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da Silva RC, Oi CA, do Nascimento FS. Chemical Resemblance of Egg Surface Compounds and Dufour's Gland in Two Neotropical Polistinae Wasps Polistes versicolor (Olivier) and Mischocyttarus metathoracicus (de Saussure, 1854). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:1041-1056. [PMID: 37861965 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-023-01089-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Chemical communication plays a major role in regulating social dynamics in social insect colonies. The most studied class of chemical compounds are the cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), compounds with high molecular weight that cover the insect body. CHCs are used in nestmate recognition and to signal reproductive status. Brood, in the form of larvae and eggs, is known to participate in chemical communication and social dynamics by performing hunger behaviour and inducing interaction with adults and conferring nest and maternity identity. CHCs of adults and egg surface compounds are similar in composition in social insect species. The main source of egg compounds is proposed to be Dufour's gland, an accessory reproductive gland found in several Hymenoptera females. There is still a lack of information about the level of similarity among CHCs, compounds of egg surface and Dufour's gland for several wasp species, which could provide correlational evidence about the origins of egg-marking compounds. Thus, we investigated whether egg surface compounds were more similar to CHCs or Dufour's gland secretions in two Neotropical primitively eusocial wasp species, Polistes versicolor (Olivier) and Mischocyttarus metathoracicus (de Saussure, 1854). As expected, there was a higher chemical similarity between eggs and Dufour's gland secretions in both studied species, supporting the hypothesis that this gland is the source of chemical compounds found over the eggs in these two primitively eusocial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Carvalho da Silva
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Depto de Biologia, Univ de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Cintia Akemi Oi
- Univ College London, London, UK
- Univ of Leuven, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Fabio Santos do Nascimento
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Depto de Biologia, Univ de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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Ge J, Shalem Y, Ge Z, Liu J, Wang X, Bloch G. Integration of information from multiple sources drives and maintains the division of labor in bumble bee colonies. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 60:101115. [PMID: 37704097 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Bumble bees are eusocial bees in which the division of labor (DoL) in reproduction and in task performance changes during their annual lifecycle. The queen monopolizes reproduction in young colonies, but at later stages, some workers start to challenge the queen and lay their own unfertilized eggs. The division of colony maintenance and growth tasks relates to worker body size. Reproduction and task performance are regulated by multiple social signals of the queen, the workers, and the brood. Here, we review recent studies suggesting that bumble bees use multiple sources of information to establish and maintain DoL in both reproduction and in task performance. Juvenile hormone (JH) is an important neuroendocrine signal involved in the regulation of DoL in reproduction but not in worker task performance. The reliance on multiple signals facilitates flexibility in face of changes in the social and geophysical environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yuval Shalem
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Zhuxi Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jinpeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
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Chen Y, Wang P, Shu X, Wang Z, Chen X. Morphology and Ultrastructure of the Female Reproductive Apparatus of an Asexual Strain of the Endoparasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae). BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12050713. [PMID: 37237527 DOI: 10.3390/biology12050713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael) is a solitary endoparasitoid of lepidopteran pests and a good candidate for the control of Spodoptera frugiperda. To elucidate the structure of the female reproductive apparatus, which may play a role in facilitating successful parasitism, we presented the description of the morphology and ultrastructure of the whole female reproductive system in a thelytokous strain of M. pulchricornis. Its reproductive system includes a pair of ovaries without specialized ovarian tissues, a branched venom gland, a venom reservoir, and a single Dufour gland. Each ovariole contains follicles and oocytes at different stages of maturation. A fibrous layer, possibly an egg surface protector, coats the surface of mature eggs. The venom gland consists of secretory units (including secretory cells and ducts) with abundant mitochondria, vesicles and end apparatuses in the cytoplasm, and a lumen. The venom reservoir is comprised of a muscular sheath, epidermal cells with few end apparatuses and mitochondria, and a large lumen. Furthermore, venosomes are produced by secretory cells and delivered into the lumen via the ducts. As a result, myriad venosomes are observed in the venom gland filaments and the venom reservoir, suggesting that they may function as a parasitic factor and have important roles in effective parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusi Chen
- Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
- State Key Lab of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Pengzhan Wang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
- State Key Lab of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaohan Shu
- Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
- State Key Lab of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhizhi Wang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
- State Key Lab of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xuexin Chen
- Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
- State Key Lab of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Derstine N, Galbraith D, Villar G, Amsalem E. Differential gene expression underlying the biosynthesis of Dufour's gland signals in Bombus impatiens. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 3:100056. [PMID: 37124651 PMCID: PMC10130613 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2023.100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Pheromones regulating social behavior are one of the most explored phenomena in social insects. However, compound identity, biosynthesis and their genetic basis are known in only a handful of species. Here we examined the gene expression associated with pheromone biosynthesis of two main chemical classes: esters and terpenes, using the social bee Bombus impatiens. We conducted chemical and RNA-seq analyses of the Dufour's gland, an exocrine gland producing a plethora of pheromones regulating social behavior in hymenopteran species. The Dufour's gland contains mostly long-chained hydrocarbons, terpenes and esters that signal reproductive and social status in several bee species. In bumble bees, the Dufour's gland contains queen- and worker-specific esters, in addition to terpenes and terpene-esters only found in gynes and queens. These compounds are assumed to be synthesized de novo in the gland, however, their genetic basis is unknown. A whole transcriptome gene expression analysis of the gland in queens, gynes, queenless and queenright workers showed distinct transcriptomic profiles, with thousands of differentially expressed genes between the groups. Workers and queens express genes associated with key enzymes in the biosynthesis of wax esters, while queens and gynes preferentially express key genes in terpene biosynthesis. Overall, our data demonstrate gland-specific regulation of chemical signals associated with social behavior and identifies candidate genes and pathways regulating caste-specific chemical signals in social insects.
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Wang ZY, McKenzie-Smith GC, Liu W, Cho HJ, Pereira T, Dhanerawala Z, Shaevitz JW, Kocher SD. Isolation disrupts social interactions and destabilizes brain development in bumblebees. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2754-2764.e5. [PMID: 35584698 PMCID: PMC9233014 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Social isolation, particularly in early life, leads to deleterious physiological and behavioral outcomes. Here, we leverage new high-throughput tools to comprehensively investigate the impact of isolation in the bumblebee, Bombus impatiens, from behavioral, molecular, and neuroanatomical perspectives. We reared newly emerged bumblebees in complete isolation, in small groups, or in their natal colony, and then analyzed their behaviors while alone or paired with another bee. We find that when alone, individuals of each rearing condition show distinct behavioral signatures. When paired with a conspecific, bees reared in small groups or in the natal colony express similar behavioral profiles. Isolated bees, however, showed increased social interactions. To identify the neurobiological correlates of these differences, we quantified brain gene expression and measured the volumes of key brain regions for a subset of individuals from each rearing condition. Overall, we find that isolation increases social interactions and disrupts gene expression and brain development. Limited social experience in small groups is sufficient to preserve typical patterns of brain development and social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Yan Wang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Lewis Sigler Institute of Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Grace C McKenzie-Smith
- Lewis Sigler Institute of Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Weijie Liu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Hyo Jin Cho
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Talmo Pereira
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Zahra Dhanerawala
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joshua W Shaevitz
- Lewis Sigler Institute of Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Sarah D Kocher
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Lewis Sigler Institute of Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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A Gland of Many Uses: a Diversity of Compounds in the Labial Glands of the Bumble Bee Bombus impatiens Suggests Multiple Signaling Functions. J Chem Ecol 2022; 48:270-282. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-022-01348-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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