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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
|August 21, 2021
Summary
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.
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.
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