Gene expression changes during caste-specific neuronal development in the damp-wood termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti.

ABSTRACT:

Background

One of the key characters of social insects is the division of labor, in which different tasks are allocated to various castes. In termites, one of the representative groups of social insects, morphological differences as well as behavioral differences can be recognized among castes. However, very little is known about the neuronal and molecular bases of caste differentiation and caste-specific behavior. In almost all termite species, soldiers play defensive roles in their colonies, and their morphology and behavior are largely different from workers (or pseudergates). Therefore, we predicted that some genes linked to defensive behavior and/or those required for neuronal changes are differentially expressed between workers and soldiers, or during the soldier differentiat

SUBMITTER: Ishikawa Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2887416 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature