Neuropeptide Receptors and Identification of Genes in Signaling Networks Involved in Reproduction and Nutrition in the Red Imported Fire Ant

进口红火蚁(Solenopsis Invicta Britn)种群从阿根廷入侵美国，并在全球范围内扩张。它们的成功部分归功于火蚁蚁后的高繁殖能力和物种的攻击性行为。红火蚁后享有繁殖能力和寿命的特权，而群体中的大多数雌性蚂蚁成为非生殖个体(工蚁)。这个项目通过研究美国最丰富的社会形态--多蚁王的火蚁群体的繁殖，推动了社会性昆虫的生理学、内分泌学和神经生物学的发展。人们对火蚁的繁殖知之甚少。对关键神经肽受体(如短神经肽F(SNPF)和胰岛素样肽)的了解有限，这些受体可能调节与女王卵巢发育和/或卵子成熟有关的基因网络，和/或感知它们的营养状态。该项目将专注于sNPF和胰岛素受体的免疫定位，并通过对蜂王和工蚁的转录组分析和RNA干扰(RNAi)实验来评估沉默它们的基因的生理后果。该项目的更广泛影响包括社会效益和教育效益。仅在美国，每年在控制这些入侵蚂蚁、隔离或损坏修复方面就损失了数百万美元。该项目的发现为新的蚂蚁控制提供了可能性。了解蚁后感知其营养状况、繁殖的生理机制，以及工蚁如何决定任务分配，将有助于恢复目前在世界各地因火蚁入侵而失去的肥沃土地、公园和牧场。此外，这些PI是德克萨斯农工大学的拉美裔女性。一名博士生和一名博士后实习生将参与该项目。认识到科学家需要有效地向公众宣传研究的重要性，博士后和学生(研究生和本科生)将编写科学内容和材料，以英语和西班牙语分发。研究团队将与德克萨斯州奥斯汀的EarthSky合作，指导学生编写科学内容的剧本，并为广大观众制作广播、视频和电视节目。后者将由西班牙裔电视网Univision播出。PI是目前由NSF通过昆虫学系激励计划支持的本科生研究经验导师，该项目将包括一名REU-NSF学生参加暑期项目。PI教授昆虫生理学和昆虫毒理学研究生课程，项目发现将影响这些研究生课程的内容。这项研究的结果还将发表在同行评议的期刊上，并在科学会议上发表。

Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) populations invaded the U.S. from Argentina and are expanding worldwide. Their success is in part due to the high reproductive ability of fire ant queens and the species aggressive behavior. Red imported fire ant queens have the privilege of reproductive ability and years of longevity while most females in the colony become non-reproductive individuals (workers). This project advances physiology, endocrinology and neurobiology of social insects by studying reproduction in fire ant colonies with multiple queens, the most abundant social form in the US. Little is known about fire ant reproduction. Limited knowledge is available on key neuropeptide receptors (e.g., short neuropeptide F (sNPF) and insulin-like peptides), which likely regulate gene networks involved in queen ovarian development and/or egg maturation, and/or sensing their nutritional status. The project will focus on immunolocalization of sNPF and insulin receptors and on evaluating the physiological consequences of silencing their genes by transcriptome analysis and RNA interference (RNAi) experiments with queens and workers. The broader impacts of the project include both social and educational benefits. Millions of dollars are lost annually only in the U.S. to control these invasive ants, in quarantines, or in damage repairs. The discoveries from this project offer potential for novel ant control. Knowledge on the physiological mechanisms by which queens sense their nutritional status, reproduce and how task allocation is determined in worker ants will help recuperate productive land, parks, and pastures currently lost to fire ant invasions worldwide. Additionally, the PIs are female Hispanics at Texas A&M University. A Ph.D. student and a post-doctoral trainee will participate in the project. Acknowledging the need for scientists to effectively communicate the significance of research to the public, the post-doc and students (grad and undergraduate) will develop scientific content and materials for distribution in English and Spanish. The research team will collaborate with EarthSky (Austin, TX) for mentoring students on script writing of scientific content and production of radio, video and TV programming for broad audiences. The latter will be broadcasted by the Hispanic TV network Univision. The PIs are mentors for Research Experiences for Undergraduates currently supported by the NSF through the Department of Entomology EXCITE program and this project will incorporate an REU-NSF student for a summer program. The PI teaches courses in Graduate Insect Physiology and Insect Toxicology and project findings will impact these graduate courses content. Findings from the research will also be published in peer reviewed journals and presented at scientific conferences.