Transcriptomic signatures of mating and sham-mating in mature ant queens. Cardiocondyla obscurior

We searched for putative C. obscurior longevity candidates associated with the previously reported lifespan-prolonging effect of mating by comparing the transcriptomes of queens that differed in mating and reproductive status. We found 21 genes, including the putative aging candidate NLaz (an insect homolog of APOD), which were consistently higher expressed in short-lived, unmated queens than in long-lived, mated queens.