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

项目摘要/摘要 像蚂蚁这样的社会昆虫已经成为研究表观遗传调节和寿命的优秀模型。 由于它们对社会刺激的反应具有独特的行为和形态可塑性。每个工人都在 蚁群的基因组几乎相同，但在行为和寿命上表现出显著的差异。这个 悬而未决且仍未被探索的问题是：“社会环境如何改变我们的生活？ 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？这一领域的研究 由于缺乏表现出(A)复杂的社会结构的适当的社会模型系统，以及 (B)可以用来询问有关社会状况的问题。我们的初步数据显示，与世隔绝的蚂蚁 表现出寿命的急剧缩短。然而，将一只与世隔绝的蚂蚁与3D打印的蚂蚁模型配对， 利用个体原始群体的所有角质层碳氢化合物，挽救由 与世隔绝。除了不同的大脑结构外，我还观察到整体大脑大小的剧烈形态变化， 作为社会环境的一种功能。我还开发了一种行为测试方法，可以显示在 社会孤立。我进行了RNA测序，以确定Obp56e在分离过程中表达减少，但 在救援中提升了表情。Obp56e是一种气味结合基因，在角质层合成中起关键作用 碳氢化合物。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。我会用我的发现来调节气味的表达 大脑中S结合蛋白调节寿命和理解行为变化作为一种 社会隔离的功能。我假设Obp56e在调节社会的长寿方面将是关键的 孤立的个体。这项建议的目标是揭示社会环境如何影响寿命和 在蚂蚁物种Camponotus floridanus中的行为。在目标1中，我将阐明社会环境对 通过在孤立的个体中产生大脑特异性的Obp56e过表达来结束其 使用行为作为次要输出的寿命。在目标2中，我将测定角质烃(S)(CHCs) 作为社会环境的函数来调节华丽梭子蟹寿命差异。为了整合目标，我将 对接受提供救援和比较的化合物的蚂蚁的大脑进行RNA测序 对CHC的全部救援。这些研究很可能是高度适用于人类健康的功能 寿命调节的保守候选遗传靶点的研究。我处于一个独特的位置来建立 社会影响对寿命和行为产生长期影响之前的基本基础 疏远已经成为一种突发公共卫生事件。

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.