Search results for "Acromyrmex echinatior"
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Data from: Not only for egg yolk - functional and evolutionary insights from expression, selection and structural analyses of Formica ant vitellogeni…
2015
Vitellogenin, a storage protein, has been extensively studied for its egg-yolk precursor role, and it has been suggested to be fundamentally involved in caste differences in social insects. More than one vitellogenin copy has been reported in several oviparous species, including ants. However, the number and function of different vitellogenins, their phylogenetic relatedness and their role in reproductive queens and non-reproductive workers has been studied in few species only. We studied caste biased expression of vitellogenins in seven Formica ant species. Only one copy of conventional vitellogenin was identified in Formica species, and three vitellogenin homologues, derived from ancient …
Queen loss increases worker survival in leaf-cutting ants under paraquat-induced oxidative stress
2021
Longevity is traded off with fecundity in most solitary species, but the two traits are positively linked in social insects. In ants, the most fecund individuals (queens and kings) live longer than the non-reproductive individuals, the workers. In many species, workers may become fertile following queen loss, and recent evidence suggests that worker fecundity extends worker lifespan. We postulated that this effect is in part owing to improved resilience to oxidative stress, and tested this hypothesis in three Myrmicine ants: Temnothorax rugatulus, and the leaf-cutting ants Atta colombica and Acromyrmex echinatior . We removed the queen from colonies to induce worker reproduction and subjec…