Korb, Judith and Hoffmann, Katharina and Hartfelder, Klaus (2009) Endocrine signatures underlying plasticity in postembryonic development of a lower termite, Cryptotermes secundus (Kalotermitidae). EVOLUTION & DEVELOPMENT, 11 (3). pp. 269-277. ISSN 1520-541X,
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Wood-dwelling termites are characterized by an extremely high and unique developmental flexibility that allows workers, which are immatures, to explore all caste options. The endocrine signatures underlying this flexibility are only vaguely understood. We determined juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroid hemolymph titers during postembryonic development and in terminal instars of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus using field and laboratory colonies. Postembryonic development is characterized by a drop in JH titers at the transition from larval (individuals without wing buds) to nymphal (individuals with wing buds) instars. JH titers were low in winged sexuals and reproducing primary reproductives (< 200 pg/mu l) but were by an order of magnitude higher in neotenic replacement reproductives. The unique regressive molts of termites seem to be characterized by elevated JH titers, compared with progressive or stationary molts. Ecdysteroid titers were generally low in nymphal instars and in primary reproductives (< 50 pg/mu l). It was only during the third and fourth nymphal instars and in winged sexuals where some individuals showed elevated ecdysteroid titers. These results are the most comprehensive endocrinological data set available for any lower termite, with the potential to serve as baseline for understanding the extreme developmental flexibility underlying the evolution of social life in termites.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | JUVENILE-HORMONE SYNTHESIS; FORMOSAN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE; SOLDIER-CASTE DIFFERENTIATION; COCKROACH NAUPHOETA-CINEREA; RETICULITERMES-FLAVIPES; GENE-EXPRESSION; ZOOTERMOPSIS-ANGUSTICOLLIS; COPTOTERMES-FORMOSANUS; NEOTENIC REPRODUCTIVES; ISOLATED WORKERS; |
| Subjects: | 500 Science > 590 Zoological sciences |
| Divisions: | Biology, Preclinical Medicine > Institut für Zoologie |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Sep 2020 10:14 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Sep 2020 10:14 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/29038 |
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