The effect of ergosterol on the allogrooming behavior of termites in response to the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhiziumanisopliae  

作　　者：Yong Chen Chongwen Zhao Wenhui Zeng Wenjing Wu Shijun Zhang Dandan Zhang Zhiqiang Li 

机构地区：[1]Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization,Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization,Institute of Zoology,Guangdong Academy of Sciences,Guangzhou,China [2]School of Ecology,Sun Yat-sen University,Guangzhou,China

出　　处：《Insect Science》2023年第1期185-196,共12页昆虫科学（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the GDAS Special Project of Science and Technology Development(2020GDASYL-20200103091);Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2020A1515110416);Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou(202102021018);Science and Technology Planning Key Project of Guangzhou(201904020002)。

摘　　要：Termites have physiological and behavioral immunities that make them highly resistant to pathogen infections,which complicates biocontrol efforts.However,the stimuli that trigger the pathogen-avoidance behaviors of termites are still unclear.Our study shows that workers of Coptotermes formosanus exposed to the conidia of Metarhizium anisopliae exhibited a significantly higher frequency and longer duration of allogrooming behaviors compared with untreated termites.Volatile compounds in the cuticle of control termites and termites previously exposed to a suspension of M.anisopliae conidia were analyzed and compared using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer(GC-MS).Our results showed that the amount of ergosterol differed between the fungus-exposed and control termites.Choice tests showed that termites significantly preferred to stay on filter paper treated with ergosterol(0.05,0.1,or 1.0 mg/mL)compared with control filter paper.In addition,termites exposed to ergosterol followed by M.anisopliae conidia were allogroomed at a significantly higher frequency and for a longer duration than termites exposed to alcohol(the solvent used with the ergosterol in the ergosterol trials)alone followed by M.anisopliae conidia.These results showed that ergosterol may enhance the allogrooming behavior of termites in the presence of entomopathogenic fungi.

关 键 词：allogrooming behavior entomopathogenic fungus ERGOSTEROL RECOGNITION social immunity TERMITE 

分 类 号：O64[理学—物理化学]