Ovarian activity correlates with extreme changes in cuticular hydrocarbon profile in the highly polygynous ant, Linepithema humile

Biseau, Jean‐Christophe de; Passera, Luc; Daloze, Désiré; Aron, Serge

doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2004.04.005

Cited by 60 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…All selected peak areas were standardized to 100%. The identity of discriminating peaks was determined by matching L. humile n-alkanes with external hydrocarbon standards (n-C23 -n-C36) and diagnostic peaks were confirmed by GC-MS with those from previous studies (Liang et al, 2001;de Biseau et al, 2004). GC-MS analyses of queen cuticular hydrocarbons were performed on a HP6890 GC equipped with a HP-5MS column (30·mϫ0.25·mmϫ0.25·m film thickness), and connected to a HP5973A mass selective detector.…”

Section: Extraction Isolation and Chemical Analysis Of Cuticular Hydmentioning

confidence: 54%

“…The CHC of adopted queens changed, but contrary to our expectation, the profiles of adopted non-nestmate queens did not change more than those of adopted nestmate queens. The CHC of Argentine ant queens are dynamic, changing quantitatively and qualitatively in relation to queen ovarian activity (de Biseau et al, 2004). Queens have considerable amounts of monomethylalkanes (5-MeC27 to 5-MeC34) and alkenes (C29:1, C31:1, C33:1) (de Biseau et al, 2004), whereas workers do not have these compounds (or have very low amounts) but have dimethylalkanes and trimethylalkanes (diMe-and triMeC33, C35 and C37) as major compounds (Liang et al, 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The CHC of Argentine ant queens are dynamic, changing quantitatively and qualitatively in relation to queen ovarian activity (de Biseau et al, 2004). Queens have considerable amounts of monomethylalkanes (5-MeC27 to 5-MeC34) and alkenes (C29:1, C31:1, C33:1) (de Biseau et al, 2004), whereas workers do not have these compounds (or have very low amounts) but have dimethylalkanes and trimethylalkanes (diMe-and triMeC33, C35 and C37) as major compounds (Liang et al, 2001). These qualitative differences could result from selective biosynthesis of CHC, with shorter and monomethylalkanes predominantly produced by queens through enzymes that regulate the synthesis of hydrocarbons of different chain length (Blomquist et al, 1998), or by selective transfer of CHC from oenocytes, which produce them, to the cuticle via lipophorin (Schal et al, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cuticular hydrocarbons as queen adoption cues in the invasive Argentine ant

Vásquez

Schal

Silverman

2008

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYIn social insects, individuals typically recognize and behave aggressively towards alien conspecifics, thereby maintaining colony integrity. This is presumably achieved via a nestmate recognition system in which cuticular compounds, usually cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC), of genetic and/or environmental origin serve as recognition cues. Most invasive populations of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), display minimal nestmate-non-nestmate discrimination, resulting in low levels of intraspecific aggression allowing free movement of workers and queens among nests. However, invasive L. humile in the southeastern United States show relatively high levels of intraspecific aggression, and selectively adopt non-nestmate queens. Using behavioral assays and gas chromatography, we found an association between non-nestmate queen adoption and similarity of the CHC profiles of adopted and host colony queens. Also, nestmate and non-nestmate queen CHC profiles became more similar after adoption by queenless colonies. Furthermore, queens treated with non-nestmate queen CHC had distinct CHC profiles and were generally attacked by nestmate workers. We suggest that in L. humile, CHC are used as queen recognition cues, and that queen recognition errors are more likely to occur when the CHC profiles of non-nestmate and host colony queens are similar. Our findings provide further evidence for the complex and dynamic nature of L. humile nestmate discrimination, which may in part underlie the success of introduced populations of this invasive ant.

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Section: Extraction Isolation and Chemical Analysis Of Cuticular Hydmentioning

confidence: 54%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cuticular hydrocarbons as queen adoption cues in the invasive Argentine ant

Vásquez

Schal

Silverman

2008

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…The elongation reactions, following a switch to reproductive maturation, have been well studied in other insect taxa (Tillman-Wall et al, 1992;Blomquist et al, 1995Blomquist et al, , 1998Tillman et al, 1999), and it is likely that a similar mechanism is acting in the species studied here, G. striatula. In two species, the dolichoderine ant Linepithema humile and the myrmeciine ant M. gulosa, the shift has been shown to proceed in the opposite direction (de Biseau et al, 2004;Dietemann et al, 2003), with queens being characterized by shorterchain hydrocarbons than workers. Mechanistically, the chemical differences between fertile and infertile individuals might be caused by the differential activity of oenocytes, which are involved in yolk production (Jensen and Borgesen, 2000) and are also the producers of cuticular hydrocarbons (Diehl, 1975;Fan et al, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cuticular Hydrocarbons Provide Reliable Cues of Fertility in the Ant Gnamptogenys striatula

et al. 2006

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In ca. 150 species of queenless ants, a specialized queen caste is rare or absent, and mated workers take over the role of the queen in some or all of the colonies. Previously, it has been shown that reproduction in queenless ants is regulated by a combination of dominance behavior and chemical fertility signaling. It is unknown, however, whether chemical signals alone can sufficiently regulate reproduction. To investigate this possibility, we studied reproductive regulation in the facultatively queenless ant Gnamptogenys striatula, a species where dominance behavior is rare or absent. Active egg layers and infertile workers showed qualitative and quantitative differences in their cuticular hydrocarbon profile. Five long-chain methyl alkanes, 3,13-and 3,15-dimethyl pentriacontane, 3,13-and 3,15-dimethyl heptentriacontane, and 3,11,15-trimethyl heptentriacontane occurred only on the cuticles of virgin and mated egg layers. Pronounced quantitative differences were found in a further 27 alkenes; alkanes; and mono-, di-, and trimethyl alkanes. Workers that had recently stopped laying eggs had profiles similar to infertile workers, and mating status did not affect this chemical pattern. We conclude that the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of G. striatula workers provide reliable information about their current fertility. In the interest of colony productivity, this allows reproduction to be regulated without the use of aggression.

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“…However, profiles of queens of the three species described herein were distinguished from those of workers by a number of compounds, suggesting that the queen signal in these species is likely to consist of multiple components. Work in other ant species, such as the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus and the Argentine ant Linepithema humile, has shown that the hydrocarbon profiles of queens differ from those of workers in the relative abundances of the majority of their components (de Biseau et al, 2004;Endler et al, 2006). This suggests that the queen signals in these species might also consist of multiple components.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of fertility signals and sex-specific cuticular chemical profiles of Odontomachus trap-jaw ants

Smith

Millar

Suarez

2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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The lipid mixture that coats the insect cuticle contains a number of chemical signals. Mate choice in solitary insects is mediated by sexually dimorphic cuticular chemistry, whereas in eusocial insects, these profiles provide information through which colony members are identified and the fertility status of individuals is assessed. Profiles of queens and workers have been described for a number of eusocial species, but there have been few comparisons of fertility signals among closely related species. Additionally, sexual dimorphism in cuticular lipid profiles has only been reported in two species of ants. This study describes the cuticular chemical profiles of queens, workers and males of three species of Odontomachus trap-jaw ants: O. ruginodis, O. relictus and O. haematodus. These are compared with fertility signals and sexually dimorphic profiles already described from O. brunneus. We report that fertility signals are not conserved within this genus: chemical compounds that distinguish queens from workers vary in number and type among the species. Furthermore, the compounds that were most abundant in cuticular extracts of O. ruginodis queens relative to workers were novel 2,5-dialkyltetrahydrofurans. Bioassays of extracts of O. ruginodis queens indicate that the dialkyltetrahydrofuran and hydrocarbon fractions of the profile are likely to work synergistically in eliciting behavioral responses from workers. In contrast, cuticular lipids that distinguish males from females are more conserved across species, with isomeric and relative abundance variations comprising the main differences among species. Our results provide new insights into how these contact chemical signals may have arisen and evolved within eusocial insects.

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Ovarian activity correlates with extreme changes in cuticular hydrocarbon profile in the highly polygynous ant, Linepithema humile

Cited by 60 publications

References 50 publications

Cuticular hydrocarbons as queen adoption cues in the invasive Argentine ant

Cuticular hydrocarbons as queen adoption cues in the invasive Argentine ant

Cuticular Hydrocarbons Provide Reliable Cues of Fertility in the Ant Gnamptogenys striatula

Comparative analysis of fertility signals and sex-specific cuticular chemical profiles of Odontomachus trap-jaw ants

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