Molecular traces of alternative social organization in a termite genome

Nicolas Terrapon, Cai Li, Hugh M. Robertson, Lu Ji, Xuehong Meng, Warren Booth, Zhensheng Chen, Christopher P. Childers, Karl M. Glastad, Kaustubh Gokhale, Johannes Gowin, Wulfila Gronenberg, Russell A. Hermansen, Haofu Hu, Brendan G. Hunt, Ann Kathrin Huylmans, Sayed M. S. Khalil, Robert D. Mitchell, Monica C. Munoz-Torres, Julie A. Mustard, Hailin Pan, Justin T. Reese, Michael E. Scharf, Fengming Sun, Heiko Vogel, Jin Xiao, Wei Yang, Zhikai Yang, Zuoquan Yang, Jiajian Zhou, Jiwei Zhu, Colin S. Brent, Christine G. Elsik, Michael A. D. Goodisman, David A. Liberles, R. Michael Roe, Edward L. Vargo, Andreas Vilcinskas, Jun Wang, Erich Bornberg-Bauer, Judith Korb (), Guojie Zhang () and Jürgen Liebig ()
Additional contact information
Nicolas Terrapon: Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität
Cai Li: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Hugh M. Robertson: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Lu Ji: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Xuehong Meng: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Warren Booth: North Carolina State University
Zhensheng Chen: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Christopher P. Childers: University of Missouri
Karl M. Glastad: School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology
Kaustubh Gokhale: School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
Johannes Gowin: Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück
Wulfila Gronenberg: University of Arizona
Russell A. Hermansen: University of Wyoming
Haofu Hu: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Brendan G. Hunt: School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology
Ann Kathrin Huylmans: Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität
Sayed M. S. Khalil: North Carolina State University
Robert D. Mitchell: North Carolina State University
Monica C. Munoz-Torres: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Julie A. Mustard: School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
Hailin Pan: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Justin T. Reese: University of Missouri
Michael E. Scharf: Purdue University
Fengming Sun: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Heiko Vogel: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
Jin Xiao: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Wei Yang: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Zhikai Yang: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Zuoquan Yang: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Jiajian Zhou: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Jiwei Zhu: North Carolina State University
Colin S. Brent: Arid Land Agricultural Research Center
Christine G. Elsik: University of Missouri
Michael A. D. Goodisman: School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology
David A. Liberles: University of Wyoming
R. Michael Roe: North Carolina State University
Edward L. Vargo: North Carolina State University
Andreas Vilcinskas: Institut für Phytopathologie und Angewandte Zoologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen
Jun Wang: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Erich Bornberg-Bauer: Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität
Judith Korb: Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück
Guojie Zhang: China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen
Jürgen Liebig: School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Although eusociality evolved independently within several orders of insects, research into the molecular underpinnings of the transition towards social complexity has been confined primarily to Hymenoptera (for example, ants and bees). Here we sequence the genome and stage-specific transcriptomes of the dampwood termite Zootermopsis nevadensis (Blattodea) and compare them with similar data for eusocial Hymenoptera, to better identify commonalities and differences in achieving this significant transition. We show an expansion of genes related to male fertility, with upregulated gene expression in male reproductive individuals reflecting the profound differences in mating biology relative to the Hymenoptera. For several chemoreceptor families, we show divergent numbers of genes, which may correspond to the more claustral lifestyle of these termites. We also show similarities in the number and expression of genes related to caste determination mechanisms. Finally, patterns of DNA methylation and alternative splicing support a hypothesized epigenetic regulation of caste differentiation.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4636

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