Identification of genes involved in social isolation response in carpenter ant, Camponotus fellah

Social isolation cause short mortality in social insects including ants, bees, and termites. With using carpenter ant, Camponotus fellah, we previously found that social isolation results in shorter lifespan, detrimental behaviors and insufficient digestion. To identify differentially expressed genes in isolated ants compared with ants kept in groups, we performed RNAseq with combining tag-based behavioral analysis. Because the negative effect of social isolation on health and longevity is widely observed from insects to mammals, our study will facilitate to investigate the conservved mechanisms to regulate behavior, physiology, or lifespan in social isolation.