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Xu H, Gao Y, Hassan A, Liu Y, Zhao X, Huang Q. Neuroregulation of foraging behavior mediated by the olfactory co-receptor Orco in termites. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 262:129639. [PMID: 38331075 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129639] [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] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Olfaction is critical for survival because it allows animals to look for food and detect pheromonal cues. Neuropeptides modulate olfaction and behaviors in insects. While how the neuroregulation of olfactory recognition affects foraging behavior in termites is still unclear. Here, we analyzed the change after silencing the olfactory co-receptor gene (Orco) and the neuropeptide Y gene (NPY), and then investigated the impact of olfactory recognition on foraging behavior in Odontotermes formosanus under different predation pressures. The knockdown of Orco resulted in the reduced Orco protein expression in antennae and the decreased EAG response to trail pheromones. In addition, NPY silencing led to the damaged ability of olfactory response through downregulating Orco expression. Both dsOrco- and dsNPY-injected worker termites showed significantly reduced walking activity and foraging success. Additionally, we found that 0.1 pg/cm trail pheromone and nestmate soldiers could provide social buffering to relieve the adverse effect of predator ants on foraging behavior in worker termites with the normal ability of olfactory recognition. Our orthogonal experiments further verified that Orco/NPY genes are essential in manipulating termite olfactory recognition during foraging under different predation pressures, suggesting that the neuroregulation of olfactory recognition plays a crucial role in regulating termite foraging behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Xu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China; Research and Development Centre of Ecological and Sustainable Application of Microbial Industry of the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province, Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, Shaanxi, China; Key Laboratory of Termite Control of Ministry of Water Resources, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yongyong Gao
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China; Research and Development Centre of Ecological and Sustainable Application of Microbial Industry of the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province, Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, Shaanxi, China; Key Laboratory of Termite Control of Ministry of Water Resources, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Ali Hassan
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China; Key Laboratory of Termite Control of Ministry of Water Resources, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yutong Liu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Xincheng Zhao
- Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan, China
| | - Qiuying Huang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China; Key Laboratory of Termite Control of Ministry of Water Resources, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China.
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2
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Xu H, Yu Y, Gao Y, Hassan A, Jia B, Huang Q. The cGMP-dependent protein kinase gene can regulate trail-following behaviour and locomotion in the termite Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 31:585-592. [PMID: 35506165 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12781] [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] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Social behaviours in termites are closely related to the chemical communication between individuals. It is well known that foraging worker termites can use trail pheromones to orient and locomote along trails so as to take food resources back to the nest. However, it is still unclear how termites recognize trail pheromones. Here, we cloned and sequenced the cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) gene from the termite Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder, and then examined the response of termites to trail pheromones after silencing PKG through RNA interference. We found that PKG knockdown impaired termite ability to follow trail pheromones accurately and exhibited irregular behavioural trajectories in response to the trail pheromone in the termite R. chinensis. Our locomotion assays further showed that PKG knockdown significantly increased the turn angle and angular velocity in the termite R. chinensis. These findings help us better understanding the molecular regulatory mechanism of foraging communications in termites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Xu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yichun Yu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yongyong Gao
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ali Hassan
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Bao Jia
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Nanning Institute of Termite Control, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qiuying Huang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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3
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Price TN, Field J. Sisters doing it for themselves: extensive reproductive plasticity in workers of a primitively eusocial bee. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03196-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Plasticity is a key trait when an individual’s role in the social environment, and hence its optimum phenotype, fluctuates unpredictably. Plasticity is especially important in primitively eusocial insects where small colony sizes and little morphological caste differentiation mean that individuals may find themselves switching from non-reproductive to reproductive roles. To understand the scope of this plasticity, workers of the primitively eusocial sweat bee Lasioglossum malachurum were experimentally promoted to the reproductive role (worker-queens) and their performance compared with foundress-queens. We focussed on how their developmental trajectory as workers influenced three key traits: group productivity, monopolisation of reproduction, and social control of foraging nest-mates. No significant difference was found between the number of offspring produced by worker-queens and foundress-queens. Genotyping of larvae showed that worker-queens monopolised reproduction in their nests to the same extent as foundress queens. However, non-reproductives foraged less and produced a smaller total offspring biomass when the reproductive was a promoted worker: offspring of worker-queens were all males, which are the cheaper sex to produce. Greater investment in each offspring as the number of foragers increased suggests a limit to both worker-queen and foundress-queen offspring production when a greater quantity of pollen arrives at the nest. The data presented here suggest a remarkable level of plasticity and represent one of the first quantitative studies of worker reproductive plasticity in a non-model primitively eusocial species.
Significance statement
The ability of workers to take on a reproductive role and produce offspring is expected to relate strongly to the size of their colony. Workers in species with smaller colony sizes should have greater reproductive potential to insure against the death of the queen. We quantified the reproductive plasticity of workers in small colonies of sweat bees by removing the queen and allowing the workers to control the reproductive output of the nest. A single worker then took on the reproductive role and hence prevented her fellow workers from producing offspring of their own. These worker-queens produced as many offspring as control queens, demonstrating remarkable worker plasticity in a primitively eusocial species.
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4
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Sarro E, Sun P, Mauck K, Rodriguez-Arellano D, Yamanaka N, Woodard SH. An organizing feature of bumble bee life history: worker emergence promotes queen reproduction and survival in young nests. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab047. [PMID: 34221405 PMCID: PMC8242224 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Bumble bee queens initiate nests solitarily and transition to living socially once they successfully rear their first cohort of offspring. Bumble bees are disproportionately important for early season pollination, and many populations are experiencing dramatic declines. In this system, the onset of the social stage is critical for nest survival, yet the mechanisms that facilitate this transition remain understudied. Further, the majority of conservation efforts target the social stage of the bumble bee life cycle and do not address the solitary founding stage. We experimentally manipulated the timing of worker emergence in young nests of bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) queens to determine whether and how queen fecundity and survival are impacted by the emergence of workers in the nest. We found that queens with workers added to the nest exhibit increased ovary activation, accelerated egg laying, elevated juvenile hormone (JH) titres and also lower mortality relative to solitary queens. We also show that JH is more strongly impacted by the social environment than associated with queen reproductive state, suggesting that this key regulator of insect reproduction has expanded its function in bumble bees to also influence social organization. We further demonstrate that these effects are independent of queen social history, suggesting that this underlying mechanism promoting queen fecundity is reversible and short lived. Synchronization between queen reproductive status and emergence of workers in the nest may ultimately increase the likelihood of early nesting success in social systems with solitary nest founding. Given that bumble bee workers regulate queen physiology as we have demonstrated, the timing of early worker emergence in the nest likely impacts queen fitness, colony developmental trajectories and ultimately nesting success. Collectively, our findings underline the importance of conservation interventions for bumble bees that support the early nesting period and facilitate the production and maintenance of workers in young nests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Sarro
- Department of Entomology, The University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Penglin Sun
- Department of Entomology, The University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Kerry Mauck
- Department of Entomology, The University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Damaris Rodriguez-Arellano
- Department of Entomology, The University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Naoki Yamanaka
- Department of Entomology, The University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - S Hollis Woodard
- Department of Entomology, The University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Corresponding author: Department of Entomology, The University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, USA. Tel: (951) 827-5761; Fax: (951) 827-3086.
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Huang H, Ren L, Li H, Schmidt A, Gershenzon J, Lu Y, Cheng D. The nesting preference of an invasive ant is associated with the cues produced by actinobacteria in soil. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008800. [PMID: 32913361 PMCID: PMC7482974 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil-dwelling animals are at risk of pathogen infection in soils. When choosing nesting sites, animals could reduce this risk by avoiding contact with pathogens, yet there is currently little evidence. We tested this hypothesis using Solenopsis invicta as a model system. Newly mated queens of S. invicta were found to nest preferentially in soil containing more actinobacteria of Streptomyces and Nocardiopsis and to be attracted to two volatiles produced by these bacteria, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol. Actinobacteria-rich soil was favored by S. invicta and this soil contained fewer putative entomopathogenic fungi than adjacent areas. Queens in such soil benefited from a higher survival rate. In culture, isolated actinobacteria inhibited entomopathogenic fungi, suggested that their presence may reduce the risk of fungal infection. These results indicated a soil-dwelling ant may choose nest sites presenting relatively low pathogen risk by detecting the odors produced by bacteria with anti-fungal properties. Insect pathogens are widely distributed in soil. Soil-dwelling insects must overcome challenges arising from pathogens in soil. Here we report that a soil-dwelling ant may choose nest sites with lower pathogen infection risk, specifically the ant can sense the cues of some actinobacteria that can inhibit the growth of the pathogens. By choosing the sites with higher abundance of some actinobacteria, the ant can get a higher survival rate. The ant and some actinobacteria thus coordinate a specialized adaptive strategy of infection risk management, enabling the ant population to grow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Huang
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Ren
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huijing Li
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Axel Schmidt
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Yongyue Lu
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (YL); (DC)
| | - Daifeng Cheng
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (YL); (DC)
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6
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Ge J, Ge Z, Zhu D, Wang X. Pheromonal Regulation of the Reproductive Division of Labor in Social Insects. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:837. [PMID: 32974354 PMCID: PMC7468439 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive altruism in social insects is an evolutionary enigma that has been puzzling scientists starting from Darwin. Unraveling how reproductive skew emerges and maintains is crucial to understand the reproductive altruism involved in the consequent division of labor. The regulation of adult worker reproduction involves conspecific inhibitory signals, which are thought to be chemical signals by numerous studies. Despite the primary identification of few chemical ligands, the action modes of primer pheromones that regulate reproduction and their molecular causes and effects remain challenging. Here, these questions were elucidated by comprehensively reviewing recent advances. The coordination with other modalities of queen pheromones (QPs) and its context-dependent manner to suppress worker reproduction were discussed under the vast variation and plasticity of reproduction during colony development and across taxa. In addition to the effect of QPs, special attention was paid to recent studies revealing the regulatory effect of brood pheromones. Considering the correlation between pheromone and hormone, this study focused on the production and perception of pheromones under the endocrine control and highlighted the pivotal roles of nutrition-related pathways. The novel chemicals and gene pathways discovered by recent works provide new insights into the understanding of social regulation of reproductive division of labor in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuxi Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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7
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Oi CA, Oliveira RC, van Zweden JS, Mateus S, Millar JG, Nascimento FS, Wenseleers T. Do Primitively Eusocial Wasps Use Queen Pheromones to Regulate Reproduction? A Case Study of the Paper Wasp Polistes satan. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
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8
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Grüter C, Czaczkes TJ. Communication in social insects and how it is shaped by individual experience. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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9
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George EA, Brockmann A. Social modulation of individual differences in dance communication in honey bees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2649-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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10
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Honey bee workers generate low-frequency vibrations that are reliable indicators of their activity level. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 205:79-86. [PMID: 30465281 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-1305-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
In social insects, the tuning of activity levels among different worker task groups, which constitutes a fundamental basis of colony organization, relies on the exchange of reliable information on the activity level of individuals. The underlying stimuli, however, have remained largely unexplored so far. In the present study, we describe low-frequency thoracic vibrations generated by honey bee workers (Apis mellifera) within the colony, whose velocity amplitudes and main frequency components significantly increased with the level of an individual's activity. The characteristics of these vibrations segregated three main activity level-groups: foragers, active hive bees, and inactive hive bees. Nectar foragers, moreover, modulated their low-frequency vibrations during trophallactic food unloading to nestmates according to the quality of the collected food. Owing to their clear association with the activity level of an individual and their potential perceptibility during direct contacts, these low-frequency thoracic vibrations are candidate stimuli for providing unambiguous local information on the motivational status of honey bee workers.
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11
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Grüter C. Repeated switches from cooperative to selfish worker oviposition during stingless bee evolution. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1843-1851. [PMID: 30242940 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive division of labour is a defining feature of insect societies. Stingless bees (Meliponini) are an interesting exception among the highly eusocial insects in that workers of many species contribute significantly to the production of males. Since workers remain sterile in other species of this large tropical tribe, it has been hypothesized that, in the latter species, ancestral queens have won the conflict over who produces the males. The fact that sterile workers of some species lay trophic eggs to feed the queen and display ritualized behaviours towards her during oviposition has been interpreted as an evolutionary relic of this ancient conflict. Here, I used ancestral state estimation to test whether worker reproduction is indeed the ancestral condition and worker sterility a derived state in stingless bees. Contrary to this hypothesis, data suggest that trophic egg laying was the ancestral condition, whereas selfish worker reproduction in queenright colonies evolved subsequently during stingless bee diversification. The appearance of worker reproduction in queenright conditions was tightly linked to the laying of trophic eggs, which suggests that having activated ovaries in queen presence facilitates the evolution of worker reproduction. Worker reproduction is also linked to brood cell architecture, but surprisingly not to colony size or queen-worker dimorphism. The reason for this association between brood cell architecture and worker oviposition is currently unknown. These results suggest that trophic eggs are not a relic of an ancient conflict, but a sign of overlapping interests between the queen and workers about who produces the males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Grüter
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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12
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Ma R, Villar G, Grozinger CM, Rangel J. Larval pheromones act as colony-wide regulators of collective foraging behavior in honeybees. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R Ma
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - G Villar
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - C M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - J Rangel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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13
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Queen Control or Queen Signal in Ants: What Remains of the Controversy 25 Years After Keller and Nonacs' Seminal Paper? J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:805-817. [PMID: 29858748 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0974-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Ant queen pheromones (QPs) have long been known to affect colony functioning. In many species, QPs affect important reproductive functions such as diploid larvae sexualization and egg-laying by workers, unmated queens (gynes), or other queens. Until the 1990s, these effects were generally viewed to be the result of queen manipulation through the use of coercive or dishonest signals. However, in their seminal 1993 paper, Keller and Nonacs challenged this idea, suggesting that QPs had evolved as honest signals that informed workers and other colony members of the queen's presence and reproductive state. This paper has greatly influenced the study of ant QPs and inspired numerous attempts to identify fertility-related compounds and test their physiological and behavioral effects. In the present article, we review the literature on ant QPs in various contexts and pay special attention to the role of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). Although the controversy generated by Keller and Nonacs' (Anim Behav 45:787-794, 1993) paper is currently less intensively debated, there is still no clear evidence which allows the rejection of the queen control hypothesis in favor of the queen signal hypothesis. We argue that important questions remain regarding the mode of action of QPs, and their targets which may help understanding their evolution.
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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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Trible W, Olivos-Cisneros L, McKenzie SK, Saragosti J, Chang NC, Matthews BJ, Oxley PR, Kronauer DJC. orco Mutagenesis Causes Loss of Antennal Lobe Glomeruli and Impaired Social Behavior in Ants. Cell 2017; 170:727-735.e10. [PMID: 28802042 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Life inside ant colonies is orchestrated with diverse pheromones, but it is not clear how ants perceive these social signals. It has been proposed that pheromone perception in ants evolved via expansions in the numbers of odorant receptors (ORs) and antennal lobe glomeruli. Here, we generate the first mutant lines in the clonal raider ant, Ooceraea biroi, by disrupting orco, a gene required for the function of all ORs. We find that orco mutants exhibit severe deficiencies in social behavior and fitness, suggesting they are unable to perceive pheromones. Surprisingly, unlike in Drosophila melanogaster, orco mutant ants also lack most of the ∼500 antennal lobe glomeruli found in wild-type ants. These results illustrate that ORs are essential for ant social organization and raise the possibility that, similar to mammals, receptor function is required for the development and/or maintenance of the highly complex olfactory processing areas in the ant brain. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waring Trible
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Leonora Olivos-Cisneros
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sean K McKenzie
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jonathan Saragosti
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ni-Chen Chang
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Benjamin J Matthews
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 23930, USA
| | - Peter R Oxley
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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16
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Smith AA, Liebig J. The evolution of cuticular fertility signals in eusocial insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 22:79-84. [PMID: 28805643 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
A reproductive division of labor is a definitive characteristic of eusocial insect societies and it requires a means through which colony members can assess the presence and productivity of reproductive individuals. Cuticular hydrocarbons are the primary means of doing so across eusocial hymenopterans. However, recent experimental work presents conflicting views on how these chemical signals function, are interpreted by workers, and evolve. These recent advances include demonstrations of hydrocarbons as evolutionarily conserved 'queen pheromones' and as species-divergent 'fertility signals' used by both queens and workers. In this review, we synthesize conflicting studies into an evolutionary framework suggesting a transition of reproductive communication from cue-like signature mixtures, to learned fertility signals, to innate queen pheromones that evolved across eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian A Smith
- Research & Collections, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Jürgen Liebig
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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Wittwer B, Hefetz A, Simon T, Murphy LEK, Elgar MA, Pierce NE, Kocher SD. Solitary bees reduce investment in communication compared with their social relatives. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:6569-6574. [PMID: 28533385 PMCID: PMC5488929 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620780114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Social animals must communicate to define group membership and coordinate social organization. For social insects, communication is predominantly mediated through chemical signals, and as social complexity increases, so does the requirement for a greater diversity of signals. This relationship is particularly true for advanced eusocial insects, including ants, bees, and wasps, whose chemical communication systems have been well-characterized. However, we know surprisingly little about how these communication systems evolve during the transition between solitary and group living. Here, we demonstrate that the sensory systems associated with signal perception are evolutionarily labile. In particular, we show that differences in signal production and perception are tightly associated with changes in social behavior in halictid bees. Our results suggest that social species require a greater investment in communication than their solitary counterparts and that species that have reverted from eusociality to solitary living have repeatedly reduced investment in these potentially costly sensory perception systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadette Wittwer
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Abraham Hefetz
- Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Tovit Simon
- Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Li E K Murphy
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Sarah D Kocher
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138;
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540
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Lentini R, Yeh Martín N, Mansy SS. Communicating artificial cells. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2016; 34:53-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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