Reinforcement of epigenetic memory by social interactions in ants

描述（由申请人提供）：来自蚂蚁物种Harpegnathos saltator的工人可以转化为产卵的生殖假女王（gamergates），具有显着延长的寿命和特定的行为。这种转变可以通过两种途径实现：社交和独处。在社会路径中，来自蚁后死亡的蚁群的工蜂通过触角决斗进行互动，直到几个“赢家”成为gamergates;在孤独路径中，一个孤立的工蜂也可以产卵。社交型和独居型玩家在行为上有着显著的差异。重要的是，将社会gamergates恢复为工人比孤独更困难，这表明社会互动允许建立比孤独gamergates更稳定的表观遗传标记。我们将使用这种独特的工具来研究社会互动如何影响表观遗传过程，以及表观遗传修饰的变化如何稳定行为模式。我们还建议在H.使用强大的基因靶向方法，特别是CRISPR，来调节这些表观遗传标记和潜在的行为。这些初步研究将为进一步的功能分析奠定基础，从而促进我们对行为的表观遗传基础的理解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Workers from the ant species Harpegnathos saltator can convert to reproductive pseudoqueens (gamergates) that lay eggs, have a dramatically expanded lifespan, and specific behaviors. This transition can be achieved by two paths: social and solitary. In the social path, workers from a colony where the queen has died interact through antennal dueling until several "winners" become gamergates; in the solitary path, an isolated worker can also lay eggs. Social and solitary gamergates have striking differences in behavior. Importantly, it is much more difficult to revert social gamergates to workers than solitary, suggesting that social interactions allow the establishment of more stable epigenetic marks than in solitary gamergates. We will use this unique tool to investigate how social interactions influence epigenetic processes and how changes in epigenetic modifications stabilize behavioral patterns. We also propose to develop genetic tools in H. saltator using powerful gene-targeting approaches, notably CRISPR, to modulate these epigenetic marks and potentially behavior. These pilot studies will lay a foundation for further functional analyses tha will advance our understanding of epigenetic underpinnings of behavior.