Data from: Metabolomic and transcriptomic data on major metabolic/biosynthetic pathways in workers and soldiers of the termite Prorhinotermes simplex (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) and chemical synthesis of intermediates of defensive (E)-nitropentadec-1-ene biosynthesis

Production of nitro compounds has only seldom been recorded in arthropods. The aliphatic nitroalkene (E)-nitropentadec-1-ene (NPD), identified in soldiers of the termite genus Prorhinotermes, was the first case documented in insects in early seventies. Yet, the biosynthetic origin of NPD has long remained unknown. We previously proposed that NPD arises through the condensation of amino acids glycine and/or l-serine with tetradecanoic acid along a biosynthetic pathway analogous to the formation of sphingolipids. Here, we provide a metabolomics and transcriptomic data of the Prorhinotermes simplex termite workers and soldiers. Data are related to NPD biosynthesis in P. simplex soldiers. Original metabolomics data were deposited in MetaboLights metabolomics database and are become publicly available after publishing the original article. Additionally, chemical synthesis of biosynthetic intermediates of NPD in nonlabeled and stable labeled forms are reported. Data extend our poor knowledge of arthropod metabolome and transcriptome and would be useful for comparative study in termites or other arthropods. The data were used for de-replication of NPD biosynthesis and published separately (Jirošová et al., 2017).

节肢动物（arthropods）中硝基化合物的生成案例极少被报道。20世纪70年代初，在鼻白蚁属（Prorhinotermes）兵蚁中发现的脂肪族硝基烯烃（aliphatic nitroalkene）(E)-1-硝基十五碳烯（NPD），是首个在昆虫中被记录的此类化合物。然而，NPD的生物合成起源长期以来始终不明。我们此前曾提出，NPD通过氨基酸（amino acids）甘氨酸（glycine）和/或L-丝氨酸（L-serine）与十四烷酸（tetradecanoic acid）的缩合反应生成，其生物合成途径与鞘脂（sphingolipids）的形成途径相似。本研究提供了简易鼻白蚁（Prorhinotermes simplex）工蚁与兵蚁的代谢组学（metabolomics）与转录组学（transcriptomic）数据，相关数据与P. simplex兵蚁体内的NPD生物合成过程相关。原始代谢组学数据已提交至MetaboLights代谢组学数据库，待本原创研究论文发表后将对外公开。此外，本数据集还报道了NPD生物合成中间体的未标记及稳定同位素标记形式的化学合成方法。本数据集丰富了我们对节肢动物代谢组（metabolome）与转录组（transcriptome）的有限认知，可用于白蚁或其他节肢动物的比较研究。本数据曾用于NPD生物合成途径的验证，并已单独发表（Jirošová等，2017）。