Analyses on the fungus-farming termite, Macrotermes natalensis

Kings and queens of eusocial termites can live for decades, while queens
sustain a nearly maximal fertility. To investigate the molecular
mechanisms underlying their long lifespan, we carried out transcriptomics,
lipidomics and metabolomics in Macrotermes natalensis on sterile
short-lived workers, long-lived kings and five stages spanning twenty
years of adult queen maturation. Reproductives share gene expression
differences from workers in agreement with a reduction of several
aging-related processes, involving upregulation of DNA damage repair and
mitochondrial functions. Anti-oxidant gene expression is downregulated,
while peroxidability of membranes in queens decreases. Against
expectations, we observed an upregulated gene expression in fat bodies of
reproductives of several components of the IIS pathway, including an
insulin-like peptide, Ilp9. This pattern does not lead to deleterious fat
storage in physogastric queens, while simple sugars dominate in their
hemolymph and large amounts of resources are allocated towards oogenesis.
Our findings support the notion that all processes causing aging need to
be addressed simultaneously in order to prevent it.