Regulatory mechanisms of soldier differentiation in the incipient colonies of termites

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570022
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: University of Toyama
• Principal Investigator: MAEKAWA Kiyoto 富山大学, 大学院理工学研究部(理学), 准教授 (20345557)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 社会性昆虫 / カースト分化 / シロアリ / 兵隊 / 幼若ホルモン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Termite soldier is a peculiar caste among social insects in terms of their specific defensive roles. To understand the regulatory mechanisms of soldier differentiation under natural condition, this study focused on the soldier differentiation in incipient colonies, in which only one soldier develops via a presoldier stage. In the incipient colonies of Zootermopsis nevadensis, observation of each larval development revealed a particular individual, which differentiated into a presoldier, before the molt. Molecular developmental analyses of this individual showed that there was a significantly highly expressed gene and an important factor. Further functional analyses suggested that they were involved in the specific behavior observed in this individual. High juvenile hormone (JH) titer is required for the soldier differentiation, and this is the first case to clarify the regulatory mechanisms that affect JH titer changes during soldier differentiation under natural condition.

Free Research Field

進化発生学