Consistency and proximate mechanisms of genetic effects on behavior in ants

昆虫社会（蚂蚁、白蚁、蜜蜂和黄蜂）的特点是个体合作完成不同的任务，这一过程被称为劳动分工。群居昆虫是研究行为遗传学的重要模型系统，因为执行特定任务（例如觅食或哺育后代）的可能性和效率早就被认为具有遗传成分。我们最近的一些研究表明，基因对劳动分工的影响比个体之间的等位基因差异更为复杂，因此说明社会行为的遗传学的许多方面仍有待了解。这些包括遗传效应随时间和不同背景的一致性，以及将遗传差异转化为行为差异的近似机制。在这个项目中，我们将通过使用阿根廷蚂蚁Linepithema humile在实验室进行控制杂交来解决这些问题，从而使我们能够量化亲本遗传背景对行为的相对影响。为了评估遗传效应的一致性，行为实验将在不同的时间点和不同的社会背景下进行。为了研究其可能的机制，我们将结合RNA测序（RNAseq）和RNA干扰（RNAi）技术，通过实验鉴定调控蚂蚁行为遗传效应的基因、共表达基因模块和基因网络。总的来说，该项目不仅将更好地了解遗传对昆虫社会分工的影响，而且还将提高对行为遗传学的一般认识。

Insect societies (ants, termites, bees and wasps) are characterized by the cooperation of individuals performing different tasks, a process known as division of labor. Social insects are great model systems to investigate the genetics of behavior because the likelihood and efficiency to perform a specific task (e.g., foraging for food or nursing the brood) have long been known to have genetic components. Some of our recent studies have revealed genetic effects on division of labor to be more complex than mere allelic differences among individuals, thus illustrating that many aspects of the genetics of social behavior remain to be understood. These include the consistency of genetic effects over time and across contexts, and the proximate mechanisms translating genetic differences into behavioral variation. In this project, we will tackle these issues by using the Argentine ant Linepithema humile to perform controlled crosses in the laboratory, thus allowing us to quantify the relative influence of both parental genetic backgrounds on behavior. To assess the consistency of genetic effects, behavioral experiments will be performed at different time points and in different social contexts. To investigate the proximate mechanisms, we will combine RNA sequencing (RNAseq) and RNA interference (RNAi) to experimentally identify the genes, modules of co-expressed genes and gene networks regulating the genetic effects on behavior in ants. Overall, this project will not only provide a better understanding of the genetic influences on division of labor in insect societies, but also improve the general knowledge of the genetics of behavior.