Kamikaze termites in French Guiana have developed a unique defense mechanism to protect their nest-colony and exterminate their enemies.

In case of need, these tiny insects “self-detonate”, detonating “backpacks” filled with a toxic liquid that they carry in their thorax, poisoning their enemies.

Now, scientists have solved the mystery of how termites safely transport the deadly backpacks.

In stable form the killer enzyme

According to earlier research, the worker termites of the species Neocapritermes taracua, carry in their thorax “backpacks” of toxic blue copper crystals, with the enzyme blue laccase BP76, produced by special glands in the abdomen.

The older the insect, the more the lethal sacs fill up. When old termites are attacked they break down their bodies, mixing the BP76 enzyme with secretions produced in their salivary glands. The result is a sticky liquid, rich in highly poisonous benzoquinones that can immobilize or kill the enemy.

However, according to Live Science, the researchers were puzzled by how BP76 could remain stored in a solid state on the termites’ backs, out of harm’s way — and ready for its deadly “use.”

The new study, published Aug. 15 in the journal Structure, solved the mystery by providing the first high-resolution crystal structure of this enzyme.

“The 3D structure of the enzyme reveals that BP76 uses a variety of stabilization strategies,” said lead study author Jana Škerlová, a researcher at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

The enzyme is tightly folded, like folding a piece of paper into a compact shape. Another layer of protection comes from sugar molecules that bind to the protein, forming a protective shield that further stabilizes it.

Photo Credit Wikipedia/Sanjay Acharya