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Social environment affects sensory gene expression in ant larvae.

U Pulliainen1,2, C Morandin1,3, N Bos1,4

  • 1Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Insect Molecular Biology
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Social insect larvae can sense their environment. Social stimulation increases the expression of key sensory genes in ant larvae, revealing molecular insights into social perception.

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Area of Science:

  • Insect behavior
  • Molecular biology
  • Social insect communication

Background:

  • Social insects rely on communication for behavior regulation.
  • Larvae of social insects interact and respond to social cues.
  • The sensory mechanisms of social insect larvae remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how social insect larvae perceive their environment.
  • To characterize the expression of sensory-related genes in ant larvae under different social conditions.

Main Methods:

  • RNA sequencing (RNAseq) was used to analyze gene expression.
  • Larvae of the ant Formica fusca were exposed to isolated and socially stimulated environments.
  • Gene expression patterns were compared between the two social conditions.

Main Results:

  • Social stimulation led to higher expression of key sensory-related genes in larvae.
  • Larvae expressed numerous sensory genes, including major chemosensory gene families, similar to adults.
  • This indicates larvae possess molecular machinery for sensing social cues.

Conclusions:

  • Social insect larvae possess the capability to perceive social information.
  • Gene expression analysis provides molecular insights into sensory perception in larvae.
  • This study offers foundational understanding of social information processing in developing social insects.