kenji

Research Interests

I have investigated the ecological factors that have influenced the evolution of sociality in termites from various angles. My current research centers on the biology of Reticulitermes termites in Japan and in the US. I have studied between-colony interaction including nestmate recognition and colony fusion, colony defense mechanisms, antipredatory behavior, mating systems, colony foundation of sexual and asexual (parthenogenesis) pairs and termite-fungus interaction. Most of my study has been in termite sociobiology. However, I am also interested in many areas in behavioral ecology, especially in symbiosis between insect and microorganisms.

I found novel insect-fungus symbiosis. Brown balls, of a similar size but different shape to termite eggs, were found frequently in the piles of eggs of the termite R. speratus. I named this object “Termite Ball”. rDNA analysis identified the ball as the sclerotia of the novel fungus Fibularhizoctonia sp. nov., which is phylogenetically closest to decay fungi, Athelia spp. I revealed the mechanism of egg recognition in termites and demonstrated that the sclerotia of this fungus mimic termite eggs both morphologically and chemically. The fungus gets a free ride to distant new homes when the termite colonies propagate by budding and migrate to neighboring woods. Workers suppress germination of sclerotia, and termite egg survival increase in the presence of sclerotia only if they are tended by the workers. This suggests that the sclerotia in the piles of eggs protect termite eggs from putative pathogens. Thus this interaction is mutualistic rather than antagonistic.

The mechanism of nestmate recognition in termites is poorly understood. I demonstrated that differential intestinal bacteria composition leads to production of colony-specific chemical cues that enable nestmate recognition in this termite. The intestinal microflora of R. speratus consisted of many bacteria species. The composition of the intestinal bacteria was exclusively colony-specific because of frequent within-colony food exchange. Termites that had adsorbed an unfamiliar odor of bacteria sampled from another colony were fiercely attacked by nestmates. Experimental manipulation of the composition of bacteria by antibiotics successfully changed the recognition behavior towards nestmates, suggesting that intestinal bacterial products play an important role in nestmate recognition. Reticulitermes termites recycle their feces as nest material, which would make nest odors. I focused on the colony-specific composition of intestinal bacteria as a possible origin of colony-specific nest odors. Termites have various kinds of interactions with microorganisms from symbiosis to disease. I believe that these ecological factors profoundly influenced the evolution of termite society besides kin factors.

Education

(2000-2002) PhD in Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
Doctoral dissertation, “Sociobiology of the termite Reticulitermes speratus”.

(1998-2000) MS in Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University

(1994-1998) BS in Department of Agriculture, Kyoto University

Fellowships

(2002-present) Postdoctoral fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

(2000-2002) DC fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Awards

(2003) Inoue Research Award for Young Scientists

(2000) The grand prize of the Kansai Technology Idea Contest 2000

Publications

Matsuura K. (2003) Symbionts affecting termite behavior. In: Insect Symbiosis (eds. Miller Thomas A., and Kostas Bourtzis), Page 131-143, CRC Press Inc., Boca Raton.

Matsuura K., Fujimoto M., Goka K. and Nishida T. (2002) Cooperative colony foundation by termite female pairs: Altruism for survivorship in incipient colonies. Animal Behaviour 64: 167-173.Abstract

Matsuura K. & Nishida T. (2002) Mechanism, induction factors, and adaptive significance of dealation in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera, Rhinotermetidae). Insectes Sociaux 49: 241-244.Abstract

Matsuura K. (2002) A test of the haplodiploid analogy hypothesis in the termite Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera, Rhinotermetidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 95: 646-649.Abstract

Matsuura K. (2002) Colony-level stabilization of soldier head width for head-plug defense in the termite Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 51: 172-179.Abstract

Matsuura K., Kuno E., Nishida T. (2002) Homosexual tandem running as selfish herd in Reticulitermes speratus: novel anti predatory behavior in termites. Journal of Theoretical Biology 214: 63-70.Abstract

Matsuura K. & Nishida T. (2001) Colony fusion in a termite :What makes the society “open” ? Insectes Sociaux 48: 378-383.Abstract

Matsuura K. & Nishida T. (2001) Comparison of colony foundation success between sexual pairs and female asexual units in the termite, Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Population Ecology 43: 119-124.Abstract

Matsuura K. (2001) Nestmate recognition mediated by intestinal bacteria in a termite, Reticulitermes speratus. OIKOS 92: 20-26.Abstract

Matsuura K., Tanaka C., Nishida T. (2000) Symbiosis of a termite and a sclerotium-forming fungus: Sclerotia mimic termite eggs. Ecological Research 15: 405-414.Abstract

Matsuura K. (1999) A review of studies on the mechanism of nestmate recognition in termites. Japanese Journal of Ecology 49: 175-182