Nourishment level affects caste-related gene expression in Polistes wasps

Area of Science:

• * Insect biology
• * Developmental biology
• * Molecular ecology

Background:

• * Social insects display remarkable phenotypic plasticity, developing distinct reproductive (queen) and non-reproductive (worker) castes.
• * Caste determination is influenced by environmental factors, particularly nutrition, during development.
• * In Polistes paper wasps, caste plasticity extends into adulthood, with nourishment inequalities potentially biasing caste development.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying nutritional effects on caste determination in Polistes metricus.
• * To identify gene expression changes in response to proteinaceous nourishment deprivation in larvae.

Main Methods:

• * RNA-sequencing was employed to analyze gene expression profiles.
• * Comparative analyses were performed with previously identified caste-related genes.
• * Cross-species comparisons of nourishment-responsive genes were conducted.

Main Results:

• * 285 nourishment-responsive transcripts were identified, many linked to lipid metabolism and oxidation-reduction.
• * Nourishment restriction partially shifted gene expression towards worker caste traits, supporting a combined role of nutrition and social environment.
• * Cross-species comparisons revealed largely lineage-specific nourishment-responsive genes, indicating limited conservation across taxa.

Conclusions:

• * Environmental factors, particularly nourishment, play a complex role in shaping gene expression patterns related to caste determination.
• * The study underscores the multifactorial nature of environmental influences on plastic phenotypes in social insects.