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Barrett BT, Kubik TD, Golightly PR, Kellner K, Kardish MR, Mueller UG. Ant genotype, but not genotype of cultivated fungi, predicts queen acceptance in the asexual fungus-farming ant Mycocepurus smithii (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03276-5] [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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2
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Derstine N, Galbraith D, Villar G, Amsalem E. Differential gene expression underlying the biosynthesis of Dufour's gland signals in Bombus impatiens. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 3:100056. [PMID: 37124651 PMCID: PMC10130613 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2023.100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Pheromones regulating social behavior are one of the most explored phenomena in social insects. However, compound identity, biosynthesis and their genetic basis are known in only a handful of species. Here we examined the gene expression associated with pheromone biosynthesis of two main chemical classes: esters and terpenes, using the social bee Bombus impatiens. We conducted chemical and RNA-seq analyses of the Dufour's gland, an exocrine gland producing a plethora of pheromones regulating social behavior in hymenopteran species. The Dufour's gland contains mostly long-chained hydrocarbons, terpenes and esters that signal reproductive and social status in several bee species. In bumble bees, the Dufour's gland contains queen- and worker-specific esters, in addition to terpenes and terpene-esters only found in gynes and queens. These compounds are assumed to be synthesized de novo in the gland, however, their genetic basis is unknown. A whole transcriptome gene expression analysis of the gland in queens, gynes, queenless and queenright workers showed distinct transcriptomic profiles, with thousands of differentially expressed genes between the groups. Workers and queens express genes associated with key enzymes in the biosynthesis of wax esters, while queens and gynes preferentially express key genes in terpene biosynthesis. Overall, our data demonstrate gland-specific regulation of chemical signals associated with social behavior and identifies candidate genes and pathways regulating caste-specific chemical signals in social insects.
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3
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Ribeiro-Silva CS, Muniz ER, Lima VH, Bernardo CC, Arruda W, Castro RN, Gôlo PS, Angelo IC, Fernandes ÉKK. Cuticular Lipids as a First Barrier Defending Ixodid Ticks against Fungal Infection. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:1177. [PMID: 36354944 PMCID: PMC9698823 DOI: 10.3390/jof8111177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The chemical composition of tick cuticles acts as a barrier to pathogens and may limit infection by entomopathogenic fungi. This study characterized the cuticular neutral lipids (NL) and hydrocarbons (HCs) of four ixodid ticks that are widely distributed in Brazil. HC extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and used to challenge Beauveria bassiana IP361 and Metarhizium robertsii IP146; the effect of cuticular extracts in fungal growth were evaluated by disk diffusion and conidial viability assays. In addition, conidial germination on the tick cuticle was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, and NL from ticks treated with fungi were assessed by thin layer chromatography. Six HCs were exclusively identified in Amblyomma sculptum. Additionally, cuticle extracts from Dermacentor nitens and A. sculptum inhibited the growth of M. robertsii IP146 and reduced conidial germination of B. bassiana IP361 to 70% and 49%, respectively; the same extracts also produced cytotoxic effects, with conidial death above 30% and 60%. Electron micrographs showed a delayed germination of conidia incubated for 48 h or 72 h on D. nitens and A. sculptum. The lipid profile of A. sculptum treated with fungi was not significantly altered; triacylglycerol was not detected in the cuticle extracts of any other tick species. Finally, A. sculptum and D. nitens cuticles have lipid components that may limit the development of M. robertsii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cárita S. Ribeiro-Silva
- Departamento de Biociências e Tecnologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Elen R. Muniz
- Departamento de Biociências e Tecnologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Valesca H. Lima
- Departamento de Biociências e Tecnologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | | | - Walquíria Arruda
- Departamento de Histologia, Embriologia e Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Rosane N. Castro
- Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Patrícia S. Gôlo
- Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Isabele C. Angelo
- Departamento de Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Éverton K. K. Fernandes
- Departamento de Biociências e Tecnologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
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Wittke M, Baumgart L, Menzel F. Acclimation in ants: Interference of communication and waterproofing through cuticular hydrocarbons in a multifunctional trait. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marti Wittke
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg‐University Mainz Mainz Germany
| | - Lucas Baumgart
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg‐University Mainz Mainz Germany
- Institute of Biology II, RWTH Aachen Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg‐University Mainz Mainz Germany
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5
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Yang Y, Li X, Liu D, Pei X, Khoso AG. Rapid Changes in Composition and Contents of Cuticular Hydrocarbons in Sitobion avenae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Clones Adapting to Desiccation Stress. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 115:508-518. [PMID: 35022723 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are diverse in insects, and include variable classes of cuticular lipids, contributing to waterproofing for insects under desiccation environments. However, this waterproofing function of CHCs is still not well characterized in aphids. In this study, we compared CHC profiles for desiccation-resistant and nonresistant genotypes of the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius), in responses to desiccation. Our result showed that a total of 27 CHCs were detected in S. avenae, and linear alkanes (e.g., n-C29) were found to be the predominant components. Long-chain monomethyl alkanes were found to associate closely with water loss rates in S. avenae in most cases. Resistant genotypes of both wing morphs had higher contents of short-chain n-alkanes under control than nonresistant genotypes, showing the importance of short-chain n-alkanes in constitutive desiccation resistance. Among these, n-C25 might provide a CHC signature to distinguish between desiccation-resistant and nonresistant individuals. Compared with linear alkanes, methyl-branched CHCs appeared to display higher plasticity in rapid responses to desiccation, especially for 2-MeC26, implying that methyl-branched CHCs could be more sensitive to desiccation, and play more important roles in induced desiccation-resistance. Thus, both constitutive and induced CHCs (linear or methyl-branched) can contribute to adaptive responses of S. avenae populations under desiccation environments. Our results provide substantial evidence for adaptive changes of desiccation resistance and associated CHCs in S. avenae, and have significant implications for aphid evolution and management in the context of global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University), Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xiaosai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University), Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Deguang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University), Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xiaojin Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University), Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Abdul Ghaffar Khoso
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas (Northwest A&F University), Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
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6
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Quque M, Villette C, Criscuolo F, Sueur C, Bertile F, Heintz D. Eusociality is linked to caste-specific differences in metabolism, immune system, and somatic maintenance-related processes in an ant species. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 79:29. [PMID: 34971425 PMCID: PMC11073003 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-04024-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The social organization of many primate, bird and rodent species and the role of individuals within that organization are associated with specific individual physiological traits. However, this association is perhaps most pronounced in eusocial insects (e.g., termites, ants). In such species, genetically close individuals show significant differences in behavior, physiology, and life expectancy. Studies addressing the metabolic changes according to the social role are still lacking. We aimed at understanding how sociality could influence essential molecular processes in a eusocial insect, the black garden ant (Lasius niger) where queens can live up to ten times longer than workers. Using mass spectrometry-based analysis, we explored the whole metabolome of queens, nest-workers and foraging workers. A former proteomics study done in the same species allowed us to compare the findings of both approaches. Confirming the former results at the proteome level, we showed that queens had fewer metabolites related to immunity. Contrary to our predictions, we did not find any metabolite linked to reproduction in queens. Among the workers, foragers had a metabolic signature reflecting a more stressful environment and a more highly stimulated immune system. We also found that nest-workers had more digestion-related metabolites. Hence, we showed that specific metabolic signatures match specific social roles. Besides, we identified metabolites differently expressed among behavioral castes and involved in nutrient sensing and longevity pathways (e.g., sirtuins, FOXO). The links between such molecular pathways and aging being found in an increasing number of taxa, our results confirm and strengthen their potential universality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Quque
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Claire Villette
- Plant Imaging and Mass Spectrometry (PIMS), Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue du Général Zimmer, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - François Criscuolo
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Cédric Sueur
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Fabrice Bertile
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI, FR2048, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dimitri Heintz
- Plant Imaging and Mass Spectrometry (PIMS), Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue du Général Zimmer, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
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Schuehly W, Riessberger-Gallé U, Hernández López J. Sublethal pesticide exposure induces larval removal behavior in honeybees through chemical cues. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 228:113020. [PMID: 34856485 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.113020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We were intrigued by reported observations of reduced brood production and a high number of empty brood cells in bee colonies exposed to sublethal pesticide doses, which could suggest an active removal of larvae. Higher numbers of oenocytes, insect cells responsible for lipid processing and detoxification, were also found in pesticide-exposed larvae. Oenocytes are involved in hydrocarbon metabolism and chemical communication, and we hypothesized that these larvae could display altered cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles when exposed to pesticides as compared to control larvae. In addition, we proposed that these chemical cues could trigger specific behavioral responses in colony nurses. To test these hypotheses, we analyzed the CHC profiles of artificially reared larvae that had been fed sublethal doses of either dimethoate or clothianidin or fed on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We found significant differences in the CHC profiles of these differently treated larvae. In a subsequent behavioral experiment, we transferred clothianidin-treated or LPS-treated larvae into the brood combs of surrogate colonies. Larvae that had been fed either the pesticide or LPS were removed at a significantly higher rate than control larvae. Our results demonstrate that larvae exposed to clothianidin possess altered CHC profiles, are detected in the colony by nurse bees via chemical cues and are actively removed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Schuehly
- Department of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria
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8
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Sprenger PP, Hartke J, Schmitt T, Menzel F, Feldmeyer B. Candidate genes involved in cuticular hydrocarbon differentiation between cryptic, parabiotic ant species. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6174692. [PMID: 33729492 PMCID: PMC8104948 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are highly diverse and have multiple functions, including communication and waterproofing. CHC profiles form species-specific, complex blends of up to 150 compounds. Especially in ants, even closely related species can have largely different profiles, raising the question how CHC differences are mirrored in the regulation of biosynthetic pathways. The neotropical ants Crematogaster levior and Camponotus femoratus both consist of two cryptic species each that are morphologically similar, but express strongly different CHC profiles. This is ideal to study the molecular basis of CHC differences. We thus investigated gene expression differences in fat-body transcriptomes of these ants. Despite common garden conditions, we found several thousand differentially expressed transcripts within each cryptic species pair. Many of these were related to metabolic processes, probably accounting for physiological differences. Moreover, we identified candidate genes from five gene families involved in CHC biosynthesis. By assigning candidate transcripts to orthologs in Drosophila, we inferred which CHCs might be influenced by differential gene expression. Expression of these candidate genes was often mirrored in the CHC profiles. For example, Cr. levior A, which has longer CHCs than its cryptic sister species, had a higher expression of elongases and a lower expression of fatty acyl- CoA reductases. This study is one of the first to identify CHC candidate genes in ants and will provide a basis for further research on the genetic basis of CHC biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp P Sprenger
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Juliane Hartke
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Senckenberg Research Institute, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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9
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Dufour's gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in Bombus impatiens. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2821. [PMID: 33531560 PMCID: PMC7854627 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82366-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive division of labor in insect societies is regulated through multiple concurrent mechanisms, primarily chemical and behavioral. Here, we examined if the Dufour’s gland secretion in the primitively eusocial bumble bee Bombus impatiens signals information about caste, social condition, and reproductive status. We chemically analyzed Dufour’s gland contents across castes, age groups, social and reproductive conditions, and examined worker behavioral and antennal responses to gland extracts. We found that workers and queens each possess caste-specific compounds in their Dufour’s glands. Queens and gynes differed from workers based on the presence of diterpene compounds which were absent in workers, whereas four esters were exclusive to workers. These esters, as well as the total amounts of hydrocarbons in the gland, provided a separation between castes and also between fertile and sterile workers. Olfactometer bioassays demonstrated attraction of workers to Dufour’s gland extracts that did not represent a reproductive conflict, while electroantennogram recordings showed higher overall antennal sensitivity in queenless workers. Our results demonstrate that compounds in the Dufour’s gland act as caste- and physiology-specific signals and are used by workers to discriminate between workers of different social and reproductive status.
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10
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Raya-García E, Suazo-Ortuño I, Campos-García J, Martín J, Alvarado-Díaz J, Mendoza-Ramírez E. Chemical signal divergence among populations influences behavioral discrimination in the whiptail lizard Aspidoscelis lineattissimus (squamata: teiidae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02931-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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11
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Adams RMM, Wells RL, Yanoviak SP, Frost CJ, Fox EGP. Interspecific Eavesdropping on Ant Chemical Communication. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Hartke J, Schell T, Jongepier E, Schmidt H, Sprenger PP, Paule J, Bornberg-Bauer E, Schmitt T, Menzel F, Pfenninger M, Feldmeyer B. Hybrid Genome Assembly of a Neotropical Mutualistic Ant. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:2306-2311. [PMID: 31329228 PMCID: PMC6735702 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The success of social insects is largely intertwined with their highly advanced chemical communication system that facilitates recognition and discrimination of species and nest-mates, recruitment, and division of labor. Hydrocarbons, which cover the cuticle of insects, not only serve as waterproofing agents but also constitute a major component of this communication system. Two cryptic Crematogaster species, which share their nest with Camponotus ants, show striking diversity in their cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile. This mutualistic system therefore offers a great opportunity to study the genetic basis of CHC divergence between sister species. As a basis for further genome-wide studies high-quality genomes are needed. Here, we present the annotated draft genome for Crematogaster levior A. By combining the three most commonly used sequencing techniques—Illumina, PacBio, and Oxford Nanopore—we constructed a high-quality de novo ant genome. We show that even low coverage of long reads can add significantly to overall genome contiguity. Annotation of desaturase and elongase genes, which play a role in CHC biosynthesis revealed one of the largest repertoires in ants and a higher number of desaturases in general than in other Hymenoptera. This may provide a mechanistic explanation for the high diversity observed in C. levior CHC profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Hartke
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iOME), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tilman Schell
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Evelien Jongepier
- Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany
| | - Hanno Schmidt
- Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
| | - Philipp P Sprenger
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iOME), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.,Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Biocentre - Am Hubland, Germany
| | - Juraj Paule
- Department of Botany and Molecular Evolution, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Biocentre - Am Hubland, Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iOME), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Markus Pfenninger
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iOME), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Gamboa M, Arrivillaga-HenrÍQuez J. Biochemical and molecular differentiation of Anacroneuria species (Plecoptera, Insecta) in Andean National Park, Venezuela. SYST BIODIVERS 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2019.1687604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maribet Gamboa
- Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
| | - Jazzmin Arrivillaga-HenrÍQuez
- FACSO-Turismo THC, Área Ambiente y Territorio, Línea Salud y Calidad Ambiental, Grupo de Investigación Biodiversidad, Zoonosis y Salud Pública (GIBCIZ), Instituto de Investigación en Salud Pública y Zoonosis, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
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14
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Wang Q, Goodger JQD, Woodrow IE, Chang L, Elgar MA. Task-Specific Recognition Signals Are Located on the Legs in a Social Insect. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
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15
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Oi CA, Oliveira RC, van Zweden JS, Mateus S, Millar JG, Nascimento FS, Wenseleers T. Do Primitively Eusocial Wasps Use Queen Pheromones to Regulate Reproduction? A Case Study of the Paper Wasp Polistes satan. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
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16
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Funaro CF, Schal C, Vargo EL. Queen and king recognition in the subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes: Evidence for royal recognition pheromones. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0209810. [PMID: 31145770 PMCID: PMC6542537 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Royal recognition is a central feature of insect societies, allowing them to maintain the reproductive division of labor and regulate colony demography. Queen recognition has been broadly demonstrated and queen recognition pheromones have been identified in social hymenopterans, and in one termite species. Here we describe behaviors that are elicited in workers and soldiers by neotenic queens and kings of the subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes, and demonstrate the chemical basis for the behavior. Workers and soldiers readily perform a lateral or longitudinal shaking behavior upon antennal contact with queens and kings. When royal cuticular chemicals are transferred to live workers or inert glass dummies, they elicit antennation and shaking in a dose-dependent manner. The striking response to reproductives and their cuticular extracts suggests that royal-specific cuticular compounds act as recognition pheromones and that shaking behavior is a clear and measurable queen and king recognition response in this termite species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin F. Funaro
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Coby Schal
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Edward L. Vargo
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States of America
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17
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Xue HJ, Segraves KA, Wei J, Zhang B, Nie RE, Li WZ, Yang XK. Chemically mediated sexual signals restrict hybrid speciation in a flea beetle. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Huai-Jun Xue
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kari A Segraves
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, USA
| | - Jing Wei
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rui-E Nie
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Zhu Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xing-Ke Yang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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18
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Evolution of Caste-Specific Chemical Profiles in Halictid Bees. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:827-837. [PMID: 30014321 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0991-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Chemical communication is crucial for the maintenance of colony organization in eusocial insects and chemical signals are known to mediate important aspects of their social life, including the regulation of reproduction. Sociality is therefore hypothesized to be accompanied by an increase in the complexity of chemical communication. However, little is known about the evolution of odor signals at the transition from solitary living to eusociality. Halictid bees are especially suitable models to study this question as they exhibit considerable variability in social behavior. Here we investigated whether the dissimilarities in cuticle chemical signals in females of different castes and life stages reflect the level of social complexity across halictid bee species. Our hypothesis was that species with a higher social behavior ergo obligate eusocial species possess a more distinct chemical profile between castes or female life stages. We analyzed cuticular chemical profiles of foundresses, breeding females and workers of ancestrally solitary species, facultative and obligate eusocial halictid species. We also tested whether social complexity was associated with a higher investment in chemical signals. Our results revealed higher chemical dissimilarity between castes in obligate than in facultative eusocial species, especially regarding macrocyclic lactones, which were the single common compound class overproduced in queens compared with workers. Chemical dissimilarities were independent of differences in ovarian status in obligate eusocial species but were dependent on ovarian status in facultative eusocial species, which we discuss in an evolutionary framework.
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19
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Queen Control or Queen Signal in Ants: What Remains of the Controversy 25 Years After Keller and Nonacs' Seminal Paper? J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:805-817. [PMID: 29858748 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0974-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Ant queen pheromones (QPs) have long been known to affect colony functioning. In many species, QPs affect important reproductive functions such as diploid larvae sexualization and egg-laying by workers, unmated queens (gynes), or other queens. Until the 1990s, these effects were generally viewed to be the result of queen manipulation through the use of coercive or dishonest signals. However, in their seminal 1993 paper, Keller and Nonacs challenged this idea, suggesting that QPs had evolved as honest signals that informed workers and other colony members of the queen's presence and reproductive state. This paper has greatly influenced the study of ant QPs and inspired numerous attempts to identify fertility-related compounds and test their physiological and behavioral effects. In the present article, we review the literature on ant QPs in various contexts and pay special attention to the role of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). Although the controversy generated by Keller and Nonacs' (Anim Behav 45:787-794, 1993) paper is currently less intensively debated, there is still no clear evidence which allows the rejection of the queen control hypothesis in favor of the queen signal hypothesis. We argue that important questions remain regarding the mode of action of QPs, and their targets which may help understanding their evolution.
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20
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Funaro CF, Böröczky K, Vargo EL, Schal C. Identification of a queen and king recognition pheromone in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:3888-3893. [PMID: 29555778 PMCID: PMC5899469 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1721419115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical communication is fundamental to success in social insect colonies. Species-, colony-, and caste-specific blends of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) and other chemicals have been well documented as pheromones, mediating important behavioral and physiological aspects of social insects. More specifically, royal pheromones used by queens (and kings in termites) enable workers to recognize and care for these vital individuals and maintain the reproductive division of labor. In termites, however, no royal-recognition pheromones have been identified to date. In the current study, solvent extracts of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes were analyzed to assess differences in cuticular compounds among castes. We identified a royal-specific hydrocarbon-heneicosane-and several previously unreported and highly royal enriched long-chain alkanes. When applied to glass dummies, heneicosane elicited worker behavioral responses identical to those elicited by live termite queens, including increased vibratory shaking and antennation. Further, the behavioral effects of heneicosane were amplified when presented with nestmate termite workers' cuticular extracts, underscoring the importance of chemical context in termite royal recognition. Thus, heneicosane is a royal-recognition pheromone that is active in both queens and kings of R. flavipes The use of heneicosane as a queen and king recognition pheromone by termites suggests that CHCs evolved as royal pheromones ∼150 million years ago, ∼50 million years before their first use as queen-recognition pheromones in social Hymenoptera. We therefore infer that termites and social Hymenoptera convergently evolved the use of these ubiquitous compounds in royal recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin F Funaro
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695;
| | - Katalin Böröczky
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Edward L Vargo
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Coby Schal
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695;
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21
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Your chemical coat tells me you are my delicacy: a predatory stink bug uses cuticular hydrocarbons to identify prey. CHEMOECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-018-0255-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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22
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Hemimetabolous genomes reveal molecular basis of termite eusociality. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:557-566. [PMID: 29403074 PMCID: PMC6482461 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0459-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Around 150 million years ago, eusocial termites evolved from within the cockroaches, 50 million years before eusocial Hymenoptera, such as bees and ants, appeared. Here, we report the 2-Gb genome of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, and the 1.3-Gb genome of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus. We show evolutionary signatures of termite eusociality by comparing the genomes and transcriptomes of three termites and the cockroach against the background of 16 other eusocial and non-eusocial insects. Dramatic adaptive changes in genes underlying the production and perception of pheromones confirm the importance of chemical communication in the termites. These are accompanied by major changes in gene regulation and the molecular evolution of caste determination. Many of these results parallel molecular mechanisms of eusocial evolution in Hymenoptera. However, the specific solutions are remarkably different, thus revealing a striking case of convergence in one of the major evolutionary transitions in biological complexity.
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23
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Cunha DAS, Menezes RST, Costa MA, Lima SM, Andrade LHC, Antonialli WF. Integrated Analyses of Cuticular Hydrocarbons, Chromosome and mtDNA in the Neotropical Social Wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 46:642-648. [PMID: 28255952 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-017-0491-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In the present work, we explored multiple data from different biological levels such as cuticular hydrocarbons, chromosomal features, and mtDNA sequences in the Neotropical social wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis (J.F. Zikán). Particularly, we explored the genetic and chemical differentiation level within and between populations of this insect. Our dataset revealed shallow intraspecific differentiation in M. consimilis. The similarity among the analyzed samples can probably be due to the geographical proximity where the colonies were sampled, and we argue that Paraná River did not contribute effectively as a historical barrier to this wasp.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A S Cunha
- Lab de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - R S T Menezes
- Depto de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Univ de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
| | - M A Costa
- Depto de Ciências Biológicas, Univ Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil
| | - S M Lima
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Óptica e Fototérmica, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - L H C Andrade
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Óptica e Fototérmica, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - W F Antonialli
- Lab de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
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24
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Goldberg JK, Wallace AK, Weiss SL. Skin lipids of the striped plateau lizard (Sceloporus virgatus) correlate with female receptivity and reproductive quality alongside visual ornaments. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:81. [PMID: 28913635 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1503-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Sex pheromones can perform a variety of functions ranging from revealing the location of suitable mates to being honest signals of mate quality, and they are used in the mate selection process by many species of reptile. In this study, we determined whether the skin lipids of female striped plateau lizards (Sceloporus virgatus) can predict the reproductive quality of females, thereby having the potential to serve as pheromones. Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, we identified 17 compounds present in skin lipids of female lizards. Using principal component analysis to compare the skin lipid profile of receptive and non-receptive females, we determined that an uncharacterized compound may allow for chemical identification of receptive mates. We also compared extracted principal components to measures of female fitness and reproductive qualities and found that the level of two 18 carbon fatty acids present in a female's skin lipids may indicate her clutch size. Finally, we compared the information content of the skin lipids to that of female-specific color ornaments to assess whether chemical and visual cues transmit different information or not. We found that the chroma of a female's orange throat patch is also related to her clutch size, suggesting that chemical signals may reinforce the information communicated by visual ornamentation in this species which would support the "backup signals" hypothesis for multiple signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay K Goldberg
- Department of Biology, University of Puget Sound, 1500 N. Warner Street, Tacoma, WA, 98416, USA.,Department of Biology, Indiana University, 107 S. Indiana Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Alisa K Wallace
- Department of Biology, University of Puget Sound, 1500 N. Warner Street, Tacoma, WA, 98416, USA
| | - Stacey L Weiss
- Department of Biology, University of Puget Sound, 1500 N. Warner Street, Tacoma, WA, 98416, USA.
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25
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Beros S, Foitzik S, Menzel F. What are the Mechanisms Behind a Parasite-Induced Decline in Nestmate Recognition in Ants? J Chem Ecol 2017; 43:869-880. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-017-0880-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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26
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Heyman Y, Shental N, Brandis A, Hefetz A, Feinerman O. Ants regulate colony spatial organization using multiple chemical road-signs. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15414. [PMID: 28569746 PMCID: PMC5461491 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Communication provides the basis for social life. In ant colonies, the prevalence of local, often chemically mediated, interactions introduces strong links between communication networks and the spatial distribution of ants. It is, however, unknown how ants identify and maintain nest chambers with distinct functions. Here, we combine individual tracking, chemical analysis and machine learning to decipher the chemical signatures present on multiple nest surfaces. We present evidence for several distinct chemical 'road-signs' that guide the ants' movements within the dark nest. These chemical signatures can be used to classify nest chambers with different functional roles. Using behavioural manipulations, we demonstrate that at least three of these chemical signatures are functionally meaningful and allow ants from different task groups to identify their specific nest destinations, thus facilitating colony coordination and stabilization. The use of multiple chemicals that assist spatiotemporal guidance, segregation and pattern formation is abundant in multi-cellular organisms. Here, we provide a rare example for the use of these principles in the ant colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Heyman
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Noam Shental
- Department of Computer Science, The Open University of Israel, Raanana 4353701, Israel
| | - Alexander Brandis
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Abraham Hefetz
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ofer Feinerman
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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27
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Holman L, van Zweden JS, Oliveira RC, van Oystaeyen A, Wenseleers T. Conserved queen pheromones in bumblebees: a reply to Amsalem et al. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3332. [PMID: 28533978 PMCID: PMC5436554 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In a recent study, Amsalem, Orlova & Grozinger (2015) performed experiments with Bombus impatiens bumblebees to test the hypothesis that saturated cuticular hydrocarbons are evolutionarily conserved signals used to regulate reproductive division of labor in many Hymenopteran social insects. They concluded that the cuticular hydrocarbon pentacosane (C25), previously identified as a queen pheromone in a congeneric bumblebee, does not affect worker reproduction in B. impatiens. Here we discuss some shortcomings of Amsalem et al.’s study that make its conclusions unreliable. In particular, several confounding effects may have affected the results of both experimental manipulations in the study. Additionally, the study’s low sample sizes (mean n per treatment = 13.6, range: 4–23) give it low power, not 96–99% power as claimed, such that its conclusions may be false negatives. Inappropriate statistical tests were also used, and our reanalysis found that C25 substantially reduced and delayed worker egg laying in B. impatiens. We review the evidence that cuticular hydrocarbons act as queen pheromones, and offer some recommendations for future queen pheromone experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Holman
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jelle S van Zweden
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ricardo C Oliveira
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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28
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Hernández López J, Riessberger-Gallé U, Crailsheim K, Schuehly W. Cuticular hydrocarbon cues of immune-challenged workers elicit immune activation in honeybee queens. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3062-3073. [PMID: 28271576 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recently, evidence has shown that variations in the cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) profile allow healthy honeybees to identify diseased nestmates, eliciting agonistic responses in the former. Here, we determined whether these 'immunologic cues' emitted by diseased nestmates were only detected by workers, who consequently took hygienic measures and excluded these individuals from the colony, or whether queens were also able to detect these cues and respond accordingly. Healthy honeybee queens were exposed to (i) healthy, (ii) Ringer-injected and (iii) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-injected nestmates by allowing direct body contact. Quantitative differences in the CHC profiles of these three groups were measured using GC-MS. The transcript levels of the products of four genes that encode for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are part of the queen's immune response, were measured in bees exposed to direct contact using qPCR. A significant increase in the transcript levels of these AMP genes over baseline levels in queens was observed when body contact was allowed between the queens and the Ringer- and LPS-injected nestmates. These results provide the first evidence that the detection of CHCs contributes to the initiation of an immune response in insects. In an additional experiment, CHCs were extracted from diseased workers and directly presented to queens, which also evoked a similar immune response. A potential mechanism that relied on volatile compounds could be ruled out by conducting a distance experiment. The study helps to expand our knowledge of chemical communication in insects and sheds light on a likely new mechanism of social immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Hernández López
- Department of Zoology, Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Ulrike Riessberger-Gallé
- Department of Zoology, Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Karl Crailsheim
- Department of Zoology, Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Schuehly
- Department of Zoology, Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
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29
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Wang Q, Goodger JQD, Woodrow IE, Elgar MA. Location-specific cuticular hydrocarbon signals in a social insect. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20160310. [PMID: 27030418 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Social insects use cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to convey different social signals, including colony or nest identity. Despite extensive investigations, the exact source and identity of CHCs that act as nest-specific identification signals remain largely unknown. Perhaps this is because studies that identify CHC signals typically use organic solvents to extract a single sample from the entire animal, thereby analysing a cocktail of chemicals that may serve several signal functions. We took a novel approach by first identifying CHC profiles from different body parts of ants (Iridomyrmex purpureus), then used behavioural bioassays to reveal the location of specific social signals. The CHC profiles of both workers and alates varied between different body parts, and workers paid more attention to the antennae of non-nest-mate and the legs of nest-mate workers. Workers responded less aggressively to non-nest-mate workers if the CHCs on the antennae of their opponents were removed with a solvent. These data indicate that CHCs located on the antennae reveal nest-mate identity and, remarkably, that antennae both convey and receive social signals. Our approach and findings could be valuably applied to chemical signalling in other behavioural contexts, and provide insights that were otherwise obscured by including chemicals that either have no signal function or may be used in other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qike Wang
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Jason Q D Goodger
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Ian E Woodrow
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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30
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de Souza EA, Trigo JR, Santos DE, Vieira CU, Serrão JE. The relationship between queen execution and cuticular hydrocarbons in stingless bee Melipona scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Meliponini). CHEMOECOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-016-0226-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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31
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Motais de Narbonne M, van Zweden JS, Bello JE, Wenseleers T, Millar JG, d'Ettorre P. Biological activity of the enantiomers of 3-methylhentriacontane, a queen pheromone of the ant Lasius niger. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:1632-8. [PMID: 26994182 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.136069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Queen pheromones are essential for regulation of the reproductive division of labor in eusocial insect species. Although only the queen is able to lay fertilized eggs and produce females, in some cases workers may develop their ovaries and lay male-destined eggs, thus reducing the overall colony efficiency. As long as the queen is healthy, it is usually in the workers' collective interest to work for the colony and remain sterile. Queens signal their fertility via pheromones, which may have a primer effect, affecting the physiology of workers, or a releaser effect, influencing worker behavior. The queen pheromone of the ant Lasius niger was among the first queen pheromones of social insects to be identified. Its major component is 3-methylhentriacontane (3-MeC31), which is present in relatively large amounts on the queen's cuticle and on her eggs. 3-MeC31 regulates worker reproduction by inhibiting ovarian development. Most monomethyl-branched hydrocarbons can exist in two stereoisomeric forms. The correct stereochemistry is fundamental to the activity of most bioactive molecules, but this has rarely been investigated for methyl-branched hydrocarbons. Here, we tested the bioactivity of the (S)- and (R)-enantiomers of 3-MeC31, and found that whereas both enantiomers were effective in suppressing worker ovarian development, (S)-3-MeC31 appeared to be more effective at suppressing aggressive behavior by workers. This suggests that the natural pheromone may be a mixture of the two enantiomers. The enantiomeric ratio produced by queens remains unknown because of the small amounts of the compound available from each queen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Motais de Narbonne
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, University Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse 93430, France
| | - Jelle S van Zweden
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 - Box 2466, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Jan E Bello
- Departments of Entomology and Chemistry, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 - Box 2466, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Jocelyn G Millar
- Departments of Entomology and Chemistry, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Patrizia d'Ettorre
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, University Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse 93430, France
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32
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Heathcote RJP, While GM, MacGregor HEA, Sciberras J, Leroy C, D'Ettorre P, Uller T. Male behaviour drives assortative reproduction during the initial stage of secondary contact. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:1003-15. [PMID: 26848540 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Revised: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic divergence in allopatry can facilitate speciation by reducing the likelihood that individuals of different lineages hybridize during secondary contact. However, few studies have established the causes of reproductive isolation in the crucial early stages of secondary contact. Here, we establish behavioural causes of assortative reproduction between two phenotypically divergent lineages of the European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), which have recently come into secondary contact. Parentage was highly assortative in experimental contact zones. However, despite pronounced divergence in male phenotypes, including chemical and visual sexual signals, there was no evidence that females discriminated between males of the two lineages in staged interactions or under naturalistic free-ranging conditions. Instead, assortative reproduction was driven by male mate preferences and, to a lesser extent, male-male competition. The effects were more pronounced when the habitat structure promoted high lizard densities. These results emphasize that assortative reproduction can occur in the absence of female choice and that male behaviour may play an important role in limiting hybridization during the initial stages of secondary contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J P Heathcote
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - G M While
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tas., Australia
| | - H E A MacGregor
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tas., Australia
| | - J Sciberras
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - C Leroy
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, Sorbonne Paris Cité, University of Paris 13, Villetaneuse, France
| | - P D'Ettorre
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, Sorbonne Paris Cité, University of Paris 13, Villetaneuse, France
| | - T Uller
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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33
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Xue HJ, Zhang B, Segraves KA, Wei JN, Nie RE, Song KQ, Liu J, Li WZ, Yang XK. Contact cuticular hydrocarbons act as a mating cue to discriminate intraspecific variation in Altica flea beetles. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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34
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Crane JM, Pick JL, Tribe AJ, Vincze E, Hatchwell BJ, Russell AF. Chestnut-crowned babblers show affinity for calls of removed group members: a dual playback without expectancy violation. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Yagound B, Gouttefarde R, Leroy C, Belibel R, Barbaud C, Fresneau D, Chameron S, Poteaux C, Châline N. Fertility Signaling and Partitioning of Reproduction in the Ant Neoponera apicalis. J Chem Ecol 2015; 41:557-66. [PMID: 26018617 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-015-0591-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
All individuals in social insect colonies benefit from being informed about the presence and fertility state of reproducers. This allows the established reproductive individuals to maintain their reproductive monopoly without the need for physical control, and the non-reproductive individuals to make appropriate reproductive choices. Here, we studied whether fertility signaling is responsible for the partitioning of reproduction in the ant Neoponera apicalis. This species forms small colonies from one single-mated queen, with workers establishing reproductive hierarchies when hopelessly queenless. Previous studies identified putative fertility signals, particularly the hydrocarbon 13-methylpentacosane (13-MeC25), and have shown that precise status discrimination based on these signals could be involved in the regulation of reproductive activities. Here, we extend these findings and reveal that all individuals, be they queens or workers, differ in their cuticular hydrocarbon profile according to fertility state. Proportions of 13-MeC25 were a strong predictor of an individual's ovarian activity, and could, thus, advertise the established reproducer(s) in both queenright and queenless conditions. Furthermore, this compound might play a key role in the establishment of the reproductive hierarchy, since workers with low fertility at the onset of hierarchy formation already have relatively high amounts of 13-MeC25. Dyadic encounters showed that individuals with experimentally increased amounts of 13-MeC25 triggered less agonistic interactions from top rankers, in accord with them "advertising" higher status. Thus, these bioassays supported the use of 13-MeC25 by competing ants. This simple recognition system potentially allows permanent regulation of partitioning of reproduction in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Yagound
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, E.A. 4443, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 93430, Villetaneuse, France,
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Yang AS. Thinking outside the Embryo: The Superorganism as a Model for EvoDevo Studies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1162/biot.2007.2.4.398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Soares ERP, Torres VO, Antonialli-Junior WF. Reproductive Status of Females in the Eusocial Wasp Polistes ferreri Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2014; 43:500-508. [PMID: 27194057 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-014-0242-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In the subfamily Polistinae, caste dimorphism is not pronounced and differences among females are primarily physiological and behavioral. We investigated factors that indicate the reproductive status in females of Polistes ferreri Saussure. We analyzed females from nine colonies and evaluated morphometric parameters, ovarian development, occurrence of insemination, relative age, and cuticular chemical profile. The colony females showed three kinds of ovarian development: type A, filamentous ovarioles; type B, ovarioles containing partially developed oocytes; and type C, long and well-developed ovarioles containing two or more mature oocytes. The stepwise discriminant analysis of the cuticular chemical profile showed that it was possible to distinguish the three groups of females: workers 1, workers 2, and queens. However, the stepwise discriminant analysis of the morphological differences did not show significant differences among these groups. The queens were among the older females in the colony and were always inseminated, while the age of the workers varied according to the stage of colony development.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R P Soares
- Lab de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
- Univ Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brasil.
| | - V O Torres
- Lab de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - W F Antonialli-Junior
- Lab de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
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Tsuneoka Y. Regulation of host workers' oviposition by the social parasite ant Polyergus samurai. Zoolog Sci 2014; 31:407-13. [PMID: 25001911 DOI: 10.2108/zs130177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Polyergus samurai, an obligatory social parasite ant, lacks the ability to perform usual colony tasks. It depends completely on host Formica japonica workers. In the mixed colony, arrhenotokous reproduction by host workers must be detrimental to the parasites. This study, conducted under artificial rearing conditions, investigated the behavioral influence by P. samurai worker on the production of host workers' male eggs. Host workers started laying eggs when the P. samurai queen was removed, but most eggs were destroyed by P. samurai workers. In a queenless condition, P. samurai workers showed frequent intraspecific dominance interactions, but few interspecific ones. After a short while the P. samurai worker started laying eggs, the F. japonica worker stopped laying eggs. The ovary had no mature oocyte. These results suggest that both the P. samurai queen and dominant workers can inhibit host workers' oviposition. A mesh experiment revealed that the dominant P. samurai workers were able to inhibit host workers' oviposition without contacts. The dominant workers and queens of P. samurai frequently received grooming and trophallaxis from host workers just as a host queen does, suggesting that the parasites secreted similar products to those of the host queen to inhibit the host workers' oviposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousuke Tsuneoka
- 1 Faculty of Science, Ibaraki University, 1-2-1 Bunkyo, Mito 310-8512, Japan
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The scent of sun worship: basking experience alters scent mark composition in male lizards. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1700-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Blacher P, Boreggio L, Leroy C, Devienne P, Châline N, Chameron S. Specific recognition of reproductive parasite workers by nest-entrance guards in the bumble bee Bombus terrestris. Front Zool 2013; 10:74. [PMID: 24321042 PMCID: PMC3878879 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-10-74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The impact of social parasites on their hosts’ fitness is a strong selective pressure that can lead to the evolution of adapted defence strategies. Guarding the nest to prevent the intrusion of parasites is a widespread response of host species. If absolute rejection of strangers provides the best protection against parasites, more fine-tuned strategies can prove more adaptive. Guarding is indeed costly and not all strangers constitute a real threat. That is particularly true for worker reproductive parasitism in social insects since only a fraction of non-nestmate visitors, the fertile ones, can readily engage in parasitic reproduction. Guards should thus be more restrictive towards fertile than sterile non-nestmate workers. We here tested this hypothesis by examining the reaction of nest-entrance guards towards nestmate and non-nestmate workers with varying fertility levels in the bumble bee Bombus terrestris. Because social recognition in social insects mainly relies on cuticular lipids (CLs), chemical analysis was also conducted to examine whether workers’ CLs could convey the relevant information upon which guards could base their decision. We thus aimed to determine whether an adapted defensive strategy to worker reproductive parasitism has evolved in B. terrestris colonies. Results Chemical analysis revealed that the cuticular chemical profiles of workers encode information about both their colony membership and their current fertility, therefore providing potential recognition cues for a suitable adjustment of the guards’ defensive decisions. We found that guards were similarly tolerant towards sterile non-nestmate workers than towards nestmate workers. However, as predicted, guards responded more aggressively towards fertile non-nestmates. Conclusion Our results show that B. terrestris guards discriminate non-nestmates that differ in their reproductive potential and respond more strongly to the individuals that are a greatest threat for the colony. Cuticular hydrocarbons are the probable cues underlying the specific recognition of reproductive parasites, with the specific profile of highly fertile bees eliciting the agonistic response when combined with non-colony membership information. Our study therefore provides a first piece of empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis that an adapted defensive strategy against worker reproductive parasitism exists in B. terrestris colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Blacher
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée E,A, 4443, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 93430 Villetaneuse, France.
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Holman L, Leroy C, Jørgensen C, Nielsen J, d’Ettorre P. Are queen ants inhibited by their own pheromone? Regulation of productivity via negative feedback. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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Experimental evidence that workers recognize reproductives through cuticular hydrocarbons in the ant Odontomachus brunneus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1380-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Matsuura K. Multifunctional queen pheromone and maintenance of reproductive harmony in termite colonies. J Chem Ecol 2012; 38:746-54. [PMID: 22623152 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-012-0137-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Revised: 05/03/2012] [Accepted: 05/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Pheromones are likely involved in all social activities of social insects including foraging, sexual behavior, defense, nestmate recognition, and caste regulation. Regulation of the number of fertile queens requires communication between reproductive and non-reproductive individuals. Queen-produced pheromones have long been believed to be the main factor inhibiting the differentiation of new reproductive individuals. However, since the discovery more than 50 years ago of the queen honeybee substance that inhibits the queen-rearing behavior of workers, little progress has been made in the chemical identification of inhibitory queen pheromones in other social insects. The recent identification of a termite queen pheromone and subsequent studies have elucidated the multifaceted roles of volatile pheromones, including functions such as a fertility signal, worker attractant, queen-queen communication signal, and antimicrobial agent. The proximate origin and evolutionary parsimony of the termite queen pheromone also are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
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Holman L. Costs and constraints conspire to produce honest signaling: insights from an ant queen pheromone. Evolution 2012; 66:2094-105. [PMID: 22759287 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01603.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Signal costs and evolutionary constraints have both been proposed as ultimate explanations for the ubiquity of honest signaling, but the interface between these two factors is unclear. Here, I propose a pluralistic interpretation, and use game theory to demonstrate that evolutionary constraints determine whether signals evolve to be costly or cheap. Specifically, when the costs or benefits of signaling are strongly influenced by the sender's quality, low-cost signals evolve. The model reaffirms that cheap and costly signals can both be honest, and predicts that expensive signals should have more positive allometric slopes than cheap ones. The new framework is applied to an experimental study of an ant queen pheromone that honestly signals fecundity. Juvenile hormone was found to have opposing, dose-dependent effects on pheromone production and fecundity and was fatal at high doses, indicating that endocrine-mediated trade-offs preclude dishonesty. Several lines of evidence suggest that the realized cost of pheromone production may be nontrivial, and the antagonistic effects of juvenile hormone indicate the presence of significant evolutionary constraints. I conclude that the honesty of queen pheromones and other signals is likely enforced by both the cost of dishonesty and a suite of evolutionary constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Holman
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Chemical camouflage of the slave-making ant Polyergus samurai queen in the process of the host colony usurpation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CHEMOECOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-012-0101-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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46
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Bonckaert W, Drijfhout FP, d’Ettorre P, Billen J, Wenseleers T. Hydrocarbon Signatures of Egg Maternity, Caste Membership and Reproductive Status in the Common Wasp. J Chem Ecol 2012; 38:42-51. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-011-0055-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2011] [Revised: 11/07/2011] [Accepted: 12/27/2011] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Differences in Chemical Sexual Signals May Promote Reproductive Isolation and Cryptic Speciation between Iberian Wall Lizard Populations. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 2012; 2012:698520. [PMID: 22288019 PMCID: PMC3263623 DOI: 10.1155/2012/698520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2011] [Revised: 08/08/2011] [Accepted: 10/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Interpopulational variation in sexual signals may lead to premating reproductive isolation and speciation. Genetic and morphological studies suggest that the Iberian wall lizard, Podarcis hispanica, forms part of a “species complex” with several cryptic species. We explored the role of chemical sexual signals in interpopulational recognition between five distinct populations of Iberian wall lizards in Central Spain. Results showed that these populations differed in morphology and in composition and proportion of chemical compounds in femoral gland secretions of males. Tongue-flick experiments indicated that male and female lizards discriminated and were more interested in scents of lizards from their own area (i.e., Northern versus Southern populations), but did not discriminate between all populations. Moreover, only males from the populations that are geographically located more far away preferred scent of females from their own population. These data suggest that, at least between some populations, there may be reproductive isolation mediated by chemical signals and cryptic speciation.
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Interpopulational variation in chemosensory responses to selected steroids from femoral secretions of male lizards, Podarcis hispanica, mirrors population differences in chemical signals. CHEMOECOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-011-0100-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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49
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Cooperation, Conflict, and the Evolution of Queen Pheromones. J Chem Ecol 2011; 37:1263-75. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-011-0036-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2011] [Revised: 10/16/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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50
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Morrison WR, Witte V. Strong differences in chemical recognition cues between two closely related species of ants from the genus Lasius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Evol Biol 2011; 24:2389-97. [PMID: 21848986 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02364.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are increasingly recognized as important to insects and are used for constructing taxonomies. However, multiple parameters affect the expression of CHCs besides a genetic component. We propose that selection may act differently on the expression of CHCs, depending on the evolutionary context. To explore the influence of selection, the CHCs of two closely related ant species, Lasius niger and Lasius platythorax, were studied in a multidisciplinary approach. We characterized (i) CHCs and (ii) niches (through baiting, activity observations and foraging analysis). The species were distinct in both measures, although to a varying degree. Although they showed moderate niche partitioning along diet and environmental preferences, chemical differences were unexpectedly pronounced. This may be explained by divergent selection on mate recognition cues or by other influences on CHCs. Such striking chemical differences among closely related species may not be the rule and suggest that taxonomies based on CHCs should be interpreted cautiously; though, they remain useful tools for differentiating among cryptic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- W R Morrison
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, Natural Science, East Lansing, MI, USA
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