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，但对潜在的遗传决定因素知之甚少。蜜蜂是一种具有特殊生活史的社会性昆虫，目前的功能基因组研究主要集中在驯化蜜蜂上。在蚂蚁中，广泛的基因组资源，目前开发的几个物种，然而，缺乏理想的模型系统的属性，通常不能在受控条件下繁殖。因此，我们建议建立一个模式系统的功能基因组研究的社会进化，更普遍的是，表型可塑性，生活史进化和衰老的蚂蚁condyla obscurior。姬小蜂的群体很小，它们的世代时间很短，雄性和雌性在圈养中很容易交配并产生后代，这使得可以保持近交系。我们建议对C.并开发寡核苷酸微阵列。由于这些资源的可用性而产生的众多有吸引力的和热门的项目中，我们打算集中在两个特别有前途的项目上：第一，社会昆虫生殖和衰老之间的特殊反向权衡，第二，雌性和雄性性动物的表型可塑性。这两项研究不仅对我们理解社会进化，而且对寿命和多种族现象的进化都很重要。

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.