| Title: | "Gene Expression Dynamics in Major Endocrine Regulatory Pathways along the Transition from Solitary to Social Life in a Bumblebee, Bombus terrestris" |
| Author(s): | Jedlicka P; Ernst UR; Votavova A; Hanus R; Valterova I; |
| Address: | "Department of Chemistry of Social Insects, The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences Prague, Czechia. Agricultural Research Ltd. Troubsko, Czechia. Research Group of Infochemicals, The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences Prague, Czechia" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1664-042X (Print) 1664-042X (Electronic) 1664-042X (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Understanding the social evolution leading to insect eusociality requires, among other, a detailed insight into endocrine regulatory mechanisms that have been co-opted from solitary ancestors to play new roles in the complex life histories of eusocial species. Bumblebees represent well-suited models of a relatively primitive social organization standing on the mid-way to highly advanced eusociality and their queens undergo both, a solitary and a social phase, separated by winter diapause. In the present paper, we characterize the gene expression levels of major endocrine regulatory pathways across tissues, sexes, and life-stages of the buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, with special emphasis on critical stages of the queen's transition from solitary to social life. We focused on fundamental genes of three pathways: (1) Forkhead box protein O and insulin/insulin-like signaling, (2) Juvenile hormone (JH) signaling, and (3) Adipokinetic hormone signaling. Virgin queens were distinguished by higher expression of forkhead box protein O and downregulated insulin-like peptides and JH signaling, indicated by low expression of methyl farnesoate epoxidase (MFE) and transcription factor Kruppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1). Diapausing queens showed the expected downregulation of JH signaling in terms of low MFE and vitellogenin (Vg) expressions, but an unexpectedly high expression of Kr-h1. By contrast, reproducing queens revealed an upregulation of MFE and Vg together with insulin signaling. Surprisingly, the insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) turned out to be a queen-specific hormone. Workers exhibited an expression pattern of MFE and Vg similar to that of reproducing queens. Males were characterized by high Kr-h1 expression and low Vg level. The tissue comparison unveiled an unexpected resemblance between the fat body and hypopharyngeal glands across all investigated genes, sexes, and life stages" |
| Keywords: | caste differentiation diapause endocrine glands hormones reproduction social evolution social insects; |
| Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEJedlicka, Pavel Ernst, Ulrich R Votavova, Alena Hanus, Robert Valterova, Irena eng Switzerland 2016/12/10 Front Physiol. 2016 Nov 24; 7:574. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00574. eCollection 2016" |
