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Kamikaze termites in French Guiana have evolved a unique defence mechanism — carrying " rucksacks " occupy with a toxic liquid that they can spark off to burst forth , poisoning their enemy in the process . Now , scientist have solved the mystery story of how these pestilent backpacks can be safely carried around then detonated on demand .
In 2012,researchers discoveredthat olderNeocapritermes taracuaworker termite are armed with blue espy backpacks that explode when they are threatened .
aNeocapritermes taracuatermite.
TheN. taracuaworkers have a specialized twain of glands in their belly that gradually release the enzyme blue laccase BP76 into scoop on their back . As they maturate , the termites accumulate " rucksack " filled with these blue , Cu - carry downcast crystals .
When faced with a menace , the aging workers rupture their body , mixing the enzyme with relatively benign secretions produced in their salivary glands . The event is a sticky liquid , rich in highly poisonous quinone that can immobilize or kill predator .
However , investigator were stick by how BP76 could remain in a upstanding state stored on the termites ' back , while still staying primed for an instant chemical reaction upon severance .
The unexampled report , published Aug. 15 in the journalStructure , solved the secret by put up the first high - resolution crystal social system of this enzyme .
" The enzyme ’s three - dimensional social organisation discover that BP76 employs a variety of stabilization strategies , " study trail authorJana Škerlová , a investigator at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences , suppose in a statement .
The enzyme is tightly fold , much like folding a piece of paper into a compact Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe , which help it resist degradation over time . Another stratum of protection comes from moolah particle that are attached to the protein , forming a protective shield that further stabilise it .
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One of the more challenging features of BP76 is a uncommon and unusually strong chemical bond between two amino group acids , lysine and cysteine , near the enzyme ’s active land site . This bond is not usually found in enzyme and play a crucial use in maintaining BP76 ’s anatomical structure , especially when the enzyme is put in as a solid on the termite ’s back , the researchers found .
This bond paper roleplay like a exceptional locking chemical mechanism , ensuring that the enzyme retains its shape and remain fully functional , ready to be deployed in an moment when the termite call for to defend its settlement .
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" Just as knowledge about individual factor of an instrument sheds light on how it work , knowing the three - dimensional structure of a particle helps us understand a biologic cognitive process , " study co - authorPavlína Řezáčová , a structural life scientist at the Czech Academy of Sciences , tell in the statement .
The power for termites to stably put in and accumulate this enzyme as they age is critical to protect the colony . premature researchtheorized that , because the jawbone of termites boring over time , older termites may not be as effective at forage or maintaining the nest as jr. workers .
With their explode rucksacks , older workers may or else specialize in providing a last , deathly enactment to maintain the colony .
