Article
Behavioral Sciences
Helena Mendes Ferreira, Viviana Di Pietro, Tom Wenseleers, Cintia Akemi Oi
Summary: The juvenile hormone (JH) plays important roles in regulating reproduction and age-related division of labor in social insects. This study shows that JH also regulates behavioral maturation and division of labor in the highly eusocial Vespine wasp Vespula vulgaris.
Article
Ecology
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Fabio Santos do Nascimento, Tom Wenseleers, Cintia Akemi Oi
Summary: Juvenile hormone (JH) influences multiple physiological traits in insects, including caste determination, chemical compound production, and behavioral maturation. This study demonstrates that JH plays a similar role in fertility and fertility cue production in female German wasps (Vespula germanica) as previously shown in a related species (Vespula vulgaris).
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
G. D. Bell, N. Corps, D. Mortimer, S. Gretton, N. Bury, G. J. Connett
Summary: X-ray micro-CT was used to study the tracheal system of Pre and Post hibernation Queen wasps and their workers. The findings showed that the tracheal system is more complex than previously thought, and one wasp had a previously undescribed tracheal system. Comparison was made with a study from the American Museum of Natural History, and recommendations for future studies were given.
JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Stefanie Neupert, Jennifer M. Jandt, Paul Szyszka
Summary: This study assessed different sugar alcohols as more species-selective feeding stimulants for pest insects. The results showed that sorbitol and xylitol were attractive to wasps, while erythritol acted as a non-nutritive feeding stimulant. None of the sugar alcohols acted as feeding stimulant for bees.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Allergy
Mensiena B. G. Kiewiet, Marija Perusko, Jeanette Grundstrom, Carl Hamsten, Maria Starkhammar, Danijela Apostolovic, Marianne van Hage
Summary: The study found that 54% of Swedish AGS patients were sensitized to wasp venom, with higher levels of α-Gal and total IgE. Despite the absence of α-Gal in wasp venom, cross-reactivity between wasp and tick proteins was demonstrated, independent of CCDs. This cross-reactivity was also observed in the control sera, with 17 putative cross-reactive peptides identified.
CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL ALLERGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ayumu Mukai, Genyu Mano, Lauren Des Marteaux, Tetsuro Shinada, Shin G. Goto
Summary: This study found that diapause in the jewel wasp is regulated by maternal expression of the juvenile hormone (JH) and the concentration of JH in the hemolymph, which are influenced by day length.
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Romina Melo, Maite Masciocchi, Juan C. Corley
Summary: Allee effects rely on mutually beneficial intraspecific interactions that enhance individual fitness and growth rate with increasing population size. In the case of social wasp V. germanica colonies, the removal of workers resulted in a decrease in the production of gynes, highlighting the important role of the worker caste in the success of eusocial species. However, the quality of produced gynes and the quantity of protein-food collected by the colonies were not affected.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarka Tumova, Matej Milacek, Ivan Snajdr, Magesh Muthu, Roman Tuma, David Reha, Pavel Jedlicka, Lenka Bittova, Adela Novotna, Pavel Majer, David Sedlak, Marek Jindra
Summary: This study reveals that peptidic juvenoids are highly potent and species-selective novel JHR agonists, which can inhibit insect metamorphosis and stimulate ovarian development in adult females.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Cintia Akemi Oi
Summary: The queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) plays a crucial role in honeybees, but its effects on other insect species are still unclear.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY A-NEUROETHOLOGY SENSORY NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Amanda Prato, Rafael C. da Silva, Diego S. Assis, Sidnei Mateus, Klaus Hartfelder, Fabio S. do Nascimento
Summary: In Polybia occidentalis, juvenile hormone (JH) levels influence division of labor, ovary activation, and cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of workers. The study confirmed that JH analog and JH biosynthesis inhibitor affected the cuticular chemical profile related to age polyethism, and influenced ovarian activation differently. These results suggest that JH plays a crucial role in maintaining social cohesion among workers in the colony.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Millicent R. Smith, Barbara Elias Reis Hodecker, David Fuentes, Andrew Merchant
Summary: Low soil fertility limits the growth and yield production of common bean in tropical regions. This study investigated the impact of reduced nutrient supply on carbon assimilation and nutrient content, and found that the amino acid concentration in the pod tissue can be maintained.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jimena Leyria, Samiha Benrabaa, Marcela Nouzova, Fernando G. G. Noriega, Lilian Valadares Tose, Francisco Fernandez-Lima, Ian Orchard, Angela B. B. Lange
Summary: This study used the Rhodnius prolixus model to investigate the importance of nutrition, insulin signaling, and two main types of insect lipophilic hormones, juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids, in successful reproduction. The results showed that insulin and allatoregulatory neuropeptides mainly drive the increase in JH levels after a blood meal, and JH in turn regulates its own biosynthesis by controlling the expression of key enzymes. Additionally, insulin stimulates the synthesis and release of ecdysteroids from the ovary. This study emphasizes the complexity of the endocrine signal network and how they coordinate a successful reproductive cycle.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Ai-Mei Chang, Chen-Chih Chen, Ding-Liang Hou, Guan-Ming Ke, Jai-Wei Lee
Summary: The study revealed that GnRH vaccine can reduce hormone concentrations, lead to testicular atrophy and decreased sperm quality, and have an impact on animal mating and reproductive abilities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Harper S. S. Kim, Danitra J. J. Parker, Madison M. M. Hardiman, Erin Munkacsy, Nisi S. Jiang, Aric N. N. Rogers, Yidong Bai, Colin Brent, James A. A. Mobley, Steven N. N. Austad, Andrew M. M. Pickering
Summary: Protein translation declines with age and an early-life elevation in protein translation can have long-lasting negative impacts on aging trajectories and proteostasis.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yue Gao, Suning Liu, Qiangqiang Jia, Lixian Wu, Dongwei Yuan, Emma Y. Li, Qili Feng, Guirong Wang, Subba R. Palli, Jian Wang, Sheng Li
Summary: The study reveals that JH membrane signaling phosphorylates USP at Ser35 through PKC activation, enhancing the regulation of 20E on fruit fly development. The uspS35A mutant with Ala substitution at Ser35 shows reduced body size and delayed developmental timing.
Article
Ecology
H. Marshall, M. T. Nicholas, J. S. van Zweden, F. Wackers, L. Ross, T. Wenseleers, E. B. Mallon
Summary: Social insects, such as bumblebees, show distinct phenotypic differences between sexes and castes despite having similar genomes. Epigenetic processes, particularly DNA methylation, may play a role in mediating these differences. This study used bisulfite sequencing and whole genome re-sequencing to investigate the methylome and genetic variation in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. The findings suggest a potential role for DNA methylation in histone modification processes and provide insights into the relationship between DNA methylation and genetic variation.
Article
Entomology
Francine Antoinette Cornelus van Neerbos, Peter Dewitte, Felix Wackers, Tom Wenseleers, Hans Jacquemyn, Bart Lievens
Summary: Insect responses to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by bacteria vary among and within different trophic levels. The concentrations of VOCs differ between bacterial strains, and correlations between the concentration of specific VOCs and the behavior of primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids vary. This study provides insights into the potential use of VOCs for developing semiochemical-based strategies for biological aphid control.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Helena Mendes Ferreira, Viviana Di Pietro, Tom Wenseleers, Cintia Akemi Oi
Summary: The juvenile hormone (JH) plays important roles in regulating reproduction and age-related division of labor in social insects. This study shows that JH also regulates behavioral maturation and division of labor in the highly eusocial Vespine wasp Vespula vulgaris.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Tom Wenseleers, Cintia Akemi Oi, Fabio Santos do Nascimento
Summary: Chemical compounds, particularly hydrocarbons, play a crucial role in the recognition processes of social insects. In this study, we investigated the ability of females in the wasp species Mischocyttarus cerberus to discriminate between their own eggs and those of other species. By experimentally collecting eggs and offering them to different nests, we found that M. cerberus females can accurately discriminate eggs according to their origin. This discrimination skill is likely important for avoiding parasitism and maintaining the social integrity of the colony.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Fabio Santos do Nascimento, Tom Wenseleers, Cintia Akemi Oi
Summary: Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are crucial for chemical communication in social insects, such as wasps. This study found caste-specific differences in CHCs, egg surface, and Dufour's gland composition among four wasp species. The presence of specific hydrocarbons in queen-laid eggs and Dufour's gland suggests their role as putative fertility signals regulating reproductive labor division.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Joao Marcelo Robazzi Bignelli Valente Aguiar, Cintia Akemi Oi, Jaqueline Eterna Batista, Martin Gurfa, Fabio Santos do Nascimento
Summary: Despite their role as pollinators and predators, the cognitive capacities of wasps, such as learning and memory, have been largely unexplored. In this study, we used Pavlovian conditioning to show that the neotropical wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus efficiently learns and remembers odor-sugar associations. However, differences in learning ability were observed between male and female wasps, possibly due to their different lifestyles. These findings highlight the importance of socioecological constraints on wasp cognition and provide a basis for further mechanistic studies on learning differences across ages and castes.
Article
Entomology
Elias Beck, Tom Wenseleers, Ricardo Caliari Oliveira
Summary: The western honeybee Apis mellifera shows temporal polyethism, where workers perform different tasks as they age. This division of labor is regulated not only by bee age but also by the proportion of workers performing the required tasks. In a study simulating the loss of foragers in the colony, honeybee workers quickly replaced the missing foragers by accelerating their transition to a subsequent task. The study also found that the social network structure of the colony became more cohesive and interconnected after the disturbance.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jacqueline Nakau Mendonca, Valquiria A. Polisel Jabor, Gabriel Santos Arini, Ricardo Roberto da Silva, Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Ricardo Vessecchi, Fabio Santos do Nascimento, Norberto Peporine Lopes
Summary: Juvenile hormone (JH III) is derived from the terpene biosynthetic pathway and plays a crucial role in reproductive and developmental processes across various species. This study utilizes tandem mass spectrometry combined with electrospray ionization to explore the dissociative behavior of JH III in the gas phase, providing diagnostic fragment-ions for accurate identification and measurement in biological samples.
Article
Entomology
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Cintia Akemi Oi, Fabio Santos do Nascimento
Summary: Chemical communication is important in social insect colonies, and cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are widely studied as key compounds. This study investigated the similarity between egg surface compounds and CHCs or Dufour's gland secretions in two wasp species, supporting the hypothesis that these compounds originate from the Dufour's gland.
NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
