Projects in the lab are centered around utilizing ants as models to understand fundamental questions in molecular and cell biology.
Ants live in sophisticated societies in which morphologically and behaviorally distinct types of individuals (castes) arise among members of closely-related families (colonies), and because of this, production of such castes is not genetic, but environmentally and epigenetically induced. Importantly, different castes exhibit often-extreme differences in behavior, physiology, and lifespan, which can be up to 20-fold longer in queens compared to workers.
Our lab employs two complementary ant systems as models to understand conserved and novel features governing the regulation of plasticity of behavior and lifespan.
Ants live in sophisticated societies in which morphologically and behaviorally distinct types of individuals (castes) arise among members of closely-related families (colonies), and because of this, production of such castes is not genetic, but environmentally and epigenetically induced. Importantly, different castes exhibit often-extreme differences in behavior, physiology, and lifespan, which can be up to 20-fold longer in queens compared to workers.
Our lab employs two complementary ant systems as models to understand conserved and novel features governing the regulation of plasticity of behavior and lifespan.
Meet the team
We utilize two species of ant which strongly complement one another:
Harpegnathos saltator, a more ‘primitive’ ant species, possesses adult-inducible and reversible reproductive workers (gamergates). Because reproductive caste can be manipulated ‘on command’ in any adult within a colony resulting in a change in lifespan, behavior, and physiology, H. saltator is an ideal system for experimental studies of plasticity. Furthermore, H. saltator is one of the only ant species within which transgenic manipulation is possible.
Camponotus floridanus possesses a more ‘typical’ caste system, with castes determined during larval development, however worker behavior is manipulable in adulthood. While reproductive caste is relatively ‘locked’ among adult C. floridanus, differences between castes are far more pronounced than in H. saltator – e.g. Queen C. floridanus can live for 20 years (vs workers which never live longer than 1.5y).
Together, these species provide a powerful framework within which to study questions of plasticity of physiology and lifespan.
Our work involves a combination of in vivo work in ants, ectopic expression in D. melanogaster for quick screening, transient and transgenic perturbation in ants, and in vitro testing in ant neuronal cultures, as well as cell lines in fly and mouse.
Harpegnathos saltator, a more ‘primitive’ ant species, possesses adult-inducible and reversible reproductive workers (gamergates). Because reproductive caste can be manipulated ‘on command’ in any adult within a colony resulting in a change in lifespan, behavior, and physiology, H. saltator is an ideal system for experimental studies of plasticity. Furthermore, H. saltator is one of the only ant species within which transgenic manipulation is possible.
Camponotus floridanus possesses a more ‘typical’ caste system, with castes determined during larval development, however worker behavior is manipulable in adulthood. While reproductive caste is relatively ‘locked’ among adult C. floridanus, differences between castes are far more pronounced than in H. saltator – e.g. Queen C. floridanus can live for 20 years (vs workers which never live longer than 1.5y).
Together, these species provide a powerful framework within which to study questions of plasticity of physiology and lifespan.
Our work involves a combination of in vivo work in ants, ectopic expression in D. melanogaster for quick screening, transient and transgenic perturbation in ants, and in vitro testing in ant neuronal cultures, as well as cell lines in fly and mouse.
Research directions
Plasticity of Lifespan: One of the primary foci of the lab is to understand how ants are able to drastically modulate lifespan between reproductive and non-reproductive castes. Our data suggest that multiple (if not all) of the so-called “Hallmarks of Aging” are being mitigated in reproductive ants of both H. saltator and C. floridanus.
Projects focus on both understanding the proximal mechanisms employed by reproductives to reverse aging hallmarks, as well as how these strategies are being regulated and unified in the general context of caste. |
The epigenome, hormones, and brain microenvironment: Behavioral plasticity: The ability to respond dynamically to changes in the environment is a defining feature of complex life. One of the major components of this in advanced multicellular organisms is modulation of behavior in response to environmental stimuli. Ants also represent outstanding models for the study of behavioral plasticity, due to the production of multiple alternative behavioral states (castes) which are amenable to experimental manipulation.
Previous work by us and others has established a strong experimental basis for inducing and understanding this behavioral plasticity in both H. saltator and C. floridanus. Projects focus on elaborating on these findings, as well as exploring other, yet-characterized mechanisms. This can range from in vitro molecular work, organism-level studies, or comparative evolutionary studies – bonus points for projects that involve all three. |