TY - JOUR
T1 - Hemimetabolous genomes reveal molecular basis of termite eusociality
AU - Harrison, Mark C.
AU - Jongepier, Evelien
AU - Robertson, Hugh M.
AU - Arning, Nicolas
AU - Bitard-Feildel, Tristan
AU - Chao, Hsu
AU - Childers, Christopher P.
AU - Dinh, Huyen
AU - Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan
AU - Dugan, Shannon
AU - Gowin, Johannes
AU - Greiner, Carolin
AU - Han, Yi
AU - Hu, Haofu
AU - Hughes, Daniel S.T.
AU - Huylmans, Ann Kathrin
AU - Kemena, Carsten
AU - Kremer, Lukas P.M.
AU - Lee, Sandra L.
AU - Lopez-Ezquerra, Alberto
AU - Mallet, Ludovic
AU - Monroy-Kuhn, Jose M.
AU - Moser, Annabell
AU - Murali, Shwetha C.
AU - Muzny, Donna M.
AU - Otani, Saria
AU - Piulachs, Maria Dolors
AU - Poelchau, Monica
AU - Qu, Jiaxin
AU - Schaub, Florentine
AU - Wada-Katsumata, Ayako
AU - Worley, Kim C.
AU - Xie, Qiaolin
AU - Ylla, Guillem
AU - Thomas-Poulsen, Michael
AU - Gibbs, Richard A.
AU - Schal, Coby
AU - Richards, Stephen
AU - Belles, Xavier
AU - Korb, Judith
AU - Bornberg-Bauer, Erich
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Around 150 million years ago, eusocial termites evolved from within the cockroaches, 50 million years before eusocial Hymenoptera, such as bees and ants, appeared. Here, we report the 2-Gb genome of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, and the 1.3-Gb genome of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus. We show evolutionary signatures of termite eusociality by comparing the genomes and transcriptomes of three termites and the cockroach against the background of 16 other eusocial and non-eusocial insects. Dramatic adaptive changes in genes underlying the production and perception of pheromones confirm the importance of chemical communication in the termites. These are accompanied by major changes in gene regulation and the molecular evolution of caste determination. Many of these results parallel molecular mechanisms of eusocial evolution in Hymenoptera. However, the specific solutions are remarkably different, thus revealing a striking case of convergence in one of the major evolutionary transitions in biological complexity.
AB - Around 150 million years ago, eusocial termites evolved from within the cockroaches, 50 million years before eusocial Hymenoptera, such as bees and ants, appeared. Here, we report the 2-Gb genome of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, and the 1.3-Gb genome of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus. We show evolutionary signatures of termite eusociality by comparing the genomes and transcriptomes of three termites and the cockroach against the background of 16 other eusocial and non-eusocial insects. Dramatic adaptive changes in genes underlying the production and perception of pheromones confirm the importance of chemical communication in the termites. These are accompanied by major changes in gene regulation and the molecular evolution of caste determination. Many of these results parallel molecular mechanisms of eusocial evolution in Hymenoptera. However, the specific solutions are remarkably different, thus revealing a striking case of convergence in one of the major evolutionary transitions in biological complexity.
U2 - 10.1038/s41559-017-0459-1
DO - 10.1038/s41559-017-0459-1
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 29403074
AN - SCOPUS:85041598541
SN - 2397-334X
VL - 2
SP - 557
EP - 566
JO - Nature Ecology and Evolution
JF - Nature Ecology and Evolution
IS - 3
ER -