Project description:The division of reproductive labor seen among individuals of the same colony in eusocial societies is one of the hallmarks of social evolution. These divisions have led to the evolution of distinct morphological or behavioral phenotypes known as ‘castes’. The establishment of a reproductive division of labor between individual colony members is a question of particular importance when studying simple eusocial societies. The classical paradigm of these societies is that all females are totipotent with the ability to exploit reproductive opportunities when they arise. Research has hypothesized that age variation in behavior could play an important role in how this division of labor is decided. Here, we provide the first systematic and statistical approach to the study of adult behavior in the tropical paper wasp, Polistes canadensis.
Project description:microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, are key regulators of gene expression at post-transcriptional level and play essential roles in fundamental biological processes such as development and metabolism. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis of miRNAs in the zoonotic parasite E. canadensis G7, one of the causative agents of the neglected disease cystic echinococcosis. Small RNA libraries from protoscoleces and cyst walls of E. canadensis G7 and protoscoleces of E. granulosus sensu stricto G1 were sequenced using Illumina technology. As a result, we found transcriptional evidence of 37 miRNAs thus expanding the miRNA repertoire of E. canadensis G7. Differential expression analysis showed significant regulated miRNAs between life cycle stages of E. canadensis G7. We confirmed the remarkable loss of conserved miRNA families in E. canadensis, reflecting their low morphological complexity and high adaptation to parasitism. This study will provide valuable information for better understanding the complex biology of this parasite and could help to find new potential targets for therapy and/or diagnosis.
Project description:First brain methylome and transcriptomic data of two simple eusocial insects: Polistes canadensis paper wasp and Dinoponera quadriceps dinosaur ant
Project description:microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, are key regulators of gene expression at post-transcriptional level and play essential roles in fundamental biological processes such as development and metabolism. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis of miRNAs in the zoonotic parasite E. canadensis G7, one of the causative agents of the neglected disease cystic echinococcosis. Small RNA libraries from protoscoleces and cyst walls of E. canadensis G7 and protoscoleces of E. granulosus sensu stricto G1 were sequenced using Illumina technology. As a result, we found transcriptional evidence of 37 miRNAs thus expanding the miRNA repertoire of E. canadensis G7. Differential expression analysis showed significant regulated miRNAs between life cycle stages of E. canadensis G7. We confirmed the remarkable loss of conserved miRNA families in E. canadensis, reflecting their low morphological complexity and high adaptation to parasitism. This study will provide valuable information for better understanding the complex biology of this parasite and could help to find new potential targets for therapy and/or diagnosis. Small RNA libraries from protoscoleces and cyst walls of E. canadensis G7 and protoscoleces of E. granulosus sensu stricto G1 were sequenced using Illumina technology. For each sample type, two libraries were constructed from two independent samples in order to have biological replicates.