Social network position is a major predictor of ant behavior, microbiota composition, and brain gene expression.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_830347E3AE65
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Social network position is a major predictor of ant behavior, microbiota composition, and brain gene expression.
Journal
PLoS biology
Author(s)
Kay T., Liberti J., Richardson T.O., McKenzie S.K., Weitekamp C.A., La Mendola C., Rüegg M., Kesner L., Szombathy N., McGregor S., Romiguier J., Engel P., Keller L.
ISSN
1545-7885 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1544-9173
Publication state
Published
Issued date
07/2023
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
21
Number
7
Pages
e3002203
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Publication Status: epublish
Abstract
The physiology and behavior of social organisms correlate with their social environments. However, because social environments are typically confounded by age and physical environments (i.e., spatial location and associated abiotic factors), these correlations are usually difficult to interpret. For example, associations between an individual's social environment and its gene expression patterns may result from both factors being driven by age or behavior. Simultaneous measurement of pertinent variables and quantification of the correlations between these variables can indicate whether relationships are direct (and possibly causal) or indirect. Here, we combine demographic and automated behavioral tracking with a multiomic approach to dissect the correlation structure among the social and physical environment, age, behavior, brain gene expression, and microbiota composition in the carpenter ant Camponotus fellah. Variations in physiology and behavior were most strongly correlated with the social environment. Moreover, seemingly strong correlations between brain gene expression and microbiota composition, physical environment, age, and behavior became weak when controlling for the social environment. Consistent with this, a machine learning analysis revealed that from brain gene expression data, an individual's social environment can be more accurately predicted than any other behavioral metric. These results indicate that social environment is a key regulator of behavior and physiology.
Keywords
Animals, Ants/genetics, Social Behavior, Microbiota/genetics, Brain, Gene Expression/genetics, Social Networking
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
31/07/2023 13:59
Last modification date
19/12/2023 8:14
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