Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026
10:57
RNAi-mediated Double Gene Knockdown and Gustatory Perception Measurement in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Published on: July 25, 2013
Wasp gene expression supports an evolutionary link between maternal behavior and eusociality
Amy L Toth1, Kranthi Varala, Thomas C Newman
1Department of Entomology and Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. amytoth@uiuc.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|September 29, 2007
Summary
Worker wasp gene expression resembles maternal care, not reproductive castes. This suggests eusociality evolved from maternal care, involving key nutritional and reproductive gene pathways.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Behavioral genetics
- Insect behavior
Background:
- Eusociality, characterized by non-reproductive workers caring for siblings, is a key evolutionary puzzle.
- A leading hypothesis suggests worker behavior originates from maternal care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary origins of eusociality by examining gene expression in the primitively eusocial wasp, Polistes metricus.
- To test the hypothesis that worker behavior evolved from maternal care.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 454 sequencing to generate complementary DNA reads from Polistes metricus brains.
- Identified and analyzed orthologs of 32 honey bee behavior-related genes.
- Compared gene expression patterns between workers, foundresses, queens, and gynes.
Main Results:
- Wasp brain gene expression in workers was more similar to foundresses (maternal care) than to queens or gynes (non-maternal care).
- Differentially regulated genes included insulin-related genes.
- This indicates a link between nutritional and reproductive pathways in the evolution of eusociality.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the hypothesis that worker behavior in eusocial insects evolved from maternal care.
- The evolution of eusociality likely involved significant alterations in nutritional and reproductive gene regulation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
00:57Inclusive Fitness
Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.
01:21Nondisjunction
Nondisjunction is the failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate correctly and move to the opposite poles of the cells. This produces daughter cells with abnormal chromosome numbers. Nondisjunction is common during anaphase I or anaphase II of meiosis. Mutations in synaptonemal complex proteins that attach homologous chromosomes increase the chances of nondisjunction in anaphase I of meiosis I. In contrast, mutations in topoisomerases and condensins that hold sister...
02:02Cis-regulatory Sequences
Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
02:32Position-effect Variegation
In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
01:20Evolutionary Psychology
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...