Consistency and proximate mechanisms of genetic effects on behavior in ants

昆虫社会（蚂蚁、白蚁、蜜蜂和黄蜂）的特点是个体之间合作完成不同的任务，这一过程被称为劳动分工。社会性昆虫是研究行为遗传学的很好的模型系统，因为执行特定任务的可能性和效率（例如，觅食或哺育幼仔）都有遗传成分。我们最近的一些研究表明，遗传对劳动分工的影响比个体之间的等位基因差异更为复杂，从而说明社会行为遗传学的许多方面仍有待理解。这些包括遗传效应随时间和环境的一致性，以及将遗传差异转化为行为变异的近似机制。在这个项目中，我们将通过使用阿根廷蚂蚁Linepithema humile在实验室中进行受控杂交来解决这些问题，从而使我们能够量化两种亲本遗传背景对行为的相对影响。为了评估遗传效应的一致性，将在不同的时间点和不同的社会背景下进行行为实验。为了探讨其可能的机制，我们将联合收割机RNA测序（RNAseq）和RNA干扰（RNAi）相结合，对蚂蚁行为遗传效应的调控基因、共表达基因模块和基因网络进行实验鉴定。总的来说，这个项目不仅将提供一个更好的理解遗传对昆虫社会劳动分工的影响，而且还提高了行为遗传学的一般知识。

Insect societies (ants, termites, bees and wasps) are characterized by the cooperation of individuals performing different tasks, a process known as division of labor. Social insects are great model systems to investigate the genetics of behavior because the likelihood and efficiency to perform a specific task (e.g., foraging for food or nursing the brood) have long been known to have genetic components. Some of our recent studies have revealed genetic effects on division of labor to be more complex than mere allelic differences among individuals, thus illustrating that many aspects of the genetics of social behavior remain to be understood. These include the consistency of genetic effects over time and across contexts, and the proximate mechanisms translating genetic differences into behavioral variation. In this project, we will tackle these issues by using the Argentine ant Linepithema humile to perform controlled crosses in the laboratory, thus allowing us to quantify the relative influence of both parental genetic backgrounds on behavior. To assess the consistency of genetic effects, behavioral experiments will be performed at different time points and in different social contexts. To investigate the proximate mechanisms, we will combine RNA sequencing (RNAseq) and RNA interference (RNAi) to experimentally identify the genes, modules of co-expressed genes and gene networks regulating the genetic effects on behavior in ants. Overall, this project will not only provide a better understanding of the genetic influences on division of labor in insect societies, but also improve the general knowledge of the genetics of behavior.