Genomic regulation of social behavior in eusocial bees

The discovery of regulatory molecules that alter gene expression without changes to DNA sequence fundamentally altered how we think about the regulation of organismal processes. Work in this dissertation leverages naturally occurring behavioral plasticity in two species of highly social bees -- Apis mellifera (Chapters 2-5) and Tetragonisca angustula (Chapter 5) -- to investigate gene expression and gene regulatory mechanisms underlying division of labor among adult worker bees. Chapter 1 provides an overview of experimental approaches and work contained in this dissertation. Chapter 2 uses a combination of bioinformatic and transcriptomic screens to identify candidate microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in A. mellifera abdominal lipid loss, a key physiological phenotype linked to division of labor. This chapter additionally describes the development of antagomirs for in vivo decrease in the expression of two miRNAs and quantifies abdominal lipid level. In Chapter 3 antagomir treatment is used in combination with juvenile hormone and queen mandibular pheromone treatments to probe whether these factors interact with miRNA ame-miR-305-5p to influence lipid mass. Chapter 4 examines the effects of ame-miR-305-5p knockdown with antagomir on total transcriptomic profiles in the abdominal fat body and brain. Finally, Chapter 5 uses comparative transcriptomic analyses of A. mellifera and T. angustula to explore the question of whether mechanisms of colony defense behavior in these two distantly related species of bees relies upon common molecular mechanisms. Together the studies contained within this dissertation contribute to our understanding of the regulation of the division of labor and the evolution of complex behavioral traits.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Ecol, Evol, Conservation Biol

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Stuart, Sarai Hope

Contributors dc:contributor

• Robinson, Gene E
• Bell, Alison M
• Stubbs, Lisa J
• Sinhha, Saurabh

• Division Of Labor
• Social Bees
• Functional Genomics
• Microrna
• Apis Mellifera
• Stable Lipid Loss
• Tetragonisca Angustula
• Gene Regulation
• Alarm Pheromone
• Comparative Transcriptomics

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Sarai Stuart

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120515

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F120515