Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the mechanisms underpinning ageing and fecundity in social insects

Social life results in social stress protection: a novel concept to explain individual life-history patterns in social insects

Resistance to and avoidance of stress slow aging and confer increased longevity in numerous organisms. Honey bees and other superorganismal social insects have two main advantages over solitary species to avoid or resist stress: individuals can directly help each other by resource or information transfer, and they can cooperatively control their environment. These benefits have been recognised in the context of pathogen and parasite stress as the concept of social immunity, which has been extensively studied. However, we argue that social immunity is only a special case of a general concept that we define here as social stress protection to include group-level defences against all biotic and abiotic stressors. We reason that social stress protection may have allowed the evolution of reduced individual-level defences and individual life-history optimization, including the exceptional aging plasticity of many social insects. We describe major categories of stress and how a colonial lifestyle may protect social insects, particularly against temporary peaks of extreme stress. We use the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) to illustrate how patterns of life expectancy may be explained by social stress protection and how modern beekeeping practices can disrupt social stress protection. We conclude that the broad concept of social stress protection requires rigorous empirical testing because it may have implications for our general understanding of social evolution and specifically for improving honey bee health.

Extended longevity of termite kings and queens is accompanied by extranuclear localization of telomerase in somatic organs and caste-specific expression of its isoforms

Kings and queens of termites are endowed with an extraordinary longevity coupled with lifelong fecundity. We recently reported that termite kings and queens display a dramatically increased enzymatic activity and abundance of telomerase in their somatic organs when compared to short-lived workers and soldiers. We hypothesized that this telomerase activation may represent a noncanonical pro-longevity function, independent of its canonical role in telomere maintenance. Here, we explore this avenue and investigate whether the presumed noncanonical role of telomerase may be due to alternative splicing of the catalytic telomerase subunit TERT and whether the subcellular localization of TERT isoforms differs among organs and castes in the termite Prorhinotermes simplex. We empirically confirm the expression of four in silico predicted splice variants (psTERT1-A, psTERT1-B, psTERT2-A, psTERT2-B), defined by N-terminal splicing implicating differential localizations, and C-terminal splicing giving rise to full-length and truncated isoforms. We show that the transcript proportions of the psTERT are caste- and tissue-specific and that the extranuclear full-length isoform TERT1-A is relatively enriched in the soma of neotenic kings and queens compared to their gonads and to the soma of workers. We also show that extranuclear TERT protein quantities are significantly higher in the soma of kings and queens compared to workers, namely due to the cytosolic TERT. Independently, we confirm by microscopy the extranuclear TERT localization in somatic organs. We conclude that the presumed pleiotropic action of telomerase combining the canonical nuclear role in telomere maintenance with extranuclear functions is driven by complex TERT splicing.

Gene regulation supporting sociality shared across lineages and variation in complexity

Across evolutionary lineages, insects vary in social complexity, from those that exhibit extended parental care to those with elaborate divisions of labor. Here, we synthesize the sociogenomic resources from hundreds of species to describe common gene regulatory mechanisms in insects that regulate social organization across phylogeny and levels of social complexity. Different social phenotypes expressed by insects can be linked to the organization of co-expressing gene networks and features of the epigenetic landscape. Insect sociality also stems from processes like the emergence of parental care and the decoupling of ancestral genetic programs. One underexplored avenue is how variation in a group's social environment affects the gene expression of individuals. Additionally, an experimental reduction of gene expression would demonstrate how the activity of specific genes contributes to insect social phenotypes. While tissue specificity provides greater localization of the gene expression underlying social complexity, emerging transcriptomic analysis of insect brains at the cellular level provides even greater resolution to understand the molecular basis of social insect evolution.

Termite primary queen - ancestral, but highly specialized eusocial phenotype

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.

Genomic signatures of eusocial evolution in insects

The genomes of eusocial insects allow the production and regulation of highly distinct phenotypes, largely independent of genotype. Although rare, eusociality has evolved convergently in at least three insect orders (Hymenoptera, Blattodea and Coleoptera). Despite such disparate origins, eusocial phenotypes show remarkable similarity, exhibiting long-lived reproductives and short-lived sterile workers and soldiers. In this article, we review current knowledge on genomic signatures of eusocial evolution. We confirm that especially an increased regulatory complexity and the adaptive evolution of chemical communication are common to several origins of eusociality. Furthermore, colony life itself can shape genomes of divergent taxa in a similar manner. Future research should be geared towards generating more high-quality genomic resources, especially in hitherto understudied clades, such as ambrosia beetles and termites. The application of more sophisticated tools such as machine learning techniques may allow the detection of more subtle convergent genomic footprints of eusociality.

A genetic toolkit underlying the queen phenotype in termites with totipotent workers

Social insect castes (e.g., queens, workers) are prime examples of phenotypic plasticity (i.e., different phenotypes arising from the same genotype). Yet, the mechanisms that give rise to highly fertile, long-lived queens versus non-reproducing, short-lived workers are not well understood. Recently, a module of co-expressed genes has been identified that characterizes queens compared to workers of the termite Cryptotermes secundus (Kalotermitidae): the Queen Central Module (QCM). We tested whether the QCM is shared in termite species, in which queens gradually develop via early larval and late larval instars, the latter functioning as totipotent workers (linear development). Similar as in C. secundus, gene expression profiles revealed an enrichment of QCM genes in Zootermopsis angusticollis queens, a species from another termite family (Archotermopsidae). The expression of these QCM genes became gradually enriched during development from early larval instars via workers to queens. Thus, our results support the hypothesis of a conserved genetic toolkit that characterizes termite queens with gradual linear development. Our data also imply a strong caste-specific tissue specificity with the QCM signal being restricted to head-prothorax tissues in termite queens. This tissue-specific expression of key aging-related genes might have facilitated the evolution of a long lifespan in termite queens.

Insights on reproduction-related genes in the striped fruit fly, Zeugodacus scutellata (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The striped fruit fly, Zeugodacus scutellata is a significant pest in East and Southeast Asia by damaging Cucurbitaceae blossoms and fruits. To control this pest, a novel strategy to suppress the gene(s) associated with sexually dimorphic phenotypes has been devised and implemented in a laboratory scale. However, comprehensive transcriptomic analysis related to this sex differentiation of Z. scutellata was necessary to determine effective target genes for the genetic control. We performed de novo assembly of the transcript obtained by paired-end sequencing using an Illumina HiSeq platform and let to 217,967 unigenes (i.e., unique genes) with a minimum length of 200 bp. The female produced 31, 604, 442 reads with 97.93% of Q20, 94.76% of Q30, and the male produced 130, 592, 828 reads with 97.93% of Q20 and 94.76 of Q30%. The differentially expressed genes were used to predict genetic factors associated with sex differentiation, which included Rho1, extra-macrochaetae (emc), hopscotch (hop), doublesex (dsx), sex-lethal (sxl), transformer-2 (tra-2), testis-specific serine/threonine-protein kinase (tssk1), tektin1 (tkt1) and 2 (tkt2), odorant binding proteins (OBPs), fruitless (fru), vitellogenin receptor, and hormone receptors in Z. scutellata. In addition, this transcriptome analysis provides the additional gene associated with sex determination and mating behaviors, which would be applied to develop a novel sterile insect technique against Z. scutellata.

DNA methylation extends lifespan in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Epigenetic alterations are a primary hallmark of ageing. In mammals, age-related epigenetic changes alter gene expression profiles, disrupt cellular homeostasis and physiological functions and, therefore, promote ageing. It remains unclear whether ageing is also driven by epigenetic mechanisms in invertebrates. Here, we used a pharmacological hypomethylating agent (RG108) to evaluate the effects of DNA methylation (DNAme) on lifespan in an insect-the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. RG108 extended mean lifespan by 43% and induced the differential methylation of genes involved in hallmarks of ageing, including DNA damage repair and chromatin organization. Furthermore, the longevity gene sirt1 was overexpressed following the treatment. Functional experiments demonstrated that SIRT1 protein activity was positively associated with lifespan. Overall, our study indicates that epigenetic mechanisms are conserved regulators of lifespan in both vertebrates and invertebrates and provides new insights into how DNAme is involved in the ageing process in insects.

Signatures of Extreme Longevity: A Perspective from Bivalve Molecular Evolution

Among Metazoa, bivalves have the highest lifespan disparity, ranging from 1 to 500+ years, making them an exceptional testing ground to understand mechanisms underlying aging and the evolution of extended longevity. Nevertheless, comparative molecular evolution has been an overlooked approach in this instance. Here, we leveraged transcriptomic resources spanning 30 bivalve species to unravel the signatures of convergent molecular evolution in four long-lived species: Margaritifera margaritifera, Elliptio complanata, Lampsilis siliquoidea, and Arctica islandica (the latter represents the longest-lived noncolonial metazoan known so far). We applied a comprehensive approach-which included inference of convergent dN/dS, convergent positive selection, and convergent amino acid substitution-with a strong focus on the reduction of false positives. Genes with convergent evolution in long-lived bivalves show more physical and functional interactions to each other than expected, suggesting that they are biologically connected; this interaction network is enriched in genes for which a role in longevity has been experimentally supported in other species. This suggests that genes in the network are involved in extended longevity in bivalves and, consequently, that the mechanisms underlying extended longevity are-at least partially-shared across Metazoa. Although we believe that an integration of different genes and pathways is required for the extended longevity phenotype, we highlight the potential central roles of genes involved in cell proliferation control, translational machinery, and response to hypoxia, in lifespan extension.

Unveiling metabolic integration in psyllids and their nutritional endosymbionts through comparative transcriptomics analysis

Psyllids, a group of insects that feed on plant sap, have a symbiotic relationship with an endosymbiont called Carsonella. Carsonella synthesizes essential amino acids and vitamins for its psyllid host, but lacks certain genes required for this process, suggesting a compensatory role of psyllid host genes. To investigate this, gene expression was compared between two psyllid species, Bactericera cockerelli and Diaphorina citri, in specialized cells where Carsonella resides (bacteriomes). Collaborative psyllid genes, including horizontally transferred genes, showed patterns of conserved gene expression; however, species-specific patterns were also observed, suggesting differences in the nutritional metabolism between psyllid species. Also, the recycling of nitrogen in bacteriomes may primarily rely on glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). Additionally, lineage-specific gene clusters were differentially expressed in B. cockerelli and D. citri bacteriomes and are highlighted here. These findings shed light on potential host adaptations for the regulation of this symbiosis due to host, microbiome, and environmental differences.

Task-specific odorant receptor expression in worker antennae indicates that sensory filters regulate division of labor in ants

Division of labor (DOL) is a characteristic trait of insect societies, where tasks are generally performed by specialized individuals. Inside workers focus on brood or nest care, while others take risks by foraging outside. Theory proposes that workers have different thresholds to perform certain tasks when confronted with task-related stimuli, leading to specialization and consequently DOL. Workers are presumed to vary in their response to task-related cues rather than in how they perceive such information. Here, we test the hypothesis that DOL instead stems from workers varying in their efficiency to detect stimuli of specific tasks. We use transcriptomics to measure mRNA expression levels in the antennae and brain of nurses and foragers of the ant Temnothorax longispinosus. We find seven times as many genes to be differentially expressed between behavioral phenotypes in the antennae compared to the brain. Moreover, half of all odorant receptors are differentially expressed, with an overrepresentation of the 9-exon gene family upregulated in the antennae of nurses. Nurses and foragers thus apparently differ in the perception of their olfactory environment and task-related signals. Our study supports the hypothesis that antennal sensory filters predispose workers to specialize in specific tasks.

Advancing methods for the biodemography of aging within social contexts

Several social dimensions including social integration, status, early-life adversity, and their interactions across the life course can predict health, reproduction, and mortality in humans. Accordingly, the social environment plays a fundamental role in the emergence of phenotypes driving the evolution of aging. Recent work placing human social gradients on a biological continuum with other species provides a useful evolutionary context for aging questions, but there is still a need for a unified evolutionary framework linking health and aging within social contexts. Here, we summarize current challenges to understand the role of the social environment in human life courses. Next, we review recent advances in comparative biodemography and propose a biodemographic perspective to address socially driven health phenotype distributions and their evolutionary consequences using a nonhuman primate population. This new comparative approach uses evolutionary demography to address the joint dynamics of populations, social dimensions, phenotypes, and life history parameters. The long-term goal is to advance our understanding of the link between individual social environments, population-level outcomes, and the evolution of aging.

Costs of reproduction are present but latent in eusocial bumblebee queens

BACKGROUND

The standard evolutionary theory of ageing proposes that ageing occurs because of a trade-off between reproduction and longevity. Eusocial insect queens exhibit positive fecundity-longevity associations and so have been suggested to be counter-examples through not expressing costs of reproduction and through remodelling conserved genetic and endocrine networks regulating ageing and reproduction. If so, eusocial evolution from solitary ancestors with negative fecundity-longevity associations must have involved a stage at which costs of reproduction were suppressed and fecundity and longevity became positively associated. Using the bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), we experimentally tested whether queens in annual eusocial insects at an intermediate level of eusocial complexity experience costs of reproduction, and, using mRNA-seq, the extent to which they exhibit a remodelling of relevant genetic and endocrine networks. Specifically, we tested whether costs of reproduction are present but latent, or whether a remodelling of relevant genetic and endocrine networks has already occurred allowing queens to reproduce without costs.

RESULTS

We experimentally increased queens' costs of reproduction by removing their eggs, which caused queens to increase their egg-laying rate. Treatment queens had significantly reduced longevity relative to control queens whose egg-laying rate was not increased. Reduced longevity in treatment queens was not caused by increased worker-to-queen aggression or by increased overall activity in queens. In addition, treatment and control queens differed in age-related gene expression based on mRNA-seq in both their overall expression profiles and the expression of ageing-related genes. Remarkably, these differences appeared to occur principally with respect to relative age, not chronological age.

CONCLUSIONS

This study represents the first simultaneously phenotypic and transcriptomic experimental test for a longevity cost of reproduction in eusocial insect queens. The results support the occurrence of costs of reproduction in annual eusocial insects of intermediate social complexity and suggest that reproductive costs are present but latent in queens of such species, i.e. that these queens exhibit condition-dependent positive fecundity-longevity associations. They also raise the possibility that a partial remodelling of genetic and endocrine networks underpinning ageing may have occurred in intermediately eusocial species such that, in unmanipulated conditions, age-related gene expression depends more on chronological than relative age.

Worker Reproduction and Caste Polymorphism Impact Genome Evolution and Social Genes Across the Ants

Eusocial insects are characterized by several traits, including reproductive division of labor and caste polymorphisms, which likely modulate genome evolution. Concomitantly, evolution may act on specific genes and pathways underlying these novel, sociality-associated phenotypes. Reproductive division of labor should increase the magnitude of genetic drift and reduce the efficacy of selection by reducing effective population size. Caste polymorphism has been associated with relaxed selection and may facilitate directional selection on caste-specific genes. Here, we use comparative analyses of 22 ant genomes to test how reproductive division of labor and worker polymorphism influence positive selection and selection intensity across the genome. Our results demonstrate that worker reproductive capacity is associated with a reduction in the degree of relaxed selection but is not associated with any significant change to positive selection. We find decreases in positive selection in species with polymorphic workers, but no increase in the degree of relaxed selection. Finally, we explore evolutionary patterns in specific candidate genes associated with our focal traits in eusocial insects. Two oocyte patterning genes previously implicated in worker sterility evolve under intensified selection in species with reproductive workers. Behavioral caste genes generally experience relaxed selection associated with worker polymorphism, whereas vestigial and spalt, both associated with soldier development in Pheidole ants, experience intensified selection in worker polymorphic species. These findings expand our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying elaborations of sociality. The impacts of reproductive division of labor and caste polymorphisms on specific genes illuminate those genes' roles in generating complex eusocial phenotypes.

SIMplyBee: an R package to simulate honeybee populations and breeding programs

BACKGROUND

The Western honeybee is an economically important species globally, but has been experiencing colony losses that lead to economical damage and decreased genetic variability. This situation is spurring additional interest in honeybee breeding and conservation programs. Stochastic simulators are essential tools for rapid and low-cost testing of breeding programs and methods, yet no existing simulator allows for a detailed simulation of honeybee populations. Here we describe SIMplyBee, a holistic simulator of honeybee populations and breeding programs. SIMplyBee is an R package and hence freely available for installation from CRAN http://cran.r-project.org/package=SIMplyBee .

IMPLEMENTATION

SIMplyBee builds upon the stochastic simulator AlphaSimR that simulates individuals with their corresponding genomes and quantitative genetic values. To enable honeybee-specific simulations, we extended AlphaSimR by developing classes for global simulation parameters, SimParamBee, for a honeybee colony, Colony, and multiple colonies, MultiColony. We also developed functions to address major honeybee specificities: honeybee genome, haplodiploid inheritance, social organisation, complementary sex determination, polyandry, colony events, and quantitative genetics at the individual- and colony-levels.

RESULTS

We describe its implementation for simulating a honeybee genome, creating a honeybee colony and its members, addressing haplodiploid inheritance and complementary sex determination, simulating colony events, creating and managing multiple colonies at the same time, and obtaining genomic data and honeybee quantitative genetics. Further documentation, available at http://www.SIMplyBee.info , provides details on these operations and describes additional operations related to genomics, quantitative genetics, and other functionalities.

DISCUSSION

SIMplyBee is a holistic simulator of honeybee populations and breeding programs. It simulates individual honeybees with their genomes, colonies with colony events, and individual- and colony-level genetic and breeding values. Regarding the latter, SIMplyBee takes a user-defined function to combine individual- into colony-level values and hence allows for modeling any type of interaction within a colony. SIMplyBee provides a research platform for testing breeding and conservation strategies and their effect on future genetic gain and genetic variability. Future developments of SIMplyBee will focus on improving the simulation of honeybee genomes, optimizing the simulator's performance, and including spatial awareness in mating functions and phenotype simulation. We invite the honeybee genetics and breeding community to join us in the future development of SIMplyBee.

Meta-Analysis of Public RNA Sequencing Data Revealed Potential Key Genes Associated with Reproductive Division of Labor in Social Hymenoptera and Termites

Eusociality in insects has evolved independently many times. One of the most notable characteristics of eusociality is the reproductive division of labor. In social insects, the reproductive division of labor is accomplished by queens and workers. Transcriptome analyses of queens and workers have been conducted for various eusocial species. However, the genes that regulate the reproductive division of labor across all or multiple eusocial species have not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis using publicly available RNA-sequencing data from four major groups of social insects. In this meta-analysis, we collected 258 pairs (queen vs. worker) of RNA-sequencing data from 34 eusocial species. The meta-analysis identified a total of 20 genes that were differentially expressed in queens or workers. Out of these, 12 genes have not previously been reported to be involved in the reproductive division of labor. Functional annotation of these 20 genes in other organisms revealed that they could be regulators of behaviors and physiological states related to the reproductive division of labor. These 20 genes, revealed using massive datasets of numerous eusocial insects, may be key regulators of the reproductive division of labor.

The remoulding of dietary effects on the fecundity / longevity trade-off in a social insect

BACKGROUND

In many organisms increased reproductive effort is associated with a shortened life span. This trade-off is reflected in conserved molecular pathways that link nutrient-sensing with fecundity and longevity. Social insect queens apparently defy the fecundity / longevity trade-off as they are both, extremely long-lived and highly fecund. Here, we have examined the effects of a protein-enriched diet on these life-history traits and on tissue-specific gene expression in a termite species of low social complexity.

RESULTS

On a colony level, we did not observe reduced lifespan and increased fecundity, effects typically seen in solitary model organisms, after protein enrichment. Instead, on the individual level mortality was reduced in queens that consumed more of the protein-enriched diet - and partially also in workers - while fecundity seemed unaffected. Our transcriptome analyses supported our life-history results. Consistent with life span extension, the expression of IIS (insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 signalling) components was reduced in fat bodies after protein enrichment. Interestingly, however, genes involved in reproductive physiology (e.g., vitellogenin) were largely unaffected in fat body and head transcriptomes.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that IIS is decoupled from downstream fecundity-associated pathways, which can contribute to the remoulding of the fecundity/longevity trade-off in termites as compared to solitary insects.

Comparative transcriptomics of aphid species that diverged > 22 MYA reveals genes that are important for the maintenance of their symbiosis

Most plant-sap feeding insects have obligate relationships with maternally transmitted bacteria. Aphids require their nutritional endosymbiont, Buchnera aphidicola, for the production of essential amino acids. Such endosymbionts are harbored inside of specialized insect cells called bacteriocytes. Here, we use comparative transcriptomics of bacteriocytes between two recently diverged aphid species, Myzus persicae and Acyrthosiphon pisum, to identify key genes that are important for the maintenance of their nutritional mutualism. The majority of genes with conserved expression profiles in M. persicae and A. pisum are for orthologs previously identified in A. pisum to be important for the symbiosis. However, asparaginase which produces aspartate from asparagine was significantly up-regulated only in A. pisum bacteriocytes, potentially because Buchnera of M. persicae encodes its own asparaginase enzyme unlike Buchnera of A. pisum resulting in Buchnera of A. pisum to be dependent on its aphid host for aspartate. One-to-one orthologs that explained the most amount of variation for bacteriocyte specific mRNA expression for both species includes a collaborative gene for methionine biosynthesis, multiple transporters, a horizontally transmitted gene, and secreted proteins. Finally, we highlight species-specific gene clusters which may contribute to host adaptations and/or accommodations in gene regulation to changes in the symbiont or the symbiosis.

Co-expression Gene Networks and Machine-learning Algorithms Unveil a Core Genetic Toolkit for Reproductive Division of Labour in Rudimentary Insect Societies

The evolution of eusociality requires that individuals forgo some or all their own reproduction to assist the reproduction of others in their group, such as a primary egg-laying queen. A major open question is how genes and genetic pathways sculpt the evolution of eusociality, especially in rudimentary forms of sociality-those with smaller cooperative nests when compared with species such as honeybees that possess large societies. We lack comprehensive comparative studies examining shared patterns and processes across multiple social lineages. Here we examine the mechanisms of molecular convergence across two lineages of bees and wasps exhibiting such rudimentary societies. These societies consist of few individuals and their life histories range from facultative to obligately social. Using six species across four independent origins of sociality, we conduct a comparative meta-analysis of publicly available transcriptomes. Standard methods detected little similarity in patterns of differential gene expression in brain transcriptomes among reproductive and non-reproductive individuals across species. By contrast, both supervised machine learning and consensus co-expression network approaches uncovered sets of genes with conserved expression patterns among reproductive and non-reproductive phenotypes across species. These sets overlap substantially, and may comprise a shared genetic "toolkit" for sociality across the distantly related taxa of bees and wasps and independently evolved lineages of sociality. We also found many lineage-specific genes and co-expression modules associated with social phenotypes and possible signatures of shared life-history traits. These results reveal how taxon-specific molecular mechanisms complement a core toolkit of molecular processes in sculpting traits related to the evolution of eusociality.

Modalities of aging in organisms with different strategies of resource allocation

Although the progress of aging research relies heavily on a theoretical framework, today there is no consensus on many critical questions in aging biology. I hypothesize that a systematic analysis of the intersection of different evolutionary mechanisms of aging with diverse resource allocation strategies in different organisms may reconcile aging hypotheses. The application of disposable soma, mutation accumulation, antagonistic pleiotropy, and life-history theory is considered across organisms with asexual reproduction, organisms with sexual reproduction and indeterminate growth in different conditions of extrinsic mortality, and organisms with determinate growth, with endotherms/homeotherms as a subgroup. This review demonstrates that different aging mechanisms are complementary to each other, and in organisms with different resource allocation strategies they form aging modalities ranging from immortality to suicidal programs. It also revamps the role of growth arrest in aging. Growth arrest evolved in many different groups of organisms as a result of resource reallocation from growth to reproduction (e.g., semelparous animals, holometabolic insects), or from growth to nutrient storage (endotherms/homeotherms). Growth arrest in different animal lineages has similar molecular mechanisms and similar consequences for longevity due to the conflict between growth-promoting and growth-suppressing programs and suppression of regenerative capacity.

Current Knowledge on Bee Innate Immunity Based on Genomics and Transcriptomics

As important pollinators, bees play a critical role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem and improving the yield and quality of crops. However, in recent years, the bee population has significantly declined due to various pathogens and environmental stressors including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and increased pesticide application. The above threats trigger or suppress the innate immunity of bees, their only immune defense system, which is essential to maintaining individual health and that of the colony. In addition, bees can be divided into solitary and eusocial bees based on their life traits, and eusocial bees possess special social immunities, such as grooming behavior, which cooperate with innate immunity to maintain the health of the colony. The omics approach gives us an opportunity to recognize the distinctive innate immunity of bees. In this regard, we summarize innate bee immunity from a genomic and transcriptomic perspective. The genetic characteristics of innate immunity were revealed by the multiple genomes of bees with different kinds of sociality, including honeybees, bumblebees, wasps, leaf-cutter bees, and so on. Further substantial transcriptomic data of different tissues from diverse bees directly present the activation or suppression of immune genes under the infestation of pathogens or toxicity of pesticides.

De Novo Transcriptome Assembly and Analysis of Longevity Genes Using Subterranean Termite (Reticulitermes chinensis) Castes

The longevity phenomenon is entirely controlled by the insulin signaling pathway (IIS-pathway). Both vertebrates and invertebrates have IIS-pathways that are comparable to one another, though no one has previously described de novo transcriptome assembly of IIS-pathway-associated genes in termites. In this research, we analyzed the transcriptomes of both reproductive (primary kings “PK” and queens “PQ”, secondary worker reproductive kings “SWRK” and queens “SWRQ”) and non-reproductive (male “WM” and female “WF” workers) castes of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes chinensis. The goal was to identify the genes responsible for longevity in the reproductive and non-reproductive castes. Through transcriptome analysis, we annotated 103,589,264 sequence reads and 184,436 (7G) unigenes were assembled, GC performance was measured at 43.02%, and 64,046 sequences were reported as CDs sequences. Of which 35 IIS-pathway-associated genes were identified, among 35 genes, we focused on the phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (Pdk1), protein kinase B2 (akt2-a), tuberous sclerosis-2 (Tsc2), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (EIF4E) and ribosomal protein S6 (RPS6) genes. Previously these genes (Pdk1, akt2-a, mTOR, EIF4E, and RPS6) were investigated in various organisms, that regulate physiological effects, growth factors, protein translation, cell survival, proliferation, protein synthesis, cell metabolism and survival, autophagy, fecundity rate, egg size, and follicle number, although the critical reason for longevity is still unclear in the termite castes. However, based on transcriptome profiling, the IIS-pathway-associated genes could prolong the reproductive caste lifespan and health span. Therefore, the transcriptomic shreds of evidence related to IIS-pathway genes provide new insights into the maintenance and relationships between biomolecular homeostasis and remarkable longevity. Finally, we propose a strategy for future research to decrypt the hidden costs associated with termite aging in reproductive and non-reproductive castes.

Eusocial Transition in Blattodea: Transposable Elements and Shifts of Gene Expression

(1) Unravelling the molecular basis underlying major evolutionary transitions can shed light on how complex phenotypes arise. The evolution of eusociality, a major evolutionary transition, has been demonstrated to be accompanied by enhanced gene regulation. Numerous pieces of evidence suggest the major impact of transposon insertion on gene regulation and its role in adaptive evolution. Transposons have been shown to be play a role in gene duplication involved in the eusocial transition in termites. However, evidence of the molecular basis underlying the eusocial transition in Blattodea remains scarce. Could transposons have facilitated the eusocial transition in termites through shifts of gene expression? (2) Using available cockroach and termite genomes and transcriptomes, we investigated if transposons insert more frequently in genes with differential expression in queens and workers and if those genes could be linked to specific functions essential for eusocial transition. (3) The insertion rate of transposons differs among differentially expressed genes and displays opposite trends between termites and cockroaches. The functions of termite transposon-rich queen- and worker-biased genes are related to reproduction and ageing and behaviour and gene expression, respectively. (4) Our study provides further evidence on the role of transposons in the evolution of eusociality, potentially through shifts in gene expression.

Evidence for a conserved queen-worker genetic toolkit across slave-making ants and their ant hosts

The ecological success of social Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps) depends on the division of labour between the queen and workers. Each caste exhibits highly specialised morphology, behaviour, and life-history traits, such as lifespan and fecundity. Despite strong defences against alien intruders, insect societies are vulnerable to social parasites, such as workerless inquilines or slave-making ants. Here, we investigate whether gene expression varies in parallel ways between lifestyles (slave-making versus host ants) across five independent origins of ant slavery in the "Formicoxenus-group" of the ant tribe Crematogastrini. As caste differences are often less pronounced in slave-making ants than in non-parasitic ants, we also compare caste-specific gene expression patterns between lifestyles. We demonstrate a substantial overlap in expression differences between queens and workers across taxa, irrespective of lifestyle. Caste affects the transcriptomes much more profoundly than lifestyle, as indicated by 37 times more genes being linked to caste than to lifestyle and by multiple caste-associated modules of co-expressed genes with strong connectivity. However, several genes and one gene module are linked to slave-making across the independent origins of this parasitic lifestyle, pointing to some evolutionary convergence. Finally, we do not find evidence for an interaction between caste and lifestyle, indicating that caste differences in gene expression remain consistent even when species switch to a parasitic lifestyle. Our findings strongly support the existence of a core set of genes whose expression is linked to the queen and worker caste in this ant taxon, as proposed by the "genetic toolkit" hypothesis.

Complex regulatory role of DNA methylation in caste- and age-specific expression of a termite

The reproductive castes of eusocial insects are often characterized by extreme lifespans and reproductive output, indicating an absence of the fecundity/longevity trade-off. The role of DNA methylation in the regulation of caste- and age-specific gene expression in eusocial insects is controversial. While some studies find a clear link to caste formation in honeybees and ants, others find no correlation when replication is increased across independent colonies. Although recent studies have identified transcription patterns involved in the maintenance of high reproduction throughout the long lives of queens, the role of DNA methylation in the regulation of these genes is unknown. We carried out a comparative analysis of DNA methylation in the regulation of caste-specific transcription and its importance for the regulation of fertility and longevity in queens of the higher termite Macrotermes natalensis. We found evidence for significant, well-regulated changes in DNA methylation in mature compared to young queens, especially in several genes related to ageing and fecundity in mature queens. We also found a strong link between methylation and caste-specific alternative splicing. This study reveals a complex regulatory role of fat body DNA methylation both in the division of labour in termites, and during the reproductive maturation of queens.

Molecular (co)evolution of hymenopteran social parasites and their hosts

Social parasitism describes a fascinating way of life in which species exploit the altruistic behaviour of closely related, social species. Social parasites have repeatedly evolved in the social Hymenoptera, including ants, bees, and wasps. The common ancestry and shared (social) environment with their hosts facilitates the study of molecular adaptations to the parasitic lifestyle. Moreover, when social parasites are widespread and virulent, they exert strong selection pressure on their hosts, leading to the evolution of defense mechanisms and triggering a coevolutionary arms race. Recent advances in sequencing technology now make it possible to study the molecular basis of this coevolutionary process. In addition to describing the latest developments, we highlight open research questions that could be tackled with genomic, transcriptomic, or epigenetic data.

Social divergence: molecular pathways underlying castes and longevity in a facultatively eusocial small carpenter bee

Unravelling the evolutionary origins of eusocial life is a longstanding endeavour in the field of evolutionary-developmental biology. Descended from solitary ancestors, eusocial insects such as honeybees have evolved ontogenetic division of labour in which short-lived workers perform age-associated tasks, while a long-lived queen produces brood. It is hypothesized that (i) eusocial caste systems evolved through the co-option of deeply conserved genes and (ii) longevity may be tied to oxidative damage mitigation capacity. To date, however, these hypotheses have been examined primarily among only obligately eusocial corbiculate bees. We present brain transcriptomic data from a Japanese small carpenter bee, Ceratina japonica (Apidae: Xylocopinae), which demonstrates both solitary and eusocial nesting in sympatry and lives 2 or more years in the wild. Our dataset captures gene expression patterns underlying first- and second-year solitary females, queens and workers, providing an unprecedented opportunity to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying caste-antecedent phenotypes in a long-lived and facultatively eusocial bee. We find that C. japonica's queens and workers are underpinned by divergent gene regulatory pathways, involving many differentially expressed genes well-conserved among other primitively eusocial bee lineages. We also find support for oxidative damage reduction as a proximate mechanism of longevity in C. japonica.

Lifespan prolonging mechanisms and insulin upregulation without fat accumulation in long-lived reproductives of a higher termite

Kings and queens of eusocial termites can live for decades, while queens sustain a nearly maximal fertility. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying their long lifespan, we carried out transcriptomics, lipidomics and metabolomics in Macrotermes natalensis on sterile short-lived workers, long-lived kings and five stages spanning twenty years of adult queen maturation. Reproductives share gene expression differences from workers in agreement with a reduction of several aging-related processes, involving upregulation of DNA damage repair and mitochondrial functions. Anti-oxidant gene expression is downregulated, while peroxidability of membranes in queens decreases. Against expectations, we observed an upregulated gene expression in fat bodies of reproductives of several components of the IIS pathway, including an insulin-like peptide, Ilp9. This pattern does not lead to deleterious fat storage in physogastric queens, while simple sugars dominate in their hemolymph and large amounts of resources are allocated towards oogenesis. Our findings support the notion that all processes causing aging need to be addressed simultaneously in order to prevent it.

Biomarkers in a socially exchanged /fluid reflect colony maturity, behavior, and distributed metabolism

In cooperative systems exhibiting division of labor, such as microbial communities, multicellular organisms, and social insect colonies, individual units share costs and benefits through both task specialization and exchanged materials. Socially exchanged fluids, like seminal fluid and milk, allow individuals to molecularly influence conspecifics. Many social insects have a social circulatory system, where food and endogenously produced molecules are transferred mouth-to-mouth (stomodeal trophallaxis), connecting all the individuals in the society. To understand how these endogenous molecules relate to colony life, we used quantitative proteomics to investigate the trophallactic fluid within colonies of the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus. We show that different stages of the colony life cycle circulate different types of proteins: young colonies prioritize direct carbohydrate processing; mature colonies prioritize accumulation and transmission of stored resources. Further, colonies circulate proteins implicated in oxidative stress, ageing, and social insect caste determination, potentially acting as superorganismal hormones. Brood-caring individuals that are also closer to the queen in the social network (nurses) showed higher abundance of oxidative stress-related proteins. Thus, trophallaxis behavior could provide a mechanism for distributed metabolism in social insect societies. The ability to thoroughly analyze the materials exchanged between cooperative units makes social insect colonies useful models to understand the evolution and consequences of metabolic division of labor at other scales.

Division of labor is essential for cooperation, because groups can achieve more when individuals specialize in different tasks. This happens across the natural world, from different cells in organisms performing specific roles, to the individuals in an ant colony carrying out diverse duties. In both of these systems, individuals work together to ensure the survival of the collective unit – the body or the colony – instead of competing against each other. One of the main ways division of labor is evident within these two systems is regarding reproduction. Both in the body and in an ant colony, only one or a few individual units can reproduce, while the rest provide support. In the case of ant colonies, only queens and males reproduce, while the young workers nurse the brood and older workers forage for food.

This intense cooperation requires close communication between individual units – in the case of some species of ants, by sharing fluids mouth-to-mouth. These fluids contain food but also many molecules produced by the ants themselves, including proteins. Given that both individuals and the colony as a whole change as they age – with workers acquiring new roles, and new queens and males only reared once the colony is mature – it is likely that the proteins transmitted in the fluid also change.

To better understand whether the lifecycles of individuals and the age of the colony affect the fluids shared by carpenter ants Camponotus floridanus, Hakala et al. examined the ant-produced proteins in these fluids. This revealed differences in the proteins shared by young and mature colonies, and young nurse ants and older forager ants. In young colonies, the fluids contained proteins involved in fast sugar processing; while in mature colonies, the fluids contained more proteins to store nutrients, which help insect larvae grow into larger individuals, like queens. Young worker ants, who spend their time nursing the brood, produced more anti-aging proteins. This may be because these ants are in close contact with the queen, who lives much longer than the rest of the ants in the colony. Taken together, these observations suggest that ants divide the labor of metabolism, as well as work and reproduction.

Dividing the labor of metabolism among individuals is one more similarity between ants and the cells of a multicellular organism, like a fly or a human. Division of labor allows the sharing of burden, with some individuals lightening the load of others. Understanding how ants achieve this by sharing fluids could shed new light on this complex exchange at other scales or in other organisms. By matching proteins to life stages, researchers have a starting point to examine individual molecules in more detail.

Eusociality and Senescence: Neuroprotection and Physiological Resilience to Aging in Insect and Mammalian Systems

Are eusociality and extraordinary aging polyphenisms evolutionarily coupled? The remarkable disparity in longevity between social insect queens and sterile workers-decades vs. months, respectively-has long been recognized. In mammals, the lifespan of eusocial naked mole rats is extremely long-roughly 10 times greater than that of mice. Is this robustness to senescence associated with social evolution and shared mechanisms of developmental timing, neuroprotection, antioxidant defenses, and neurophysiology? Focusing on brain senescence, we examine correlates and consequences of aging across two divergent eusocial clades and how they differ from solitary taxa. Chronological age and physiological indicators of neural deterioration, including DNA damage or cell death, appear to be decoupled in eusocial insects. In some species, brain cell death does not increase with worker age and DNA damage occurs at similar rates between queens and workers. In comparison, naked mole rats exhibit characteristics of neonatal mice such as protracted development that may offer protection from aging and environmental stressors. Antioxidant defenses appear to be regulated differently across taxa, suggesting independent adaptations to life history and environment. Eusocial insects and naked mole rats appear to have evolved different mechanisms that lead to similar senescence-resistant phenotypes. Careful selection of comparison taxa and further exploration of the role of metabolism in aging can reveal mechanisms that preserve brain functionality and physiological resilience in eusocial species.

Disentangling the aging gene expression network of termite queens

Background

Most insects are relatively short-lived, with a maximum lifespan of a few weeks, like the aging model organism, the fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster. By contrast, the queens of many social insects (termites, ants and some bees) can live from a few years to decades. This makes social insects promising models in aging research providing insights into how a long reproductive life can be achieved. Yet, aging studies on social insect reproductives are hampered by a lack of quantitative data on age-dependent survival and time series analyses that cover the whole lifespan of such long-lived individuals. We studied aging in queens of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus by determining survival probabilities over a period of 15 years and performed transcriptome analyses for queens of known age that covered their whole lifespan.

Results

The maximum lifespan of C. secundus queens was 13 years, with a median maximum longevity of 11.0 years. Time course and co-expression network analyses of gene expression patterns over time indicated a non-gradual aging pattern. It was characterized by networks of genes that became differentially expressed only late in life, namely after ten years, which associates well with the median maximum lifespan for queens. These old-age gene networks reflect processes of physiological upheaval. We detected strong signs of stress, decline, defense and repair at the transcriptional level of epigenetic control as well as at the post-transcriptional level with changes in transposable element activity and the proteostasis network. The latter depicts an upregulation of protein degradation, together with protein synthesis and protein folding, processes which are often down-regulated in old animals. The simultaneous upregulation of protein synthesis and autophagy is indicative of a stress-response mediated by the transcription factor cnc, a homolog of human nrf genes.

Conclusions

Our results show non-linear senescence with a rather sudden physiological upheaval at old-age. Most importantly, they point to a re-wiring in the proteostasis network and stress as part of the aging process of social insect queens, shortly before queens die.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07649-4.

Oxidative stress and senescence in social insects: a significant but inconsistent link?

The life-prolonging effects of antioxidants have long entered popular culture, but the scientific community still debates whether free radicals and the resulting oxidative stress negatively affect longevity. Social insects are intriguing models for analysing the relationship between oxidative stress and senescence because life histories differ vastly between long-lived reproductives and the genetically similar but short-lived workers. Here, we present the results of an experiment on the accumulation of oxidative damage to proteins, and a comparative analysis of the expression of 20 selected genes commonly involved in managing oxidative damage, across four species of social insects: a termite, two bees and an ant. Although the source of analysed tissue varied across the four species, our results suggest that oxidative stress is a significant factor in senescence and that its manifestation and antioxidant defenses differ among species, making it difficult to find general patterns. More detailed and controlled investigations on why responses to oxidative stress may differ across social species may lead to a better understanding of the relations between oxidative stress, antioxidants, social life history and senescence. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'

Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?

Individual lifespans vary tremendously between and also within species, but the proximate and ultimate causes of different ageing speeds are still not well understood. Sociality appears to be associated with the evolution of greater longevity and probably also with a larger plasticity of the shape and pace of ageing. For example, reproductives of several termites and ants reach lifespans that surpass those of their non-reproductive nestmates by one or two decades. In this issue, 15 papers explore the interrelations between sociality and individual longevity in both, group-living vertebrates and social insects. Here, we briefly give an overview of the contents of the various contributions, including theoretical and comparative studies, and we explore the similarities and dissimilarities in proximate mechanisms underlying ageing among taxa, with particular emphasis on nutrient-sensing pathways and, in insects, juvenile hormone. These studies point to an underestimated role of more downstream processes. We highlight the need for reliable transcriptomic markers of ageing and a comprehensive ageing theory of social animals, which includes the reproductive potential of workers, and considers the fact that social insect queens reach maturity only after a prolonged period of producing non-reproductive workers. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'

Transcriptomic analyses of the termite, Cryptotermes secundus, reveal a gene network underlying a long lifespan and high fecundity

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.