Mechanisms regulating caste and behavior differentiation in social insects

doi:10.17520/biods.2020224

Abstract

Abstract:

Background & Aims: Eusociality is a critical evolutionary innovation. Understanding the origin of eusociality and related regulating mechanisms has theoretical and practical significance to several research fields. A clear hierarchy and division of labor exists among individuals of social insects. The behavioral differentiation and extensive cooperation between castes are beneficial for their adaptation to complicated environmental changes. Understanding how social insects can produce individuals with differences in morphology, behavior and life-history characteristics is an important goal of much evolutionary and developmental biology research. With the rapid development of sequencing technology and bioinformatics, there have been many studies on the mechanisms underlying social insect behavioral differentiation. Here, we present recent advances on the environmental factors and physiological and molecular mechanisms regulating caste and behavioral differentiation in social insects by summarizing the current results of social insect studies, and propose the future research directions.

Progresses: Both biotic factors (e.g., nutrients, pheromones, cuticular hydrocarbons) and abiotic factors (e.g., temperature, climate) can directly and indirectly affect the differentiation of insect social behavior and castes. Endocrine hormones, such as juvenile hormone (JH), ecdysteroids (20E), insulin-like peptides (ILPs), and neurohormonal bioamines, also play important roles. In addition, evolutionary changes in gene sequences or genome structure, including heritable differences and novel genes, as well as gene regulatory mechanisms, such as DNA methylation and differential expression of genes, can also affect the caste and behavior differentiation of social insects to different degrees.

Prospects: We suggest strengthening the study of social behavior and regulating mechanisms in other social insect lineages, such as aphids and thrips, which are relatively understudied and which will improve the understanding of the origins and evolution of eusociality and social behaviors in insects.

Key words: social insect, behavioral differentiation, environmental factor, physiological regulation, molecular mechanism

Hui Zhang, Qian Liu, Xiaolei Huang. Mechanisms regulating caste and behavior differentiation in social insects[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2021, 29(4): 507-516.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2020224

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2021/V29/I4/507

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References 103

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影响因素 Influencing factors		昆虫类群 Insect groups	劳动分工类型 Labour division	参考文献 References
外界环境 External environment	营养 Nutrition	西方蜜蜂 Apis mellifera	蜂后-工蜂 Queen-worker	Kamakura, 2011
	表皮碳氢化合物 Cuticular hydrocarbons	红胡须蚁 Pogonomyrmex barbatus	觅食-侦查 Foraging-patrolling	Greene & Gordon, 2003
	信息素 Pheromone	黄胸散白蚁 Reticulitermes speratus	生殖蚁-工蚁 Neotenics-worker	Matsuura et al, 2010
	王后年龄 Queen age	罗纹须蚁 Pogonomyrmex rugosus	蚁后-工蚁 Queen-worker	Schwander et al, 2008
	海拔和季节 Elevation and season	蜜蜂总科 Apoidea	独居-合作筑巢 Solitary-cooperative	Kocher et al, 2014
	气候 Climate	马蜂属 Polistes	合作繁殖 Cooperative breeding	Sheehan et al, 2015
	温度 Temperature	台湾乳白蚁 Coptotermes formosanus	工蚁-兵蚁 Worker-soldier	Tarver et al, 2012
生理调控 Physiological regulation	保幼激素 Juvenile hormone	八刺顶切叶蚁 Acromyrmex octospinosus	巢内活动-觅食 Nest work-foraging	Norman & Hughes, 2016
	蜕皮激素 Ecdysone	内华达古白蚁 Zootermopsis nevadensis	兵蚁-工蚁 Soldier-worker	Masuoka et al, 2018
	类胰岛素 Insulin-like peptides	毕氏卵角蚁 Ooceraea biroi	工蚁-生殖蚁 Worker-reproductives	Chandra et al, 2018
	生物胺 Biogenic amine	西方蜜蜂 Apis mellifera	攻击防御 Defensive aggression	Nouvian et al, 2018
分子调控 Molecular regulation	遗传决定 Genetic determination	棘顶切叶蚁 Acromyrmex echinatior	大工蚁-小工蚁 Major-minor worker	Hughes et al, 2003
	新基因 Novel gene	西方蜜蜂 Apis mellifera	工蜂特性 Worker traits	Johnson & Tsutsui, 2011
	表观遗传修饰 Epigenetic modification	西方蜜蜂 Apis mellifera	蜂后-工蜂 Queen-worker	He et al, 2017
	基因差异表达 Gene differential expression	北美散白蚁 Reticulitermes flavipes	兵蚁-工蚁(生殖蚁) Soldier-worker (reproductives)	Wu et al, 2018

影响因素 Influencing factors		昆虫类群 Insect groups	劳动分工类型 Labour division	参考文献 References
外界环境 External environment	营养 Nutrition	西方蜜蜂 Apis mellifera	蜂后-工蜂 Queen-worker	Kamakura, 2011
	表皮碳氢化合物 Cuticular hydrocarbons	红胡须蚁 Pogonomyrmex barbatus	觅食-侦查 Foraging-patrolling	Greene & Gordon, 2003
	信息素 Pheromone	黄胸散白蚁 Reticulitermes speratus	生殖蚁-工蚁 Neotenics-worker	Matsuura et al, 2010
	王后年龄 Queen age	罗纹须蚁 Pogonomyrmex rugosus	蚁后-工蚁 Queen-worker	Schwander et al, 2008
	海拔和季节 Elevation and season	蜜蜂总科 Apoidea	独居-合作筑巢 Solitary-cooperative	Kocher et al, 2014
	气候 Climate	马蜂属 Polistes	合作繁殖 Cooperative breeding	Sheehan et al, 2015
	温度 Temperature	台湾乳白蚁 Coptotermes formosanus	工蚁-兵蚁 Worker-soldier	Tarver et al, 2012
生理调控 Physiological regulation	保幼激素 Juvenile hormone	八刺顶切叶蚁 Acromyrmex octospinosus	巢内活动-觅食 Nest work-foraging	Norman & Hughes, 2016
	蜕皮激素 Ecdysone	内华达古白蚁 Zootermopsis nevadensis	兵蚁-工蚁 Soldier-worker	Masuoka et al, 2018
	类胰岛素 Insulin-like peptides	毕氏卵角蚁 Ooceraea biroi	工蚁-生殖蚁 Worker-reproductives	Chandra et al, 2018
	生物胺 Biogenic amine	西方蜜蜂 Apis mellifera	攻击防御 Defensive aggression	Nouvian et al, 2018
分子调控 Molecular regulation	遗传决定 Genetic determination	棘顶切叶蚁 Acromyrmex echinatior	大工蚁-小工蚁 Major-minor worker	Hughes et al, 2003
	新基因 Novel gene	西方蜜蜂 Apis mellifera	工蜂特性 Worker traits	Johnson & Tsutsui, 2011
	表观遗传修饰 Epigenetic modification	西方蜜蜂 Apis mellifera	蜂后-工蜂 Queen-worker	He et al, 2017
	基因差异表达 Gene differential expression	北美散白蚁 Reticulitermes flavipes	兵蚁-工蚁(生殖蚁) Soldier-worker (reproductives)	Wu et al, 2018