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Context is everything: mapping Cyphomyrmex-derived compounds to the fungus-growing ant phylogeny. CHEMOECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-018-0265-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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52
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Lenoir A, Khalil A, Châline N, Hefetz A. New chemical data on the ant Myrmecina graminicola (Formicidae, Myrmicinae): Unusual abundance of alkene hydrocarbons and esters. BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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53
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Xu M, Lu Z, Lu YY, Balusu RR, Ajayi OS, Fadamiro HY, Appel AG, Chen L. Cuticular hydrocarbon chemistry, an important factor shaping the current distribution pattern of the imported fire ants in the USA. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 110:34-43. [PMID: 30130492 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Two sibling species, Solenopsis richteri and S. invicta, were both introduced into the southern USA from South America in the early 20th century. Today, S. richteri occupies higher latitudes and colder areas, while S. invicta occupies lower latitudes. Between the distributions of the two species, there is a large area of viable hybrid (S. richteri × S. invicta) populations. This study aimed to characterize the forces driving this distribution pattern and the underlying mechanisms. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of freshly killed workers of S. invicta, hybrids, and S. richteri were removed using hexane. Both intact and CHCs-extracted workers were subjected to a constant rate of increasing temperature from 10 to 60 °C to obtain relative water loss and the water loss transition temperature (Tc-ant). Mass loss and Tc-ant were both significantly increased with CHCs removal. We then examined the CHC composition of three species. CHC profiles of S. richteri are characterized by significant amounts of short-chain (C23-C27) saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons. In contrast, profiles of S. invicta consist primarily of long-chain (C27-C29) saturated hydrocarbons; unsaturated alkenes are completely lacking. Hybrid fire ants show intermediate profiles of the two parent species. We measured the melting point (Tm) and water-loss transition temperature of CHC blends (Tc-CHC) of different ant species colonies using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and an artificial membrane system, respectively. There were 3-5 Tms of each CHCs sample of different ant colonies due to their complex chemistry. The highest Tms (Tm-maxs) of CHCs samples from S. invicta and the hybrid were significantly higher than that from S. richteri. The correlation between Tc-CHC and Tm-max obtained from the same CHCs sample was highly significant. These results reveal that species having higher Tc and Tm-max retain more water under relatively higher temperature, and consequently are able to occupy warmer environments. We conclude that CHC chemistry plays a role in shaping current distribution patterns of S. richteri, S. invicta and their hybrid in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - ZeKuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Yong-Yue Lu
- Red Imported Fire Ant Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Rammohan R Balusu
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Olufemi S Ajayi
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Henry Y Fadamiro
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Arthur G Appel
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
| | - Li Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China.
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Al-Tamimi J, Semlali A, Hassan I, Ebaid H, Alhazza IM, Mehdi SH, Al-Khalifa M, Alanazi MS. Samsum Ant Venom Exerts Anticancer Activity Through Immunomodulation In Vitro and In Vivo. Cancer Biother Radiopharm 2018; 33:65-73. [PMID: 29634416 DOI: 10.1089/cbr.2017.2400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Samsum ant venom (SAV) is a rich repertoire of natural compounds with tremendous pharmacological properties. The present work explores its antineoplastic activity in different cell lines followed by its confirmation in vivo. The cell lines, HepG2, MCF-7, and LoVo showed the differential dose-dependent antineoplastic effect with an increased level of significant cytokines, including Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 and transcription factor, Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). However, the venom was more effective on HepG2 and MCF-7 cells than LoVo cells. Furthermore, the extract was administered to four groups (n = 8) of rats. Group I was taken as a control without any treatment, whereas group II received CCl4 (1 mL/kg) for induction of mild hepatoma. Group III was given 100 μg/kg of SAV twice a week for 1 month. Group IV was pretreated with the CCl4 (like group II) followed by dosing with SAV (100 μg/kg) for 2 months as per the authors' prestandardized dosing schedule. Intriguingly, the rats of group IV demonstrated significant decrease in key cytokines, IL-1β and IL-6, as well as the transcription factors, including Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), NF-κB, and Inhibitor-kappa B (I-κB) as compared with group II. Furthermore, increase in IL-10 and First apoptosis signal (FAS) in the same group confirmed that SAV induces apoptosis at the given dose through immunomodulation leading to enhanced tumor killing in vivo. Hence, SAV has an excellent antineoplastic activity that can be directly used to treat certain types of cancer. Moreover, study of its ingredients can pave ways to design novel anticancer drugs. However, further in-depth investigation is required before its clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jameel Al-Tamimi
- 1 Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdelhabib Semlali
- 2 Genome Research Chair, Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Iftekhar Hassan
- 1 Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hossam Ebaid
- 1 Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim M Alhazza
- 1 Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Syed H Mehdi
- 3 Department of Geriatrics, Donald W Reynolds Institute of Aging , UAMS Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Mohammed Al-Khalifa
- 1 Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad S Alanazi
- 2 Genome Research Chair, Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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55
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Saad R, Cohanim AB, Kosloff M, Privman E. Neofunctionalization in Ligand Binding Sites of Ant Olfactory Receptors. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:2490-2500. [PMID: 29982411 PMCID: PMC6161762 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical communication is fundamental for the operation of insect societies. Their diverse vocabulary of chemical signals requires a correspondingly diverse set of chemosensory receptors. Insect olfactory receptors (ORs) are the largest family of chemosensory receptors. The OR family is characterized by frequent expansions of subfamilies, in which duplicated ORs may adapt to detect new signals through positive selection on their amino acid sequence. Ants are an extreme example with ∼400 ORs per genome—the highest number in insects. Presumably, this reflects an increased complexity of chemical communication. Here, we examined gene duplications and positive selection on ant ORs. We reconstructed the hymenopteran OR gene tree, including five ant species, and inferred positive selection along every branch using the branch-site test, a total of 3326 tests. We find more positive selection in branches following species-specific duplications. We identified amino acid sites targeted by positive selection, and mapped them onto a structural model of insect ORs. Seventeen sites were under positive selection in six or more branches, forming two clusters on the extracellular side of the receptor, on either side of a cleft in the structure. This region was previously implicated in ligand activation, suggesting that the concentration of positively selected sites in this region is related to adaptive evolution of ligand binding sites or allosteric transmission of ligand activation. These results provide insights into the specific OR subfamilies and individual residues that facilitated adaptive evolution of olfactory functions, potentially explaining the elaboration of chemical signaling in ant societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Saad
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Amir B Cohanim
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Mickey Kosloff
- Department of Human Biology, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Eyal Privman
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel
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56
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Neupert S, Hornung M, Grenwille Millar J, Kleineidam CJ. Learning Distinct Chemical Labels of Nestmates in Ants. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:191. [PMID: 30210320 PMCID: PMC6123487 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Colony coherence is essential for eusocial insects because it supports the inclusive fitness of colony members. Ants quickly and reliably recognize who belongs to the colony (nestmates) and who is an outsider (non-nestmates) based on chemical recognition cues (cuticular hydrocarbons: CHCs) which as a whole constitute a chemical label. The process of nestmate recognition often is described as matching a neural template with the label. In this study, we tested the prevailing view that ants use commonalities in the colony odor that are present in the CHC profile of all individuals of a colony or whether different CHC profiles are learned independently. We created and manipulated sub-colonies by adding one or two different hydrocarbons that were not present in the original colony odor of our Camponotus floridanus colony and later tested workers of the sub-colonies in one-on-one encounters for aggressive responses. We found that workers adjust their nestmate recognition by learning novel, manipulated CHC profiles, but still accept workers with the previous CHC profile. Workers from a sub-colony with two additional components showed aggression against workers with only one of the two components added to their CHC profile. Thus, additional components as well as the lack of a component can alter a label as “non-nestmate.” Our results suggest that ants have multiple-templates to recognize nestmates carrying distinct labels. This finding is in contrast to what previously has been proposed, i.e., a widening of the acceptance range of one template. We conclude that nestmate recognition in ants is a partitioned (multiple-template) process of the olfactory system that allows discrimination and categorization of nestmates by differences in their CHC profiles. Our findings have strong implications for our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of colony coherence and task allocation because they illustrate the importance of individual experience and task associated differences in the CHC profiles that can be instructive for the organization of insect societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Neupert
- Department of Neurobiology/Zoology, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Manuel Hornung
- Department of Neurobiology/Zoology, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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57
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Hoenigsberger M, Kopchinskiy AG, Parich A, Hiller K, Laciny A, Zettel H, Lim LBL, Salim KA, Druzhinina IS, Schuhmacher R. Isolation of Mandibular Gland Reservoir Contents from Bornean 'Exploding Ants' (Formicidae) for Volatilome Analysis by GC-MS and MetaboliteDetector. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 30199024 PMCID: PMC6231895 DOI: 10.3791/57652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this manuscript is to present a protocol describing the metabolomic analysis of Bornean 'exploding ants' belonging to the Colobopsis cylindrica (COCY) group. For this purpose, the model species C. explodens is used. Ants belonging to the minor worker caste possess distinctive hypertrophied mandibular glands (MGs). In territorial combat, they use the viscous contents of their enlarged mandibular gland reservoirs (MGRs) to kill rival arthropods in characteristic suicidal 'explosions' by voluntary rupture of the gastral integument (autothysis). We show the dissection of worker ants of this species for the isolation of the gastral portion of the wax-like MGR contents as well as listing the necessary steps required for solvent-extraction of the therein contained volatile compounds with subsequent gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and putative identification of metabolites contained in the extract. The dissection procedure is performed under cooled conditions and without the use of any dissection buffer solution to minimize the changes in the chemical composition of the MGR contents. After solvent-based extraction of volatile metabolites contained therein, the necessary steps for analyzing the samples via liquid-injection-GC-MS are presented. Lastly, data processing and putative metabolite identification with the use of the open-source software MetaboliteDetector is shown. With this approach, the profiling and identification of volatile metabolites in MGRs of ants belonging to the COCY group via GC-MS and the MetaboliteDetector software become possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Hoenigsberger
- Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Austria
| | - Alexey G Kopchinskiy
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Engineering, TU Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexandra Parich
- Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Austria
| | - Karsten Hiller
- Department of Computational Biology of Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany; Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Technology (TU) Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Alice Laciny
- 2nd Zoological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria
| | - Herbert Zettel
- 2nd Zoological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria
| | - Linda B L Lim
- Chemical Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei
| | - Kamariah A Salim
- Environmental and Life Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei
| | - Irina S Druzhinina
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Engineering, TU Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Schuhmacher
- Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Austria;
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58
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Pulliainen U, Bos N, d'Ettorre P, Sundström L. Caste-dependent brood retrieval by workers in the ant Formica exsecta. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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59
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Dani FR, Turillazzi S. Chemical Communication and Reproduction Partitioning in Social Wasps. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:796-804. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0968-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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60
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Neupert S, DeMilto A, Drijfhout F, Speller S, Adams RM. Host colony integration: Megalomyrmex guest ant parasites maintain peace with their host using weaponry. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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61
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Otte T, Hilker M, Geiselhardt S. Phenotypic Plasticity of Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles in Insects. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:235-247. [PMID: 29468480 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0934-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The insect integument is covered by cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) which provide protection against environmental stresses, but are also used for communication. Here we review current knowledge on environmental and insect-internal factors which shape phenotypic plasticity of solitary living insects, especially herbivorous ones. We address the dynamics of changes which may occur within minutes, but may also last weeks, depending on the species and conditions. Two different modes of changes are suggested, i.e. stepwise and gradual. A switch between two distinct environments (e.g. host plant switch by phytophagous insects) results in stepwise formation of two distinct adaptive phenotypes, while a gradual environmental change (e.g. temperature gradients) induces a gradual change of numerous adaptive CHC phenotypes. We further discuss the ecological and evolutionary consequences of phenotypic plasticity of insect CHC profiles by addressing the question at which conditions is CHC phenotypic plasticity beneficial. The high plasticity of CHC profiles might be a trade-off for insects using CHCs for communication. We discuss how insects cope with the challenge to produce and "understand" a highly plastic, environmentally dependent CHC pattern that conveys reliable and comprehensible information. Finally, we outline how phenotypic plasticity of CHC profiles may promote speciation in insects that rely on CHCs for mate recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Otte
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Monika Hilker
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sven Geiselhardt
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany.
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62
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Menzel F, Blaimer BB, Schmitt T. How do cuticular hydrocarbons evolve? Physiological constraints and climatic and biotic selection pressures act on a complex functional trait. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.1727. [PMID: 28298343 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) cover the cuticles of virtually all insects, serving as a waterproofing agent and as a communication signal. The causes for the high CHC variation between species, and the factors influencing CHC profiles, are scarcely understood. Here, we compare CHC profiles of ant species from seven biogeographic regions, searching for physiological constraints and for climatic and biotic selection pressures. Molecule length constrained CHC composition: long-chain profiles contained fewer linear alkanes, but more hydrocarbons with disruptive features in the molecule. This is probably owing to selection on the physiology to build a semi-fluid cuticular layer, which is necessary for waterproofing and communication. CHC composition also depended on the precipitation in the ants' habitats. Species from wet climates had more alkenes and fewer dimethyl alkanes than those from drier habitats, which can be explained by different waterproofing capacities of these compounds. By contrast, temperature did not affect CHC composition. Mutualistically associated (parabiotic) species possessed profiles highly distinct from non-associated species. Our study is, to our knowledge, the first to show systematic impacts of physiological, climatic and biotic factors on quantitative CHC composition across a global, multi-species dataset. We demonstrate how they jointly shape CHC profiles, and advance our understanding of the evolution of this complex functional trait in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Menzel
- Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Mainz, Johannes-von-Müller-Weg 6, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Bonnie B Blaimer
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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63
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Schönrogge K, Barbero F, Casacci L, Settele J, Thomas J. Acoustic communication within ant societies and its mimicry by mutualistic and socially parasitic myrmecophiles. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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64
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Chen N, Bai Y, Fan YL, Liu TX. Solid-phase microextraction-based cuticular hydrocarbon profiling for intraspecific delimitation in Acyrthosiphon pisum. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184243. [PMID: 28859151 PMCID: PMC5578635 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play critical roles in reducing water loss and chemical communication. Species-specific CHC profiles have been used increasingly as an excellent character for species classification. However, considerably less is known about their potential for population delimitation within species. The aims of this study were to develop a solid-phase microextraction (SPME)-based CHC collection method and to investigate whether CHC profiles could serve as potential chemotaxonomic tools for intraspecific delimitation in Acyrthosiphon pisum. Optimization of fibers for SPME sampling revealed that 7 μm polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) demonstrated the most efficient adsorption of CHCs among five different tested fibers. SPME sampling showed good reproducibility with repeated collections of CHCs from a single aphid. Validation of SPME was performed by comparing CHC profiles with those from conventional hexane extractions. The two methods showed no qualitative differences in CHCs, although SPME appeared to extract relatively fewer short-chained CHCs. While CHC profiles of a given population differed among developmental stages, wing dimorphism types, and host plants, wingless adult aphids showed very low variance in relative proportions of individual CHC components. Reproducibility of CHC profiles was explored further to classify wingless adult morphs of A. pisum from five different geographic regions that showed no variation in mitochondrial COI gene sequences. Our results demonstrate that CHC profiles are useful in intraspecific delimitation in the field of insect chemotaxonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yong-Liang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- * E-mail: (YLF); (TXL)
| | - Tong-Xian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- * E-mail: (YLF); (TXL)
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65
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Feinerman O, Korman A. Individual versus collective cognition in social insects. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:73-82. [PMID: 28057830 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.143891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The concerted responses of eusocial insects to environmental stimuli are often referred to as collective cognition at the level of the colony. To achieve collective cognition, a group can draw on two different sources: individual cognition and the connectivity between individuals. Computation in neural networks, for example, is attributed more to sophisticated communication schemes than to the complexity of individual neurons. The case of social insects, however, can be expected to differ. This is because individual insects are cognitively capable units that are often able to process information that is directly relevant at the level of the colony. Furthermore, involved communication patterns seem difficult to implement in a group of insects as they lack a clear network structure. This review discusses links between the cognition of an individual insect and that of the colony. We provide examples for collective cognition whose sources span the full spectrum between amplification of individual insect cognition and emergent group-level processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofer Feinerman
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Amos Korman
- Institut de Recherche en Informatique Fondamentale (IRIF), CNRS and University Paris Diderot, Paris 75013, France
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66
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Chen Y, Dallara PL, Nelson LJ, Coleman TW, Hishinuma SM, Carrillo D, Seybold SJ. Comparative morphometric and chemical analyses of phenotypes of two invasive ambrosia beetles (Euwallacea spp.) in the United States. INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 24:647-662. [PMID: 26931091 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB), Euwallacea sp., was first detected in 2003 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Recently, this invasive species has become a major pest of many hardwood trees in urban and wildland forests throughout southern California. PSHB is nearly identical in morphology and life history to the tea shot hole borer (TSHB), Euwallacea fornicatus, an invasive pest of hardwoods in Florida, USA and many other parts of the world. However, molecular studies have suggested that the taxa are different species. We conducted morphometric and chemical analyses of the phenotypes of Euwallacea sp. collected in southern California (Los Angeles County) and E. fornicatus collected in Florida (Miami-Dade County). Our analyses indicated that PSHB has 3 larval instars. The third larval instar was separated from the first 2 instars by head capsule width with 0 probability of misclassification. The body length, head width, and pronotal width of PSHB adult males were significantly less than those of females. Head width and pronotal width of female PSHB were significantly less than those of female TSHB. In contrast, body length, and ratio of body length to pronotal width of female PSHB were significantly greater than those of female TSHB. However, females of these 2 species could not be separated completely by these 4 measurements because of the overlapping ranges. Cuticular hydrocarbons detected in both species were exclusively alkanes (i.e., n-alkanes, monomethylalkanes, dimethylalkanes, and trimethylalkanes). Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of PSHB males and females were similar, but they both differed from that of TSHB females. Cuticular hydrocarbons of PSHB were predominantly internally branched dimethylalkanes with backbones of 31 and 33 carbons, whereas cuticular hydrocarbons of TSHB females were dominated by internally branched monomethylalkanes and dimethylalkanes with backbones of 28 and 29 carbons. Multiple compounds within these classes appear to be diagnostic for PSHB and TSHB, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yigen Chen
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Paul L Dallara
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Lori J Nelson
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Davis, USA
| | - Tom W Coleman
- USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, San Bernardino, California, USA
| | - Stacy M Hishinuma
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Daniel Carrillo
- Tropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead, Florida, USA
| | - Steven J Seybold
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Davis, USA
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67
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Hu L, Vander Meer RK, Porter SD, Chen L. Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles Differentiate Tropical Fire Ant Populations (Solenopsis geminata, Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Chem Biodivers 2017; 14. [PMID: 28695711 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.201700192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) from hexane rinses of workers from two Florida populations (dark and red forms) of the tropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata, were separated by silica gel chromatography and identified by GC/MS analysis. Both the dark form and the red form produce similar CHCs with carbon chain lengths ranging from 17 to 35. However, the relative percentages of these CHCs were consistently different between the two color forms. The largest CHC component in the dark form is tricosane, and (Z)-9-tricosene for the red form. There were several significant differences in percent composition. For example, the dark form was characterized by a low tricosene:tricosane ratio (ca. 0.25), whereas this ratio was > 2.5 for the red form. The ratio of tricosene:tricosane can be used as a diagnostic biomarker to delimit the dark and red forms. Cluster analysis showed that the CHCs patterns of dark form colonies are completely separated from the CHC pattern of red form colonies. Differences in social behaviors like nestmate recognition and polygyny between workers from this dark form and the red form await further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China
| | - Robert K Vander Meer
- Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, Gainesville, Florida, 32608, USA
| | - Sanford D Porter
- Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, Gainesville, Florida, 32608, USA
| | - Li Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China
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68
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Ghaninia M, Haight K, Berger SL, Reinberg D, Zwiebel LJ, Ray A, Liebig J. Chemosensory sensitivity reflects reproductive status in the ant Harpegnathos saltator. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3732. [PMID: 28623371 PMCID: PMC5473913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03964-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects communicate with pheromones using sensitive antennal sensilla. Although trace amounts of pheromones can be detected by many insects, context-dependent increased costs of high sensitivity might lead to plasticity in sensillum responsiveness. We have functionally characterized basiconic sensilla of the ant Harpegnathos saltator for responses to general odors in comparison to cuticular hydrocarbons which can act as fertility signals emitted by the principal reproductive(s) of a colony to inhibit reproduction by worker colony members. When released from inhibition workers may become reproductive gamergates. We observed plasticity in olfactory sensitivity after transition to reproductive status with significant reductions in electrophysiological responses to several long-chained cuticular hydrocarbons. Although gamergates lived on average five times longer than non-reproductive workers, the shift to reproductive status rather than age differences matched the pattern of changes in olfactory sensitivity. Decreasing sensillum responsiveness to cuticular hydrocarbons could potentially reduce mutually inhibitory or self-inhibitory effects on gamergate reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Ghaninia
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
- Division of Entomology, Department of Plant Protection, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Kevin Haight
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Shelley L Berger
- Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics and Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Danny Reinberg
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Laurence J Zwiebel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Anandasankar Ray
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Jürgen Liebig
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
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69
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Menzel F, Schmitt T, Blaimer BB. The evolution of a complex trait: cuticular hydrocarbons in ants evolve independent from phylogenetic constraints. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:1372-1385. [PMID: 28485028 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are ubiquitous and highly diverse in insects, serving as communication signal and waterproofing agent. Despite their vital function, the causes, mechanisms and constraints on CHC diversification are still poorly understood. Here, we investigated phylogenetic constraints on the evolution of CHC profiles, using a global data set of the species-rich and chemically diverse ant genus Crematogaster. We decomposed CHC profiles into quantitative (relative abundances, chain length) and qualitative traits (presence/absence of CHC classes). A species-level phylogeny was estimated using newly generated and previously published sequences from five nuclear markers. Moreover, we reconstructed a phylogeny for the chemically diverse Crematogaster levior species group using cytochrome oxidase I. Phylogenetic signal was measured for these traits on genus and clade level and within the chemically diverse C. levior group. For most quantitative CHC traits, phylogenetic signal was low and did not differ from random expectation. This was true on the level of genus, clade and species group, indicating that CHC traits are evolutionary labile. In contrast, the presence or absence of alkenes and alkadienes was highly conserved within the C. levior group. Hence, the presence or absence of biosynthetic pathways may be phylogenetically constrained, especially at lower taxonomic levels. Our study shows that CHC composition can evolve rapidly, allowing insects to quickly adapt their chemical profiles to external selection pressures, whereas the presence of biosynthetic pathways appears more constrained. However, our results stress the importance to consider the taxonomic level when investigating phylogenetic constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - T Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - B B Blaimer
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
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70
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Berthelot K, Ramon Portugal F, Jeanson R. Caste discrimination in the ant Odontomachus hastatus: What role for behavioral and chemical cues? JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 98:291-300. [PMID: 28163098 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In social insects, the maintenance of genetic colony integrity requires resident workers to recognize any intruder with a reproductive potential and to behave appropriately to minimize fitness costs. In this study, our objective was to identify the relative contribution of the behavioral patterns and chemical cues of intruders with different fertility status on their likelihood of being accepted in monogynous colonies. Using the ponerine ant Odontomachus hastatus as a model organism, we introduced non-nestmate workers, founding queens and heterospecific workers on intact nests in the field. We demonstrated that resident workers were more aggressive toward founding queens than toward non-nestmates workers originating from the same or a distant population. Lab experiments showed that the patterns of aggression did not differ substantially between chilled and live ants, which suggests that chemical cues alone allow caste discrimination. However, the absence of behavioral cues produced more variable results in the outcome of interactions. We also showed that resident workers readily accepted non-nestmate mature queens. The analysis of cuticular profiles revealed that individuals belonging to different castes and fertility status have contrasted chemical signatures. Overall, our study revealed that workers exhibit a graded behavioral response depending on the reproductive status of intruders. We discussed the observed variation in the extent of aggression in relation to the potential fitness costs associated with acceptance or rejection error of individuals differing in fertility status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kévin Berthelot
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France.
| | | | - Raphaël Jeanson
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France
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71
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McKenzie SK, Fetter-Pruneda I, Ruta V, Kronauer DJC. Transcriptomics and neuroanatomy of the clonal raider ant implicate an expanded clade of odorant receptors in chemical communication. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:14091-14096. [PMID: 27911792 PMCID: PMC5150400 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610800113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A major aim of sociogenomic research is to uncover common principles in the molecular evolution of sociality. This endeavor has been hampered by the small number of specific genes currently known to function in social behavior. Here we provide several lines of evidence suggesting that ants have evolved a large and novel clade of odorant receptor (OR) genes to perceive hydrocarbon-based pheromones, arguably the most important signals in ant communication. This genomic expansion is also mirrored in the ant brain via a corresponding expansion of a specific cluster of glomeruli in the antennal lobe. We show that in the clonal raider ant, hydrocarbon-sensitive basiconic sensilla are found only on the ventral surface of the female antennal club. Correspondingly, nearly all genes in a clade of 180 ORs within the 9-exon subfamily of ORs are expressed exclusively in females and are highly enriched in expression in the ventral half of the antennal club. Furthermore, we found that across species and sexes, the number of 9-exon ORs expressed in antennae is tightly correlated with the number of glomeruli in the antennal lobe region innervated by odorant receptor neurons from basiconic sensilla. Evolutionary analyses show that this clade underwent a striking gene expansion in the ancestors of all ants and slower but continued expansion in extant ant lineages. This evidence suggests that ants have evolved a large clade of genes to support pheromone perception and that gene duplications have played an important role in the molecular evolution of ant communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean K McKenzie
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065;
| | - Ingrid Fetter-Pruneda
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Vanessa Ruta
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
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72
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Ellis S, Procter DS, Buckham-Bonnett P, Robinson EJH. Inferring polydomy: a review of functional, spatial and genetic methods for identifying colony boundaries. INSECTES SOCIAUX 2016; 64:19-37. [PMID: 28255180 PMCID: PMC5310590 DOI: 10.1007/s00040-016-0534-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the boundaries of a social insect colony is vital for properly understanding its ecological function and evolution. Many species of ants are polydomous: colonies inhabit multiple, spatially separated, nests. Ascertaining which nests are parts of the same colony is an important consideration when studying polydomous populations. In this paper, we review the methods that are used to identify which nests are parts of the same polydomous colony and to determine the boundaries of colonies. Specifically, we define and discuss three broad categories of approach: identifying nests sharing resources, identifying nests sharing space, and identifying nests sharing genes. For each of these approaches, we review the theoretical basis, the limitations of the approach and the methods that can be used to implement it. We argue that all three broad approaches have merits and weaknesses, and provide a methodological comparison to help researchers select the tool appropriate for the biological question they are investigating.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Ellis
- Department of Biology and York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York, York, UK
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - D. S. Procter
- Department of Biology and York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York, York, UK
- Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School of Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - P. Buckham-Bonnett
- Department of Biology and York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York, York, UK
| | - E. J. H. Robinson
- Department of Biology and York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York, York, UK
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73
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Barbero F. Cuticular Lipids as a Cross-Talk among Ants, Plants and Butterflies. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17121966. [PMID: 27886144 PMCID: PMC5187766 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17121966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Revised: 11/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Even though insects and plants are distantly related organisms, they developed an integument which is functionally and structurally similar. Besides functioning as a physical barrier to cope with abiotic and biotic stress, this interface, called cuticle, is also a source of chemical signaling. Crucial compounds with this respect are surface lipids and especially cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). This review is focused on the role of CHCs in fostering multilevel relationships among ants, plants and Lepidoptera (primarily butterflies). Indeed, particular traits of ants as eusocial organisms allowed the evolution and the maintenance of a variety of associations with both plants and animals. Basic concepts of myrmecophilous interactions and chemical deception strategies together with chemical composition, biosynthetic pathways and functions of CHCs as molecular cues of multitrophic systems are provided. Finally, the need to adopt a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach in the survey of complex models is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Barbero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy.
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74
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75
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Bubak AN, Yaeger JDW, Renner KJ, Swallow JG, Greene MJ. Neuromodulation of Nestmate Recognition Decisions by Pavement Ants. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166417. [PMID: 27846261 PMCID: PMC5112987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ant colonies are distributed systems that are regulated in a non-hierarchical manner. Without a central authority, individuals inform their decisions by comparing information in local cues to a set of inherent behavioral rules. Individual behavioral decisions collectively change colony behavior and lead to self-organization capable of solving complex problems such as the decision to engage in aggressive societal conflicts with neighbors. Despite the relevance to colony fitness, the mechanisms that drive individual decisions leading to cooperative behavior are not well understood. Here we show how sensory information, both tactile and chemical, and social context—isolation, nestmate interaction, or fighting non-nestmates—affects brain monoamine levels in pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum). Our results provide evidence that changes in octopamine and serotonin in the brains of individuals are sufficient to alter the decision by pavement ants to be aggressive towards non-nestmate ants whereas increased brain levels of dopamine correlate to physical fighting. We propose a model in which the changes in brain states of many workers collectively lead to the self-organization of societal aggression between neighboring colonies of pavement ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew N Bubak
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado - Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
- Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Jazmine D W Yaeger
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - Kenneth J Renner
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - John G Swallow
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado - Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Michael J Greene
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado - Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
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76
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Guillem RM, Drijfhout FP, Martin SJ. Species-Specific Cuticular Hydrocarbon Stability within European Myrmica Ants. J Chem Ecol 2016; 42:1052-1062. [PMID: 27832346 PMCID: PMC5119849 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0784-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Recognition is a fundamental process on which all subsequent behaviors are based at every organizational level, from the gene up to the super-organism. At the whole organism level, visual recognition is the best understood. However, chemical communication is far more widespread than visual communication, but despite its importance is much less understood. Ants provide an excellent model system for chemical ecology studies as it is well established that compounds known as cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are used as recognition cues in ants. Therefore, stable species-specific odors should exist, irrespective of geographic locality. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the CHC profiles of workers of twelve species of Myrmica ants from four countries across Europe, from Iberia to the Balkans and from the Mediterranean to Fennoscandia. CHCs remained qualitatively stable within each species, right down to the isomer level. Despite the morphological similarity that occurs within the genus Myrmica, their CHCs were highly diverse but remarkably species-specific and stable across wide geographical areas. This indicates a genetic mechanism under strong selection that produces these species-specific chemical profiles, despite each species encountering different environmental conditions across its range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhian M Guillem
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, Sheffield, UK. .,Department of Earth & Life Sciences, Gibraltar Botanic Gardens Campus, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA, Gibraltar.
| | - Falko P Drijfhout
- Chemical Ecology Group, School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Lennard-Jones Laboratory, Keele University, Keele, ST5 5BG, UK
| | - Stephen J Martin
- School of Environment & Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester, M5 4WT, UK
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77
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Smith AA, Millar JG, Suarez AV. Comparative analysis of fertility signals and sex-specific cuticular chemical profiles of Odontomachus trap-jaw ants. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:419-30. [PMID: 26847561 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.128850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The lipid mixture that coats the insect cuticle contains a number of chemical signals. Mate choice in solitary insects is mediated by sexually dimorphic cuticular chemistry, whereas in eusocial insects, these profiles provide information through which colony members are identified and the fertility status of individuals is assessed. Profiles of queens and workers have been described for a number of eusocial species, but there have been few comparisons of fertility signals among closely related species. Additionally, sexual dimorphism in cuticular lipid profiles has only been reported in two species of ants. This study describes the cuticular chemical profiles of queens, workers and males of three species of Odontomachus trap-jaw ants: O. ruginodis, O. relictus and O. haematodus. These are compared with fertility signals and sexually dimorphic profiles already described from O. brunneus. We report that fertility signals are not conserved within this genus: chemical compounds that distinguish queens from workers vary in number and type among the species. Furthermore, the compounds that were most abundant in cuticular extracts of O. ruginodis queens relative to workers were novel 2,5-dialkyltetrahydrofurans. Bioassays of extracts of O. ruginodis queens indicate that the dialkyltetrahydrofuran and hydrocarbon fractions of the profile are likely to work synergistically in eliciting behavioral responses from workers. In contrast, cuticular lipids that distinguish males from females are more conserved across species, with isomeric and relative abundance variations comprising the main differences among species. Our results provide new insights into how these contact chemical signals may have arisen and evolved within eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian A Smith
- Research and Collections, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Jocelyn G Millar
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Andrew V Suarez
- Departments of Animal Biology and Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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78
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Finck J, Berdan EL, Mayer F, Ronacher B, Geiselhardt S. Divergence of cuticular hydrocarbons in two sympatric grasshopper species and the evolution of fatty acid synthases and elongases across insects. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33695. [PMID: 27677406 PMCID: PMC5039406 DOI: 10.1038/srep33695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play a major role in the evolution of reproductive isolation between insect species. The CHC profiles of two closely related sympatric grasshopper species, Chorthippus biguttulus and C. mollis, differ mainly in the position of the first methyl group in major methyl-branched CHCs. The position of methyl branches is determined either by a fatty acid synthase (FAS) or by elongases. Both protein families showed an expansion in insects. Interestingly, the FAS family showed several lineage-specific expansions, especially in insect orders with highly diverse methyl-branched CHC profiles. We found five putative FASs and 12 putative elongases in the reference transcriptomes for both species. A dN/dS test showed no evidence for positive selection acting on FASs and elongases in these grasshoppers. However, one candidate FAS showed species-specific transcriptional differences and may contribute to the shift of the methyl-branch position between the species. In addition, transcript levels of four elongases were expressed differentially between the sexes. Our study indicates that complex methyl-branched CHC profiles are linked to an expansion of FASs genes, but that species differences can also mediated at the transcriptional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Finck
- Behavioural Physiology, Department of Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany.,Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Emma L Berdan
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Frieder Mayer
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernhard Ronacher
- Behavioural Physiology, Department of Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sven Geiselhardt
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163 Berlin, Germany
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79
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Binz H, Kraft EF, Entling MH, Menzel F. Behavioral response of a generalist predator to chemotactile cues of two taxonomically distinct prey species. CHEMOECOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-016-0215-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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80
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Social Structure and Genetic Distance Mediate Nestmate Recognition and Aggressiveness in the Facultative Polygynous Ant Pheidole pallidula. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156440. [PMID: 27243627 PMCID: PMC4886963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In social insects, the evolutionary stability of cooperation depends on the privileged relationships between individuals of the social group, which is facilitated by the recognition of relatives. Nestmate recognition is based on genetically determined cues and/or environmentally derived chemical components present on the cuticle of individuals. Here, we studied nestmate recognition in the ant Pheidole pallidula, a species where both single-queen (monogyne) and multiple-queen (polygyne) colonies co-occur in the same population. We combined geographical, genetic and chemical analyses to disentangle the factors influencing the level of intraspecific aggressiveness. We show that encounters between workers from neighbouring colonies (i.e., nests less than 5 m away) are on average less aggressive than those between workers from more distant colonies. Aggressive behaviour is associated with the level of genetic difference: workers from monogyne colonies are more aggressive than workers from polygyne colonies, and the intensity of aggressiveness is positively associated with the genetic distance between colonies. Since the genetic distance is correlated with the spatial distance between pairs of colonies, the lower level of aggression toward neighbours may result from their higher relatedness. In contrast, the analysis of overall cuticular hydrocarbon profiles shows that aggressive behaviour is associated neither with the chemical diversity of colonies, nor with the chemical distances between them. When considering methyl-branched alkanes only, however, chemical distances differed between monogyne and polygyne colonies and were significantly associated with aggressiveness. Altogether, these results show that the social structure of colonies and the genetic distances between colonies are two major factors influencing the intensity of agonistic behaviours in the ant P. pallidula.
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81
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Differential Sharing of Chemical Cues by Social Parasites Versus Social Mutualists in a Three-Species Symbiosis. J Chem Ecol 2016; 42:277-85. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0692-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2015] [Revised: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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82
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Hoover KM, Bubak AN, Law IJ, Yaeger JDW, Renner KJ, Swallow JG, Greene MJ. The organization of societal conflicts by pavement ants Tetramorium caespitum: an agent-based model of amine-mediated decision making. Curr Zool 2016; 62:277-284. [PMID: 29491915 PMCID: PMC5829439 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ant colonies self-organize to solve complex problems despite the simplicity of an individual ant’s brain. Pavement ant Tetramorium caespitum colonies must solve the problem of defending the territory that they patrol in search of energetically rich forage. When members of 2 colonies randomly interact at the territory boundary a decision to fight occurs when: 1) there is a mismatch in nestmate recognition cues and 2) each ant has a recent history of high interaction rates with nestmate ants. Instead of fighting, some ants will decide to recruit more workers from the nest to the fighting location, and in this way a positive feedback mediates the development of colony wide wars. In ants, the monoamines serotonin (5-HT) and octopamine (OA) modulate many behaviors associated with colony organization and in particular behaviors associated with nestmate recognition and aggression. In this article, we develop and explore an agent-based model that conceptualizes how individual changes in brain concentrations of 5-HT and OA, paired with a simple threshold-based decision rule, can lead to the development of colony wide warfare. Model simulations do lead to the development of warfare with 91% of ants fighting at the end of 1 h. When conducting a sensitivity analysis, we determined that uncertainty in monoamine concentration signal decay influences the behavior of the model more than uncertainty in the decision-making rule or density. We conclude that pavement ant behavior is consistent with the detection of interaction rate through a single timed interval rather than integration of multiple interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Hoover
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
| | - Andrew N Bubak
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA, and
| | - Isaac J Law
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
| | - Jazmine D W Yaeger
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069, USA
| | - Kenneth J Renner
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069, USA
| | - John G Swallow
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
| | - Michael J Greene
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
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83
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The Long and the Short of Mate Attraction in a Psylloid: do Semiochemicals Mediate Mating in Aacanthocnema dobsoni Froggatt? J Chem Ecol 2016; 42:163-72. [PMID: 26922348 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0674-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Mating is preceded by a series of interdependent events that can be broadly categorized into searching and courtship. Long-range signals convey species- and sex-specific information during searching, while short-range signals provide information specific to individuals during courtship. Studies have shown that cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) can be used for mate recognition in addition to protecting insects from desiccation. In Psylloidea, four species rely on semiochemicals for long-range mate attraction. Psyllid mating research has focused on long-range mate attraction and has largely ignored the potential use of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) as mate recognition cues. This study investigated whether CHCs of Aacanthocnema dobsoni have semiochemical activity for long- and short-range communication prior to mating. Using a solid sampler for solvent-less injection of whole psyllids into coupled gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, we found quantitative, sex- and age-related differences in CHC profiles. Males had higher proportions of 2-MeC28, 11,15-diMeC29, and n-C33 alkanes, while females had higher proportions of 5-MeC27, 3-MeC27, 5,15-diMeC27, n-C29 and n-C30 alkanes. In males and females, 84 and 68 % of CHCs varied with age, respectively. Y-tube olfactometer bioassays provided no evidence that males or females responded to odors emanating from groups of conspecifics of the opposite sex. Tests of male and female psyllids for attraction to branchlets previously occupied by conspecifics showed no evidence of attraction to possible semiochemical residues. Our short-range chemoreception bioassay showed that males were as indifferent to freshly killed individuals of either sex with intact CHC profiles as to those treated with hexane (to remove CHCs). Aacanthocnema dobsoni utilizes substrate-borne vibrations (SBVs) for communication. Therefore, our results indicate that SBVs are probably more important than semiochemicals for long-range mate attraction. Furthermore, CHCs are unlikely to mediate short-range mate recognition or provide mate assessment cues.
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84
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Martins LCB, Delabie JHC, Serrão JE. The function of intramandibular glands of the antNeoponera villosa(Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenoptera: Ponerinae). TROPICAL ZOOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/03946975.2016.1139394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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85
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dos Santos AB, do Nascimento FS. Cuticular Hydrocarbons of Orchid Bees Males: Interspecific and Chemotaxonomy Variation. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145070. [PMID: 26713612 PMCID: PMC4694643 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have investigated the composition of compounds that cover the cuticle in social insects, but few studies have focused on solitary bees. Cuticular hydrocarbons may provide a tool for chemotaxonomy, and perhaps they can be used as a complement to morphology and genetic characters in phylogenetic studies. Orchid bees (Tribe Euglossini) are a highly diverse group of Neotropical bees with more than 200 species. Here, the cuticular hydrocarbons of 17 species were identified and statistical analysis revealed 108 compounds, which allowed for the taxonomic classification according to the genera. The most significant compounds discriminating the four genera were (Z)-9-pentacosene, (Z,Z)-pentatriacontene-3, (Z)-9-tricosene, and (Z)-9-heptacosene. The analyses demonstrated the potential use of CHCs to identify different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Borba dos Santos
- Laboratório de Comportamento e Ecologia de Insetos Sociais. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Bandeirantes, 3900. CEP 14040–901. Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Laboratório de Comportamento e Ecologia de Insetos Sociais. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Bandeirantes, 3900. CEP 14040–901. Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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86
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Taheri A, Reyes-Lopez JL, Bennas N. Faible niveau d’agressivité intraspécifique chez les colonies d’ Anochetus ghilianii (Spinola, 1851) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) au Rif occidental (Nord-Ouest du Maroc). ECOSCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2016.1171963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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87
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Evolution of Cuticular Hydrocarbons in the Hymenoptera: a Meta-Analysis. J Chem Ecol 2015; 41:871-83. [PMID: 26410609 PMCID: PMC4619461 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-015-0631-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2015] [Revised: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemical communication is the oldest form of communication, spreading across all forms of life. In insects, cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) function as chemical cues for the recognition of mates, species, and nest-mates in social insects. Although much is known about the function of individual hydrocarbons and their biosynthesis, a phylogenetic overview is lacking. Here, we review the CHC profiles of 241 species of Hymenoptera, one of the largest and most important insect orders, which includes the Symphyta (sawflies), the polyphyletic Parasitica (parasitoid wasps), and the Aculeata (wasps, bees, and ants). We investigated whether these taxonomic groups differed in the presence and absence of CHC classes and whether the sociality of a species (solitarily vs. social) had an effect on CHC profile complexity. We found that the main CHC classes (i.e., n-alkanes, alkenes, and methylalkanes) were all present early in the evolutionary history of the Hymenoptera, as evidenced by their presence in ancient Symphyta and primitive Parasitica wasps. Throughout all groups within the Hymenoptera, the more complex a CHC the fewer species that produce it, which may reflect the Occam’s razor principle that insects’ only biosynthesize the most simple compound that fulfil its needs. Surprisingly, there was no difference in the complexity of CHC profiles between social and solitary species, with some of the most complex CHC profiles belonging to the Parasitica. This profile complexity has been maintained in the ants, but some specialization in biosynthetic pathways has led to a simplification of profiles in the aculeate wasps and bees. The absence of CHC classes in some taxa or species may be due to gene silencing or down-regulation rather than gene loss, as demonstrated by sister species having highly divergent CHC profiles, and cannot be predicted by their phylogenetic history. The presence of highly complex CHC profiles prior to the vast radiation of the social Hymenoptera indicates a ‘spring-loaded’ system where the diversity of CHC needed for the complex communication systems of social insects were already present for natural selection to act upon, rather than having evolved independently. This diversity may have aided the multiple independent evolution of sociality within the Aculeata.
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88
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Pradella D, Martin SJ, Dani FR. Using Errors by Guard Honeybees (Apis mellifera) to Gain New Insights into Nestmate Recognition Signals. Chem Senses 2015; 40:649-53. [DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjv053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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89
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Brooks L, Brunelli M, Pattison P, Jones GR, Fitch A. Crystal structures of eight mono-methyl alkanes (C26-C32) via single-crystal and powder diffraction and DFT-D optimization. IUCRJ 2015; 2:490-7. [PMID: 26306191 PMCID: PMC4547817 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252515010271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The crystal structures of eight mono-methyl alkanes have been determined from single-crystal or high-resolution powder X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. Mono-methyl alkanes can be found on the cuticles of insects and are believed to act as recognition pheromones in some social species, e.g. ants, wasps etc. The molecules were synthesized as pure S enantiomers and are (S)-9-methylpentacosane, C26H54; (S)-9-methylheptacosane and (S)-11-methylheptacosane, C28H58; (S)-7-methylnonacosane, (S)-9-methylnonacosane, (S)-11-methylnonacosane and (S)-13-methylnonacosane, C30H62; and (S)-9-methylhentriacontane, C32H66. All crystallize in space group P21. Depending on the position of the methyl group on the carbon chain, two packing schemes are observed, in which the molecules pack together hexagonally as linear rods with terminal and side methyl groups clustering to form distinct motifs. Carbon-chain torsion angles deviate by less than 10° from the fully extended conformation, but with one packing form showing greater curvature than the other near the position of the methyl side group. The crystal structures are optimized by dispersion-corrected DFT calculations, because of the difficulties in refining accurate structural parameters from powder diffraction data from relatively poorly crystalline materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Brooks
- ESRF, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
- School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Lennard–Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK
| | - Michela Brunelli
- ILL, CS 20156, 38042 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
- SNBL/ESRF, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
| | - Philip Pattison
- SNBL/ESRF, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
- Crystallography Competence Centre, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Graeme R. Jones
- School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Lennard–Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK
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90
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Engsontia P, Sangket U, Robertson HM, Satasook C. Diversification of the ant odorant receptor gene family and positive selection on candidate cuticular hydrocarbon receptors. BMC Res Notes 2015; 8:380. [PMID: 26306879 PMCID: PMC4549895 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-015-1371-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chemical communication plays important roles in the social behavior of ants making them one of the most successful groups of animals on earth. However, the molecular evolutionary process responsible for their chemosensory adaptation is still elusive. Recent advances in genomic studies have led to the identification of large odorant receptor (Or) gene repertoires from ant genomes providing fruitful materials for molecular evolution analysis. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that diversification of this gene family is involved in olfactory adaptation of each species. Results We annotated the Or genes from the genome sequences of two leaf-cutter ants, Acromyrmex echinatior and Atta cephalotes (385 and 376 putative functional genes, respectively). These were used, together with Or genes from Camponotus floridanus, Harpegnathos saltator, Pogonomyrmex barbatus, Linepithema humile, Cerapachys biroi, Solenopsis invicta and Apis mellifera, in molecular evolution analysis. Like the Or family in other insects, ant Or genes evolve by the birth-and-death model of gene family evolution. Large gene family expansions involving tandem gene duplications, and gene gains outnumbering losses, are observed. Codon analysis of genes in lineage-specific expansion clades revealed signatures of positive selection on the candidate cuticular hydrocarbon receptor genes (9-exon subfamily) of Cerapachys biroi, Camponotus floridanus, Acromyrmex echinatior and Atta cephalotes. Positively selected amino acid positions are primarily in transmembrane domains 3 and 6, which are hypothesized to contribute to the odor-binding pocket, presumably mediating changing ligand specificity. Conclusions This study provides support for the hypothesis that some ant lineage-specific Or genes have evolved under positive selection. Newly duplicated genes particularly in the candidate cuticular hydrocarbon receptor clade that have evolved under positive selection may contribute to the highly sophisticated lineage-specific chemical communication in each ant species. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-015-1371-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patamarerk Engsontia
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Research Unit, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, 90112, Thailand. .,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, 90112, Thailand.
| | - Unitsa Sangket
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Science, The Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics Research, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, 90112, Thailand.
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Chutamas Satasook
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, 90112, Thailand.
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91
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Yew JY, Chung H. Insect pheromones: An overview of function, form, and discovery. Prog Lipid Res 2015; 59:88-105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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92
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Chung H, Carroll SB. Wax, sex and the origin of species: Dual roles of insect cuticular hydrocarbons in adaptation and mating. Bioessays 2015; 37:822-30. [PMID: 25988392 PMCID: PMC4683673 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201500014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary changes in traits that affect both ecological divergence and mating signals could lead to reproductive isolation and the formation of new species. Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are potential examples of such dual traits. They form a waxy layer on the cuticle of the insect to maintain water balance and prevent desiccation, while also acting as signaling molecules in mate recognition and chemical communication. Because the synthesis of these hydrocarbons in insect oenocytes occurs through a common biochemical pathway, natural or sexual selection on one role may affect the other. In this review, we explore how ecological divergence in insect CHCs can lead to divergence in mating signals and reproductive isolation. We suggest that the evolution of insect CHCs may be ripe models for understanding ecological speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Chung
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, WI, USA
| | - Sean B Carroll
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, WI, USA
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93
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Oi CA, van Zweden JS, Oliveira RC, Van Oystaeyen A, Nascimento FS, Wenseleers T. The origin and evolution of social insect queen pheromones: Novel hypotheses and outstanding problems. Bioessays 2015; 37:808-21. [PMID: 25916998 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201400180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Queen pheromones, which signal the presence of a fertile queen and induce daughter workers to remain sterile, are considered to play a key role in regulating the reproductive division of labor of insect societies. Although queen pheromones were long thought to be highly taxon-specific, recent studies have shown that structurally related long-chain hydrocarbons act as conserved queen signals across several independently evolved lineages of social insects. These results imply that social insect queen pheromones are very ancient and likely derived from an ancestral signalling system that was already present in their common solitary ancestors. Based on these new insights, we here review the literature and speculate on what signal precursors social insect queen pheromones may have evolved from. Furthermore, we provide compelling evidence that these pheromones should best be seen as honest signals of fertility as opposed to suppressive agents that chemically sterilize the workers against their own best interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cintia A Oi
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jelle S van Zweden
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ricardo C Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annette Van Oystaeyen
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fabio S Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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94
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Kather R, Drijfhout FP, Shemilt S, Martin SJ. Evidence for passive chemical camouflage in the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. J Chem Ecol 2015; 41:178-86. [PMID: 25620373 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-015-0548-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Social insect colonies provide a stable and safe environment for their members. Despite colonies being heavily guarded, parasites have evolved numerous strategies to invade and inhabit these hostile places. Two such strategies are (true) chemical mimicry via biosynthesis of host odor, and chemical camouflage, in which compounds are acquired from the host. The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor feeds on hemolymph of its honey bee host, Apis mellifera. The mite's odor closely resembles that of its host, which allows V. destructor to remain undetected as it lives on the adult host during its phoretic phase and while reproducing on the honeybee brood. During the mite life cycle, it switches between host adults and brood, which requires it to adjust its profile to mimic the very different odors of honey bee brood and adults. In a series of transfer experiments, using bee adults and pupae, we tested whether V. destructor changes its profile by synthesizing compounds or by using chemical camouflage. We show that V. destructor required direct access to host cuticle to mimic its odor, and that it was unable to synthesize host-specific compounds itself. The mite was able to mimic host odor, even when dead, indicating a passive physico-chemical mechanism of the parasite cuticle. The chemical profile of V. destructor was adjusted within 3 to 9 h after switching hosts, demonstrating that passive camouflage is a highly efficient, fast and flexible way for the mite to adapt to a new host profile when moving between different host life stages or colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricarda Kather
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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95
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Helanterä H, d'Ettorre P. A comparative study of egg recognition signature mixtures in Formica ants. Evolution 2015; 69:520-9. [PMID: 25545864 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Processing of information from the environment, such as assessing group membership in social contexts, is a major determinant of inclusive fitness. For social insects, recognizing brood origin is crucial for inclusive fitness in many contexts, such as social parasitism and kin conflicts within colonies. Whether a recognition signature is informative in kin conflicts depends on the extent of a genetic contribution into the cues. We investigated colony- and matriline-specific variation in egg surface hydrocarbons in seven species of Formica ants. We show that chemical variance is distributed similarly to genetic variation, suggesting a significant genetic contribution to eggs odors in the genus. Significant among matriline components, and significant correlations between chemical and genetic similarity among individuals also indicate kin informative egg odors in several species. We suggest that egg odor surface variation could play a large role in within colony conflicts, and that a comparative method can reveal novel insight into communication of identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heikki Helanterä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Bioscience, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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96
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Helmkampf M, Cash E, Gadau J. Evolution of the insect desaturase gene family with an emphasis on social Hymenoptera. Mol Biol Evol 2014; 32:456-71. [PMID: 25425561 PMCID: PMC4298175 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msu315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Desaturase genes are essential for biological processes, including lipid metabolism, cell signaling, and membrane fluidity regulation. Insect desaturases are particularly interesting for their role in chemical communication, and potential contribution to speciation, symbioses, and sociality. Here, we describe the acyl-CoA desaturase gene families of 15 insects, with a focus on social Hymenoptera. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed that the insect desaturases represent an ancient gene family characterized by eight subfamilies that differ strongly in their degree of conservation and frequency of gene gain and loss. Analyses of genomic organization showed that five of these subfamilies are represented in a highly microsyntenic region conserved across holometabolous insect taxa, indicating an ancestral expansion during early insect evolution. In three subfamilies, ants exhibit particularly large expansions of genes. Despite these expansions, however, selection analyses showed that desaturase genes in all insect lineages are predominantly undergoing strong purifying selection. Finally, for three expanded subfamilies, we show that ants exhibit variation in gene expression between species, and more importantly, between sexes and castes within species. This suggests functional differentiation of these genes and a role in the regulation of reproductive division of labor in ants. The dynamic pattern of gene gain and loss of acyl-CoA desaturases in ants may reflect changes in response to ecological diversification and an increased demand for chemical signal variability. This may provide an example of how gene family expansions can contribute to lineage-specific adaptations through structural and regulatory changes acting in concert to produce new adaptive phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jürgen Gadau
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
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97
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Newcomb LB, Tevis ID, Atkinson MBJ, Gathiaka SM, Luna RE, Thuo M. Odd-even effect in the hydrophobicity of n-alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers depends upon the roughness of the substrate and the orientation of the terminal moiety. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2014; 30:11985-11992. [PMID: 25233063 DOI: 10.1021/la5032569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The origin of the odd-even effect in properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and/or technologies derived from them is poorly understood. We report that hydrophobicity and, hence, surface wetting of SAMs are dominated by the nature of the substrate (surface roughness and identity) and SAM tilt angle, which influences surface dipoles/orientation of the terminal moiety. We measured static contact angles (θs) made by water droplets on n-alkanethiolate SAMs with an odd (SAM(O)) or even (SAM(E)) number of carbons (average θs range of 105.8-112.1°). When SAMs were fabricated on smooth "template-stripped" metal (M(TS)) surfaces [root-mean-square (rms) roughness = 0.36 ± 0.01 nm for Au(TS) and 0.60 ± 0.04 nm for Ag(TS)], the odd-even effect, characterized by a zigzag oscillation in values of θs, was observed. We, however, did not observe the same effect with rougher "as-deposited" (M(AD)) surfaces (rms roughness = 2.27 ± 0.16 nm for Au(AD) and 5.13 ± 0.22 nm for Ag(AD)). The odd-even effect in hydrophobicity inverts when the substrate changes from Au(TS) (higher θs for SAM(E) than SAM(O), with average Δθs |n - (n + 1)| ≈ 3°) to Ag(TS) (higher θs for SAM(O) than SAM(E), with average Δθs |n - (n + 1)| ≈ 2°). A comparison of hydrophobicity across Ag(TS) and Au(TS) showed a statistically significant difference (Student's t test) between SAM(E) (Δθs |Ag evens - Au evens| ≈ 5°; p < 0.01) but failed to show statistically significant differences on SAM(O) (Δθs |Ag odds - Au odds| ≈ 1°; p > 0.1). From these results, we deduce that the roughness of the metal substrate (from comparison of M(AD) versus M(TS)) and orientation of the terminal -CH2CH3 (by comparing SAM(E) and SAM(O) on Au(TS) versus Ag(TS)) play major roles in the hydrophobicity and, by extension, general wetting properties of n-alkanethiolate SAMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas B Newcomb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Boston , 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, United States
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98
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Chemical composition of the intramandibular glands of the ant Neoponera villosa (Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenoptera: Ponerinae). CHEMOECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-014-0172-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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99
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Vaníčková L, Virgilio M, Tomčala A, Břízová R, Ekesi S, Hoskovec M, Kalinová B, Do Nascimento RR, De Meyer M. Resolution of three cryptic agricultural pests (Ceratitis fasciventris, C. anonae, C. rosa, Diptera: Tephritidae) using cuticular hydrocarbon profiling. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2014; 104:631-8. [PMID: 24896539 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485314000406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Discrimination of particular species within the species complexes of tephritid fruit flies is a very challenging task. In this fruit-fly family, several complexes of cryptic species have been reported, including the African cryptic species complex (FAR complex). Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) appear to be an excellent tool for chemotaxonomical discrimination of these cryptic species. In the present study, CHC profiles have been used to discriminate among three important agricultural pests from the FAR complex, Ceratitis fasciventris, Ceratitis anonae and Ceratitis rosa. Hexane body surface extracts of mature males and females were analyzed by two-dimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection and differences in CHC profiles between species and sexes tested through multivariate statistics and compared with species identification by means of microsatellite markers. Quantitative as well as qualitative CHC profile differences between sexes and species are reported. The CHC profiles consisted of a mixture of linear, internally methyl-branched and mono-, di- and tri-unsaturated alkanes. Twelve compounds were pinpointed as potential chemotaxonomical markers. The present study shows that presence or absence of particular CHCs might be used in the chemical diagnosis of the FAR complex. Moreover, our results represent an important first step in the development of a useful chemotaxonomic tool for cryptic species identification of these important agricultural pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Vaníčková
- Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Federal University of Alagoas,BR 104 Norte Km 14, 57072-970 Maceió, Alagoas,Brazil
| | - M Virgilio
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, B-3080 Tervuren,Belgium
| | - A Tomčala
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the ASCR,Flemingovo nám. 2, CZ-166 10 Prague 6,Czech Republic
| | - R Břízová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the ASCR,Flemingovo nám. 2, CZ-166 10 Prague 6,Czech Republic
| | - S Ekesi
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology,PO Box 30772-00100 GPO, Nairobi,Kenya
| | - M Hoskovec
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the ASCR,Flemingovo nám. 2, CZ-166 10 Prague 6,Czech Republic
| | - B Kalinová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the ASCR,Flemingovo nám. 2, CZ-166 10 Prague 6,Czech Republic
| | - R R Do Nascimento
- Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Federal University of Alagoas,BR 104 Norte Km 14, 57072-970 Maceió, Alagoas,Brazil
| | - M De Meyer
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, B-3080 Tervuren,Belgium
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100
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Nguyen SH, Webb HK, Mahon PJ, Crawford RJ, Ivanova EP. Natural insect and plant micro-/nanostructsured surfaces: an excellent selection of valuable templates with superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties. Molecules 2014; 19:13614-30. [PMID: 25185068 PMCID: PMC6271828 DOI: 10.3390/molecules190913614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects and plants are two types of organisms that are widely separated on the evolutionary tree; for example, plants are mostly phototrophic organisms whilst insects are heterotrophic organisms. In order to cope with environmental stresses, their surfaces have developed cuticular layers that consist of highly sophisticated structures. These structures serve a number of purposes, and impart useful properties to these surfaces. These two groups of organisms are the only ones identified thus far that possess truly superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties. These properties result from their micro- and nano-scale structures, comprised of three-dimensional wax formations. This review analyzes the surface topologies and surface chemistry of insects and plants in order to identify the features common to both organisms, with particular reference to their superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties. This information will be valuable when determining the potential application of these surfaces in the design and manufacture of superhydrophobic and self-cleaning devices, including those that can be used in the manufacture of biomedical implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Ha Nguyen
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
| | - Hayden K Webb
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
| | - Peter J Mahon
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
| | - Russell J Crawford
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
| | - Elena P Ivanova
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
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