Project description:We used whole-genome fire ant microarrays to examine the molecular basis for division of labor in fire ant workers by comparing foraging and non-foraging workers from monogyne colonies. Fire ant colonies were collected in the field and transported into the lab were they were reared in standard conditions. We created a nesting chamber containing the queen, the brood and workers performing nursing tasks and a foraging area, separated from the nesting chamber and provided with food and water sources. Foraging workers were collected in the foraging area while non-foraging workers were collected in the nesting chamber. Total RNA was isolated from pools of whole workers and processed for microarrays.
Project description:To investigate the effect of supergene status and social environment pre- and post-pupation, we used RNA-sequencing of fire ant ant workers to assess gene expression differences.
Project description:The goal of this study was to assay the extent of variation in chromatin organization between 3 ant castes (major and minor female workers and males) in one colony of Camponotus floridanus carpenter ant using ChIPseq.
Project description:We used whole bodies of four different adult fire ant morphs (alate queens, workers, haploid males, and diploid males) from a single polygyne colony to generate single-base resolution DNA methylation maps. DNA was extracted from whole bodies of individual males, individual queens, and pooled workers. Bisulfite conversion and sequencing was performed by Beijing Genomics Institute (Shenzhen, China). Unmethylated enterobacteria phage lambda DNA (GenBank accession: J02459.1) was added to each genomic DNA sample as a control for bisulfite conversion efficiency.
Project description:In social insects, workers perform distinct tasks according to the caste they belong to, and workers from different castes differ in their age (nest workers are usually younger than foragers are). The caste shift thus seems inseparable from age, preventing from deciphering the role of labour division and age in regulating individual physiology and ageing rates. We set up an experimental protocol separating age and caste effects by defining four groups of black garden ant (Lasius niger) workers: young foragers (Y.F), old foragers (O.F), young nest workers (Y.NW) and old nest workers (O.NW). Proteomics highlighted differences between individuals according to their age, whereas metabolomics revealed caste-related differences. Our study highlighted that age and caste influence specifically different aspects of the physiology of ant workers.
Project description:We used whole-genome fire ant microarrays to examine the molecular basis for social organization in Solenopsis invicta. Monogyne (single queen) fire ant colonies were collected in the field and transported into the lab were they were reared in standard conditions for two weeks. At this point, each colony was split into two sub-colonies: one sub-colony contained the functional mother queen (queenright) while the other was left queenless. Each sub-colony included a nesting chamber, containing the brood and workers performing nursing tasks, and a foraging area, separated from the nesting chamber and provided with food and water sources. For both queenright and queenless sub-colonies, foraging workers were collected in the foraging area while non-foraging workers were collected in the nesting chamber. Total RNA was isolated from pools of 10 whole workers and processed for microarrays.
Project description:We used whole bodies of four different adult fire ant morphs (alate queens, workers, haploid males, and diploid males) from a single polygyne colony to generate single-base resolution DNA methylation maps.
Project description:The goal of this study was to assay the extent of variation in chromatin organization between 3 ant castes (major and minor female workers and males) in one colony of Camponotus floridanus carpenter ant using ChIPseq. 45 samples total: 30 ChIP samples and 3 inputs for total histone H3, 7 histone H3 PTMs and RNA Pol II in major, minor, and male ants; CBP in major and minor ants; the major H3K27ac sample was replicated. 4 ChIP samples for H3 and H3K27ac in brains of majors and minors, and 2 inputs. 2 RNAseq samples for major and minor ants head+thorax; 4 RNAseq samples for brain (majors and minors with 2 replicates each).
Project description:Ant societies exhibit a division of labor in which a queen is in charge of reproduction while non-reproductive workers maintain the colony. In Harpegnathos saltator, workers retain reproductive ability, inhibited by the queen pheromones. Following the queen loss, the colony undergoes social unrest with an antenna dueling tournament. Most workers quickly abandon the tournament while a few workers continue the dueling for months and become gamergates (pseudoqueens). However, the temporal dynamics of the molecular mechanisms underlining the caste transition and social dominance remain unclear. To identify genetic factors responsible for this transition, we compared transcriptomes of ovary, fat body, and non-visual brains between dueling and non-dueling workers.