Preprint on bioRxiv!

A preprint for the first research paper of the lab is now on bioRxiv and we are very excited about it.

Dynamic Variation in a Socially Exchanged Fluid Indicates a Role in the Regulation of Ant Colony Development and Maturation

SM Hakala, M-P Meurville, M Stumpe, AC LeBoeuf

https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.28.428590

Here’s a twitter thread on the story.

New preprint! In ant colonies, proteins circulated in the mouth-to-mouth food transfer network of #trophallaxis differentiate between colony life stages and castes @SanjaHakala @Marie_Meurville M Stumpe @adriaexists #socialfluids #ants #behavior #evolution

Young and mature colonies pass around different proteins: Proteins involved in direct carbohydrate processing are central for rapid growth in young colonies. Mature colonies circulate nutrient storage proteins needed to produce specialized workers and sexuals #castedetermination

Excitingly, anti-aging proteins (like superoxide dismutase) are circulated across colonies. If the colony distributes the costs of aging to the whole network, it would explain how ant queens escape the fecundity-longevity trade-off (!) #lifespan  #lifehistory

Different ‘tissues’ have different molecular tasks: nurses have more signatures of extracellular vesicles and anti-aging proteins. Many of these socially-transmitted proteins could function as hormones that act over the superorganism to control its life cycle! #socialphysiology

We’re excited to discuss these topics further, and get feedback on the preprint, either here or at #cshlinsect virtual conference at the end of March, where @adriaexists will present the results!