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Zhang H, Liu Z, Huang X. Social aphids: emerging model for studying insect sociality. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 64:101205. [PMID: 39084848 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Sociality is also evolved in parthenogenetic herbivorous hemipteran aphids, encompassing species with complex life history traits and significant social diversity. Owing to their interesting biological characteristics comparing to other social insect groups, social aphids can be a good model for studying insect sociality. Here, we review the species, behavior, and trait diversity of social aphids, and present recent findings on environmental, physiological, and molecular regulations of caste differentiation and behavior in social aphids. We propose the unique value of social aphids in investigating the evolution and mechanisms of insect sociality as well as future research directions using the social aphid model, including social evolution, caste differentiation, behavioral polymorphism, morphological plasticity, physical mechanics, and interspecific interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhixiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xiaolei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
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2
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Decay of homologous chromosome pairs and discovery of males in the thelytokous fungus-growing ant Mycocepurus smithii. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4860. [PMID: 35318344 PMCID: PMC8940926 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08537-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalent mode of reproduction among ants is arrhenotokous parthenogenesis where unfertilized eggs give rise to haploid males and fertilized eggs develop into diploid females. Some ant species are capable of thelytokous parthenogenesis, a type of asexual reproduction where females develop from unfertilized diploid eggs. Thelytoky is well-documented in more than 20 ant species. Cytogenetic data are available for six species demonstrating that some thelytokous ant species are capable of producing males occasionally as well as maintaining their chromosome numbers and proper chromosome pairings. Mycocepurus smithii is a thelytokous fungus-growing ant species that inhabits large parts of Central and South America. Cytogenetic data are unavailable for M. smithii and male individuals were never documented for this species, although the presence of males is expected because genetic recombination was observed in a few sexually reproducing populations in Brazil and haploid sperm was documented from the spermathecae of M. smithii queens. This study aims at comparatively studying asexual and sexual populations of M. smithii using classical and molecular cytogenetic methods to test whether karyotype configuration is modified according to the mode of reproduction in M. smithii. Moreover, we report the discovery of M. smithii males from a sexually reproducing population in the Brazilian state Pará, diagnose the male of M. smithii, and morphologically characterize their spermatozoa. Karyotypic variation was observed within the asexual population (2n = 9, 10, or 11), whereas the chromosome number was fixed in the sexual population (2n = 14, n = 7). Identical karyotypes were maintained within individual M. smithii colonies and karyotype variation was only observed between colonies. In asexual individuals, the karyomorphs showed a decay of homologous chromosome pairs, especially in individuals with the karyomorph 2n = 11, which is potentially caused by relaxed natural selection on proper chromosome pairing. In contrast, females in the sexual population showed proper homologous chromosome pairings. In individuals of both asexual and sexual populations, we find that heterochromatin was localized in centromeric regions and on the short arms of the chromosomes, GC-rich regions were associated with heterochromatic regions, and 18S rDNA genes were located on the largest chromosome pair. This comparative cytogenetic analysis contributes to our understanding about the cytological mechanisms associated with thelytokous parthenogenesis in ants and suggests the decay of chromosome structure in the absence of meiosis and genetic recombination.
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3
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Fournier D, Aron S. Hybridization and invasiveness in social insects - The good, the bad and the hybrid. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 46:1-9. [PMID: 33484875 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Hybridization may help drive biological invasions by reducing Allee effects, increasing genetic variation, and generating novel adaptive genotypes/phenotypes. Social insects (ants, bees, wasps, and termites) are among the world's worst invasive species. In this review, we study the relationship between hybridization and invasiveness in social insects. We examine three types of hybridization based on the reproductive characteristics of first-generation hybrids. We discuss several examples of the association between hybridization and invasiveness, which are predominantly found in bees and termites. However, hybridization also occurs in several non-invasive species, and highly invasive species are not consistently associated with hybridization events, indicating that hybridization is not a main driver of invasiveness in social insects. We discuss why hybridization is not more commonly seen in invasive social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Fournier
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Serge Aron
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
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4
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Masoni A, Frizzi F, Natali C, Ciofi C, Santini G. Mating frequency and colony genetic structure analyses reveal unexpected polygyny in the Mediterranean acrobat ant Crematogaster scutellaris. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2019.1680449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Masoni
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
| | - Filippo Frizzi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
| | - Chiara Natali
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
| | - Claudio Ciofi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
| | - Giacomo Santini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
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5
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Yashiro T, Lo N, Kobayashi K, Nozaki T, Fuchikawa T, Mizumoto N, Namba Y, Matsuura K. Loss of males from mixed-sex societies in termites. BMC Biol 2018; 16:96. [PMID: 30249269 PMCID: PMC6154949 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0563-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual reproduction is the norm in almost all animal species, and in many advanced animal societies, both males and females participate in social activities. To date, the complete loss of males from advanced social animal lineages has been reported only in ants and honey bees (Hymenoptera), whose workers are always female and whose males display no helping behaviors even in normal sexual species. Asexuality has not previously been observed in colonies of another major group of social insects, the termites, where the ubiquitous presence of both male and female workers and soldiers indicate that males play a critical role beyond that of reproduction. Results Here, we report asexual societies in a lineage of the termite Glyptotermes nakajimai. We investigated the composition of mature colonies from ten distinct populations in Japan, finding six asexual populations characterized by a lack of any males in the reproductive, soldier, and worker castes of their colonies, an absence of sperm in the spermathecae of their queens, and the development of unfertilized eggs at a level comparable to that for the development of fertilized eggs in sexual populations of this species. Phylogenetic analyses indicated a single evolutionary origin of the asexual populations, with divergence from sampled sexual populations occurring about 14 million years ago. Asexual colonies differ from sexual colonies in having a more uniform head size in their all-female soldier caste, and fewer soldiers in proportion to other individuals, suggesting increased defensive efficiencies arising from uniform soldier morphology. Such efficiencies may have contributed to the persistence and spread of the asexual lineage. Cooperative colony foundation by multiple queens, the single-site nesting life history common to both the asexual and sexual lineages, and the occasional development of eggs without fertilization even in the sexual lineage are traits likely to have been present in the ancestors of the asexual lineage that may have facilitated the transition to asexuality. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that completely asexual social lineages can evolve from mixed-sex termite societies, providing evidence that males are dispensable for the maintenance of advanced animal societies in which they previously played an active social role. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-018-0563-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihisa Yashiro
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. .,Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
| | - Nathan Lo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Kazuya Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Tomonari Nozaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Taro Fuchikawa
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yusuke Namba
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
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6
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Pennell TM, Holman L, Morrow EH, Field J. Building a new research framework for social evolution: intralocus caste antagonism. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 93:1251-1268. [PMID: 29341390 PMCID: PMC5896731 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The breeding and non‐breeding ‘castes’ of eusocial insects provide a striking example of role‐specific selection, where each caste maximises fitness through different morphological, behavioural and physiological trait values. Typically, queens are long‐lived egg‐layers, while workers are short‐lived, largely sterile foragers. Remarkably, the two castes are nevertheless produced by the same genome. The existence of inter‐caste genetic correlations is a neglected consequence of this shared genome, potentially hindering the evolution of caste dimorphism: alleles that increase the productivity of queens may decrease the productivity of workers and vice versa, such that each caste is prevented from reaching optimal trait values. A likely consequence of this ‘intralocus caste antagonism’ should be the maintenance of genetic variation for fitness and maladaptation within castes (termed ‘caste load’), analogous to the result of intralocus sexual antagonism. The aim of this review is to create a research framework for understanding caste antagonism, drawing in part upon conceptual similarities with sexual antagonism. By reviewing both the social insect and sexual antagonism literature, we highlight the current empirical evidence for caste antagonism, discuss social systems of interest, how antagonism might be resolved, and challenges for future research. We also introduce the idea that sexual and caste antagonism could interact, creating a three‐way antagonism over gene expression. This includes unpacking the implications of haplodiploidy for the outcome of this complex interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya M Pennell
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Luke Holman
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Edward H Morrow
- Evolution Behaviour and Environment Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Jeremy Field
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
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7
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Doums C, Fédérici P, Chifflet-Belle P, Monnin T. Worker thelytoky allows requeening of orphaned colonies but increases susceptibility to reproductive cheating in an ant. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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8
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Fournier D, Hellemans S, Hanus R, Roisin Y. Facultative asexual reproduction and genetic diversity of populations in the humivorous termite Cavitermes tuberosus. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0196. [PMID: 27252019 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Termite colonies are typically founded by a pair of sexually reproducing dispersers, which can sometimes be replaced by some of their offspring. Some Reticulitermes and Embiratermes species routinely practice asexual queen succession (AQS): the queen is replaced by neotenic daughters produced by parthenogenesis, which mate with the primary king. Here, to cast light on the evolution of AQS, we investigated another candidate species, Cavitermes tuberosus (Termitinae). Of 95 nests, 39 contained a primary queen and 28 contained neotenic females (2-667 individuals), usually with the primary king. Microsatellite analyses confirmed that colonies were initiated by single pairs after large dispersal flights. More than 80% of the neotenic females were of exclusively maternal origin and completely homozygous, suggesting automictic parthenogenesis with gamete duplication. Conversely, workers, soldiers, and most alates and primary reproductives were produced sexually. AQS often occurs late, after colonies have reached maturity, whereas early AQS in other species may boost the young colony's growth rate. We suggest additional benefits of AQS in C. tuberosus, related with a smaller size, lesser stability and higher mobility of colonies. Our data add to the phylogenetical dispersion and diversity of modalities of AQS in termites, supporting a multiple evolutionary origin of this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Fournier
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Simon Hellemans
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Robert Hanus
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Yves Roisin
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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9
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Matsuura K. Evolution of the asexual queen succession system and its underlying mechanisms in termites. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:63-72. [PMID: 28057829 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.142547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
One major advantage of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction is its promotion of genetic variation, although it reduces the genetic contribution to offspring. Queens of social insects double their contribution to the gene pool, while overuse of asexual reproduction may reduce the ability of the colony to adapt to environmental stress because of the loss of genetic diversity. Recent studies have revealed that queens of some termite species can solve this tradeoff by using parthenogenesis to produce the next generation of queens and sexual reproduction to produce other colony members. This reproductive system, known as asexual queen succession (AQS), has been identified in the subterranean termites Reticulitermes speratus, Reticulitermes virginicus and Reticulitermes lucifugus and in the Neotropical higher termites Embiratermes neotenicus and Cavitermes tuberosus The studies presented here have uncovered the unusual modes of reproduction in termites and have aimed to identify their underlying mechanisms. The study of AQS, the mixed use of sexual and asexual reproduction, is of fundamental importance as it may provide a key to solve the evolutionary paradox of sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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10
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Lee CC, Nakao H, Tseng SP, Hsu HW, Lin GL, Tay JW, Billen J, Ito F, Lee CY, Lin CC, Yang CCS. Worker reproduction of the invasive yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes. Front Zool 2017; 14:24. [PMID: 28503187 PMCID: PMC5422973 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0210-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reproductive division of labor is one of the key features of social insects. Queens are adapted for reproduction while workers are adapted for foraging and colony maintenance. In many species, however, workers retain functional ovaries and can lay unfertilized male eggs or trophic eggs. Here we report for the first time on the occurrence of physogastric workers and apparent worker reproduction in the invasive yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes (Fr. Smith). We further examined the reproductive potential and nutritional role of physogastric workers through multidisciplinary approaches including morphological characterization, laboratory manipulation, genetic analysis and behavioral observation. Results Egg production with two types of eggs, namely reproductive and trophic eggs, by physogastric workers was found. The reproductive egg was confirmed to be haploid and male-destined, suggesting that the workers produced males via arrhenotokous parthenogenesis as no spermatheca was discovered. Detailed observations suggested that larvae were mainly fed with trophic eggs. Along with consumption of trophic eggs by queens and other castes as part of their diet, the vital role of physogastric workers as “trophic specialist” is confirmed. Conclusion We propose that adaptive advantages derived from worker reproduction for A. gracilipes may include 1) trophic eggs provisioned by physogastric workers likely assist colonies of A. gracilipes in overcoming unfavorable conditions such as paucity of food during critical founding stage; 2) worker-produced males are fertile and thus might offer an inclusive fitness advantage for the doomed orphaned colony. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-017-0210-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Chen Lee
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, No. 1, Jin-De Rd., Changhua, 50007 Taiwan.,Master Program for Plant Medicine, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, Taiwan 106
| | - Hirotaka Nakao
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Ikenobe, Miki, 761-0795 Japan
| | - Shu-Ping Tseng
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, Taiwan 106.,Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011 Japan
| | - Hung-Wei Hsu
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, Taiwan 106
| | - Gwo-Li Lin
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, Taiwan 106
| | - Jia-Wei Tay
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 USA
| | - Johan Billen
- K.U. Leuven, Zoological Institute, Naamsestraat 59, box 2466, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fuminori Ito
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Ikenobe, Miki, 761-0795 Japan
| | - Chow-Yang Lee
- Urban Entomology Laboratory, Vector Control Research Unit, School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Chung-Chi Lin
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, No. 1, Jin-De Rd., Changhua, 50007 Taiwan
| | - Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011 Japan
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11
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Fougeyrollas R, Křivánek J, Roy V, Dolejšová K, Frechault S, Roisin Y, Hanus R, Sillam-Dussès D. Asexual queen succession mediates an accelerated colony life cycle in the termite Silvestritermes minutus. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3295-3308. [PMID: 28281327 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mixed modes of reproduction, combining sexual processes with thelytokous parthenogenesis, occur in all major clades of social insects. In several species of termites, queens maximize their genetic input into nondispersing replacement queens through parthenogenesis, while maintaining genetically diverse sterile offspring and dispersing reproductives via sexual reproduction. This so-called asexual queen succession (AQS) has multiple independent origins and its presumed advantages are diverse as well, ranging from multiplication of colony reproductive potential to extension of its lifespan beyond that of the foundress. However, how AQS shapes colony life cycles under natural conditions remains poorly known. The neotropical termite Silvestritermes minutus inhabits small but conspicuous nests, offering a unique opportunity to investigate the impact of AQS on life history. We report on its breeding system, life cycle and sex allocation using social structure census in 137 nests and genotyping of 12 colonies at 12 microsatellite loci. We show that colonies are established by an outbred pair of primary reproductives. In less than 2 years, the foundress is replaced by multiple neotenic queens, arising mostly through automixis with central fusion. Sterile castes, male and most (93%) female dispersers are produced sexually. Colony reproduction is usually restricted to a single dispersal of alates with unbiased sex ratio, taking place after 3 years. We conclude that S. minutus benefits from AQS to maximize colony growth rate and alate production within a very short life cycle rather than to extend colony lifespan. This highlights the versatile role of AQS in different cases of its polyphyletic origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Fougeyrollas
- Université Paris-Est Créteil, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Université Paris-Diderot, iEES-Paris, 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil, France
| | - J Křivánek
- Chemistry of Social Insects, The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 166 10, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - V Roy
- Université Paris-Est Créteil, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Université Paris-Diderot, iEES-Paris, 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil, France
| | - K Dolejšová
- Chemistry of Social Insects, The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 166 10, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S Frechault
- Université Paris-Est Créteil, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Université Paris-Diderot, iEES-Paris, 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil, France
| | - Y Roisin
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - R Hanus
- Chemistry of Social Insects, The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 166 10, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - D Sillam-Dussès
- IRD-Sorbonne Universités-UMR 242, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Université Paris-Diderot, CNRS, INRA, iEES-Paris, 32 avenue Henri Varagnat, 93143, Bondy, France.,LEEC, EA4443, Université Paris 13-Sorbonne Paris Cité, 99 Avenue J. B. Clément, 93430, Villetaneuse, France
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12
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Evolution of reproductive traits in Cataglyphis desert ants: mating frequency, queen number, and thelytoky. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2144-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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13
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Fougeyrollas R, Dolejšová K, Sillam-Dussès D, Roy V, Poteaux C, Hanus R, Roisin Y. Asexual queen succession in the higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150260. [PMID: 26019158 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Asexual queen succession (AQS), in which workers, soldiers and dispersing reproductives are produced sexually while numerous non-dispersing queens arise through thelytokous parthenogenesis, has recently been described in three species of lower termites of the genus Reticulitermes. Here, we show that AQS is not an oddity restricted to a single genus of lower termites, but a more widespread strategy occurring also in the most advanced termite group, the higher termites (Termitidae). We analysed the genetic structure in 10 colonies of the Neotropical higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus (Syntermitinae) using five newly developed polymorphic microsatellite loci. The colonies contained one primary king accompanied either by a single primary queen or by up to almost 200 neotenic queens. While the workers, the soldiers and most future dispersing reproductives were produced sexually, the non-dispersing neotenic queens originated through thelytokous parthenogenesis of the founding primary queen. Surprisingly, the mode of thelytoky observed in E. neotenicus is most probably automixis with central fusion, contrasting with the automixis with terminal fusion documented in Reticulitermes. The occurrence of AQS based on different mechanisms of ploidy restoration raises the hypothesis of an independent evolutionary origin of this unique reproductive strategy in individual lineages of lower and higher termites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Klára Dolejšová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- iEES-Paris, IRD-Sorbonne Universités, UMR 242, Bondy, France LEEC, EA4443, Université Paris 13-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Virginie Roy
- iEES-Paris, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Chantal Poteaux
- LEEC, EA4443, Université Paris 13-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Robert Hanus
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Yves Roisin
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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14
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Leppänen J, Seppä P, Vepsäläinen K, Savolainen R. Genetic divergence between the sympatric queen morphs of the antMyrmica rubra. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:2463-76. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jenni Leppänen
- Department of Biosciences; University of Helsinki; P.O. Box 65 Helsinki 00014 Finland
| | - Perttu Seppä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions; Department of Biosciences; University of Helsinki; P.O. Box 65 Helsinki 00014 Finland
| | - Kari Vepsäläinen
- Department of Biosciences; University of Helsinki; P.O. Box 65 Helsinki 00014 Finland
| | - Riitta Savolainen
- Department of Biosciences; University of Helsinki; P.O. Box 65 Helsinki 00014 Finland
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Chapman NC, Beekman M, Allsopp MH, Rinderer TE, Lim J, Oxley PR, Oldroyd BP. Inheritance of thelytoky in the honey bee Apis mellifera capensis. Heredity (Edinb) 2015; 114:584-92. [PMID: 25585920 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2014.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Asexual reproduction via thelytokous parthenogenesis is widespread in the Hymenoptera, but its genetic underpinnings have been described only twice. In the wasp Lysiphlebus fabarum and the Cape honey bee Apis mellifera capensis the origin of thelytoky have each been traced to a single recessive locus. In the Cape honey bee it has been argued that thelytoky (th) controls the thelytoky phenotype and that a deletion of 9 bp in the flanking intron downstream of exon 5 (tae) of the gemini gene switches parthenogenesis from arrhenotoky to thelytoky. To further explore the mode of inheritance of thelytoky, we generated reciprocal backcrosses between thelytokous A. m. capensis and the arrhenotokous A. m. scutellata. Ten genetic markers were used to identify 108 thelytokously produced offspring and 225 arrhenotokously produced offspring from 14 colonies. Patterns of appearance of thelytokous parthenogenesis were inconsistent with a single locus, either th or tae, controlling thelytoky. We further show that the 9 bp deletion is present in the arrhenotokous A. m. scutellata population in South Africa, in A. m. intermissa in Morocco and in Africanized bees from Brazil and Texas, USA, where thelytoky has not been reported. Thus the 9 p deletion cannot be the cause of thelytoky. Further, we found two novel tae alleles. One contains the previously described 9 bp deletion and an additional deletion of 7 bp nearby. The second carries a single base insertion with respect to the wild type. Our data are consistent with the putative th locus increasing reproductive capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- N C Chapman
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M Beekman
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M H Allsopp
- ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - T E Rinderer
- Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - J Lim
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - P R Oxley
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - B P Oldroyd
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Fertile diploid males in the ant Cataglyphis cursor: a potential cost of thelytoky? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1606-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Doums C, Cronin AL, Ruel C, Fédérici P, Haussy C, Tirard C, Monnin T. Facultative use of thelytokous parthenogenesis for queen production in the polyandrous ant Cataglyphis cursor. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:1431-44. [PMID: 23639217 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2012] [Revised: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary paradox of sex remains one of the major debates in evolutionary biology. The study of species capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction can elucidate factors important in the evolution of sex. One such species is the ant Cataglyphis cursor, where the queen maximizes the transmission of her genes by producing new queens (gynes) asexually while simultaneously maintaining a genetically diverse workforce via the sexual production of workers. We show that the queen can also produce gynes sexually and may do so to offset the costs of asexual reproduction. We genotyped 235 gynes from 18 colonies and found that half were sexually produced. A few colonies contained both sexually and asexually produced gynes. Although workers in this species can also use thelytoky, we found no evidence of worker production of gynes based on genotypes of 471 workers from the six colonies producing sexual gynes. Gynes are thus mainly, and potentially exclusively, produced by the queen. Simulations of gynes inbreeding level following one to ten generations of automictic thelytoky suggest that the queen switches between or combines thelytoky and sex, which may reduce the costs of inbreeding. This is supported by the relatively small size of inbred gynes in one colony, although we found no relationship between the level of inbreeding and immune parameters. Such facultative use of sex and thelytoky by individual queens contrasts with other known forms of parthenogenesis in ants, which are typically characterized by distinct lineages specializing in one strategy or the other.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Doums
- Laboratoire Ecologie & Evolution CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
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Kronauer DJ, Tsuji K, Pierce NE, Keller L. Non–nest mate discrimination and clonal colony structure in the parthenogenetic ant Cerapachys biroi. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
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Jiang FF, Wang ZW, Zhou L, Jiang L, Zhang XJ, Apalikova OV, Brykov VA, Gui JF. High male incidence and evolutionary implications of triploid form in northeast Asia Carassius auratus complex. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2012; 66:350-9. [PMID: 23099150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2012] [Revised: 10/01/2012] [Accepted: 10/08/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Carassius auratus complex is believed to originate from East Eurasia and consist of diploid and triploid forms. Diploid form reproduces sexually, whereas triploid form possesses mixture modes of unisexual gynogenesis and sexual reproduction, which makes it a unique case to study evolutionary issues among vertebrates. In this study, we identified 337 triploid individuals from 386 specimens of Carassius auratus complex sampled from 4 different sites of Xingkai Lake and Suifen River on the northeast Asia transboundary areas of Russia and China, and found that triploids were ubiquitous, whereas diploids existed only in SII site of Suifen River. Triploid males were detected in all surveyed sites, and an unusually high triploid male incidence (23%) was found in the Chinese reach of Suifen River. Then, nuclear and cytoplasmic markers were used to analyze their genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship. A total of 61 distinct tf alleles and 35 mtDNA CR haplotypes were revealed. Higher genetic diversity and divergence were confirmed in triploids than in diploids, and identical genetic background between triploid males and females was demonstrated. Moreover, evolutionary implications and roles of triploid males were suggested in population proliferation and diversity creation of the triploid form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Fang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
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21
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Rabeling C, Kronauer DJC. Thelytokous parthenogenesis in eusocial Hymenoptera. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2012; 58:273-292. [PMID: 23072461 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120811-153710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Female parthenogenesis, or thelytoky, is particularly common in solitary Hymenoptera. Only more recently has it become clear that many eusocial species also regularly reproduce thelytokously, and here we provide a comprehensive overview. Especially in ants, thelytoky underlies a variety of idiosyncratic life histories with unique evolutionary and ecological consequences. In all eusocial species studied, thelytoky probably has a nuclear genetic basis and the underlying cytological mechanism retains high levels of heterozygosity. This is in striking contrast to many solitary wasps, in which thelytoky is often induced by cytoplasmic bacteria and results in an immediate loss of heterozygosity. These differences are likely related to differences in haplodiploid sex determination mechanisms, which in eusocial species usually require heterozygosity for female development. At the same time, haplodiploidy might account for important preadaptations that can help explain the apparent ease with which Hymenoptera transition between sexual and asexual reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Rabeling
- Museum of Comparative Zoology Labs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
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Kronauer DJC, Pierce NE, Keller L. Asexual reproduction in introduced and native populations of the ant Cerapachys biroi. Mol Ecol 2012; 21:5221-35. [PMID: 23013522 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Revised: 07/19/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Asexual reproduction is particularly common among introduced species, probably because it helps to overcome the negative effects associated with low population densities during colonization. The ant Cerapachys biroi has been introduced to tropical and subtropical islands around the world since the beginning of the last century. In this species, workers can reproduce via thelytokous parthenogenesis. Here, we use genetic markers to reconstruct the history of anthropogenic introductions of C. biroi, and to address the prevalence of female parthenogenesis in introduced and native populations. We show that at least four genetically distinct lineages have been introduced from continental Asia and have led to the species' circumtropical establishment. Our analyses demonstrate that asexual reproduction dominates in the introduced range and is also common in the native range. Given that C. biroi is the only dorylomorph ant that has successfully become established outside of its native range, this unusual mode of reproduction probably facilitated the species' worldwide spread. On the other hand, the rare occurrence of haploid males and at least one clear case of sexual recombination in the introduced range show that C. biroi has not lost the potential for sex. Finally, we show that thelytoky in C. biroi probably has a genetic rather than an infectious origin, and that automixis with central fusion is the most likely underlying cytological mechanism. This is in accordance with what is known for other thelytokous eusocial Hymenoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J C Kronauer
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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