Can parental immunological sate influence brood provisioning in the termite Zootermopsis angusticollis?

Termites are a particularly suitable taxon to investigate parental provisioning in the face of pathogenic constraints because both parents and offspring occupy and interact within the same microbially rich nest environment. By endowing offspring with heightened immune competency (i.e Trangenerational Immunity) , embryos and young instar larvae could be protected despite having immature immune systems. We present data showing that Zootermopsis angusticollis queens and kings vaccinated and challenged with the bacterium Serratia marcescens produce smaller eggs than controls.  Yet, these eggs have a significantly higher hatching success. To elucidate whether the improved hatching success results from differential provisioning by parents during copulation and oogenesis, we are currently quantifing several immune-related metabolites of individual eggs laid by control, vaccinated ad challenged parents. Such bio-active molecules include glucose, glycogen, triglycerides, uric acid, and total protein content.  Initial results indicate high variability in egg metabolite content across different incipient colonies. Research is continuing to determine if egg contents varies significantly with parental treatment.