title: Juvenile hormone downregulates vitellogenin production in Ectatomma tuberculatum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) sterile workers.
abstract: In the ant Ectatomma tuberculatum (Olivier 1792), workers have active ovaries and lay trophic eggs that are eaten by the queen and larvae. Vitellogenins are the main proteins found in the eggs of insects and are the source of nutrients for the embryo in the fertilized eggs and for adults in the trophic eggs. In social insects, vitellogenin titres vary between castes and affect reproductive social status, nursing, foraging, longevity, somatic maintenance, and immunity. In most insects, vitellogenin synthesis is mainly regulated by juvenile hormone. However, in non-reproductive worker ants, this relationship is poorly characterized. This study determined the effects of juvenile hormone on vitellogenin synthesis in non-reproductive E. tuberculatum workers. Juvenile hormone was topically applied onto workers, and the effect on vitellogenin synthesis in the fat body and vitellogenin titres in the haemolymph were analysed by ELISA and qPCR. Juvenile hormone downregulated protein synthesis and reduced vitellogenin titres in the haemolymph, suggesting that in workers of E. tuberculatum, juvenile hormone loses its gonadotrophic function.
authors.affiliation: Coordenadoria de Meio Ambiente, Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo, Ibatiba, ES, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dihego Oliveira
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sérgio Oliveira
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: de Paula
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Cola
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Zanuncio
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-000, Brazil jeserrao@ufv.br.
authors.forename: José Eduardo
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Serrão
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005216:Fat Body / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000737:chemistry; D007605:Juvenile Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007605:Juvenile Hormones; D014819:Vitellogenins
keywords: Age polyethism; Ant; Hymenoptera; Vitellin