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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
A depauperate immune repertoire precedes evolution of sociality in bees
Genome Biology, Volume 16, No. 1, Article 83, Year 2015
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Description
Background: Sociality has many rewards, but can also be dangerous, as high population density and low genetic diversity, common in social insects, is ideal for parasite transmission. Despite this risk, honeybees and other sequenced social insects have far fewer canonical immune genes relative to solitary insects. Social protection from infection, including behavioral responses, may explain this depauperate immune repertoire. Here, based on full genome sequences, we describe the immune repertoire of two ecologically and commercially important bumblebee species that diverged approximately 18 million years ago, the North American Bombus impatiens and European Bombus terrestris. Results: We find that the immune systems of these bumblebees, two species of honeybee, and a solitary leafcutting bee, are strikingly similar. Transcriptional assays confirm the expression of many of these genes in an immunological context and more strongly in young queens than males, affirming Bateman's principle of greater investment in female immunity. We find evidence of positive selection in genes encoding antiviral responses, components of the Toll and JAK/STAT pathways, and serine protease inhibitors in both social and solitary bees. Finally, we detect many genes across pathways that differ in selection between bumblebees and honeybees, or between the social and solitary clades. Conclusions: The similarity in immune complement across a gradient of sociality suggests that a reduced immune repertoire predates the evolution of sociality in bees. The differences in selection on immune genes likely reflect divergent pressures exerted by parasites across social contexts. © 2015 Barribeau et al.; licensee BioMed Central.
Authors & Co-Authors
Barribeau, Seth Michael
Switzerland, Zurich
Eth Zürich
United States, Greenville
East Carolina University
Plessis, Louis Du
Switzerland, Zurich
Eth Zürich
Switzerland, Lausanne
Sib Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
Brown, Mark J.F.
United Kingdom, Egham
Royal Holloway, University of London
Cappelle, Kaat
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Carolan, James C.
Ireland, Maynooth
Maynooth University
Christiaens, Olivier
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Erler, Silvio
Romania, Cluj Napoca
Universitatea de Stiinte Agricole si Medicina Veterinara Din Cluj-napoca
Germany, Halle
Martin-luther-universität Halle-wittenberg
Evans, Jay D.
United States, Beltsville
Usda Ars Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
Helbing, Sophie
Germany, Halle
Martin-luther-universität Halle-wittenberg
Lattorff, H. Michael G.
Germany, Halle
Martin-luther-universität Halle-wittenberg
Germany, Leipzig
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Idiv Halle-jena-leipzig
Meeus, Ivan
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Niu, Jinzhi
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
China, Chongqing
Southwest University
Smagghe, Guy J.
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
China, Chongqing
Southwest University
Waterhouse, Robert M.
Switzerland, Lausanne
Sib Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
Switzerland, Geneva
Université de Genève Faculté de Médecine
United States, Cambridge
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Zdobnov, Evgeny M.
Switzerland, Lausanne
Sib Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
Switzerland, Geneva
Université de Genève Faculté de Médecine
Statistics
Citations: 112
Authors: 15
Affiliations: 16
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1186/s13059-015-0628-y
ISSN:
14747596
Research Areas
Genetics And Genomics
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Participants Gender
Female