6533b7d4fe1ef96bd1262870

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Social regulation of insulin signaling and the evolution of eusociality in ants

Daniel J. C. KronauerAmelia L. RitgerVikram ChandraPeter R. OxleyPeter R. OxleyRomain LibbrechtRomain LibbrechtSean K. MckenzieSean K. MckenzieIngrid Fetter-pruneda

subject

0301 basic medicineEvolution of eusocialitymedia_common.quotation_subjectGene ExpressionHymenopteraArticle03 medical and health sciencesAnimalsInsulinSocial BehaviorSocial regulationreproductive and urinary physiologymedia_commonLarvaMultidisciplinarybiologyAntsReproductionfungiBrainbiology.organism_classificationBiological EvolutionEusocialityANTInsulin receptor030104 developmental biologyEvolutionary biologyLarvabiology.proteinReproductionSignal Transduction

description

The benefits of being well fed In eusocial insects, the vast majority of individuals sacrifice their reproductive potential to support the reproductive queen. Although this system has evolved repeatedly, there is still much debate surrounding its origin. Working with seven different species of ants, Chandra et al. used a transcriptomic approach to show that a single gene is consistently up-regulated in queens. This gene seems to confer reproductive status through integration with increased nutrition. In a clonal ant, larval signals disrupt this gene up-regulation, destabilizing the division of reproductive labor. Increasing levels of the associated peptide override these larval signals and establish eusociality. Science , this issue p. 398

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2018-07-27Science
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aar5723