Social division of labor is different and the minds are different?Scientists reveal the phenomenon of brainization between different grades of ants

Ant with a high social division of labor, how did their brains change in the process of solidifying social characters? Recently, by constructing a single -cell single -cell cell transcription group diagram of the old ants in my country, Chinese scientists reveal the phenomenon of brain structure and functional specialization during the grade differentiation, and the plastic changes in the brain during the maturity of the queen queen. Key cell groups that regulate their genitals and life.

At 23:00 on June 16, the study was published in the authoritative academic journal "Nature · Ecology and Evolution".

A nest of ants form a "super individual"

Ant originated in the Baiji period of 140 million years ago. It is the most prosperous social insect group on land. There are more than 20,000 species existing. They are widely distributed in all terrestrial ecosystems except the pole iceland and are one of the most successful animal groups in the process of biological evolution. The success of ants is closely related to its high social characteristics. In an ant colony, the grades of different forms, physiology and behavior are gradually differentiated.

There are at least 4 different grades in a mature typical ant group, namely Worker, Male, Virgin Gyne, and Queen.

▲ Fa Lao Ant's social product -level differentiation (Liu Weiwei and other systems)

"Although the worker ant and queen have the same genetic background, it shows the distinction of obvious form, physiology and behavior." Researcher Li Qiye of the First Author of the Wasteen Life Sciences Research Institute of the paper said, "Many ant species workers' ants The ovaries are completely degraded, and the nests of ant nests in childcare and foraging for life have no reproduction. The male ants only engage in mating work in their lives, and they will die soon after mating. Staying in the nest for a long time, full -time spawning, and its life span will be significantly prolonged; and the virgin breeding ants who missed the mating window period will gradually bid to work ants, engage in some childcare and foraging work, and its ovaries will gradually shrink. " Essence

Now there is a generally accepted view of the academic community, that is, the whole nest of ants are a "super individual". Each ant is a "cell" of this super individual. Its "reproductive cells".

Different grade ant brain structures have significant differences

In order to further reveal the inherent mechanism of ants -grade differentiation, the research team carried out research through French ants as a model creature, and conducted research through a single -cell transcription group sequencing technology.

Pharaoh ants are ants with strong adaptability, low growth environment, and widely distributed in the world. Its individuals are small, their breeding is fast, the development cycle is short, and the number of groups is huge. There can be multiple queen queen in the French ants and ant colors, which can be intertwined in the nest, which can induce new reproductive ants and easily raise a large number of generations in the laboratory, which makes it a good model species for social insect research. Essence

Through the sequencing and analysis of the transcription of different brain cells, researchers can determine the functions they bear. "Through the self -developed single -cell library building platform and sequencing technology, we have obtained a total of about 206,000 high -quality single -core nuclear transcription groups covering the old ants, virgins, anthology, and male ants covering the old ants, virgin breeding ants, virgin breeding ants, queen queen, and male ants Data. "Researcher Liu Chuanyu, a common communication author and researcher at the Chinese Academy of Life Sciences, added that" this is the world's first single -cell map that comprehensively covers all divided characters in Ant society. "

▲ Three -dimensional structure reconstruction of different product -level brain structure (BJARKE H. DETHLEFSEN and other paintings)

"Our research shows that compared to the unprecedented fruit flies, the abundance of mushroom cells responsible for advanced cognitive functions in the Pharaoh's brain has increased significantly." Associate researcher introduced.

Unlike the division of labor in human society, the grade differentiation of ants is physiological. The team's research results show that ants not only have obvious differentiation in the body, but also have obvious differentiation in the structure and function of the brain. For example, the mushroom body responsible for advanced cognitive functions is very developed in the workers' ants, and the olfactory leaves are also very developed, while the male ants are very developed as the leaves. Liu Weiwei believes that this means that workers are more dependent on the individual of olfactory perception, and they also have better cognitive functions and flexible behavior strategies. The male ants are more dependent on vision, which may be related to the appropriate mating object.

In the process of queen queen maturity, the brain occurred significantly

"We also saw that the virgin reproduction ants turned into queen queen after mating, and the brain had obvious plasticity changes." Liu Weiwei pointed out that "many cell groups have changed significantly." Among them, the cluster cell group group Fengfeng The degree of degree is reduced, and the abundance of dopamine cells and its downstream nerve peptide cells increases, and the abundance of collagen cells with neuropromemiscation functions has also increased significantly. "This shows that during the maturity of the queen, the changes in brain cell groups and the nerve ring The remake of the road determines the transformation of the queen's duties and the extreme extension of its life. "

▲ The relative abundance of the brain cells of different grades of Fa Lao Ant (Li Qiye and other paintings)

The common communication author of the paper, Zhejiang University Qiushi Lecturer Professor, Professor Zhang Guojie, director of the Life Evolution Research Center, pointed out that the work reminds the social division of labor and display of different individuals of ants related to the degree of specialization of their brains.He concluded that the brain of different individuals has different directions and degrees of specialization, and the function of each other is complementary to perform different social behaviors and functions, so that the entire ant colony can have reproduction, childcare, foraging, defense, etc.Comprehensive function.

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Author: Xu Qimin

Photo: Provided by the respondent

Editor in charge: Ren Quan

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