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Gautam S, McKenzie S, Katzke J, Hita Garcia F, Yamamoto S, Economo EP. Evolution of odorant receptor repertoires across Hymenoptera is not linked to the evolution of eusociality. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20241280. [PMID: 39317325 PMCID: PMC11421905 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.1280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Communication is essential for social organisms. In eusocial insects, olfaction facilitates communication and recognition between nestmates. The study of certain model organisms has led to the hypothesis that odorant receptors are expanded in eusocial Hymenoptera. This has become a widely mentioned idea in the literature, albeit with conflicting reports, and has not been tested with a broad comparative analysis. Here we combined existing genomic and new neuroanatomical data, including from an approximately 100 Myr old fossil ant, across a phylogenetically broad sample of hymenopteran lineages. We find no evidence that variation in the size and evolutionary tempo of odorant receptor repertoires is related to eusociality. Post hoc exploration of our data hinted at loss of flight as a possible factor shaping some of the variation in OR repertoires in Hymenoptera. Nevertheless, our analyses revealed a complex pattern of evolutionary variation, and raise new questions about the ecological, behavioural and social factors that shape olfactory abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubham Gautam
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son , Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | | | - Julian Katzke
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son , Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Francisco Hita Garcia
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son , Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
- Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Museum für Naturkunde Invalidenstraße , Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Shûhei Yamamoto
- Hokkaido University Museum, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku , Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Evan P Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son , Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
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2
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Vertacnik KL, Herrig DK, Godfrey RK, Hill T, Geib SM, Unckless RL, Nelson DR, Linnen CR. Evolution of five environmentally responsive gene families in a pine-feeding sawfly, Neodiprion lecontei (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae). Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10506. [PMID: 37791292 PMCID: PMC10542623 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A central goal in evolutionary biology is to determine the predictability of adaptive genetic changes. Despite many documented cases of convergent evolution at individual loci, little is known about the repeatability of gene family expansions and contractions. To address this void, we examined gene family evolution in the redheaded pine sawfly Neodiprion lecontei, a noneusocial hymenopteran and exemplar of a pine-specialized lineage evolved from angiosperm-feeding ancestors. After assembling and annotating a draft genome, we manually annotated multiple gene families with chemosensory, detoxification, or immunity functions before characterizing their genomic distributions and molecular evolution. We find evidence of recent expansions of bitter gustatory receptor, clan 3 cytochrome P450, olfactory receptor, and antimicrobial peptide subfamilies, with strong evidence of positive selection among paralogs in a clade of gustatory receptors possibly involved in the detection of bitter compounds. In contrast, these gene families had little evidence of recent contraction via pseudogenization. Overall, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that in response to novel selection pressures, gene families that mediate ecological interactions may expand and contract predictably. Testing this hypothesis will require the comparative analysis of high-quality annotation data from phylogenetically and ecologically diverse insect species and functionally diverse gene families. To this end, increasing sampling in under-sampled hymenopteran lineages and environmentally responsive gene families and standardizing manual annotation methods should be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim L. Vertacnik
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKentuckyUSA
| | | | - R. Keating Godfrey
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Tom Hill
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Scott M. Geib
- Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research UnitUnited States Department of Agriculture: Agriculture Research Service Pacific Basin Agricultural Research CenterHiloHawaiiUSA
| | - Robert L. Unckless
- Department of Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of KansasLawrenceKansasUSA
| | - David R. Nelson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and BiochemistryUniversity of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
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3
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Barbero F, Mannino G, Casacci LP. The Role of Biogenic Amines in Social Insects: With a Special Focus on Ants. INSECTS 2023; 14:386. [PMID: 37103201 PMCID: PMC10142254 DOI: 10.3390/insects14040386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Eusociality represents the higher degree of interaction in insects. This complex social structure is maintained through a multimodal communication system that allows colony members to be flexible in their responses, fulfilling the overall society's needs. The colony plasticity is supposedly achieved by combining multiple biochemical pathways through the neuromodulation of molecules such as biogenic amines, but the mechanisms through which these regulatory compounds act are far from being fully disentangled. Here, we review the potential function of major bioamines (dopamine, tyramine, serotine, and octopamine) on the behavioral modulation of principal groups of eusocial Hymenoptera, with a special focus on ants. Because functional roles are species- and context-dependent, identifying a direct causal relationship between a biogenic amine variation and behavioral changes is extremely challenging. We also used a quantitative and qualitative synthesis approach to summarize research trends and interests in the literature related to biogenic amines of social insects. Shedding light on the aminergic regulation of behavioral responses will pave the way for an entirely new approach to understanding the evolution of sociality in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Barbero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Mannino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Gioacchino Quarello 15/A, 10135 Turin, Italy;
| | - Luca Pietro Casacci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy;
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4
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Raza MF, Ali MA, Rady A, Li Z, Nie H, Su S. Neurotransmitters receptors gene drive the olfactory learning behavior of honeybee. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2022.101818] [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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5
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Understanding of superorganisms: collective behavior, differentiation and social organization. ARTIFICIAL LIFE AND ROBOTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10015-022-00754-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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6
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Godfrey RK, Oberski JT, Allmark T, Givens C, Hernandez-Rivera J, Gronenberg W. Olfactory System Morphology Suggests Colony Size Drives Trait Evolution in Odorous Ants (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae). Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.733023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In social insects colony fitness is determined in part by individual worker phenotypes. Across ant species, colony size varies greatly and is thought to affect worker trait variation in both proximate and ultimate ways. Little is known about the relationship between colony size and worker trait evolution, but hypotheses addressing the role of social structure in brain evolution suggest workers of small-colony species may have larger brains or larger brain regions necessary for complex behaviors. In previous work on odorous ants (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae) we found no correlation between colony size and these brain properties, but found that relative antennal lobe size scaled negatively with colony size. Therefore, we now test whether sensory systems scale with colony size, with particular attention to olfactory components thought to be involved in nestmate recognition. Across three species of odorous ants, Forelius mccooki, Dorymyrmex insanus, and D. bicolor, which overlap in habitat and foraging ecology but vary in colony size, we compare olfactory sensory structures, comparing those thought to be involved in nestmate recognition. We use the visual system, a sensory modality not as important in social communication in ants, as a control comparison. We find that body size scaling largely explains differences in eye size, antennal length, antennal sensilla density, and total number of olfactory glomeruli across these species. However, sensilla basiconica and olfactory glomeruli in the T6 cluster of the antennal lobe, structures known to be involved in nestmate recognition, do not follow body size scaling observed for other structures. Instead, we find evidence from the closely related Dorymyrmex species that the larger colony species, D. bicolor, invests more in structures implicated in nestmate recognition. To test for functional consequences, we compare nestmate and non-nestmate interactions between these two species and find D. bicolor pairs of either type engage in more interactions than D. insaus pairs. Thus, we do not find evidence supporting a universal pattern of sensory system scaling associated with changes in colony size, but hypothesize that observed differences in the olfactory components in two closely related Dorymyrmex species are evidence of a link between colony size and sensory trait evolution.
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Yang F, Shao R, Zhao J, Li L, Wang M, Zhou A. Cadmium exposure disrupts the olfactory sensitivity of fire ants to semiochemicals. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 287:117359. [PMID: 34020258 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ants are eusocial insects and have evolved sensitive chemosensory systems for social communication. However, the effect of heavy metal contamination on the olfactory sensitivity of ants remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the survival and olfactory response of Solenopsis invicta under cadmium (Cd) exposure. As a result, exposure to dietary Cd at different concentrations (100, 300 and 500 mg/L) caused higher Cd accumulation and lower survival of the ants compared with the control (0 mg/L). Cd exposure induced diverse expression patterns of odor binding protein genes (SiOBPs) in S. invicta antenna. Specifically, the expression of SiOBP4, SiOBP11, SiOBP12 and SiOBP16 was increased by 1.84-, 1.14-, 0.83- and 1.76-fold, respectively, at 300 mg/L Cd, while SiOBP7 and SiOBP9 were suppressed as Cd concentration increased. Electroantennography (EAG) and behavioral bioassays were performed to further evaluate the effect of Cd contamination on the olfactory sensitivity of S. invicta workers to 2, 4, 6-trimethylpyridine (TMP) and 2-ethyl-3,6(5)-dimethylpyrazine (EDP), the two frequent functional semiochemicals for S. invicta. The results showed that under no Cd exposure, S. invicta workers exhibited strong EAG response and apparent residing repellence to TMP and EDP, but Cd exposure suppressed EAG response and deprived the behavioral repellence to TMP and EDP of the workers, suggesting that Cd exposure decreases the olfactory sensitivity of S. invicta to these two functional semiochemicals. Further fluorescence competitive binding assay revealed that SiOBP7 had strong binding affinity to TMP and EDP, suggesting that the decrease in olfactory sensitivity may be attributed to the inhibitory effect of Cd exposure on SiOBP7. Overall, our results suggest that Cd exposure may not only directly decrease the survival of ants, but also affect their olfactory recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuxiang Yang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Rui Shao
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Lei Li
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Manqun Wang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Aiming Zhou
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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8
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Legan AW, Jernigan CM, Miller SE, Fuchs MF, Sheehan MJ. Expansion and Accelerated Evolution of 9-Exon Odorant Receptors in Polistes Paper Wasps. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:3832-3846. [PMID: 34151983 PMCID: PMC8383895 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Independent origins of sociality in bees and ants are associated with independent expansions of particular odorant receptor (OR) gene subfamilies. In ants, one clade within the OR gene family, the 9-exon subfamily, has dramatically expanded. These receptors detect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), key social signaling molecules in insects. It is unclear to what extent 9-exon OR subfamily expansion is associated with the independent evolution of sociality across Hymenoptera, warranting studies of taxa with independently derived social behavior. Here, we describe OR gene family evolution in the northern paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus, and compare it to four additional paper wasp species spanning ∼40 million years of evolutionary divergence. We find 200 putatively functional OR genes in P. fuscatus, matching predictions from neuroanatomy, and more than half of these are in the 9-exon subfamily. Most OR gene expansions are tandemly arrayed at orthologous loci in Polistes genomes, and microsynteny analysis shows species-specific gain and loss of 9-exon ORs within tandem arrays. There is evidence of episodic positive diversifying selection shaping ORs in expanded subfamilies. Values of omega (dN/dS) are higher among 9-exon ORs compared to other OR subfamilies. Within the Polistes OR gene tree, branches in the 9-exon OR clade experience relaxed negative (relaxed purifying) selection relative to other branches in the tree. Patterns of OR evolution within Polistes are consistent with 9-exon OR function in CHC perception by combinatorial coding, with both natural selection and neutral drift contributing to interspecies differences in gene copy number and sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Legan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Christopher M Jernigan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Sara E Miller
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Matthieu F Fuchs
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Michael J Sheehan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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9
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Westwick RR, Rittschof CC. Insects Provide Unique Systems to Investigate How Early-Life Experience Alters the Brain and Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:660464. [PMID: 33967715 PMCID: PMC8097038 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.660464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life experiences have strong and long-lasting consequences for behavior in a surprising diversity of animals. Determining which environmental inputs cause behavioral change, how this information becomes neurobiologically encoded, and the functional consequences of these changes remain fundamental puzzles relevant to diverse fields from evolutionary biology to the health sciences. Here we explore how insects provide unique opportunities for comparative study of developmental behavioral plasticity. Insects have sophisticated behavior and cognitive abilities, and they are frequently studied in their natural environments, which provides an ecological and adaptive perspective that is often more limited in lab-based vertebrate models. A range of cues, from relatively simple cues like temperature to complex social information, influence insect behavior. This variety provides experimentally tractable opportunities to study diverse neural plasticity mechanisms. Insects also have a wide range of neurodevelopmental trajectories while sharing many developmental plasticity mechanisms with vertebrates. In addition, some insects retain only subsets of their juvenile neuronal population in adulthood, narrowing the targets for detailed study of cellular plasticity mechanisms. Insects and vertebrates share many of the same knowledge gaps pertaining to developmental behavioral plasticity. Combined with the extensive study of insect behavior under natural conditions and their experimental tractability, insect systems may be uniquely qualified to address some of the biggest unanswered questions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca R Westwick
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
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10
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Bentzur A, Ben-Shaanan S, Benichou JIC, Costi E, Levi M, Ilany A, Shohat-Ophir G. Early Life Experience Shapes Male Behavior and Social Networks in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2020; 31:486-501.e3. [PMID: 33186552 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Living in a group creates a complex and dynamic environment in which behavior of individuals is influenced by and affects the behavior of others. Although social interaction and group living are fundamental adaptations exhibited by many organisms, little is known about how prior social experience, internal states, and group composition shape behavior in groups. Here, we present an analytical framework for studying the interplay between social experience and group interaction in Drosophila melanogaster. We simplified the complexity of interactions in a group using a series of experiments in which we controlled the social experience and motivational states of individuals to compare behavioral patterns and social networks of groups under different conditions. We show that social enrichment promotes the formation of distinct group structure that is characterized by high network modularity, high inter-individual and inter-group variance, high inter-individual coordination, and stable social clusters. Using environmental and genetic manipulations, we show that visual cues and cVA-sensing neurons are necessary for the expression of social interaction and network structure in groups. Finally, we explored the formation of group behavior and structure in heterogenous groups composed of flies with distinct internal states and documented emergent structures that are beyond the sum of the individuals that constitute it. Our results demonstrate that fruit flies exhibit complex and dynamic social structures that are modulated by the experience and composition of different individuals within the group. This paves the path for using simple model organisms to dissect the neurobiology of behavior in complex social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assa Bentzur
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Shir Ben-Shaanan
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Jennifer I C Benichou
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Eliezer Costi
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Mali Levi
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Amiyaal Ilany
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel.
| | - Galit Shohat-Ophir
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel; The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel.
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11
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Friedman DA, Johnson BR, Linksvayer TA. Distributed physiology and the molecular basis of social life in eusocial insects. Horm Behav 2020; 122:104757. [PMID: 32305342 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The traditional focus of physiological and functional genomic research is on molecular processes that play out within a single multicellular organism. In the colonial (eusocial) insects such as ants, bees, and termites, molecular and behavioral responses of interacting nestmates are tightly linked, and key physiological processes are regulated at the scale of the colony. Such colony-level physiological processes regulate nestmate physiology in a distributed fashion, through various social communication mechanisms. As a result of physiological decentralization over evolutionary time, organismal mechanisms, for example related to pheromone detection, hormone signaling, and neural signaling pathways, are deployed in novel contexts to influence nestmate and colony traits. Here we explore how functional genomic, physiological, and behavioral studies can benefit from considering the traits of eusocial insects in this light. We highlight functional genomic work exploring how nestmate-level and colony-level traits arise and are influenced by interactions among physiologically-specialized nestmates of various developmental stages. We also consider similarities and differences between nestmate-level (organismal) and colony-level (superorganismal) physiological processes, and make specific hypotheses regarding the physiology of eusocial taxa. Integrating theoretical models of distributed systems with empirical functional genomics approaches will be useful in addressing fundamental questions related to the evolution of eusociality and collective behavior in natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Friedman
- University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America.
| | - B R Johnson
- University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - T A Linksvayer
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology, Pennsylvania, PA 19104, United States of America
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12
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Mansourian S, Fandino RA, Riabinina O. Progress in the use of genetic methods to study insect behavior outside Drosophila. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 36:45-56. [PMID: 31494407 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the span of a decade we have seen a rapid progress in the application of genetic tools and genome editing approaches in 'non-model' insects. It is now possible to target sensory receptor genes and neurons, explore their functional roles and manipulate behavioral responses in these insects. In this review, we focus on the latest examples from Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera of how applications of genetic tools advanced our understanding of diverse behavioral phenomena. We further discuss genetic methods that could be applied to study insect behavior in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard A Fandino
- Mass Spectrometry Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
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13
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Rubenstein DR, Ågren JA, Carbone L, Elde NC, Hoekstra HE, Kapheim KM, Keller L, Moreau CS, Toth AL, Yeaman S, Hofmann HA. Coevolution of Genome Architecture and Social Behavior. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:844-855. [PMID: 31130318 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Although social behavior can have a strong genetic component, it can also result in selection on genome structure and function, thereby influencing the evolution of the genome itself. Here we explore the bidirectional links between social behavior and genome architecture by considering variation in social and/or mating behavior among populations (social polymorphisms) and across closely related species. We propose that social behavior can influence genome architecture via associated demographic changes due to social living. We establish guidelines to exploit emerging whole-genome sequences using analytical approaches that examine genome structure and function at different levels (regulatory vs structural variation) from the perspective of both molecular biology and population genetics in an ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin R Rubenstein
- Columbia University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology and Center for Integrative Animal Behavior, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - J Arvid Ågren
- Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Lucia Carbone
- Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Medicine, KCVI, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Oregon National Primate Research Center, Division of Genetics, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Nels C Elde
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Hopi E Hoekstra
- Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Harvard University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Karen M Kapheim
- Utah State University, Department of Biology, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Laurent Keller
- University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, UNIL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Corrie S Moreau
- Cornell University, Departments of Entomology and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Amy L Toth
- Iowa State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology and Department of Entomology, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Sam Yeaman
- University of Calgary, Department of Biological Sciences, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Integrative Biology and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2415 Speedway C-0990, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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14
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Brand P, Ramírez SR. The Evolutionary Dynamics of the Odorant Receptor Gene Family in Corbiculate Bees. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:2023-2036. [PMID: 28854688 PMCID: PMC5597890 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects rely on chemical information to locate food, choose mates, and detect potential predators. It has been hypothesized that adaptive changes in the olfactory system facilitated the diversification of numerous insect lineages. For instance, evolutionary changes of Odorant Receptor (OR) genes often occur in parallel with modifications in life history strategies. Corbiculate bees display a diverse array of behaviors that are controlled through olfaction, including varying degrees of social organization, and manifold associations with floral resources. Here we investigated the molecular mechanisms driving the evolution of the OR gene family in corbiculate bees in comparison to other chemosensory gene families. Our results indicate that the genomic organization of the OR gene family has remained highly conserved for ∼80 Myr, despite exhibiting major changes in repertoire size among bee lineages. Moreover, the evolution of OR genes appears to be driven mostly by lineage-specific gene duplications in few genomic regions that harbor large numbers of OR genes. A selection analysis revealed that OR genes evolve under positive selection, with the strongest signals detected in recently duplicated copies. Our results indicate that chromosomal translocations had a minimal impact on OR evolution, and instead local molecular mechanisms appear to be main drivers of OR repertoire size. Our results provide empirical support to the longstanding hypothesis that positive selection shaped the diversification of the OR gene family. Together, our results shed new light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution of olfaction in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Brand
- Department for Evolution and Ecology, Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis.,Population Biology Graduate Group, Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis
| | - Santiago R Ramírez
- Department for Evolution and Ecology, Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis
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15
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Boyle KE, Monaco HT, Deforet M, Yan J, Wang Z, Rhee K, Xavier JB. Metabolism and the Evolution of Social Behavior. Mol Biol Evol 2017; 34:2367-2379. [PMID: 28595344 PMCID: PMC5850603 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
How does metabolism influence social behavior? This fundamental question at the interface of molecular biology and social evolution is hard to address with experiments in animals, and therefore, we turned to a simple microbial system: swarming in the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using genetic engineering, we excised a locus encoding a key metabolic regulator and disrupted P. aeruginosa's metabolic prudence, the regulatory mechanism that controls expression of swarming public goods and protects this social behavior from exploitation by cheaters. Then, using experimental evolution, we followed the joint evolution of the genome, the metabolome and the social behavior as swarming re-evolved. New variants emerged spontaneously with mutations that reorganized the metabolome and compensated in distinct ways for the disrupted metabolic prudence. These experiments with a unicellular organism provide a detailed view of how metabolism-currency of all physiological processes-can determine the costs and benefits of a social behavior and ultimately influence how an organism behaves towards other organisms of the same species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry E Boyle
- Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,Program in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY
| | - Hilary T Monaco
- Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,Tri-Institutional Training Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Maxime Deforet
- Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Jinyuan Yan
- Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Kyu Rhee
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Joao B Xavier
- Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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16
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Kamhi JF, Arganda S, Moreau CS, Traniello JFA. Origins of Aminergic Regulation of Behavior in Complex Insect Social Systems. Front Syst Neurosci 2017; 11:74. [PMID: 29066958 PMCID: PMC5641352 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2017.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulators are conserved across insect taxa, but how biogenic amines and their receptors in ancestral solitary forms have been co-opted to control behaviors in derived socially complex species is largely unknown. Here we explore patterns associated with the functions of octopamine (OA), serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in solitary ancestral insects and their derived functions in eusocial ants, bees, wasps and termites. Synthesizing current findings that reveal potential ancestral roles of monoamines in insects, we identify physiological processes and conserved behaviors under aminergic control, consider how biogenic amines may have evolved to modulate complex social behavior, and present focal research areas that warrant further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Frances Kamhi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sara Arganda
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Corrie S. Moreau
- Department of Science and Education, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - James F. A. Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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17
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Kronauer DJC, Levine JD. The ultimate and proximate underpinnings of social behavior. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:4-5. [PMID: 28057822 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.152785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Joel D Levine
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada L5L1C6
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18
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Gonadal Maturation Changes Chemotaxis Behavior and Neural Processing in the Olfactory Circuit of Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Biol 2016; 26:1522-1531. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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19
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Benton R. Multigene Family Evolution: Perspectives from Insect Chemoreceptors. Trends Ecol Evol 2015; 30:590-600. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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20
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Hojo MK, Ishii K, Sakura M, Yamaguchi K, Shigenobu S, Ozaki M. Antennal RNA-sequencing analysis reveals evolutionary aspects of chemosensory proteins in the carpenter ant, Camponotus japonicus. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13541. [PMID: 26310137 PMCID: PMC4550911 DOI: 10.1038/srep13541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical communication is essential for the coordination of complex organisation in ant societies. Recent comparative genomic approaches have revealed that chemosensory genes are diversified in ant lineages, and suggest that this diversification is crucial for social organisation. However, how such diversified genes shape the peripheral chemosensory systems remains unknown. In this study, we annotated and analysed the gene expression profiles of chemosensory proteins (CSPs), which transport lipophilic compounds toward chemosensory receptors in the carpenter ant, Camponotus japonicus. Transcriptome analysis revealed 12 CSP genes and phylogenetic analysis showed that 3 of these are lineage-specifically expanded in the clade of ants. RNA sequencing and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that, among the ant specific CSP genes, two of them (CjapCSP12 and CjapCSP13) were specifically expressed in the chemosensory organs and differentially expressed amongst ant castes. Furthermore, CjapCSP12 and CjapCSP13 had a ratio of divergence at non-synonymous and synonymous sites (dN/dS) greater than 1, and they were co-expressed with CjapCSP1, which is known to bind cuticular hydrocarbons. Our results suggested that CjapCSP12 and CjapCSP13 were functionally differentiated for ant-specific chemosensory events, and that CjapCSP1, CjapCSP12, and CjapCSP13 work cooperatively in the antennal chemosensilla of worker ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru K Hojo
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kenichi Ishii
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Midori Sakura
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Katsushi Yamaguchi
- NIBB Core Research Facilities, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- NIBB Core Research Facilities, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Mamiko Ozaki
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
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21
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Zhou X, Rokas A, Berger SL, Liebig J, Ray A, Zwiebel LJ. Chemoreceptor Evolution in Hymenoptera and Its Implications for the Evolution of Eusociality. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:2407-16. [PMID: 26272716 PMCID: PMC4558866 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Eusocial insects, mostly Hymenoptera, have evolved unique colonial lifestyles that rely on the perception of social context mainly through pheromones, and chemoreceptors are hypothesized to have played important adaptive roles in the evolution of sociality. However, because chemoreceptor repertoires have been characterized in few social insects and their solitary relatives, a comprehensive examination of this hypothesis has not been possible. Here, we annotate ∼3,000 odorant and gustatory receptors in recently sequenced Hymenoptera genomes and systematically compare >4,000 chemoreceptors from 13 hymenopterans, representing one solitary lineage (wasps) and three independently evolved eusocial lineages (ants and two bees). We observe a strong general tendency for chemoreceptors to expand in Hymenoptera, whereas the specifics of gene gains/losses are highly diverse between lineages. We also find more frequent positive selection on chemoreceptors in a facultative eusocial bee and in the common ancestor of ants compared with solitary wasps. Our results suggest that the frequent expansions of chemoreceptors have facilitated the transition to eusociality. Divergent expression patterns of odorant receptors between honeybee and ants further indicate differential roles of chemoreceptors in parallel trajectories of social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofan Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University
| | - Shelley L Berger
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Jürgen Liebig
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe
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22
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Ueno T, Takeuchi H, Kawasaki K, Kubo T. Changes in the Gene Expression Profiles of the Hypopharyngeal Gland of Worker Honeybees in Association with Worker Behavior and Hormonal Factors. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130206. [PMID: 26083737 PMCID: PMC4470657 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypopharyngeal glands (HPGs) of worker honeybees undergo physiological changes along with the age-dependent role change from nursing to foraging: nurse bee HPGs secrete mainly major royal jelly proteins, whereas forager HPGs secrete mainly α-glucosidase III, which converts the sucrose in the nectar into glucose and fructose. We previously identified two other genes, Apis mellifera buffy (Ambuffy) and Apis mellifera matrix metalloproteinase 1 (AmMMP1), with enriched expression in nurse bee and forager HPGs, respectively. In the present study, to clarify the molecular mechanisms that coordinate HPG physiology with worker behavior, we first analyzed whether Ambuffy, AmMMP1, mrjp2 (a gene encoding one of major royal jelly protein isoforms), and Hbg3 (a gene encoding α-glucosidase III) expression, is associated with worker behavior in 'single-cohort colonies' where workers of almost the same age perform different tasks. Expression of these genes correlated with the worker’s role, while controlling for age, indicating their regulation associated with the worker’s behavior. Associated gene expression suggested the possible involvement of some hormonal factors in its regulation. We therefore examined the relationship between ecdysone- and juvenile hormone (JH)-signaling, and the expression profiles of these ‘indicator’ genes (nurse bee HPG-selective genes: mrjp2 and Ambuffy, and forager HPG-selective genes: Hbg3 and AmMMP1). Expression of both ecdysone-regulated genes (ecdysone receptor, mushroom body large type Kenyon cell specific protein-1, and E74) and JH-regulated genes (Methoprene tolerant and Krüppel homolog 1) was higher in the forager HPGs than in the nurse bee HPGs, suggesting the possible roles of ecdysone- and JH-regulated genes in worker HPGs. Furthermore, 20-hydroxyecdysone-treatment repressed both nurse bee- and forager-selective gene expression, whereas methoprene-treatment enhanced the expression of forager-selective genes and repressed nurse bee-selective genes in the HPGs. Our findings suggest that both ecdysone- and JH-signaling cooperatively regulate the physiological state of the HPGs in association with the worker’s behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Ueno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113–0033, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610–0395, Japan
| | - Hideaki Takeuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113–0033, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Kawasaki
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610–0395, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113–0033, Japan
- * E-mail:
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23
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McKenzie SK, Oxley PR, Kronauer DJC. Comparative genomics and transcriptomics in ants provide new insights into the evolution and function of odorant binding and chemosensory proteins. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:718. [PMID: 25159315 PMCID: PMC4161878 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The complex societies of ants and other social insects rely on sophisticated chemical communication. Two families of small soluble proteins, the odorant binding and chemosensory proteins (OBPs and CSPs), are believed to be important in insect chemosensation. To better understand the role of these proteins in ant olfaction, we examined their evolution and expression across the ants using phylogenetics and sex- and tissue-specific RNA-seq. RESULTS We find that subsets of both OBPs and CSPs are expressed in the antennae, contradicting the previous hypothesis that CSPs have replaced OBPs in ant olfaction. Both protein families have several highly conserved clades with a single ortholog in all eusocial hymenopterans, as well as clades with more dynamic evolution and many taxon-specific radiations. The dynamically evolving OBPs and CSPs have been hypothesized to function in chemical communication. Intriguingly, we find that seven members of the conserved clades are expressed specifically in the antennae of the clonal raider ant Cerapachys biroi, whereas only one dynamically evolving CSP is antenna specific. The orthologs of the conserved, antenna-specific C. biroi genes are also expressed in antennae of the ants Camponotus floridanus and Harpegnathos saltator, indicating that antenna-specific expression of these OBPs and CSPs is conserved across ants. Most members of the dynamically evolving clades in both protein families are expressed primarily in non-chemosensory tissues and thus likely do not fulfill chemosensory functions. CONCLUSIONS Our results identify candidate OBPs and CSPs that are likely involved in conserved aspects of ant olfaction, and suggest that OBPs and CSPs may not rapidly evolve to recognize species-specific signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean K McKenzie
- Laboratory of Insect Social Evolution, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, 10065 New York, NY, USA.
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24
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Roux J, Privman E, Moretti S, Daub JT, Robinson-Rechavi M, Keller L. Patterns of positive selection in seven ant genomes. Mol Biol Evol 2014; 31:1661-85. [PMID: 24782441 PMCID: PMC4069625 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msu141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of ants is marked by remarkable adaptations that allowed the development of very complex social systems. To identify how ant-specific adaptations are associated with patterns of molecular evolution, we searched for signs of positive selection on amino-acid changes in proteins. We identified 24 functional categories of genes which were enriched for positively selected genes in the ant lineage. We also reanalyzed genome-wide data sets in bees and flies with the same methodology to check whether positive selection was specific to ants or also present in other insects. Notably, genes implicated in immunity were enriched for positively selected genes in the three lineages, ruling out the hypothesis that the evolution of hygienic behaviors in social insects caused a major relaxation of selective pressure on immune genes. Our scan also indicated that genes implicated in neurogenesis and olfaction started to undergo increased positive selection before the evolution of sociality in Hymenoptera. Finally, the comparison between these three lineages allowed us to pinpoint molecular evolution patterns that were specific to the ant lineage. In particular, there was ant-specific recurrent positive selection on genes with mitochondrial functions, suggesting that mitochondrial activity was improved during the evolution of this lineage. This might have been an important step toward the evolution of extreme lifespan that is a hallmark of ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Roux
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandSIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eyal Privman
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandSIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sébastien Moretti
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandSIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, SwitzerlandVital-IT Group, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Josephine T Daub
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandSIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, SwitzerlandCMPG, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson-Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandSIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Keller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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25
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Oxley PR, Ji L, Fetter-Pruneda I, McKenzie SK, Li C, Hu H, Zhang G, Kronauer DJC. The genome of the clonal raider ant Cerapachys biroi. Curr Biol 2014; 24:451-8. [PMID: 24508170 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Revised: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Social insects are important models for social evolution and behavior. However, in many species, experimental control over important factors that regulate division of labor, such as genotype and age, is limited. Furthermore, most species have fixed queen and worker castes, making it difficult to establish causality between the molecular mechanisms that underlie reproductive division of labor, the hallmark of insect societies. Here we present the genome of the queenless clonal raider ant Cerapachys biroi, a powerful new study system that does not suffer from these constraints. Using cytology and RAD-seq, we show that C. biroi reproduces via automixis with central fusion and that heterozygosity is lost extremely slowly. As a consequence, nestmates are almost clonally related (r = 0.996). Workers in C. biroi colonies synchronously alternate between reproduction and brood care, and young workers eclose in synchronized cohorts. We show that genes associated with division of labor in other social insects are conserved in C. biroi and dynamically regulated during the colony cycle. With unparalleled experimental control over an individual's genotype and age, and the ability to induce reproduction and brood care, C. biroi has great potential to illuminate the molecular regulation of division of labor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R Oxley
- Laboratory of Insect Social Evolution, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Lu Ji
- China National Genebank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Ingrid Fetter-Pruneda
- Laboratory of Insect Social Evolution, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sean K McKenzie
- Laboratory of Insect Social Evolution, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Cai Li
- China National Genebank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Haofu Hu
- China National Genebank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- China National Genebank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Insect Social Evolution, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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26
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Castillo P, Pietrantonio PV. Differences in sNPF receptor-expressing neurons in brains of fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) worker subcastes: indicators for division of labor and nutritional status? PLoS One 2013; 8:e83966. [PMID: 24376775 PMCID: PMC3869854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, the neuronal and molecular mechanisms related to worker division of labor are poorly understood. Workers from different subcastes (major, medium and minors) perform different tasks, which are loosely associated with their size. We hypothesized that the short neuropeptide F (sNPF) signaling system (NPY-like) could be involved in mechanisms of worker division of labor and sensing or responding to colony nutritional requirements. Thus, we investigated the expression of the short neuropeptide F receptor (sNPFR) in the brain and subesophageal ganglion (SEG) of workers from colonies with and without brood. Across worker subcastes a total of 9 clusters of immunoreactive sNPFR cells were localized in the brain and the subesophageal ganglion (SEG); some of these cells were similar to those observed previously in the queen. Worker brain sNPFR cell clusters were found in the protocerebrum near mushroom bodies, in the central complex and in the lateral horn. Other sNPFR immunoreactive cells were found at the edge of the antennal lobes. Across subcastes, we observed both a constant and a differential pattern of sNPFR clusters, with a higher number of sNPFR cells found in minor than in major workers. Those sNPFR cells detected in all worker subcastes appear to be involved in olfaction or SEG functions. The differential expression of clusters in subcastes suggests that sNPFR signaling is involved in regulating behaviors associated with specific subcastes and thus, division of labor. Some sNPFR cells appear to be involved in nutrient sensing and/or brood care, feeding behavior and locomotion. In colonies without brood, workers showed a lower cluster number, and an overall reduced sNPFR signal. Our results suggest the sNPF signaling system is a candidate for the neurobiological control of worker division of labor and sensing brood presence, perhaps correlating with protein requirements and availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Castillo
- 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
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27
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Libbrecht R, Oxley PR, Kronauer DJC, Keller L. Ant genomics sheds light on the molecular regulation of social organization. Genome Biol 2013; 14:212. [PMID: 23895728 PMCID: PMC4053786 DOI: 10.1186/gb-2013-14-7-212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Ants are powerful model systems for the study of cooperation and sociality. In this review, we discuss how recent advances in ant genomics have contributed to our understanding of the evolution and organization of insect societies at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Libbrecht
- Laboratory of Insect Social Evolution, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Peter R Oxley
- Laboratory of Insect Social Evolution, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel JC Kronauer
- Laboratory of Insect Social Evolution, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Laurent Keller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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