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Beshers SN. Regulation of division of labor in insects: a colony-level perspective. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 61:101155. [PMID: 38109969 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Studies of division of labor have focused mainly on individual workers performing tasks. Here I propose a shift in perspective: colonies perform tasks, and task performance should be evaluated at the colony level. I then review studies from the recent literature from this perspective, on topics including evaluating task performance; specialization and efficiency; flexibility and task performance; response threshold models; and variation in behavior arising from diverse sensory experiences and learning. The use of specialized workers is only one of a variety of strategies that colonies may follow in performing tasks. The ability of colonies to produce consistent responses and to compensate for changes in the labor pool supports the idea of a task allocation system that precedes specialization. The colony-level perspective raises new questions about how tasks are done and the strategies used to improve colony task performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel N Beshers
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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2
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Reichert MS, Bolek MG, McCullagh EA. Parasite effects on receivers in animal communication: Hidden impacts on behavior, ecology, and evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300186120. [PMID: 37459523 PMCID: PMC10372545 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300186120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites exert a profound effect on biological processes. In animal communication, parasite effects on signalers are well-known drivers of the evolution of communication systems. Receiver behavior is also likely to be altered when they are parasitized or at risk of parasitism, but these effects have received much less attention. Here, we present a broad framework for understanding the consequences of parasitism on receivers for behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary processes. First, we outline the different kinds of effects parasites can have on receivers, including effects on signal processing from the many parasites that inhabit, occlude, or damage the sensory periphery and the central nervous system or that affect physiological processes that support these organs, and effects on receiver response strategies. We then demonstrate how understanding parasite effects on receivers could answer important questions about the mechanistic causes and functional consequences of variation in animal communication systems. Variation in parasitism levels is a likely source of among-individual differences in response to signals, which can affect receiver fitness and, through effects on signaler fitness, impact population levels of signal variability. The prevalence of parasitic effects on specific sensory organs may be an important selective force for the evolution of elaborate and multimodal signals. Finally, host-parasite coevolution across heterogeneous landscapes will generate geographic variation in communication systems, which could ultimately lead to evolutionary divergence. We discuss applications of experimental techniques to manipulate parasitism levels and point the way forward by calling for integrative research collaborations between parasitologists, neurobiologists, and behavioral and evolutionary ecologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Reichert
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
| | - Matthew G. Bolek
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
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3
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Liang Q, Zhu B, Liu D, Lu Y, Zhang H, Wang F. Serotonin and dopamine regulate the aggressiveness of swimming crabs (Portunus trituberculatus) in different ways. Physiol Behav 2023; 263:114135. [PMID: 36813219 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Bioamines act as a pivotal part in the regulation of aggressive behavior in animals as a type of neuroendocrine, but the patterns of how they regulate aggressiveness in crustaceans are still unclear due to species-specific responses. To determine the effects of serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) on the aggressiveness of swimming crabs (Portunus trituberculatus), we quantified their behavioral and physiological characteristics. The results showed that an injection of 5-HT at 0.5 mmol L-1 and 5 mmol L-1 could significantly enhance the aggressiveness of swimming crabs, as well as an injection of DA at 5 mmol L-1. The regulation of 5-HT and DA on aggressiveness is dose-dependent, and these two bioamines have different concentration thresholds that can trigger aggressiveness changes. 5-HT could up-regulate the 5-HTR1 gene expression and increase lactate content at the thoracic ganglion as the aggressiveness enhances, suggesting that 5-HT may activate related receptors and neuronal excitability to regulate aggressiveness. As a result of DA injection at 5 mmol L-1, lactate content in the chela muscle and hemolymph increased, glucose content in the hemolymph increased, and the CHH gene was significantly up-regulated. Pyruvate kinase and hexokinase enzyme activities in the hemolymph increased, which accelerated the glycolysis process. These results demonstrate that DA regulates the lactate cycle, which provides substantial short-term energy for aggressive behavior. Both 5-HT and DA can mediate aggressive behavior in the crab by activating calcium regulation in muscle tissue. We conclude that the enhancement of aggressiveness is a process of energy consumption, in which 5-HT acts on the central nervous system to induce aggressive behavior, and DA affects muscle and hepatopancreas tissue to provide a large amount of energy. This study expands upon the knowledge of regulatory mechanisms of aggressiveness in crustaceans and offers a theoretical foundation for enhancing crab culture management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qihang Liang
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China; Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China
| | - Boshan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China; Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China
| | - Dapeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China; Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China; College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, Shandong, China.
| | - Yunliang Lu
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, Shandong, China
| | - Hanzun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China; Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China; Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, China
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Abbot P. Defense in Social Insects: Diversity, Division of Labor, and Evolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 67:407-436. [PMID: 34995089 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-082521-072638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
All social insects defend their colony from predators, parasites, and pathogens. In Oster and Wilson's classic work, they posed one of the key paradoxes about defense in social insects: Given the universal necessity of defense, why then is there so much diversity in mechanisms? Ecological factors undoubtedly are important: Predation and usurpation have imposed strong selection on eusocial insects, and active defense by colonies is a ubiquitous feature of all social insects. The description of diverse insect groups with castes of sterile workers whose main duty is defense has broadened the purview of social evolution in insects, in particular with respect to caste and behavior. Defense is one of the central axes along which we can begin to organize and understand sociality in insects. With the establishment of social insect models such as the honey bee, new discoveries are emerging regarding the endocrine, neural, and gene regulatory mechanisms underlying defense in social insects. The mechanisms underlying morphological and behavioral defense traits may be shared across diverse groups, providing opportunities for identifying both conserved and novel mechanisms at work. Emerging themes highlight the context dependency of and interaction between factors that regulate defense in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Abbot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
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Robertson RM, Van Dusen RA. Motor patterning, ion regulation and spreading depolarization during CNS shutdown induced by experimental anoxia in Locusta migratoria. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2021; 260:111022. [PMID: 34182123 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.111022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Anoxia induces a reversible coma in insects. Coma onset is triggered by the arrest of mechanisms responsible for maintaining membrane ion homeostasis in the CNS, resulting in a wave of neuronal and glial depolarization known as spreading depolarization (SD). Different methods of anoxia influence the behavioural response but their effects on SD are unknown. We investigated the effects of CO2, N2, and H2O on the characteristics of coma induction and recovery in Locusta migratoria. Water immersion delayed coma onset and recovery, likely due to involvement of the tracheal system and the nature of asphyxiation but otherwise resembled N2 delivery. The main difference between N2 and CO2 was that CO2 hastened onset of neural failure and SD and delayed recovery. In the CNS, this was associated with CO2 inducing an abrupt and immediate decrease of interstitial pH and increase of extracellular [K+]. Recording of the transperineurial potential showed that SD propagation and a postanoxic negativity (PAN) were similar with both gases. The PAN increased with ouabain treatment, likely due to removal of the counteracting electrogenic effect of Na+/K+-ATPase, and was inhibited by bafilomycin, a proton pump inhibitor, suggesting that it was generated by the electrogenic effect of a Vacuolar-type ATPase (VA). Muscle fibres depolarized by ~20 mV, which happened more rapidly with CO2 compared with N2. Wing muscle motoneurons depolarized nearly completely in two stages, with CO2 causing more rapid onset and slower recovery than N2. Other parameters of SD onset and recovery were similar with the two gases. Electrical resistance across the ganglion sheath increased during anoxia and at SD onset. We provisionally attribute this to cell swelling reducing the dimensions of the interstitial pathway from neuropil to the bathing saline. Neuronal membrane resistance decreased abruptly at SD onset indicating opening of an unidentified membrane conductance. Consideration of the intracellular recording relative to the saline suggests that the apical membrane of perineurial glia depolarizes prior to neuron depolarization. We propose that SD is triggered by events at the perineurial sheath and then propagates laterally and more deeply into the neuropil. We conclude that the fundamental nature of SD is not dependent on the method of anoxia however the timing of onset and recovery are influenced; water immersion is complicated by the tracheal system and CO2 delivery has more rapid and longer lasting effects, associated with severe interstitial acidosis.
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Friedman DA, Tschantz A, Ramstead MJD, Friston K, Constant A. Active Inferants: An Active Inference Framework for Ant Colony Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:647732. [PMID: 34248515 PMCID: PMC8264549 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.647732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we introduce an active inference model of ant colony foraging behavior, and implement the model in a series of in silico experiments. Active inference is a multiscale approach to behavioral modeling that is being applied across settings in theoretical biology and ethology. The ant colony is a classic case system in the function of distributed systems in terms of stigmergic decision-making and information sharing. Here we specify and simulate a Markov decision process (MDP) model for ant colony foraging. We investigate a well-known paradigm from laboratory ant colony behavioral experiments, the alternating T-maze paradigm, to illustrate the ability of the model to recover basic colony phenomena such as trail formation after food location discovery. We conclude by outlining how the active inference ant colony foraging behavioral model can be extended and situated within a nested multiscale framework and systems approaches to biology more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ari Friedman
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Active Inference Lab, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Alec Tschantz
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
- Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Maxwell J. D. Ramstead
- Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Culture, Mind, and Brain Program, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Spatial Web Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Karl Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Axel Constant
- Theory and Method in Biosciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Rittschof CC, Nieh JC. Honey robbing: could human changes to the environment transform a rare foraging tactic into a maladaptive behavior? CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 45:84-90. [PMID: 33601060 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Human environmental modifications have outpaced honey bees' ability to evolve adaptive regulation of foraging tactics, possibly including a tactic associated with extreme food shortage, honey robbing. Honey robbing is a high risk, high reward, and understudied honey bee tactic whereby workers attack and often kill neighboring colonies to steal honey. Humans have exacerbated the conditions that provoke such robbing and its consequences. We describe robbing as an individual-level and colony-level behavioral syndrome, implicating worker bees specialized for foraging, food processing, and defense. We discuss how colony signaling mechanisms could regulate this syndrome and then explore the ecological underpinnings of robbing-highlighting its unusual prevalence in the commonly managed Apis mellifera and outlining the conditions that provoke robbing. We advocate for studies that identify the cues that modulate this robbing syndrome. Additionally, studies that apply behavioral ecology modeling approaches to generate testable predictions about robbing could clarify basic bee biology and have practical implications for colony management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology, S-225 Agriculture Science Center North Lexington, KY, 40546, United States.
| | - James C Nieh
- University of California, San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0116, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116, United States
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Moroz LL, Romanova DY, Kohn AB. Neural versus alternative integrative systems: molecular insights into origins of neurotransmitters. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190762. [PMID: 33550949 PMCID: PMC7935107 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmitter signalling is the universal chemical language of any nervous system, but little is known about its early evolution. Here, we summarize data about the distribution and functions of neurotransmitter systems in basal metazoans as well as outline hypotheses of their origins. We explore the scenario that neurons arose from genetically different populations of secretory cells capable of volume chemical transmission and integration of behaviours without canonical synapses. The closest representation of this primordial organization is currently found in Placozoa, disk-like animals with the simplest known cell composition but complex behaviours. We propose that injury-related signalling was the evolutionary predecessor for integrative functions of early transmitters such as nitric oxide, ATP, protons, glutamate and small peptides. By contrast, acetylcholine, dopamine, noradrenaline, octopamine, serotonin and histamine were recruited as canonical neurotransmitters relatively later in animal evolution, only in bilaterians. Ligand-gated ion channels often preceded the establishment of novel neurotransmitter systems. Moreover, lineage-specific diversification of neurotransmitter receptors occurred in parallel within Cnidaria and several bilaterian lineages, including acoels. In summary, ancestral diversification of secretory signal molecules provides unique chemical microenvironments for behaviour-driven innovations that pave the way to complex brain functions and elementary cognition. This article is part of the theme issue 'Basal cognition: multicellularity, neurons and the cognitive lens'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid L. Moroz
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute and Whitney laboratory, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean shore Blvd, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Daria Y. Romanova
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology of Learning, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of RAS, 5A Butlerova Street, Moscow 117485, Russia
| | - Andrea B. Kohn
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute and Whitney laboratory, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean shore Blvd, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA
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9
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Honey robbing causes coordinated changes in foraging and nest defence in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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10
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Coto ZN, Traniello JFA. Brain Size, Metabolism, and Social Evolution. Front Physiol 2021; 12:612865. [PMID: 33708134 PMCID: PMC7940180 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.612865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zach N Coto
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - James F A Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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11
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Honey bee aggression: evaluating causal links to disease-resistance traits and infection. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02887-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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12
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Corby-Harris V, Deeter ME, Snyder L, Meador C, Welchert AC, Hoffman A, Obernesser BT. Octopamine mobilizes lipids from honey bee ( Apis mellifera) hypopharyngeal glands. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb216135. [PMID: 32139471 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.216135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Recent widespread honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony loss is attributed to a variety of stressors, including parasites, pathogens, pesticides and poor nutrition. In principle, we can reduce stress-induced declines in colony health by either removing the stressor or increasing the bees' tolerance to the stressor. This latter option requires a better understanding than we currently have of how honey bees respond to stress. Here, we investigated how octopamine, a stress-induced hormone that mediates invertebrate physiology and behavior, influences the health of young nurse-aged bees. Specifically, we asked whether octopamine induces abdominal lipid and hypopharyngeal gland (HG) degradation, two physiological traits of stressed nurse bees. Nurse-aged workers were treated topically with octopamine and their abdominal lipid content, HG size and HG autophagic gene expression were measured. Hemolymph lipid titer was measured to determine whether tissue degradation was associated with the release of nutrients from these tissues into the hemolymph. The HGs of octopamine-treated bees were smaller than control bees and had higher levels of HG autophagy gene expression. Octopamine-treated bees also had higher levels of hemolymph lipid compared with control bees. Abdominal lipids did not change in response to octopamine. Our findings support the hypothesis that the HGs are a rich source of stored energy that can be mobilized during periods of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan E Deeter
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Lucy Snyder
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Charlotte Meador
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Ashley C Welchert
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Amelia Hoffman
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
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Rittschof CC, Rubin BER, Palmer JH. The transcriptomic signature of low aggression in honey bees resembles a response to infection. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:1029. [PMID: 31888487 PMCID: PMC6937707 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6417-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavior reflects an organism's health status. Many organisms display a generalized suite of behaviors that indicate infection or predict infection susceptibility. We apply this concept to honey bee aggression, a behavior that has been associated with positive health outcomes in previous studies. We sequenced the transcriptomes of the brain, fat body, and midgut of adult sibling worker bees who developed as pre-adults in relatively high versus low aggression colonies. Previous studies showed that this pre-adult experience impacts both aggressive behavior and resilience to pesticides. We performed enrichment analyses on differentially expressed genes to determine whether variation in aggression resembles the molecular response to infection. We further assessed whether the transcriptomic signature of aggression in the brain is similar to the neuromolecular response to acute predator threat, exposure to a high-aggression environment as an adult, or adult behavioral maturation. RESULTS Across all three tissues assessed, genes that are differentially expressed as a function of aggression significantly overlap with genes whose expression is modulated by a variety of pathogens and parasitic feeding. In the fat body, and to some degree the midgut, our data specifically support the hypothesis that low aggression resembles a diseased or parasitized state. However, we find little evidence of active infection in individuals from the low aggression group. We also find little evidence that the brain molecular signature of aggression is enriched for genes modulated by social cues that induce aggression in adults. However, we do find evidence that genes associated with adult behavioral maturation are enriched in our brain samples. CONCLUSIONS Results support the hypothesis that low aggression resembles a molecular state of infection. This pattern is most robust in the peripheral fat body, an immune responsive tissue in the honey bee. We find no evidence of acute infection in bees from the low aggression group, suggesting the physiological state characterizing low aggression may instead predispose bees to negative health outcomes when they are exposed to additional stressors. The similarity of molecular signatures associated with the seemingly disparate traits of aggression and disease suggests that these characteristics may, in fact, be intimately tied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
| | - Benjamin E R Rubin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Joseph H Palmer
- Kentucky State University, 400 E. Main St., Frankfort, KY, 40601, USA
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Harrison JW, Palmer JH, Rittschof CC. Altering social cue perception impacts honey bee aggression with minimal impacts on aggression-related brain gene expression. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14642. [PMID: 31601943 PMCID: PMC6787081 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51223-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression changes resulting from social interactions may give rise to long term behavioral change, or simply reflect the activity of neural circuitry associated with behavioral expression. In honey bees, social cues broadly modulate aggressive behavior and brain gene expression. Previous studies suggest that expression changes are limited to contexts in which social cues give rise to stable, relatively long-term changes in behavior. Here we use a traditional beekeeping approach that inhibits aggression, smoke exposure, to deprive individuals of aggression-inducing olfactory cues and evaluate whether behavioral changes occur in absence of expression variation in a set of four biomarker genes (drat, cyp6g1/2, GB53860, inos) associated with aggression in previous studies. We also evaluate two markers of a brain hypoxic response (hif1α, hsf) to determine whether smoke induces molecular changes at all. We find that bees with blocked sensory perception as a result of smoke exposure show a strong, temporary inhibition of aggression relative to bees allowed to perceive normal social cues. However, blocking sensory perception had minimal impacts on aggression-relevant gene expression, althought it did induce a hypoxic molecular response in the brain. Results suggest that certain genes differentiate social cue-induced changes in aggression from long-term modulation of this phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Harrison
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Joseph H Palmer
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
- College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment, Kentucky State University, 400 E. Main St., Frankfort, KY, 40601, USA
| | - Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
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