使用二甲基二硫衍生化處理併氣相層析質譜法辨識入侵紅火蟻(Solenopsis invicta )體表烯烴的雙鍵位置.

Abstract

化學通訊是紅火蟻（Solenopsis invicta）之類的真社會性群落組織的一項要素，體表烯烴尤其是重要的化學信使。就紅火蟻而言，體表烯烴在雜合基因型（SB / Sb）個體中的相對含量較高，而這種個體擁有調節社會雙型的社會超級基因（單蟻后群落與多蟻后群落）。該調節的機制可能是化學通訊，體表烯烴很可能在其中發揮了作用。然而，這種由SB / Sb 蟻后產生的特定體表烯烴異構物（isomer）仍屬未知。在我的研究中，我結合了氣相層析質譜法（GC-MS analysis）和二甲基二硫衍生化處理（DMDS derivatization），以辨識紅火蟻SB / Sb 蟻后體表烯烴不同異構物的雙鍵位置；識別這些異構物，將有助於完善該螞蟻物種維持社會雙型行為的機制模型。

Chemical communication is an important factor for colony organization in eusocial species, such as the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta).Cuticular hydrocarbons, specifically, are important chemical messengers. In the fire ant, relative amounts of unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons are higher in individuals with heterozygous genotype (SB/Sb) for a social supergene that regulates social dimorphism (single-queen versus multiple-queen colonies). The mechanism for this regulation might be chemical communication, and unsaturated hydrocarbons are a likely candidate for this role. However, the specific unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbon isomers produced by SB/Sb queens are unknown. In this work, I have used GC-MS analysis in combination with DMDS derivatization to determine the double bond positions for the different isomers of unsaturated hydrocarbons in SB/Sb queens of the fire ants. Identifying these isomers helps to refine mechanistic models for the behavioral maintenance of social dimorphism in this ant species.