Studies on the mechanisms of the signal transduction related to the juvenile hormone and the nutrition for the caste differentiation of termites

研究了JH对工蚁诱导幼虫蜕皮过程中的形态变化和基因表达谱，以阐明某些白蚁物种幼虫分化的转换机制。胰岛素信号基因的表达模式在两个物种中是不同的，这两个物种的士兵具有截然不同的防御器官。此外，RNAi技术还可首次应用于高等白蚁。一个调节模式基因的敲除会导致士兵特有的器官形成减少或完全丧失。

Morphological changes and gene expression patterns during the molts into presoldiers induced by the JH application to workers were performed to clarify the switching mechanisms of soldier differentiation in some termite species. Insulin-signaling gene expression patterns were different from two species, which had soldiers with the quite dissimilar defensive organs. Moreover, the RNAi technique could be applied in the higher termites for the first time. Knockdown of a regulatory patterning gene resulted in a reduction or complete loss of the soldier-specific organ formation.