The genomic basis of army ant chemosensory adaptations.
Details
Download: 34582590_BIB_CFF72BCDE740.pdf (2028.78 [Ko])
State: Public
Version: Final published version
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
State: Public
Version: Final published version
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_CFF72BCDE740
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
The genomic basis of army ant chemosensory adaptations.
Journal
Molecular ecology
ISSN
1365-294X (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0962-1083
Publication state
Published
Issued date
12/2021
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
30
Number
24
Pages
6627-6641
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Publication Status: ppublish
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
The evolution of mass raiding has allowed army ants to become dominant arthropod predators in the tropics. Although a century of research has led to many discoveries about behavioural, morphological and physiological adaptations in army ants, almost nothing is known about the molecular basis of army ant biology. Here we report the genome of the iconic New World army ant Eciton burchellii, and show that it is unusually compact, with a reduced gene complement relative to other ants. In contrast to this overall reduction, a particular gene subfamily (9-exon ORs) expressed predominantly in female antennae is expanded. This subfamily has previously been linked to the recognition of hydrocarbons, key olfactory cues used in insect communication and prey discrimination. Confocal microscopy of the brain showed a corresponding expansion in a putative hydrocarbon response centre within the antennal lobe, while scanning electron microscopy of the antenna revealed a particularly high density of hydrocarbon-sensitive sensory hairs. E. burchellii shares these features with its predatory and more cryptic relative, the clonal raider ant. By integrating genomic, transcriptomic and anatomical analyses in a comparative context, our work thus provides evidence that army ants and their relatives possess a suite of modifications in the chemosensory system that may be involved in behavioural coordination and prey selection during social predation. It also lays the groundwork for future studies of army ant biology at the molecular level.
Keywords
Adaptation, Physiological, Animals, Ants/genetics, Female, Genome, Genomics, Predatory Behavior, chemosensation, ecological adaptation, evolution, evolutionary genomics, gene family, genome evolution, genomics/proteomics
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
04/10/2021 9:39
Last modification date
09/08/2024 16:06