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Carmona-Aldana F, Yong LW, Reinberg D, Desplan C. Phenomenon of reproductive plasticity in ants. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 63:101197. [PMID: 38583769 PMCID: PMC11139587 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Ant colonies are organized in castes with distinct behaviors that together allow the colony to strive. Reproduction relies on one or a few queens that stay in the nest producing eggs, while females of the worker caste do not reproduce and instead engage in colony maintenance and brood caretaking. Yet, in spite of this clear separation of functions, workers can become reproductive under defined circumstances. Here, we review the context in which workers become reproductive, exhibiting asexual or sexual reproduction depending on the species. Remarkably, the activation of reproduction in these workers can be quite stable, with changes that include behavior and a dramatic extension of lifespan. We compare these changes between species that do or do not have a queen caste. We discuss how the mechanisms underlying reproductive plasticity include changes in hormonal functions and in epigenetic configurations. Further studies are warranted to elucidate not only how reproductive functions have been gradually restricted to the queen caste during evolution but also how reproductive plasticity remains possible in workers of some species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luok Wen Yong
- Department of Biology, New York University, NY 10003, USA
| | - Danny Reinberg
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA.
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, NY 10003, USA; Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, Abu Dhabi 51133, United Arab Emirates.
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2
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Ren Q, Ma L, Zhang X, Chen L, Mao Z, Li D, Zhang L, Jiang X. Effect of Juvenile Hormone on Worker Behavioral Transition in the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). INSECTS 2023; 14:934. [PMID: 38132607 PMCID: PMC10743645 DOI: 10.3390/insects14120934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The division of labor among workers is a defining characteristic of social insects and plays a pivotal role in enhancing the competitive advantage of their colony. Juvenile hormone (JH) has long been hypothesized to be the essential driver in regulating the division of labor due to its ability to accelerate behavioral transitions in social insects, such as honeybees. The regulation of behavioral transitions by JH in the red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta, a typical social pest, is unclear. Through video capture and analysis, we investigated the effects of the juvenile hormone analogue (JHA) methoprene on brood care, phototaxis behavior, and threat responsiveness of RIFA nurse workers. Our results showed that the JHA application significantly reduced the time and frequency of brood care behavior by nurse workers while increasing their walking distance and activity time in the light area. Additionally, the application of JHA made ants become excited, indicating a significant improvement in their activity level (movement distance, time, and speed). Furthermore, it was observed that the application of JHA did not affect the threat responsiveness of nurse workers towards stimuli (nestmates or non-nestmates). Our study demonstrates that the application of JHA reduced brood care behavior and enhanced phototaxis in nurse workers, which may reveal the role of JH in facilitating behavioral transitions in RIFA from intranidal tasks to extranidal activity. This study provides an experimental basis for further elucidating the mechanism underlying the division of labor in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilin Ren
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100193, China; (Q.R.); (L.M.); (X.Z.)
| | - Lin Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100193, China; (Q.R.); (L.M.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xiaolong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100193, China; (Q.R.); (L.M.); (X.Z.)
| | - Libiao Chen
- Guangxi Green City Pest Control Technology Co., Ltd., Nanning 530007, China;
| | - Zhigang Mao
- Guangxi Beitou Urban Environmental Governance Group Co., Ltd., Nanning 530000, China; (Z.M.); (D.L.)
| | - Dongdong Li
- Guangxi Beitou Urban Environmental Governance Group Co., Ltd., Nanning 530000, China; (Z.M.); (D.L.)
| | - Lei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100193, China; (Q.R.); (L.M.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xingfu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100193, China; (Q.R.); (L.M.); (X.Z.)
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3
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Role of juvenile hormone in oogenesis, chemical profile, and behavior of the wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis (Vespidae: Polistinae). CHEMOECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-022-00378-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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4
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Knapp RA, Norman VC, Rouse JL, Duncan EJ. Environmentally responsive reproduction: neuroendocrine signalling and the evolution of eusociality. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 53:100951. [PMID: 35863739 PMCID: PMC9586883 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Eusociality is a rare but successful life-history strategy that is defined by the reproductive division of labour. In eusocial species, most females forgo their own reproduction to support that of a dominant female or queen. In many eusocial insects, worker reproduction is inhibited via dominance hierarchies or by pheromones produced by the queen and her brood. Here, we consider whether these cues may act as generic 'environmental signals', similar to temperature or nutrition stress, which induce a state of reproductive dormancy in some solitary insects. We review the recent findings regarding the mechanisms of reproductive dormancy in insects and highlight key gaps in our understanding of how environmental cues inhibit reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary A Knapp
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Victoria C Norman
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - James L Rouse
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Duncan
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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5
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Ferreira HM, da Silva RC, do Nascimento FS, Wenseleers T, Oi CA. Reproduction and fertility signalling under joint juvenile hormone control in primitively eusocial Mischocyttarus wasps. CHEMOECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-022-00370-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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6
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Opachaloemphan C, Mancini G, Konstantinides N, Parikh A, Mlejnek J, Yan H, Reinberg D, Desplan C. Early behavioral and molecular events leading to caste switching in the ant Harpegnathos. Genes Dev 2021; 35:410-424. [PMID: 33602869 PMCID: PMC7919410 DOI: 10.1101/gad.343699.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ant societies show a division of labor in which a queen is in charge of reproduction while nonreproductive workers maintain the colony. In Harpegnathos saltator, workers retain reproductive ability, inhibited by the queen pheromones. Following the queen loss, the colony undergoes social unrest with an antennal dueling tournament. Most workers quickly abandon the tournament while a few workers continue the dueling for months and become gamergates (pseudoqueens). However, the temporal dynamics of the social behavior and molecular mechanisms underlining the caste transition and social dominance remain unclear. By tracking behaviors, we show that the gamergate fate is accurately determined 3 d after initiation of the tournament. To identify genetic factors responsible for this commitment, we compared transcriptomes of different tissues between dueling and nondueling workers. We found that juvenile hormone is globally repressed, whereas ecdysone biosynthesis in the ovary is increased in gamergates. We show that molecular changes in the brain serve as earliest caste predictors compared with other tissues. Thus, behavioral and molecular data indicate that despite the prolonged social upheaval, the gamergate fate is rapidly established, suggesting a robust re-establishment of social structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Comzit Opachaloemphan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Giacomo Mancini
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
| | | | - Apurva Parikh
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
| | - Jakub Mlejnek
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
| | - Hua Yan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Danny Reinberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
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Tsang SSK, Law STS, Li C, Qu Z, Bendena WG, Tobe SS, Hui JHL. Diversity of Insect Sesquiterpenoid Regulation. Front Genet 2020; 11:1027. [PMID: 33133135 PMCID: PMC7511761 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.01027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects are arguably the most successful group of animals in the world in terms of both species numbers and diverse habitats. The sesquiterpenoids juvenile hormone, methyl farnesoate, and farnesoic acid are well known to regulate metamorphosis, reproduction, sexual dimorphism, eusociality, and defense in insects. Nevertheless, different insects have evolved with different sesquiterpenoid biosynthetic pathway as well as products. On the other hand, non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs have been implicated in regulation of many important biological processes, and have recently been explored in the regulation of sesquiterpenoid production. In this review, we summarize the latest findings on the diversity of sesquiterpenoids reported in different groups of insects, as well as the recent advancements in the understanding of regulation of sesquiterpenoid production by microRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey S K Tsang
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sean T S Law
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chade Li
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhe Qu
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Stephen S Tobe
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jerome H L Hui
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Araki M, Miyakawa MO, Suzuki T, Miyakawa H. Two insulin‐like peptides may regulate egg production in opposite directions via juvenile hormone signaling in the queenless antPristomyrmex punctatus. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2020; 334:225-234. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Araki
- Center for Bioscience Research and EducationUtsunomiya UniversityUtsunomiya Tochigi Japan
| | - Misato O. Miyakawa
- Center for Bioscience Research and EducationUtsunomiya UniversityUtsunomiya Tochigi Japan
| | - Tomohiro Suzuki
- Center for Bioscience Research and EducationUtsunomiya UniversityUtsunomiya Tochigi Japan
| | - Hitoshi Miyakawa
- Center for Bioscience Research and EducationUtsunomiya UniversityUtsunomiya Tochigi Japan
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