Odor Coding of Nestmate Recognition in the Eusocial Ant<i>Camponotus floridanus</i>

Ferguson, Stephen T.; Park, K.Y.; Ruff, A.; Zwiebel, Laurence J.

doi:10.1101/614719

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…One of the odorant receptors, putatively encoding an odorant receptor coreceptor (Orco), is highly conserved in insects and has a central role in odor detection ( Jones et al 2005 ; Stengl and Funk 2013 ; Zhou et al 2014 ; Lin et al 2015 ). Dysregulation of orco in ants has been linked to changes in overall sensitivity to odorants, and affects behavior such as time spent outside the nest, ability to detect prey, and aggression toward conspecifics ( Yan et al 2017 ; Ferguson et al 2020 ). One of two putative orco genes in C. floridanus was significantly upregulated in the ant during live manipulation compared to control (threefold increase).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Its homolog in C. castaneus was significantly downregulated (fourfold decrease) ( de Bekker et al 2015 ). However, up- or downregulation of orco may lead to similar phenotypes as both agonist and antagonist effects on Orco are reported to produce similar changes in C. floridanus nestmate recognition ( Ferguson et al 2020 ). Similarly, in both ant host species, multiple genes putatively encoding PBP Gp9 were differentially expressed during manipulation ( de Bekker et al 2015 ) (File S3) and have been implicated in mediating fire ant colony social dynamics ( Ross 1997 ; Ross and Keller 1998 ; Krieger and Ross 2002 ; Gotzek and Ross 2007 ; Gotzek et al 2007 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genetic Underpinnings of Host Manipulation byOphiocordycepsas Revealed by Comparative Transcriptomics

Will

Das

Trinh

et al. 2020

G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics

234

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Ant-infecting Ophiocordyceps fungi are globally distributed, host manipulating, specialist parasites that drive aberrant behaviors in infected ants, at a lethal cost to the host. An apparent increase in activity and wandering behaviors precedes a final summiting and biting behavior onto vegetation, which positions the manipulated ant in a site beneficial for fungal growth and transmission. We investigated the genetic underpinnings of host manipulation by: (i) producing a high-quality hybrid assembly and annotation of the Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani genome, (ii) conducting laboratory infections coupled with RNAseq of O. camponoti-floridani and its host, Camponotus floridanus, and (iii) comparing these data to RNAseq data of Ophiocordyceps kimflemingiae and Camponotus castaneus as a powerful method to identify gene expression patterns that suggest shared behavioral manipulation mechanisms across Ophiocordyceps-ant species interactions. We propose differentially expressed genes tied to ant neurobiology, odor response, circadian rhythms, and foraging behavior may result by activity of putative fungal effectors such as enterotoxins, aflatrem, and mechanisms disrupting feeding behaviors in the ant.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Underpinnings of Host Manipulation byOphiocordycepsas Revealed by Comparative Transcriptomics

Will

Das

Trinh

et al. 2020

G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics

234

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Social insects rely on chemical communication to maintain colony cohesion and to manage cooperative tasks. They do this using signature mixtures on the cuticle (cuticular hydrocarbons, CHCs) (Sharma et al, 2015;Neupert et al, 2018;Ferguson et al, 2020), and gland secretions that act in specific contexts (Le Conte et al, 1990;Czaczkes et al, 2014). The major insect chemosensory gene families include odorant binding proteins (OBPs), chemosensory proteins (CSPs), olfactory receptors (ORs), gustatory receptors (GRs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs) (S anchez- Gracia et al, 2009;Joseph and Carlson, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social environment affects sensory gene expression in ant larvae

Pulliainen

Morandin

Bos

et al. 2021

Insect Molecular Biology

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Social insects depend on communication to regulate social behaviour. This also applies to their larvae, which are commonly exposed to social interactions and can react to social stimulation. However, how social insect larvae sense their environment is not known. Using RNAseq, we characterized expression of sensory-related genes in larvae of the ant Formica fusca, upon exposure to two social environments: isolation without contact to other individuals, and stimulation via the presence of other developing individuals. Expression of key sensory-related genes was higher following social stimulation, and larvae expressed many of the same sensory-related genes as adult ants and larvae of other insects, including genes belonging to the major insect chemosensory gene families. Our study provides first insights into the molecular changes associated with social information perception in social insect larvae.

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“…To begin with, we examined the background neuronal activity across the larval sensory cone in orco À/À mutant larvae in which background activity, as well as the responses to 2-methylphenol and acetophenone and 72 other volatiles, were dramatically reduced relative to wild-type controls (Figures 7A and 7B) (Sun et al, 2020). To further determine the role of Orco in the neuronal and behavioral responses to these volatiles, we also utilized VUAA1, a highly specific Orco agonist (Jones et al, 2011) that can be volatized by heat (Ferguson et al, 2020;Yang et al, 2019;Pask et al, 2017), to challenge the larval sensory cone. As expected, volatile VUAA1 stimulation evoked robust neuronal firing broadly across the larval sensory cone (Figure 7C), which was largely abolished in the sensory cone of orco À/À mutant larvae (Figure 7D).…”

Section: Orco-mediated Neuronal and Behavioral Responses To Volatilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuronal odor coding in the larval sensory cone of Anopheles coluzzii: Complex responses from a simple system

et al. 2021

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SUMMARY Anopheles mosquitoes are the sole vectors of malaria. Although adult females are directly responsible for disease transmission and accordingly have been extensively studied, the survival of pre-adult larval stages is vital. Mosquito larvae utilize a spectrum of chemosensory and other cues to navigate their aquatic habitats to avoid predators and search for food. Here we examine larval olfactory responses, in which the peripheral components are associated with the antennal sensory cone. Larval behavior and sensory cone responses to volatile stimuli in Anopheles coluzzii demonstrate the sensory cone is particularly tuned to alcohols, thiazoles, and heterocyclics, and these responses can be assigned to discrete groups of sensory cone neurons with distinctive profiles. These studies reveal that the anopheline larvae actively sample volatile odors above their aquatic habitats via a highly sophisticated olfactory system that is sensitive to a broad range of compounds with significant behavioral relevance.

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Odor Coding of Nestmate Recognition in the Eusocial AntCamponotus floridanus

Abstract: 8 38

Cited by 11 publications

References 61 publications

Genetic Underpinnings of Host Manipulation byOphiocordycepsas Revealed by Comparative Transcriptomics

Genetic Underpinnings of Host Manipulation byOphiocordycepsas Revealed by Comparative Transcriptomics

Social environment affects sensory gene expression in ant larvae

Neuronal odor coding in the larval sensory cone of Anopheles coluzzii: Complex responses from a simple system

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