| Title: | Male fire ant neurotransmitter precursors trigger reproductive development in females after mating |
| Author(s): | Vander Meer RK; Chinta SP; Jones TH; O'Reilly EE; Adams RMM; |
| Address: | "USDA/ARS, CMAVE, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA. bob.vandermeer@usda.gov. Foresight Science and Technology, Hopkinton, MA, 01748, USA. Virginia Military Institute, Department of Chemistry, Lexington, VA, 24450, USA. USDA/ARS, CMAVE, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA. Ohio State University, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Columbus, OH, 43212, USA. National Museum of Natural History, Department of Entomology, Washington, DC, 20560, USA" |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s42003-021-02921-5 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2399-3642 (Electronic) 2399-3642 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Social insect queens have evolved mechanisms to prevent competition from their sexual daughters. For Solenopsis invicta, the fire ant, queens have evolved a primer pheromone that retards reproductive development in their winged reproductive daughters. If these daughters are removed from the influence of the queen, it takes about a week to start reproductive development; however, it starts almost immediately after mating. This dichotomy has been unsuccessfully investigated for several decades. Here we show that male fire ants produce tyramides, derivatives of the biogenic amine tyramine, in their reproductive system. Males transfer tyramides to winged females during mating, where the now newly mated queens enzymatically convert tyramides to tyramine. Tyramine floods the hemolymph, rapidly activating physiological processes associated with reproductive development. Tyramides have been found only in the large Myrmicinae ant sub-family (6,800 species), We suggest that the complex inhibition/disinhibition of reproductive development described here will be applicable to other members of this ant sub-family" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Ants/*physiology Female Male Neurotransmitter Agents/*metabolism Reproduction *Sexual Behavior, Animal Tyramine/*analogs & derivatives/metabolism;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineVander Meer, Robert K Chinta, Satya P Jones, Tappey H O'Reilly, Erin E Adams, Rachelle M M eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. England 2021/12/17 Commun Biol. 2021 Dec 15; 4(1):1400. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02921-5" |
