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Cell

Title:		An Engineered orco Mutation Produces Aberrant Social Behavior and Defective Neural Development in Ants
Author(s):		Yan H; Opachaloemphan C; Mancini G; Yang H; Gallitto M; Mlejnek J; Leibholz A; Haight K; Ghaninia M; Huo L; Perry M; Slone J; Zhou X; Traficante M; Penick CA; Dolezal K; Gokhale K; Stevens K; Fetter-Pruneda I; Bonasio R; Zwiebel LJ; Berger SL; Liebig J; Reinberg D; Desplan C;
Address:		"Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA. Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA. Penn Epigenetics Institute, Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics, and Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Penn Epigenetics Institute, Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics, and Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: bergers@mail.med.upenn.edu. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. Electronic address: juergen.liebig@asu.edu. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. Electronic address: danny.reinberg@nyumc.org. Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. Electronic address: cd38@nyu.edu"
Journal Title:		Cell
Year:		2017
Volume:		170
Issue:		4
Page Number:		736 - 747
DOI:		10.1016/j.cell.2017.06.051
ISSN/ISBN:		1097-4172 (Electronic) 0092-8674 (Print) 0092-8674 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Ants exhibit cooperative behaviors and advanced forms of sociality that depend on pheromone-mediated communication. Odorant receptor neurons (ORNs) express specific odorant receptors (ORs) encoded by a dramatically expanded gene family in ants. In most eusocial insects, only the queen can transmit genetic information, restricting genetic studies. In contrast, workers in Harpegnathos saltator ants can be converted into gamergates (pseudoqueens) that can found entire colonies. This feature facilitated CRISPR-Cas9 generation of germline mutations in orco, the gene that encodes the obligate co-receptor of all ORs. orco mutations should significantly impact olfaction. We demonstrate striking functions of Orco in odorant perception, reproductive physiology, and social behavior plasticity. Surprisingly, unlike in other insects, loss of OR functionality also dramatically impairs development of the antennal lobe to which ORNs project. Therefore, the development of genetics in Harpegnathos establishes this ant species as a model organism to study the complexity of eusociality"
Keywords:		"Amino Acid Sequence Animals Ants/anatomy & histology/*genetics/*growth & development/physiology Arthropod Antennae/anatomy & histology/metabolism Base Sequence Behavior, Animal Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats Female Gene Knockout;"
Notes:		"MedlineYan, Hua Opachaloemphan, Comzit Mancini, Giacomo Yang, Huan Gallitto, Matthew Mlejnek, Jakub Leibholz, Alexandra Haight, Kevin Ghaninia, Majid Huo, Lucy Perry, Michael Slone, Jesse Zhou, Xiaofan Traficante, Maria Penick, Clint A Dolezal, Kelly Gokhale, Kaustubh Stevens, Kelsey Fetter-Pruneda, Ingrid Bonasio, Roberto Zwiebel, Laurence J Berger, Shelley L Liebig, Jurgen Reinberg, Danny Desplan, Claude eng R01 AG055570/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ DP2 MH107055/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ R21 GM114457/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ R01 EY013010/EY/NEI NIH HHS/ F32 AG044971/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ K99 EY027016/EY/NEI NIH HHS/ 2017/08/13 Cell. 2017 Aug 10; 170(4):736-747.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.06.051"