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Stuart SH, Ahmed ACC, Kilikevicius L, Robinson GE. Effects of microRNA-305 knockdown on brain gene expression associated with division of labor in honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera). J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246785. [PMID: 38517067 PMCID: PMC11112348 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246785] [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: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Division of labor in honey bee colonies is based on the behavioral maturation of adult workers that involves a transition from working in the hive to foraging. This behavioral maturation is associated with distinct task-related transcriptomic profiles in the brain and abdominal fat body that are related to multiple regulatory factors including juvenile hormone (JH) and queen mandibular pheromone (QMP). A prominent physiological feature associated with behavioral maturation is a loss of abdominal lipid mass as bees transition to foraging. We used transcriptomic and physiological analyses to study whether microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the regulation of division of labor. We first identified two miRNAs that showed patterns of expression associated with behavioral maturation, ame-miR-305-5p and ame-miR-375-3p. We then downregulated the expression of these two miRNAs with sequence-specific antagomirs. Neither ame-miR-305-5p nor ame-miR-375-3p knockdown in the abdomen affected abdominal lipid mass on their own. Similarly, knockdown of ame-miR-305-5p in combination with JH or QMP also did not affect lipid mass. By contrast, ame-miR-305-5p knockdown in the abdomen caused substantial changes in gene expression in the brain. Brain gene expression changes included genes encoding transcription factors previously implicated in behavioral maturation. The results of these functional genomic experiments extend previous correlative associations of microRNAs with honey bee division of labor and point to specific roles for ame-miR-305-5p.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarai H. Stuart
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Amy C. Cash Ahmed
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Laura Kilikevicius
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Gene E. Robinson
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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2
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Weger AA, Rittschof CC. The diverse roles of insulin signaling in insect behavior. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 4:1360320. [PMID: 38638680 PMCID: PMC11024295 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2024.1360320] [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: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
In insects and other animals, nutrition-mediated behaviors are modulated by communication between the brain and peripheral systems, a process that relies heavily on the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway (IIS). Previous studies have focused on the mechanistic and physiological functions of insulin-like peptides (ILPs) in critical developmental and adult milestones like pupation or vitellogenesis. Less work has detailed the mechanisms connecting ILPs to adult nutrient-mediated behaviors related to survival and reproductive success. Here we briefly review the range of behaviors linked to IIS in insects, from conserved regulation of feeding behavior to evolutionarily derived polyphenisms. Where possible, we incorporate information from Drosophila melanogaster and other model species to describe molecular and neural mechanisms that connect nutritional status to behavioral expression via IIS. We identify knowledge gaps which include the diverse functional roles of peripheral ILPs, how ILPs modulate neural function and behavior across the lifespan, and the lack of detailed mechanistic research in a broad range of taxa. Addressing these gaps would enable a better understanding of the evolution of this conserved and widely deployed tool kit pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clare C. Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
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3
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Cordero-Molina S, Fetter-Pruneda I, Contreras-Garduño J. Neural mechanisms involved in female mate choice in invertebrates. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 14:1291635. [PMID: 38269245 PMCID: PMC10807292 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1291635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Mate choice is a critical decision with direct implications for fitness. Although it has been recognized for over 150 years, our understanding of its underlying mechanisms is still limited. Most studies on mate choice focus on the evolutionary causes of behavior, with less attention given to the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved. This is especially true for invertebrates, where research on mate choice has largely focused on male behavior. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the neural, molecular and neurohormonal mechanisms of female choice in invertebrates, including behaviors before, during, and after copulation. We identify areas of research that have not been extensively explored in invertebrates, suggesting potential directions for future investigation. We hope that this review will stimulate further research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagrario Cordero-Molina
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva. Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Ingrid Fetter-Pruneda
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva. Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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4
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Alvarenga AB, Oliveira HR, Turner SP, Garcia A, Retallick KJ, Miller SP, Brito LF. Unraveling the phenotypic and genomic background of behavioral plasticity and temperament in North American Angus cattle. Genet Sel Evol 2023; 55:3. [PMID: 36658485 PMCID: PMC9850537 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-023-00777-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Longitudinal records of temperament can be used for assessing behavioral plasticity, such as aptness to learn, memorize, or change behavioral responses based on affective state. In this study, we evaluated the phenotypic and genomic background of North American Angus cow temperament measured throughout their lifetime around the weaning season, including the development of a new indicator trait termed docility-based learning and behavioral plasticity. The analyses included 273,695 and 153,898 records for yearling (YT) and cow at weaning (CT) temperament, respectively, 723,248 animals in the pedigree, and 8784 genotyped animals. Both YT and CT were measured when the animal was loading into/exiting the chute. Moreover, CT was measured around the time in which the cow was separated from her calf. A random regression model fitting a first-order Legendre orthogonal polynomial was used to model the covariance structure of temperament and to assess the learning and behavioral plasticity (i.e., slope of the regression) of individual cows. This study provides, for the first time, a longitudinal perspective of the genetic and genomic mechanisms underlying temperament, learning, and behavioral plasticity in beef cattle. RESULTS CT measured across years is heritable (0.38-0.53). Positive and strong genetic correlations (0.91-1.00) were observed among all CT age-group pairs and between CT and YT (0.84). Over 90% of the candidate genes identified overlapped among CT age-groups and the estimated effect of genomic markers located within important candidate genes changed over time. A small but significant genetic component was observed for learning and behavioral plasticity (heritability = 0.02 ± 0.002). Various candidate genes were identified, revealing the polygenic nature of the traits evaluated. The pathways and candidate genes identified are associated with steroid and glucocorticoid hormones, development delay, cognitive development, and behavioral changes in cattle and other species. CONCLUSIONS Cow temperament is highly heritable and repeatable. The changes in temperament can be genetically improved by selecting animals with favorable learning and behavioral plasticity (i.e., habituation). Furthermore, the environment explains a large part of the variation in learning and behavioral plasticity, leading to opportunities to also improve the overall temperament by refining management practices. Moreover, behavioral plasticity offers opportunities to improve the long-term animal and handler welfare through habituation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda B. Alvarenga
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
| | - Hinayah R. Oliveira
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA ,Lactanet, Guelph, ON Canada
| | - Simon P. Turner
- grid.426884.40000 0001 0170 6644Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, Scotland’s Rural College, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andre Garcia
- American Angus Association, Angus Genetics Inc., Saint Joseph, MO USA
| | | | - Stephen P. Miller
- American Angus Association, Angus Genetics Inc., Saint Joseph, MO USA ,grid.1020.30000 0004 1936 7371AGBU, a joint venture of NSW Department of Primary Industries and University of New England, Armidale, 2351 Australia
| | - Luiz F. Brito
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
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Abstract
The question of the heritability of behavior has been of long fascination to scientists and the broader public. It is now widely accepted that most behavioral variation has a genetic component, although the degree of genetic influence differs widely across behaviors. Starting with Mendel's remarkable discovery of "inheritance factors," it has become increasingly clear that specific genetic variants that influence behavior can be identified. This goal is not without its challenges: Unlike pea morphology, most natural behavioral variation has a complex genetic architecture. However, we can now apply powerful genome-wide approaches to connect variation in DNA to variation in behavior as well as analyses of behaviorally related variation in brain gene expression, which together have provided insights into both the genetic mechanisms underlying behavior and the dynamic relationship between genes and behavior, respectively, in a wide range of species and for a diversity of behaviors. Here, we focus on two systems to illustrate both of these approaches: the genetic basis of burrowing in deer mice and transcriptomic analyses of division of labor in honey bees. Finally, we discuss the troubled relationship between the field of behavioral genetics and eugenics, which reminds us that we must be cautious about how we discuss and contextualize the connections between genes and behavior, especially in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hopi E. Hoekstra
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- HHMI, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Gene E. Robinson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
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6
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Salmela H, Harwood GP, Münch D, Elsik CG, Herrero-Galán E, Vartiainen MK, Amdam GV. Nuclear translocation of vitellogenin in the honey bee ( Apis mellifera). APIDOLOGIE 2022; 53:13. [PMID: 35309709 PMCID: PMC8924143 DOI: 10.1007/s13592-022-00914-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Vitellogenin (Vg) is a conserved protein used by nearly all oviparous animals to produce eggs. It is also pleiotropic and performs functions in oxidative stress resistance, immunity, and, in honey bees, behavioral development of the worker caste. It has remained enigmatic how Vg affects multiple traits. Here, we asked whether Vg enters the nucleus and acts via DNA-binding. We used cell fractionation, immunohistology, and cell culture to show that a structural subunit of honey bee Vg translocates into cell nuclei. We then demonstrated Vg-DNA binding theoretically and empirically with prediction software and chromatin immunoprecipitation with sequencing (ChIP-seq), finding binding sites at genes influencing immunity and behavior. Finally, we investigated the immunological and enzymatic conditions affecting Vg cleavage and nuclear translocation and constructed a 3D structural model. Our data are the first to show Vg in the nucleus and suggest a new fundamental regulatory role for this ubiquitous protein. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13592-022-00914-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heli Salmela
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, 00014 Helsinki, FI Finland
| | - Gyan P. Harwood
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 320 Morrill Hall 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Daniel Münch
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Aas, Norway
| | - Christine G. Elsik
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, S108 Animal Sciences Research Center (ASRC), Colombia, MO 65211 USA
| | | | - Maria K. Vartiainen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gro V. Amdam
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Aas, Norway
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281 USA
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7
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Guo D, Zhao G, Li G, Wang C, Wang H, Liu Z, Xu B, Guo X. Identification of a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (AccMKK4) from Apis cerana cerana and its involvement in various stress responses. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 30:325-339. [PMID: 33538052 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade pathway is a ubiquitous signal transduction pathway in eukaryotes that regulates a variety of immune responses. This study accomplished the first isolation of an AccMKK4 gene from Apis cerana cerana and explored its function. Yeast two-hybrid experiments proved that AccMKK4 can interact with Accp38b, and the silencing of AccMKK4 in honeybees downregulated the expression level of Accp38b, which suggests that AccMKK4 might participate in the oxidative stress response through the p38 MAPK pathway. Tissue-specific expression levels of AccMKK4 analysis showed that AccMKK4 in the thorax, particularly muscle tissue, was higher than that in other tissues. The qRT-PCR results from different conditions demonstrated that AccMKK4 responds to various environmental stresses. After AccMKK4 silencing, the transcription level of some antioxidant genes and the activity of antioxidant-related enzymes are reduced, which indicated that AccMKK4 plays an important role in resistance against oxidative stress caused by external stimuli. In summary, our findings indicate that AccMKK4 probably plays an indispensable role in the response of honeybees to environmental stress and might aid for further research on the role of the MAPK cascade pathway in the antioxidant defence mechanisms of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, PR China
| | - G Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, PR China
| | - G Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, PR China
| | - C Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, PR China
| | - H Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, PR China
| | - Z Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, PR China
| | - B Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, PR China
| | - X Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, PR China
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8
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Shan W, Guo D, Guo H, Tan S, Ma L, Wang Y, Guo X, Xu B. Cloning and expression studies on glutathione S-transferase like-gene in honey bee for its role in oxidative stress. Cell Stress Chaperones 2021; 27:121-134. [PMID: 35102524 PMCID: PMC8943077 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-022-01255-3] [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: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) constitute an important multifunctional enzyme family that plays vital roles in cellular detoxification and protecting organisms against oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we isolated a GST-like gene from Apis cerana cerana (AccGSTL) and investigated its antioxidant functions under stress conditions. We found that AccGSTL belongs to the Sigma class of GSTs. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting analyses showed that the mRNA and protein levels of AccGSTL were altered in response to oxidative stress caused by various external stimuli. In addition, a heterologous expression analysis showed that AccGSTL overexpression in Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells enhanced resistance to oxidative stress. After AccGSTL silencing with RNA interference (RNAi) technology, the expression of some antioxidant genes was inhibited, and the enzymatic activities of POD, CAT, and SOD were decreased. In conclusion, these data suggest that AccGSTL may be involved in antioxidant defense under adverse conditions in A. cerana cerana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlu Shan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Dezheng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Huijuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuai Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Lanting Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingqi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Baohua Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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9
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Miyazaki S, Shimoji H, Suzuki R, Chinushi I, Takayanagi H, Yaguchi H, Miura T, Maekawa K. Expressions of conventional vitellogenin and vitellogenin-like A in worker brains are associated with a nursing task in a ponerine ant. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 30:113-121. [PMID: 33150669 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In eusocial insect colonies, non-reproductive workers often perform different tasks. Tasks of an individual worker are shifted depending on various factors, e.g., age and colony demography. Although a vitellogenin (Vg) gene play regulatory roles in both reproductive and non-reproductive division of labours in a honeybee, it has been shown that the insect Vg underwent multiple gene duplications and sub-functionalisation, especially in apical ant lineages. The regulatory roles of duplicated Vgs were suggested to change evolutionarily among ants, whereas such roles in phylogenetically basal ants remain unclear. Here, we examined the expression patterns of conventional Vg (CVg), Vg-like A, Vg-like B and Vg-like C, as well as Vg receptor, during the task shift in an age-dependent manner and under experimental manipulation of colony demography in a primitive ant Diacamma sp. Expressions of CVg and Vg-like A in a brain were associated with a nursing task. It is suggested that associations of brain expressions of these Vgs with worker tasks were acquired in the basal ant lineage, and that such Vg functions could have sub-functionalised in the derived ant lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Miyazaki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - H Shimoji
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Japan
| | - R Suzuki
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - I Chinushi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - H Takayanagi
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - H Yaguchi
- School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - T Miura
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Miura, Japan
| | - K Maekawa
- Faculty of Science, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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10
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Jones BM, Rao VD, Gernat T, Jagla T, Cash-Ahmed AC, Rubin BER, Comi TJ, Bhogale S, Husain SS, Blatti C, Middendorf M, Sinha S, Chandrasekaran S, Robinson GE. Individual differences in honey bee behavior enabled by plasticity in brain gene regulatory networks. eLife 2020; 9:e62850. [PMID: 33350385 PMCID: PMC7755388 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the regulatory architecture of phenotypic variation is a fundamental goal in biology, but connections between gene regulatory network (GRN) activity and individual differences in behavior are poorly understood. We characterized the molecular basis of behavioral plasticity in queenless honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, where individuals engage in both reproductive and non-reproductive behaviors. Using high-throughput behavioral tracking, we discovered these colonies contain a continuum of phenotypes, with some individuals specialized for either egg-laying or foraging and 'generalists' that perform both. Brain gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiles were correlated with behavioral variation, with generalists intermediate in behavior and molecular profiles. Models of brain GRNs constructed for individuals revealed that transcription factor (TF) activity was highly predictive of behavior, and behavior-associated regulatory regions had more TF motifs. These results provide new insights into the important role played by brain GRN plasticity in the regulation of behavior, with implications for social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beryl M Jones
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Vikyath D Rao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Tim Gernat
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Swarm Intelligence and Complex Systems Group, Department of Computer Science, Leipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Tobias Jagla
- Swarm Intelligence and Complex Systems Group, Department of Computer Science, Leipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Amy C Cash-Ahmed
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Benjamin ER Rubin
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Troy J Comi
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Shounak Bhogale
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Syed S Husain
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Charles Blatti
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Martin Middendorf
- Swarm Intelligence and Complex Systems Group, Department of Computer Science, Leipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Saurabh Sinha
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Sriram Chandrasekaran
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
- Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
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11
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Genetics in the Honey Bee: Achievements and Prospects toward the Functional Analysis of Molecular and Neural Mechanisms Underlying Social Behaviors. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10100348. [PMID: 31623209 PMCID: PMC6835989 DOI: 10.3390/insects10100348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The European honey bee is a model organism for studying social behaviors. Comprehensive analyses focusing on the differential expression profiles of genes between the brains of nurse bees and foragers, or in the mushroom bodies—the brain structure related to learning and memory, and multimodal sensory integration—has identified candidate genes related to honey bee behaviors. Despite accumulating knowledge on the expression profiles of genes related to honey bee behaviors, it remains unclear whether these genes actually regulate social behaviors in the honey bee, in part because of the scarcity of genetic manipulation methods available for application to the honey bee. In this review, we describe the genetic methods applied to studies of the honey bee, ranging from classical forward genetics to recently developed gene modification methods using transposon and CRISPR/Cas9. We then discuss future functional analyses using these genetic methods targeting genes identified by the preceding research. Because no particular genes or neurons unique to social insects have been found yet, further exploration of candidate genes/neurons correlated with sociality through comprehensive analyses of mushroom bodies in the aculeate species can provide intriguing targets for functional analyses, as well as insight into the molecular and neural bases underlying social behaviors.
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12
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Harwood G, Amdam G, Freitak D. The role of Vitellogenin in the transfer of immune elicitors from gut to hypopharyngeal glands in honey bees (Apis mellifera). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 112:90-100. [PMID: 30578811 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Female insects that survive a pathogen attack can produce more pathogen-resistant offspring in a process called trans-generational immune priming. In the honey bee (Apis mellifera), the egg-yolk precursor protein Vitellogenin transports fragments of pathogen cells into the egg, thereby setting the stage for a recruitment of immunological defenses prior to hatching. Honey bees live in complex societies where reproduction and communal tasks are divided between a queen and her sterile female workers. Worker bees metabolize Vitellogenin to synthesize royal jelly, a protein-rich glandular secretion fed to the queen and young larvae. We ask if workers can participate in trans-generational immune priming by transferring pathogen fragments to the queen or larvae via royal jelly. As a first step toward answering this question, we tested whether worker-ingested bacterial fragments can be transported to jelly-producing glands, and what role Vitellogenin plays in this transport. To do this, we fed fluorescently labelled Escherichia coli to workers with experimentally manipulated levels of Vitellogenin. We found that bacterial fragments were transported to the glands of control workers, while they were not detected at the glands of workers subjected to RNA interference-mediated Vitellogenin gene knockdown, suggesting that Vitellogenin plays a role in this transport. Our results provide initial evidence that trans-generational immune priming may operate at a colony-wide level in honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyan Harwood
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281 USA.
| | - Gro Amdam
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281 USA; Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Aas, Norway
| | - Dalial Freitak
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Biology, Division of Zoology, University of Graz, A8010 Graz, Austria
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Rittschof CC, Schirmeier S. Insect models of central nervous system energy metabolism and its links to behavior. Glia 2017; 66:1160-1175. [DOI: 10.1002/glia.23235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clare C. Rittschof
- Department of Entomology; College of Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, University of Kentucky; Lexington Kentucky
| | - Stefanie Schirmeier
- Institut für Neuro-und Verhaltensbiologie, University of Münster; Münster Germany
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Scharf ME, Cai Y, Sun Y, Sen R, Raychoudhury R, Boucias DG. A meta-analysis testing eusocial co-option theories in termite gut physiology and symbiosis. Commun Integr Biol 2017; 10:e1295187. [PMID: 28428832 PMCID: PMC5390826 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2017.1295187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The termite gut accomplishes key physiologic functions that underlie termite symbiosis and sociality. However, potential candidate functions of the host-symbiont holobiome have not yet been explored across seemingly divergent processes such as digestion, immunity, caste differentiation, and xenobiotic tolerance. This study took a meta-analysis approach for concurrently studying host and symbiont gut metatranscriptome responses of the lower termite Reticulitermes flavipes, which has ancestral characteristics and hosts a diverse mix of eukaryotic and bacterial symbionts. Thirteen treatments were compared from 5 categories (dietary, social, hormonal, immunological, and xenobiotic), revealing 3 main insights. First, each of the 5 tested colonies had distinct magnitudes of transcriptome response, likely as a result of unique symbiont profiles, which highlights the uniqueness of individual termite colonies. Second, after normalization to standardize colony response magnitudes, unique treatment-linked metatranscriptome topologies became apparent. Third, despite colony and topology differences, 4 co-opted master genes emerged that were universally responsive across diverse treatments. These master genes encode host functions related to protein translation and symbiont functions related to protein degradation and pore formation in microbial cell walls. Three of the 4 master genes were from co-evolved protist symbionts, highlighting potentially co-evolved roles for gut symbiota in coordinating functional responses of the collective host-symbiont holobiome. Lastly, for host genes identified, these results provide annotations of recent termite genome sequences. By revealing conserved domain genes, as well as apparent roles for gut symbiota in holobiome regulation, this study provides new insights into co-opted eusocial genes and symbiont roles in termite sociobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Scharf
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Yunpeng Cai
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Yijun Sun
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ruchira Sen
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | | | - Drion G Boucias
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Jones BM, Kingwell CJ, Wcislo WT, Robinson GE. Caste-biased gene expression in a facultatively eusocial bee suggests a role for genetic accommodation in the evolution of eusociality. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20162228. [PMID: 28053060 PMCID: PMC5247497 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental plasticity may accelerate the evolution of phenotypic novelty through genetic accommodation, but studies of genetic accommodation often lack knowledge of the ancestral state to place selected traits in an evolutionary context. A promising approach for assessing genetic accommodation involves using a comparative framework to ask whether ancestral plasticity is related to the evolution of a particular trait. Bees are an excellent group for such comparisons because caste-based societies (eusociality) have evolved multiple times independently and extant species exhibit different modes of eusociality. We measured brain and abdominal gene expression in a facultatively eusocial bee, Megalopta genalis, and assessed whether plasticity in this species is functionally linked to eusocial traits in other bee lineages. Caste-biased abdominal genes in M. genalis overlapped significantly with caste-biased genes in obligately eusocial bees. Moreover, caste-biased genes in M. genalis overlapped significantly with genes shown to be rapidly evolving in multiple studies of 10 bee species, particularly for genes in the glycolysis pathway and other genes involved in metabolism. These results provide support for the idea that eusociality can evolve via genetic accommodation, with plasticity in facultatively eusocial species like M. genalis providing a substrate for selection during the evolution of caste in obligately eusocial lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beryl M Jones
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City 20521-9100, Panama
| | - Callum J Kingwell
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City 20521-9100, Panama
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - William T Wcislo
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City 20521-9100, Panama
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Roy-Zokan EM, Cunningham CB, Hebb LE, McKinney EC, Moore AJ. Vitellogenin and vitellogenin receptor gene expression is associated with male and female parenting in a subsocial insect. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150787. [PMID: 26041345 PMCID: PMC4590458 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex social behaviour in Hymenoptera has been hypothesized to evolve by co-opting reproductive pathways (the ovarian ground plan hypothesis, OGPH) and gene networks (the reproductive ground plan hypothesis, RGPH). In support of these hypotheses, in eusocial Hymenoptera where there is reproductive division of labour, the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin (Vg) influences the expression of worker social behaviour. We suggest that co-opting genes involved in reproduction may occur more generally than just in the evolution of eusociality; i.e. underlie earlier stages of social evolution such as the evolution of parental care, given that reproduction and parental care rarely overlap. We therefore examined vitellogenin (vg) gene expression associated with parental care in the subsocial beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. We found a significant reduction in the expression of vg and its receptor, vgr, in head tissue during active parental care, and confirmed that the receptor is expressed in the brains of both sexes. Ours is the first study to show that vgr is expressed in the brain of a non-eusocial insect. Given the association between behaviour and gene expression in both sexes, and the presence of vitellogenin receptors in the brain, we suggest that Vg was co-opted early in the evolution of sociality to have a regulatory function. This extends the association of Vg in parenting to subsocial species and outside of the Hymenoptera, and supports the hypothesis that the OGPH is general and that heterochrony in gene expression is important in the evolution of social behaviour and precedes subsequent evolutionary specialization of social roles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lauren E Hebb
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | | | - Allen J Moore
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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17
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Complex patterns of differential expression in candidate master regulatory genes for social behavior in honey bees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2071-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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18
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Ons S, Lavore A, Sterkel M, Wulff JP, Sierra I, Martínez-Barnetche J, Rodriguez MH, Rivera-Pomar R. Identification of G protein coupled receptors for opsines and neurohormones in Rhodnius prolixus. Genomic and transcriptomic analysis. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 69:34-50. [PMID: 25976540 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The importance of Chagas disease motivated the scientific effort to obtain the complete genomic sequence of the vector species Rhodnius prolixus, this information is also relevant to the understanding of triatomine biology in general. The central nervous system is the key regulator of insect physiology and behavior. Neurohormones (neuropeptides and biogenic amines) are the chemical messengers involved in the regulation and integration of neuroendocrine signals. In insects, this signaling is mainly mediated by the interaction of neurohormone ligands with G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). The recently sequenced R. prolixus genome provides us with the opportunity to analyze this important family of genes in triatomines, supplying relevant information for further functional studies. Next-generation sequencing methods offer an excellent opportunity for transcriptomic exploration in key organs and tissues in the presence of a reference genome as well as when a reference genome is not available. We undertook a genomic analysis to obtain a genome-wide inventory of opsines and the GPCRs for neurohormones in R. prolixus. Furthermore, we performed a transcriptomic analysis of R. prolixus central nervous system, focusing on neuropeptide precursor genes and neurohormone and opsines GPCRs. In addition, we mined the whole transcriptomes of Triatoma dimidiata, Triatoma infestans and Triatoma pallidipennis - three sanitary relevant triatomine species - to identify neuropeptide precursors and GPCRs genes. Our study reveals a high degree of sequence conservation in the molecular components of the neuroendocrine system of triatomines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Ons
- Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Funcional, Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Bvd 120 y 62, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Andrés Lavore
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas y Experimentales, Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Monteagudo 2772, 2700 Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Marcos Sterkel
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, bloco D. Prédio do CCS, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil.
| | - Juan Pedro Wulff
- Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Funcional, Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Bvd 120 y 62, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Ivana Sierra
- Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Funcional, Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Bvd 120 y 62, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Jesús Martínez-Barnetche
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, Sta. María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
| | - Mario Henry Rodriguez
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, Sta. María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
| | - Rolando Rivera-Pomar
- Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Funcional, Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Bvd 120 y 62, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Ciencias Básicas y Experimentales, Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Monteagudo 2772, 2700 Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Ronai I, Vergoz V, Oldroyd B. The Mechanistic, Genetic, and Evolutionary Basis of Worker Sterility in the Social Hymenoptera. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2016.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Physiology of reproductive worker honey bees (Apis mellifera): insights for the development of the worker caste. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2015; 202:147-58. [PMID: 26715114 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-015-1061-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/29/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive and behavioural specialisations characterise advanced social insect societies. Typically, the honey bee (Apis mellifera) shows a pronounced reproductive division of labour between worker and queen castes, and a clear division of colony roles among workers. In a queenless condition, however, both of these aspects of social organisation break down. Queenless workers reproduce, forage and maintain their colony operating in a manner similar to communal bees, rather than as an advanced eusocial group. This plasticity in social organisation provides a natural experiment for exploring physiological mechanisms of division of labour. We measured brain biogenic amine (BA) levels and abdominal fat body vitellogenin gene expression levels of workers in queenright and queenless colonies. Age, ovary activation and social environment influenced brain BA levels in honey bees. BA levels were most influenced by ovary activation state in queenless bees. Vitellogenin expression levels were higher in queenless workers than queenright workers, but in both colony environments vitellogenin expression was lower in foragers than non-foragers. We propose this plasticity in the interacting signalling systems that influence both reproductive and behavioural development allows queenless workers to deviate significantly from the typical worker bee reaction norm and develop as reproductively active behavioural generalists.
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Wheeler MM, Ament SA, Rodriguez-Zas SL, Southey B, Robinson GE. Diet and endocrine effects on behavioral maturation-related gene expression in the pars intercerebralis of the honey bee brain. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:4005-14. [PMID: 26567353 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.119420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Nervous and neuroendocrine systems mediate environmental conditions to control a variety of life history traits. Our goal was to provide mechanistic insights as to how neurosecretory signals mediate division of labor in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Worker division of labor is based on a process of behavioral maturation by individual bees, which involves performing in-hive tasks early in adulthood, then transitioning to foraging for food outside the hive. Social and nutritional cues converge on endocrine factors to regulate behavioral maturation, but whether neurosecretory systems are central to this process is not known. To explore this, we performed transcriptomic profiling of a neurosecretory region of the brain, the pars intercerebralis (PI). We first compared PI transcriptional profiles for bees performing in-hive tasks and bees engaged in foraging. Using these results as a baseline, we then performed manipulative experiments to test whether the PI is responsive to dietary changes and/or changes in juvenile hormone (JH) levels. Results reveal a robust molecular signature of behavioral maturation in the PI, with a subset of gene expression changes consistent with changes elicited by JH treatment. In contrast, dietary changes did not induce transcriptomic changes in the PI consistent with behavioral maturation or JH treatment. Based on these results, we propose a new verbal model of the regulation of division of labor in honey bees in which the relationship between diet and nutritional physiology is attenuated, and in its place is a relationship between social signals and nutritional physiology that is mediated by JH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Seth A Ament
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Bruce Southey
- Department of Animal Sciences, UIUC, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Department of Entomology, UIUC, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Vitellogenin in the honey bee brain: Atypical localization of a reproductive protein that promotes longevity. Exp Gerontol 2015; 71:103-8. [PMID: 26254745 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2015] [Revised: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In comparative gerontology, highly social insects such as honey bees (Apis mellifera) receive much attention due to very different and flexible aging patterns among closely related siblings. While experimental strategies that manipulate socio-environmental factors suggest a causative link between aging and social signals and behaviors, the molecular underpinnings of this linkage are less well understood. Here we study the atypical localization of the egg-yolk protein vitellogenin (Vg) in the brain of the honey bee. Vg is known to influence honey bee social regulation and aging rate. Our findings suggest that Vg immunoreactivity in the brain is specifically localized within the class of non-neuronal glial cells. We discuss how these results can help explain the socially-dependent aging rate of honey bees.
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Amsalem E, Malka O, Grozinger C, Hefetz A. Exploring the role of juvenile hormone and vitellogenin in reproduction and social behavior in bumble bees. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:45. [PMID: 24618396 PMCID: PMC4007805 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The genetic and physiological pathways regulating behavior in solitary species are hypothesized to have been co-opted to regulate social behavior in social species. One classic example is the interaction between vitellogenin (an egg-yolk and storage protein) and juvenile hormone, which are positively correlated in most insect species but have modified interactions in highly eusocial insects. In some of these species (including some termites, ants, and the honey bee), juvenile hormone and vitellogenin levels are negatively correlated and juvenile hormone has shifted its role from a gonadotropin to a regulator of maturation and division of labor in the primarily sterile workers. The function of vitellogenin also seems to have broadened to encompass similar roles. Thus, the functions and molecular interactions of juvenile hormone and vitellogenin are hypothesized to have undergone changes during the evolution of eusociality, but the mechanisms underlying these changes are unknown. Bumble bees offer an excellent model system for testing how the relationship between juvenile hormone and vitellogenin evolved from solitary to social species. Bumble bee colonies are primitively eusocial and comprised of a single reproductive queen and facultatively sterile workers. In Bombus terrestris, juvenile hormone retains its ancestral role as a gonadotropin and is also hypothesized to regulate aggressive behavior. However, the function of vitellogenin and its interactions with juvenile hormone have not yet been characterized. Results By characterizing vitellogenin RNA expression levels (vg) in B. terrestris we show that vg is not associated with task and only partially associated with worker age, queen presence, and caste (queen vs worker). The correlations of vg with ovarian activation were not consistent across experiments, but both vg and ovarian activation were significantly associated with levels of aggression experienced by workers. Treatment with juvenile hormone did not affect vg levels in queenless groups. Conclusions We suggest that social interactions affect vg levels more strongly than a worker’s reproductive physiological state, and that juvenile hormone and vg are uncoupled in this species. Thus, although juvenile hormone maintains its traditional role as gonadotropin in B. terrestris, vg has already been co-opted into a novel role, consistent with the model that Bombus represents an intermediate stage in the evolution of eusociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etya Amsalem
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Chemical Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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