Rescue of shortened lifespan as a function of social isolation in ants

项目总结/摘要 真社会性昆虫如蚂蚁已经成为研究表观遗传调控和寿命的极好模型 这是因为它们在对社会刺激做出反应时具有独特的行为和形态可塑性。个体劳动者 蚁群有几乎相同的基因组，但在行为和寿命上表现出惊人的差异。的 一个悬而未决的问题仍然是：“社会环境如何改变 成熟、完全发育的生物体在行为和衰老方面的表观遗传状态？”该领域研究 由于缺乏合适的社会模型系统而受到限制，这些模型系统表现出（A）复杂的社会结构， (B)可以用来询问社会状态的问题。我们的初步数据显示， 寿命大幅缩短然而，将一只社会孤立的蚂蚁与一个3D打印的蚂蚁模型配对， 与所有的表皮碳氢化合物的个人的原始殖民地，挽救寿命减少诱导 隔离我还观察到除了不同的大脑结构外， as a function函数of social社会setting设置.我还开发了一种行为分析，显示在睡眠中嗜睡增加。 社会孤立我进行了RNA测序，以确定Obp 56 e在分离过程中表达减少，但 在救援中的表达。obp 56 e是合成表皮细胞的关键气味结合基因 芳香烃.我将揭示气味结合基因如何调节寿命差异，导致区域特异性 大脑萎缩，并控制行为变化。我将用我的发现来调节气味的表达， C.脑中的结合蛋白。floridanus调节寿命和了解行为变化作为一个 社会隔离功能。我假设Obp 56 e将在调节社会性长寿方面发挥关键作用。 孤立的个体。这项提案的目的是揭示社会环境如何影响寿命， 佛罗里达弓背蚁Camponotus floridanus的行为在目标1中，我将阐明社会环境对 C.通过在分离的个体中产生Obp 56 e的脑特异性过表达， 寿命，使用行为作为次要输出。在目标2中，我将确定表皮碳氢化合物（CHCs） 调节寿命差异作为社会环境的函数。floridanus为了整合目标，我将 对接受了提供救援的化合物的蚂蚁的大脑进行RNA测序， 对CHC的全面救援这些研究很可能是高度适用于人类健康的功能 研究用于寿命调节的保守候选遗传靶点。我处于一个独特的位置来建立 社会影响对寿命和行为的根本基础，在社会长期影响之前， 疏远成为公共卫生紧急事件。

Project Summary/Abstract Eusocial insects like ants have emerged as excellent models for the study of epigenetic regulation and lifespan due to their unique behavioral and morphological plasticity in response to social stimuli. Individual workers in an ant colony have nearly identical genomes but exhibit striking differences in behavior and lifespan. The outstanding and still relatively unexplored question remains: “How does the social environment alter the epigenetic state of mature, full-developed organisms with respect to behavior and aging?” Research in this field has been limited by the lack of suitable eusocial model systems that exhibit (A) complex social structures, and (B) can be utilized to ask questions about social state. Our preliminary data show that socially isolated ants exhibit drastically reduced lifespan. However, pairing a socially isolated ant with a 3D-printed ant model, coated with all the cuticular hydrocarbons of the individual’s original colony, rescues the lifespan decrease induced by isolation. I also observe drastic morphological changes in overall brain size in addition to distinct brain structures, as a function of social setting. I have also developed a behavioral assay that shows increased lethargy during social isolation. I performed RNA-sequencing to identify Obp56e has reduced expression during isolation, but elevated expression in the rescue. Obp56e is an odorant binding gene critical in synthesizing cuticular hydrocarbons. I will reveal how an odorant binding gene regulates lifespan differences, leads to region-specific brain atrophy, and controls behavioral changes. I will use my findings to modulate the expression of odorant binding protein(s) in the brain of C. floridanus to regulate lifespan and understand behavioral changes as a function of social isolation. I hypothesize that Obp56e will be critical in modulating the longevity of socially isolated individuals. The goal of this proposal is to reveal how the social environment influences lifespan and behavior in the ant species Camponotus floridanus. In Aim 1, I will elucidate the effect of social environment on C. floridanus by generating a brain specific overexpression of Obp56e in isolated individuals in order to end their lifespan, using behavior as a secondary output. In Aim 2, I will determine the cuticular hydrocarbon(s) (CHCs) that regulate lifespan difference as a function of social setting in C. floridanus. To integrate the aims, I will perform RNA-sequencing on the brains of ants who received the compound that provides rescue and compare to the total CHC rescue. These studies are likely to be highly applicable to human health by the functional investigation of conserved candidate genetic targets for lifespan modulation. I am in a unique position to establish the fundamental groundwork of social influence on lifespan and behavior before long-term effects of social distancing become a public health emergency.