See the published version of this preprint at BMC Genomics.
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Research article
Clare C Rittschof
University of Kentucky
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0808-0458
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background: Behavior reflects an organism's health status. Many organisms display a generalized suite of behaviors that indicate infection or predict infection susceptibility. We apply this concept to honey bee aggression, a behavior that has been associated with positive health outcomes in previous studies. We sequenced the transcriptomes of the brain, fat body, and midgut of adult sibling worker bees who developed as pre-adults in relatively high versus low aggression colonies. Previous studies showed that this pre-adult experience impacts both aggressive behavior and resilience to pesticides. We performed enrichment analyses on differentially expressed genes to determine whether variation in aggression resembles the molecular response to infection. We further assessed whether the transcriptomic signature of aggression in the brain is similar to the neuromolecular response to acute predator threat, exposure to a high-aggression environment as an adult, or adult behavioral maturation. Results: Across all three tissues assessed, genes that are differentially expressed as a function of aggression significantly overlap with genes whose expression is modulated by a variety of pathogens and parasitic feeding. In the fat body, and to some degree the midgut, our data specifically support the hypothesis that low aggression resembles a diseased or parasitized state. However, we find little evidence of active infection in individuals from the low aggression group. We also find little evidence that the brain molecular signature of aggression is enriched for genes modulated by social cues that induce aggression in adults. However, we do find evidence that genes associated with adult behavioral maturation are enriched in our brain samples. Conclusions: Results support the hypothesis that low aggression resembles a molecular state of infection. This pattern is most robust in the peripheral fat body, an immune responsive tissue in the honey bee. We find no evidence of acute infection in bees from the low aggression group, suggesting the physiological state characterizing low aggression may instead predispose bees to negative health outcomes when they are exposed to additional stressors. The similarity of molecular signatures associated with the seemingly disparate traits of aggression and disease suggests that these characteristics may, in fact, be intimately tied.
Keywords
social immunity, colony collapse disorder, social behavior, nutrition, stress, development, pollinator declines, virus
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CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at BMC Genomics.
Version 4
Posted 03 Jan, 2020
No community comments so far
Submission checks complete
On 19 Dec, 2019
Editorial decision: Accept
On 19 Dec, 2019
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 13 Dec, 2019
Review #1 received
Received 04 Dec, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 18 Nov, 2019
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 18 Nov, 2019
Editor assigned
On 15 Nov, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 15 Nov, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 14 Nov, 2019
Editor invited
On 14 Nov, 2019
No comments provided
Review #3 received
Received 17 Oct, 2019
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 17 Oct, 2019
Review #2 received
Received 07 Oct, 2019
Review #1 received
Received 10 Sep, 2019
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 05 Sep, 2019
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 03 Sep, 2019
Editor assigned
On 29 Aug, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 29 Aug, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 29 Aug, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 28 Aug, 2019
Editor invited
On 28 Aug, 2019
No comments provided
Submission checks complete
On 20 Aug, 2019
Editor invited
On 20 Aug, 2019
Editorial decision: Revise before sending to peer reviewers
On 20 Aug, 2019
Editor assigned
On 16 Aug, 2019
First submitted
On 14 Aug, 2019
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
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Subject Areas
Epigenetics & Genomics
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See the published version of this preprint at BMC Genomics.
This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Clare C Rittschof
University of Kentucky
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0808-0458
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at BMC Genomics.
Version 4
Posted 03 Jan, 2020
No community comments so far
Submission checks complete
On 19 Dec, 2019
Editorial decision: Accept
On 19 Dec, 2019
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 13 Dec, 2019
Review #1 received
Received 04 Dec, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 18 Nov, 2019
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 18 Nov, 2019
Editor assigned
On 15 Nov, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 15 Nov, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 14 Nov, 2019
Editor invited
On 14 Nov, 2019
No comments provided
Review #3 received
Received 17 Oct, 2019
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 17 Oct, 2019
Review #2 received
Received 07 Oct, 2019
Review #1 received
Received 10 Sep, 2019
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 05 Sep, 2019
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 03 Sep, 2019
Editor assigned
On 29 Aug, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 29 Aug, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 29 Aug, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 28 Aug, 2019
Editor invited
On 28 Aug, 2019
No comments provided
Submission checks complete
On 20 Aug, 2019
Editor invited
On 20 Aug, 2019
Editorial decision: Revise before sending to peer reviewers
On 20 Aug, 2019
Editor assigned
On 16 Aug, 2019
First submitted
On 14 Aug, 2019
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Epigenetics & Genomics
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at BMC Genomics.
Background: Behavior reflects an organism's health status. Many organisms display a generalized suite of behaviors that indicate infection or predict infection susceptibility. We apply this concept to honey bee aggression, a behavior that has been associated with positive health outcomes in previous studies. We sequenced the transcriptomes of the brain, fat body, and midgut of adult sibling worker bees who developed as pre-adults in relatively high versus low aggression colonies. Previous studies showed that this pre-adult experience impacts both aggressive behavior and resilience to pesticides. We performed enrichment analyses on differentially expressed genes to determine whether variation in aggression resembles the molecular response to infection. We further assessed whether the transcriptomic signature of aggression in the brain is similar to the neuromolecular response to acute predator threat, exposure to a high-aggression environment as an adult, or adult behavioral maturation. Results: Across all three tissues assessed, genes that are differentially expressed as a function of aggression significantly overlap with genes whose expression is modulated by a variety of pathogens and parasitic feeding. In the fat body, and to some degree the midgut, our data specifically support the hypothesis that low aggression resembles a diseased or parasitized state. However, we find little evidence of active infection in individuals from the low aggression group. We also find little evidence that the brain molecular signature of aggression is enriched for genes modulated by social cues that induce aggression in adults. However, we do find evidence that genes associated with adult behavioral maturation are enriched in our brain samples. Conclusions: Results support the hypothesis that low aggression resembles a molecular state of infection. This pattern is most robust in the peripheral fat body, an immune responsive tissue in the honey bee. We find no evidence of acute infection in bees from the low aggression group, suggesting the physiological state characterizing low aggression may instead predispose bees to negative health outcomes when they are exposed to additional stressors. The similarity of molecular signatures associated with the seemingly disparate traits of aggression and disease suggests that these characteristics may, in fact, be intimately tied.
Figure 1
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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