@article{fdi:010067181,
  title = {{M}olecular mechanism of the two-component suicidal weapon of {N}eocapritermes taracua old workers},
  author = {{B}ourguignon, {T}. and {S}obotnik, {J}. and {B}rabcova, {J}. and {S}illam-{D}uss{\`e}s, {D}avid and {B}ucek, {A}. and {K}rasulova, {J}. and {V}ytiskova, {B}. and {D}emianova, {Z}. and {M}ares, {M}. and {R}oisin, {Y}. and {V}ogel, {H}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}n termites, as in many social insects, some individuals specialize in colony defense, developing diverse weaponry. {A}s workers of the termite {N}eocapritermes taracua ({T}ermitidae: {T}ermitinae) age, their efficiency to perform general tasks decreases, while they accumulate defensive secretions and increase their readiness to fight. {T}his defensive mechanism involves self-sacrifice through body rupture during which an enzyme, stored as blue crystals in dorsal pouches, converts precursors produced by the labial glands into highly toxic compounds. {H}ere, we identify both components of this activated defense system and describe the molecular basis responsible for the toxicity of {N}. taracua worker autothysis. {T}he blue crystals are formed almost exclusively by a specific protein named {BP}76. {B}y matching {N}. taracua transcriptome databases with amino acid sequences, we identified {BP}76 to be a laccase. {F}ollowing autothysis, the series of hydroquinone precursors produced by labial glands get mixed with {BP}76, resulting in the conversion of relatively harmless hydroquinones into toxic benzoquinone analogues. {N}eocapritermes taracua workers therefore rely on a two-component activated defense system, consisting of two separately stored secretions that can react only after suicidal body rupture, which produces a sticky and toxic cocktail harmful to opponents.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{M}olecular {B}iology and {E}volution},
  volume = {33},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {809--819},
  ISSN = {0737-4038},
  year = {2016},
  DOI = {10.1093/molbev/msv273},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010067181},
}