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Paula GM, da Silva Menegasso AR, Dos-Santos-Pinto JRA, Malaspina O, Palma MS. Profiling the neuroproteomics of honeybee brain: A clue for understanding the role of neuropeptides in the modulation of aggressivity. J Proteomics 2024; 295:105089. [PMID: 38246419 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2024.105089] [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: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
The aggressivity is modulated in honeybee brain through a series of actions in cascade mode, with the participation of the neuropeptides AmAST A (59-76) and AmTRP (254-262). The aggressivity of honeybees was stimulated by injecting both neuropeptides in the hemocoel of the worker honeybees, which were submitted to behavioral assays of aggression. The brain of stinger individuals were removed by dissection and submitted to proteomic analysis; shotgun proteomic approach of honeybee brain revealed that both neuropeptides activate a series of biochemical processes responsible by production of energy, neuronal plasticity and cell protection. In addition to this, AmTRP (254-262) elicited the expression of proteins related to the processing of the potential of action and lipid metabolism; meanwhile AmAST A (59-76) elicited the metabolism of steroids and Juvenile hormone-related metabolism, amongst others. Apparently, the most complex biochemical process seems to be the regulation of ATP production, which occurs at two levels: i) by a subgroup of proteins common to the three experimental groups, which are over-/under-regulated through glycolysis, pyruvate pathway, Krebbs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation; ii) by a subgroup of proteins unique to the each experimental group, which seems to be regulated through Protein-Protein Interactions, where the protein network regulated by AmTRP (254-262) seems to be more complex than the other two experimental groups. SIGNIFICANCE: Recently we reported the effect of the neuropeptides AmAST A (59-76) and AmTRP (254-262) in the modulation of the aggressive behavior of the worker honeybees. Up to now it is known that the simple presence of the allatostatin and tachykinin-related-peptide in bee brain, is enough for inducing the aggressive behavior. However, nothing was known about how these neuropeptides perform their action, inducing the aggressive behavior. The results of the present study elucidated some of the metabolic pathways that were activated or inhibited to support the complex defensive behavior, which includes the aggressivity. These results certainly will impact the behavioral research of honeybees, since we are paving the way for understanding the molecular base of regulation, of individual /nest defense of honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Mendonça Paula
- Department of Basic and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Anally R da Silva Menegasso
- Department of Basic and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | | | - Osmar Malaspina
- Department of Basic and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Department of Basic and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil.
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2
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Tripathi K, Ben-Shachar D. Mitochondria in the Central Nervous System in Health and Disease: The Puzzle of the Therapeutic Potential of Mitochondrial Transplantation. Cells 2024; 13:410. [PMID: 38474374 DOI: 10.3390/cells13050410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria, the energy suppliers of the cells, play a central role in a variety of cellular processes essential for survival or leading to cell death. Consequently, mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in numerous general and CNS disorders. The clinical manifestations of mitochondrial dysfunction include metabolic disorders, dysfunction of the immune system, tumorigenesis, and neuronal and behavioral abnormalities. In this review, we focus on the mitochondrial role in the CNS, which has unique characteristics and is therefore highly dependent on the mitochondria. First, we review the role of mitochondria in neuronal development, synaptogenesis, plasticity, and behavior as well as their adaptation to the intricate connections between the different cell types in the brain. Then, we review the sparse knowledge of the mechanisms of exogenous mitochondrial uptake and describe attempts to determine their half-life and transplantation long-term effects on neuronal sprouting, cellular proteome, and behavior. We further discuss the potential of mitochondrial transplantation to serve as a tool to study the causal link between mitochondria and neuronal activity and behavior. Next, we describe mitochondrial transplantation's therapeutic potential in various CNS disorders. Finally, we discuss the basic and reverse-translation challenges of this approach that currently hinder the clinical use of mitochondrial transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuldeep Tripathi
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, Department of Neuroscience, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 9649, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Dorit Ben-Shachar
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, Department of Neuroscience, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 9649, Haifa 31096, Israel
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3
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Kautt AF, Chen J, Lewarch CL, Hu C, Turner K, Lassance JM, Baier F, Bedford NL, Bendesky A, Hoekstra HE. Evolution of gene expression across brain regions in behaviourally divergent deer mice. Mol Ecol 2024:e17270. [PMID: 38263608 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of innate behaviours is ultimately due to genetic variation likely acting in the nervous system. Gene regulation may be particularly important because it can evolve in a modular brain-region specific fashion through the concerted action of cis- and trans-regulatory changes. Here, to investigate transcriptional variation and its regulatory basis across the brain, we perform RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) on ten brain subregions in two sister species of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus and P. polionotus)-which differ in a range of innate behaviours, including their social system-and their F1 hybrids. We find that most of the variation in gene expression distinguishes subregions, followed by species. Interspecific differential expression (DE) is pervasive (52-59% of expressed genes), whereas the number of DE genes between sexes is modest overall (~3%). Interestingly, the identity of DE genes varies considerably across brain regions. Much of this modularity is due to cis-regulatory divergence, and while 43% of genes were consistently assigned to the same gene regulatory class across subregions (e.g. conserved, cis- or trans-regulatory divergence), a similar number were assigned to two or more different gene regulatory classes. Together, these results highlight the modularity of gene expression differences and divergence in the brain, which may be key to explain how the evolution of brain gene expression can contribute to the astonishing diversity of animal behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas F Kautt
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jenny Chen
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Caitlin L Lewarch
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Caroline Hu
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kyle Turner
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jean-Marc Lassance
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Felix Baier
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicole L Bedford
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andres Bendesky
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hopi E Hoekstra
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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4
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Panyushev N, Selitskiy M, Melnichenko V, Lebedev E, Okorokova L, Adonin L. Dynamic Evolution of Repetitive Elements and Chromatin States in Apis mellifera Subspecies. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:89. [PMID: 38254978 PMCID: PMC10815273 DOI: 10.3390/genes15010089] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we elucidate the contribution of repetitive DNA sequences to the establishment of social structures in honeybees (Apis mellifera). Despite recent advancements in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of honeybee castes, primarily associated with Notch signaling, the comprehensive identification of specific genomic cis-regulatory sequences remains elusive. Our objective is to characterize the repetitive landscape within the genomes of two honeybee subspecies, namely A. m. mellifera and A. m. ligustica. An observed recent burst of repeats in A. m. mellifera highlights a notable distinction between the two subspecies. After that, we transitioned to identifying differentially expressed DNA elements that may function as cis-regulatory elements. Nevertheless, the expression of these sequences showed minimal disparity in the transcriptome during caste differentiation, a pivotal process in honeybee eusocial organization. Despite this, chromatin segmentation, facilitated by ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, and RNA-seq data, revealed a distinct chromatin state associated with repeats. Lastly, an analysis of sequence divergence among elements indicates successive changes in repeat states, correlating with their respective time of origin. Collectively, these findings propose a potential role of repeats in acquiring novel regulatory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Panyushev
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (N.P.); (M.S.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, 197342 St. Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Max Selitskiy
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (N.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Vasilina Melnichenko
- International Scientific and Research Institute of Bioengineering, ITMO University, 197101 St. Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Egor Lebedev
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (N.P.); (M.S.)
| | | | - Leonid Adonin
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (N.P.); (M.S.)
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Group of Mechanisms for Nanosystems Targeted Delivery, 119121 Moscow, Russia
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5
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Traniello IM, Bukhari SA, Dibaeinia P, Serrano G, Avalos A, Ahmed AC, Sankey AL, Hernaez M, Sinha S, Zhao SD, Catchen J, Robinson GE. Single-cell dissection of aggression in honeybee colonies. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1232-1244. [PMID: 37264201 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02090-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how genotypic variation results in phenotypic variation is especially difficult for collective behaviour because group phenotypes arise from complex interactions among group members. A genome-wide association study identified hundreds of genes associated with colony-level variation in honeybee aggression, many of which also showed strong signals of positive selection, but the influence of these 'colony aggression genes' on brain function was unknown. Here we use single-cell (sc) transcriptomics and gene regulatory network (GRN) analyses to test the hypothesis that genetic variation for colony aggression influences individual differences in brain gene expression and/or gene regulation. We compared soldiers, which respond to territorial intrusion with stinging attacks, and foragers, which do not. Colony environment showed stronger influences on soldier-forager differences in brain gene regulation compared with brain gene expression. GRN plasticity was strongly associated with colony aggression, with larger differences in GRN dynamics detected between soldiers and foragers from more aggressive relative to less aggressive colonies. The regulatory dynamics of subnetworks composed of genes associated with colony aggression genes were more strongly correlated with each other across different cell types and brain regions relative to other genes, especially in brain regions involved with olfaction and vision and multimodal sensory integration, which are known to mediate bee aggression. These results show how group genetics can shape a collective phenotype by modulating individual brain gene regulatory network architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Traniello
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, IL, USA.
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | | | | | - Guillermo Serrano
- Computational Biology Program, CIMA University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Arian Avalos
- Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Services, United States Department of Agriculture, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Amy Cash Ahmed
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Alison L Sankey
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Mikel Hernaez
- Computational Biology Program, CIMA University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Saurabh Sinha
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Computer Science, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Sihai Dave Zhao
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Statistics, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Julian Catchen
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, IL, USA.
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Department of Entomology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA.
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6
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Akongte PN, Park BS, Kim DW, Choi YS. Honey Bee Colonies ( Apis mellifera L.) Perform Orientation Defensiveness That Varies among Bred Lines. INSECTS 2023; 14:546. [PMID: 37367362 DOI: 10.3390/insects14060546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) express complex behavioral patterns (aggressiveness) in defensive mechanisms for their survival. Their phenotypic expression of defensive behavior is influenced by internal and external stimuli. Knowledge of this behavior has recently become increasingly important, though beekeepers are still faced with the challenges of selecting defensive and less-defensive bred lines. Field evaluation of defensive behavior among bred lines of honey bees is required to overcome the challenges. Chemical cues (alarm pheromone and isopentyl acetate mixed with paraffin oil) and physical and visual stimuli (dark leather suede, colony marbling, and suede jiggling) were used to evaluate defensiveness and orientation among five bred lines of honeybee colonies. Our results showed that both chemical assays recruited bees, but the time of recruitment was significantly faster for alarm pheromone. Honeybees' response to both assays culminated in stings that differed among bred lines for alarm pheromone and paraffin when colonies were marbled. Honeybee orientation defensiveness varied among bred lines and was higher in more defensive bred lines compared to less-defensive bred lines. Our findings suggest that it is crucial to repeatedly evaluate orientation defensiveness at the colony level and among bred lines when selecting breeding colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Njukang Akongte
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Institute of Agricultural Science, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), Yaounde 2123, Cameroon
| | - Bo-Sun Park
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Institute of Agricultural Science, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Won Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Institute of Agricultural Science, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Soo Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Institute of Agricultural Science, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
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7
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Bresnahan ST, Lee E, Clark L, Ma R, Rangel J, Grozinger CM, Li-Byarlay H. Examining parent-of-origin effects on transcription and RNA methylation in mediating aggressive behavior in honey bees (Apis mellifera). BMC Genomics 2023; 24:315. [PMID: 37308882 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09411-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Conflict between genes inherited from the mother (matrigenes) and the father (patrigenes) is predicted to arise during social interactions among offspring if these genes are not evenly distributed among offspring genotypes. This intragenomic conflict drives parent-specific transcription patterns in offspring resulting from parent-specific epigenetic modifications. Previous tests of the kinship theory of intragenomic conflict in honey bees (Apis mellifera) provided evidence in support of theoretical predictions for variation in worker reproduction, which is associated with extreme variation in morphology and behavior. However, more subtle behaviors - such as aggression - have not been extensively studied. Additionally, the canonical epigenetic mark (DNA methylation) associated with parent-specific transcription in plant and mammalian model species does not appear to play the same role as in honey bees, and thus the molecular mechanisms underlying intragenomic conflict in this species is an open area of investigation. Here, we examined the role of intragenomic conflict in shaping aggression in honey bee workers through a reciprocal cross design and Oxford Nanopore direct RNA sequencing. We attempted to probe the underlying regulatory basis of this conflict through analyses of parent-specific RNA m6A and alternative splicing patterns. We report evidence that intragenomic conflict occurs in the context of honey bee aggression, with increased paternal and maternal allele-biased transcription in aggressive compared to non-aggressive bees, and higher paternal allele-biased transcription overall. However, we found no evidence to suggest that RNA m6A or alternative splicing mediate intragenomic conflict in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean T Bresnahan
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA.
| | - Ellen Lee
- Agricultural Research and Development Program, Central State University, Wilberforce, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, USA
| | - Lindsay Clark
- HPCBio, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, USA
- Research Scientific Computing Group, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA
| | - Rong Ma
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Juliana Rangel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Hongmei Li-Byarlay
- Agricultural Research and Development Program, Central State University, Wilberforce, USA.
- Department of Agricultural and Life Science, Central State University, Wilberforce, USA.
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8
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Ivasyk I, Olivos-Cisneros L, Valdés-Rodríguez S, Droual M, Jang H, Schmitz RJ, Kronauer DJC. DNMT1 mutant ants develop normally but have disrupted oogenesis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2201. [PMID: 37072475 PMCID: PMC10113331 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37945-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Although DNA methylation is an important gene regulatory mechanism in mammals, its function in arthropods remains poorly understood. Studies in eusocial insects have argued for its role in caste development by regulating gene expression and splicing. However, such findings are not always consistent across studies, and have therefore remained controversial. Here we use CRISPR/Cas9 to mutate the maintenance DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 in the clonal raider ant, Ooceraea biroi. Mutants have greatly reduced DNA methylation, but no obvious developmental phenotypes, demonstrating that, unlike mammals, ants can undergo normal development without DNMT1 or DNA methylation. Additionally, we find no evidence of DNA methylation regulating caste development. However, mutants are sterile, whereas in wild-type ants, DNMT1 is localized to the ovaries and maternally provisioned into nascent oocytes. This supports the idea that DNMT1 plays a crucial but unknown role in the insect germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Ivasyk
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | | | - Stephany Valdés-Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marie Droual
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hosung Jang
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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9
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Honey bees reared in isolation adhere to normal age-related division of labor when reintroduced into a colony. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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10
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Bentz AB, Empson TA, George EM, Rusch DB, Buechlein A, Rosvall KA. How experimental competition changes ovarian gene activity in free-living birds: Implications for steroidogenesis, maternal effects, and beyond. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105171. [PMID: 35381449 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The ovary plays an important role in mediating both a female's response to her social environment and communicating it to her developing offspring via maternal effects. Past work has focused on how ovarian hormones respond to competition, but we know little about how the broader ovarian transcriptomic landscape changes, either during or after competition, giving us a narrow perspective on how socially induced phenotypes arise. Here, we experimentally generated social competition among wild, cavity-nesting female birds (tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor), a species in which females lack a socially induced rise in circulating testosterone but they nevertheless increase allocation to eggs. After territory settlement, we reduced availability of nesting cavities, generating heightened competition; within 24 h we reversed the manipulation, causing aggressive interactions to subside. We measured ovarian transcriptomic responses at the peak of competition and 48 h later, along with date-matched controls. Network analyses indicated that competing females experienced an immediate and temporary decrease in the expression of genes involved in the early stages of steroidogenesis, and this was moderately correlated with plasma testosterone; however, two days after competition had ended, there was a marked increase in the expression of genes involved in the final stages of steroidogenesis, including HSD17B1. Gene networks related to the cell cycle, muscle performance, and extracellular matrix organization also displayed altered activity. Although the functional consequences of these findings are unclear, they shed light on socially responsive ovarian genomic mechanisms that could potentially exert lasting effects on behavior, reproduction, and maternal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA.
| | - Tara A Empson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth M George
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Douglas B Rusch
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Aaron Buechlein
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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11
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Scott AM, Yan JL, Baxter CM, Dworkin I, Dukas R. The genetic basis of variation in sexual aggression: evolution versus social plasticity. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2865-2881. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.16437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Scott
- Animal Behaviour Group Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada
| | - Janice L. Yan
- Animal Behaviour Group Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada
| | - Carling M. Baxter
- Animal Behaviour Group Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada
| | - Ian Dworkin
- Department of Biology McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada
| | - Reuven Dukas
- Animal Behaviour Group Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada
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12
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Anderson JA, Lea AJ, Voyles TN, Akinyi MY, Nyakundi R, Ochola L, Omondi M, Nyundo F, Zhang Y, Campos FA, Alberts SC, Archie EA, Tung J. Distinct gene regulatory signatures of dominance rank and social bond strength in wild baboons. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200441. [PMID: 35000452 PMCID: PMC8743882 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The social environment is a major determinant of morbidity, mortality and Darwinian fitness in social animals. Recent studies have begun to uncover the molecular processes associated with these relationships, but the degree to which they vary across different dimensions of the social environment remains unclear. Here, we draw on a long-term field study of wild baboons to compare the signatures of affiliative and competitive aspects of the social environment in white blood cell gene regulation, under both immune-stimulated and non-stimulated conditions. We find that the effects of dominance rank on gene expression are directionally opposite in males versus females, such that high-ranking males resemble low-ranking females, and vice versa. Among females, rank and social bond strength are both reflected in the activity of cellular metabolism and proliferation genes. However, while we observe pronounced rank-related differences in baseline immune gene activity, only bond strength predicts the fold-change response to immune (lipopolysaccharide) stimulation. Together, our results indicate that the directionality and magnitude of social effects on gene regulation depend on the aspect of the social environment under study. This heterogeneity may help explain why social environmental effects on health and longevity can also vary between measures. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A. Anderson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Amanda J. Lea
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Carl Icahn Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Tawni N. Voyles
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Mercy Y. Akinyi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Ruth Nyakundi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Lucy Ochola
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Martin Omondi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Fred Nyundo
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Fernando A. Campos
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada M5G 1M1
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13
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Das B, de Bekker C. Time-course RNASeq of Camponotus floridanus forager and nurse ant brains indicate links between plasticity in the biological clock and behavioral division of labor. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:57. [PMID: 35033027 PMCID: PMC8760764 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08282-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Circadian clocks allow organisms to anticipate daily fluctuations in their environment by driving rhythms in physiology and behavior. Inter-organismal differences in daily rhythms, called chronotypes, exist and can shift with age. In ants, age, caste-related behavior and chronotype appear to be linked. Brood-tending nurse ants are usually younger individuals and show “around-the-clock” activity. With age or in the absence of brood, nurses transition into foraging ants that show daily rhythms in activity. Ants can adaptively shift between these behavioral castes and caste-associated chronotypes depending on social context. We investigated how changes in daily gene expression could be contributing to such behavioral plasticity in Camponotus floridanus carpenter ants by combining time-course behavioral assays and RNA-Sequencing of forager and nurse brains. Results We found that nurse brains have three times fewer 24 h oscillating genes than foragers. However, several hundred genes that oscillated every 24 h in forager brains showed robust 8 h oscillations in nurses, including the core clock genes Period and Shaggy. These differentially rhythmic genes consisted of several components of the circadian entrainment and output pathway, including genes said to be involved in regulating insect locomotory behavior. We also found that Vitellogenin, known to regulate division of labor in social insects, showed robust 24 h oscillations in nurse brains but not in foragers. Finally, we found significant overlap between genes differentially expressed between the two ant castes and genes that show ultradian rhythms in daily expression. Conclusion This study provides a first look at the chronobiological differences in gene expression between forager and nurse ant brains. This endeavor allowed us to identify a putative molecular mechanism underlying plastic timekeeping: several components of the ant circadian clock and its output can seemingly oscillate at different harmonics of the circadian rhythm. We propose that such chronobiological plasticity has evolved to allow for distinct regulatory networks that underlie behavioral castes, while supporting swift caste transitions in response to colony demands. Behavioral division of labor is common among social insects. The links between chronobiological and behavioral plasticity that we found in C. floridanus, thus, likely represent a more general phenomenon that warrants further investigation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-08282-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biplabendu Das
- Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA. .,Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA.
| | - Charissa de Bekker
- Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA. .,Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA.
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14
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Abbot P. Defense in Social Insects: Diversity, Division of Labor, and Evolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 67:407-436. [PMID: 34995089 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-082521-072638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
All social insects defend their colony from predators, parasites, and pathogens. In Oster and Wilson's classic work, they posed one of the key paradoxes about defense in social insects: Given the universal necessity of defense, why then is there so much diversity in mechanisms? Ecological factors undoubtedly are important: Predation and usurpation have imposed strong selection on eusocial insects, and active defense by colonies is a ubiquitous feature of all social insects. The description of diverse insect groups with castes of sterile workers whose main duty is defense has broadened the purview of social evolution in insects, in particular with respect to caste and behavior. Defense is one of the central axes along which we can begin to organize and understand sociality in insects. With the establishment of social insect models such as the honey bee, new discoveries are emerging regarding the endocrine, neural, and gene regulatory mechanisms underlying defense in social insects. The mechanisms underlying morphological and behavioral defense traits may be shared across diverse groups, providing opportunities for identifying both conserved and novel mechanisms at work. Emerging themes highlight the context dependency of and interaction between factors that regulate defense in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Abbot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
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15
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Snow JW. Nosema apis and N. ceranae Infection in Honey bees: A Model for Host-Pathogen Interactions in Insects. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 114:153-177. [PMID: 35544003 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93306-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There has been increased focus on the role of microbial attack as a potential cause of recent declines in the health of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera. The Nosema species, N. apis and N. ceranae, are microsporidian parasites that are pathogenic to honey bees, and infection by these species has been implicated as a key factor in honey bee losses. Honey bees infected with both Nosema spp. display significant changes in their biology at the cellular, tissue, and organismal levels impacting host metabolism, immune function, physiology, and behavior. Infected individuals lead to colony dysfunction and can contribute to colony disease in some circumstances. The means through which parasite growth and tissue pathology in the midgut lead to the dramatic physiological and behavioral changes at the organismal level are only partially understood. In addition, we possess only a limited appreciation of the elements of the host environment that impact pathogen growth and development. Critical for answering these questions is a mechanistic understanding of the host and pathogen machinery responsible for host-pathogen interactions. A number of approaches are already being used to elucidate these mechanisms, and promising new tools may allow for gain- and loss-of-function experiments to accelerate future progress.
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16
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Wcislo WT. A Dual Role for Behavior in Evolution and Shaping Organismal Selective Environments. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012921-052523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The hypothesis that evolved behaviors play a determining role in facilitating and impeding the evolution of other traits has been discussed for more than 100 years with little consensus beyond an agreement that the ideas are theoretically plausible in accord with the Modern Synthesis. Many recent reviews of the genomic, epigenetic, and developmental mechanisms underpinning major behavioral transitions show how facultative expression of novel behaviors can lead to the evolution of obligate behaviors and structures that enhance behavioral function. Phylogenetic and genomic studies indicate that behavioral traits are generally evolutionarily more labile than other traits and that they help shape selective environments on the latter traits. Adaptive decision-making to encounter resources and avoid stress sources requires specific sensory inputs, which behaviorally shape selective environments by determining those features of the external world that are biologically relevant. These recent findings support the hypothesis of a dual role for behavior in evolution and are consistent with current evolutionary theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T. Wcislo
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama
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17
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Bianchi E, Agra MN, García C, Gennari G, Maldonado L, Rodríguez GA, Palacio MA, Scannapieco AC, Lanzavecchia SB. Defensive Behavior and Morphometric Variation in Apis mellifera Colonies From Two Different Agro-Ecological Zones of North-Western Argentina. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.590225] [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
European lineages of Apis mellifera were first introduced into America for beekeeping purposes. A subsequent introduction and accidental release of A. m. scutellata resulted in hybridization events that gave rise to Africanized populations that rapidly spread throughout the continent. In Argentina, Africanized honey bees (AHBs) have been mostly detected in northern regions of the territory, and represent a valuable genetic resource for the selection of stocks with advantageous characteristics for beekeeping. The objective of the present study was to profile honey bee colonies of wild origin with potential beneficial traits for apiculture using morphological, molecular and behavioral traits. Honey bee colonies chosen for evaluation were located in two different agro-ecological regions in north-western Argentina (Tucumán province): The Chaco Depressed Plain (Leales apiary) and the Piedmont (Famaillá apiary). Each apiary was surveyed three times during the 2017–2018 season (mid-season, wintertime, and early spring) for: brood population, phoretic Varroa level and defensive behavior (run, fly, sting, and hang). At the midpoint of the beekeeping season colonies were also characterized by morphometry (45 variables) and mitochondrial haplotypes (COI–COII intergenic region). Apiaries studied showed similar patterns throughout the beekeeping season, for most of the characteristics monitored. However, significant variation in defensive behavior parameters was found between apiaries at the different times of evaluation. Twelve of 45 morphometric variables also showed significant differences between apiaries. The mitochondrial haplotype analysis revealed a high representation of African A4 and A1 haplotypes (91%) in both apiaries. Haplotype variation was associated with morphometric and behavioral traits. Multivariate analyses [principal component analysis (PCA) and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA)] including morphometric and behavior variables explained 65.3% (PCA) and 48.1% (PCoA) of the variability observed between colonies in the first two components. Several morphometric parameters and “fly” behavior were mainly associated with the separation of the colonies. The results from this study point to a possible association between morphometric and behavioral variation and the adaptation of honey bee colonies to differential agro-ecological conditions. We discuss how the detected variation between apiaries can be used for the selection and preservation of honey bee ecotypes in regional breeding programs.
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18
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Zhu D, Ge J, Guo S, Hou L, Shi R, Zhou X, Nie X, Wang X. Independent variations in genome-wide expression, alternative splicing, and DNA methylation in brain tissues among castes of the buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. J Genet Genomics 2021; 48:681-694. [PMID: 34315685 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Caste differentiation in social hymenopterans is an intriguing example of phenotypic plasticity. However, the co-ordination among gene regulatory factors to mediate caste differentiation remains inconclusive. In this study, we determined the role of gene regulation and related epigenetic processes in pre-imaginal caste differentiation in the primitively eusocial bumblebee Bombus terrestris. By combining RNA-Seq data from Illumina and PacBio and accurately quantifying methylation at whole-genomic base pair resolution, we found that queens, workers, and drones mainly differentiate in gene expression but not in alternative splicing and DNA methylation. Gynes are the most distinct with the lowest global level of whole-genomic methylation and with the largest number of caste-specific transcripts and alternative splicing events. By contrast, workers exhibit few uniquely expressed or alternatively spliced genes. Moreover, several genes involved in hormone and neurotransmitter metabolism are related to caste differentiation, whereas several neuropeptides are linked with sex differentiation. Despite little genome-wide association among differential gene expression, splicing, and differential DNA methylation, the overlapped gene ontology (GO) terms point to nutrition-related activity. Therefore, variations in gene regulation correlate with the behavioral differences among castes and highlight the specialization of toolkit genes in bumblebee gynes at the beginning of the adult stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Siyuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Li Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rangjun Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xin Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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19
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Traniello IM, Robinson GE. Neural and Molecular Mechanisms of Biological Embedding of Social Interactions. Annu Rev Neurosci 2021; 44:109-128. [PMID: 34236891 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-092820-012959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Animals operate in complex environments, and salient social information is encoded in the nervous system and then processed to initiate adaptive behavior. This encoding involves biological embedding, the process by which social experience affects the brain to influence future behavior. Biological embedding is an important conceptual framework for understanding social decision-making in the brain, as it encompasses multiple levels of organization that regulate how information is encoded and used to modify behavior. The framework we emphasize here is that social stimuli provoke short-term changes in neural activity that lead to changes in gene expression on longer timescales. This process, simplified-neurons are for today and genes are for tomorrow-enables the assessment of the valence of a social interaction, an appropriate and rapid response, and subsequent modification of neural circuitry to change future behavioral inclinations in anticipation of environmental changes. We review recent research on the neural and molecular basis of biological embedding in the context of social interactions, with a special focus on the honeybee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Traniello
- Neuroscience Program and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA;
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Neuroscience Program and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA; .,Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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20
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Fouks B, Brand P, Nguyen HN, Herman J, Camara F, Ence D, Hagen DE, Hoff KJ, Nachweide S, Romoth L, Walden KKO, Guigo R, Stanke M, Narzisi G, Yandell M, Robertson HM, Koeniger N, Chantawannakul P, Schatz MC, Worley KC, Robinson GE, Elsik CG, Rueppell O. The genomic basis of evolutionary differentiation among honey bees. Genome Res 2021; 31:1203-1215. [PMID: 33947700 PMCID: PMC8256857 DOI: 10.1101/gr.272310.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, other honey bee species have been largely neglected despite their importance and diversity. The genetic basis of the evolutionary diversification of honey bees remains largely unknown. Here, we provide a genome-wide comparison of three honey bee species, each representing one of the three subgenera of honey bees, namely the dwarf (Apis florea), giant (A. dorsata), and cavity-nesting (A. mellifera) honey bees with bumblebees as an outgroup. Our analyses resolve the phylogeny of honey bees with the dwarf honey bees diverging first. We find that evolution of increased eusocial complexity in Apis proceeds via increases in the complexity of gene regulation, which is in agreement with previous studies. However, this process seems to be related to pathways other than transcriptional control. Positive selection patterns across Apis reveal a trade-off between maintaining genome stability and generating genetic diversity, with a rapidly evolving piRNA pathway leading to genomes depleted of transposable elements, and a rapidly evolving DNA repair pathway associated with high recombination rates in all Apis species. Diversification within Apis is accompanied by positive selection in several genes whose putative functions present candidate mechanisms for lineage-specific adaptations, such as migration, immunity, and nesting behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertrand Fouks
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27403, USA
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Philipp Brand
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95161, USA
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Hung N Nguyen
- MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA
| | - Jacob Herman
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27403, USA
| | - Francisco Camara
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Ence
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Darren E Hagen
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Katharina J Hoff
- University of Greifswald, Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Bioinformatics Group, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
- University of Greifswald, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stefanie Nachweide
- University of Greifswald, Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Bioinformatics Group, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Lars Romoth
- University of Greifswald, Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Bioinformatics Group, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Kimberly K O Walden
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Roderic Guigo
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mario Stanke
- University of Greifswald, Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Bioinformatics Group, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
- University of Greifswald, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Mark Yandell
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
- Utah Center for Genetic Discovery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Nikolaus Koeniger
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Panuwan Chantawannakul
- Environmental Science Research Center (ESRC) and Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Michael C Schatz
- Departments of Computer Science and Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
| | - Kim C Worley
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Christine G Elsik
- MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA
| | - Olav Rueppell
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27403, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
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21
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Scaccabarozzi D, Dods K, Le TT, Gummer JPA, Lussu M, Milne L, Campbell T, Wafujian BP, Priddis C. Factors driving the compositional diversity of Apis mellifera bee venom from a Corymbia calophylla (marri) ecosystem, Southwestern Australia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253838. [PMID: 34191849 PMCID: PMC8244862 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bee venom (BV) is the most valuable product harvested from honeybees ($30 - $300 USD per gram) but marginally produced in apiculture. Though widely studied and used in alternative medicine, recent efforts in BV research have focused on its therapeutic and cosmetic applications, for the treatment of degenerative and infectious diseases. The protein and peptide composition of BV is integral to its bioactivity, yet little research has investigated the ecological factors influencing the qualitative and quantitative variations in the BV composition. Bee venom from Apis mellifera ligustica (Apidae), collected over one flowering season of Corymbia calophylla (Myrtaceae; marri) was characterized to test if the protein composition and amount of BV variation between sites is influenced by i) ecological factors (temperature, relative humidity, flowering index and stage, nectar production); ii) management (nutritional supply and movement of hives); and/or iii) behavioural factors. BV samples from 25 hives across a 200 km-latitudinal range in Southwestern Australia were collected using stimulatory devices. We studied the protein composition of BV by mass spectrometry, using a bottom-up proteomics approach. Peptide identification utilised sequence homology to the A. mellifera reference genome, assembling a BV peptide profile representative of 99 proteins, including a number of previously uncharacterised BV proteins. Among ecological factors, BV weight and protein diversity varied by temperature and marri flowering stage but not by index, this latter suggesting that inter and intra-year flowering index should be further explored to better appreciate this influence. Site influenced BV protein diversity and weight difference in two sites. Bee behavioural response to the stimulator device impacted both the protein profile and weight, whereas management factors did not. Continued research using a combination of proteomics, and bio-ecological approaches is recommended to further understand causes of BV variation in order to standardise and improve the harvest practice and product quality attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Scaccabarozzi
- Research Service, ChemCentre, Resources and Chemistry Precinct, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Kenneth Dods
- Research and Innovation Division, ChemCentre, Resources and Chemistry Precinct, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Thao T. Le
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | - Joel P. A. Gummer
- Research and Innovation Division, ChemCentre, Resources and Chemistry Precinct, Bentley, WA, Australia
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | - Michele Lussu
- Regional Institute for Floriculture (IRF), San Remo, Italy
| | - Lynne Milne
- Research Service, ChemCentre, Resources and Chemistry Precinct, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Tristan Campbell
- Research Service, ChemCentre, Resources and Chemistry Precinct, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | | | - Colin Priddis
- Research and Innovation Division, ChemCentre, Resources and Chemistry Precinct, Bentley, WA, Australia
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22
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Pandolfi M, Scaia MF, Fernandez MP. Sexual Dimorphism in Aggression: Sex-Specific Fighting Strategies Across Species. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:659615. [PMID: 34262439 PMCID: PMC8273308 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.659615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is thought to have evolved as a strategy for gaining access to resources such as territory, food, and potential mates. Across species, secondary sexual characteristics such as competitive aggression and territoriality are considered male-specific behaviors. However, although female–female aggression is often a behavior that is displayed almost exclusively to protect the offspring, multiple examples of female–female competitive aggression have been reported in both invertebrate and vertebrate species. Moreover, cases of intersexual aggression have been observed in a variety of species. Genetically tractable model systems such as mice, zebrafish, and fruit flies have proven extremely valuable for studying the underlying neuronal circuitry and the genetic architecture of aggressive behavior under laboratory conditions. However, most studies lack ethological or ecological perspectives and the behavioral patterns available are limited. The goal of this review is to discuss each of these forms of aggression, male intrasexual aggression, intersexual aggression and female intrasexual aggression in the context of the most common genetic animal models and discuss examples of these behaviors in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias Pandolfi
- Department of Biodiversity and Experimental Biology, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Florencia Scaia
- Department of Biodiversity and Experimental Biology, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Paz Fernandez
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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23
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Transcriptome Analyses Provide Insights into the Aggressive Behavior toward Conspecific and Heterospecific in Thitarodes xiaojinensis (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae). INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12070577. [PMID: 34201917 PMCID: PMC8306418 DOI: 10.3390/insects12070577] [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: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Aggression is an evolutionarily conserved, complex behavior, essential for survival, reproduction, and the organization of social hierarchies. It is well studied in adult insects, such as flies, ants, honey bees, and crickets. However, the study of aggressive behavior in the larval stage is still lacking. T. xiaojinensis is a common species found in mountainous regions of the Tibetan Plateau, the larvae of which are highly aggressive toward conspecifics. High-throughput RNA-seq with a reference genome provides opportunities for in-depth analysis when T. xiaojinensis is aggressive toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. This study provided a set of important pathways and DEGs associated with aggressive behavior. We also constructed the weighted gene co-expression network for traits, and the central and hub genes involved in aggressive behavior were obtained. The results revealed the molecular responses when T. xiaojinensis showed aggressiveness toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. These data are important for better understanding the aggressive behavior of Lepidopteran larvae at the transcriptional level and provide a theoretical basis for the further analysis of the genetic mechanism of the insect’s aggression. Abstract Aggressive behavior in animals is important for survival and reproduction. It is well studied in adult insects, such as flies, ants, honey bees, and crickets. However, the larvae of Lepidopteran insects are also aggressive, studies of which are still lacking. Here, RNA-seq was used to generate a high-quality database for the aggressive behavior of Thitarodes xiaojinensis toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. Although there was similar aggressive behavior between the conspecific group and heterospecific group, significant differences were identified at the transcriptional level. When there was aggressive behavior toward conspecifics, T. xiaojinensis trended toward higher expression at the respiratory chain, while cuticle development and metabolism may have interfered. On the other hand, when there was aggressive behavior toward H. armigera, genes related to neuron and cuticle development, cellular processes, and its regulated signaling pathways were significantly upregulated, while the genes associated with oxidation-reduction and metabolism were downregulated. Weighted gene co-expression networks analysis (WGCNA) was performed, and two modules with properties correlating to the aggressive behavior of T. xiaojinensis were identified. Several hub genes were predicted and confirmed by qRT-PCR, such as CLTC, MYH, IGF2BP1, and EMC. This study provides a global view and potential key genes for the aggressive behavior of T. xiaojinensis toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. Further investigation of the hub genes would help us to better understand the aggressive behavior of insects.
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Olney KC, Gibson JD, Natri HM, Underwood A, Gadau J, Wilson MA. Lack of parent-of-origin effects in Nasonia jewel wasp: A replication and extension study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252457. [PMID: 34111141 PMCID: PMC8191985 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In diploid cells, the paternal and maternal alleles are, on average, equally expressed. There are exceptions from this: a small number of genes express the maternal or paternal allele copy exclusively. This phenomenon, known as genomic imprinting, is common among eutherian mammals and some plant species; however, genomic imprinting in species with haplodiploid sex determination is not well characterized. Previous work reported no parent-of-origin effects in the hybrids of closely related haplodiploid Nasonia vitripennis and Nasonia giraulti jewel wasps, suggesting a lack of epigenetic reprogramming during embryogenesis in these species. Here, we replicate the gene expression dataset and observations using different individuals and sequencing technology, as well as reproduce these findings using the previously published RNA sequence data following our data analysis strategy. The major difference from the previous dataset is that they used an introgression strain as one of the parents and we found several loci that resisted introgression in that strain. Our results from both datasets demonstrate a species-of-origin effect, rather than a parent-of-origin effect. We present a reproducible workflow that others may use for replicating the results. Overall, we reproduced the original report of no parent-of-origin effects in the haplodiploid Nasonia using the original data with our new processing and analysis pipeline and replicated these results with our newly generated data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly C. Olney
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Joshua D. Gibson
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, United States of America
| | - Heini M. Natri
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Avery Underwood
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Juergen Gadau
- Institut fuer Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Melissa A. Wilson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Chatterjee A, Bais D, Brockmann A, Ramesh D. Search Behavior of Individual Foragers Involves Neurotransmitter Systems Characteristic for Social Scouting. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 1:664978. [PMID: 38468879 PMCID: PMC10926421 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2021.664978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
In honey bees search behavior occurs as social and solitary behavior. In the context of foraging, searching for food sources is performed by behavioral specialized foragers, the scouts. When the scouts have found a new food source, they recruit other foragers (recruits). These recruits never search for a new food source on their own. However, when the food source is experimentally removed, they start searching for that food source. Our study provides a detailed description of this solitary search behavior and the variation of this behavior among individual foragers. Furthermore, mass spectrometric measurement showed that the initiation and performance of this solitary search behavior is associated with changes in glutamate, GABA, histamine, aspartate, and the catecholaminergic system in the optic lobes and central brain area. These findings strikingly correspond with the results of an earlier study that showed that scouts and recruits differ in the expression of glutamate and GABA receptors. Together, the results of both studies provide first clear support for the hypothesis that behavioral specialization in honey bees is based on adjusting modulatory systems involved in solitary behavior to increase the probability or frequency of that behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arumoy Chatterjee
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
- School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, India
| | - Deepika Bais
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Axel Brockmann
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Divya Ramesh
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Sieber KR, Dorman T, Newell N, Yan H. (Epi)Genetic Mechanisms Underlying the Evolutionary Success of Eusocial Insects. INSECTS 2021; 12:498. [PMID: 34071806 PMCID: PMC8229086 DOI: 10.3390/insects12060498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Eusocial insects, such as bees, ants, and wasps of the Hymenoptera and termites of the Blattodea, are able to generate remarkable diversity in morphology and behavior despite being genetically uniform within a colony. Most eusocial insect species display caste structures in which reproductive ability is possessed by a single or a few queens while all other colony members act as workers. However, in some species, caste structure is somewhat plastic, and individuals may switch from one caste or behavioral phenotype to another in response to certain environmental cues. As different castes normally share a common genetic background, it is believed that much of this observed within-colony diversity results from transcriptional differences between individuals. This suggests that epigenetic mechanisms, featured by modified gene expression without changing genes themselves, may play an important role in eusocial insects. Indeed, epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs, have been shown to influence eusocial insects in multiple aspects, along with typical genetic regulation. This review summarizes the most recent findings regarding such mechanisms and their diverse roles in eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayli R. Sieber
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (K.R.S.); (T.D.); (N.N.)
| | - Taylor Dorman
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (K.R.S.); (T.D.); (N.N.)
| | - Nicholas Newell
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (K.R.S.); (T.D.); (N.N.)
| | - Hua Yan
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (K.R.S.); (T.D.); (N.N.)
- Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Guichard M, Dainat B, Eynard S, Vignal A, Servin B, Neuditschko M. Identification of quantitative trait loci associated with calmness and gentleness in honey bees using whole-genome sequences. Anim Genet 2021; 52:472-481. [PMID: 33970494 PMCID: PMC8360191 DOI: 10.1111/age.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) is a powerful method for unravelling the genetic background of selected traits and improving early-stage predictions. In honey bees (Apis mellifera), past genetic analyses have particularly focused on individual queens and workers. In this study, we used pooled whole-genome sequences to ascertain the genetic variation of the entire colony. In total, we sampled 216 Apis mellifera mellifera and 28 Apis mellifera carnica colonies. Different experts subjectively assessed the gentleness and calmness of the colonies using a standardised protocol. Conducting a GWAS for calmness on 211 purebred A. m. mellifera colonies, we identified three QTL, on chromosomes 8, 6, and 12. The two first QTL correspond to LOC409692 gene, coding for a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10, and to Abscam gene, coding for a Dscam family member Abscam protein, respectively. The last gene has been reported to be involved in the domestication of A. mellifera. The third QTL is located 13 kb upstream of LOC102655631, coding for a trehalose transporter. For gentleness, two QTL were identified on chromosomes 4 and 3. They are located within gene LOC413669, coding for a lap4 protein, and gene LOC413416, coding for a bicaudal C homolog 1-B protein, respectively. The identified positional candidate genes of both traits mainly affect the olfaction and nervous system of honey bees. Further research is needed to confirm the results and to better understand the genetic and phenotypic basis of calmness and gentleness.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Guichard
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Bern, 3003, Switzerland.,Agroscope, Animal GenoPhenomics, Rte de la Tioleyre 4, Posieux, 1725, Switzerland
| | - B Dainat
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Bern, 3003, Switzerland
| | - S Eynard
- GenPhySE, INRA, INPT, INPENVT, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, 31320, France.,UMT PrADE, Protection des Abeilles Dans l'Environnement, Avignon, 84914, France
| | - A Vignal
- GenPhySE, INRA, INPT, INPENVT, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, 31320, France.,UMT PrADE, Protection des Abeilles Dans l'Environnement, Avignon, 84914, France
| | - B Servin
- GenPhySE, INRA, INPT, INPENVT, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, 31320, France.,UMT PrADE, Protection des Abeilles Dans l'Environnement, Avignon, 84914, France
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- Domaine de Vilvert, Bat 224, CS80009, Jouy-en-Josas CEDEX, 78353, France
| | - M Neuditschko
- Agroscope, Animal GenoPhenomics, Rte de la Tioleyre 4, Posieux, 1725, Switzerland
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Varnon CA, Vallely N, Beheler C, Coffin C. The disturbance leg-lift response (DLR): an undescribed behavior in bumble bees. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10997. [PMID: 33828912 PMCID: PMC8005288 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bumble bees, primarily Bombus impatiens and B. terrestris, are becoming increasingly popular organisms in behavioral ecology and comparative psychology research. Despite growing use in foraging and appetitive conditioning experiments, little attention has been given to innate antipredator responses and their ability to be altered by experience. In this paper, we discuss a primarily undescribed behavior, the disturbance leg-lift response (DLR). When exposed to a presumably threatening stimulus, bumble bees often react by lifting one or multiple legs. We investigated DLR across two experiments. Methods In our first experiment, we investigated the function of DLR as a prerequisite to later conditioning research. We recorded the occurrence and sequence of DLR, biting and stinging in response to an approaching object that was either presented inside a small, clear apparatus containing a bee, or presented directly outside of the subject’s apparatus. In our second experiment, we investigated if DLR could be altered by learning and experience in a similar manner to many other well-known bee behaviors. We specifically investigated habituation learning by repeatedly presenting a mild visual stimulus to samples of captive and wild bees. Results The results of our first experiment show that DLR and other defensive behaviors occur as a looming object approaches, and that the response is greater when proximity to the object is lower. More importantly, we found that DLR usually occurs first, rarely precedes biting, and often precedes stinging. This suggests that DLR may function as a warning signal that a sting will occur. In our second experiment, we found that DLR can be altered as a function of habituation learning in both captive and wild bees, though the captive sample initially responded more. This suggests that DLR may be a suitable response for many other conditioning experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Varnon
- Department of Psychology, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC, United States of America
| | - Noelle Vallely
- Department of Psychology, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC, United States of America
| | - Charlie Beheler
- Department of Psychology, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC, United States of America
| | - Claudia Coffin
- Department of Psychology, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC, United States of America
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Experimental competition induces immediate and lasting effects on the neurogenome in free-living female birds. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2016154118. [PMID: 33753482 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016154118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Periods of social instability can elicit adaptive phenotypic plasticity to promote success in future competition. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have primarily been studied in captive and laboratory-reared animals, leaving uncertainty as to how natural competition among free-living animals affects gene activity. Here, we experimentally generated social competition among wild, cavity-nesting female birds (tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor). After territorial settlement, we reduced the availability of key breeding resources (i.e., nest boxes), generating heightened competition; within 24 h we reversed the manipulation, causing aggressive interactions to subside. We sampled females during the peak of competition and 48 h after it ended, along with date-matched controls. We measured transcriptomic and epigenomic responses to competition in two socially relevant brain regions (hypothalamus and ventromedial telencephalon). Gene network analyses suggest that processes related to energy mobilization and aggression (e.g., dopamine synthesis) were up-regulated during competition, the latter of which persisted 2 d after competition had ended. Cellular maintenance processes were also down-regulated after competition. Competition additionally altered methylation patterns, particularly in pathways related to hormonal signaling, suggesting those genes were transcriptionally poised to respond to future competition. Thus, experimental competition among free-living animals shifts gene expression in ways that may facilitate the demands of competition at the expense of self-maintenance. Further, some of these effects persisted after competition ended, demonstrating the potential for epigenetic biological embedding of the social environment in ways that may prime individuals for success in future social instability.
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Honey robbing causes coordinated changes in foraging and nest defence in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Basu S, Clark RE, Fu Z, Lee BW, Crowder DW. Insect alarm pheromones in response to predators: Ecological trade-offs and molecular mechanisms. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 128:103514. [PMID: 33359575 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Insect alarm pheromones are chemical substances that are synthesized and released in response to predators to reduce predation risk. Alarm pheromones can also be perceived by predators, who take advantage of alarm cues to locate prey. While selection favors evolution of alarm pheromone signals that are not easily detectable by predators, predator evolution selects for better prey detection ability. Here, we review the diversity of alarm signals, and consider the behavioral and ecological conditions under which they have evolved. We show that components of alarm pheromones are similar across many insects, although aphids exhibit different behavioral responses to alarm cues compared to social insects. The effects of alarm pheromones on prey behavior depend on factors such as the concentration of pheromones and the density of conspecifics. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms of alarm pheromone perception underlying the evolutionary arms race between predators and prey, and the function of olfactory proteins and receptors in particular. Our review provides a novel synthesis of the diversity and function of insect alarm pheromones, while suggesting avenues that might better allow researchers to exploit population-level responses to alarm signaling for the sustainable management of pests and vector-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumik Basu
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
| | - Robert E Clark
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Zhen Fu
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA; Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Benjamin W Lee
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - David W Crowder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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Lee SB, Chouvenc T, Patel J, Su NY. Altered Mobility and Accumulation of Inefficient Workers in Juvenile Hybrid Termite Colonies. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.589762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybridization of two different species is an important mechanism to have gene flows between species. Recently, mating of two economically important invasive species of subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanusandCoptotermes gestroi) have been observed in the field and hybrids colonies have been established in the laboratory. It was previously reported that incipient colonies (~1 year old) of hybridCoptotermesspecies contained more termites than colonies of parental species, showing hybrid vigor. In this study, colony vigor and individual termite vigor were investigated in juvenile colonies (~2 year old), using colony growth parameters and the movement activity of individual termites as proxies for the evaluation of hybrid vigor beyond the initial colony foundation. After 2 years from colony foundations, hybrid colonies showed no more hybrid vigor. In addition, movement activity of termites in hybrid colonies was significantly slower than in termites from conspecific colonies. It is suggested that a reduction in the molting rates of individuals in hybrid colonies may have a negative impact on their physiology and their movement activity. These possible changes in physiology may affect the movement of individuals, and accumulation of these inefficient termites in hybrid colonies may contribute to the loss of hybrid vigor at 2 years of age in hybrid colonies.
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Zhao H, Li G, Guo D, Wang Y, Liu Q, Gao Z, Wang H, Liu Z, Guo X, Xu B. Transcriptomic and metabolomic landscape of the molecular effects of glyphosate commercial formulation on Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis cerana cerana. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 744:140819. [PMID: 32693280 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the causes of the decline in bee population has attracted intensive attention worldwide. The indiscriminate use of agrochemicals is a persistent problem due to their physiological and behavioural damage to bees. Glyphosate and its commercial formulation stand out due to their wide use in agricultural areas and non-crop areas, such as parks, railroads, roadsides, industrial sites, and recreational and residential areas, but the mode of action of glyphosate on bees at the molecular level remains largely unelucidated. Here, we found that the numbers of differentially expressed genes and metabolites under glyphosate commercial formulation (GCF) stress were significantly higher in Apis cerana cerana than in Apis mellifera ligustica. Despite these differences, the number of differentially expressed transcripts increased following an increase in the GCF treatment time in both A. cerana cerana and A. mellifera ligustica. GCF exerted adverse impacts on the immune system, digestive system, nervous system, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, growth and development of both bee species by influencing their key genes and metabolites to some extent. The expression of many genes involved in immunity, agrochemical detoxification and resistance, such as antimicrobial peptides, cuticle proteins and cytochrome P450 families, was upregulated by GCF in both bee species. Collectively, our results indicate that both A. cerana cerana and A. mellifera ligustica strive to mitigate the pernicious effects caused by GCF by regulating detoxification and immune systems. Moreover, A. cerana cerana might be better able to withstand the toxic effects of GCF with lower fitness costs than A. mellifera ligustica. Our work will contribute to elucidating the deleterious physiological and behavioural impacts of GCF on bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Guilin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Dezheng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Ying Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Qingxin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Zheng Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Hongfang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Zhenguo Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Xingqi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China.
| | - Baohua Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China.
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Guzman-Novoa E, Morfin N, De la Mora A, Macías-Macías JO, Tapia-González JM, Contreras-Escareño F, Medina-Flores CA, Correa-Benítez A, Quezada-Euán JJG. The Process and Outcome of the Africanization of Honey Bees in Mexico: Lessons and Future Directions. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.608091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
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Jousse C, Dalle C, Abila A, Traikia M, Diogon M, Lyan B, El Alaoui H, Vidau C, Delbac F. A combined LC-MS and NMR approach to reveal metabolic changes in the hemolymph of honeybees infected by the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. J Invertebr Pathol 2020; 176:107478. [PMID: 33027624 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2020.107478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is an emerging and invasive gut pathogen in Apis mellifera and is considered as a factor contributing to the decline of honeybee populations. Here, we used a combined LC-MS and NMR approach to reveal the metabolomics changes in the hemolymph of honeybees infected by this obligate intracellular parasite. For metabolic profiling, hemolymph samples were collected from both uninfected and N. ceranae-infected bees at two time points, 2 days and 10 days after the experimental infection of emergent bees. Hemolymph samples were individually analyzed by LC-MS, whereas each NMR spectrum was obtained from a pool of three hemolymphs. Multivariate statistical PLS-DA models clearly showed that the age of bees was the parameter with the strongest effect on the metabolite profiles. Interestingly, a total of 15 biomarkers were accurately identified and were assigned as candidate biomarkers representative of infection alone or combined effect of age and infection. These biomarkers included carbohydrates (α/β glucose, α/β fructose and hexosamine), amino acids (histidine and proline), dipeptides (Glu-Thr, Cys-Cys and γ-Glu-Leu/Ile), metabolites involved in lipid metabolism (choline, glycerophosphocholine and O-phosphorylethanolamine) and a polyamine compound (spermidine). Our study demonstrated that this untargeted metabolomics-based approach may be useful for a better understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of the honeybee infection by N. ceranae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Jousse
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Sigma-Clermont, Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; Plateforme d'Exploration du Métabolisme, Université Clermont Auvergne & I.N.R.A site de Theix, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - Céline Dalle
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Sigma-Clermont, Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; Plateforme d'Exploration du Métabolisme, Université Clermont Auvergne & I.N.R.A site de Theix, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Angélique Abila
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Sigma-Clermont, Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; Plateforme d'Exploration du Métabolisme, Université Clermont Auvergne & I.N.R.A site de Theix, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Mounir Traikia
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Sigma-Clermont, Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; Plateforme d'Exploration du Métabolisme, Université Clermont Auvergne & I.N.R.A site de Theix, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Marie Diogon
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire "Microorganismes : Génome et Environnement", F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bernard Lyan
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Sigma-Clermont, Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; Plateforme d'Exploration du Métabolisme, Université Clermont Auvergne & I.N.R.A site de Theix, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Hicham El Alaoui
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire "Microorganismes : Génome et Environnement", F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Cyril Vidau
- ITSAP, UMT PrADE, Inra - Acta, 228 route de l'aérodrome, F-84000 Avignon, France(1)
| | - Frédéric Delbac
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire "Microorganismes : Génome et Environnement", F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Honey bee aggression: evaluating causal links to disease-resistance traits and infection. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02887-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Harpur BA, Kadri SM, Orsi RO, Whitfield CW, Zayed A. Defense Response in Brazilian Honey Bees (Apis mellifera scutellata × spp.) Is Underpinned by Complex Patterns of Admixture. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:1367-1377. [PMID: 32597950 PMCID: PMC7487160 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1957, an invasive and highly defensive honey bee began to spread across Brazil. In the previous year, Brazilian researchers hoped to produce a subtropical-adapted honey bee by crossing local commercial honey bees (of European origin) with a South African honey bee subspecies (Apis mellifera scutellata; an A-lineage honey bee subspecies). The resulting cross-African hybrid honey bees (AHBs)-escaped from their enclosure and spread through the Americas. Today, AHB is the most common honey bee from Northern Argentina to the Southern United States. AHBs are much more likely to sting nest intruders than managed European-derived honey bee colonies. Previous studies have explored how genetic variation contributes to differences in defense response between European-derived honey bee and AHB. Although this work demonstrated very strong genetic effects on defense response, they have yet to pinpoint which genes influence variation in defense response within AHBs, specifically. We quantified defense response for 116 colonies in Brazil and performed pooled sequencing on the most phenotypically divergent samples. We identified 65 loci containing 322 genes that were significantly associated with defense response. Loci were strongly associated with metabolic function, consistent with previous functional genomic analyses of this phenotype. Additionally, defense-associated loci had nonrandom and unexpected patterns of admixture. Defense response was not simply the product of more A-lineage honey bee ancestry as previously assumed, but rather an interaction between A-lineage and European alleles. Our results suggest that a combination of A-lineage and European alleles play roles in defensive behavior in AHBs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samir M Kadri
- Departamento de Produção Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia de Botucatu, Univervidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo O Orsi
- Departamento de Produção Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia de Botucatu, Univervidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Amro Zayed
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, York University, Toronto, Canada
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38
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Bell AM. Individual variation and the challenge hypothesis. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104549. [PMID: 31247185 PMCID: PMC6980443 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In this paper I discuss how the challenge hypothesis (Wingfield et al., 1990) influenced the development of ideas about animal personality, and describe particularly promising areas for future study at the intersection of these two topics. I argue that the challenge hypothesis influenced the study of animal personality in at least three specific ways. First, the challenge hypothesis drew attention to the ways in which the environment experienced by an organism - including the social environment - can influence biological processes internal to the organism, e.g. changes to physiology, gene expression, neuroendocrine state and epigenetic modifications. That is, the challenge hypothesis illustrated the bidirectional, dynamic relationship between hormones and (social) environments, thereby helping us to understand how behavioral variation among individuals can emerge over time. Because the paper was inspired by data collected on free living animals in natural populations, it drew behavioral ecologists' attention to this phenomenon. Second, the challenge hypothesis highlighted what became a paradigmatic example of a hormonal mechanism for a behavioral spillover, i.e. testosterone's pleiotropic effects on both territorial aggression and parental care causes aggression to "spillover" to influence parenting behavior, thereby limiting behavioral plasticity. Third, the challenge hypothesis contributed to what is now a cottage industry examining individual differences in hormone titres and their relationship with behavioral variation. I argue that one particularly promising future research direction in this area is to consider the active role of behavior and behavioral types in eliciting social interactions, including territorial challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, United States of America.
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Behavioral and brain- transcriptomic synchronization between the two opponents of a fighting pair of the fish Betta splendens. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008831. [PMID: 32555673 PMCID: PMC7299326 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Conspecific male animals fight for resources such as food and mating opportunities but typically stop fighting after assessing their relative fighting abilities to avoid serious injuries. Physiologically, how the fighting behavior is controlled remains unknown. Using the fighting fish Betta splendens, we studied behavioral and brain-transcriptomic changes during the fight between the two opponents. At the behavioral level, surface-breathing, and biting/striking occurred only during intervals between mouth-locking. Eventually, the behaviors of the two opponents became synchronized, with each pair showing a unique behavioral pattern. At the physiological level, we examined the expression patterns of 23,306 brain transcripts using RNA-sequencing data from brains of fighting pairs after a 20-min (D20) and a 60-min (D60) fight. The two opponents in each D60 fighting pair showed a strong gene expression correlation, whereas those in D20 fighting pairs showed a weak correlation. Moreover, each fighting pair in the D60 group showed pair-specific gene expression patterns in a grade of membership analysis (GoM) and were grouped as a pair in the heatmap clustering. The observed pair-specific individualization in brain-transcriptomic synchronization (PIBS) suggested that this synchronization provides a physiological basis for the behavioral synchronization. An analysis using the synchronized genes in fighting pairs of the D60 group found genes enriched for ion transport, synaptic function, and learning and memory. Brain-transcriptomic synchronization could be a general phenomenon and may provide a new cornerstone with which to investigate coordinating and sustaining social interactions between two interacting partners of vertebrates. Agonistic encounters induce changes in the brain and behavior, but their underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. The fighting fish Betta splendens are small freshwater fish that are well known for their aggressiveness and are widely used to study aggression. Here, by measuring aggressive behavior displays (bite/strike/surface-breathing) between two opponents during fighting, we demonstrate that the two opponents in each fighting pair showed similar fighting configurations by influencing each other. In addition, we compared brain gene expression between opponents and showed synchronization of gene expression within a fighting pair, leading to pair-specific synchronization in genes associated with ion transport, synapse function, and learning and memory. This study presents the possibility that similar behaviors in pairs of animals under similar conditions may trigger synchronizing waves of transcription between the individuals, providing a hint to support the idea that fighting behaviors contain cooperative aspects at the molecular level.
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40
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Chang CC, Connahs H, Tan ECY, Norma-Rashid Y, Mrinalini, Li D, Chew FT. Female spider aggression is associated with genetic underpinnings of the nervous system and immune response to pathogens. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2626-2638. [PMID: 32510793 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Identifying the genetic architecture underlying phenotypic variation in natural populations and assessing the consequences of polymorphisms for individual fitness are fundamental goals in evolutionary and molecular ecology. Consistent between-individual differences in behaviour have been documented for a variety of taxa. Dissecting the genetic basis of such behavioural differences is however a challenging endeavour. The molecular underpinnings of natural variation in aggression remain elusive. Here, we used comparative gene expression (transcriptome analysis and RT-PCR), genetic association analysis and pharmacological experiments to gain insight into the genetic basis of aggression in wild-caught jumping spiders (Portia labiata). We show that spider aggression is associated with a putative viral infection response gene, BTB/POZ domain-containing protein 17 (BTBDH), in addition to a putative serotonin receptor 1A (5-HT1A) gene. Spider aggression varies with virus loads, and BTBDH is upregulated in docile spiders and exhibits a genetic variant associated with aggression. We also identify a putative serotonin receptor 5-HT1A gene upregulated in docile P. labiata. Individuals that have been treated with serotonin become less aggressive, but individuals treated with a nonselective serotonin receptor antagonist (methiothepin) also reduce aggression. Further, we identify the genetic variants in the 5-HT1A gene that are associated with individual variation in aggression. We therefore conclude that co-evolution of the immune and nervous systems may have shaped the between-individual variation in aggression in natural populations of jumping spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Chen Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Heidi Connahs
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Estella Cai Yu Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Y Norma-Rashid
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mrinalini
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fook Tim Chew
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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41
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Casasa S, Zattara EE, Moczek AP. Nutrition-responsive gene expression and the developmental evolution of insect polyphenism. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:970-978. [PMID: 32424280 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1202-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Nutrition-responsive development is a ubiquitous and highly diversified example of phenotypic plasticity, yet its underlying molecular and developmental mechanisms and modes of evolutionary diversification remain poorly understood. We measured genome-wide transcription in three closely related species of horned beetles exhibiting strikingly diverse degrees of nutrition responsiveness in the development of male weaponry. We show that (1) counts of differentially expressed genes between low- and high-nutritional backgrounds mirror species-specific degrees of morphological nutrition responsiveness; (2) evolutionary exaggeration of morphological responsiveness is underlain by both amplification of ancestral nutrition-responsive gene expression and recruitment of formerly low nutritionally responsive genes; and (3) secondary loss of morphological responsiveness to nutrition coincides with a dramatic reduction in gene expression plasticity. Our results further implicate genetic accommodation of ancestrally high variability of gene expression plasticity in both exaggeration and loss of nutritional plasticity, yet reject a major role of taxon-restricted genes in the developmental regulation and evolution of nutritional plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Casasa
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
| | - Eduardo E Zattara
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA. .,INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue - CONICET, Bariloche, Argentina.
| | - Armin P Moczek
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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42
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Kaur R, Stoldt M, Jongepier E, Feldmeyer B, Menzel F, Bornberg-Bauer E, Foitzik S. Ant behaviour and brain gene expression of defending hosts depend on the ecological success of the intruding social parasite. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 374:20180192. [PMID: 30967075 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The geographical mosaic theory of coevolution predicts that species interactions vary between locales. Depending on who leads the coevolutionary arms race, the effectivity of parasite attack or host defence strategies will explain parasite prevalence. Here, we compare behaviour and brain transcriptomes of Temnothorax longispinosus ant workers when defending their nest against an invading social parasite, the slavemaking ant Temnothorax americanus. A full-factorial design allowed us to test whether behaviour and gene expression are linked to parasite pressure on host populations or to the ecological success of parasite populations. Albeit host defences had been shown before to covary with local parasite pressure, we found parasite success to be much more important. Our chemical and behavioural analyses revealed that parasites from high prevalence sites carry lower concentrations of recognition cues and are less often attacked by hosts. This link was further supported by gene expression analysis. Our study reveals that host-parasite interactions are strongly influenced by social parasite strategies, so that variation in parasite prevalence is determined by parasite traits rather than the efficacy of host defence. Gene functions associated with parasite success indicated strong neuronal responses in hosts, including long-term changes in gene regulation, indicating an enduring impact of parasites on host behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'The coevolutionary biology of brood parasitism: from mechanism to pattern'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajbir Kaur
- 1 Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University , Mainz , Germany
| | - Marah Stoldt
- 1 Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University , Mainz , Germany
| | - Evelien Jongepier
- 2 Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität , Münster , Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- 3 Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung , Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- 1 Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University , Mainz , Germany
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- 2 Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität , Münster , Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- 1 Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University , Mainz , Germany
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43
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Laha A, Sarkar T, Dey D, Mondal P, Bhattacharya S, Moitra S, Saha GK, Podder S. Assessment of Hymenoptera and Non-Hymenoptera Insect Bite and Sting Allergy Among Patients of Tropical Region of West Bengal, India. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:1-7. [PMID: 31228205 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
West Bengal, India, is inhabited by abundance and variety of insects that triggers sensitization in some humans to inhalant allergens and/or insect stings/venoms. Lack of research on this topic prevented accurate diagnosis and proper follow-up treatments to patients suffering from insect-induced allergies. The aim of our study was to identify the allergy-causing insects and evaluate resulting sensitization among a study population in West Bengal, India. The skin prick test (SPT) evaluated sensitivity of 450 patients who sought treatment at the Allergy and Asthma Research Center from July 2017 to June 2018. Eight insect allergens were tested: Common Black Ant (Lasius niger, Linnaeus 1758), Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta, Buren 1972), Honey Bee (Apis cerana indica, Fabricius 1798), Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris, Linnaeus 1758), Mosquito (Aedes aegypti, Linnaeus in Hasselquist 1762), American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana, Linnaeus 1758), House Fly (Musca domestica, Linnaeus 1758), and Grasshopper (Gesonula punctifrons, Stal 1861). From a total of 450 patients evaluated, 370 patients had positive SPT reaction from at least one of the 8 insect allergens tested. Sensitivity to some Hymenoptera insects (common black ant, 87.62%; fire ant, 84.59%; and honey bee, 67.02%) was found in higher proportion than non-Hymenoptera group (mosquito, 66.67%; American cockroach, 33.33%; house fly, 10.41%; and grasshopper, 5.14%). There was significant difference in sensitivity among child, adolescent, and adult (P < 0.001). While female patients showed more sensitivity than males to SPT, the difference was statistically insignificant. In regards to occupation, farmers and bee keepers were most sensitive of field workers sensitive to Hymenoptera-derived allergens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arghya Laha
- Allergology and Applied Entomology Research Laboratory, Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Barasat Government College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Tania Sarkar
- Allergology and Applied Entomology Research Laboratory, Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Barasat Government College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Debarati Dey
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Priti Mondal
- Allergology and Applied Entomology Research Laboratory, Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Barasat Government College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Srijit Bhattacharya
- Post Graduate Department of Physics, Barasat Government College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Saibal Moitra
- Allergy and Asthma Research Centre, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Goutam Kumar Saha
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Sanjoy Podder
- Allergology and Applied Entomology Research Laboratory, Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Barasat Government College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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44
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Rittschof CC, Rubin BER, Palmer JH. The transcriptomic signature of low aggression in honey bees resembles a response to infection. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:1029. [PMID: 31888487 PMCID: PMC6937707 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6417-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavior reflects an organism's health status. Many organisms display a generalized suite of behaviors that indicate infection or predict infection susceptibility. We apply this concept to honey bee aggression, a behavior that has been associated with positive health outcomes in previous studies. We sequenced the transcriptomes of the brain, fat body, and midgut of adult sibling worker bees who developed as pre-adults in relatively high versus low aggression colonies. Previous studies showed that this pre-adult experience impacts both aggressive behavior and resilience to pesticides. We performed enrichment analyses on differentially expressed genes to determine whether variation in aggression resembles the molecular response to infection. We further assessed whether the transcriptomic signature of aggression in the brain is similar to the neuromolecular response to acute predator threat, exposure to a high-aggression environment as an adult, or adult behavioral maturation. RESULTS Across all three tissues assessed, genes that are differentially expressed as a function of aggression significantly overlap with genes whose expression is modulated by a variety of pathogens and parasitic feeding. In the fat body, and to some degree the midgut, our data specifically support the hypothesis that low aggression resembles a diseased or parasitized state. However, we find little evidence of active infection in individuals from the low aggression group. We also find little evidence that the brain molecular signature of aggression is enriched for genes modulated by social cues that induce aggression in adults. However, we do find evidence that genes associated with adult behavioral maturation are enriched in our brain samples. CONCLUSIONS Results support the hypothesis that low aggression resembles a molecular state of infection. This pattern is most robust in the peripheral fat body, an immune responsive tissue in the honey bee. We find no evidence of acute infection in bees from the low aggression group, suggesting the physiological state characterizing low aggression may instead predispose bees to negative health outcomes when they are exposed to additional stressors. The similarity of molecular signatures associated with the seemingly disparate traits of aggression and disease suggests that these characteristics may, in fact, be intimately tied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
| | - Benjamin E R Rubin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Joseph H Palmer
- Kentucky State University, 400 E. Main St., Frankfort, KY, 40601, USA
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45
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Bentz AB, Rusch DB, Buechlein A, Rosvall KA. The neurogenomic transition from territory establishment to parenting in a territorial female songbird. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:819. [PMID: 31699031 PMCID: PMC6836416 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6202-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The brain plays a critical role in upstream regulation of processes central to mating effort, parental effort, and self-maintenance. For seasonally breeding animals, the brain is likely mediating trade-offs among these processes within a short breeding season, yet research thus far has only explored neurogenomic changes from non-breeding to breeding states or select pathways (e.g., steroids) in male and/or lab-reared animals. Here, we use RNA-seq to explore neural plasticity in three behaviorally relevant neural tissues (ventromedial telencephalon [VmT], hypothalamus [HYPO], and hindbrain [HB]), comparing free-living female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) as they shift from territory establishment to incubation. We additionally highlight changes in aggression-related genes to explore the potential for a neurogenomic shift in the mechanisms regulating aggression, a critical behavior both in establishing and maintaining a territory and in defense of offspring. Results HB had few differentially expressed genes, but VmT and HYPO had hundreds. In particular, VmT had higher expression of genes related to neuroplasticity and processes beneficial for competition during territory establishment, but down-regulated immune processes. HYPO showed signs of high neuroplasticity during incubation, and a decreased potential for glucocorticoid signaling. Expression of aggression-related genes also shifted from steroidal to non-steroidal pathways across the breeding season. Conclusions These patterns suggest trade-offs between enhanced activity and immunity in the VmT and between stress responsiveness and parental care in the HYPO, along with a potential shift in the mechanisms regulating aggression. Collectively, these data highlight important gene regulatory pathways that may underlie behavioral plasticity in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA. .,Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
| | - Douglas B Rusch
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.,Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Aaron Buechlein
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Kimberly A Rosvall
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.,Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
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46
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Christen V, Krebs J, Bünter I, Fent K. Biopesticide spinosad induces transcriptional alterations in genes associated with energy production in honey bees (Apis mellifera) at sublethal concentrations. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2019; 378:120736. [PMID: 31202068 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Bees experience substantial colony losses, which are often associated with pesticides. Besides synthetic insecticides biological compounds such as spinosad are used in agriculture and organic farming against insect pests. However, potential adverse effect at sublethal concentrations to pollinators are poorly known. Here we aim to determine potential adverse outcome pathways of spinosad and to identify molecular effects by investigating transcriptional alterations in the brain of honey bees. We experimentally exposed bees to three sublethal concentrations of 0.05, 0.5 and 5 ng spinosad/bee, and assessed transcriptional alterations of target genes. Additionally, we evaluated whether spinosad-induced transcriptional alterations were influenced by the time of the year. In April, alterations were most pronounced after 24 h exposure, while in June alterations occurred mostly after 48 h. In July, expressional alterations were often lower but the pattern was more similar to that in June than that in April. Down-regulation of genes encoding acetylcholine receptors, enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation (cox5a, ndufb7 and cox17), cytochrome P450 dependent monooxygenases (cyp9q1, cyp9q2 and cyp9q3) and insulin-like peptide-1 were among the most significant transcriptional alterations. This suggests adverse effects of spinosad to energy production and metabolism and thus negative consequences on foraging. Together, our study indicates that spinosad causes adverse effects at environmentally realistic concentrations, which may pose a risk to bee populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Christen
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Langackerstrasse 30, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Jana Krebs
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Langackerstrasse 30, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Ivan Bünter
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Langackerstrasse 30, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Karl Fent
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Langackerstrasse 30, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zürich), Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollution Dynamics, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
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47
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Harrison JW, Palmer JH, Rittschof CC. Altering social cue perception impacts honey bee aggression with minimal impacts on aggression-related brain gene expression. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14642. [PMID: 31601943 PMCID: PMC6787081 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51223-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression changes resulting from social interactions may give rise to long term behavioral change, or simply reflect the activity of neural circuitry associated with behavioral expression. In honey bees, social cues broadly modulate aggressive behavior and brain gene expression. Previous studies suggest that expression changes are limited to contexts in which social cues give rise to stable, relatively long-term changes in behavior. Here we use a traditional beekeeping approach that inhibits aggression, smoke exposure, to deprive individuals of aggression-inducing olfactory cues and evaluate whether behavioral changes occur in absence of expression variation in a set of four biomarker genes (drat, cyp6g1/2, GB53860, inos) associated with aggression in previous studies. We also evaluate two markers of a brain hypoxic response (hif1α, hsf) to determine whether smoke induces molecular changes at all. We find that bees with blocked sensory perception as a result of smoke exposure show a strong, temporary inhibition of aggression relative to bees allowed to perceive normal social cues. However, blocking sensory perception had minimal impacts on aggression-relevant gene expression, althought it did induce a hypoxic molecular response in the brain. Results suggest that certain genes differentiate social cue-induced changes in aggression from long-term modulation of this phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Harrison
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Joseph H Palmer
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
- College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment, Kentucky State University, 400 E. Main St., Frankfort, KY, 40601, USA
| | - Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
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48
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Christen V, Krebs J, Fent K. Fungicides chlorothanolin, azoxystrobin and folpet induce transcriptional alterations in genes encoding enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and metabolism in honey bees (Apis mellifera) at sublethal concentrations. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2019; 377:215-226. [PMID: 31170570 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.05.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Fungicides are highly used for plant protection but their molecular and chronic effects are poorly known. Here, we analyse transcriptional effects in the brain of honey bees of three frequently applied fungicides, azoxystrobin, chlorothanolin and folpet, after oral exposure for 24, 48 and 72 h. Among transcripts assessed were genes encoding proteins for immune and hormone system regulation, oxidative phosphorylation, metabolism, and acetylcholine receptor alpha 1. Azoxystrobin and folpet induced minor alterations, including down-regulation of hbg-3 by azoxystrobin and induction of ndufb-7 by folpet. Chlorothanolin induced strong transcriptional down-regulation of genes encoding enzymes related to oxidative phosphorylation and metabolism, including cyp9q1, cyp9q2 and cyp9q3, acetylcholine receptor alpha 1 and hbg-3 and ilp-1, which are linked to hormonal regulation and behavioural transition of honey bees. Exposures to chlorothanolin in different seasonal times showed different responsiveness; responses were faster and often stronger in April than in June. Chlorothanolin caused the strongest effects and affected transcriptional abundance of genes related to energy production, metabolism and the endocrine system. Disturbed energy production may reduce foraging activity and hormonal dysregulation, such as the transition of nurse bees to foragers. Further analyses are needed to further substantiate potential adverse effects of chlorothanolin in bees on the physiological level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Christen
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Langackerstrasse 30, CH-4132, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Jana Krebs
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Langackerstrasse 30, CH-4132, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Karl Fent
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Langackerstrasse 30, CH-4132, Muttenz, Switzerland; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zürich), Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollution Dynamics, CH-8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
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Ma R, Rangel J, Grozinger CM. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) larval pheromones may regulate gene expression related to foraging task specialization. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:592. [PMID: 31324147 PMCID: PMC6642498 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5923-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Foraging behavior in honey bees (Apis mellifera) is a complex phenotype that is regulated by physiological state and social signals. How these factors are integrated at the molecular level to modulate foraging behavior has not been well characterized. The transition of worker bees from nursing to foraging behaviors is mediated by large-scale changes in brain gene expression, which are influenced by pheromones produced by the queen and larvae. Larval pheromones can also stimulate foragers to leave the colony to collect pollen. However, the mechanisms underpinning this rapid behavioral plasticity in foragers that specialize in collecting pollen over nectar, and how larval pheromones impact these different behavioral states, remains to be determined. Here, we investigated the patterns of gene expression related to rapid behavioral plasticity and task allocation among honey bee foragers exposed to two larval pheromones, brood pheromone (BP) and (E)-beta-ocimene (EBO). We hypothesized that both pheromones would alter expression of genes in the brain related to foraging and would differentially impact brain gene expression depending on foraging specialization. Results Combining data reduction, clustering, and network analysis methods, we found that foraging preference (nectar vs. pollen) and pheromone exposure are each associated with specific brain gene expression profiles. Furthermore, pheromone exposure has a strong transcriptional effect on genes that are preferentially expressed in nectar foragers. Representation factor analysis between our study and previous landmark honey bee transcriptome studies revealed significant overlaps for both pheromone communication and foraging task specialization. Conclusions Our results suggest that, as social signals, pheromones alter expression patterns of foraging-related genes in the bee’s brain to increase pollen foraging at both long and short time scales. These results provide new insights into how social signals and task specialization are potentially integrated at the molecular level, and highlights the possible role that brain gene expression may play in honey bee behavioral plasticity across time scales. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5923-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Ma
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Chemical Ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Juliana Rangel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Chemical Ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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50
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Hamilton AR, Traniello IM, Ray AM, Caldwell AS, Wickline SA, Robinson GE. Division of labor in honey bees is associated with transcriptional regulatory plasticity in the brain. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb200196. [PMID: 31138635 PMCID: PMC6679348 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.200196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Studies in evolutionary and developmental biology show that relationships between transcription factors (TFs) and their target genes can be altered to result in novel regulatory relationships that generate phenotypic plasticity. We hypothesized that context-dependent shifts in the nervous system associated with behavior may also be linked to changes in TF-target relationships over physiological time scales. We tested this hypothesis using honey bee (Apis mellifera) division of labor as a model system by performing bioinformatic analyses of previously published brain transcriptomic profiles together with new RNAi and behavioral experiments. The bioinformatic analyses identified five TFs that exhibited strong signatures of regulatory plasticity as a function of division of labor. RNAi targeting of one of these TFs (broad complex) and a related TF that did not exhibit plasticity (fushi tarazu transcription factor 1) was administered in conjunction with automated analyses of foraging behavior in the field, laboratory assays of aggression and brood care behavior, and endocrine treatments. The results showed that changes in the regulatory relationships of these TFs were associated with behavioral state, social context and endocrine state. These findings provide the first empirical evidence that TF-target relationships in the brain are altered in conjunction with behavior and social context. They also suggest that one mechanism for this plasticity involves pleiotropic TFs high up in regulatory hierarchies producing behavior-specific transcriptional responses by activating different downstream TFs to induce discrete context-dependent transcriptional cascades. These findings provide new insights into the dynamic nature of the transcriptional regulatory architecture underlying behavior in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Hamilton
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Ian M Traniello
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Allyson M Ray
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Arminius S Caldwell
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Samuel A Wickline
- Department of Computation and Molecular Biophysics, School of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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