Ovarian development and insulin-signaling pathways during reproductive differentiation in the queenless ponerine ant Diacamma sp.

Okada, Yasukazu; Miyazaki, Shôzo; Miyakawa, Hitoshi; Ishikawa, Asano; Tsuji, Kazuki; Miura, Toru

doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2009.10.013

Cited by 45 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…1A). In parallel with the loss of aggressiveness, FGs clearly developed their ovaries at day 7 (Okada et al, 2010a). In the congeneric species, Diacamma ceylonense, a similar decline of FG aggressiveness was also observed after ovarian development (Cuvillier-Hot et al, 2002).…”

Section: Discussion Formation Of Dominant Statusmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…2A). At day 7, ovarian size differed clearly between workers and FGs (Okada et al, 2010a), and aggressiveness calmed down in FGs (Fig. 1A).…”

Section: Dominance-dependent Changes Of Aminergic Signalingmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…If a gamergate is not present in a colony, the callow becomes a new dominant, i.e. a gamergate, and her ovaries clearly develop within 7 days of eclosion (Okada et al, 2010a). Irrespective of the colony status (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the aggressiveness of callows can be viewed as a rank-securing dominance behavior in a broad sense. The rapid changes in aggressiveness and fecundity of Diacamma provide a model in which physiological changes during dominance hierarchy formation can be precisely examined (Okada et al, 2010a;Fuchikawa et al, 2014). Here, we have investigated the ontogenic changes of aggressiveness, brain amine levels and amine receptor expression during dominance hierarchy formation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social dominance and reproductive differentiation mediated by dopaminergic signaling in a queenless ant

Okada

Sasaki

Miyazaki

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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In social Hymenoptera with no morphological caste, a dominant female becomes an egg layer, whereas subordinates become sterile helpers. The physiological mechanism that links dominance rank and fecundity is an essential part of the emergence of sterile females, which reflects the primitive phase of eusociality. Recent studies suggest that brain biogenic amines are correlated with the ranks in dominance hierarchy. However, the actual causality between aminergic systems and phenotype (i.e. fecundity and aggressiveness) is largely unknown due to the pleiotropic functions of amines (e.g. age-dependent polyethism) and the scarcity of manipulation experiments. To clarify the causality among dominance ranks, amine levels and phenotypes, we examined the dynamics of the aminergic system during the ontogeny of dominance hierarchy in the queenless ant Diacamma sp., which undergoes rapid physiological differentiation based on dominance interactions. Brain dopamine levels differed between dominants and subordinates at day 7 after eclosion, although they did not differ at day 1, reflecting fecundity but not aggressiveness. Topical applications of dopamine to the subordinate workers induced oocyte growth but did not induce aggressiveness, suggesting the gonadotropic effect of dopamine. Additionally, dopamine receptor transcripts (dopr1 and dopr2) were elevated in the gaster fat body of dominant females, suggesting that the fat body is a potential target of neurohormonal dopamine. Based on this evidence, we suggest that brain dopamine levels are elevated in dominants as a result of hierarchy formation, and differences in dopamine levels cause the reproductive differentiation, probably via stimulation of the fat body.

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Section: Discussion Formation Of Dominant Statusmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…2A). At day 7, ovarian size differed clearly between workers and FGs (Okada et al, 2010a), and aggressiveness calmed down in FGs (Fig. 1A).…”

Section: Dominance-dependent Changes Of Aminergic Signalingmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Social dominance and reproductive differentiation mediated by dopaminergic signaling in a queenless ant

Okada

Sasaki

Miyazaki

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…IIS, JH, and Vg may also play a role in the regulation of caste differentiation of larvae in ants, as caste-specific expressions of genes involved in the IIS pathway were documented in Solenopsis invicta (71) and Diacamma sp. (72). Interestingly, caste-specific differences in IIS, JH, and Vg were also documented in adult ants and bees (48,(73)(74)(75)(76)(77)(78), suggesting further roles of these pathways in the regulation of social life (74,79).…”

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confidence: 90%

Interplay between insulin signaling, juvenile hormone, and vitellogenin regulates maternal effects on polyphenism in ants

Libbrecht

Corona

Wende

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

120

105

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Polyphenism is the phenomenon in which alternative phenotypes are produced by a single genotype in response to environmental cues. An extreme case is found in social insects, in which reproductive queens and sterile workers that greatly differ in morphology and behavior can arise from a single genotype. Experimental evidence for maternal effects on caste determination, the differential larval development toward the queen or worker caste, was recently documented in Pogonomyrmex seed harvester ants, in which only colonies with a hibernated queen produce new queens. However, the proximate mechanisms behind these intergenerational effects have remained elusive. We used a combination of artificial hibernation, hormonal treatments, gene expression analyses, hormone measurements, and vitellogenin quantification to investigate how the combined effect of environmental cues and hormonal signaling affects the process of caste determination in Pogonomyrmex rugosus. The results show that the interplay between insulin signaling, juvenile hormone, and vitellogenin regulates maternal effects on the production of alternative phenotypes and set vitellogenin as a likely key player in the intergenerational transmission of information. This study reveals how hibernation triggers the production of new queens in Pogonomyrmex ant colonies. More generally, it provides important information on maternal effects by showing how environmental cues experienced by one generation can translate into phenotypic variation in the next generation.

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The ant abdomen: The skeletomuscular and soft tissue anatomy of Amblyopone australis workers (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Lieberman

Billen

Kamp

et al. 2022

Journal of Morphology

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Recent studies of insect anatomy evince a trend towards a comprehensive and integrative investigation of individual traits and their evolutionary relationships. The abdomen of ants, however, remains critically understudied. To address this shortcoming, we describe the abdominal anatomy of Amblyopone australis Erichson, using a multimodal approach combining manual dissection, histology, and microcomputed tomography. We focus on skeletomusculature, but additionally describe the metapleural and metasomal exocrine glands, and the morphology of the circulatory, digestive, reproductive, and nervous systems. We describe the muscles of the dorsal vessel and the ducts of the venom and Dufour's gland, and characterize the visceral anal musculature. Through comparison with other major ant lineages, apoid wasps, and other hymenopteran outgroups, we provide a first approximation of the complete abdominal skeletomuscular groundplan in Formicidae, with a nomenclatural schema generally applicable to the hexapod abdomen. All skeletal muscles were identifiable with their homologs, while we observe potential apomorphies in the pregenital skeleton and the sting musculature. Specifically, we propose the eighth coxocoxal muscle as an ant synapomorphy; we consider possible transformation series contributing to the distribution of states of the sternal apodemes in ants, Hymenoptera, and Hexapoda; and we address the possibly synapomorphic loss of the seventh sternal–eighth gonapophyseal muscles in the vespiform Aculeata. We homologize the ovipositor muscles across Hymenoptera, and summarize demonstrated and hypothetical muscle functions across the abdomen. We also give a new interpretation of the proximal processes of gonapophyses VIII and the ventromedial processes of gonocoxites IX, and make nomenclatural suggestions in the context of evolutionary anatomy and ontology. Finally, we discuss the utility of techniques applied and emphasize the value of primary anatomical research.

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Ovarian development and insulin-signaling pathways during reproductive differentiation in the queenless ponerine ant Diacamma sp.

Abstract: In many social hymenopteran species, workers possess functional ovaries that are physiologically inactive in the presence of queens. We investigated the ovarian regulatory mechanism of workers and reproductives in a queenless ponerine ant, Diacamma, using

Cited by 45 publications

References 55 publications

Social dominance and reproductive differentiation mediated by dopaminergic signaling in a queenless ant

Social dominance and reproductive differentiation mediated by dopaminergic signaling in a queenless ant

Interplay between insulin signaling, juvenile hormone, and vitellogenin regulates maternal effects on polyphenism in ants

The ant abdomen: The skeletomuscular and soft tissue anatomy of Amblyopone australis workers (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

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