Disease resistance: a benefit of sociality in the dampwood termite Zootermopsis angusticollis (Isoptera: Termopsidae)

1998 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebeca B. Rosengaus ◽  
Amy B. Maxmen ◽  
Laran E. Coates ◽  
James F. A. Traniello
Keyword(s):  
Disease Resistance ◽  
Zootermopsis Angusticollis ◽  
Dampwood Termite

scholarly journals Young but not defenceless: antifungal activity during embryonic development of a social insect

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 191418
Author(s):  
Erin L. Cole ◽  
Haley Bayne ◽  
Rebeca B. Rosengaus
Keyword(s):  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Developmental Stage ◽  
Immature Stage ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Fungistatic Activity ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Zootermopsis Angusticollis ◽  
Endogenous Proteins ◽  
Dampwood Termite

Termites live in environments heavily colonized by diverse microorganisms, including pathogens. Eggs laid within the nest are likely to experience similar pathogenic pressures as those experienced by older nest-mates. Consequently, eggs may be under selective pressures to be immune-competent. Through in vitro experiments using developing embryos of the dampwood termite, Zootermopsis angusticollis , we tested the ontogeny, location and strength of their antifungal activity against the fungus, Metarhizium brunneum . Exterior washes of the chorion (extra-chorionic) and components within the chorion (intra-chorionic) were incubated with fungal conidia, which were then scored for viability. The fungistatic activity was location and developmental stage dependent. Extra-chorionic washes had relatively weak antifungal activity. Intra-chorionic homogenates were highly antifungal, exhibiting increased potency through development. The positive correlation between intra-chorionic fungistasis and developmental stage is probably due to the expression of endogenous proteins during embryogenesis. Boiling of both the extra-chorionic washes and the intra-chorionic contents rescued conidia viability, indicating the antifungal agent(s) is (are) heat-sensitive and probably proteinaceous. This study is the first to address embryonic antifungal activity in a hemimetabolous, eusocial taxon. Our results support the hypothesis that microbes have been significant agents of selection in termites, fostering the evolution of antifungal properties even in the most immature stage of development.

scholarly journals Immunity and reproduction during colony foundation in the dampwood termite, Zootermopsis angusticollis

2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIEL V. CALLERI ◽  
REBECA B. ROSENGAUS ◽  
JAMES F. A. TRANIELLO
Keyword(s):  
Colony Foundation ◽  
Zootermopsis Angusticollis ◽  
Dampwood Termite

Inducible immune proteins in the dampwood termite Zootermopsis angusticollis

2006 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebeca B. Rosengaus ◽  
Tara Cornelisse ◽  
Katerina Guschanski ◽  
James F. A. Traniello
Keyword(s):  
Zootermopsis Angusticollis ◽  
Dampwood Termite

scholarly journals Inbreeding and disease resistance in a social insect: effects of heterozygosity on immunocompetence in the termite Zootermopsis angusticollis

2006 ◽  
Vol 273 (1601) ◽  
pp. 2633-2640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel V Calleri ◽  
Ellen McGrail Reid ◽  
Rebeca B Rosengaus ◽  
Edward L Vargo ◽  
James F.A Traniello
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Disease Resistance ◽  
Allelic Diversity ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Susceptibility To Infection ◽  
Zootermopsis Angusticollis ◽  
Increase Disease Susceptibility

Recent research has shown that low genetic variation in individuals can increase susceptibility to infection and group living may exacerbate pathogen transmission. In the eusocial diploid termites, cycles of outbreeding and inbreeding characterizing basal species can reduce genetic variation within nestmates during the life of a colony, but the relationship of genetic heterogeneity to disease resistance is poorly understood. Here we show that, one generation of inbreeding differentially affects the survivorship of isolated and grouped termites ( Zootermopsis angusticollis) depending on the nature of immune challenge and treatment. Inbred and outbred isolated and grouped termites inoculated with a bacterial pathogen, exposed to a low dose of fungal pathogen or challenged with an implanted nylon monofilament had similar levels of immune defence. However, inbred grouped termites exposed to a relatively high concentration of fungal conidia had significantly greater mortality than outbred grouped termites. Inbred termites also had significantly higher cuticular microbial loads, presumably due to less effective grooming by nestmates. Genetic analyses showed that inbreeding significantly reduced heterozygosity and allelic diversity. Decreased heterozygosity thus appeared to increase disease susceptibility by affecting social behaviour or some other group-level process influencing infection control rather than affecting individual immune physiology.

scholarly journals Relish as a Candidate Marker for Transgenerational Immune Priming in a Dampwood Termite (Blattodae: Archeotermopsidae)

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
Erin L. Cole ◽  
Jessica S. Empringham ◽  
Colette Biro ◽  
Graham J. Thompson ◽  
Rebeca B. Rosengaus
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Properties ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Immune Priming ◽  
Eusocial Insects ◽  
Antibacterial Assay ◽  
Zootermopsis Angusticollis ◽  
Marker Loci ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Parental Treatment ◽  
Dampwood Termite

Natural selection should favor the transfer of immune competence from one generation to the next in a context-dependent manner. Transgenerational immune priming (TGIP) is expected to evolve when species exploit pathogen-rich environments and exhibit extended overlap of parent–offspring generations. Dampwood termites are hemimetabolous, eusocial insects (Blattodea: Archeotermopsidae) that possess both of these traits. We predict that offspring of pathogen-exposed queens of Zootermopsis angusticollis will show evidence of a primed immune system relative to the offspring of unexposed controls. We found that Relish transcripts, one of two immune marker loci tested, were enhanced in two-day-old embryos when laid by Serratia-injected queens. These data implicate the immune deficiency (IMD) signaling pathway in TGIP. Although an independent antibacterial assay revealed that embryos do express antibacterial properties, these do not vary as a function of parental treatment. Taken together, Z. angusticollis shows transcriptional but not translational evidence for TGIP. This apparent incongruence between the transcriptional and antimicrobial response from termites suggests that effectors are either absent in two-day-old embryos or their activity is too subtle to detect with our antibacterial assay. In total, we provide the first suggestive evidence of transgenerational immune priming in a termite.

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