Comparative transcriptomics reveals the conserved building blocks involved in parallel evolution of diverse phenotypic traits in ants.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Reproductive division of labor in eusocial insects is a striking example of a shared genetic background giving rise to alternative phenotypes, namely queen and worker castes. Queen and worker phenotypes play major roles in the evolution of eusocial insects. Their behavior, morphology and physiology underpin many ecologically relevant colony-level traits, which evolved in parallel in multiple species.

Results

Using queen and worker transcriptomic data from 16 ant species we tested the hypothesis that conserved sets of genes are involved in ant reproductive division of labor. We further hypothesized that such sets of genes should also be involved in the parallel evolution of other key traits. We applied weighted gene co-expression network analysis, which clusters co

SUBMITTER: Morandin C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4780134 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature