title: Caste-Specific and Sex-Specific Expression of Chemoreceptor Genes in a Termite.
abstract: The sophisticated colony organization of eusocial insects is primarily maintained through the utilization of pheromones. The regulation of these complex social interactions requires intricate chemoreception systems. The recent publication of the genome of Zootermopsis nevadensis opened a new avenue to study molecular basis of termite caste systems. Although there has been a growing interest in the termite chemoreception system that regulates their sophisticated caste system, the relationship between division of labor and expression of chemoreceptor genes remains to be explored. Using high-throughput mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we found several chemoreceptors that are differentially expressed among castes and between sexes in a subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus. In total, 53 chemoreception-related genes were annotated, including 22 odorant receptors, 7 gustatory receptors, 12 ionotropic receptors, 9 odorant-binding proteins, and 3 chemosensory proteins. Most of the chemoreception-related genes had caste-related and sex-related expression patterns; in particular, some chemoreception genes showed king-biased or queen-biased expression patterns. Moreover, more than half of the genes showed significant age-dependent differences in their expression in female and/or male reproductives. These results reveal a strong relationship between the evolution of the division of labor and the regulation of chemoreceptor gene expression, thereby demonstrating the chemical communication and underlining chemoreception mechanism in social insects.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mitaka
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mikheyev
authors.affiliation: Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Mandy M Y
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Tin
authors.affiliation: Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020451:Contig Mapping; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D049750:Genome, Insect; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020049:Isoptera / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D012737:Sex Factors; D013045:Species Specificity; D013649:Taste; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D008024:Ligands; D010675:Pheromones; D018035:Receptors, Odorant; C045648:odorant-binding protein