| Title: | The cGMP-dependent protein kinase gene can regulate trail-following behaviour and locomotion in the termite Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder |
| Author(s): | Xu H; Yu Y; Gao Y; Hassan A; Jia B; Huang Q; |
| Address: | "Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China. Nanning Institute of Termite Control, Nanning, Guangxi, China" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1365-2583 (Electronic) 0962-1075 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Social behaviours in termites are closely related to the chemical communication between individuals. It is well known that foraging worker termites can use trail pheromones to orient and locomote along trails so as to take food resources back to the nest. However, it is still unclear how termites recognize trail pheromones. Here, we cloned and sequenced the cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) gene from the termite Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder, and then examined the response of termites to trail pheromones after silencing PKG through RNA interference. We found that PKG knockdown impaired termite ability to follow trail pheromones accurately and exhibited irregular behavioural trajectories in response to the trail pheromone in the termite R. chinensis. Our locomotion assays further showed that PKG knockdown significantly increased the turn angle and angular velocity in the termite R. chinensis. These findings help us better understanding the molecular regulatory mechanism of foraging communications in termites" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Behavior, Animal/physiology Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases/genetics *Isoptera/genetics Locomotion Pheromones/metabolism PKG gene termite trail pheromone trail-following behaviour;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineXu, Huan Yu, Yichun Gao, Yongyong Hassan, Ali Jia, Bao Huang, Qiuying eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2022/05/05 Insect Mol Biol. 2022 Oct; 31(5):585-592. doi: 10.1111/imb.12781. Epub 2022 May 16" |
