Histone acetylation regulates the expression of genes involved in worker reproduction in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In insect societies, queens monopolize reproduction while workers perform tasks such as brood care or foraging. Queen loss leads to ovary development and lifespan extension in workers of many ant species. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this phenotypic plasticity remain unclear. Recent studies highlight the importance of epigenetics in regulating plastic traits in social insects. Thus, we investigated the role of histone acetylation in regulating worker reproduction in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus. We removed queens from their colonies to induce worker fecundity, and either fed workers with chemical inhibitors of histone acetylation (C646), deacetylation (TSA), or the solvent (DMSO) as control. We monitored worker number for six weeks after which we asse

SUBMITTER: Choppin M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8642982 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature