| Title: | Identification of the Trail Pheromone of the Carpenter Ant Camponotus modoc |
| Author(s): | Renyard A; Alamsetti SK; Gries R; Munoz A; Gries G; |
| Address: | "Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada. asim.renyard@gmail.com. Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-019-01114-z |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Trail pheromones deposited by ants lead nestmates to food sources. Based on previous evidence that the trail pheromone of the carpenter ant Camponotus modoc originates from the hindgut, our objective in this study was to identify the key component(s) of the pheromone. We collected C. modoc colonies from conifer forests and maintained them in an outdoor enclosure near our laboratory for chemical analyses and behavioral experiments. In gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analyses of worker ant hindgut extracts, we identified five candidate components: 2,4-dimethylhexanoic acid, 2,4-dimethyl-5-hexanolide, pentadecane, dodecanoic acid and 3,4-dihydro-8-hydroxy-3,5,7-trimethylisocoumarin. In a series of trail-following experiments, ants followed trails of synthetic 2,4-dimethyl-5-hexanolide, a blend of the five compounds, and hindgut extract over similar distances, indicating that the hexanolide accounted for the entire behavioral activity of the hindgut extract. The hexanolide not only mediated orientation of C. modoc foragers on trails, it also attracted them over distance, indicating a dual function. Further analyses and bioassays with racemic and stereoselectively synthesized hexanolides revealed that the ants produce, and respond to, the (2S,4R,5S)-stereoisomer. The same stereoisomer is a trail pheromone component in several Camponotus congeners, indicating significant overlap in their respective trail pheromone communication systems" |
| Keywords: | "Alkanes/analysis Animals Ants Behavior, Animal Biosensing Techniques/methods Caproates/analysis Complex Mixtures/*analysis Coumarins/analysis Exocrine Glands/metabolism Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods Intestines/chemistry Lauric Acids/analysi;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineRenyard, Asim Alamsetti, Santosh Kumar Gries, Regine Munoz, Ashley Gries, Gerhard eng 2019/11/28 J Chem Ecol. 2019 Dec; 45(11-12):901-913. doi: 10.1007/s10886-019-01114-z. Epub 2019 Nov 26" |
