Genetics of social behaviour in fire ants

Bourke, Andrew F. G. (2002) Genetics of social behaviour in fire ants. Trends in Genetics, 18 (5). pp. 221-223. ISSN 1362-4555

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Abstract

A recent study is the first to sequence a gene known to underlie a complex social phenotype. In the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, a single allelic difference at the Gp-9 locus specifies the number of queens a colony has, and hence the social structure of the colony. Gp-9 appears to encode a protein implicated in chemical recognition of nestmates, consistent with workers determining queen number by selectively executing queens as a function of workers’ and queens’ Gp-9 genotypes. Other Solenopsis species exhibit the same social and genetic polymorphism. This study pioneers the integrated understanding of the evolution of social behaviour at molecular, individual and social levels.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Organisms and the Environment Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
Depositing User:	EPrints Services
Date Deposited:	01 Oct 2010 13:38
Last Modified:	28 Mar 2025 04:39
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/1293
DOI:	10.1016/S0168-9525(02)02655-0

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