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Golian MJ, Friedman DA, Harrison M, McMahon DP, Buellesbach J. Chemical and transcriptomic diversity do not correlate with ascending levels of social complexity in the insect order Blattodea. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70063. [PMID: 39091327 PMCID: PMC11289792 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Eusocial insects, such as ants and termites, are characterized by high levels of coordinated social organization. This is contrasted by solitary insects that display more limited forms of collective behavior. It has been hypothesized that this gradient in sociobehavioral sophistication is positively correlated with chemical profile complexity, due to a potentially increased demand for diversity in chemical communication mechanisms in insects with higher levels of social complexity. However, this claim has rarely been assessed empirically. Here, we compare different levels of chemical and transcriptomic complexity in selected species of the order Blattodea that represent different levels of social organization, from solitary to eusocial. We primarily focus on cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) complexity, since it has repeatedly been demonstrated that CHCs are key signaling molecules conveying a wide variety of chemical information in solitary as well as eusocial insects. We assessed CHC complexity and divergence between our studied taxa of different social complexity levels as well as the differentiation of their respective repertoires of CHC biosynthesis gene transcripts. Surprisingly, we did not find any consistent pattern of chemical complexity correlating with social complexity, nor did the overall chemical divergence or transcriptomic repertoire of CHC biosynthesis genes reflect on the levels of social organization. Our results challenge the assumption that increasing social complexity is generally reflected in more complex chemical profiles and point toward the need for a more cautious and differentiated view on correlating complexity on a chemical, genetic, and social level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek J. Golian
- Institute for Evolution & BiodiversityUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - Daniel A. Friedman
- Department of Entomology & NematologyUniversity of California – DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Mark Harrison
- Institute for Evolution & BiodiversityUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - Dino P. McMahon
- Institute of Biology – Zoology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Department for Materials and EnvironmentBAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and TestingBerlinGermany
| | - Jan Buellesbach
- Institute for Evolution & BiodiversityUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
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2
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Hellemans S, Hanus R. Termite primary queen - ancestral, but highly specialized eusocial phenotype. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 61:101157. [PMID: 38142979 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Termite eusociality is accompanied by flagrant caste polyphenism manifested by the presence of several sterile (workers and soldiers) and reproductive (imaginal and neotenic kings and queens) caste phenotypes. Imaginal kings and queens are developmentally equivalent to adults of other hemimetabolous insects but display multiple adaptations inherent to their role of eusocial colony founders, such as long lifespan and high fecundity. Herein, we summarize the recent advances in understanding the biology of imaginal (primary) queens as emblematic examples of termite polyphenism acquired during social evolution. We focus on the control of queen development, on dynamics in physiology and fecundity during the queen's life, on new findings about queen fertility signaling, and on proximate mechanisms underlying queen longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Hellemans
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan; Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles, 50 avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Robert Hanus
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic.
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3
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Wyatt CDR, Bentley MA, Taylor D, Favreau E, Brock RE, Taylor BA, Bell E, Leadbeater E, Sumner S. Social complexity, life-history and lineage influence the molecular basis of castes in vespid wasps. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1046. [PMID: 36828829 PMCID: PMC9958023 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36456-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
A key mechanistic hypothesis for the evolution of division of labour in social insects is that a shared set of genes co-opted from a common solitary ancestral ground plan (a genetic toolkit for sociality) regulates caste differentiation across levels of social complexity. Using brain transcriptome data from nine species of vespid wasps, we test for overlap in differentially expressed caste genes and use machine learning models to predict castes using different gene sets. We find evidence of a shared genetic toolkit across species representing different levels of social complexity. We also find evidence of additional fine-scale differences in predictive gene sets, functional enrichment and rates of gene evolution that are related to level of social complexity, lineage and of colony founding. These results suggest that the concept of a shared genetic toolkit for sociality may be too simplistic to fully describe the process of the major transition to sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Douglas Robert Wyatt
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Dept Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Michael Andrew Bentley
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Dept Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Daisy Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Emeline Favreau
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Dept Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ryan Edward Brock
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Benjamin Aaron Taylor
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Dept Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Emily Bell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Ellouise Leadbeater
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Seirian Sumner
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Dept Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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4
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Dolejšová K, Křivánek J, Štáfková J, Horáček N, Havlíčková J, Roy V, Kalinová B, Roy A, Kyjaková P, Hanus R. Identification of a queen primer pheromone in higher termites. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1165. [PMID: 36323794 PMCID: PMC9630296 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
It is long established that queens of social insects, including termites, maintain their reproductive dominance with queen primer pheromones (QPPs). Yet, the QPP chemistry has only been elucidated in a single species of lower termites. By contrast, the most diversified termite family Termitidae (higher termites), comprising over 70% of termite species, has so far resisted all attempts at QPP identification. Here, we show that the queen- and egg-specific sesquiterpene (3R,6E)-nerolidol acts as the QPP in the higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus. This species has a polygynous breeding system, in which the primary queen is replaced by multiple neotenic queens of parthenogenetic origin. We demonstrate that (3R,6E)-nerolidol suppresses the development of these parthenogenetic queens and thus mimics the presence of mature queen(s). It acts as an airborne signal and may be used to optimize the number of queens, thus being the key regulatory element in the special breeding system of E. neotenicus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klára Dolejšová
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Křivánek
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Štáfková
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Natan Horáček
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Havlíčková
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Virginie Roy
- Université Paris Est Créteil, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, iEES Paris, Créteil, France
| | | | - Amit Roy
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Kyjaková
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Hanus
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
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5
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Oguchi K, Koshikawa S, Miura T. Hormone-related genes heterochronically and modularly regulate neotenic differentiation in termites. Dev Biol 2022; 485:70-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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6
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Abstract
Social behavior is one of the most fascinating and complex behaviors in humans and animals. A fundamental process of social behavior is communication among individuals. It relies on the capability of the nervous system to sense, process, and interpret various signals (e.g., pheromones) and respond with appropriate decisions and actions. Eusocial insects, including ants, some bees, some wasps, and termites, display intriguing cooperative social behavior. Recent advances in genetic and genomic studies have revealed key genes that are involved in pheromone synthesis, chemosensory perception, and physiological and behavioral responses to varied pheromones. In this review, we highlight the genes and pathways that regulate queen pheromone-mediated social communication, discuss the evolutionary changes in genetic systems, and outline prospects of functional studies in sociobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Yan
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
- Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Jürgen Liebig
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
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7
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Lin S, Werle J, Korb J. Transcriptomic analyses of the termite, Cryptotermes secundus, reveal a gene network underlying a long lifespan and high fecundity. Commun Biol 2021; 4:384. [PMID: 33753888 PMCID: PMC7985136 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01892-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms are typically characterized by a trade-off between fecundity and longevity. Notable exceptions are social insects. In insect colonies, the reproducing caste (queens) outlive their non-reproducing nestmate workers by orders of magnitude and realize fecundities and lifespans unparalleled among insects. How this is achieved is not understood. Here, we identified a single module of co-expressed genes that characterized queens in the termite species Cryptotermes secundus. It encompassed genes from all essential pathways known to be involved in life-history regulation in solitary model organisms. By manipulating its endocrine component, we tested the recent hypothesis that re-wiring along the nutrient-sensing/endocrine/fecundity axis can account for the reversal of the fecundity/longevity trade-off in social insect queens. Our data from termites do not support this hypothesis. However, they revealed striking links to social communication that offer new avenues to understand the re-modelling of the fecundity/longevity trade-off in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silu Lin
- grid.5963.9Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jana Werle
- grid.5963.9Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Judith Korb
- grid.5963.9Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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8
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Sociality sculpts similar patterns of molecular evolution in two independently evolved lineages of eusocial bees. Commun Biol 2021; 4:253. [PMID: 33637860 PMCID: PMC7977082 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01770-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
While it is well known that the genome can affect social behavior, recent models posit that social lifestyles can, in turn, influence genome evolution. Here, we perform the most phylogenetically comprehensive comparative analysis of 16 bee genomes to date: incorporating two published and four new carpenter bee genomes (Apidae: Xylocopinae) for a first-ever genomic comparison with a monophyletic clade containing solitary through advanced eusocial taxa. We find that eusocial lineages have undergone more gene family expansions, feature more signatures of positive selection, and have higher counts of taxonomically restricted genes than solitary and weakly social lineages. Transcriptomic data reveal that caste-affiliated genes are deeply-conserved; gene regulatory and functional elements are more closely tied to social phenotype than phylogenetic lineage; and regulatory complexity increases steadily with social complexity. Overall, our study provides robust empirical evidence that social evolution can act as a major and surprisingly consistent driver of macroevolutionary genomic change.
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9
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Mitaka Y, Akino T. A Review of Termite Pheromones: Multifaceted, Context-Dependent, and Rational Chemical Communications. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.595614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Termite colonies, composed of large numbers of siblings, develop an important caste-based division of labor; individuals in these societies interact via intra- or intercaste chemical communications. For more than 50 years, termites have been known to use a variety of pheromones to perform tasks necessary for maintenance of their societies, similar to eusocial hymenopterans. Although trail-following pheromones have been chemically identified in various termites, other types of pheromones have not been elucidated chemically or functionally. In the past decade, however, chemical compositions and biological functions have been successfully identified for several types of termite pheromones; accordingly, the details of the underlying pheromone communications have been gradually revealed. In this review, we summarize both the functions of all termite pheromones identified so far and the chemical interactions among termites and other organisms. Subsequently, we argue how termites developed their sophisticated pheromone communication. We hypothesize that termites have diverted defensive and antimicrobial substances to pheromones associated in caste recognition and caste-specific roles. Furthermore, termites have repeatedly used a pre-existing pheromone or have added supplementary compounds to it in accordance with the social context, leading to multifunctionalization of pre-existing pheromones and emergence of new pheromones. These two mechanisms may enable termites to transmit various context-dependent information with a small number of chemicals, thus resulting in formation of coordinated, complex, and rational chemical communication systems.
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10
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Ge J, Ge Z, Zhu D, Wang X. Pheromonal Regulation of the Reproductive Division of Labor in Social Insects. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:837. [PMID: 32974354 PMCID: PMC7468439 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive altruism in social insects is an evolutionary enigma that has been puzzling scientists starting from Darwin. Unraveling how reproductive skew emerges and maintains is crucial to understand the reproductive altruism involved in the consequent division of labor. The regulation of adult worker reproduction involves conspecific inhibitory signals, which are thought to be chemical signals by numerous studies. Despite the primary identification of few chemical ligands, the action modes of primer pheromones that regulate reproduction and their molecular causes and effects remain challenging. Here, these questions were elucidated by comprehensively reviewing recent advances. The coordination with other modalities of queen pheromones (QPs) and its context-dependent manner to suppress worker reproduction were discussed under the vast variation and plasticity of reproduction during colony development and across taxa. In addition to the effect of QPs, special attention was paid to recent studies revealing the regulatory effect of brood pheromones. Considering the correlation between pheromone and hormone, this study focused on the production and perception of pheromones under the endocrine control and highlighted the pivotal roles of nutrition-related pathways. The novel chemicals and gene pathways discovered by recent works provide new insights into the understanding of social regulation of reproductive division of labor in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuxi Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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11
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Feyereisen R. Origin and evolution of the CYP4G subfamily in insects, cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in cuticular hydrocarbon synthesis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 143:106695. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Havlíčková J, Dolejšová K, Tichý M, Vrkoslav V, Kalinová B, Kyjaková P, Hanus R. (3R,6E)-nerolidol, a fertility-related volatile secreted by the queens of higher termites (Termitidae: Syntermitinae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 74:251-264. [PMID: 30920958 DOI: 10.1515/znc-2018-0197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The queens of advanced social insects maintain their reproductive monopoly by using exocrine chemicals. The chemistry of these "queen pheromones" in termites is poorly known. We show that primary queens of four higher termites from the subfamily Syntermitinae (Embiratermes neotenicus, Silvestritermes heyeri, Labiotermes labralis, and Cyrilliotermes angulariceps) emit significant amounts of the sesquiterpene alcohol (E)-nerolidol. It is the dominant analyte in queen body washes; it is present on the surface of eggs, but absent in kings, workers, and soldiers. In E. neotenicus, it is also produced by replacement neotenic queens, in quantities correlated with their fertility. Using newly synthesised (3R,6E)-nerolidol, we demonstrate that the queens of this species produce only the (R) enantiomer. It is distributed over the surface of their abdomen, in internal tissues, and in the haemolymph, as well as in the headspace of the queens. Both (R) and (S) enantiomers are perceived by the antennae of E. neotenicus workers. The naturally occurring (R) enantiomer elicited a significantly larger antennal response, but it did not show any behavioural effect. In spite of technical difficulties encountered in long-term experiments with the studied species, (3R,6E)-nerolidol remains among eventual candidates for the role in queen fertility signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Havlíčková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 16610, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Klára Dolejšová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 16610, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Tichý
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 16610, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Vrkoslav
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 16610, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Blanka Kalinová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 16610, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Kyjaková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 16610, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Hanus
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 16610, Prague, Czech Republic
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13
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Hefetz A. The critical role of primer pheromones in maintaining insect sociality. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 74:221-231. [PMID: 30920959 DOI: 10.1515/znc-2018-0224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Primer pheromones play a pivotal role in the biology and social organization of insect societies. Despite their importance, they have been less studied because of the complexity of the required bioassays and, consequently, only a few of them have been chemically identified to date. The major primer pheromones are that of the queen pheromones that regulate reproductive skew and maintain colony cohesion and function. From a theoretical viewpoint, several features regarding the chemistry of queen pheromones can be predicted. They should be generally nonvolatile in order to avoid saturation of the colony space, which might otherwise hamper their perception because of sensory habituation. Accordingly, they should be actively dispersed throughout the colony by workers. The queen pheromone should also be caste-specific, qualitatively different from any worker pheromone, and preferably multicomponent, to allow unequivocal identification of the queen. The bi-potency of the female larvae in social Hymenoptera to become queen or worker necessitates strict regulation over pheromone production. Indeed, in the honeybee, the biosynthetic pathways as well as the genomic expressions are completely disparate between queens and workers. Future advances in chemical analyses, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics will enrich our understanding of the chemistry, mechanisms, and crucial role that primer pheromones play in social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Hefetz
- Tel Aviv University, Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Ruppin Academic Center, School of Marine Sciences, Michmoret, Israel
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14
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Brossette L, Meunier J, Dupont S, Bagnères A, Lucas C. Unbalanced biparental care during colony foundation in two subterranean termites. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:192-200. [PMID: 30680106 PMCID: PMC6342128 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care is a major component of reproduction in social organisms, particularly during the foundation steps. Because investment into parental care is often costly, each parent is predicted to maximize its fitness by providing less care than its partner. However, this sexual conflict is expected to be low in species with lifelong monogamy, because the fitness of each parent is typically tied to the other's input. Somewhat surprisingly, the outcomes of this tug-of-war between maternal and paternal investments have received important attention in vertebrate species, but remain less known in invertebrates. In this study, we investigated how queens and kings share their investment into parental care and other social interactions during colony foundation in two termites with lifelong monogamy: the invasive species Reticulitermes flavipes and the native species R. grassei. Behaviors of royal pairs were recorded during six months using a non-invasive approach. Our results showed that queens and kings exhibit unbalanced investment in terms of grooming, antennation, trophallaxis, and vibration behavior. Moreover, both parents show behavioral differences toward their partner or their descendants. Our results also revealed differences among species, with R. flavipes exhibiting shorter periods of grooming and antennation toward eggs or partners. They also did more stomodeal trophallaxis and less vibration behavior. Overall, this study emphasizes that despite lifelong monogamy, the two parents are not equally involved in the measured forms of parental care and suggests that kings might be specialized in other tasks. It also indicates that males could play a central, yet poorly studied role in the evolution and maintenance of the eusocial organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lou Brossette
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (UMR7261)CNRS – University of ToursToursFrance
| | - Joël Meunier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (UMR7261)CNRS – University of ToursToursFrance
| | - Simon Dupont
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (UMR7261)CNRS – University of ToursToursFrance
| | - Anne‐Geneviève Bagnères
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (UMR7261)CNRS – University of ToursToursFrance
- CEFE, CNRS UMR5175, Univ. Montpellier, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Christophe Lucas
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (UMR7261)CNRS – University of ToursToursFrance
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15
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Machara A, Křivánek J, Dolejšová K, Havlíčková J, Bednárová L, Hanus R, Majer P, Kyjaková P. Identification and Enantiodivergent Synthesis of (5 Z,9 S)-Tetradec-5-en-9-olide, a Queen-Specific Volatile of the Termite Silvestritermes minutus. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2018; 81:2266-2274. [PMID: 30299957 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.8b00632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The queens of social insects differ from sterile colony members in many aspects of their physiology. Besides adaptations linked with their specialization for reproduction and extended lifespan, the queens also invest in the maintenance of their reproductive dominance by producing exocrine chemicals signaling their presence to the nestmates. The knowledge of the chemistry of queen-specific cues in termites is scarce. In addition to the contact recognition based on cuticular hydrocarbons, long-range signals mediated by volatiles are expected to participate in queen signaling, especially in populous colonies of higher termites (Termitidae). In queens of the higher termite Silvestritermes minutus (Syntermitinae), we have detected a previously undescribed volatile. It is present in important quantities on the body surface and in the headspace, ovaries, and body cavity. MS and GC-FTIR data analyses led us to propose the structure of the compound to be a macrolide 10-pentyl-3,4,5,8,9,10-hexahydro-2 H-oxecin-2-one. We performed enantiodivergent syntheses of two possible enantiomers starting from enantiopure ( S)-glycidyl tosylate. The synthetic sequence involved macrolide-closing metathesis quenched with a ruthenium scavenging agent. The absolute and relative configuration of the compound was assigned to be (5 Z,9 S)-tetradec-5-en-9-olide. Identification and preparation of the compound allow for investigation of its biological significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleš Machara
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS , Flemingovo n. 542/2 , 166 10 , Prague 6 , Czech Republic
| | - Jan Křivánek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS , Flemingovo n. 542/2 , 166 10 , Prague 6 , Czech Republic
| | - Klára Dolejšová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS , Flemingovo n. 542/2 , 166 10 , Prague 6 , Czech Republic
| | - Jana Havlíčková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS , Flemingovo n. 542/2 , 166 10 , Prague 6 , Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Bednárová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS , Flemingovo n. 542/2 , 166 10 , Prague 6 , Czech Republic
| | - Robert Hanus
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS , Flemingovo n. 542/2 , 166 10 , Prague 6 , Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Majer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS , Flemingovo n. 542/2 , 166 10 , Prague 6 , Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Kyjaková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS , Flemingovo n. 542/2 , 166 10 , Prague 6 , Czech Republic
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16
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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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17
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Korb J. Chemical Fertility Signaling in Termites: Idiosyncrasies and Commonalities in Comparison with Ants. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:818-826. [PMID: 29616376 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0952-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Termites evolved eusociality independently from social Hymenoptera. As a common trait, reproductive monopoly is maintained through chemical communication. The queen (and in termites also a king) prevents workers from reproduction by conveying their reproductive status. In termites all soldiers are sterile, but workers' potential to reproduce differs between species. It ranges from totipotency in wood-dwelling lower termites where workers are a transient stage from which all other castes develop, to sterile workers in some higher termites. Intermediate are species in which workers can develop into replacement sexuals within the nest but not into winged sexuals. I summarize the patchy picture about fertility signaling that we currently have for termites, pointing also to potential conflicts over reproduction that differ from those in social Hymenoptera. Recent findings imply that, similar to many social Hymenoptera, wood-dwelling termites that live in confined nests use long-chain cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) as fertility signals. Yet other compounds are important as well, comprising proteinaceous secretions and especially volatiles. For a subterranean termite, two volatiles have been identified as primer pheromones that prevent reproductive differentiation of workers. It requires more data to test whether wood-dwelling termites use CHCs, while species with larger colonies and less confined nests use volatiles, or whether all species rely on multicomponent signals. Ultimately, we need more effort to model and test potential conflicts over reproduction between queens, kings and workers. Here results from social Hymenoptera cannot be transferred to termites as the latter are diploid and commonly inbred. This review illustrates promising future research avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Korb
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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18
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A Transcriptome Survey Spanning Life Stages and Sexes of the Harlequin Bug, Murgantia histrionica. INSECTS 2017; 8:insects8020055. [PMID: 28587099 PMCID: PMC5492069 DOI: 10.3390/insects8020055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica (Hahn), is an agricultural pest in the continental United States, particularly in southern states. Reliable gene sequence data are especially useful to the development of species-specific, environmentally friendly molecular biopesticides and effective biolures for this insect. Here, mRNAs were sampled from whole insects at the 2nd and 4th nymphal instars, as well as sexed adults, and sequenced using Illumina RNA-Seq technology. A global assembly of these data identified 72,540 putative unique transcripts bearing high levels of similarity to transcripts identified in other taxa, with over 99% of conserved single-copy orthologs among insects being detected. Gene ontology and protein family analyses were conducted to explore the functional potential of the harlequin bug's gene repertoire, and phylogenetic analyses were conducted on gene families germane to xenobiotic detoxification, including glutathione S-transferases, carboxylesterases and cytochrome P450s. Genic content in harlequin bug was compared with that of the closely related invasive pest, the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål). Quantitative analyses of harlequin bug gene expression levels, experimentally validated using quantitative real-time PCR, identified genes differentially expressed between life stages and/or sexes.
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19
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Leonhardt SD, Menzel F, Nehring V, Schmitt T. Ecology and Evolution of Communication in Social Insects. Cell 2016; 164:1277-1287. [PMID: 26967293 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.01.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Insect life strategies comprise all levels of sociality from solitary to eusocial, in which individuals form persistent groups and divide labor. With increasing social complexity, the need to communicate a greater diversity of messages arose to coordinate division of labor, group cohesion, and concerted actions. Here we summarize the knowledge on prominent messages in social insects that inform about reproduction, group membership, resource locations, and threats and discuss potential evolutionary trajectories of each message in the context of social complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Volker Nehring
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
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20
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Sillam-Dussès D, Hanus R, Poulsen M, Roy V, Favier M, Vasseur-Cognet M. The role of the glucose-sensing transcription factor carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein pathway in termite queen fertility. Open Biol 2016; 6:160080. [PMID: 27249798 PMCID: PMC4892437 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.160080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Termites are among the few animals that themselves can digest the most abundant organic polymer, cellulose, into glucose. In mice and Drosophila, glucose can activate genes via the transcription factor carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein (ChREBP) to induce glucose utilization and de novo lipogenesis. Here, we identify a termite orthologue of ChREBP and its downstream lipogenic targets, including acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase. We show that all of these genes, including ChREBP, are upregulated in mature queens compared with kings, sterile workers and soldiers in eight different termite species. ChREBP is expressed in several tissues, including ovaries and fat bodies, and increases in expression in totipotent workers during their differentiation into neotenic mature queens. We further show that ChREBP is regulated by a carbohydrate diet in termite queens. Suppression of the lipogenic pathway by a pharmacological agent in queens elicits the same behavioural alterations in sterile workers as observed in queenless colonies, supporting that the ChREBP pathway partakes in the biosynthesis of semiochemicals that convey the signal of the presence of a fertile queen. Our results highlight ChREBP as a likely key factor for the regulation and signalling of queen fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sillam-Dussès
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, EA4443, 93430 Villetaneuse, France UMR IRD 242, UPEC, CNRS 7618, UPMC 113, INRA 1392, PARIS 7 113, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 93140 Bondy, France Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Robert Hanus
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michael Poulsen
- Centre for Social Evolution, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen East, Denmark
| | - Virginie Roy
- UMR IRD 242, UPEC, CNRS 7618, UPMC 113, INRA 1392, PARIS 7 113, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 93140 Bondy, France Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Maryline Favier
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 1016, Institut Cochin, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Mireille Vasseur-Cognet
- UMR IRD 242, UPEC, CNRS 7618, UPMC 113, INRA 1392, PARIS 7 113, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 93140 Bondy, France Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 1016, Institut Cochin, 75014 Paris, France
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21
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Korb J. Genes Underlying Reproductive Division of Labor in Termites, with Comparisons to Social Hymenoptera. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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22
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Oi CA, van Zweden JS, Oliveira RC, Van Oystaeyen A, Nascimento FS, Wenseleers T. The origin and evolution of social insect queen pheromones: Novel hypotheses and outstanding problems. Bioessays 2015; 37:808-21. [PMID: 25916998 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201400180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Queen pheromones, which signal the presence of a fertile queen and induce daughter workers to remain sterile, are considered to play a key role in regulating the reproductive division of labor of insect societies. Although queen pheromones were long thought to be highly taxon-specific, recent studies have shown that structurally related long-chain hydrocarbons act as conserved queen signals across several independently evolved lineages of social insects. These results imply that social insect queen pheromones are very ancient and likely derived from an ancestral signalling system that was already present in their common solitary ancestors. Based on these new insights, we here review the literature and speculate on what signal precursors social insect queen pheromones may have evolved from. Furthermore, we provide compelling evidence that these pheromones should best be seen as honest signals of fertility as opposed to suppressive agents that chemically sterilize the workers against their own best interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cintia A Oi
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jelle S van Zweden
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ricardo C Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annette Van Oystaeyen
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fabio S Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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23
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Lokody I. An air of royalty. Nat Rev Genet 2014; 15:644. [DOI: 10.1038/nrg3820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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