invasive Ants in Hives of Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Neotrop Entomol 2016; 45:72-79. [PMID: 26563402 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-015-0344-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Apiculture in Brazil is quite profitable and has great potential for expansion because of the favorable climate and abundancy of plant diversity. However, the occurrence of pests, diseases, and parasites hinders the growth and profitability of beekeeping. In the interior of the state of São Paulo, apiaries are attacked by ants, especially the species Camponotus atriceps (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), which use the substances produced by Apis mellifera scutellata (Lepeletier) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), like honey, wax, pollen, and offspring as a source of nourishment for the adult and immature ants, and kill or expel the adult bees during the invasion. This study aimed to understand the invasion of C. atriceps in hives of A. m. scutellata. The individuals were classified into castes and subcastes according to morphometric analyses, and their cuticular chemical compounds were identified using Photoacoustic Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS). The morphometric analyses were able to classify the individuals into reproductive castes (queen and gynes), workers (minor and small ants), and the soldier subcaste (medium and major ants). Identification of cuticular hydrocarbons of these individuals revealed that the eight beehives were invaded by only three colonies of C. atriceps; one of the colonies invaded only one beehive, and the other two colonies underwent a process called sociotomy and were responsible for the invasion of the other seven beehives. The lack of preventive measures and the nocturnal behavior of the ants favored the invasion and attack on the bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Simoes
- Instituto de Biociências, Depto de Zoologia, Univ Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rio Claro, SP, Brasil.
| | - E Giannotti
- Instituto de Biociências, Depto de Zoologia, Univ Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rio Claro, SP, Brasil
| | - V C Tofolo
- Instituto de Biociências, Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais (CEIS), Univ Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rio Claro, SP, Brasil
| | - M A Pizano
- Instituto de Biociências, Depto de Ecologia, Univ Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rio Claro, SP, Brasil
| | - E L B Firmino
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental (Labeco)/CInAM, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (UEMS), Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - W F Antonialli-Junior
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental (Labeco)/CInAM, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (UEMS), Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - L H C Andrade
- Centro Integrado de Análise e Monitoramento Ambiental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (UEMS), Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - S M Lima
- Centro Integrado de Análise e Monitoramento Ambiental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (UEMS), Dourados, MS, Brasil
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Guan D, Lu YY, Liao XL, Wang L, Chen L. Electroantennogram and behavioral responses of the imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, to an alarm pheromone component and its analogues. J Agric Food Chem 2014; 62:11924-11932. [PMID: 25415443 DOI: 10.1021/jf505191s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A characteristic behavior in ants is to move rapidly to emission sources of alarm pheromones. The addition of ant alarm pheromones to bait is expected to enhance its attractiveness. To search for candidate compounds for bait enhancement in fire ant control, 13 related alkylpyrazine analogues in addition to synthetic alarm pheromone component were evaluated for electroantennogram (EAG) and behavioral activities in Solenopsis invicta. Most compounds elicited dose-dependent EAG and behavioral responses. There exists a correlation between the EAG and behavioral responses. Among the 14 tested alkylpyrazines, three compounds, 2-ethyl-3,6(5)-dimethyl pyrazine (1), 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (7), and 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine (12), elicited significant alarm responses at a dose range of 0.1-1000 ng. Further bait discovery bioassay with the three most active alkylpyrazines demonstrated that food bait accompanied by sample-treated filter paper disk attracted significantly more fire ant workers in the first 15 min period. EAG and behavioral bioassays with pure pheromone isomers accumulated by semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography demonstrated that 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine was significantly more active than 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
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Dejean A, Corbara B. Reactions by army ant workers to nestmates having had contact with sympatric ant species. C R Biol 2014; 337:642-5. [PMID: 25444708 DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2014.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2014] [Revised: 08/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
It was recently shown that Pheidole megacephala colonies (an invasive species originating from Africa) counterattack when raided by the army ant, Eciton burchellii. The subsequent contact permits Pheidole cuticular compounds (that constitute the "colony odour") to be transferred onto the raiding Eciton, which are then not recognised by their colony-mates and killed. Using a simple method for transferring cuticular compounds, we tested if this phenomenon occurs for Neotropical ants. Eciton workers rubbed with ants from four sympatric species were released among their colony-mates. Individuals rubbed with Solenopsis saevissima or Camponotus blandus workers were attacked, but not those rubbed with Atta sexdens, Pheidole fallax or with colony-mates (control lot). So, the chemicals of certain sympatric ant species, but not others, trigger intra-colonial aggressiveness in Eciton. We conclude that prey-ant chemicals might have played a role in the evolution of army ant predatory behaviour, likely influencing prey specialization in certain cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Dejean
- CNRS, Écologie des forêts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), BP 316, 97379 Kourou cedex, France; Université de Toulouse, UPS, INP, Laboratoire Écologie fonctionnelle et Environnement (Ecolab), 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
| | - Bruno Corbara
- CNRS - UMR 6023, Laboratoire Microorganismes, Génome et Environnement, Université Blaise-Pascal, Complexe scientifique des Cézeaux, 63177 Aubière cedex, France; Clermont Université, Université Blaise-Pascal, LMGE, BP 10448, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Tang JJ, Luo Q, Di L, Zhang L, Lu Q, Hou B, Zuo ZL, Xia HL, Ma XJ, Cheng YX. Compounds from the Chinese black ant (Polyrhachis dives) and NMR behavior of the isomers with formamide group. J Asian Nat Prod Res 2014; 17:20-26. [PMID: 25359634 DOI: 10.1080/10286020.2014.966698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Two new dopamine derivatives divesamides A (1) and B (2), along with six known N-containing compounds were isolated from the Chinese black ant (Polyrhachis dives). Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 is a racemate, and chiral HPLC separation yielded a pair of antipodes. The absolute configuration of (+)-1 was assigned by a computational method. The double signals in the (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra of 2 that resulted from the presence of a formamide group were discussed. The T- and B-lymphocytes proliferation assay showed that 2 has moderate immunosuppressive activity toward T- and B-lymphocytes proliferation at a concentration of 20 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Jun Tang
- a College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Chengdu 610075 , China
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Munksgaard NC, Cheesman AW, Wurster CM, Cernusak LA, Bird MI. Microwave extraction-isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy (ME-IRIS): a novel technique for rapid extraction and in-line analysis of δ18O and δ2H values of water in plants, soils and insects. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2014; 28:2151-2161. [PMID: 25178719 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Traditionally, stable isotope analysis of plant and soil water has been a technically challenging, labour-intensive and time-consuming process. Here we describe a rapid single-step technique which combines Microwave Extraction with Isotope Ratio Infrared Spectroscopy (ME-IRIS). METHODS Plant, soil and insect water is extracted into a dry air stream by microwave irradiation within a sealed vessel. The water vapor thus produced is carried to a cooled condensation chamber, which controls the water vapor concentration and flow rate to the spectrometer. Integration of the isotope signals over the whole analytical cycle provides quantitative δ(18)O and δ(2) H values for the initial liquid water contained in the sample. Calibration is carried out by the analysis of water standards using the same apparatus. Analysis of leaf and soil water by cryogenic vacuum distillation and IRMS was used to validate the ME-IRIS data. RESULTS Comparison with data obtained by cryogenic distillation and IRMS shows that the new technique provides accurate water isotope data for leaves from a range of field-grown tropical plant species. However, two exotic nursery plants were found to suffer from spectral interferences from co-extracted organic compounds. The precision for extracted leaf, stem, soil and insect water was typically better than ±0.3 ‰ for δ(18)O and ±2 ‰ for δ(2) H values, and better than ±0.1 ‰ for δ(18)O and ±1 ‰ for δ(2) H values when analyzing water standards. The effects of sample size, microwave power and duration and sample-to-sample memory on isotope values were assessed. CONCLUSIONS ME-IRIS provides rapid and low-cost extraction and analysis of δ(18)O and δ(2) H values in plant, soil and insect water (≈10-15 min for samples yielding ≈ 0.3 mL of water). The technique can accommodate whole leaves of many plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels C Munksgaard
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
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Cerdá X, van Oudenhove L, Bernstein C, Boulay RR. A list of and some comments about the trail pheromones of ants. Nat Prod Commun 2014; 9:1115-1122. [PMID: 25233585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ants use many different chemical compounds to communicate with their nestmates. Foraging success depends on how efficiently ants communicate the presence of food and thus recruit workers to exploit the food resource. Trail pheromones, produced by different exocrine glands, are a key part of ant foraging strategies. By combing through the literature, we compiled a list of the identity and glandular origin of the chemical compounds found in the trail pheromones of 75 different ant species. Of the 168 compounds identified, more than 40% are amines. In the subfamily Myrmicinae, trail pheromones are mostly produced in the venom gland, while in the subfamily Formicinae, they come from the rectal gland.
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Yu YT, Wei HY, Fadamiro HY, Chen L. Quantitative analysis of alkaloidal constituents in imported fire ants by gas chromatography. J Agric Food Chem 2014; 62:5907-15. [PMID: 24873743 DOI: 10.1021/jf501423y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
A method based on silica gel chromatography and GC-MS/GC-FID analyses was developed for the quantitation of alkaloidal compounds in imported fire ants, Solenopsis richteri, S. invicta, and their hybrid found in the southern United States. The cis and trans alkaloids from fire ant body extracts were successfully separated by silica gel chromatography, identified by GC-MS, and quantitated by GC-FID. Piperideine compounds were eluted together with the cis and trans piperidines, but were well-resolved on a nonpolar GC column. Eight pairs of piperidine isomers and 12 piperideines were quantitated. The ratios of trans alkaloids to corresponding cis isomers ranged from 87 to 378:1 in S. invicta and were significantly higher than in S. richteri and hybrid ants. The results were discussed in relation to the evolution of fire ant venom alkaloids and their role as host location cues for parasitic Pseudacteon phorid flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
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Campbell PM, Trueman HE, Zhang Q, Kojima K, Kameda T, Sutherland TD. Cross-linking in the silks of bees, ants and hornets. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2014; 48:40-50. [PMID: 24607851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2014.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Revised: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Silk production is integral to the construction of nests or cocoons for many Aculeata, stinging Hymenopterans such as ants, bees and wasps. Here we report the sequences of new aculeate silk proteins and compare cross-linking among nine native silks from three bee species (Apis mellifera, Bombus terrestris and Megachile rotundata), three ant species (Myrmecia forficata, Oecophylla smaragdina and Harpegnathos saltator) and three hornets (Vespa analis, Vespa simillima and Vespa mandarinia). The well studied silks of spiders and silkworms are comprised of large proteins that are cross-linked and stabilized predominantly by intra and intermolecular beta sheet structure. In contrast, the aculeate silks are comprised of relatively small proteins that contain central coiled coil domains and comparatively reduced amounts of beta sheet structure. The hornet silks, which have the most beta sheet structure and the greatest amount of amino acid sequence outside the coiled-coil domains, dissolve in concentrated LiBr solution and appear to be stabilized predominantly by beta sheet structure like the classic silks. In contrast, the ant and bee silks, which have less beta sheet and less sequence outside the coiled-coil domains, could not be dissolved in LiBr and appear to be predominantly stabilized by covalent cross-linking. The iso-peptide cross-linker, ε-(γ-glutamyl)-lysine that is produced by transglutaminase enzymes, was demonstrated to be present in all silks by mass spectrometry, but at greater levels in silks of ants and bees. The bee silks and ant cocoons, but not the Oecophylla nest silks, appeared to be further stabilized by tanning reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Campbell
- Ecosystem Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
| | - Holly E Trueman
- Ecosystem Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Qiang Zhang
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, 305-8634, Japan
| | - Katsura Kojima
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, 305-8634, Japan
| | - Tsunenori Kameda
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, 305-8634, Japan.
| | - Tara D Sutherland
- Ecosystem Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Abril S, Gómez C. Strength in numbers: large and permanent colonies have higher queen oviposition rates in the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile, Mayr). J Insect Physiol 2014; 62:21-25. [PMID: 24462573 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2014.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Revised: 01/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Polydomy associated with unicoloniality is a common trait of invasive species. In the invasive Argentine ant, colonies are seasonally polydomous. Most follow a seasonal fission-fussion pattern: they disperse in the spring and summer and aggregate in the fall and winter. However, a small proportion of colonies do not migrate; instead, they inhabit permanent nesting sites. These colonies are large and highly polydomous. The aim of this study was to (1) search for differences in the fecundity of queens between mother colonies (large and permanent) and satellite colonies (small and temporal), (2) determine if queens in mother and satellite colonies have different diets to clarify if colony size influences social organization and queen feeding, and (3) examine if colony location relative to the invasion front results in differences in the queen's diet. Our results indicate that queens from mother nests are more fertile than queens from satellite nests and that colony location does not affect queen oviposition rate. Ovarian dissections suggest that differences in ovarian morphology are not responsible for the higher queen oviposition rate in mother vs. satellite nests, since there were no differences in the number and length of ovarioles in queens from the two types of colonies. In contrast, the higher δ(15)N values of queens from mother nests imply that greater carnivorous source intake accounts for the higher oviposition rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sílvia Abril
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Girona, Montilivi Campus s/n, 17071 Girona, Spain.
| | - Crisanto Gómez
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Girona, Montilivi Campus s/n, 17071 Girona, Spain
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Pekár S, Mayntz D. Comparative analysis of the macronutrient content of Central European ants (Formicidae): implications for ant-eating predators. J Insect Physiol 2014; 62:32-38. [PMID: 24503220 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2014.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2013] [Revised: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Prey nutrient quality determines predator performance. Polyphagous predators can address nutritional challenges by targeting prey with specific nutrient composition, but prey-specialised predators (e.g., ant-eaters), must obtain all nutrients from limited array of prey. Analysis of published data on prey specificity of European ant-eating spiders showed that some feed only on one ant genus, while others feed on several genera. Spiders feeding on several ant genera can possibly balance nutrient intake by selecting different ant prey. But monophagous species must extract all prey from a single prey species and can only vary nutrient intake by feeding on specific body parts. Most ant-eating spider species are catching Formica, Lasius and Messor ants, suggesting that these are most profitable ant species. We evaluated the nutritional content of a variety of 16 Central European ant species belonging to 11 genera and four subfamilies. We found that the nutritional composition, namely the amount of carbon, nitrogen and lipids, of European ants is heterogeneous. The largest variation in the amount of carbon and lipids was among ant subfamilies and species, while the largest variation in nitrogen was among ant genera. The largest amount of carbon and nitrogen was typical for Myrmicinae and the largest amount of lipids were typical for Formicinae. Within ants, the relative amounts of lipids were significantly higher in the gaster while the contents of carbon and nitrogen were highest in foreparts. Ant species did not cluster in the ordination space according to their taxonomic relationship or trophic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - D Mayntz
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Health Science, VIA University College, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
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41
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Sharma KR, Fadamiro HY. Fire ant alarm pheromone and venom alkaloids act in concert to attract parasitic phorid flies, Pseudacteon spp. J Insect Physiol 2013; 59:1119-1124. [PMID: 24035750 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2013] [Revised: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 08/24/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Pseudacteon tricuspis, Pseudacteon obtusus and Pseudacteon curvatus are three species of parasitic phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae), which have been introduced as classical biological control agents of imported, Solenopsis fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the southern USA. Previous studies demonstrated the behavioral response of P. tricuspis to the venom alkaloids and alarm pheromone of the fire ant, S. invicta. In the present study, we compared the responses of P. tricuspis, P. obtusus and P. curvatus to Solenopsis invicta alarm pheromone, venom alkaloids, or a mixture of both chemicals in four-choice olfactometer bioassays. The main hypothesis tested was that the fire ant alarm pheromone and venom alkaloids act in concert to attract Pseudacteon phorid flies. Both sexes of all three Pseudacteon species were attracted to low doses of the fire ant alarm pheromone or venom alkaloids (i.e. 1 ant worker equivalent) alone. However, the flies were significantly more attracted to a mixture of both chemicals (i.e., 1:1 mixture of alarm pheromone+alkaloids) than to either chemical. The results suggest an additive rather than a synergistic effect of combining both chemicals. Comparing the fly species, P. tricuspis showed relatively greater attraction to cis alkaloids, whereas the alkaloid mixture (cis+trans) was preferred by P. obtusus and P. curvatus. In general, no key sexual differences were recorded, although females of P. tricuspis and P. obtusus showed slightly higher response than conspecific males to lower doses of the alarm pheromone. The ecological significance of these findings is discussed, and a host location model is proposed for parasitic phorid flies involving the use of fire ant alarm pheromone and venom alkaloids as long range and short range attractants, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita R Sharma
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; Department of Entomology, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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42
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Hölldobler B, Plowes NJR, Johnson RA, Nishshanka U, Liu C, Attygalle AB. Pygidial gland chemistry and potential alarm-recruitment function in column foraging, but not solitary, Nearctic Messor harvesting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). J Insect Physiol 2013; 59:863-869. [PMID: 23811189 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2013] [Revised: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the role of the pygidial gland on foraging behavior in two ecologically dominant column foraging Nearctic harvesting ants (Messor pergandei and Messor andrei). Using chemical analyses and behavioral tests, we show that n-tridecane is the major biologically active compound of pygidial gland secretions in both species, and that this chemical functions as a powerful alarm-recruitment pheromone. Another major compound of pygidial gland contents is benzaldehyde; this substance does not release behavioral reactions in M. pergandei workers but might function as a defensive secretion. Six solitary foraging Nearctic Messor and two column foraging Palearctic Messor species, did not have large pygidial gland reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bert Hölldobler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA.
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43
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Chen J, Zhang G. Effect of gland extracts on digging and residing preferences of red imported fire ant workers (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Insect Sci 2013; 20:456-466. [PMID: 23955941 DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7917.2012.01553.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2012] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
There is evidence that ant-derived chemical stimuli are involved in regulating the digging behavior in Solenopsis invicta Buren. However, the source gland(s) and chemistry of such stimuli have never been revealed. In this study, extracts of mandibular, Dufour's, postpharyngeal, and poison glands were evaluated for their effect on ant digging and residing preferences of S. invicta workers from three colonies. In the intracolonial bioassays, workers showed significant digging preferences to mandibular gland extracts in 2 of 3 colonies and significant residing preferences in 1 of 3 colonies; significant digging preferences to Dufour's gland extracts in 1 of 3 colonies and significant residing preferences in 2 of 3 colonies. No digging and residing preferences were found for postpharyngeal and poison gland extracts. In intercolonial bioassays, significant digging and residing preferences were found for mandibular gland extracts in 3 of 6 colony combinations. Significant digging preferences to Dufour's gland extracts were found in 4 of 6 colony combinations and significant residing preferences in all 6 colony combinations. For postpharyngeal gland extracts, significant digging preferences were found only in 1 of 6 colonial combinations and no significant residing preferences were found. For poison gland extracts, no significant digging preferences were found; significant residing preferences were found in 1 of 6 colony combinations. However, a significant residing deterrence (negative residing preference index) was found for 2 of 6 colony combinations. Statistical analyses using data pooled from all colonies showed that mandibular and Dufour's gland extracts caused significant digging and residing preferences in both intracolonial and intercolonial bioassays but not postpharyngeal and poison gland extracts. By analyzing the data pooled from the same three colonies used for gland extract bioassays, it was found that, in no cases, workers showed significant digging and residing preferences to 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine, an alarm pheromone component from mandibular gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- USDA-ARS, National Biological Control Laboratory, Biological Control of Pests Research Unit, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA.
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44
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Bowens SR, Glatt DP, Pratt SC. Visual navigation during colony emigration by the ant Temnothorax curvispinosus [corrected]. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64367. [PMID: 23671713 PMCID: PMC3650068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 04/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Many ants rely on both visual cues and self-generated chemical signals for navigation, but their relative importance varies across species and context. We evaluated the roles of both modalities during colony emigration by Temnothorax rugatulus. Colonies were induced to move from an old nest in the center of an arena to a new nest at the arena edge. In the midst of the emigration the arena floor was rotated 60°around the old nest entrance, thus displacing any substrate-bound odor cues while leaving visual cues unchanged. This manipulation had no effect on orientation, suggesting little influence of substrate cues on navigation. When this rotation was accompanied by the blocking of most visual cues, the ants became highly disoriented, suggesting that they did not fall back on substrate cues even when deprived of visual information. Finally, when the substrate was left in place but the visual surround was rotated, the ants' subsequent headings were strongly rotated in the same direction, showing a clear role for visual navigation. Combined with earlier studies, these results suggest that chemical signals deposited by Temnothorax ants serve more for marking of familiar territory than for orientation. The ants instead navigate visually, showing the importance of this modality even for species with small eyes and coarse visual acuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R. Bowens
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Daniel P. Glatt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Stephen C. Pratt
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Tragust S, Mitteregger B, Barone V, Konrad M, Ugelvig LV, Cremer S. Ants Disinfect Fungus-Exposed Brood by Oral Uptake and Spread of Their Poison. Curr Biol 2013; 23:76-82. [PMID: 23246409 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 11/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Tragust
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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46
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Lenoir A, Cuvillier-Hot V, Devers S, Christidès JP, Montigny F. Ant cuticles: a trap for atmospheric phthalate contaminants. Sci Total Environ 2012; 441:209-212. [PMID: 23137986 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2012] [Revised: 09/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates are universal contaminants. We show that they are trapped by the ant cuticles and maintained permanently at a low level, generally less than 1% of cuticular components. They are found throughout the interior of the insect, predominately in the fat body, which suggests that they are adsorbed by the cuticle. In open plastic boxes free of phthalates the ants became more contaminated with phthalates over a period of time, whereas in closed glass jars they did not. This finding suggests that the main source of pollutants is the atmosphere. Different ant species collected from multiple places showed similar levels of contamination. It appeared that in some pristine places the contamination was lower, but this needs to be confirmed. Ants can be considered as bio-indicators of phthalate pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Lenoir
- IRBI, Institut de recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR CNRS 7261, Université François Rabelais, Tours, France.
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Rifflet A, Gavalda S, Téné N, Orivel J, Leprince J, Guilhaudis L, Génin E, Vétillard A, Treilhou M. Identification and characterization of a novel antimicrobial peptide from the venom of the ant Tetramorium bicarinatum. Peptides 2012; 38:363-70. [PMID: 22960382 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2012.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Revised: 08/29/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A novel antimicrobial peptide, named Bicarinalin, has been isolated from the venom of the ant Tetramorium bicarinatum. Its amino acid sequence has been determined by de novo sequencing using mass spectrometry and by Edman degradation. Bicarinalin contained 20 amino acid residues and was C-terminally amidated as the majority of antimicrobial peptides isolated to date from insect venoms. Interestingly, this peptide had a linear structure and exhibited no meaningful similarity with any known peptides. Antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and S. xylosus strains were evaluated using a synthetic replicate. Bicarinalin had a potent and broad antibacterial activity of the same magnitude as Melittin and other hymenopteran antimicrobial peptides such as Pilosulin or Defensin. Moreover, this antimicrobial peptide has a weak hemolytic activity compared to Melittin on erythrocytes, suggesting potential for development into an anti-infective agent for use against emerging antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Rifflet
- Equipe VacBio EA 4357, PRES Université Toulouse, CUFR JF Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
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48
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Abstract
Workers of the ant Carebarella bicolor collected in Panama were found to have two major poison-frog alkaloids, cis- and trans-fused decahydroquinolines (DHQs) of the 269AB type, four minor 269AB isomers, two minor 269B isomers, and three isomers of DHQ 271D. For the first time in an ant, however, the DHQs were accompanied by six histrionicotoxins (HTXs), viz., 283A, 285A, 285B, 285C, 287A, and 287D. This co-occurrence of the HTX and DHQ alkaloids is the usual pattern seen in dendrobatid frogs. This finding contrasts with our earlier study, where workers of a Brazilian ant, Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) sp., were found to have a very similar DHQ complex but failed to show HTXs. Several new DHQ alkaloids of MW 271 (named in the frog as 271G) are reported from the above ants that have both m/z 202 and 204 as major fragment ions, unlike the spectrum seen for the poison-frog alkaloid 271D, which has only an m/z 204 base peak. Found also for the first time in skin extracts from the comparison frog Oophaga granulifera of Costa Rica is a trace DHQ of MW 273. It is coded as 273F in the frog; a different isomer is found in the ant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tappey H Jones
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Military Institute , Lexington, Virginia 24450, United States
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49
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Devigne C, de Biseau JC. The differential response of workers and queens of the ant Lasius niger to an environment marked by workers: ants dislike the unknown. Behav Processes 2012; 91:275-81. [PMID: 23026147 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2012.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2012] [Revised: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that ants can use cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) as a specific recognition cue. Most previous studies addressed the perception of CHCs occurring on the cuticle. However, the presence of CHCs in the environment (e.g., on the substrate) and the role of these compounds as a signal cue are less clear. In this study of the ant L. niger, CHCs were extracted from corpses of workers, from the legs of workers and from filter paper marked by workers. Behavioural choice tests were then performed to study the reactions of workers and queens to CHC passively deposited on the substrate by walking workers. A GC-MS analysis of the CHCs revealed a complex mixture of 28 peaks composed of linear alkanes, alkenes and mono-, di- or trimethylalkane. This mixture was consistently present in the three sources tested (corpses of workers, the tarsus of workers and paper marked by walking workers). Nevertheless, discriminant analyses distinguished clearly among the three types of profiles. The results of our behavioural experiments showed that the workers were able to distinguish between marked and unmarked papers but that they exhibited no preferences for different types of marked papers (papers marked by workers from their own colony or papers marked by workers from a different colony). In queens, the perception of marked papers depended on age or physiological state. Just-mated queens did not discriminate between unmarked papers and papers marked by an alien colony. In contrast, the egg-laying queens 3 days after mating significantly favoured the marked papers. We discuss the ecological relevance of the differences in decision-making between castes.
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50
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Lai LC, Kuo TC, Huang RN, Wu WJ. The insecticidal activities of fire ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) venoms against Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) larvae. J Econ Entomol 2012; 105:1591-1596. [PMID: 23156154 DOI: 10.1603/ec12075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Although fire ants frequently have negative impacts on agricultural systems and public health, they have additional beneficial insecticidal effects. To evaluate the potential effect of fire ant venoms on agricultural pests, the compositions of the venoms and their insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella (L.) larvae were evaluated under laboratory conditions. The alkaloids found in Solenopsis geminata (F.) venom are primarily saturated C11, which occur in both cis and trans forms, whereas the venom of S. invicta Buren contains six principal alkaloids (from trans C1, to C17). Moreover, the proportions of unsaturated alkaloids in the venom of polygynous S. invicta were significantly higher than the corresponding proportions in the monogynous S. invicta, as shown by our previous studies. Fire ant venoms were topically applied to the dorsal thoracic region of fourth-instar larvae of P. xylostella. The results of the experiment showed that the larval symptoms induced by fire ant venom include contractile, flaccid paralysis, black coloration and death. P. xylostella larvae were most susceptible to S. geminata venom. The order of the susceptibilities of the larvae to the venoms was as follows: S. geminata > S. invicta (monogyne form) > S. invicta (polygyne form), as measured by the corresponding LT50 values at 24 h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Chuan Lai
- Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Miaoli County 35665, Taiwan
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