Chemical basis of nest-mate discrimination in the ant Formica exsecta
Chemical basis of nest-mate discrimination in the ant Formica exsecta
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DOI：
10.1098/rspb.2007.1708
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发表时间：
2008-06-07
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Drijfhout, Falko P.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Martin, Stephen J.;Vitikainen, Emma;Drijfhout, Falko P.
区分巢友和非巢友是关键的动物行为的基础，如领域性、利他主义和社会性的演变。尽管这种机制很重要，但在自然界中，很少有经验支持这种机制。在这里，我们提供的数据表明，蚂蚁的巢伴侣识别机制是基于蚁群特有的Z9-烯烃信号，证明表面化学物质确实像100年前提出的那样用于蚂蚁巢伴侣识别。我们研究了10个Formica exsecta菌落的角质层油气剖面，这些菌落几乎全部由Z9-烯烃和烷烃组成。然后我们发现，工人的攻击性只由Z9-烯烃部分引发。使用与两个最不同的化学菌落的单个菌落轮廓匹配的合成Z9-烯烃和烷烃混合物证实了这一点。在这两个蜂群中，只有具有“巢伴侣”烯烃轮廓的玻璃珠子受到的攻击减少。最后，在所有被测试的五个蚁群中，改变活蚂蚁身上单一Z9-烯烃的丰度被证明显著增加了它们从巢友那里获得的攻击性。我们的数据表明，群居昆虫中的巢友歧视已经演变成依赖于对相对较少的化合物的高度敏感反应。
Distinguishing nest-mates from non-nest-mates underlies key animal behaviours, such as territoriality, altruism and the evolution of sociality. Despite its importance, there is very little empirical support for such a mechanism in nature. Here we provide data that the nest-mate recognition mechanism in an ant is based on a colony-specific Z9-alkene signature, proving that surface chemicals are indeed used in ant nest-mate recognition as was suggested 100 years ago. We investigated the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of 10 Formica exsecta colonies that are composed almost entirely of a Z9-alkene and alkane component. Then we showed that worker aggression is only elicited by the Z9-alkene part. This was confirmed using synthetic Z9-alkene and alkane blends matched to the individual colony profiles of the two most different chemical colonies. In both colonies, only glass beads with 'nest-mate' alkene profiles received reduced aggression. Finally, changing the abundance of a single Z9-alkene on live ants was shown to significantly increase the aggression they received from nest-mates in all five colonies tested. Our data suggest that nest-mate discrimination in the social insects has evolved to rely upon highly sensitive responses to relatively few compounds.