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

许多针对人类和啮齿动物的研究旨在了解产妇护理如何影响后代的行为和健康。由于很难区分母亲行为本身的影响和环境的影响，许多基本问题仍然没有答案：母亲护理本身可以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？产妇护理是否会引发后代的基因变化，从而产生长期影响？托斯和珍妮将使用一种新的行为系统来解决这些问题。母纸黄蜂(Polistes)在幼虫整个发育过程中提供食物和照顾。在这个过程中，母蜂通过触角撞击巢细胞来震动幼虫。这种行为可以用压电装置来模拟，对后代有深远的影响。振动过的幼虫会变成工蜂，而没有振动过的黄蜂会变成蜂王。这一独特的系统可以用来实验剖析母亲的行为如何影响后代。研究人员将使用最先进的DNA测序方法来表征在环境因素(营养压力)和母亲行为(振动)的相互作用下，后代会诱导哪些类型的遗传变化(如基因激活或化学DNA修改)。这项工作将提供关于母亲行为影响后代命运的程度、环境应激源如何调节这些影响以及这一过程背后的遗传机制的新信息。该项目将包括一名博士后研究员、几名本科生和一名高中教师的培训。结果将向科学界传播，并在学校和社区外联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.