A supergene is a collection of neighboring genes that are on a chromosome and are inherited together due to a close genetic link. Studying these unique genes is important to understand the possible causes of differences in the social structure of fire ants, especially to control the species and to build on the existing knowledge base.
The researchers focused on young fire ant queens embarking on wedding flights. They compared the influence of the supergene on the two primary social structures of fire ants: monogyne, the reproduction of queens that form a new nest, and pologyne, the reproduction of queens that join an existing nest.
WCU: Fire ant problems are increasing in the mountains
According to research by the Highlands Biological Station at Western Carolina University (WCU), fire ants are increasingly common in the mountains.
A report recently published in PLOS ONE shows fire ants acclimatizing to high elevations in the southern Appalachian Mountains, something that many biologists long believed could not happen.
“This has some important conservation implications, especially as the forests here are increasingly fragmented and the door is opening the door to more and more fire ant colonies,” said Jim Costa, professor of evolutionary biology at WCU and executive director of the Highlands Biological Station, which is 23 hectares large facility known for its research laboratories and teaching and learning resources.
“Although they will spread and be pests in urban, suburban, and agricultural environments in our region, the greatest potential environmental impact from the ants that remain at higher elevations will be in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and especially in the national forests – along the roads of the US Forest Service – there are deforested areas and power line breakthroughs that give the ants a hold where the ground and sun are disturbed, from which they can wreak havoc in the adjacent forest, “he said.
The lead author of the report was Amanda Lytle, who received her Masters in Biology from WCU and is a Research Technician in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at North Carolina State University, along with Costa and Robert Warren who received her Masters in Biology from the WCU. Warren is now on the faculty at Buffalo State University in New York.
“The ants adapt to winters here – colonies were found at altitudes above 4,000 feet, and our study showed in laboratory tests that their ability to withstand the cold was directly related to the location from which they were collected, being themselves Ants at higher elevations are considered to be much harder than their lowland cousins, ”Costa said. “So, you are here to stay. Their adaptability is likely aided by climate change as it gets warmer at higher altitudes, but our study results suggest that even in a non-warming scenario they would continue to adapt and spread here. “
The research was published as an article in PLOS ONE Journal, a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary e-journal. Free download. Source: WCU
Ross first worked with colleagues in his laboratory to discover a remarkable example of genetically encoded differences in social organization within the fire ant species Solenopsis invicta. The next step was to understand how these genetic differences lead to complex behavioral and physiological variations between ants from colonies with one queen versus colonies with multiple queens. The consolidation of this knowledge will help scientists better understand evolutionary patterns of the species and offer more alternatives for controlling invasive populations.
Led by two UGA entomology graduates, Joanie King, who received her Masters degree in 2017, and Samuel Arsenault, who received his PhD in 2020, the team developed an experimental design that used a collection of specimens from two fire ant organs – brains – and ovarian tissue – and the full range of social chromosome genotypes and social forms within that fire ant species.
The study included various scientific methods that resulted in the collaboration of tools and resources in many different areas of the institution.
“UGA was a very supportive environment in which to conduct this research,” said Brendan Hunt, Associate Professor of Entomology. “We received help preparing samples for RNA sequencing from the laboratory of Dr. Bob Schmitz in the genetics department performed the sequencing in the Georgia Genomics and Bioinformatics Core and used computing resources from the Georgia Advanced Computing Resource Center to analyze the data. “
These type of student-led projects give young researchers the chance to grow in a hands-on environment with mentoring and guidance from academics with a proven track record in the field.
“Graduates gained experience that helped them transition to the next phase of their careers,” said Hunt. “Both continued their studies of ant genetics.”
After graduating and completing research at UGA, King began his PhD at Texas A&M University to study alongside Edward Vargo, and Arsenault is a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University’s Buck Trible Lab.
Source: Sean Montgomery / University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences News
For more informations
To read the full published research, visit the Wiley Online Library digital archive.
