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Naturwissenschaften

Title:		The frontal gland in workers of Neotropical soldierless termites
Author(s):		Sobotnik J; Sillam-Dusses D; Weyda F; Dejean A; Roisin Y; Hanus R; Bourguignon T;
Address:		"Research Team of Infochemicals, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nam. 2, 16610 Praha 6, Czech Republic"
Journal Title:		Naturwissenschaften
Year:		2010
Volume:		20100330
Issue:		5
Page Number:		495 - 503
DOI:		10.1007/s00114-010-0664-0
ISSN/ISBN:		1432-1904 (Electronic) 0028-1042 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The presence of the frontal gland is well established in termite soldiers of Rhinotermitidae, Serritermitidae, and Termitidae. It is one of their main defensive adaptations or even an exclusive weapon. The gland was also occasionally reported in alate imagoes, but never in the worker caste. Here, we report the first observation of a frontal gland in workers of several Neotropical and one African species of Apicotermitinae. The ultrastructure of Aparatermes cingulatus and Anoplotermes nr. subterraneus is described in detail. In these two species, the gland is well-developed, functional and consists of class 1 secretory cells. The presence of envelope cells, wrapping the gland, is an unusual feature, as well as the presence of several zonulae adherens, connecting neighbouring glandular cells. The frontal gland of workers is homologous to this organ in soldiers and imagoes, as evidenced by the same position in the head and its connection to the same muscle. However, the defensive role of the frontal gland in workers remains to be confirmed"
Keywords:		"Animals Bolivia Brazil Ecosystem Endocrine Glands/*anatomy & histology/cytology/physiology/ultrastructure French Guiana Isoptera/*anatomy & histology/cytology/ultrastructure Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Paraguay Social Behavior Suriname;"
Notes:		"MedlineSobotnik, Jan Sillam-Dusses, David Weyda, Frantisek Dejean, Alain Roisin, Yves Hanus, Robert Bourguignon, Thomas eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Germany 2010/03/31 Naturwissenschaften. 2010 May; 97(5):495-503. doi: 10.1007/s00114-010-0664-0. Epub 2010 Mar 30"