Tandem-running and scouting behaviour are characterized by up-regulation of learning and memory formation genes within the ant brain
Tandem-running and scouting behaviour are characterized by up-regulation of learning and memory formation genes within the ant brain
复制标题
DOI：
10.1111/mec.15079
复制
发表时间：
2019-05-01
影响因子：
4.9
通讯作者：
Foitzik, Susanne
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Alleman, Austin;Stoldt, Marah;Foitzik, Susanne
串联奔跑是蚂蚁的一种招募行为，被描述为一种教学形式，其中领导者所拥有的空间信息被传递给跟随的同伴。在Temnothorax蚂蚁中，串联奔跑被用于多种情况，从觅食和巢穴迁移到奴隶制物种的奴隶袭击。在这里，我们阐明了两个具有不同生活方式的物种的侦察、串联主导和串联跟随行为的转录组基础：奴隶制的Temnothorax americanus和它的主要非寄生宿主T. longispinosus。对大脑基因表达数据的分析表明，只有少数独特的差异表达基因负责侦察和串联运行。 T. americanus 和 T. longispinosus 之间的直系同源基因的比较表明，串联运行的特征是物种特异性的基因使用模式。然而，在这两个物种中，串联领导者的基因表达模式与侦察兵和串联追随者的基因表达模式中等，这是预期的，因为领导者可以从其他两种行为状态中的任何一个招募。最重要的是，发现了许多差异表达的行为基因，其功能与其他社会性和非社会性昆虫的学习和记忆形成有关。这包括许多上调的受体基因，例如谷氨酸和多巴胺受体，以及丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白磷酸酶和激酶。学习和记忆基因在侦察兵和串联追随者中被特别上调，这不仅加强了先前对Temnothorax如何导航新环境和共享信息的行为研究，而且还提供了对社会性昆虫中教学和学习的分子基础的见解。
Tandem-running is a recruitment behaviour in ants that has been described as a form of teaching, where spatial information possessed by a leader is conveyed to following nestmates. Within Temnothorax ants, tandem-running is used within a variety of contexts, from foraging and nest relocation to-in the case of slavemaking species-slave raiding. Here, we elucidate the transcriptomic basis of scouting, tandem-leading and tandem-following behaviours across two species with divergent lifestyles: the slavemaking Temnothorax americanus and its primary, nonparasitic host T. longispinosus. Analysis of gene expression data from brains revealed that only a small number of unique differentially expressed genes are responsible for scouting and tandem-running. Comparison of orthologous genes between T. americanus and T. longispinosus suggests that tandem-running is characterized by species-specific patterns of gene usage. However, within both species, tandem-leaders showed gene expression patterns median to those of scouts and tandem-followers, which was expected, as leaders can be recruited from either of the other two behavioural states. Most importantly, a number of differentially expressed behavioural genes were found, with functions relating to learning and memory formation in other social and nonsocial insects. This includes a number of up-regulated receptor genes such as a glutamate and dopamine receptor, as well as serine/threonine-protein phosphatases and kinases. Learning and memory genes were specifically up-regulated within scouts and tandem-followers, not only reinforcing previous behavioural studies into how Temnothorax navigate novel environments and share information, but also providing insight into the molecular underpinnings of teaching and learning within social insects.