title: Beyond cuticular hydrocarbons: evidence of proteinaceous secretion specific to termite kings and queens.
abstract: In 1959, P. Karlson and M. Lüscher introduced the term 'pheromone', broadly used nowadays for various chemicals involved in intraspecific communication. To demonstrate the term, they depicted the situation in termite societies, where king and queen inhibit the reproduction of nest-mates by an unknown chemical substance. Paradoxically, half a century later, neither the source nor the chemical identity of this 'royal' pheromone is known. In this study, we report for the first time the secretion of polar compounds of proteinaceous origin by functional reproductives in three termite species, Prorhinotermes simplex, Reticulitermes santonensis and Kalotermes flavicollis. Aqueous washes of functional reproductives contained sex-specific proteinaceous compounds, virtually absent in non-reproducing stages. Moreover, the presence of these compounds was clearly correlated with the age of reproductives and their reproductive status. We discuss the putative function of these substances in termite caste recognition and regulation.
authors: Infochemicals Research Team, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Flemingovo no. 2, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Hanus
authors: Vladimír
authors: V
authors: Vrkoslav
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Hrdý
authors: Josef
authors: J
authors: Cvacka
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Sobotník
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D020049:Isoptera / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012098:Reproduction; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D019476:Insect Proteins; C047663:cuticle proteins, insects