Caste- and environment-associated differential expression of olfactory receptors in pest ants
Abstract As human society continues to grow and evolve, so does the need for effective pest management strategies. Olfactory-mediated control methods, such as attractant and repellent compounds, are a proposed strategy for mitigating the damaging effects of some insect pests, most notably ants, that...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16442-2 |
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| author | Kayli R. Sieber Maya Saar Nicholas Newell Katrina Fernandez Flávia P. Franco Fernando R. Sujimoto Charlotte B. Francoeur Roberto M. Pereira Cameron R. Currie José Mauricio Simões Bento Hua Yan |
| author_facet | Kayli R. Sieber Maya Saar Nicholas Newell Katrina Fernandez Flávia P. Franco Fernando R. Sujimoto Charlotte B. Francoeur Roberto M. Pereira Cameron R. Currie José Mauricio Simões Bento Hua Yan |
| author_sort | Kayli R. Sieber |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract As human society continues to grow and evolve, so does the need for effective pest management strategies. Olfactory-mediated control methods, such as attractant and repellent compounds, are a proposed strategy for mitigating the damaging effects of some insect pests, most notably ants, that rely on olfaction for communication. To develop such compounds, it is first important to comprehensively understand the target species’ olfactory transcriptome in order to guide future targeted functional characterization of relevant olfactory proteins. Here, we perform bulk RNA-seq analysis of antennae from three notable pest ant species, Camponotus floridanus, Atta sexdens, and Atta cephalotes. Specifically, we highlight the expression profiles of olfactory receptor genes, as they may serve as potential targets of future industry research and application. We find that the ant antennal transcriptome differs between each species’ castes, potentially reflecting varying behaviors and tasks, and also appears to be influenced by the surrounding environment. Our findings suggest a general up-regulation of olfactory receptor genes amongst foraging castes, also demonstrating that, when comparing foraging ants from differing environments, olfactory-related genes exhibit considerable patterns of differential expression. These findings suggest variable olfactory sensitivity depending on the aforementioned factors, warranting further investigation into whether differing caste and environmental conditions may negatively influence the effectiveness of broad-range olfactory-mediated pest management strategies. Development of pest management tools that target specific groups of insects by environment or caste may lead to more effective control. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e6fa301eca6541caa1d9c0cea4e27892 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-e6fa301eca6541caa1d9c0cea4e278922025-08-24T11:31:10ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-16442-2Caste- and environment-associated differential expression of olfactory receptors in pest antsKayli R. Sieber0Maya Saar1Nicholas Newell2Katrina Fernandez3Flávia P. Franco4Fernando R. Sujimoto5Charlotte B. Francoeur6Roberto M. Pereira7Cameron R. Currie8José Mauricio Simões Bento9Hua Yan10Department of Biology, University of FloridaDepartment of Biology, University of FloridaDepartment of Biology, University of FloridaDepartment of Biology, University of FloridaDepartment of Entomology and Acarology, University of São Paulo, ESALQDepartment of Entomology and Acarology, University of São Paulo, ESALQDepartment of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-MadisonDepartment of Entomology and Nematology, University of FloridaDepartment of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Entomology and Acarology, University of São Paulo, ESALQDepartment of Biology, University of FloridaAbstract As human society continues to grow and evolve, so does the need for effective pest management strategies. Olfactory-mediated control methods, such as attractant and repellent compounds, are a proposed strategy for mitigating the damaging effects of some insect pests, most notably ants, that rely on olfaction for communication. To develop such compounds, it is first important to comprehensively understand the target species’ olfactory transcriptome in order to guide future targeted functional characterization of relevant olfactory proteins. Here, we perform bulk RNA-seq analysis of antennae from three notable pest ant species, Camponotus floridanus, Atta sexdens, and Atta cephalotes. Specifically, we highlight the expression profiles of olfactory receptor genes, as they may serve as potential targets of future industry research and application. We find that the ant antennal transcriptome differs between each species’ castes, potentially reflecting varying behaviors and tasks, and also appears to be influenced by the surrounding environment. Our findings suggest a general up-regulation of olfactory receptor genes amongst foraging castes, also demonstrating that, when comparing foraging ants from differing environments, olfactory-related genes exhibit considerable patterns of differential expression. These findings suggest variable olfactory sensitivity depending on the aforementioned factors, warranting further investigation into whether differing caste and environmental conditions may negatively influence the effectiveness of broad-range olfactory-mediated pest management strategies. Development of pest management tools that target specific groups of insects by environment or caste may lead to more effective control.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16442-2Olfactory receptorAntennaTranscriptomeAnt casteEnvironmental plasticityPest management |
| spellingShingle | Kayli R. Sieber Maya Saar Nicholas Newell Katrina Fernandez Flávia P. Franco Fernando R. Sujimoto Charlotte B. Francoeur Roberto M. Pereira Cameron R. Currie José Mauricio Simões Bento Hua Yan Caste- and environment-associated differential expression of olfactory receptors in pest ants Scientific Reports Olfactory receptor Antenna Transcriptome Ant caste Environmental plasticity Pest management |
| title | Caste- and environment-associated differential expression of olfactory receptors in pest ants |
| title_full | Caste- and environment-associated differential expression of olfactory receptors in pest ants |
| title_fullStr | Caste- and environment-associated differential expression of olfactory receptors in pest ants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Caste- and environment-associated differential expression of olfactory receptors in pest ants |
| title_short | Caste- and environment-associated differential expression of olfactory receptors in pest ants |
| title_sort | caste and environment associated differential expression of olfactory receptors in pest ants |
| topic | Olfactory receptor Antenna Transcriptome Ant caste Environmental plasticity Pest management |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16442-2 |
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