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Identification of an ant queen pheromone regulating worker sterility
Luke Holman1, Charlotte G Jørgensen, John Nielsen
1Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. lholman@bio.ku.dk
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|July 2, 2010
Summary
Researchers identified the first queen pheromone in ants that regulates worker sterility. This chemical signal, a cuticular hydrocarbon, influences worker behavior and colony organization, offering insights into eusociality.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Chemical Ecology
- Social Insects
Background:
- Eusociality, characterized by reproductive division of labor, is a complex evolutionary phenomenon.
- Queen-produced pheromones are hypothesized to regulate worker reproduction in social insects, but definitive identification has been limited.
- Understanding these regulatory mechanisms is key to explaining the persistence of eusociality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize the first queen pheromone responsible for regulating worker sterility in ants.
- To investigate the role of this pheromone in worker behavior and colony organization.
- To explore the relationship between queen physiology, pheromone production, and immune challenges.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and chemical identification of pheromones from the black garden ant (Lasius niger).
- Behavioral assays to assess the effect of the identified pheromone on worker aggression.
- Electrophysiological recordings to measure antennal responses of workers to the pheromone.
- Experimental manipulation of queen immune status to observe effects on pheromone production.
Main Results:
- The first sterility-regulating ant queen pheromone was isolated and identified as a cuticular hydrocarbon.
- This pheromone constitutes a major part of the chemical profile of queens and their eggs.
- The pheromone reduces worker aggression towards pheromone-bearing objects and elicits a strong antennal response.
- Queen pheromone production is significantly reduced after an immune challenge.
Conclusions:
- The identified pheromone plays a crucial role in maintaining colony organization and reproductive division of labor in Lasius niger.
- These findings support the hypothesis that worker sterility is a form of altruistic self-restraint, signaled by an honest quality indicator from the queen.
- The study provides a definitive example of queen pheromone regulation of worker reproduction in ants, advancing our understanding of eusocial evolution.
