Role of the <i>foraging</i> gene in worker behavioral transition in the red imported fire ant, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Chen, Jie; Zhou, Yalin; Lei, Yanyuan; Shi, Qingxing; Qi, Guojun; He, Yurong; Lyu, Lihua

doi:10.1002/ps.6921

Cited by 16 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…We also observed that EMF significantly down-regulated the expression levels of selected candidate genes underpinning the agerelated transition from working in the hive (nurse) to foraging for food outside (34). These include early response gene 1 (ERG1), hormone receptor 38 (HR38), guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (foraging, For1), vitellogenin (Vg), calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), and Cry2.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…These include early response gene 1 ( ERG1 ), hormone receptor 38 ( HR38 ), guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate–dependent protein kinase (foraging, For1 ), vitellogenin ( Vg ), calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II ( CaMKII ), and Cry2 . Therefore, EMF may have a negative impact on long-term memory formation ( 35 ), impairment of magnetic orientation in white light ( 36 ), task specialization ( 37 ), reduced locomotor activity, and reversion to a nurse phenotype ( 34 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To estimate the levels of stress exerted by EMF on honeybees and its effect on mRNA expression levels, we measured the expression of Hsp70 through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assays. For each honeybee, we homogenized head, thorax, and abdomen tissues in phosphate-buffered saline–azide–TAME buffer at 4°C ( 34 ). We centrifuged the homogenized tissue at 13,000 g for 20 min at 4°C and used the supernatant as the protein source for ELISA assays.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination service by honeybees

et al. 2023

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We assessed the effect that electromagnetic field (EMF) exerts on honeybees’ pollination efficiency using field and laboratory experiments. First, we measured levels of gene and protein expression in metabolic pathways involved in stress and behavioral responses elicited by EMF. Second, we assessed the effect of EMF on honeybee behavior and seed production by the honeybee-pollinated California poppy and, lastly, by measuring the consequences of pollination failure on plants’ community richness and abundance. EMF exposure exerted strong physiological stress on honeybees as shown by the enhanced expression of heat-shock proteins and genes involved in antioxidant activity and affected the expression levels of behavior-related genes. Moreover, California poppy individuals growing near EMF received fewer honeybee visits and produced fewer seeds than plants growing far from EMF. Last, we found a hump-shaped relationship between EMF and plant species richness and plant abundance. Our study provides conclusive evidence of detrimental impacts of EMF on honeybee’s pollination behavior, leading to negative effects on plant community.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination service by honeybees

et al. 2023

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“…The expression of workers in the nest in the control treatment in the presence of eggs was used as the reference group. Tested genes were hexamerin (hereby referred to as hex2 ), hymenoptaecin and the S. invicta foraging gene (hereby referred to as sifor ) because those were shown to be differentially expressed between foragers and nurses have different expression profiles: hymenoptaecin and sifor are both up-regulated in foragers compared to nurses within S. invicta , the opposite can be seen for hex2 27 , 68 , 69 . The expression profile of these genes was verified using nurses and foragers from the laboratory colonies before the selection of workers for the micro-colonies.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family before work: task reversion in workers of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta in the presence of brood

Starkey

Tamborindeguy

2023

Sci Rep

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Among social insects, task allocation within its group members remains as one of the paramount pillars of social functionality. Division of labor in many eusocial insects is maintained by behavioral flexibility that can shift according to the needs of the colony they reside in. Workers typically, over time as they age, shift from intranidal nurses to extranidal foragers. If the needs of the colony change, either from the needs of the adults or the brood therein, workers shift their behavior in order to compensate for the need of a particular task to be done. This shift, either accelerating towards a behavior associated with an older worker, or regressing back into the nest, is not clearly understood in social insects outside of honeybees. In this study, evaluated how brood type affected the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, worker task reversion and acceleration. Through observation of worker behaviors performed over multiple time-points per day, we discovered that worker task reversion and acceleration does occur within this ant species. Furthermore, the type of brood influenced the rate at which this occurred, with larvae having the strongest effect of all types. Finally, there was a propensity for workers to maintain their new behavior throughout the experiment. This study shows that the needs of brood within a social insect colony can influence the behavior workers perform, reversing the age polyethism that is common among social insect species.

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“…The cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) extraction was performed according to a previously described method. 13 Adults and larvae (0.2 ± 0.002 g) were soaked in 1 mL hexane (Sigma, St Louis, MO, USA) for 15 min. The extract was successively passed through a chromatographic column composed of anhydrous sodium sulfate, silicon magnesium mixture, and glass wool to isolate the CHCs.…”

Section: Cuticular Hydrocarbon (Chc) Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Labor division of worker ants can be controlled by insulin synthesis targeted through miR‐279c‐5p in Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Chen

Guan

et al. 2023

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUNDIn social insects, the labor division of workers is ubiquitous and controlled by genetic and environmental factors. However, how they modulate this coordinately remains poorly understood.RESULTSWe report miR‐279c‐5p participation in insulin synthesis and behavioral transition by negatively regulating Rab8A in Solenopsis invicta. Eusocial specific miR‐279c‐5p is age‐associated and highly expressed in nurse workers, and localized in the cytoplasm of neurons, where it is partly co‐localized with its target, Rab8A. We determined that miR‐279c‐5p agomir suppressed Rab8A expression in forager workers, consequently decreasing insulin content, resulting in the behavioral shift to ‘nurse‐like’ behaviors, while the decrease in miR‐279c‐5p increased Rab8A expression and increased insulin content in nurse workers, leading to the behavioral shift to ‘foraging‐like’ behaviors. Moreover, insulin could rescue the ‘foraging behavior’ induced by feeding miR‐279c‐5p to nurse workers. The overexpression and suppression of miR‐279c‐5p in vivo caused an obvious behavioral transition between foragers and nurses, and insulin synthesis was affected by miR‐279c‐5p by regulating the direct target Rab8A.CONCLUSIONWe first report that miR‐279c‐5p is a novel regulator that promotes labor division by negatively regulating the target gene Rab8A by controlling insulin production in ants. This miRNA‐mediated mechanism is significant for understanding the behavioral plasticity of social insects between complex factors and potentially provides new targets for controlling red imported fire ants.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Role of the foraging gene in worker behavioral transition in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Cited by 16 publications

References 51 publications

Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination service by honeybees

Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination service by honeybees

Family before work: task reversion in workers of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta in the presence of brood

Labor division of worker ants can be controlled by insulin synthesis targeted through miR‐279c‐5p in Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

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