RNA-seq analysis of workers' brain reveals that queen and brood affect
bumble bee worker reproduction via similar genetic pathways
Abstract
Worker reproduction in social insects is often regulated by the queen’s
presence but can be regulated by other colony members, such as the brood
and nestmates. Adults and brood may induce the same outcomes in
subordinates but may use different mechanisms. Here, we compared gene
expression patterns in bumble bee workers (Bombus impatiens) in response
to the queen, the brood, both or none. RNA‐seq analysis of workers’
brain identified 27 differentially expressed genes regulated by the
queen and the brood. Expression levels of 8 candidate genes were
re-tested using qRT-PCR in worker brain and fat body. Our results show
that the brood’s effect on gene expression is substantially weaker than
the queen, and a greater impact on gene expression was caused by the
combined presence of the queen and the brood. All the genes that were
explained by the brood presence were also regulated by the queen
presence. A significant amount of the variation in gene expression was
explained by the queen, that regulated the expression of key regulators
of reproduction and brood care across insects, such as neuroparsin and
vitellogenin. A comparison of the data with similar datasets in the
honeybee and the raider ant revealed that neuroparsin is the only
differentially expressed gene shared by all species. These data
highlight the need to consider components other than the queen when
examining mechanisms regulating worker sterility and provide information
on key genes regulating reproduction that are likely to play an
important role in the evolution of sociality.