AsianScientist (Aug. 5, 2011) – A new study demonstrates trade-off between development of defensive organs and regression of mouth parts during termite caste differentiation – a two molt process for termite soldiers during which dramatic morphological changes occur.
In the online version of the journal Naturwissenschaften – The Science of Nature, researchers demonstrate that programmed cell death – a process by which cells deliberately destroy themselves – is involved in mandibular regression in termites.
As termites molt from workers to presoldiers and finally soldiers under the effect of juvenile hormones, their body form and structure change, including the exaggeration and regression of certain organs.
In particular, termite soldiers from the subfamily Nasutitermitinae possess a horn-like frontal tube (the nasus) which projects defensive chemicals, as well as regressed mouth parts (mandibles).
Kouhei Toga and colleagues from the University of Toyoma and University of Tokyo collected nests of N. takasagoensis termites from the Yaeyama Islands in Japan. They artificially induced presoldier differentiation by using a juvenile hormone, which works as an insect-growth regulator, and observed the shape and structure of the right mandibles throughout the differentiation process.
Their observations showed that mandibular teeth were lost during soldier differentiation. In particular, mandibular size reduced dramatically during differentiation, and substantial regression occurred during the presoldier molt. The most significant finding was evidence of programmed cell death in the regressing mandibles of presoldiers.
The authors conclude: “Our results prove that programmed cell death is responsible for the regression of mouth parts in termite soldiers, and hence social caste differentiation in this species.
The exaggerated nasus and frontal glands develop as the mandibles regress. Programmed cell death could therefore be a regulatory mechanism of trade-off for the production of defensive organs.”
The article can be found at: Toga K et al. (2011) The TUNEL assay suggests mandibular regression by programmed cell death during presoldier differentiation in the nasute termite Nasutitermes takasagoensis.
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Source: Springer Journals.
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