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Wu Y, Fujita T, Namba Y, Kobayashi K, Takata M, Vargo EL, Matsuura K. Inter-clonal competition over queen succession imposes a cost of parthenogenesis on termite colonies. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232711. [PMID: 38772420 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
In social insect colonies, selfish behaviour due to intracolonial conflict among members can result in colony-level costs despite close relatedness. In certain termite species, queens use asexual reproduction for within-colony queen succession but rely on sexual reproduction for worker and alate production, resulting in multiple half-clones of a single primary queen competing for personal reproduction. Our study demonstrates that competition over asexual queen succession among different clone types leads to the overproduction of parthenogenetic offspring, resulting in the production of dysfunctional parthenogenetic alates. By genotyping the queens of 23 field colonies of Reticulitermes speratus, we found that clone variation in the queen population reduces as colonies develop. Field sampling of alates and primary reproductives of incipient colonies showed that overproduced parthenogenetic offspring develop into alates that have significantly smaller body sizes and much lower survivorship than sexually produced alates. Our results indicate that while the production of earlier and more parthenogenetic eggs is advantageous for winning the competition for personal reproduction, it comes at a great cost to the colony. Thus, this study highlights the evolutionary interplay between individual-level and colony-level selection on parthenogenesis by queens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Wu
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho , Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Tadahide Fujita
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho , Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yusuke Namba
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho , Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho , Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Hokkaido Forest Research Station, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University , Hokkaido 088-2339, Japan
| | - Mamoru Takata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho , Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Edward L Vargo
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University (TAMU) , College Station, TX 77843-2143, USA
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho , Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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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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Tasaki E, Yamamoto Y, Iuchi Y. Higher levels of the lipophilic antioxidants coenzyme Q 10 and vitamin E in long-lived termite queens than in short-lived workers. INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 31:201-210. [PMID: 37279723 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Termite queens and kings live longer than nonreproductive workers. Several molecular mechanisms contributing to their long lifespan have been investigated; however, the underlying biochemical explanation remains unclear. Coenzyme Q (CoQ), a component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, plays an essential role in the lipophilic antioxidant defense system. Its beneficial effects on health and longevity have been well studied in several organisms. Herein, we demonstrated that long-lived termite queens have significantly higher levels of the lipophilic antioxidant CoQ10 than workers. Liquid chromatography analysis revealed that the levels of the reduced form of CoQ10 were 4 fold higher in the queen's body than in the worker's body. In addition, queens showed 7 fold higher levels of vitamin E, which plays a role in antilipid peroxidation along with CoQ, than workers. Furthermore, the oral administration of CoQ10 to termites increased the CoQ10 redox state in the body and their survival rate under oxidative stress. These findings suggest that CoQ10 acts as an efficient lipophilic antioxidant along with vitamin E in long-lived termite queens. This study provides essential biochemical and evolutionary insights into the relationship between CoQ10 concentrations and termite lifespan extension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eisuke Tasaki
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Yorihiro Yamamoto
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Iuchi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
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4
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Nozaki T, Tasaki E, Matsuura K. Cell type specific polyploidization in the royal fat body of termite queens. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2023; 9:20. [PMID: 37821917 PMCID: PMC10566149 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-023-00217-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Tissue-specific endopolyploidy is widespread among plants and animals and its role in organ development and function has long been investigated. In insects, the fat body cells of sexually mature females produce substantial amounts of egg yolk precursor proteins (vitellogenins) and exhibit high polyploid levels, which is considered crucial for boosting egg production. Termites are social insects with a reproductive division of labor, and the fat bodies of mature termite queens exhibit higher ploidy levels than those of other females. The fat bodies of mature termite queens are known to be histologically and cytologically specialized in protein synthesis. However, the relationship between such modifications and polyploidization remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the relationship among cell type, queen maturation, and ploidy levels in the fat body of the termite Reticulitermes speratus. We first confirmed that the termite fat body consists of two types of cells, that is, adipocytes, metabolically active cells, and urocytes, urate-storing cells. Our ploidy analysis using flow cytometry has shown that the fat bodies of actively reproducing queens had more polyploid cells than those of newly emerged and pre-reproductive queens, regardless of the queen phenotype (adult or neotenic type). Using image-based analysis, we found that not urocytes, but adipocytes became polyploid during queen differentiation and subsequent sexual maturation. These results suggest that polyploidization in the termite queen fat body is associated with sexual maturation and is regulated in a cell type-specific manner. Our study findings have provided novel insights into the development of insect fat bodies and provide a basis for future studies to understand the functional importance of polyploidy in the fat bodies of termite queens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomonari Nozaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan.
| | - Eisuke Tasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-No-Cho, Nishi-Ku, Niigata, 950-2181, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
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5
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Ishibashi T, Waliullah ASM, Aramaki S, Kamiya M, Kahyo T, Nakamura K, Tasaki E, Takata M, Setou M, Matsuura K. Plastic brain structure changes associated with the division of labor and aging in termites. Dev Growth Differ 2023; 65:374-383. [PMID: 37357446 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Division of labor is a prominent feature of social insect societies, where different castes engage in different specialized tasks. As brain differences are associated with behavioral differences, brain anatomy may be linked to caste polymorphism. Here, we show that termite brain morphology changes markedly with caste differentiation and age in the termite, Reticulitermes speratus. Brain morphology was shown to be associated with reproductive division of labor, with reproductive individuals (alates and neotenic reproductives) having larger brains than nonreproductives (workers and soldiers). Micro-computed tomography (CT) imaging and dissection observations showed that the king's brain morphology changed markedly with shrinkage of the optic lobes during their long life in the dark. Behavioral experiments showed that mature primary kings lose visual function as a result of optic lobe shrinkage. These results suggested that termites restructure their nervous systems to perform necessary tasks as they undergo caste differentiation, and that they also show flexible changes in brain morphology even after the final molt. This study showed that brain morphology in social insects is linked to caste and aging, and that the evolution of the division of labor is underpinned by the development of diverse neural systems for specialized tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoki Ishibashi
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Laboratory for Physical Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - A S M Waliullah
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Shuhei Aramaki
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
- International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
- Department of Radiology, Hamamatsu University Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Masaki Kamiya
- Department of Radiology, Hamamatsu University Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Kahyo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
- International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | | | - Eisuke Tasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mamoru Takata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mitsutoshi Setou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
- International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
- Department of Systems Molecular Anatomy, Institute for Medical Photonics Research, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education and Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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6
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Tasaki E, Mitaka Y, Takahashi Y, Waliullah ASM, Tamannaa Z, Sakamoto T, Islam A, Kamiya M, Sato T, Aramaki S, Kikushima K, Horikawa M, Nakamura K, Kahyo T, Takata M, Setou M, Matsuura K. The royal food of termites shows king and queen specificity. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad222. [PMID: 37457894 PMCID: PMC10338896 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Society in eusocial insects is based on the reproductive division of labor, with a small number of reproductive individuals supported by a large number of nonreproductive individuals. Because inclusive fitness of all colony members depends on the survival and fertility of reproductive members, sterile members provide royals with special treatment. Here, we show that termite kings and queens each receive special food of a different composition from workers. Sequential analysis of feeding processes demonstrated that workers exhibit discriminative trophallaxis, indicating their decision-making capacity in allocating food to the kings and queens. Liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry analyses of the stomodeal food and midgut contents revealed king- and queen-specific compounds, including diacylglycerols and short-chain peptides. Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging analyses of 13C-labeled termites identified phosphatidylinositol and acetyl-l-carnitine in the royal food. Comparison of the digestive tract structure showed remarkable differences in the volume ratio of the midgut-to-hindgut among castes, indicating that digestive division of labor underlies reproductive division of labor. Our demonstration of king- and queen-specific foods in termites provides insight into the nutritional system that underpins the extraordinary reproduction and longevity of royals in eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yutaka Takahashi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - A S M Waliullah
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Zinat Tamannaa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Takumi Sakamoto
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Ariful Islam
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Masaki Kamiya
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Tomohito Sato
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Shuhei Aramaki
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
- Department of Radiology, Hamamatsu University Hospital, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
- International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Kenji Kikushima
- Present address: Department of Integrative Anatomy, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Makoto Horikawa
- Present address: Hiroshima Research Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan
| | - Katsumasa Nakamura
- Department of Radiology, Hamamatsu University Hospital, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Kahyo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
- International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Mamoru Takata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | | | - Kenji Matsuura
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: (M.S.); (K.M.)
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7
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Martelossi J, Forni G, Iannello M, Savojardo C, Martelli PL, Casadio R, Mantovani B, Luchetti A, Rota-Stabelli O. Wood feeding and social living: Draft genome of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes lucifugus (Blattodea; Termitoidae). INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 32:118-131. [PMID: 36366787 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Termites (Insecta, Blattodea, Termitoidae) are a widespread and diverse group of eusocial insects known for their ability to digest wood matter. Herein, we report the draft genome of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes lucifugus, an economically important species and among the most studied taxa with respect to eusocial organization and mating system. The final assembly (~813 Mb) covered up to 88% of the estimated genome size and, in agreement with the Asexual Queen Succession Mating System, it was found completely homozygous. We predicted 16,349 highly supported gene models and 42% of repetitive DNA content. Transposable elements of R. lucifugus show similar evolutionary dynamics compared to that of other termites, with two main peaks of activity localized at 25% and 8% of Kimura divergence driven by DNA, LINE and SINE elements. Gene family turnover analyses identified multiple instances of gene duplication associated with R. lucifugus diversification, with significant lineage-specific gene family expansions related to development, perception and nutrient metabolism pathways. Finally, we analysed P450 and odourant receptor gene repertoires in detail, highlighting the large diversity and dynamical evolutionary history of these proteins in the R. lucifugus genome. This newly assembled genome will provide a valuable resource for further understanding the molecular basis of termites biology as well as for pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Martelossi
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giobbe Forni
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Mariangela Iannello
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Castrense Savojardo
- Biocomputing Group, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pier Luigi Martelli
- Biocomputing Group, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Rita Casadio
- Biocomputing Group, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Mantovani
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Luchetti
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Omar Rota-Stabelli
- Center Agriculture Food Environment C3A, University of Trento/Fondazione Edmund Mach, Trento, Italy
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8
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Takata M, Nagai S, Inagaki T, Ohkubo Y, Tasaki E, Matsuura K. Heritable effects on caste determination and colony-level sex allocation in termites under field conditions. iScience 2023; 26:106207. [PMID: 36876124 PMCID: PMC9982680 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The ecological success of social insects is attributed to the division of labor, where newly hatched offspring differentiate into either fertile progeny or functionally sterile worker castes. There is growing evidence for the heritable (genetic or epigenetic) effects on caste determination based on laboratory experiments. Here, we indirectly demonstrate that heritable factors have the principal role in caste determination and strongly affect colony-level production of both sexes of fertile dispersers (i.e., alates) in field colonies of the termite Reticulitermes speratus. An egg-fostering experiment suggests that the colony-dependent sex-specific caste fates were almost entirely determined before oviposition. Our investigation of field colonies revealed that such colony-dependent sex-specific caste fates result in the intercolonial variation in the numerical sex ratio of differentiated fertile offspring and, eventually, that of alates. This study contributes to better understanding the mechanisms underlying the division of labor and life-history traits in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamoru Takata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto Universit, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Shuya Nagai
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto Universit, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Inagaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto Universit, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.,School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technolog, 2-12-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Yusaku Ohkubo
- Center for Data Assimilation Research and Applications, Joint Support Center for Data Science Research, Research Organization of Information and Systems, 10-3, Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan.,The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, 10-3, Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eisuke Tasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto Universit, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto Universit, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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9
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Konishi T, Tasaki E, Takata M, Matsuura K. King- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid contributes to reproduction in termites. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221942. [PMID: 36598016 PMCID: PMC9811635 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Caste-based reproductive division of labour in social insects is built on asymmetries in resource allocation within colonies. Kings and queens dominantly consume limited resources for reproduction, while non-reproductive castes such as workers and soldiers help reproductive castes. Studying the regulation of such asymmetries in resource allocation is crucial for understanding the maintenance of sociality in insects, although the molecular background is poorly understood. We focused on uric acid, which is reserved and used as a valuable nitrogen source in wood-eating termites. We found that king- and queen-specific degradation of uric acid contributes to reproduction in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus. The urate oxidase gene (RsUAOX), which catalyses the first step of nitrogen recycling from stored uric acid, was highly expressed in mature kings and queens, and upregulated with differentiation into neotenic kings/queens. Suppression of uric acid degradation decreased the number of eggs laid per queen. Uric acid was shown to be provided by workers to reproductive castes. Our results suggest that the capacity to use nitrogen, which is essential for the protein synthesis required for reproduction, maintains colony cohesion expressed as the reproductive monopoly held by kings and queens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao Konishi
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Eisuke Tasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Mamoru Takata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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10
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The phylogeography of some soil-feeding termites shaped by the Andes. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-022-00594-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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11
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Forni G, Mikheyev AS, Luchetti A, Mantovani B. Gene transcriptional profiles in gonads of Bacillus taxa (Phasmida) with different cytological mechanisms of automictic parthenogenesis. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2022; 8:14. [PMID: 36435814 PMCID: PMC9701443 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-022-00197-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of automixis - i.e., meiotic parthenogenesis - requires several features, including ploidy restoration after meiosis and maintenance of fertility. Characterizing the relative contribution of novel versus pre-existing genes and the similarities in their expression and sequence evolution is fundamental to understand the evolution of reproductive novelties. Here we identify gonads-biased genes in two Bacillus automictic stick-insects and compare their expression profile and sequence evolution with a bisexual congeneric species. The two parthenogens restore ploidy through different cytological mechanisms: in Bacillus atticus, nuclei derived from the first meiotic division fuse to restore a diploid egg nucleus, while in Bacillus rossius, diploidization occurs in some cells of the haploid blastula through anaphase restitution. Parthenogens' gonads transcriptional program is found to be largely assembled from genes that were already present before the establishment of automixis. The three species transcriptional profiles largely reflect their phyletic relationships, yet we identify a shared core of genes with gonad-biased patterns of expression in parthenogens which are either male gonads-biased in the sexual species or are not differentially expressed there. At the sequence level, just a handful of gonads-biased genes were inferred to have undergone instances of positive selection exclusively in the parthenogen species. This work is the first to explore the molecular underpinnings of automixis in a comparative framework: it delineates how reproductive novelties can be sustained by genes whose origin precedes the establishment of the novelty itself and shows that different meiotic mechanisms of reproduction can be associated with a shared molecular ground plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giobbe Forni
- Dip. Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
- Dip. Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alexander S Mikheyev
- Australian National University, ACT, Canberra, 2600, Australia
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Andrea Luchetti
- Dip. Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Barbara Mantovani
- Dip. Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
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12
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Khan Z, Khan MS, Bawazeer S, Bawazeer N, Suleman, Irfan M, Rauf A, Su XH, Xing LX. A comprehensive review on the documented characteristics of four Reticulitermes termites (Rhinotermitidae, Blattodea) of China. BRAZ J BIOL 2022; 84:e256354. [PMID: 35319619 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.256354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Termites are known as social insects worldwide. Presently in China 473 species, 44 genera and 4 families of termites have been reported. Of them, 111 Reticulitermes species are widely spread in different zones of China. The dispersion flight season of these Chinese Reticulitermes species are usually started from February to June, but in some regions different species are distributed, sharing their boundaries and having overlapping flight seasons. These reasons become important sources of hybridization between two different heterospecific populations of termites. It was confirmed that the fertilized eggs and unfertilized eggs of some Reticulitermes termites have the capacity of cleavage. While the unfertilized eggs of R. aculabialis, R. chinensis and R. labralis cleaved normally and the only R. aculabialis unfertilized eggs develop in embryos. While, the R. flaviceps and R. chinensis were observed with their abnormal embryonic development, and not hatching of eggs parthenogenetically. They were reported more threatening to Chinese resources as they propagate with parthenogenesis, hybridization and sexual reproduction. Eggshell and macrophiles of eggs play important roles in species identification and control. Although, they are severe pests and cause a wide range of damages to wooden structures and products in homes, buildings, building materials, trees, crops, and forests in China's Mainland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Khan
- Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,University of Swabi, Zoology Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - M S Khan
- University of Swabi, Zoology Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - S Bawazeer
- Umm Al-Qura University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - N Bawazeer
- Minister of Interior General Directorate of Prison's Health, Pharmacy Department, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Suleman
- University of Swabi, Zoology Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - M Irfan
- Abdul Wali Khan University, Department of Botany, Mardan, Pakistan.,University of Swabi, Department of Botany, Swabi, Pakistan.,Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
| | - A Rauf
- University of Swabi, Department of Chemistry, Anbar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - X-H Su
- Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Xi'an, China
| | - L-X Xing
- Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Xi'an, China.,Northwest University, Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Xi'an, China
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13
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Yashiro T, Tea YK, Van Der Wal C, Nozaki T, Mizumoto N, Hellemans S, Matsuura K, Lo N. Enhanced heterozygosity from male meiotic chromosome chains is superseded by hybrid female asexuality in termites. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2009533118. [PMID: 34903643 PMCID: PMC8713478 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2009533118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although males are a ubiquitous feature of animals, they have been lost repeatedly in diverse lineages. The tendency for obligate asexuality to evolve is thought to be reduced in animals whose males play a critical role beyond the contribution of gametes, for example, via care of offspring or provision of nuptial gifts. To our knowledge, the evolution of obligate asexuality in such species is unknown. In some species that undergo frequent inbreeding, males are hypothesized to play a key role in maintaining genetic heterozygosity through the possession of neo-sex chromosomes, although empirical evidence for this is lacking. Because inbreeding is a key feature of the life cycle of termites, we investigated the potential role of males in promoting heterozygosity within populations through karyotyping and genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism analyses of the drywood termite Glyptotermes nakajimai We showed that males possess up to 15 out of 17 of their chromosomes as sex-linked (sex and neo-sex) chromosomes and that they maintain significantly higher levels of heterozygosity than do females. Furthermore, we showed that two obligately asexual lineages of this species-representing the only known all-female termite populations-arose independently via intraspecific hybridization between sexual lineages with differing diploid chromosome numbers. Importantly, these asexual females have markedly higher heterozygosity than their conspecific males and appear to have replaced the sexual lineages in some populations. Our results indicate that asexuality has enabled females to supplant a key role of males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihisa Yashiro
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia;
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yi-Kai Tea
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
- Ichthyology, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Cara Van Der Wal
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Tomonari Nozaki
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son 904-0495, Japan
| | - Simon Hellemans
- Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son 904-0495, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Nathan Lo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia;
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14
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Tamaki C, Takata M, Matsuura K. The lose-to-win strategy of the weak: intraspecific parasitism via egg abduction in a termite. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210540. [PMID: 34932926 PMCID: PMC8692029 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0540] [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: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation by larger conspecifics poses a major threat to small juveniles in many animal species. However, in social insects, raids perpetrated by large colonies may provide smaller colonies with opportunities for parasitization. Herein, in the termite Reticulitermes speratus, we demonstrate that small incipient colonies parasitize large mature colonies through egg abduction when attacked by raiding conspecifics. We observed that the eggs of incipient colonies were brought into raiding colonies while their parents were killed during the attack. In this species, unmated females found new colonies with female-female (FF) cooperation, in addition to the typical monogamous colony foundation. Interestingly, the abducted eggs of FF pairs developed into nymphs (reproductive caste) in the raiding colonies, whereas the eggs of male-female (MF) pairs developed into workers (non-reproductive caste). Parthenogenetic eggs are known to be developmentally predisposed to becoming female reproductives owing to genomic imprinting in termites. This study demonstrates that the plundering of small colonies by larger conspecific colonies not only results in the extinction of the weaker colonies, but also serves as a strategy that incipient colonies use to obtain the reproductive position in large colonies by stealth. The results elucidate the diversity and complexity of inter-colonial interactions in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Tamaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Mamoru Takata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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15
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Nozaki T, Suetsugu K, Sato K, Sato R, Takagi T, Funaki S, Ito K, Kurita K, Isagi Y, Kaneko S. Development of microsatellite markers for the geographically parthenogenetic stick insect Phraortes elongatus (Insecta: Phasmatodea). Genes Genet Syst 2021; 96:199-203. [PMID: 34483152 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.21-00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many plant and animal species exhibit geographic parthenogenesis, wherein unisexual (= parthenogenetic) lineages are more common in their marginal habitats such as high latitude or altitudes than their closely related bisexual counterparts. The Japanese stick insect, Phraortes elongatus (Thunberg) (Insecta: Phasmatodea), is known as a geographically parthenogenetic species due to the existence of both bisexual and unisexual populations. Here, we developed microsatellite markers to infer the genetic variation among populations of P. elongatus. Totally, 13 primer pairs were developed for the species, and they were tested on 47 samples collected from both a bisexual population and a unisexual population. All 13 loci were polymorphic in the bisexual population, whereas no loci were polymorphic in the unisexual population. The loss of variation in the unisexual population implies automixis with terminal fusion or gamete duplication as the mode of parthenogenesis. The markers developed in this study will be helpful for further comprehensive analysis of the genetic diversity and gene flow between bisexual and parthenogenetic lineages of P. elongatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomonari Nozaki
- Center for the Development of New Model Organisms, National Institute for Basic Biology
| | - Kenji Suetsugu
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University
| | - Kai Sato
- Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University
| | - Ryuta Sato
- Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University
| | - Toshihito Takagi
- Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University
| | - Shoichi Funaki
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University
| | - Katsura Ito
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University
| | | | - Yuji Isagi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
| | - Shingo Kaneko
- Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University
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16
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Nozaki T, Matsuura K. Oocyte resorption in termite queens: Seasonal dynamics and controlling factors. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 131:104242. [PMID: 33845091 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Female insects can resorb their oocytes that could not be oviposited. Oocyte resorption is proposed to be an adaptive mechanism to optimize fitness in hostile environments, recouping resources that might otherwise be lost. Social insects have developed reproductive division of labor, wherein a small number of queens are devoted to egg production. Matured queens are highly specialized in reproduction and are largely dependent on nestmate workers for their nourishment. Therefore, oocyte resorption in the queens should be influenced by social factors such as the amount of available workforce, as well as external and abiotic factors. In this study, we investigated the seasonal dynamics and regulation factors of oocyte resorption in actively reproducing termite queens. We continuously collected the field-nests of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus and demonstrated that queens frequently resorbed their oocytes in late summer, even though it is one of the most productive seasons in this species. On the other hand, our laboratory experiment showed that oocyte resorption itself was strongly induced regardless of the season. We also found that the rate of oocyte resorption was influenced by colony size (the number of attending workers). These results suggest that termite queens seasonally resorb their oocytes, yet oocyte resorption itself is regulated by social factors rather than by seasonal factors. Our study provides a unique insight into the regulation of reproduction in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomonari Nozaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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17
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Tasaki E, Komagata Y, Inagaki T, Matsuura K. Reproduction deep inside wood: a low O 2 and high CO 2 environment promotes egg production by termite queens. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200049. [PMID: 32264784 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0049] [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] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Extreme conditions are normal for animals living in harsh environments. These animals adapt to their habitats and can use difficult conditions by default. Organisms living in enclosed spaces, notably termites in decaying wood, experience low O2 and high CO2 gas conditions due to limited gas exchange and high insect density. Termite queens, in particular, reproduce in royal chambers deep inside the wood, wherein tens of thousands of individuals engage in social labour. Here, we demonstrate that royal chambers in termite nests have low O2 and high CO2 gas concentrations, which enhance egg production by queens. We identified a unique gas condition of royal chambers in the nest of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus, which is characterized by low O2 (15.75%) and high CO2 (4.99%) concentrations. Queens showed significantly greater fecundity under the low O2 and high CO2 gas conditions in the royal chambers than under ambient gas conditions. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the royal chamber gas conditions significantly promoted the expression levels of the vitellogenin genes RsVg1, RsVg2 and RsVg3 in queens compared with ambient gas conditions. This study highlights the adaptation of animals that live in closed habitats, which are hypoxic and hypercapnic as the result of their own metabolism, so as to have a high fitness in such environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eisuke Tasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Komagata
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Inagaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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18
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Mitaka Y, Tasaki E, Nozaki T, Fuchikawa T, Kobayashi K, Matsuura K. Transcriptomic analysis of epigenetic modification genes in the termite Reticulitermes speratus. INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 27:202-211. [PMID: 30203565 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Eusocial insects display a caste system in which different castes are morphologically and physiologically specialized for different tasks. Recent studies have revealed that epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modification, mediate caste determination and differentiation, longevity, and polyethism in eusocial insects. Although there has been a growing interest in the relationship between epigenetic mechanisms and phenotypic plasticity in termites, there is little information about differential expression levels among castes and expression sites for these genes in termites. Here we show royal-tissue-specific expression of epigenetic modification genes in the termite Reticulitermes speratus. Using RNA-seq, we identified 74 genes, including three DNA methyltransferases, seven sirtuins, 48 Trithorax group proteins, and 16 Polycomb group proteins. Among these genes, 15 showed king-specific expression, and 52 showed age-dependent differential expression in kings and queens. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that DNA methyltransferase 3 is expressed specifically in the king's testis and fat body, whereas some histone modification genes are remarkably expressed in the king's testis and queen's ovary. These findings imply that epigenetic modification plays important roles in the gamete production process in termite kings and queens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Mitaka
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
- Applied Entomology Laboratory, Center for Bioresource Field Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Eisuke Tasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomonari Nozaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Taro Fuchikawa
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kobayashi
- Hokkaido Forest Research Station, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kawakami-gun, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
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19
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Laranjo LT, da Silva IB, Costa-Leonardo AM. Development and comparative morphology of the reproductive system in different aged males of the drywood termite Cryptotermes brevis (Blattaria, Isoptera, Kalotermitidae). PROTOPLASMA 2020; 257:31-42. [PMID: 31321554 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-019-01417-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Termites are eusocial cockroaches, which have received great attention due to their diversity of reproductive strategies. Although these novelties allow new interpretations concerning the mating biology of these insects, studies highlighting the structure of the reproductive system are limited to some termite lineages. Here we provide the first comparative analysis of the reproductive system of a drywood termite, using different aged males of Cryptotermes brevis as models. This species represents an important structural pest in tropical regions, and most aspects of its reproductive biology remain unknown, especially on males. The reproductive apparatus of C. brevis is equipped with paired testes, composed of seven testicular lobes, in which developing spermatozoa are located. The basal portion of the lobes connects to the vasa deferentia and transport spermatozoa to a pair of enlarged chambers, the seminal vesicles. These structures join in a median ejaculatory duct, which opens to the external region through a retractile penis. Spermatozoa were observed in all C. brevis males, exhibiting elongated morphology and measuring about 10 μm in length/4 μm in width. Compared with last-instar nymphs and alates, functional kings showed enlarged testes and seminal vesicles, as well as an intense secretory activity towards the lumen of the latter structures. Histochemical tests evidenced strongly PAS and xylidine Ponceau positive reactions of the secretion only in functional kings, indicating the occurrence of glycoproteins. Thus, we suggest that morphophysiological changes establish during the maturation of the reproductive system in C. brevis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Teixeira Laranjo
- Laboratório de Cupins, Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Av. 24A, No. 1515, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Iago Bueno da Silva
- Laboratório de Cupins, Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Av. 24A, No. 1515, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Costa-Leonardo
- Laboratório de Cupins, Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Av. 24A, No. 1515, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil.
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20
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of AgricultureKyoto University Kyoto Japan
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21
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Kuhn A, Darras H, Paknia O, Aron S. Repeated evolution of queen parthenogenesis and social hybridogenesis in
Cataglyphis
desert ants. Mol Ecol 2019; 29:549-564. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Kuhn
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium
| | - Hugo Darras
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium
- Department of Ecology and Evolution Biophore UNIL Sorge University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Omid Paknia
- ITZ, Ecology and Evolution TiHo Hannover Hannover Germany
| | - Serge Aron
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium
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22
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Tanaka M, Daimon T. First molecular genetic evidence for automictic parthenogenesis in cockroaches. INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 26:649-655. [PMID: 29389065 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 01/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Parthenogenesis is an asexual mode of reproduction that plays an important role in the evolution of sex, sociality, and reproduction strategies in insects. Some species of cockroach exhibit thelytoky, a type of parthenogenesis in which female offspring are produced without fertilization. However, the cytological and genetic mechanisms of parthenogenesis in cockroaches are not well understood. Here we provide the first molecular genetic evidence that cockroaches can reproduce through automixis. Using the American cockroach Periplaneta americana, we performed microsatellite analysis to investigate the genetic relationship between parthenogenetically produced nymphs and the parent virgin females, and found that all parthenogenetic offspring were homozygous for autosomal microsatellite markers, whereas the female parents were heterozygous. In addition, flow cytometry analysis revealed that the parthenogenetic offspring were diploid. Taken together, our results demonstrate that P. americana exhibits automixis-type thelytoky, in which diploidy is restored by gamete duplication or terminal fusion. These findings highlight the unique reproduction strategies of cockroaches, which are more varied than was previously recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Tanaka
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takaaki Daimon
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
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23
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Hellemans S, Dolejšová K, Křivánek J, Fournier D, Hanus R, Roisin Y. Widespread occurrence of asexual reproduction in higher termites of the Termes group (Termitidae: Termitinae). BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:131. [PMID: 31226928 PMCID: PMC6588926 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1459-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A decade ago, the mixed reproductive strategy Asexual Queen Succession (AQS) was first described in termites. In AQS species, the workers, soldiers and dispersing reproductives are produced through sexual reproduction, while non-dispersing (neotenic) queens arise through automictic thelytokous parthenogenesis, replace the founding queen and mate with the founding king. As yet, AQS has been documented in six species from three lineages of lower (Rhinotermitidae) and higher (Termitinae: Termes group and Syntermitinae) termites. Independent evolution of the capacity of thelytoky as a preadaptation to AQS is supported by different mechanisms of automixis in each of the three clades. These pioneering discoveries prompt the question on the extent of thelytoky and AQS in the diversified family of higher termites. RESULTS Here, we investigated the capacity of thelytoky and occurrence of AQS in three species from the phylogenetic proximity of the neotropical AQS species Cavitermes tuberosus (Termitinae: Termes group): Palmitermes impostor, Spinitermes trispinosus, and Inquilinitermes inquilinus. We show that queens of all three species are able to lay unfertilized eggs, which undergo thelytokous parthenogenesis (via gamete duplication as in C. tuberosus) and develop through the transitional stage of aspirants into replacement neotenic queens. CONCLUSIONS The breeding system in P. impostor is very reminiscent of that described in C. tuberosus and can be characterized as AQS. In the remaining two species, our limited data do not allow classifying the breeding system as AQS; yet, also in these species the thelytokous production of neotenic females appears to be a systematic element of reproductive strategies. It appears likely that the capacity of thelytokous parthenogenesis evolved once in the Termes group, and may ultimately be found more widely, well beyond these Neotropical species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Hellemans
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CP 160/12, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Klára Dolejšová
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, CZ-166 10, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Křivánek
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, CZ-166 10, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Denis Fournier
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CP 160/12, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Robert Hanus
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, CZ-166 10, Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Yves Roisin
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CP 160/12, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
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24
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Artiles KL, Fire AZ, Frøkjær-Jensen C. Assessment and Maintenance of Unigametic Germline Inheritance for C. elegans. Dev Cell 2019; 48:827-839.e9. [PMID: 30799227 PMCID: PMC6435406 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The recent work of Besseling and Bringmann (2016) identified a molecular intervention for C. elegans in which premature segregation of maternal and paternal chromosomes in the fertilized oocyte can produce viable animals exhibiting a non-Mendelian inheritance pattern. Overexpression in embryos of a single protein regulating chromosome segregation (GPR-1) provides a germline derived clonally from a single parental gamete. We present a collection of strains and cytological assays to consistently generate and track non-Mendelian inheritance. These tools allow reproducible and high-frequency (>80%) production of non-Mendelian inheritance, the facile and simultaneous homozygosis for all nuclear chromosomes in a single generation, the precise exchange of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes between strains, and the assessments of non-canonical mitosis events. We show the utility of these strains by demonstrating a rapid assessment of cell lineage requirements (AB versus P1) for a set of genes (lin-2, lin-3, lin-12, and lin-31) with roles in C. elegans vulval development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Artiles
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Andrew Z Fire
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Christian Frøkjær-Jensen
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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25
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Vargo EL. Diversity of Termite Breeding Systems. INSECTS 2019; 10:E52. [PMID: 30759735 PMCID: PMC6409762 DOI: 10.3390/insects10020052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Termites are social insects that live in colonies headed by reproductive castes. The breeding system is defined by the number of reproductive individuals in a colony and the castes to which they belong. There is tremendous variation in the breeding system of termites both within and among species. The current state of our understanding of termite breeding systems is reviewed. Most termite colonies are founded by a primary (alate-derived) king and queen who mate and produce the other colony members. In some species, colonies continue throughout their life span as simple families headed by the original king and queen. In others, the primary king and queen are replaced by numerous neotenic (nymph- or worker-derived) reproductives, or less commonly primary reproductives, that are descendants of the original founding pair leading to inbreeding in the colony. In still others, colonies can have multiple unrelated reproductives due to either founding the colonies as groups or through colony fusion. More recently, parthenogenetic reproduction has shown to be important in some termite species and may be widespread. A major challenge in termite biology is to understand the ecological and evolutionary factors driving the variation in termite breeding systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward L Vargo
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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26
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Tasaki E, Mitaka Y, Nozaki T, Kobayashi K, Matsuura K, Iuchi Y. High expression of the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 in long-lived termite kings. Aging (Albany NY) 2018; 10:2668-2683. [PMID: 30312170 PMCID: PMC6224230 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aging is associated with the accumulation of DNA damage. High expression of DNA repair genes has been suggested to contribute to prolonged lifespan in several organisms. However, the crucial DNA repair genes contributing to longevity remain unknown. Termite kings have an extraordinary long lifespan compared with that of non-reproductive individuals such as workers despite being derived from the same genome, thus providing a singular model for identifying longevity-related genes. In this study, we demonstrated that termite kings express higher levels of the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 than other castes. Using RNA sequencing, we identified 21 king-specific genes among 127 newly annotated DNA repair genes in the termite Reticulitermes speratus. Using quantitative PCR, we revealed that some of the highly expressed king-specific genes were significantly upregulated in reproductive tissue (testis) compared to their expression in somatic tissue (fat body). Notably, BRCA1 gene expression in the fat body was more than 4-fold higher in kings than in workers. These results suggest that BRCA1 partly contributes to DNA repair in somatic and reproductive tissues in termite kings. These findings provide important insights into the linkage between BRCA1 gene expression and the extraordinary lifespan of termite kings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eisuke Tasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Department of Applied Bioresources Chemistry, The United Graduate School of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
- Equal contribution
| | - Yuki Mitaka
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Equal contribution
| | - Tomonari Nozaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kobayashi
- Hokkaido Forest Research Station, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Hokkaido 088-2339, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Iuchi
- Department of Applied Bioresources Chemistry, The United Graduate School of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
- Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
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27
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Yashiro T, Lo N, Kobayashi K, Nozaki T, Fuchikawa T, Mizumoto N, Namba Y, Matsuura K. Loss of males from mixed-sex societies in termites. BMC Biol 2018; 16:96. [PMID: 30249269 PMCID: PMC6154949 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0563-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual reproduction is the norm in almost all animal species, and in many advanced animal societies, both males and females participate in social activities. To date, the complete loss of males from advanced social animal lineages has been reported only in ants and honey bees (Hymenoptera), whose workers are always female and whose males display no helping behaviors even in normal sexual species. Asexuality has not previously been observed in colonies of another major group of social insects, the termites, where the ubiquitous presence of both male and female workers and soldiers indicate that males play a critical role beyond that of reproduction. Results Here, we report asexual societies in a lineage of the termite Glyptotermes nakajimai. We investigated the composition of mature colonies from ten distinct populations in Japan, finding six asexual populations characterized by a lack of any males in the reproductive, soldier, and worker castes of their colonies, an absence of sperm in the spermathecae of their queens, and the development of unfertilized eggs at a level comparable to that for the development of fertilized eggs in sexual populations of this species. Phylogenetic analyses indicated a single evolutionary origin of the asexual populations, with divergence from sampled sexual populations occurring about 14 million years ago. Asexual colonies differ from sexual colonies in having a more uniform head size in their all-female soldier caste, and fewer soldiers in proportion to other individuals, suggesting increased defensive efficiencies arising from uniform soldier morphology. Such efficiencies may have contributed to the persistence and spread of the asexual lineage. Cooperative colony foundation by multiple queens, the single-site nesting life history common to both the asexual and sexual lineages, and the occasional development of eggs without fertilization even in the sexual lineage are traits likely to have been present in the ancestors of the asexual lineage that may have facilitated the transition to asexuality. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that completely asexual social lineages can evolve from mixed-sex termite societies, providing evidence that males are dispensable for the maintenance of advanced animal societies in which they previously played an active social role. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-018-0563-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihisa Yashiro
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. .,Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
| | - Nathan Lo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Kazuya Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Tomonari Nozaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Taro Fuchikawa
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yusuke Namba
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
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28
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Matsuura K, Mizumoto N, Kobayashi K, Nozaki T, Fujita T, Yashiro T, Fuchikawa T, Mitaka Y, Vargo EL. A Genomic Imprinting Model of Termite Caste Determination: Not Genetic but Epigenetic Inheritance Influences Offspring Caste Fate. Am Nat 2018; 191:677-690. [PMID: 29750562 DOI: 10.1086/697238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Eusocial insects exhibit the most striking example of phenotypic plasticity. There has been a long controversy over the factors determining caste development of individuals in social insects. Here we demonstrate that parental phenotypes influence the social status of offspring not through genetic inheritance but through genomic imprinting in termites. Our extensive field survey and genetic analysis of the termite Reticulitermes speratus show that its breeding system is inconsistent with a genetic caste determination model. We therefore developed a genomic imprinting model, in which queen- and king-specific epigenetic marks antagonistically influence sexual development of offspring. The model accounts for all known empirical data on caste differentiation of R. speratus and other related species. By conducting colony-founding experiments and additively incorporating relevant socio-environmental factors into our genomic imprinting model, we show the relative importance of genomic imprinting and environmental factors in caste determination. The idea of epigenetic inheritance of sexual phenotypes solves the puzzle of why parthenogenetically produced daughters carrying only maternal chromosomes exclusively develop into queens and why parental phenotypes (nymph- or worker-derived reproductives) strongly influence caste differentiation of offspring. According to our model, the worker caste is seen as a "neuter" caste whose sexual development is suppressed due to counterbalanced maternal and paternal imprinting and opens new avenues for understanding the evolution of caste systems in social insects.
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29
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Tasaki E, Kobayashi K, Matsuura K, Iuchi Y. Long-Lived Termite Queens Exhibit High Cu/Zn-Superoxide Dismutase Activity. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2018; 2018:5127251. [PMID: 29636846 PMCID: PMC5831368 DOI: 10.1155/2018/5127251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In most organisms, superoxide dismutases (SODs) are among the most effective antioxidant enzymes that regulate the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by oxidative energy metabolism. ROS are considered main proximate causes of aging. However, it remains unclear if SOD activities are associated with organismal longevity. The queens of eusocial insects, such as termites, ants, and honeybees, exhibit extraordinary longevity in comparison with the nonreproductive castes, such as workers. Therefore, the queens are promising candidates to study the underlying mechanisms of aging. Here, we found that queens have higher Cu/Zn-SOD activity than nonreproductive individuals of the termite Reticulitermes speratus. We identified three Cu/Zn-SOD sequences and one Mn-SOD sequence by RNA sequencing in R. speratus. Although the queens showed higher Cu/Zn-SOD activity than the nonreproductive individuals, there were no differences in their expression levels of the Cu/Zn-SOD genes RsSOD1 and RsSOD3A. Copper (Cu2+ and Cu+) is an essential cofactor for Cu/Zn-SOD enzyme activity, and the queens had higher concentrations of copper than the workers. These results suggest that the high Cu/Zn-SOD activity of termite queens is related to their high levels of the cofactor rather than gene expression. This study highlights that Cu/Zn-SOD activity contributes to extraordinary longevity in termites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eisuke Tasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Department of Applied Bioresources Chemistry, The United Graduate School of Agriculture, Tottori University, 4-101 Koyamacho-minami, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kobayashi
- Hokkaido Forest Research Station, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, 553 Tawa Shibecha-cho Kawakami-gun, Hokkaido 088-2339, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Iuchi
- Department of Applied Bioresources Chemistry, The United Graduate School of Agriculture, Tottori University, 4-101 Koyamacho-minami, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
- Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
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30
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Laranjo LT, Haifig I, Costa-Leonardo AM. Morphology of the male reproductive system during post-embryonic development of the termite Silvestritermes euamignathus (Isoptera: Termitidae). ZOOL ANZ 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2017.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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31
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Hellemans S, Fournier D, Hanus R, Roisin Y. Secondary queens in the parthenogenetic termite Cavitermes tuberosus develop through a transitional helper stage. Evol Dev 2017; 19:253-262. [PMID: 29115023 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In termite species with asexual queen succession (AQS), parthenogenetically produced immatures mostly differentiate into secondary queens, called "neotenics." In order to elucidate the ontogenetic origin of neotenics in Cavitermes tuberosus (Termitidae: Termitinae), a neotropical termite with AQS, we investigated developmental pathways of offspring according to their sex and genetic origin using both morphometric and genetic tools. The caste system of C. tuberosus follows the classical pathway of Termitidae. After the first larval instar, there is a bifurcation between two developmental lines. The apterous line is composed of a second larval instar, several worker instars, presoldiers, and soldiers. Workers display a consistent male bias and soldiers are female-only. The nymphal line is composed of five nymphal instars and the imago stage. We highlight that neotenic queens derive from third and fourth instar nymphs displaying peculiar morphological traits, here termed "aspirants," most of which are produced by parthenogenesis. Aspirants are present in all nests and perform worker tasks while waiting for the queen's death to differentiate into neotenic queens. Aspirants can successfully be used to demonstrate the occurrence of parthenogenesis in termite species whose reproductive cores are difficult to access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Hellemans
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Denis Fournier
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Robert Hanus
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Yves Roisin
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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32
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Fougeyrollas R, Křivánek J, Roy V, Dolejšová K, Frechault S, Roisin Y, Hanus R, Sillam-Dussès D. Asexual queen succession mediates an accelerated colony life cycle in the termite Silvestritermes minutus. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3295-3308. [PMID: 28281327 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mixed modes of reproduction, combining sexual processes with thelytokous parthenogenesis, occur in all major clades of social insects. In several species of termites, queens maximize their genetic input into nondispersing replacement queens through parthenogenesis, while maintaining genetically diverse sterile offspring and dispersing reproductives via sexual reproduction. This so-called asexual queen succession (AQS) has multiple independent origins and its presumed advantages are diverse as well, ranging from multiplication of colony reproductive potential to extension of its lifespan beyond that of the foundress. However, how AQS shapes colony life cycles under natural conditions remains poorly known. The neotropical termite Silvestritermes minutus inhabits small but conspicuous nests, offering a unique opportunity to investigate the impact of AQS on life history. We report on its breeding system, life cycle and sex allocation using social structure census in 137 nests and genotyping of 12 colonies at 12 microsatellite loci. We show that colonies are established by an outbred pair of primary reproductives. In less than 2 years, the foundress is replaced by multiple neotenic queens, arising mostly through automixis with central fusion. Sterile castes, male and most (93%) female dispersers are produced sexually. Colony reproduction is usually restricted to a single dispersal of alates with unbiased sex ratio, taking place after 3 years. We conclude that S. minutus benefits from AQS to maximize colony growth rate and alate production within a very short life cycle rather than to extend colony lifespan. This highlights the versatile role of AQS in different cases of its polyphyletic origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Fougeyrollas
- Université Paris-Est Créteil, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Université Paris-Diderot, iEES-Paris, 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil, France
| | - J Křivánek
- Chemistry of Social Insects, The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 166 10, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - V Roy
- Université Paris-Est Créteil, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Université Paris-Diderot, iEES-Paris, 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil, France
| | - K Dolejšová
- Chemistry of Social Insects, The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 166 10, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S Frechault
- Université Paris-Est Créteil, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Université Paris-Diderot, iEES-Paris, 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil, France
| | - Y Roisin
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. F. D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - R Hanus
- Chemistry of Social Insects, The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 166 10, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - D Sillam-Dussès
- IRD-Sorbonne Universités-UMR 242, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Université Paris-Diderot, CNRS, INRA, iEES-Paris, 32 avenue Henri Varagnat, 93143, Bondy, France.,LEEC, EA4443, Université Paris 13-Sorbonne Paris Cité, 99 Avenue J. B. Clément, 93430, Villetaneuse, France
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