《中英對照讀新聞》Zombie Ants Are Controlled by a ’Master Puppeteer’ Parasite 殭屍螞蟻被「操偶大師」寄生菌控制

最新研究發現，寄生菌穿透螞蟻的外骨骼後，可以像是操偶師般以某種方式「拉動」螞蟻的口器肌肉。（取自網路）

◎劉宜庭

A mind-controlling parasite turns ants into zombies, forcing them to climb to the tops of shrubs, bite down and die. Now, a new study finds that the fungus acts like a puppeteer, somehow "pulling" the ants’ mouth muscles.

有一種可以操弄精神的寄生菌，會把螞蟻變成殭屍，強迫螞蟻爬到灌木叢的頂端，咬住葉片直到死去。現在，一項新研究發現，這種真菌就像是操偶師一樣，能以某種方式「拉動」螞蟻的口器肌肉。

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The mind-controlling fungus breaks through the ant’s exoskeleton and enters its body, where it begins to grow and spread, said lead author Colleen Mangold, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The Pennsylvania State University.

賓州大學生物化學與分子生物學博士後研究員科霖．曼戈爾德表示，這種可以操弄精神的真菌，會穿透螞蟻的外骨骼，進入螞蟻體內，然後開始增長及散播。

The first week after being infected, the ants act normally. But then they begin to have trouble moving and start to have muscle spasms. "They walk around rather aimlessly and in circles, or they don’t move much at all," Mangold said. After the ants die, the fungus emerges from the ant and seeks out its next victim.

被感染的螞蟻在第1週還行動自如。但之後牠們會行動不便，開始出現肌肉痙攣。「牠們繞圈亂走，或是根本不動，」曼戈爾德說。在受感染的螞蟻死去後，真菌會從螞蟻體內湧出，尋找下一個受害者。

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