Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shuji Shigenobu, Yoshinobu Hayashi, Dai Watanabe, Gaku Tokuda, Masaru Y. Hojo, Kouhei Toga, Ryota Saiki, Hajime Yaguchi, Yudai Masuoka, Ryutaro Suzuki, Shogo Suzuki, Moe Kimura, Masatoshi Matsunami, Yasuhiro Sugime, Kohei Oguchi, Teruyuki Niimi, Hiroki Gotoh, Masaru K. Hojo, Satoshi Miyazaki, Atsushi Toyoda, Toru Miura, Kiyoto Maekawa
Summary: Termites are social organisms with a polyphenic caste system, and gene duplication plays a crucial role in their social evolution. The duplicated genes in the termite genome are associated with caste-biased gene expression and diverse social functions, contributing to caste-specialized functions. Gene duplication facilitates social evolution through regulatory diversification, leading to caste-biased expression and subfunctionalization and/or neofunctionalization.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yoko Matsumura, Elena V. Gorb, Stanislav N. Gorb
Summary: Green dock beetles, Gastrophysa viridula, exhibit sexual dimorphism in tarsal attachment setae. Males possess discoidal setae in addition to the setae found in females, which may aid in adhering to females during copulation. This study investigated the attachment mechanism of G. viridula and found that discoidal setae enable males to adhere stronger to female surfaces. The divergence in setal composition and attachment ability between the sexes is likely due to stiffness differences and the specific shape of the setal tips.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Leslie M. Kollar, Scott Kiel, Ashley J. James, Cody T. Carnley, Danielle N. Scola, Taylor N. Clark, Tikahari Khanal, Todd N. Rosenstiel, Elliott T. Gall, Karl Grieshop, Stuart F. McDaniel
Summary: The study identified genetic variation for fitness in natural populations can be maintained by sexual antagonism and revealed the genetic architecture of sexual dimorphism in a moss species. The findings suggest that the response to sexually antagonistic or sexually concordant selection is dependent on the traits experiencing selection, and sex-specific genetic architectures have evolved to partly resolve multivariate genetic constraints.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Isabella Benter Muratore, Sean Patrick Mullen, James Francis Anthony Traniello
Summary: By measuring patterns of gene expression and neuroanatomy, we found that the majority of gene expression differences among worker groups in leafcutter ants could be explained by body size. However, we also discovered brain gene expression differences unrelated to worker morphology, which may be related to neuropil scaling. Additionally, enriched gene ontology terms associated with nucleic acid regulation, metabolism, neurotransmission, and sensory perception further support the relationship between brain gene expression, brain mosaicism, and worker labor role. These findings demonstrate that differential brain gene expression among polymorphic workers underpins behavioral and neuroanatomical differentiation associated with complex agrarian division of labor in leafcutter ants.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Logan C. Ott, Mark Engelken, Sara M. Scott, Elizabeth M. McNeill, Melha Mellata
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of Drosophila as a model for gut-mediated plasmid transfer. Host sex significantly influences the concentrations of donors and recipients in the gut, while transconjugant concentrations are not affected by host sex or genetics and were detected only in specific plasmid groups.
Article
Virology
Steven M. Valles
Summary: Solenopsis invicta, an invasive ant species introduced into the United States in the early 1900s, causes over $8 billion worth of damage annually and requires control efforts. A virus known as Solenopsis invicta virus 3 (SINV-3) is being used as a natural control agent for S. invicta. Exposure to SINV-3 significantly reduces food retrieval behavior, leading to mortality and decreased queen fecundity and weight. This virus-induced behavioral change negatively impacts colony nutrition.
Article
Ecology
Corinne Letendre, Kristin R. Duffield, Ben M. Sadd, Scott K. Sakaluk, Clarissa M. House, John Hunt
Summary: This study investigates the genetic architecture of the immune system in insects using Gryllodes sigillatus as a model. The results show that there are genetic correlations between haemocyte count, antibacterial and phenoloxidase activity, and resistance to a specific bacterium in both males and females. The ability to clear bacteria is also genetically correlated with resistance to all three pathogens. However, genetic correlations between resistances to different pathogens are inconsistent, indicating that resistance to one pathogen does not necessarily confer resistance to another. Genetic estimates of immune assays and pathogen resistance differ across sexes, suggesting independent evolution of these measures in males and females.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Erin Treanore, Nathan Derstine, Etya Amsalem
Summary: Social behavior evolution involves major transitions from solitary to social living, intermediate to true sociality, and primitive to advanced eusocial species. Derived traits that appear in advanced eusocial species but are rare in primitive ones can still provide insights into social evolution. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of these traits is key to studying the evolution of social behavior.
ANNALS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Houle, Changde Cheng
Summary: Sexual dimorphism in gene expression may be the underlying source of dimorphism in various traits. It can evolve as both a direct response to selection favoring different phenotypes in the two sexes, and as an indirect response to other types of selection. Differences in sex-specific genetic variances can have a significant impact on the evolution of sexual dimorphism.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Ja Eun Choi, Bong-Kiun Kaang
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder with a gender-specific risk. Loneliness issue exists in patients with ASD, and emerging reports show gender distribution in symptoms. Acute social isolation increases the motivation to socially interact in a gender-dependent manner.
Article
Entomology
Rosa Vercher, Sandra Gonzalez, Adrian Sanchez-Domingo, Juan Sorribas
Summary: Insects, such as the mealybug, have developed a survival strategy of moving from tree canopies to roots during winter in order to withstand unfavorable conditions. This overwintering behavior has not been observed in other insect groups, making it a significant finding. The implications of this study include both ecological and agronomical aspects, highlighting the need for new pest control methods that target mealybugs in their belowground state.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Xiangqian Li, Xue Lei, Ruxue Xie, Chen Xu, Shitao Chen, Chengyang Han, Shichang Deng
Summary: This study investigated the effects of gaming skill on perceived facial attractiveness and how sexual dimorphism features interacted with gaming skill. The results showed that game players found facial images accompanied by higher gaming skill information more attractive, while non-players were unaffected by gaming skill information. Interestingly, only non-players exhibited classic sexual dimorphism effects in facial evaluations, whereas the effect disappeared for players.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rachael Y. Dudaniec, Alexander R. Carey, Erik I. Svensson, Bengt Hansson, Chuan Ji Yong, Lesley T. Lancaster
Summary: Our study reveals that as the common bluetail damselfly population expands, male body size increases with latitude while female body size remains constant, resulting in reduced sexual dimorphism; there is a steep decline in male genetic similarity with increasing geographic distance, with a gradient in migration propensity and distance along latitudes; cooler mean temperatures are associated with increased resistance to gene flow, and sex ratios skew towards males at the expanding range front.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chen-yo Chung, Shuji Shigenobu
Summary: Differentiation of the non-reproductive caste is a unique feature of eusocial insects, and apoptosis in oocytes plays a major role in constraining their reproductivity. This study investigated the soldier sterility in a hemipteran insect, the social aphid Ceratovacuna japonica, and found that soldiers possess ovaries and germaria but their ovarioles are small and lacking gastrulating embryos. The study also revealed apoptosis in the maternal nutritive cells of soldier ovaries and developmental failure of embryos.
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Marion Javal, Olivia Le Moene, Chantelle Smit, Desmond E. Conlong, John S. Terblanche
Summary: Understanding the morphological and physiological correlates of competitive behaviours provides important insights into competition ecology. In this study, we investigated sexual dimorphism in the African cerambycid species, Cacosceles newmannii, and assessed the relationship between male beetle attributes and fighting behaviour. Our results showed that mandible size served as an honest signal of fighting ability, and different behaviours during male-male interactions carried varying risks and metabolic costs. These findings contribute to our understanding of competition fitness costs.
AFRICAN ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Akiko Koto, Naoto Motoyama, Hiroki Tahara, Sean McGregor, Minoru Moriyama, Takayoshi Okabe, Masayuki Miura, Laurent Keller
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2019)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alexandra Bezler, Fabian Braukmann, Sean M. West, Arthur Duplan, Raffaella Conconi, Frederic Schutz, Pierre Gonczy, Fabio Piano, Kristin Gunsalus, Eric A. Miska, Laurent Keller
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brian Hollis, Mareike Koppik, Kristina U. Wensing, Hanna Ruhmann, Eleonore Genzoni, Berra Erkosar, Tadeusz J. Kawecki, Claudia Fricke, Laurent Keller
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2019)
Review
Ecology
Dustin R. Rubenstein, J. Arvid Agren, Lucia Carbone, Nels C. Elde, Hopi E. Hoekstra, Karen M. Kapheim, Laurent Keller, Corrie S. Moreau, Amy L. Toth, Sam Yeaman, Hans A. Hofmann
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2019)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomas Kay, Laurent Lehmann, Laurent Keller
Article
Biology
Benjamin E. R. Rubin, Beryl M. Jones, Brendan G. Hunt, Sarah D. Kocher
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2019)
Article
Entomology
Omar Rota-Stabelli, Lino Ometto, Gabriella Tait, Silvia Ghirotto, Rupinder Kaur, Francesco Drago, Josefa Gonzalez, Vaughn M. Walton, Gianfranco Anfora, Marco Valerio Rossi-Stacconi
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fanghao Wan, Chuanlin Yin, Rui Tang, Maohua Chen, Qiang Wu, Cong Huang, Wanqiang Qian, Omar Rota-Stabelli, Nianwan Yang, Shuping Wang, Guirong Wang, Guifen Zhang, Jianyang Guo, Liuqi (Aloy) Gu, Longfei Chen, Longsheng Xing, Yu Xi, Feiling Liu, Kejian Lin, Mengbo Guo, Wei Liu, Kang He, Ruizheng Tian, Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly, Pierre Franck, Myriam Siegwart, Lino Ometto, Gianfranco Anfora, Mark Blaxter, Camille Meslin, Petr Nguyen, Martina Dalikova, Frantisek Marec, Jerome Olivares, Sandrine Maugin, Jianru Shen, Jinding Liu, Jinmeng Guo, Jiapeng Luo, Bo Liu, Wei Fan, Likai Feng, Xianxin Zhao, Xiong Peng, Kang Wang, Lang Liu, Haixia Zhan, Wanxue Liu, Guoliang Shi, Chunyan Jiang, Jisu Jin, Xiaoqing Xian, Sha Lu, Mingli Ye, Meizhen Li, Minglu Yang, Renci Xiong, James R. Walters, Fei Li
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Zheng Yan, Simon H. Martin, Dietrich Gotzek, Samuel V. Arsenault, Pablo Duchen, Quentin Helleu, Oksana Riba-Grognuz, Brendan G. Hunt, Nicolas Salamin, DeWayne Shoemaker, Kenneth G. Ross, Laurent Keller
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Samuel Arsenault, Joanie T. King, Sasha Kay, Kip D. Lacy, Kenneth G. Ross, Brendan G. Hunt
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tobias Weil, Lino Ometto, Anna Esteve-Codina, Jessica Gomez-Garrido, Tiziana Oppedisano, Cesare Lotti, Marc Dabad, Tyler Alioto, Urska Vrhovsek, Saskia Hogenhout, Gianfranco Anfora
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Roberto Feuda, Matthew Goulty, Nicola Zadra, Tiziana Gasparetti, Ezio Rosato, Davide Pisani, Annapaola Rizzoli, Nicola Segata, Lino Ometto, Omar Rota Stabelli
Summary: This study analyzed the genomes of 61 dipteran species to reconstruct the evolutionary affinities of 528 opsin genes and found lineage-specific events in opsins, such as independent expansions in flies and mosquitoes. Molecular evolutionary studies indicated higher gene turnover rate, overall mutation rate, and site-specific selective pressure in Anopheles compared to Drosophila. The contrasting dynamics in the evolution of opsin genes between Anopheles and Drosophila provide a foundation for future studies on the dipteran visual system.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Federica Valerio, Nicola Zadra, Omar Rota-Stabelli, Lino Ometto
Summary: Comparative approaches based on large datasets and different evolutionary models are important for studying the evolutionary history of economically important species. By analyzing genomic data of Bactrocera species, this study reveals a closer relationship between B. dorsalis and B. latifrons than to B. tryoni, contrary to previous mitochondrial-based phylogenies.
Article
Ecology
Federica Pirri, Lino Ometto, Silvia Fuselli, Flavia A. N. Fernandes, Lorena Ancona, Nunzio Perta, Daniele Di Marino, Celine Le Bohec, Lorenzo Zane, Emiliano Trucchi
Summary: The eco-evolutionary history of penguins is characterized by a shift from temperate to cold environments. The Emperor penguin, as an extreme outcome, has unique features related to insulation, heat production, and energy management. This study explores whether the Emperor penguin diverged from a less cold-adapted ancestor and identifies the genomic signatures of selection in both the Emperor and King penguin species. The results suggest that extreme cold adaptation in the Emperor penguin largely involved unique genetic options, but also affects metabolic and physiological traits common to other cold-adapted homeotherms.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Geoffrey M. Attardo, Adly M. M. Abd-Alla, Alvaro Acosta-Serrano, James E. Allen, Rosemary Bateta, Joshua B. Benoit, Kostas Bourtzis, Jelle Caers, Guy Caljon, Mikkel B. Christensen, David W. Farrow, Markus Friedrich, Aurelie Hua-Van, Emily C. Jennings, Denis M. Larkin, Daniel Lawson, Michael J. Lehane, Vasileios P. Lenis, Ernesto Lowy-Gallego, Rosaline W. Macharia, Anna R. Malacrida, Heather G. Marco, Daniel Masiga, Gareth L. Maslen, Irina Matetovici, Richard P. Meisel, Irene Meki, Veronika Michalkova, Wolfgang J. Miller, Patrick Minx, Paul O. Mireji, Lino Ometto, Andrew G. Parker, Rita Rio, Clair Rose, Andrew J. Rosendale, Omar Rota-Stabelli, Grazia Savini, Liliane Schoofs, Francesca Scolari, Martin T. Swain, Peter Tak, Chad Tomlinson, George Tsiamis, Jan Van Den Abbeele, Aurelien Vigneron, Jingwen Wang, Wesley C. Warren, Robert M. Waterhouse, Matthew T. Weirauch, Brian L. Weiss, Richard K. Wilson, Xin Zhao, Serap Aksoy