Knockdown of the corazonin gene reveals its critical role in the control of gregarious characteristics in the desert locust

Sugahara, Ryohei; Saeki, Shinjiro; Jouraku, Akiya; Shiotsuki, Takahiro; Tanaka, Seiji

doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.06.009

Cited by 40 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…This is consistent with the hypothesis that alternative, pre-existing genetic programs are responsible for differences in caste behavior. In support of this, effects of corazonin on life phase transitions have been observed in other, non-social insects, including the silkworm ( Bombyx mori ) (Tanaka et al, 2002), the hawk moth ( Manduca sexta ) (Kim et al, 2004), and, most notably, locusts (Maeno et al, 2004; Sugahara et al, 2015; Tawfik et al, 1999). Locusts can switch between two alternate phenotypes: a low-corazonin solitary form and a high-corazonin gregarious form that gives rise to the swarms that continue to be a major agricultural and social plague (Ernst et al, 2015; Sugahara et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…In support of this, effects of corazonin on life phase transitions have been observed in other, non-social insects, including the silkworm ( Bombyx mori ) (Tanaka et al, 2002), the hawk moth ( Manduca sexta ) (Kim et al, 2004), and, most notably, locusts (Maeno et al, 2004; Sugahara et al, 2015; Tawfik et al, 1999). Locusts can switch between two alternate phenotypes: a low-corazonin solitary form and a high-corazonin gregarious form that gives rise to the swarms that continue to be a major agricultural and social plague (Ernst et al, 2015; Sugahara et al, 2015). Although locusts do not display reproductive division of labor, the differences between the two phenotypes present intriguing analogies with those between ant castes: similar to gregarious locusts, ant workers have shorter lifespans and larger brains than queens (Durst et al, 1994; Gronenberg et al, 1996; Gronenberg and Liebig, 1999; Keller and Genoud, 1997), are much more active foragers, and, as we showed here, also express high levels of corazonin.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

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The Neuropeptide Corazonin Controls Social Behavior and Caste Identity in Ants

Gospočić

Shields

Glastad

et al. 2017

Cell

152

185

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SUMMARY Social insects are emerging models to study how gene regulation affects behavior because their colonies comprise individuals with the same genomes but greatly different behavioral repertoires. To investigate the molecular mechanisms that activate distinct behaviors in different castes, we exploited a natural behavioral plasticity in Harpegnathos saltator, where adult workers can transition to a reproductive, queen-like state called gamergate. Analysis of brain transcriptomes during the transition revealed that corazonin, a neuropeptide homologous to the vertebrate gonadotropin-releasing hormone, was downregulated as workers became gamergates. Corazonin was also preferentially expressed in workers and/or foragers from other social insect species. Injection of corazonin in transitioning Harpegnathos individuals suppressed expression of vitellogenin in the brain and stimulated worker-like hunting behaviors, while inhibiting gamergate behaviors such as dueling and egg deposition. We propose that corazonin is a central regulator of caste identity and behavior in social insects.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

The Neuropeptide Corazonin Controls Social Behavior and Caste Identity in Ants

Gospočić

Shields

Glastad

et al. 2017

Cell

152

185

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“…Studies have shown that the black patterns associated with gregarious nymphs are due to a hormonal factor in the brain and corpora cardiaca, known as [His 7 ]-corazonin 85 , which is a conserved peptide that has a darkening effect in many lineages within Orthoptera 86 . A recent study shows that the knockdown of corazonin ( Crz ) gene is known to induce lightening of body colour 87 , further confirming the role of this peptide. The corazonin-mediated colour change does not happen instantaneously and may take up to several instars, implying that the plastic reaction norm in nymphal colouration requires physiological machinery that is slow-acting.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Phylogeny of locusts and grasshoppers reveals complex evolution of density-dependent phenotypic plasticity

Song

Foquet

Mariño‐Pérez

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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Locusts are grasshoppers that can form dense migrating swarms through an extreme form of density-dependent phenotypic plasticity, known as locust phase polyphenism. We present a comprehensive phylogeny of the genus Schistocerca, which contains both non-swarming grasshoppers and swarming locusts. We find that the desert locust, S. gregaria, which is the only Old World representative of the genus, is the earliest diverging lineage. This suggests that the common ancestor of Schistocerca must have been a swarming locust that crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to America approximately 6 million years ago, giving rise to the current diversity in the New World. This also implies that density-dependent phenotypic plasticity is an ancestral trait for the genus. Through ancestral character reconstruction of reaction norms, we show that colour plasticity has been largely retained in most species in the genus, but behavioural plasticity was lost and regained at least twice. Furthermore, we show that swarming species do not form a monophyletic group and non-swarming species that are closely related to locusts often express locust-like plastic reaction norms. Thus, we conclude that individual reaction norms have followed different evolutionary trajectories, which have led to the evolutionary transition between grasshoppers and locusts - and vice versa.

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“…However, the details of the controlling mechanisms are largely unknown and the gene encoding this peptide was identified only recently for this locust (Sugahara et al . ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Therefore, this peptide has been suggested to be involved in phase polyphenism in this locust (Tanaka 2001(Tanaka , 2006Pener & Simpson 2009). However, the details of the controlling mechanisms are largely unknown and the gene encoding this peptide was identified only recently for this locust (Sugahara et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body‐color and behavioral responses by the mid‐instar nymphs of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to crowding and visual stimuli

Tanaka

Saeki

Nishide

et al. 2016

Entomological Science

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The effects of crowding and isolation on body color and behavior were observed for the mid‐instar nymphs of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Some of the solitarious (isolation‐reared) nymphs that were crowded for 1 or 4 h during the third instar developed black patterns at the fourth instar, but most individuals remained unaffected. Black patterns appeared in all individuals that were crowded for 1 day or longer, but even after 4 days of crowding the black patterning for some individuals was not as intense as that for the gregarious (crowd‐reared) controls. Isolation of gregarious nymphs caused the black patterns to recede or disappear at the last (fifth) nymphal instar, but it was necessary to isolate the nymphs from the beginning of the first instar to obtain body coloration looking like solitarious nymphs in most individuals. Solitarious nymphs that were allowed to see gregarious nymphs developed different intensities of black patterns depending on the body size and number of nymphs shown. The behavioral phase shift from one phase to another was observed when the nymphs were crowded or isolated for 2 days or longer, as previously reported for the last nymphal instars of the same strain. Behavioral gregarization was induced for isolated nymphs that were allowed to see a group of nymphs through a transparent double wall. These results suggested that body‐color phase shift occurred more rapidly for mid‐instar nymphs than for late instar nymphs but the rate of behavioral phase shift was similar for the two instars.

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Knockdown of the corazonin gene reveals its critical role in the control of gregarious characteristics in the desert locust

Cited by 40 publications

References 47 publications

The Neuropeptide Corazonin Controls Social Behavior and Caste Identity in Ants

The Neuropeptide Corazonin Controls Social Behavior and Caste Identity in Ants

Phylogeny of locusts and grasshoppers reveals complex evolution of density-dependent phenotypic plasticity

Body‐color and behavioral responses by the mid‐instar nymphs of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to crowding and visual stimuli

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