Longevity and phenotypic plasticity in ants: a functional genomic approach based on genome sequencing and oligonucleotide microarrays

蚂蚁复杂的种姓制度和社会生活构成了它们巨大的生态成功的基础，但人们对潜在的遗传决定因素知之甚少。目前的功能基因组研究主要集中在驯化蜜蜂上，这是一种具有相当特殊生活史的社会性昆虫。在蚂蚁中，目前已为多个物种开发了广泛的基因组资源，然而，这些资源缺乏理想模型系统的特性，并且通常无法在受控条件下繁殖。因此，我们建议建立蚂蚁 Cardiocondyla obscuror 作为社会进化功能基因组研究的模型系统，更广泛地说，是表型可塑性、生活史进化和衰老的模型系统。心髁群体较小，世代时间短，雄性和雌性在圈养条件下很容易交配并产生后代，这使得可以维持近交系。我们建议对 C. obscuror 的基因组进行测序并开发寡核苷酸微阵列。在这些资源的可用性所产生的众多有吸引力和热门的项目中，我们打算重点关注两个特别有前景的项目：第一，社会性昆虫的繁殖和衰老之间的特殊反向权衡，第二，雌性和雄性两性的表型可塑性。这两项研究不仅对我们理解社会进化很重要，而且对寿命的进化和多型现象也很重要。

The complex caste system and social life of ants forms the basis of their tremendous ecological success, but little is known about the underlying genetic determinants. Present functional genomic studies focus on the domesticated honeybee, a social insect with a rather special life history. In ants, extensive genomic resources are currently developed for several species, which, however, lack the properties of ideal model systems and usually cannot be bred under controlled conditions. We therefore propose to establish the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior as a model system in functional genomic research of social evolution, and, more generally, phenotypic plasticity, life history evolution, and senescence. Cardiocondyla colonies are small, their generation time is short, and males and females readily mate and produce offspring in captivity, which allows maintaining inbred lines. We propose to sequence the genome of C. obscurior and to develop oligonucleotide microarrays. Of the multitude of attractive and topical projects arising from the availability of these resources we intend to focus on two particular promising projects: first, the peculiar reversed trade-off between reproduction and aging in social insects, and second, the phenotypic plasticity of both female and male sexuals. Both studies will be of importance not only for our understanding of social evolution but also for the evolution of life spans and polyphenism.