クロヤマアリの死体認識因子 : オレイン酸の起源について

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Oleic acid levels on the body surface of ant corpses of Formica japomica increase 48 h after death. Live workers also carry the ant corpses 48 h after death. In contrast, triglycerides in the hemolymph decrease drastically during the 48 h after death. The constituent fatty acids of the triglycerides are linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, palmitoleic acid, and palmitic acid, which are also found in the free fatty acids in the hemolymph of the ant corpse. The mass spectrum suggests that the major compounds of the triglycerides are triolein and dioleylpalmitin. Large amounts of the oleic acid are stored in the triglycerides. When a worker ant was irradiated with microwaves soon after death, the free fatty acids on the cuticle did not increase much and the triglycerides in the hemolymph did not decrease. However, the amount of triglycerides on the cuticle was more than that on a corpse that was not irradiated. These results suggest that the oleic acid serves as a corpse recognition signal and is generated by enzymatic hydrolysis of triglyceride, with the enzyme activated after death.
日本応用動物昆虫学会の論文
1996-11-25