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Silva RBV, Coelho Júnior VG, de Paula Mattos Júnior A, Julidori Garcia H, Siqueira Caixeta Nogueira E, Mazzoni TS, Ramos Martins J, Rosatto Moda LM, Barchuk AR. Farnesol, a component of plant-derived honeybee-collected resins, shows JH-like effects in Apis mellifera workers. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 154:104627. [PMID: 38373613 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Farnesol, a sesquiterpene found in all eukaryotes, precursor of juvenile hormone (JH) in insects, is involved in signalling, communication, and antimicrobial defence. Farnesol is a compound of floral volatiles, suggesting its importance in pollination and foraging behaviour. Farnesol is found in the resin of Baccharis dracunculifolia, from which honeybees elaborate the most worldwide marketable propolis. Bees use propolis to seal cracks in the walls, reinforce the wax combs, and as protection against bacteria and fungi. The introduction within a honeybee hive of a compound with potential hormonal activity can be a challenge to the colony survival, mainly because the transition from within-hive to outside activities of workers is controlled by JH. Here, we tested the hypothesis that exogenous farnesol alters the pacing of developing workers. The first assays showed that low doses of the JH precursor (0.1 and 0.01 µg) accelerate pharate-adult development, with high doses being toxic. The second assay was conducted in adult workers and demonstrated bees that received 0.2 µg farnesol showed more agitated behaviour than the control bees. If farnesol was used by corpora allata (CA) cells as a precursor of JH and this hormone was responsible for the observed behavioural alterations, these glands were expected to be larger after the treatment. Our results on CA measurements after 72 h of treatment showed bees that received farnesol had glands doubled in size compared to the control bees (p < 0.05). Additionally, we expected the expression of JH synthesis, JH degradation, and JH-response genes would be upregulated in the treated bees. Our results showed that indeed, the mean transcript levels of these genes were higher in the treated bees (significant for methyl farnesoate epoxidase and juvenile hormone esterase, p < 0.05). These results suggest farnesol is used in honeybees as a precursor of JH, leading to increasing JH titres, and thus modulating the pacing of workers development. This finding has behavioural and ecological implications, since alterations in the dynamics of the physiological changes associated to aging in young honeybees may significantly impact colony balance in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raissa Bayker Vieira Silva
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Valdeci Geraldo Coelho Júnior
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Adolfo de Paula Mattos Júnior
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Henrique Julidori Garcia
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ester Siqueira Caixeta Nogueira
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Talita Sarah Mazzoni
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana Ramos Martins
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lívia Maria Rosatto Moda
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Angel Roberto Barchuk
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Li Y, Yin L, Guo R, Du Y, Wang B, Liu L, Li Z, Liu W, Zhang G, An S, Yin X, Su L. Juvenile Hormone Involved in the Defensive Behaviors of Soldiers in Termite Reticulitermes aculabialis. INSECTS 2024; 15:130. [PMID: 38392549 PMCID: PMC10889337 DOI: 10.3390/insects15020130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Eusocial insects have evolved specific defensive strategies to protect their colonies. In termite colonies, soldiers perform a colony-level defense by displaying mechanical biting, head-banging and mandible opening-closing behaviors. However, few studies have been reported on the factors modulating defensive behaviors in termites. Owing to JH (juvenile hormone) being involved in soldier differentiation, JH was speculated to affect defensive behaviors in termite soldiers. To determine the effect of JH on the defensive behaviors of termite soldiers, we performed a JHA-feeding and RaSsp1-silencing experiment and then tested the changes in defense-related behaviors, alarm pheromones and key JH signaling genes. The observed result was that after feeding workers with JHA, soldiers displayed the following: (1) decreased biting events and increased head-banging events; (2) a reduced expression of RaSsp1 and increased expression of Met (methoprene-tolerant, the nuclear receptor of JH) and Kr-h1 (the JH-inducible transcription factor Krüppel homolog 1); and (3) a decreased concentration of alarm pheromones, including α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene (+, -). Further study showed that soldiers silenced for RaSsp1 also exhibited (1) decreased biting events and increased head-banging events and (2) increased expression of Met and Kr-h1. In addition, soldiers stimulated by the alarm pheromone limonene displayed an increase in the frequency of mandible opening-closing and biting behavior. All of these results show that JHA influenced the defensive behaviors of termite soldiers, possibly via downregulating RaSsp1 expression, up-regulating Met and Kr-h1 and stimulating the secretion of alarm pheromones, suggesting that the JH pathway plays important roles in modulating social behaviors in termite colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiying Li
- College of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Letong Yin
- College of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Ruiyao Guo
- College of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Yunliang Du
- College of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Bo Wang
- College of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Long Liu
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Zhenya Li
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Wei Liu
- College of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Guozhi Zhang
- College of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Shiheng An
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Xinming Yin
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Lijuan Su
- College of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
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3
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Ge J, Shalem Y, Ge Z, Liu J, Wang X, Bloch G. Integration of information from multiple sources drives and maintains the division of labor in bumble bee colonies. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 60:101115. [PMID: 37704097 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Bumble bees are eusocial bees in which the division of labor (DoL) in reproduction and in task performance changes during their annual lifecycle. The queen monopolizes reproduction in young colonies, but at later stages, some workers start to challenge the queen and lay their own unfertilized eggs. The division of colony maintenance and growth tasks relates to worker body size. Reproduction and task performance are regulated by multiple social signals of the queen, the workers, and the brood. Here, we review recent studies suggesting that bumble bees use multiple sources of information to establish and maintain DoL in both reproduction and in task performance. Juvenile hormone (JH) is an important neuroendocrine signal involved in the regulation of DoL in reproduction but not in worker task performance. The reliance on multiple signals facilitates flexibility in face of changes in the social and geophysical environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yuval Shalem
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Zhuxi Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jinpeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
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Wynants E, Van Dun C, Lenaerts N, Princen SA, Tuyttens E, Shpigler HY, Wenseleers T, Van Oystaeyen A. Uncovering the role of juvenile hormone in ovary development and egg laying in bumble bees. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 150:104557. [PMID: 37625783 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Juvenile hormone (JH) regulates developmental and physiological processes in insects. In bumble bees, the hormone acts as a gonadotropin that mediates ovary development, but the exact physiological pathways involved in ovary activation and subsequent egg laying are poorly understood. In this study, we examine how queen hibernation state, caste, and species impact the gonadotropic effect of JH in bumble bee queens through methoprene (JH analogue) application. We extend previous research by assessing queen egg laying and colony initiation, alongside ovary development. Furthermore, we compared sensitivity of workers of both species to the juvenile hormone's gonadotropic effect. In both bumble bee species, the ovaries of hibernated queens were developed five to six days after breaking diapause, regardless of methoprene treatment. By contrast, methoprene did have a stimulatory effect on ovary development in non-hibernated queens. The dose needed to obtain this effect was higher in B. impatiens. Methoprene did not have gonadotropic effects in callow workers of both species. These results indicate that the physiological effect of exogenous methoprene application varies according to species, caste and hibernation status. Interestingly, despite gonadotropic effects in non-hibernated queens, oviposition was not accelerated by JH. This suggests that JH alone is insufficient to induce egg laying and that an additional stimulus, which is naturally present in hibernated queens, is required. Consequently, our findings indicate that other physiological processes, beyond a rise in JH alone, are required for oviposition and colony initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enya Wynants
- Biobest Group NV, Research and Development, 2260 Westerlo, Belgium
| | - Cédric Van Dun
- Laboratory of Socio-ecology and Social Evolution, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nancy Lenaerts
- Biobest Group NV, Research and Development, 2260 Westerlo, Belgium
| | - Sarah A Princen
- Biobest Group NV, Research and Development, 2260 Westerlo, Belgium
| | - Ella Tuyttens
- Biobest Group NV, Research and Development, 2260 Westerlo, Belgium
| | - Hagai Y Shpigler
- Department of Entomology, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socio-ecology and Social Evolution, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annette Van Oystaeyen
- Biobest Group NV, Research and Development, 2260 Westerlo, Belgium; Laboratory of Socio-ecology and Social Evolution, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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5
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Ju L, Glastad KM, Sheng L, Gospocic J, Kingwell CJ, Davidson SM, Kocher SD, Bonasio R, Berger SL. Hormonal gatekeeping via the blood-brain barrier governs caste-specific behavior in ants. Cell 2023; 186:4289-4309.e23. [PMID: 37683635 PMCID: PMC10807403 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Here, we reveal an unanticipated role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in regulating complex social behavior in ants. Using scRNA-seq, we find localization in the BBB of a key hormone-degrading enzyme called juvenile hormone esterase (Jhe), and we show that this localization governs the level of juvenile hormone (JH3) entering the brain. Manipulation of the Jhe level reprograms the brain transcriptome between ant castes. Although ant Jhe is retained and functions intracellularly within the BBB, we show that Drosophila Jhe is naturally extracellular. Heterologous expression of ant Jhe into the Drosophila BBB alters behavior in fly to mimic what is seen in ants. Most strikingly, manipulation of Jhe levels in ants reprograms complex behavior between worker castes. Our study thus uncovers a remarkable, potentially conserved role of the BBB serving as a molecular gatekeeper for a neurohormonal pathway that regulates social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linyang Ju
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Karl M Glastad
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Lihong Sheng
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Janko Gospocic
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Urology and Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Callum J Kingwell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Shawn M Davidson
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Sarah D Kocher
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Lewis-Sigler Institute for Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Roberto Bonasio
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shelley L Berger
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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6
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Starkey J, Hawkings C, Tamborindeguy C. Influence of juvenile hormone analog on behavior in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14726. [PMID: 37679373 PMCID: PMC10485025 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41540-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Division of labor is a hallmark characteristic of social insect colonies. While it is understood that worker differentiation is regulated through either the queen or her brood, the understanding of the physiology behind task regulation varies within social species. Studies in eusocial insects have shown that juvenile hormone (JH) is associated with division of labor and the onset of foraging tasks. Although, outside of a few key species, this interaction has yet to be elucidated in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. In this study, we evaluated the role of a JH analog, S-hydroprene in worker task transition in Solenopsis invicta. S-hydroprene was applied to nurses to observe behavioral changes. S-hyroprene application to nurses did not affect phototaxis, but there was a shift in behavior from internal, nest-based behaviors to external, foraging-based behaviors. These results show that JH may be implicated in worker task transition in S. invicta and may function similarly as it does in other eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Starkey
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 412 Heep Center, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Chloe Hawkings
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 412 Heep Center, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, Thompson Hall, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Cecilia Tamborindeguy
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 412 Heep Center, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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Lacy KD, Kronauer DJC. Evolution: How sweat bees gained and lost eusociality. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R770-R773. [PMID: 37490864 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Eusocial insects divide labor between reproductive and non-reproductive individuals. The molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution of these castes have remained mysterious. A comparative genomic study of sweat bees points to a familiar factor as a regulator of behavioral specialization: juvenile hormone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kip D Lacy
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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8
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Yi G, Ba R, Luo J, Zou L, Huang M, Li Y, Li H, Li X. Simultaneous Detection and Distribution of Five Juvenile Hormones in 58 Insect Species and the Absolute Configuration in 32 Insect Species. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:7878-7890. [PMID: 37191197 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Juvenile hormone (JH) plays an important role in regulating various insect physiological processes. Herein, a novel method (chiral and achiral) for the simultaneous detection of five JHs was established by processing a whole insect without complicated hemolymph extraction. The proposed method was used to determine the distribution of JHs in 58 insect species and the absolute configuration of JHs in 32 species. The results showed that JHSB3 was uniquely synthesized in Hemiptera, JHB3 was unique to Diptera, and JH I and JH II were unique to Lepidoptera. JH III was present in most insect species surveyed, with social insects having generally higher JH III titers. Interestingly, JHSB3 and JHB3, both double epoxidation JHs, were found in insects with sucking mouthparts. The absolute conformation of JH III and the 10C of the detected JHs were all R stereoisomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Yi
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-products Safety, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Rikang Ba
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-products Safety, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Jie Luo
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-products Safety, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Lixia Zou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-products Safety, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Mingfeng Huang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-products Safety, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Yuxuan Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-products Safety, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Honghong Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-products Safety, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Xuesheng Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-products Safety, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
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9
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Toga K, Bono H. Meta-Analysis of Public RNA Sequencing Data Revealed Potential Key Genes Associated with Reproductive Division of Labor in Social Hymenoptera and Termites. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098353. [PMID: 37176060 PMCID: PMC10179490 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Eusociality in insects has evolved independently many times. One of the most notable characteristics of eusociality is the reproductive division of labor. In social insects, the reproductive division of labor is accomplished by queens and workers. Transcriptome analyses of queens and workers have been conducted for various eusocial species. However, the genes that regulate the reproductive division of labor across all or multiple eusocial species have not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis using publicly available RNA-sequencing data from four major groups of social insects. In this meta-analysis, we collected 258 pairs (queen vs. worker) of RNA-sequencing data from 34 eusocial species. The meta-analysis identified a total of 20 genes that were differentially expressed in queens or workers. Out of these, 12 genes have not previously been reported to be involved in the reproductive division of labor. Functional annotation of these 20 genes in other organisms revealed that they could be regulators of behaviors and physiological states related to the reproductive division of labor. These 20 genes, revealed using massive datasets of numerous eusocial insects, may be key regulators of the reproductive division of labor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouhei Toga
- Laboratory of BioDX, PtBio Co-Creation Research Center, Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City 739-0046, Hiroshima, Japan
- Laboratory of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City 739-0046, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hidemasa Bono
- Laboratory of BioDX, PtBio Co-Creation Research Center, Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City 739-0046, Hiroshima, Japan
- Laboratory of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City 739-0046, Hiroshima, Japan
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10
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Role of juvenile hormone in oogenesis, chemical profile, and behavior of the wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis (Vespidae: Polistinae). CHEMOECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-022-00378-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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11
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Sakamoto H, Goka K. Efficiency of ant-control agents in colony-level oral toxicity tests using Tetramorium tsushimae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for post-establishment control of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY 2022; 58:25-33. [PMID: 36245437 PMCID: PMC9547751 DOI: 10.1007/s13355-022-00800-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) causes serious damage worldwide as an invasive alien species. The species has expanded its range to the Pacific Rim since 2000s and Japan has faced its multiple introductions since 2017. While colony-level control methods are urgently needed, testing living colonies of the unestablished species is challenging especially due to various restrictions under the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we proposed alternative long-term toxicity assays using artificial colonies of Tetramorium tsushimae Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a Japanese native species belonging to the same subfamily (Myrmicinae) as S. invicta. We conducted an acute toxicity test to determine if T. tsushimae is a suitable substitute for S. invicta using fipronil and found the LD50 value in T. tsushimae was close to that in S. invicta. Then, we conducted the long-term toxicity test with fipronil and two insect growth regulators (pyriproxyfen and etoxazole) using artificial colonies of T. tsushimae. All workers and larvae in the fipronil-treated colonies died within 3 days of treatment initiation. Emergence of new workers was observed after 18 days in the etoxazole-treated and control colonies, but not in the pyriproxyfen-treated colonies. We concluded that fipronil was the most promising insecticide for post-establishment control, and pyriproxyfen was effective as a toxic-bait agent for colony-level control. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13355-022-00800-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironori Sakamoto
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Onogawa 16-2, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0053 Japan
| | - Koichi Goka
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Onogawa 16-2, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0053 Japan
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12
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Knapp RA, Norman VC, Rouse JL, Duncan EJ. Environmentally responsive reproduction: neuroendocrine signalling and the evolution of eusociality. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 53:100951. [PMID: 35863739 PMCID: PMC9586883 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Eusociality is a rare but successful life-history strategy that is defined by the reproductive division of labour. In eusocial species, most females forgo their own reproduction to support that of a dominant female or queen. In many eusocial insects, worker reproduction is inhibited via dominance hierarchies or by pheromones produced by the queen and her brood. Here, we consider whether these cues may act as generic 'environmental signals', similar to temperature or nutrition stress, which induce a state of reproductive dormancy in some solitary insects. We review the recent findings regarding the mechanisms of reproductive dormancy in insects and highlight key gaps in our understanding of how environmental cues inhibit reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary A Knapp
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Victoria C Norman
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - James L Rouse
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Duncan
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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13
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Juvenile hormone regulates reproductive physiology and the production of fertility cues in the swarm-founding wasp Polybia occidentalis. CHEMOECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-022-00376-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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14
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Chen D, Hou L, Wei J, Guo S, Cui W, Yang P, Kang L, Wang X. Aggregation pheromone 4-vinylanisole promotes the synchrony of sexual maturation in female locusts. eLife 2022; 11:74581. [PMID: 35258453 PMCID: PMC8903828 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive synchrony generally occurs in various group-living animals. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. The migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, a worldwide agricultural pest species, displays synchronous maturation and oviposition when forms huge swarm. The reproductive synchrony among group members is critical for the maintenance of locust swarms and population density of next generation. Here, we showed that gregarious female locusts displayed more synchronous sexual maturation and oviposition than solitarious females and olfactory deficiency mutants. Only the presence of gregarious male adults can stimulate sexual maturation synchrony of female adults. Of the volatiles emitted abundantly by gregarious male adults, the aggregation pheromone, 4-vinylanisole, was identified to play key role in inducing female sexual maturation synchrony. This maturation-accelerating effect of 4-vinylanisole disappeared in the females of Or35-/- lines, the mutants of 4-vinylanisole receptor. Interestingly, 4-vinylanisole displayed a time window action by which mainly accelerates oocyte maturation of young females aged at middle developmental stages (3–4 days post adult eclosion). We further revealed that juvenile hormone/vitellogenin pathway mediated female sexual maturation triggered by 4-vinylanisole. Our results highlight a ‘catch-up’ strategy by which gregarious females synchronize their oocyte maturation and oviposition by time-dependent endocrinal response to 4-vinylanisole, and provide insight into reproductive synchrony induced by olfactory signal released by heterosexual conspecifics in a given group. Since 2019, a plague of flying insects known as migratory locusts has been causing extensive damage to crops in East Africa. Migratory locusts sometimes live a solitary lifestyle but, if environmental conditions allow, they form large groups containing millions of individuals known as swarms that are responsible for causing locust plagues.Locusts are able to maintain such large swarms because they can aggregate and synchronize. When they live in swarms, individual locusts produce odors that are sensed by other individuals in the group. For example, an aggregation pheromone, called 4-vinylanisole, is known to help keep large groups of locusts together. However, it is less clear how odors synchronize the reproductive cycles of the females in a swarm so that they are ready to mate with males and lay their eggs at the same time. To address this question, Chen et al. examined when female locusts reached sexual maturity after they were exposed to odors produced by other locusts living alone or in groups. The experiments found that only 4-vinylanisole, which was abundantly released by adult male locusts living in groups, stimulated female locusts to reach sexual maturity at the same time. This odor increased the levels of a hormone known as juvenile hormone in less-developed females to help them reach sexual maturity sooner. These findings demonstrate that when migratory locusts are living in swarms, male locusts promote the female locusts to reach sexual maturity at the same time by promoting less-developed females to ‘catch up’ with other females in the group. A next step will be to investigate the neural and molecular mechanisms underlying the ‘catch up’ effect induced by 4-vinylanisole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianing Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Siyuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weichan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pengcheng Yang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Le Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Beijing Institutes of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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15
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Costa CP, Okamoto N, Orr M, Yamanaka N, Woodard SH. Convergent Loss of Prothoracicotropic Hormone, A Canonical Regulator of Development, in Social Bee Evolution. Front Physiol 2022; 13:831928. [PMID: 35242055 PMCID: PMC8887954 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.831928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of insect sociality has repeatedly involved changes in developmental events and their timing. Here, we propose the hypothesis that loss of a canonical regulator of moulting and metamorphosis, prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), and its receptor, Torso, is associated with the evolution of sociality in bees. Specifically, we posit that the increasing importance of social influences on early developmental timing in social bees has led to their decreased reliance on PTTH, which connects developmental timing with abiotic cues in solitary insects. At present, the evidence to support this hypothesis includes the absence of genes encoding PTTH and Torso from all fully-sequenced social bee genomes and its presence in all available genomes of solitary bees. Based on the bee phylogeny, the most parsimonious reconstruction of evolutionary events is that this hormone and its receptor have been lost multiple times, across independently social bee lineages. These gene losses shed light on possible molecular and cellular mechanisms that are associated with the evolution of social behavior in bees. We outline the available evidence for our hypothesis, and then contextualize it in light of what is known about developmental cues in social and solitary bees, and the multiple precedences of major developmental changes in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudinéia P Costa
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Naoki Okamoto
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States.,Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Michael Orr
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Naoki Yamanaka
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - S Hollis Woodard
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
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16
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Shimoji H, Dobata S. The build-up of dominance hierarchies in eusocial insects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200437. [PMID: 35000446 PMCID: PMC8743887 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive division of labour is a hallmark of eusocial insects. However, its stability can often be hampered by the potential for reproduction by otherwise sterile nest-mates. Dominance hierarchy has a crucial role in some species in regulating which individuals reproduce. Compared with those in vertebrates, the dominance hierarchies in eusocial insects tend to involve many more individuals, and should require additional selective forces unique to them. Here, we provide an overview of a series of studies on dominance hierarchies in eusocial insects. Although reported from diverse eusocial taxa, dominance hierarchies have been extensively studied in paper wasps and ponerine ants. Starting from molecular physiological attributes of individuals, we describe how the emergence of dominance hierarchies can be understood as a kind of self-organizing process through individual memory and local behavioural interactions. The resulting global structures can be captured by using network analyses. Lastly, we argue the adaptive significance of dominance hierarchies from the standpoint of sterile subordinates. Kin selection, underpinned by relatedness between nest-mates, is key to the subordinates' acceptance of their positions in the hierarchies. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Shimoji
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337, Japan
| | - Shigeto Dobata
- Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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17
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Sex-Specific Regulatory Systems for Dopamine Production in the Honey Bee. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13020128. [PMID: 35206702 PMCID: PMC8878259 DOI: 10.3390/insects13020128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary In this review, we describe sex-specific differences in the regulatory systems for dopamine production in the brains of social insects, focusing on the honey bee. Dopamine has a crucial role in the promotion of reproduction in both sexes of the honey bee and is a key substance for understanding the mechanisms underlying the reproductive division of labor in females. Studies associated with dopamine regulation have been performed mainly in females, with less of a focus on its regulation in males. In social insects, males are specialized for reproduction and do not exhibit division of labor; however, they have evolved to adapt their social system and have acquired/discarded physiological and behavioral characteristics. Therefore, studies exploring the dopaminergic system in males can contribute to our understanding of social adaptation in males. We integrate findings related to dopamine in both honey bee sexes and provide insights into the physiology involved in dopaminergic systems in social insects. Abstract Dopamine has multiple functions in the modulation of social behavior and promotion of reproduction in eusocial Hymenoptera. In the honey bee, there are sex-specific differences in the regulation of dopamine production in the brain. These different dopaminergic systems might contribute to the maintenance of sex-specific behaviors and physiology. However, it is still not fully understood how the dopaminergic system in the brain is regulated by endocrinal factors and social stimuli in the colony. In this review, we focus on the regulation of dopamine production in queens, workers, and males in the honey bee. Dopamine production can be controlled by queen substance, juvenile hormone, and exogenous tyrosine from food. Queens can control dopamine production in workers via queen substance, whereas workers can manipulate the supply of tyrosine, a precursor of dopamine, to queens and males. The regulation of dopamine production through social interaction might affect the reproductive states of colony members and maintain sex-specific behaviors in unpredictable environments.
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18
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Quque M, Villette C, Criscuolo F, Sueur C, Bertile F, Heintz D. Eusociality is linked to caste-specific differences in metabolism, immune system, and somatic maintenance-related processes in an ant species. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 79:29. [PMID: 34971425 PMCID: PMC11073003 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-04024-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The social organization of many primate, bird and rodent species and the role of individuals within that organization are associated with specific individual physiological traits. However, this association is perhaps most pronounced in eusocial insects (e.g., termites, ants). In such species, genetically close individuals show significant differences in behavior, physiology, and life expectancy. Studies addressing the metabolic changes according to the social role are still lacking. We aimed at understanding how sociality could influence essential molecular processes in a eusocial insect, the black garden ant (Lasius niger) where queens can live up to ten times longer than workers. Using mass spectrometry-based analysis, we explored the whole metabolome of queens, nest-workers and foraging workers. A former proteomics study done in the same species allowed us to compare the findings of both approaches. Confirming the former results at the proteome level, we showed that queens had fewer metabolites related to immunity. Contrary to our predictions, we did not find any metabolite linked to reproduction in queens. Among the workers, foragers had a metabolic signature reflecting a more stressful environment and a more highly stimulated immune system. We also found that nest-workers had more digestion-related metabolites. Hence, we showed that specific metabolic signatures match specific social roles. Besides, we identified metabolites differently expressed among behavioral castes and involved in nutrient sensing and longevity pathways (e.g., sirtuins, FOXO). The links between such molecular pathways and aging being found in an increasing number of taxa, our results confirm and strengthen their potential universality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Quque
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Claire Villette
- Plant Imaging and Mass Spectrometry (PIMS), Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue du Général Zimmer, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - François Criscuolo
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Cédric Sueur
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Fabrice Bertile
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI, FR2048, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dimitri Heintz
- Plant Imaging and Mass Spectrometry (PIMS), Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue du Général Zimmer, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
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19
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Pandey A, Bloch G. Krüppel-homologue 1 Mediates Hormonally Regulated Dominance Rank in a Social Bee. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10111188. [PMID: 34827180 PMCID: PMC8614866 DOI: 10.3390/biology10111188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dominance hierarchies are ubiquitous in invertebrates and vertebrates, but little is known on how genes influence dominance rank. Our gaps in knowledge are specifically significant concerning female hierarchies, particularly in insects. To start filling these gaps, we studied the social bumble bee Bombus terrestris, in which social hierarchies among females are common and functionally significant. Dominance rank in this bee is influenced by multiple factors, including juvenile hormone (JH) that is a major gonadotropin in this species. We tested the hypothesis that the JH responsive transcription factor Krüppel homologue 1 (Kr-h1) mediates hormonal influences on dominance behavior. We first developed and validated a perfluorocarbon nanoparticles-based RNA interference protocol for knocking down Kr-h1 expression. We then used this procedure to show that Kr-h1 mediates the influence of JH, not only on oogenesis and wax production, but also on aggression and dominance rank. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study causally linking a gene to dominance rank in social insects, and one of only a few such studies on insects or on female hierarchies. These findings are important for determining whether there are general molecular principles governing dominance rank across gender and taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul Pandey
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Correspondence: (A.P.); (G.B.)
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
- Correspondence: (A.P.); (G.B.)
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20
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Glastad KM, Ju L, Berger SL. Tramtrack acts during late pupal development to direct ant caste identity. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009801. [PMID: 34550980 PMCID: PMC8489709 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A key question in the rising field of neuroepigenetics is how behavioral plasticity is established and maintained in the developing CNS of multicellular organisms. Behavior is controlled through systemic changes in hormonal signaling, cell-specific regulation of gene expression, and changes in neuronal connections in the nervous system, however the link between these pathways is unclear. In the ant Camponotus floridanus, the epigenetic corepressor CoREST is a central player in experimentally-induced reprogramming of caste-specific behavior, from soldier (Major worker) to forager (Minor worker). Here, we show this pathway is engaged naturally on a large genomic scale during late pupal development targeting multiple genes differentially expressed between castes, and central to this mechanism is the protein tramtrack (ttk), a DNA binding partner of CoREST. Caste-specific differences in DNA binding of ttk co-binding with CoREST correlate with caste-biased gene expression both in the late pupal stage and immediately after eclosion. However, we find a unique set of exclusive Minor-bound genes that show ttk pre-binding in the late pupal stage preceding CoREST binding, followed by caste-specific gene repression on the first day of eclosion. In addition, we show that ttk binding correlates with neurogenic Notch signaling, and that specific ttk binding between castes is enriched for regulatory sites associated with hormonal function. Overall our findings elucidate a pathway of transcription factor binding leading to a repressive epigenetic axis that lies at the crux of development and hormonal signaling to define worker caste identity in C. floridanus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl M Glastad
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States of America.,Epigenetics Institute; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States of America
| | - Linyang Ju
- Epigenetics Institute; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States of America.,Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States of America
| | - Shelley L Berger
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States of America.,Epigenetics Institute; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States of America.,Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States of America
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21
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Zhang JJ, Xi GS, Zhao J. Vitellogenin regulates estrogen-related receptor expression by crosstalk with the JH and IIS-TOR signaling pathway in Polyrhachis vicina Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 310:113836. [PMID: 34181936 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The Estrogen-related receptor (ERR) can regulate the growth and development, metabolism, reproduction, and other physiological activities of insects, but its specific mechanism of action is still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between expression of ERR and Vitellogenins (Vg) and the juvenile hormone (JH) and insulin/insulin-like growth factor/target of rapamycin (IIS/TOR) signaling pathways in Polyrhachis vicina Roger. P. vicina was used as the experimental model to clone the PvVg gene, perform double-stranded RNA synthesis and delivery and observe the effects of pharmacological treatments. The full-length PvVg cDNA product is 5586 bp. Higher PvVg mRNA expression was seen in the pupa and adults, and varying levels were seen in the different body parts of three different castes. RNA interference of PvVg expression led to disturbed development, an abnormal phenotype, and high mortality. PvVg RNAi also led to a reduction in mRNA levels of PvERR, ultraspiracle (PvUSP), forkhead box protein O (PvFOXO) and PvTOR genes in fourth instar larval, but a significant increase was seen in pupa and females. No significant change was seen in workers and males. After PvVg knockdown, application of exogenous JHIII reduced the expression of these genes in pupa and females, increased expression in workers, and decreased PvUSP mRNA expression in males. Both protein and mRNA expression levels of PvFOXO were affected by PvVg RNAi. PvERR RNAi increased PvVg expression in pupa and females and Kruppel-homolog 1 (PvKr-h1) and PvFOXO expression in males. The results of this study suggest that there is an interaction between PvERR and PvVg, and that crosstalk with the JH and IIS/TOR signaling pathways can affect development and reproduction. This effect is caste and developmental stage specific. We also speculate that the FOXO/USP complex participates in JH regulation of PvVg in P. vicina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan-Juan Zhang
- Department of Physical Education, Xi'an International Studies University, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an 710119, China.
| | - Geng-Si Xi
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Physical Education, Xi'an International Studies University, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an 710119, China
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22
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Brito DV, da Silva CGN, Rêgo LCN, Carvalho-Zilse GA. Expression of methyl farnesoate epoxidase (mfe) and juvenile hormone esterase (jhe) genes and their relation to social organization in the stingless bee Melipona interrupta (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Genet Mol Biol 2021; 44:e20200367. [PMID: 34387298 PMCID: PMC8361248 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2020-0367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Social organization in highly eusocial bees relies upon two important processes: caste differentiation in female larvae, and age polyethism in adult workers. Juvenile Hormone (JH) is a key regulator of both processes. Here we investigated the expression of two genes involved in JH metabolism - mfe (biosynthesis) and jhe (degradation) - in the context of social organization in the stingless bee Melipona interrupta. We found evidence that the expression of mfe and jhe genes is related to changes in JH levels during late larval development, where caste determination occurs. Also, both mfe and jhe were upregulated when workers engage in intranidal tasks, but only jhe expression was downregulated at the transition from nursing to foraging activities. This relation is different than expected, considering recent reports of lower JH levels in foragers than nurses in the closely related species Melipona scutellaris. Our findings suggest that highly eusocial bees have different mechanisms to regulate JH and, thus, to maintain their level of social organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Vieira Brito
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Grupo de Pesquisas em Abelhas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Conservação e Biologia Evolutiva, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | | | - Livia Cristina Neves Rêgo
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Grupo de Pesquisas em Abelhas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Conservação e Biologia Evolutiva, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Gislene Almeida Carvalho-Zilse
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Grupo de Pesquisas em Abelhas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Conservação e Biologia Evolutiva, Manaus, AM, Brazil
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23
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Sasaki K, Okada Y, Shimoji H, Aonuma H, Miura T, Tsuji K. Social Evolution With Decoupling of Multiple Roles of Biogenic Amines Into Different Phenotypes in Hymenoptera. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.659160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Convergent evolution of eusociality with the division of reproduction and its plastic transition in Hymenoptera has long attracted the attention of researchers. To explain the evolutionary scenario of the reproductive division of labor, several hypotheses had been proposed. Among these, we focus on the most basic concepts, i.e., the ovarian ground plan hypothesis (OGPH) and the split-function hypothesis (SFH). The OGPH assumes the physiological decoupling of ovarian cycles and behavior into reproductive and non-reproductive individuals, whereas the SFH assumes that the ancestral reproductive function of juvenile hormone (JH) became split into a dual function. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of the neurohormonal regulation of reproduction and social behavior in eusocial hymenopterans, with an emphasis on biogenic amines. Biogenic amines are key substances involved in the switching of reproductive physiology and modulation of social behaviors. Dopamine has a pivotal role in the formation of reproductive skew irrespective of the social system, whereas octopamine and serotonin contribute largely to non-reproductive social behaviors. These decoupling roles of biogenic amines are seen in the life cycle of a single female in a solitary species, supporting OGPH. JH promotes reproduction with dopamine function in primitively eusocial species, whereas it regulates non-reproductive social behaviors with octopamine function in advanced eusocial species. The signal transduction networks between JH and the biogenic amines have been rewired in advanced eusocial species, which could regulate reproduction in response to various social stimuli independently of JH action.
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24
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Korb J, Meusemann K, Aumer D, Bernadou A, Elsner D, Feldmeyer B, Foitzik S, Heinze J, Libbrecht R, Lin S, Majoe M, Monroy Kuhn JM, Nehring V, Negroni MA, Paxton RJ, Séguret AC, Stoldt M, Flatt T. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the mechanisms underpinning ageing and fecundity in social insects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190728. [PMID: 33678016 PMCID: PMC7938167 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The exceptional longevity of social insect queens despite their lifelong high fecundity remains poorly understood in ageing biology. To gain insights into the mechanisms that might underlie ageing in social insects, we compared gene expression patterns between young and old castes (both queens and workers) across different lineages of social insects (two termite, two bee and two ant species). After global analyses, we paid particular attention to genes of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 signalling (IIS)/target of rapamycin (TOR)/juvenile hormone (JH) network, which is well known to regulate lifespan and the trade-off between reproduction and somatic maintenance in solitary insects. Our results reveal a major role of the downstream components and target genes of this network (e.g. JH signalling, vitellogenins, major royal jelly proteins and immune genes) in affecting ageing and the caste-specific physiology of social insects, but an apparently lesser role of the upstream IIS/TOR signalling components. Together with a growing appreciation of the importance of such downstream targets, this leads us to propose the TI-J-LiFe (TOR/IIS-JH-Lifespan and Fecundity) network as a conceptual framework for understanding the mechanisms of ageing and fecundity in social insects and beyond. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Korb
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, D-79104 Freiburg (Breisgau), Germany
| | - Karen Meusemann
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, D-79104 Freiburg (Breisgau), Germany
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, Clunies Ross Street, Canberra, Acton 2601, Australia
| | - Denise Aumer
- Developmental Zoology, Molecular Ecology Research Group, Hoher Weg 4, D-06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Abel Bernadou
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Elsner
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, D-79104 Freiburg (Breisgau), Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Molecular Ecology, Senckenberg, Georg-Voigt-Straße 14-16, D-60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (IOME), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Heinze
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (IOME), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Silu Lin
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, D-79104 Freiburg (Breisgau), Germany
| | - Megha Majoe
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, D-79104 Freiburg (Breisgau), Germany
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (IOME), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - José Manuel Monroy Kuhn
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, D-79104 Freiburg (Breisgau), Germany
| | - Volker Nehring
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, D-79104 Freiburg (Breisgau), Germany
| | - Matteo A. Negroni
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (IOME), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Robert J. Paxton
- Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Alice C. Séguret
- Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle, Germany
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Marah Stoldt
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (IOME), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Flatt
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - the So-Long consortium
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Institute of Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, D-79104 Freiburg (Breisgau), Germany
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, Clunies Ross Street, Canberra, Acton 2601, Australia
- Developmental Zoology, Molecular Ecology Research Group, Hoher Weg 4, D-06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Molecular Ecology, Senckenberg, Georg-Voigt-Straße 14-16, D-60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (IOME), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle, Germany
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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25
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Oi CA, Brown RL, da Silva RC, Wenseleers T. Reproduction and signals regulating worker policing under identical hormonal control in social wasps. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18971. [PMID: 33149171 PMCID: PMC7643062 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76084-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In social Hymenoptera, fertility and fertility signalling are often under identical hormonal control, and it has been suggested that such hormonal pleiotropies can help to maintain signal honesty. In the common wasp Vespula vulgaris, for example, fertile queens have much higher juvenile hormone (JH) titers than workers, and JH also controls the production of chemical fertility cues present on the females’ cuticle. To regulate reproductive division of labour, queens use these fertility cues in two distinct ways: as queen pheromones that directly suppress the workers’ reproduction as well as to mark queen eggs and enable the workers to recognize and police eggs laid by other workers. Here, we investigated the hormonal pleiotropy hypothesis by testing if experimental treatment with the JH analogue methoprene could enable the workers to lay eggs that evade policing. In support of this hypothesis, we find that methoprene-treated workers laid more eggs, and that the chemical profiles of their eggs were more queen-like, thereby causing fewer of their eggs to be policed compared to in the control. Overall, our results identify JH as a key regulator of both reproduction and the production of egg marking pheromones that mediate policing behaviour in eusocial wasps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cintia Akemi Oi
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Robert L Brown
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Rafael Carvalho da Silva
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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26
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Shpigler HY, Herb B, Drnevich J, Band M, Robinson GE, Bloch G. Juvenile hormone regulates brain-reproduction tradeoff in bumble bees but not in honey bees. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104844. [PMID: 32860832 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Gonadotropic hormones coordinate processes in diverse tissues regulating animal reproductive physiology and behavior. Juvenile hormone (JH) is the ancient and most common gonadotropin in insects, but not in advanced eusocial honey bees and some ants. To start probing the evolutionary basis of this change, we combined endocrine manipulations, transcriptomics, and behavioral analyses to study JH regulated processes in a bumble bee showing a relatively simple level of eusociality. We found that in worker fat body, more JH-regulated genes were up- rather than down-regulated, and enriched for metabolic and biosynthetic pathways. This transcriptomic pattern is consistent with earlier evidence that JH is the major gonadotropin in bumble bees. In the brain, more JH-regulated genes were down- rather than up-regulated and enriched for protein turnover pathways. Brain ribosomal protein gene expression shows a similar trend of downregulation in dominant workers, which naturally have high JH titers. In other species, similar downregulation of protein turnover is found in aging brains or under stress, associated with compromised long-term memory and health. These findings suggest a previously unknown gonadotropin-mediated tradeoff. Analysis of published data reveals no such downregulation of protein turnover pathways in the brain of honey bee workers, which exhibit more complex eusociality and in which JH is not a gonadotropin but rather regulates division of labor. These results suggest that the evolution of complex eusociality in honey bees was associated with modifications in hormonal signalling supporting extended and extremely high fertility while reducing the ancient costs of high gonadotropin titers to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagai Y Shpigler
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Brian Herb
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jenny Drnevich
- High-Performance Biological Computing Group, Roy J Carver Biotechnology Center, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
| | - Mark Band
- Roy J Carver Biotechnology Center, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA; Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Entomology Department, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA; Neuroscience Program, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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27
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Adnan SM, Pérez-Staples D, Taylor PW. Dietary methoprene treatment promotes rapid development of reproductive organs in male Queensland fruit fly. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 126:104094. [PMID: 32783957 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2020.104094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Methoprene supplements added to diets of yeast hydrolysate and sugar promote early expression of sexual behaviour and mating in male Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni; 'Q-fly') and show promise as a pre-release treatment for sterile insect technique programs. Currently it is not known whether the early mating behaviour of methoprene-treated male Q-flies is only behavioural or is coupled with accelerated development of reproductive organs. Accordingly, the present study investigates whether incorporation of methoprene into diets of yeast hydrolysate and sugar (1:3) or sugar alone, accelerate development of testes, ejaculatory apodeme, and accessory glands in male Q-flies and ovaries in females. All organs increased in size as the flies aged and matured, and development rate of all organs was far greater when the flies were provided yeast hydrolysate in addition to sugar. Incorporation of methoprene into diets containing yeast hydrolysate was found to strongly accelerate development of testes and ejaculatory apodeme, but not accessory glands, in males. In the absence of yeast hydrolysate, methoprene treatment had only a modest effect on male organ development. In contrast to males, development of ovaries in female Q-flies did not respond to dietary methoprene supplements, regardless of whether they were fed yeast hydrolysate and sugar or sugar alone. These findings of diet-dependent effects of methoprene supplements on reproductive organs are a close match to previous studies investigating effects of methoprene supplements on mating behaviour. Overall, methoprene supplements substantially enhance the positive effects of protein rich adult diet on the early expression of sexual behaviour and accelerate development of reproductive organs in male, but not female, Q-flies. Methoprene supplements added to pre-release diets of yeast hydrolysate and sugar show promise as a means of accelerating reproductive development of Q-flies released in sterile insect technique programs, and may also bias operational sex ratio in favour of males.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana Pérez-Staples
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA), Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
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28
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Guo S, Wang X, Kang L. Special Significance of Non- Drosophila Insects in Aging. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:576571. [PMID: 33072758 PMCID: PMC7536347 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.576571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is the leading risk factor of human chronic diseases. Understanding of aging process and mechanisms facilitates drug development and the prevention of aging-related diseases. Although many aging studies focus on fruit fly as a canonical insect system, minimal attention is paid to the potentially significant roles of other insects in aging research. As the most diverse group of animals, insects provide many aging types and important complementary systems for aging studies. Insect polyphenism represents a striking example of the natural variation in longevity and aging rate. The extreme intraspecific variations in the lifespan of social insects offer an opportunity to study how aging is differentially regulated by social factors. Insect flight, as an extremely high-intensity physical activity, is suitable for the investigation of the complex relationship between metabolic rate, oxidative stress, and aging. Moreover, as a "non-aging" state, insect diapause not only slows aging process during diapause phase but also affects adult longevity during/after diapause. In the past two decades, considerable progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis of aging regulation in insects. Herein, the recent research progress in non-Drosophila insect aging was reviewed, and its potential utilization in aging in the future was discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Le Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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29
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Pandey A, Motro U, Bloch G. Juvenile hormone affects the development and strength of circadian rhythms in young bumble bee (Bombus terrestris) workers. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms 2020; 9:100056. [PMID: 33364524 PMCID: PMC7752729 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2020.100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The circadian and endocrine systems influence many physiological processes in animals, but little is known on the ways they interact in insects. We tested the hypothesis that juvenile hormone (JH) influences circadian rhythms in the social bumble bee Bombus terrestris. JH is the major gonadotropin in this species coordinating processes such as vitellogenesis, oogenesis, wax production, and behaviors associated with reproduction. It is unknown however, whether it also influences circadian processes. We topically treated newly-emerged bees with the allatoxin Precocene-I (P-I) to reduce circulating JH titers and applied the natural JH (JH-III) for replacement therapy. We repeated this experiment in three trials, each with bees from different source colonies. Measurements of ovarian activity suggest that our JH manipulations were effective; bees treated with P-I had inactive ovaries, and this effect was fully recovered by subsequent JH treatment. We found that JH augments the strength of circadian rhythms and the pace of rhythm development in individually isolated newly emerged worker bees. JH manipulation did not affect the free-running circadian period, overall level of locomotor activity, sleep amount, or sleep structure. Given that acute manipulation at an early age produced relatively long-lasting effects, we propose that JH effects on circadian rhythms are mostly organizational, accelerating the development or integration of the circadian system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul Pandey
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Uzi Motro
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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30
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Ortiz-Alvarado Y, Rivera-Marchand B. Worker Queens? Behavioral Flexibility of Queens in the Little Fire Ant Wasmannia auropunctata. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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31
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Tibbetts EA, Laub EC, Mathiron AGE, Goubault M. The challenge hypothesis in insects. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104533. [PMID: 31185222 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The 'challenge hypothesis' provides a predictive framework for how the social environment influences within-species variation in hormone titers. High testosterone levels are beneficial during reproduction and competition, but they also impose costs because they may suppress traits like parental care and immunity. As a result, the challenge hypothesis predicts that individuals will change their testosterone levels to match the current social environment. Although the vast majority of work on the challenge hypothesis has focused on androgens in vertebrates, there is growing evidence that insect hormones, especially juvenile hormone (JH), may respond to social stimuli in ways that parallel androgens in vertebrates. Many insects rapidly upregulate JH titers during social competition with rivals. Some insects also modulate JH titers based on contest outcomes, with winners upregulating JH and losers downregulating JH. This review will integrate work on social modulation of hormone titers in vertebrates and insects. First, we provide background on insect hormones and describe the functional parallels between androgens and JH. Second, we review evidence that insects rapidly change JH titers in response to social competition. Finally, we highlight opportunities for future work on social modulation of hormones in insects. Overall, the challenge hypothesis provides a useful conceptual framework for hypothesis-driven research in insect endocrinology. Comparing vertebrates and insects provides insight into how selection has shaped patterns of hormone responsiveness as well as the generality of hypotheses originally developed for vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Tibbetts
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Emily C Laub
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Anthony G E Mathiron
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261 CNRS, Université de Tours, Parc Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France
| | - Marlene Goubault
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261 CNRS, Université de Tours, Parc Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France
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32
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Koenig PA, Smith ML, Horowitz LH, Palmer DM, Petersen KH. Artificial shaking signals in honey bee colonies elicit natural responses. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3746. [PMID: 32111924 PMCID: PMC7048926 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60421-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee signals are primarily studied through natural observation combined with manipulations of the colony or environment, not direct manipulation of the signal stimulus or receivers. Consequently, we know little about which signal aspects are necessary to reproduce behavioral responses. Here, we focus on the shaking signal, wherein a worker grabs onto another bee and vibrates. All castes receive shaking signals, but individual responses depend on context, and the signal may be multi-modal (mechanical, odor, sound, etc.). We designed a tool to mimic the shaking signal. We tested whether a purely mechanical stimulus elicited the same behavioral response as a natural shaking signal, teasing apart the effects of signal and receiver characteristics. We found that both workers and drones increased their movement after being artificially shaken, and that shaken drones were more likely to engage in feeding and grooming than a sham control. These behavioral changes support the idea that the shaking signal serves to generally increase worker activity, but also serves to activate male reproductives (drones). With this tool, we show that vibration itself is responsible for eliciting much of the shaking signal’s behavioral response, in one of the few examples of direct playback in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe A Koenig
- Cornell University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ithaca, 14850, NY, United States.
| | - Michael L Smith
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Collective Behavior, Konstanz, 78464, Germany.,University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Konstanz, 78464, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Animal Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
| | - Logan H Horowitz
- Cornell University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ithaca, 14850, NY, United States
| | - Daniel M Palmer
- Cornell University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ithaca, 14850, NY, United States
| | - Kirstin H Petersen
- Cornell University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ithaca, 14850, NY, United States
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33
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Pandey A, Motro U, Bloch G. Juvenile hormone interacts with multiple factors to modulate aggression and dominance in groups of orphan bumble bee (Bombus terrestris) workers. Horm Behav 2020; 117:104602. [PMID: 31647921 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Juvenile hormone (JH) is a key regulator of insect development and reproduction. Given that JH commonly affects adult insect fertility, it has been hypothesized to also regulate behaviors such as dominance and aggression that are associated with reproduction. We tested this hypothesis in the bumble bee Bombus terrestris for which JH has been shown to be the major gonadotropin. We used the allatoxin Precocene-I (P-I) to reduce hemolymph JH titers and replacement therapy with the natural JH to revert this effect. In small orphan groups of workers with similar body size but mixed treatment, P-I treated bees showed lower aggressiveness, oogenesis, and dominance rank compared with control and replacement therapy treated bees. In similar groups in which all bees were treated similarly, there was a clear dominance hierarchy, even in P-I and replacement therapy treatment groups in which the bees showed similar levels of ovarian activation. In a similar experiment in which bees differed in body size, larger bees were more likely to be dominant despite their similar JH treatment and ovarian state. In the last experiment, we show that JH manipulation does not affect dominance rank in groups that had already established a stable dominance hierarchy. These findings solve previous ambiguities concerning whether or not JH affects dominance in bumble bees. JH positively affects dominance, but bees with similar levels of JH can nevertheless establish dominance hierarchies. Thus, multiple factors including JH, body size, and previous experience affect dominance and aggression in social bumble bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul Pandey
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Uzi Motro
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
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34
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Walton A, Tumulty JP, Toth AL, Sheehan MJ. Hormonal modulation of reproduction in Polistes fuscatus social wasps: Dual functions in both ovary development and sexual receptivity. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 120:103972. [PMID: 31705844 PMCID: PMC7558460 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Hormones are often major regulators of complex behaviors, such as mating and reproduction. In insects, juvenile hormone (JH) is integral to many components of reproductive physiology and behavior, but its role in female sexual receptivity is not well understood. To investigate the influence of JH on receptivity, we utilized the social wasp Polistes fuscatus. In Polistes, mating behavior is temporally separated from other components of reproduction, which allows for examination of the physiology and behavior of mating, disentangled from fertilization and egg-laying. We reared virgin gynes (reproductive females) in the lab and divided them into four groups, in which gynes received multiple topical treatments of either 20 μg, 10 μg, 5 μg, or 0 μg of the JH analog methoprene. Gynes were then placed in petri dishes with 2 unrelated males and we recorded attempted and successful mating. Additionally, we measured gyne ovarian development and survival in each group. We found that methoprene increased both sexual receptivity and ovarian development, but was associated with a decrease in long-term survival. Receptivity increased linearly as methoprene treatment increased, but the effect of methoprene on ovarian development was independent of dose. These results demonstrate the importance of JH in sexual receptivity and mating behavior. We argue that the relatively understudied Polistes gyne has potential as a model for mating and reproduction, and for the internal and external regulation of this complex behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Walton
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, United States; Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, United States.
| | - James P Tumulty
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, United States
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, United States
| | - Michael J Sheehan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, United States
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35
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Wu M, Walser JC, Sun L, Kölliker M. The genetic mechanism of selfishness and altruism in parent-offspring coadaptation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaaw0070. [PMID: 31922000 PMCID: PMC6941917 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The social bond between parents and offspring is characterized by coadaptation and balance between altruistic and selfish tendencies. However, its underlying genetic mechanism remains poorly understood. Using transcriptomic screens in the subsocial European earwig, Forficula auricularia, we found the expression of more than 1600 genes associated with experimentally manipulated parenting. We identified two genes, Th and PebIII, each showing evidence of differential coexpression between treatments in mothers and their offspring. In vivo RNAi experiments confirmed direct and indirect genetic effects of Th and PebIII on behavior and fitness, including maternal food provisioning and reproduction, and offspring development and survival. The direction of the effects consistently indicated a reciprocally altruistic function for Th and a reciprocally selfish function for PebIII. Further metabolic pathway analyses suggested roles for Th-restricted endogenous dopaminergic reward, PebIII-mediated chemical communication and a link to insulin signaling, juvenile hormone, and vitellogenin in parent-offspring coadaptation and social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wu
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (M.W.); (M.K.)
| | - Jean-Claude Walser
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Genetic Diversity Centre (GDC), ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lei Sun
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Kölliker
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (M.W.); (M.K.)
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36
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Glastad KM, Graham RJ, Ju L, Roessler J, Brady CM, Berger SL. Epigenetic Regulator CoREST Controls Social Behavior in Ants. Mol Cell 2019; 77:338-351.e6. [PMID: 31732456 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Ants acquire distinct morphological and behavioral phenotypes arising from a common genome, underscoring the importance of epigenetic regulation. In Camponotus floridanus, "Major" workers defend the colony, but can be epigenetically reprogrammed to forage for food analogously to "Minor" workers. Here, we utilize reprogramming to investigate natural behavioral specification. Reprogramming of Majors upregulates Minor-biased genes and downregulates Major-biased genes, engaging molecular pathways fundamental to foraging behavior. We discover the neuronal corepressor for element-1-silencing transcription factor (CoREST) is upregulated upon reprogramming and required for the epigenetic switch to foraging. Genome-wide profiling during reprogramming reveals CoREST represses expression of enzymes that degrade juvenile hormone (JH), a hormone elevated upon reprogramming. High CoREST, low JH-degrader expression, and high JH levels are mirrored in natural Minors, revealing parallel mechanisms of natural and reprogrammed foraging. These results unveil chromatin regulation via CoREST as central to programming of ant social behavior, with potential far-reaching implications for behavioral epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl M Glastad
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Riley J Graham
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Linyang Ju
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julian Roessler
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Cristina M Brady
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shelley L Berger
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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37
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Warner MR, Qiu L, Holmes MJ, Mikheyev AS, Linksvayer TA. Convergent eusocial evolution is based on a shared reproductive groundplan plus lineage-specific plastic genes. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2651. [PMID: 31201311 PMCID: PMC6570765 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10546-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Eusociality has convergently evolved multiple times, but the genomic basis of caste-based division of labor and degree to which independent origins of eusociality have utilized common genes remain largely unknown. Here we characterize caste-specific transcriptomic profiles across development and adult body segments from pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis) and honey bees (Apis mellifera), representing two independent origins of eusociality. We identify a substantial shared core of genes upregulated in the abdomens of queen ants and honey bees that also tends to be upregulated in mated female flies, suggesting that these genes are part of a conserved insect reproductive groundplan. Outside of this shared groundplan, few genes are differentially expressed in common. Instead, the majority of the thousands of caste-associated genes are plastically expressed, rapidly evolving, and relatively evolutionarily young. These results emphasize that the recruitment of both highly conserved and lineage-specific genes underlie the convergent evolution of novel traits such as eusociality. Eusocial caste systems have evolved independently multiple times. Here, Warner et al. investigate the amount of shared vs. lineage-specific genes involved in the evolution of caste in pharaoh ants and honey bees by comparing transcriptomes across tissues, developmental stages, and castes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lijun Qiu
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Michael J Holmes
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.,School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia
| | - Alexander S Mikheyev
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, 0200, Australia
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38
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Hawkings C, Calkins TL, Pietrantonio PV, Tamborindeguy C. Caste-based differential transcriptional expression of hexamerins in response to a juvenile hormone analog in the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216800. [PMID: 31107891 PMCID: PMC6527210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The reproductive ground plan hypothesis proposes that gene networks regulating foraging behavior and reproductive female physiology in social insects emerged from ancestral gene and endocrine factor networks. Expression of storage proteins such as vitellogenins and hexamerins is an example of this co-option. Hexamerins, through their role modulating juvenile hormone availability, are involved in caste determination in termites. The genome of the fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) encodes four hexamerin genes, hexamerin-like (LOC105192919, hereafter called hexamerin 1), hexamerin (LOC105204474, hereafter called hexamerin 2), arylphorin subunit alpha-like, and arylphorin subunit beta. In this study, a phylogenetic analysis of the S. invicta hexamerins determined that each predicted protein clustered with one of the orthologous Apis mellifera hexamerins. Gene expression analyses by RT-qPCR revealed differential expression of the hexamerins between queens and workers, and between specific task-allocated workers (nurses and foragers). Queens and nurses had significantly higher expression of all genes when compared to foragers. Hexamerin 1 was expressed at higher levels in queens, while hexamerin 2 and arylphorin subunit beta were expressed at significantly higher levels in nurses. Arylphorin subunit alpha-like showed no significant difference in expression between virgin queens and nurses. Additionally, we analyzed the relationship between the expression of hexamerin genes and S-hydroprene, a juvenile hormone analog. Significant changes in hexamerin expression were recorded in nurses, virgin queens, and foragers 12 h after application of the analog. Hexamerin 1 and arylphorin subunit alpha-like expression were significantly lower after analog application in virgin queens. In foragers, hexamerin 2 and arylphorin subunit beta were significantly lower after analog application, while in nurses expression of all genes were significantly lower after analog application. Our results suggest that in S. invicta hexamerin genes could be associated with reproductive division of labor and task-allocation of workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Hawkings
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Travis L. Calkins
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Patricia V. Pietrantonio
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Cecilia Tamborindeguy
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Mathiron AGE, Earley RL, Goubault M. Juvenile hormone manipulation affects female reproductive status and aggressiveness in a non-social parasitoid wasp. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 274:80-86. [PMID: 30654021 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, titers of androgens such as testosterone are known to upregulate aggressive behaviors associated with reproduction. In insects, juvenile hormone (JH) is a good candidate for studying the flexibility of insect endocrine responses because it has important effects on both reproductive processes and behavior. JH has a gonadotropic effect across a broad range of insect species, increasing ovarian development in females, and may have a role in the regulation of aggressive behavior during competition. In Hymenoptera, the functions of JH have been studied in facultatively eusocial species such as polistine wasps, bumblebees, ants and bees. Surprisingly, no work has yet focused on the relationship between JH, reproduction and aggressiveness in a non-social Hymenoptera, although it may help to understand how JH actions have evolved across taxa with different degrees of sociality. Here, we explored how JH treatment influenced: i) female reproductive status, and ii) the intensity (aggressiveness) and resolution of conflict, in Eupelmus vuilleti (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), a solitary ectoparasitoid wasp in which females fight over hosts. We demonstrated that intra-abdominal injections of JH increased the number of mature eggs in females after 24 h. In addition, the number of aggressive behaviors displayed by females was affected by the interaction between JH treatment and the number of mature eggs in their abdomen, but mature egg load alone predicted the outcome of staged contests. Wasps were more aggressive when they had more ready-to-lay eggs, with this effect being stronger when females were injected with JH. Moreover, females won more frequently when they had higher mature egg load. Our results highlight how JH affects egg maturation and aggressive behaviors in Eupelmus vuilleti females. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that hormone manipulation can modulate females' reproduction status and behavior during intraspecific competition over hosts in a non-social hymenopteran parasitoid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony G E Mathiron
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261 CNRS - Université de Tours, Parc Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France.
| | - Ryan L Earley
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, 300 Hackberry Lane, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, United States
| | - Marlène Goubault
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261 CNRS - Université de Tours, Parc Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France
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40
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Norman VC, Pamminger T, Nascimento F, Hughes WOH. The role of juvenile hormone in regulating reproductive physiology and dominance in Dinoponera quadriceps ants. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6512. [PMID: 30842903 PMCID: PMC6398374 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Unequal reproductive output among members of the same sex (reproductive skew) is a common phenomenon in a wide range of communally breeding animals. In such species, reproductive dominance is often acquired during antagonistic interactions between group members that establish a reproductive hierarchy in which only a few individuals reproduce. Rank-specific syndromes of behavioural and physiological traits characterize such hierarchies, but how antagonistic behavioural interactions translate into stable rank-specific syndromes remains poorly understood. The pleiotropic nature of hormones makes them prime candidates for generating such syndromes as they physiologically integrate environmental (social) information, and often affect reproduction and behaviour simultaneously. Juvenile hormone (JH) is one of several hormones that occupy such a central regulatory role in insects and has been suggested to regulate reproductive hierarchies in a wide range of social insects including ants. Here we use experimental manipulation to investigate the effect of JH levels on reproductive physiology and social dominance in high-ranked workers of the eusocial ant Dinoponera quadriceps, a species that has secondarily reverted to queenless, simple societies. We show that JH regulated reproductive physiology, with ants in which JH levels were experimentally elevated having more regressed ovaries. In contrast, we found no evidence of JH levels affecting dominance in social interactions. This could indicate that JH and ovary development are decoupled from dominance in this species, however only high-ranked workers were investigated. The results therefore confirm that the regulatory role of JH in reproductive physiology in this ant species is in keeping with its highly eusocial ancestors rather than its secondary reversion to simple societies, but more investigation is needed to disentangle the relationships between hormones, behaviour and hierarchies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria C Norman
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.,School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Tobias Pamminger
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Fabio Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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41
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Kohlmeier P, Alleman AR, Libbrecht R, Foitzik S, Feldmeyer B. Gene expression is more strongly associated with behavioural specialization than with age or fertility in ant workers. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:658-670. [PMID: 30525254 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The ecological success of social insects is based on division of labour, not only between queens and workers, but also among workers. Whether a worker tends the brood or forages is influenced by age, fertility and nutritional status, with brood carers being younger, more fecund and more corpulent. Here, we experimentally disentangle behavioural specialization from age and fertility in Temnothorax longispinosus ant workers and analyse how these parameters are linked to whole-body gene expression. A total of 3,644 genes were associated with behavioural specialization which is ten times more than associated with age and 50 times more than associated with fertility. Brood carers were characterized by an upregulation of three Vitellogenin (Vg) genes, one of which, Vg-like A, was the most differentially expressed gene that was recently shown experimentally to control the switch from brood to worker care. The expression of Conventional Vg was unlinked to behavioural specialization, age or fertility, which contrasts to studies on bees and some ants. Diversity in Vg/Vg-like copy number and expression bias across ants supports subfunctionalization of Vg genes and indicates that some regulatory mechanisms of division of labour diverged in different ant lineages. Simulations revealed that our experimental dissociation of co-varying factors reduced transcriptomic noise, suggesting that confounding factors could potentially explain inconsistencies across transcriptomic studies of behavioural specialization in ants. Thus, our study reveals that worker gene expression is mainly linked to the worker's function for the colony and provides novel insights into the evolution of sociality in ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Kohlmeier
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Austin R Alleman
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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42
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Qu Z, Bendena WG, Tobe SS, Hui JHL. Juvenile hormone and sesquiterpenoids in arthropods: Biosynthesis, signaling, and role of MicroRNA. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 184:69-76. [PMID: 29355708 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2018.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Arthropod molting and reproduction are precisely controlled by the levels of sesquiterpenoids, a class of C15 hormones derived from three isoprene units. The two major functional arthropod sesquiterpenoids are juvenile hormone (JH) and methyl farnesoate (MF). In hemimetabolous insects (such as the aphids, bugs, and cockroaches) and holometabolous insects (such as beetles, bees, butterflies, and flies), dramatic decrease in the titers of JH and/or MF promote metamorphosis from larvae to adults either directly or through an intermediate pupal stage, respectively. JH is absent in crustaceans (lobster, shrimp, crab) and other arthropods (chelicerates such as ticks, mites, spiders, scorpions and myriapods such as millipede and centipedes). In some crustaceans, molting and reproduction is dependent on changing levels of MF. The regulation of sesquiterpenoid production is thus crucial in the life cycle of arthropods. Dynamic and complex mechanisms have evolved to regulate sesquiterpenoid production. Noncoding RNAs such as the microRNAs are primary regulators. This article provides an overview of microRNAs that are known to regulate sesquiterpenoid production in arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Qu
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, Partner State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | | | - Stephen S Tobe
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada.
| | - Jerome H L Hui
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, Partner State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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43
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Trumbo ST. Juvenile hormone and parental care in subsocial insects: implications for the role of juvenile hormone in the evolution of sociality. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 28:13-18. [PMID: 30551762 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Juvenile hormone (JH) has both gonadotropic and non-gonadotropic roles in eusocial insects. There is controversy over whether the non-gonadotropic role is novel, related specifically to social evolution, or is a second conserved role. Study of subsocial insects suggests that when JH is non-gonadotropic, the specific associations of high JH, low vitellogenin, suppressed ovarian development and elevated metabolism may parallel those in workers of eusocial insects. This suggests that a more fundamental understanding of JH in insect biology is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Trumbo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Waterbury, CT 06710, USA
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44
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Jongepier E, Kemena C, Lopez-Ezquerra A, Belles X, Bornberg-Bauer E, Korb J. Remodeling of the juvenile hormone pathway through caste-biased gene expression and positive selection along a gradient of termite eusociality. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2018; 330:296-304. [PMID: 29845724 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of division of labor between sterile and fertile individuals represents one of the major transitions in biological complexity. A fascinating gradient in eusociality evolved among the ancient hemimetabolous insects, ranging from noneusocial cockroaches through the primitively social lower termites-where workers retain the ability to reproduce-to the higher termites, characterized by lifetime commitment to worker sterility. Juvenile hormone (JH) is a prime candidate for the regulation of reproductive division of labor in termites, as it plays a key role in insect postembryonic development and reproduction. We compared the expression of JH pathway genes between workers and queens in two lower termites (Zootermopsis nevadensis and Cryptotermes secundus) and a higher termite (Macrotermes natalensis) to that of analogous nymphs and adult females of the noneusocial cockroach Blattella germanica. JH biosynthesis and metabolism genes ranged from reproductive female-biased expression in the cockroach to predominantly worker-biased expression in the lower termites. Remarkably, the expression profile of JH pathway genes sets the higher termite apart from the two lower termites, as well as the cockroach, indicating that JH signaling has undergone major changes in this eusocial termite. These changes go beyond mere shifts in gene expression between the different castes, as we find evidence for positive selection in several termite JH pathway genes. Thus, remodeling of the JH pathway may have played a major role in termite social evolution, representing a striking case of convergent molecular evolution between the termites and the distantly related social hymenoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelien Jongepier
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Carsten Kemena
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Xavier Belles
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, CSIC-University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Judith Korb
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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45
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Hawkings C, Tamborindeguy C. Expression analysis of vitellogenins in the workers of the red imported fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta). PeerJ 2018; 6:e4875. [PMID: 29868280 PMCID: PMC5978388 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitellogenin has been proposed to regulate division of labor and social organization in social insects. The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) harbors four distinct, adjacent vitellogenin genes (Vg1, Vg2, Vg3, and Vg4). Contrary to honey bees that have a single Vg ortholog as well as potentially fertile nurses, and to other ant species that lay trophic eggs, S. invicta workers completely lack ovaries or the ability to lay eggs. This provides a unique model to investigate whether Vg duplication in S. invicta was followed by subfunctionalization to acquire non-reproductive functions and whether Vg was co-opted to regulate behavior within the worker caste. To investigate these questions, we compared the expression patterns of S. invicta Vg genes among workers from different morphological subcastes or performing different tasks. RT-qPCRs revealed higher relative expression of Vg1 in major workers compared to both medium and minor workers, and of Vg2 in major workers when compared to minor workers. Relative expression of Vg1 was also higher in carbohydrate foragers when compared to nurses and protein foragers. By contrast, the level of expression of Vg2, Vg3, and Vg4 were not significantly different among the workers performing the specific tasks. Additionally, we analyzed the relationship between the expression of the Vg genes and S-hydroprene, a juvenile hormone analog. No changes in Vg expression were recorded in workers 12 h after application of the analog. Our results suggest that in S. invicta the Vg gene underwent subfunctionalization after duplication to new functions based on the expression bias observed in these data. This may suggest an alternative and still unknown function for Vg in the workers that needs to be investigated further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Hawkings
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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46
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Martín-Hernández R, Bartolomé C, Chejanovsky N, Le Conte Y, Dalmon A, Dussaubat C, García-Palencia P, Meana A, Pinto MA, Soroker V, Higes M. Nosema ceranaeinApis mellifera: a 12 years postdetectionperspective. Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:1302-1329. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Martín-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola. Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental de Marchamalo, (CIAPA-IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha; Marchamalo Spain
- Instituto de Recursos Humanos para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (INCRECYT-FEDER), Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla - La Mancha; Spain
| | - Carolina Bartolomé
- Medicina Xenómica, CIMUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. Xenómica Comparada de Parásitos Humanos, IDIS, 15782 Santiago de Compostela; Galicia Spain
| | - Nor Chejanovsky
- Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center; Rishon LeZion Israel
| | - Yves Le Conte
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement; F-84000 Avignon France
| | - Anne Dalmon
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement; F-84000 Avignon France
| | | | | | - Aranzazu Meana
- Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Spain
| | - M. Alice Pinto
- Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança; 5300-253 Bragança Portugal
| | - Victoria Soroker
- Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center; Rishon LeZion Israel
| | - Mariano Higes
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola. Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental de Marchamalo, (CIAPA-IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha; Marchamalo Spain
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47
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Manfredini F, Brown MJF, Toth AL. Candidate genes for cooperation and aggression in the social wasp Polistes dominula. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 204:449-463. [PMID: 29488013 PMCID: PMC5907630 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-1252-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cooperation and aggression are ubiquitous in social groups, and the genetic mechanisms underlying these behaviours are of great interest for understanding how social group formation is regulated and how it evolves. In this study, we used a candidate gene approach to investigate the patterns of expression of key genes for cooperation and aggression in the brain of a primitively eusocial wasp, Polistes dominula, during colony founding, when multiple foundresses can join the same nest and establish subtle hierarchies of dominance. We used a comparative approach to select candidate genes for cooperation and aggression looking at two previously published studies on global gene expression in wasps and ants. We tested the expression of these genes in P. dominula wasps that were either displaying aggressive behaviour (dominant and single foundresses) or cooperation (subordinate foundresses and workers) towards nestmates. One gene in particular, the egg yolk protein vitellogenin, known for its reproductive role in insects, displayed patterns of expression that strongly matched wasp social rank. We characterize the genomic context of vitellogenin by building a head co-expression gene network for P. dominula, and we discuss a potential role for vitellogenin as a mediator of social interactions in wasps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Manfredini
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.
| | - Mark J F Brown
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Amy L Toth
- Departments of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology and Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
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Tibbetts EA, Fearon ML, Wong E, Huang ZY, Tinghitella RM. Rapid juvenile hormone downregulation in subordinate wasp queens facilitates stable cooperation. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20172645. [PMID: 29436498 PMCID: PMC5829203 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In many cooperatively breeding animals, subordinate group members have lower reproductive capacity than dominant group members. Theory suggests subordinates may downregulate their reproductive capacity because dominants punish subordinates who maintain high fertility. However, there is little direct experimental evidence that dominants cause physiological suppression in subordinates. Here, we experimentally test how social interactions influence subordinate reproductive hormones in Polistes dominula paper wasps. Polistes dominula queens commonly found nests in cooperative groups where the dominant queen is more fertile than the subordinate queen. In this study, we randomly assigned wasps to cooperative groups, assessed dominance behaviour during group formation, then measured levels of juvenile hormone (JH), a hormone that mediates Polistes fertility. Within three hours, lowest ranking subordinates had less JH than dominants or solitary controls, indicating that group formation caused rapid JH reduction in low-ranking subordinates. In a second experiment, we measured the behavioural consequences of experimentally increasing subordinate JH. Subordinates with high JH-titres received significantly more aggression than control subordinates or subordinates from groups where the dominant's JH was increased. These results suggest that dominants aggressively punished subordinates who attempted to maintain high fertility. Low-ranked subordinates may rapidly downregulate reproductive capacity to reduce costly social interactions with dominants. Rapid modulation of subordinate reproductive physiology may be an important adaptation to facilitate the formation of stable, cooperative groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle L Fearon
- Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ellery Wong
- Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Zachary Y Huang
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Yue M, Luo S, Liu J, Wu J. Apis cerana Is Less Sensitive to Most Neonicotinoids, Despite of Their Smaller Body Mass. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 111:39-42. [PMID: 29272437 DOI: 10.1093/jee/tox342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Multiple stressors and interaction between them may be responsible for the decline of global pollinators. Among them, exposure to neonicotinoids has been getting more attention and has been considered as a main stressor. The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Chinese indigenous honey bee (Apis cerana F.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) are two managed honey bee species in China. These two species are widely used in beekeeping, and many wild A. cerana is widely spread in forests and contributes to the ecosystem. It is predicated that A. cerana is more sensitive to insecticides than A. mellifera due to their smaller mass. Here, we found that although the body mass of A. cerana is significantly lower than A. mellifera, the sensitivity of the two species to neonicotinoids are not associated with their body mass but depended on the chemical structure of neonicotinoids. To dinotefuran, the two species showed the similar sensitivity. To acetamiprid, A. mellifera was less sensitive than A. cerana. However, to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, A. mellifera was more sensitive than A. cerana. These results suggested that the sensitivity of honey bees to neonicotinoids is closely associated with the structure of pesticides, but not with body mass of bees. It is also indicated that the hazards of pesticides to the different pollinators could not be inferred from one species to another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yue
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shudong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jialin Liu
- Department of Economic Animal, Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences, Rongchang District, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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50
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Roy S, Saha TT, Zou Z, Raikhel AS. Regulatory Pathways Controlling Female Insect Reproduction. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 63:489-511. [PMID: 29058980 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-020117-043258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 291] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The synthesis of vitellogenin and its uptake by maturing oocytes during egg maturation are essential for successful female reproduction. These events are regulated by the juvenile hormones and ecdysteroids and by the nutritional signaling pathway regulated by neuropeptides. Juvenile hormones act as gonadotropins, regulating vitellogenesis in most insects, but ecdysteroids control this process in Diptera and some Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera. The complex crosstalk between the juvenile hormones, ecdysteroids, and nutritional signaling pathways differs distinctly depending on the reproductive strategies adopted by various insects. Molecular studies within the past decade have revealed much about the relationships among, and the role of, these pathways with respect to regulation of insect reproduction. Here, we review the role of juvenile hormones, ecdysteroids, and nutritional signaling, along with that of microRNAs, in regulating female insect reproduction at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Roy
- Department of Entomology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, and Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA; , ,
| | - Tusar T Saha
- Department of Entomology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, and Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA; , ,
| | - Zhen Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
| | - Alexander S Raikhel
- Department of Entomology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, and Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA; , ,
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