The Institute Colloquium: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts: emergent p
Date:
Monday, May 11, 2015 16:30 - 17:30
Speaker:
Rebeca Rosengaus (Northeastern University)
Location:
Raiffeisen Lecture Hall, Central Building
Series:
Institute colloquium
Contact:
ELLER Arinya
Termites have had a long co-evolutionary history with prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. The association of these microbes spans the symbiotic continuum from mutualistic to pathogenic interactions. Two phenomena by which termites achieve colony-wide immunocompetence are described. First, termites appear to benefit from symbiont-mediated social immunity where mutualistic gut microbes produce multiple functional antifungal ?-1,3-glucanases which are shared among termite nestmates via proctodeal exchanges. Second, immunocompetence at the colony-level may be also achieved through transgenerational immunity where parents anticipate the needs of their offspring based on their own immune state. These two strategies may ultimately reduce risks of infection at both the individual- and colony-levels.