Histone acetylation regulates the expression of genes involved in worker reproduction in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus

Choppin, Marina; Feldmeyer, Barbara; Foitzik, Susanne

doi:10.1186/s12864-021-08196-8

Cited by 17 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…In the absence of a demand to switch task, C646 application did not result in behavioural alterations. This is the third study on Temnothorax ants, which revealed a role of HAT inhibition in modulating switches in workers, including circadian rhythms [33] and the induction of worker fertility [34]. Conversely, our results partly contradict a study on the ant Camponotus floridanus, in which HAT inhibition did not facilitate but reduce foraging activity in two morphologically distinct worker castes [29].…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 98%

Histone acetyltransferases and external demands influence task switching in Temnothorax ants

2023

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In social hymenopterans, workers specialize in different tasks. Whether a worker nurses the brood or forages is influenced by the responsiveness for task-related cues which in turn is determined by gene expression. Task choice is dynamic and changes throughout a worker's life, e.g. with age or in response to increased demands for certain tasks. Behavioural switches require the ability to adjust gene expression but the mechanisms regulating such transcriptional adaptations remain elusive. We investigated the role of histone acetylation in task specialization and behavioural flexibility in Temnothorax longispinosus ants. By inhibiting p300/CBP histone acetyltransferases (HAT) and manipulating colony composition, we found that HAT inhibition impairs the ability of older workers to switch to brood care. Yet, HAT inhibition increased the ability of young workers to accelerate their behavioural development and switch to foraging. Our data suggest that HAT in combination with social signals indicating task demands play an important role in modulating behaviour. Elevated HAT activity may contribute to keeping young brood carers from leaving the nest, where they would be exposed to high mortality. These findings shed light on the epigenetic processes underlying behavioural flexibility in animals and provide insight into the mechanisms of task specialization in social insects.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 98%

Histone acetyltransferases and external demands influence task switching in Temnothorax ants

2023

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“…The relationship between DNA methylation and histone modifications in social insects remains unknown. However, recent work by Choppin et al (2021) shows a role for histone acetylation in the regulation of worker reproduction and gene expression in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus. Additionally, Dixon and Matz (2022) find gene-body methylation across a variety of invertebrates, including B. terrestris is not sufficient to fully explain changes in gene transcription, they also suggest a more complex regulatory mechanism may be in play involving other epigenetic modifications.…”

Section: B Terrestris Caste-and Sex-specific Methylomementioning

confidence: 99%

DNA methylation is associated with codon degeneracy in a species of bumblebee

et al. 2023

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Social insects display extreme phenotypic differences between sexes and castes even though the underlying genome can be almost identical. Epigenetic processes have been proposed as a possible mechanism for mediating these phenotypic differences. Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing of queens, males, and reproductive female workers we have characterised the sex- and caste-specific methylome of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. We have identified a potential role for DNA methylation in histone modification processes which may influence sex and caste phenotypic differences. We also find differentially methylated genes generally show low levels of DNA methylation which may suggest a separate function for lowly methylated genes in mediating transcriptional plasticity, unlike highly methylated genes which are usually involved in housekeeping functions. We also examined the relationship between the underlying genome and the methylome using whole genome re-sequencing of the same queens and males. We find DNA methylation is enriched at zero-fold degenerate sites. We suggest DNA methylation may be acting as a targeted mutagen at these sites, providing substrate for selection via non-synonymous changes in the underlying genome. However, we did not see any relationship between DNA methylation and rates of positive selection in our samples. In order to fully assess a possible role for DNA methylation in adaptive processes a specifically designed study using natural population data is needed.

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“…The relationship between DNA methylation and histone modifications in social insects remains unknown. However, recent work by Choppin et al . (2021) shows a role for histone acetylation in the regulation of worker reproduction and gene expression in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The relationship between DNA methylation and histone modifications in social insects remains unknown. However, recent work by Choppin et al (2021) shows a role for histone acetylation in the regulation of worker reproduction and gene expression in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus. Additionally, Dixon and Matz (2022) find gene-body methylation across a variety of invertebrates, including B. terrestris is not su cient to fully explain changes in gene transcription, they also suggest a more complex regulatory mechanism may be in play involving other epigenetic…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Caste- and sex-specific DNA methylation in a bumblebee is associated with codon degeneracy

Marshall

Nicholas

Zweden

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Genomic imprinting is defined as parent-of-origin allele-specific expression. In order for genes to be expressed in this manner an `imprinting' mark must be present to distinguish the parental alleles within the genome. In mammals imprinted genes are primarily associated with DNA methylation. Genes exhibiting parent-of-origin expression have recently been identified in two species of Hymenoptera with functional DNA methylation systems; Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris. We carried out whole genome bisulfite sequencing of parents and offspring from reciprocal crosses of two B. terrestris subspecies in order to identify parent-of-origin DNA methylation. We were unable to survey a large enough proportion of the genome to draw a conclusion on the presence of parent-of-origin DNA methylation however we were able to characterise the sex- and caste-specific methylomes of B. terrestris for the first time. We find males differ significantly to the two female castes, with differentially methylated genes involved in many histone modification related processes. We also analysed previously generated honeybee whole genome bisulfite data to see if genes previously identified as showing parent-of-origin DNA methylation in the honeybee show consistent allele-specific methylation in independent data sets. We have identified a core set of 12 genes in female castes which may be used for future experimental manipulation to explore the functional role of parent-of-origin DNA methylation in the honeybee. Finally, we have also identified allele-specific DNA methylation in honeybee male thorax tissue which suggests a role for DNA methylation in ploidy compensation in this species.

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Histone acetylation regulates the expression of genes involved in worker reproduction in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus

Cited by 17 publications

References 100 publications

Histone acetyltransferases and external demands influence task switching in Temnothorax ants

Histone acetyltransferases and external demands influence task switching in Temnothorax ants

DNA methylation is associated with codon degeneracy in a species of bumblebee

Caste- and sex-specific DNA methylation in a bumblebee is associated with codon degeneracy

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