Collaborative Research: Epigenetic, transcriptomic, and behavioral impacts of a maternal signal during wasp caste development

许多关于人类和啮齿动物的研究旨在了解母亲的护理如何影响后代的行为和健康。 由于很难将母性行为本身的影响与环境的影响分开，许多基本问题仍然没有答案：母性护理本身在多大程度上直接影响后代的长期行为和生理？ 产妇护理能否完全或部分克服环境压力？ 母亲的照顾是否会引发后代的遗传变化，从而产生长期影响？托特和珍妮将使用一种新的行为系统来解决这些问题。 纸黄蜂（Polistes）在幼虫发育的整个过程中喂养和照顾幼虫。 在这个过程中，母蜂通过用触角击打巢室来振动幼虫。 这种行为可以用压电装置来模拟，对后代有着深远的影响。 振动的幼虫成为工人，而非振动的黄蜂成为女王。 这种独特的系统可以用来实验性地解剖母性行为如何影响后代，研究人员将使用最先进的DNA测序方法来表征哪些类型的遗传变化（例如基因活化或化学DNA修饰）在后代中响应于环境因素的相互作用而被诱导（营养压力）和母性行为这项工作将提供新的信息，了解母性行为在多大程度上会影响后代的命运，这些影响如何被环境中的压力因素所调节，以及这一过程背后的遗传机制。 该项目将涉及一名博士后研究员、几名本科生和一名高中教师的培训。 研究结果将分发给科学界，并在学校和社区外展活动中分享新的见解。

Many studies on humans and rodents have aimed at understanding how maternal care influences the behavior and health of offspring. Because it is hard to separate the effects of maternal behavior itself from effects of the environment, many fundamental questions remain unanswered: To what extent can maternal care itself directly affect the long-term behavior and physiology of offspring? Can maternal care completely or partially overcome environmental stressors? Does maternal care trigger genetic changes in offspring that mediate long-term effects?Toth and Jeanne will use a new behavioral system to address these questions. Mother paper wasps (Polistes) feed and care for larvae throughout their development. In the process, maternal wasps physically vibrate their larvae by striking their antennae on nest cells. This behavior, which can be simulated using a piezoelectric device, has profound effects on offspring. Vibrated larvae become workers, whereas un-vibrated wasps become queens. This unique system can be used to experimentally dissect how maternal behavior affects offspring.The researchers will use state-of-the art DNA sequencing methods to characterize what types of genetic changes (e.g. gene activation or chemical DNA modifications) are induced in offspring in response to the interactions of an environmental factor (nutritional stress) and a maternal behavior (vibrations).This work will provide new information on the extent to which maternal behavior can affect the fate of offspring, how these effects may be modulated by stressors in the environment, and the genetic mechanisms underlying this process. The project will involve the training of a postdoctoral researcher, several undergraduates, and a high school teacher. The results will be disseminated to the scientific community and new insights shared at school and community outreach events.