1
|
Caminer MA, Libbrecht R, Majoe M, Ho DV, Baumann P, Foitzik S. Task-specific odorant receptor expression in worker antennae indicates that sensory filters regulate division of labor in ants. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1004. [PMID: 37783732 PMCID: PMC10545721 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05273-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcel A Caminer
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Megha Majoe
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - David V Ho
- Institute of Developmental and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Peter Baumann
- Institute of Developmental and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Social and individual learners use different pathways to success in an ant minisociety. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
|
3
|
Mukherjee I, Das S, Paul B, Annagiri S. The impact of prior and current information of a new nest on relocation dynamics in an Indian ant. Ethology 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Mukherjee
- Department of Biotechnology St. Xavier's College Kolkata India
- Department of Biological Sciences Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata Mohanpur India
| | - Susnato Das
- Department of Biological Sciences Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata Mohanpur India
| | - Bishwarup Paul
- Department of Biological Sciences Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata Mohanpur India
| | - Sumana Annagiri
- Department of Biological Sciences Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata Mohanpur India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chittka L, Rossi N. Social cognition in insects. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:578-592. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
5
|
Stoldt M, Macit MN, Collin E, Foitzik S. Molecular (co)evolution of hymenopteran social parasites and their hosts. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 50:100889. [PMID: 35181562 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marah Stoldt
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Maide Nesibe Macit
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Erwann Collin
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Manfredini F, Martinez‐Ruiz C, Wurm Y, Shoemaker DW, Brown MJF. Social isolation and group size are associated with divergent gene expression in the brain of ant queens. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 21:e12758. [PMID: 34101985 PMCID: PMC9744527 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Social life and isolation pose a complex suite of challenges to organisms prompting significant changes in neural state. However, plasticity in how brains respond to social challenges remains largely unexplored. The fire ants Solenopsis invicta provide an ideal scenario for examining this. Fire ant queens may found colonies individually or in groups of up to 30 queens, depending on key factors such as density of newly mated queens and availability of nesting sites. We artificially manipulated availability of nesting sites to test how the brain responds to social versus solitary colony founding at two key timepoints (early vs. late colony founding) and to group size (large vs. small groups). We adopted a powerful neurogenomic approach to identify even subtle differences of gene expression between treatment groups, and we built a global gene co-expression network of the fire ant brain to identify gene modules specifically associated with the different components of the social environment. The difference between group and single founding queens involves only one gene when founding behavior is still plastic and queens can switch from one modality to another, while hundreds of genes are involved later in the process, when behaviors have lost the initial plasticity and are more canalized. Furthermore, we find that large groups are associated with greater changes in gene expression than small groups, showing that even potentially subtle differences in the social environment can be linked to different neurogenomic states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Manfredini
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK,School of Biological SciencesRoyal Holloway University of LondonEghamUK
| | - Carlos Martinez‐Ruiz
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Yannick Wurm
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - De Wayne Shoemaker
- Department of Entomology and Plant PathologyThe University of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Mark J. F. Brown
- School of Biological SciencesRoyal Holloway University of LondonEghamUK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Chatterjee A, Bais D, Brockmann A, Ramesh D. Search Behavior of Individual Foragers Involves Neurotransmitter Systems Characteristic for Social Scouting. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 1:664978. [PMID: 38468879 PMCID: PMC10926421 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2021.664978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
In honey bees search behavior occurs as social and solitary behavior. In the context of foraging, searching for food sources is performed by behavioral specialized foragers, the scouts. When the scouts have found a new food source, they recruit other foragers (recruits). These recruits never search for a new food source on their own. However, when the food source is experimentally removed, they start searching for that food source. Our study provides a detailed description of this solitary search behavior and the variation of this behavior among individual foragers. Furthermore, mass spectrometric measurement showed that the initiation and performance of this solitary search behavior is associated with changes in glutamate, GABA, histamine, aspartate, and the catecholaminergic system in the optic lobes and central brain area. These findings strikingly correspond with the results of an earlier study that showed that scouts and recruits differ in the expression of glutamate and GABA receptors. Together, the results of both studies provide first clear support for the hypothesis that behavioral specialization in honey bees is based on adjusting modulatory systems involved in solitary behavior to increase the probability or frequency of that behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arumoy Chatterjee
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
- School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, India
| | - Deepika Bais
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Axel Brockmann
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Divya Ramesh
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Leadership - not followership - determines performance in ant teams. Commun Biol 2021; 4:535. [PMID: 33958713 PMCID: PMC8102589 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02048-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Economic theory predicts that organisations achieve higher levels of productivity when tasks are divided among different subsets of workers. This prediction is based upon the expectation that individuals should perform best when they specialise upon a few tasks. However, in colonies of social insects evidence for a causal link between division of labour and performance is equivocal. To address this issue, we performed a targeted worker removal experiment to disrupt the normal allocation of workers to a cooperative team task - tandem running. During a tandem run a knowledgeable leader communicates the location of a new nest to a follower by physically guiding her there. The targeted removal of prominent leaders significantly reduced tandem performance, whereas removal of prominent followers had no effect. Furthermore, analyses of the experience of both participants in each tandem run revealed that tandem performance was influenced primarily by how consistently the leader acted as a leader when the need arose, but not by the consistency of the follower. Our study shows that performance in ant teams depends largely on whether or not a key role is filled by an experienced individual, and suggests that in animal teams, not all roles are equally important.
Collapse
|
9
|
Kennedy A, Peng T, Glaser SM, Linn M, Foitzik S, Grüter C. Use of waggle dance information in honey bees is linked to gene expression in the antennae, but not in the brain. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2676-2688. [PMID: 33742503 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Communication is essential for social animals, but deciding how to utilize information provided by conspecifics is a complex process that depends on environmental and intrinsic factors. Honey bees use a unique form of communication, the waggle dance, to inform nestmates about the location of food sources. However, as in many other animals, experienced individuals often ignore this social information and prefer to rely on prior experiences, i.e., private information. The neurosensory factors that drive the decision to use social information are not yet understood. Here we test whether the decision to use social dance information or private information is linked to gene expression differences in different parts of the nervous system. We trained bees to collect food from sugar water feeders and observed whether they utilize social or private information when exposed to dances for a new food source. We performed transcriptome analysis of four brain parts (11-16 bees per tissue type) critical for cognition: the subesophageal ganglion, the central brain, the mushroom bodies, and the antennal lobes but, unexpectedly, detected no differences between social or private information users. In contrast, we found 413 differentially expressed genes in the antennae, suggesting that variation in sensory perception mediates the decision to use social information. Social information users were characterized by the upregulation of biogenic amine genes, while private information users upregulated several genes coding for odour perception. These results highlight that decision-making in honey bees might also depend on peripheral processes of perception rather than higher-order brain centres of information integration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anissa Kennedy
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tianfei Peng
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Simone M Glaser
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Melissa Linn
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christoph Grüter
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Negroni MA, Stoldt M, Oster M, Rupp AS, Feldmeyer B, Foitzik S. Social organization and the evolution of life-history traits in two queen morphs of the ant Temnothorax rugatulus. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:238088. [PMID: 33658241 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.232793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
During the evolution of social insects, not only did life-history traits diverge, with queens becoming highly fecund and long lived compared with their sterile workers, but also individual traits lost their importance compared with colony-level traits. In solitary animals, fecundity is largely influenced by female size, whereas in eusocial insects, colony size and queen number can affect the egg-laying rate. Here, we focused on the ant Temnothorax rugatulus, which exhibits two queen morphs varying in size and reproductive strategy, correlating with their colony's social organization. We experimentally tested the influence of social structure, colony and body size on queen fecundity and investigated links between body size, metabolic rate and survival under paraquat-induced oxidative stress. To gain insight into the molecular physiology underlying the alternative reproductive strategies, we analysed fat body transcriptomes. Per-queen egg production was lower in polygynous colonies when fecundity was limited by worker care. Colony size was a determinant of fecundity rather than body size or queen number, highlighting the super-organismal properties of these societies. The smaller microgynes were more frequently fed by workers and exhibited an increase in metabolic activity, yet they were similarly resistant to oxidative stress. Small queens differentially expressed metabolic genes in the fat body, indicating that shifts in molecular physiology and resource availability allow microgyne queens to compensate for their small size with a more active metabolism without paying increased mortality costs. We provide novel insights into how life-history traits and their associations were modified during social evolution and adapted to queen reproductive strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo A Negroni
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Marah Stoldt
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Marie Oster
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ann-Sophie Rupp
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Molecular Ecology, Senckenberg, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Negroni MA, Feldmeyer B, Foitzik S. Experimental increase in fecundity causes upregulation of fecundity and body maintenance genes in the fat body of ant queens. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200909. [PMID: 33592155 PMCID: PMC8086957 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In most organisms, fecundity and longevity are negatively associated and the molecular regulation of these two life-history traits is highly interconnected. In addition, nutrient intake often has opposing effects on lifespan and reproduction. In contrast to solitary insects, the main reproductive individual of social hymenopterans, the queen, is also the most long-lived. During development, queen larvae are well-nourished, but we are only beginning to understand the impact of nutrition on the queens' adult life and the molecular regulation and connectivity of fecundity and longevity. Here, we used two experimental manipulations to alter queen fecundity in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus and investigated associated changes in fat body gene expression. Egg removal triggered a fecundity increase, leading to expression changes in genes with functions in fecundity such as oogenesis and body maintenance. Dietary restriction lowered the egg production of queens and altered the expression of genes linked to autophagy, Toll signalling, cellular homeostasis and immunity. Our study reveals that an experimental increase in fecundity causes the co-activation of reproduction and body maintenance mechanisms, shedding light on the molecular regulation of the link between longevity and fecundity in social insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Antoine Negroni
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Biozentrum, Hanns Dieter Hüsch Weg 15, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Molecular Ecology Group, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14–16, D-60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Biozentrum, Hanns Dieter Hüsch Weg 15, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sasaki T, Danczak L, Thompson B, Morshed T, Pratt SC. Route learning during tandem running in the rock ant Temnothorax albipennis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/9/jeb221408. [PMID: 32414865 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.221408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Many animals use information from conspecifics to change their behavior in adaptive ways. When a rock ant, Temnothorax albipennis, finds food, she returns to her colony and uses a method called tandem running to lead nestmates, one at a time, from the nest to the food. In this way, naive ants can learn the location of a food source. Less clear is whether they also learn navigational cues that guide them from nest to food, although this is often assumed. We tested this idea by tracing the routes of individually marked ants as they followed tandem runs to a feeder, returned to the nest, and later traveled independently back to the food. Our results show, for the first time, that tandem run followers learn specific routes from their leaders. Independent journeys back to the food source were significantly more similar to the routes on which the ants had been led, compared with the routes taken by other tandem runs. In contrast, the homeward journey did not resemble the tandem run route. These results are consistent with followers memorizing visual cues during the tandem run that are useful for recapitulating the outward journey, but not as effective when facing in the opposite direction on the homeward journey. We further showed that foraging routes improved through individual experience over multiple trips but not through the social transfer of route information via tandem running. We discuss our findings in relation to social learning and integration of individual and social information in ants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takao Sasaki
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK .,Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Leo Danczak
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Beth Thompson
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Trisha Morshed
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Stephen C Pratt
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.,Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Gstöttl C, Stoldt M, Jongepier E, Bornberg‐Bauer E, Feldmeyer B, Heinze J, Foitzik S. Comparative analyses of caste, sex, and developmental stage-specific transcriptomes in two Temnothorax ants. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:4193-4203. [PMID: 32489589 PMCID: PMC7246193 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Social insects dominate arthropod communities worldwide due to cooperation and division of labor in their societies. This, however, makes them vulnerable to exploitation by social parasites, such as slave-making ants. Slave-making ant workers pillage brood from neighboring nests of related host ant species. After emergence, host workers take over all nonreproductive colony tasks, whereas slavemakers have lost the ability to care for themselves and their offspring. Here, we compared transcriptomes of different developmental stages (larvae, pupae, and adults), castes (queens and workers), and sexes of two related ant species, the slavemaker Temnothorax americanus and its host Temnothorax longispinosus. Our aim was to investigate commonalities and differences in group-specific transcriptomes, whereupon across-species differences possibly can be explained by their divergent lifestyles. Larvae and pupae showed the highest similarity between the two species and upregulated genes with enriched functions of translation and chitin metabolism, respectively. Workers commonly upregulated oxidation-reduction genes, possibly indicative of their active lifestyle. Host workers, but not workers of the slavemaker, upregulated a "social behavior" gene. In slavemaker queens and workers, genes associated with the regulation of transposable elements were upregulated. Queens of both species showed transcriptomic signals of anti-aging mechanisms, with hosts upregulating various DNA repair pathways and slavemaker queens investing in trehalose metabolism. The transcriptomes of males showed enriched functions for quite general terms realized in different genes and pathways in each species. In summary, the strong interspecific commonalities in larvae, pupae, and workers were reflected in the same enriched Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Less commonalities occurred in the transcriptomes of queens and males, which apparently utilize different pathways to achieve a long life and sperm production, respectively. We found that all analyzed groups in this study show characteristic GO terms, with similar patterns in both species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Gstöttl
- Zoology/Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of RegensburgRegensburgGermany
| | - Marah Stoldt
- Institute of Molecular and Organismic EvolutionJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
| | - Evelien Jongepier
- Evolutionary BioinformaticsInstitute for Evolution and BiodiversityWestfälische Wilhelms UniversityMünsterGermany
| | - Erich Bornberg‐Bauer
- Evolutionary BioinformaticsInstitute for Evolution and BiodiversityWestfälische Wilhelms UniversityMünsterGermany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research CentreFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Jürgen Heinze
- Zoology/Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of RegensburgRegensburgGermany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Molecular and Organismic EvolutionJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
| |
Collapse
|