Worker division of labor and endocrine physiology are associated in the harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus
Worker division of labor and endocrine physiology are associated in the harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus
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DOI：
10.1242/jeb.060822
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发表时间：
2012-02-01
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Amdam, Gro V.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Dolezal, Adam G.;Brent, Colin S.;Amdam, Gro V.
在Pogonomyrmex californicus收获蚁中，与年龄相关的劳动分工发生在工人种姓中，年轻的工人执行巢内任务，年长的工人觅食。在这里，我们测试了这种行为划分是否是基于年龄或年龄灵活，以及它是否与已知的行为调节作用的全身激素的差异表达相一致。在来自（1）年龄典型的群体，其中保持典型的年龄结构，工人自然地过渡到行为之间，和（2）单队列的殖民地，这是完全由相同年龄的工人，促进建立年龄无关的劳动分工工人的保幼激素（JH）和蜕皮类固醇的全身含量进行了测定。觅食从两个殖民地类型有较高的JH和较低的蜕皮激素含量比工人执行巢内任务，这表明年龄不是唯一的决定因素的工人的行为。这种激素含量和加利福尼亚蚁工蚁行为之间的关联与以前在该物种的创始蚁后中观察到的相似。由于这些激素是发育和生殖行为的关键调节因子，我们的数据与生殖地面计划假说（RGPH）一致，该假说认为独居祖先的生殖调节机制被增选来调节工人行为。
In Pogonomyrmex californicus harvester ants, an age-associated division of labor occurs in the worker caste, in which young workers perform in-nest tasks and older workers forage for food. Here, we tested whether this behavioral division is age based or age flexible, and whether it coincides with differential expression of systemic hormones with known roles in behavioral regulation. Whole-body content of juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids was determined in workers from (1) age-typical colonies, in which a typical age structure is maintained and workers transition across behaviors naturally, and (2) single-cohort colonies, which are entirely composed of same-aged workers, facilitating the establishment of age-independent division of labor. Foragers from both colony types had higher JH and lower ecdysteroid content than workers performing in-nest tasks, suggesting that age is not the sole determinant of worker behavior. This association between hormone content and behavior of P. californicus workers is similar to that previously observed in founding queens of this species. Because these hormones are key regulators of development and reproductive behavior, our data are consistent with the reproductive ground plan hypothesis (RGPH), which posits that the reproductive regulatory mechanisms of solitary ancestors were co-opted to regulate worker behavior.