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MBE Advance Access published online on June 18, 2009
Molecular Biology and Evolution, doi:10.1093/molbev/msp095
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Research Article

Comparison of queen-specific gene expression in related lower termite species

Tobias Weil1,2, Judith Korb1,3,§,* and Michael Rehli2,§,*

1 Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
2 Abteilung für Hämatologie und Internistische Onkologie, Klinikum der Universität Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee-11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
3 Verhaltensbiologie, Universität Osnabrueck, Barbarastrasse 11, 49069 Osnabrueck, Germany

§ Corresponding authors Email addresses: TW: weil.tobias{at}web.de, JK: judith.korb{at}biologie.uni-osnabrueck.de, MR: michael.rehli{at}klinik.uni-regensburg.de. Telefone numbers: MR: 0049-941-9445587, JK: 0049-541-9693496. Fax number: 0049-941-9445593

Received for publication February 16, 2009. Revision received April 20, 2009. Accepted for publication April 24, 2009.

The molecular mechanisms regulating caste determination and reproductive division of labor, the hallmarks of insect societies, are poorly defined. The identification of key genes involved in these developmentally important processes will be essential to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling one of the most impressive examples of polyphenism, the caste structure of eusocial species. Here we applied representational difference analysis (RDA) of cDNAs, to study differential gene expression between queens (female neotenics) and workers in the drywood termite Cryptotermes cynocephalus and identified thirteen genes that were highly expressed in queens. In addition, we partially cloned several homologous genes of the related termite species Cryptotermes secundus, and compared the expression profiles of ten homologous genes. In most cases the preferential expression in female neotenics was not conserved between species, despite the close phylogenetic relationship of both Cryptotermes species. It is possible that these genes are associated with known species-specific differences in caste development modes. Only three genes (Neofem1, 2, and 3) showed a conserved and highly preferential expression in female neotenics, suggesting that their products may play important roles in female reproductives, in particular in controlling caste determination and reproductive division of labor.

Key Words: caste determination • gene expression • reproduction • social insects • termites • reproductive division of labor

* These authors contributed equally to this work


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