Data from: Genetic architecture of a hormonal response to gene knockdown in honey bees

Variation in endocrine signaling is proposed to underlie the evolution and regulation of social life histories, but the genetic architecture of endocrine signaling is still poorly understood. An excellent example of a hormonally influenced set of social traits is found in the honey bee (Apis mellifera): A dynamic and mutually suppressive relationship between juvenile hormone (JH) and the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin (Vg) regulates behavioral maturation and foraging of workers. Several other traits co-segregate with these behavioral phenotypes, comprising the pollen hoarding syndrome (PHS) one of the best-described animal behavioral syndromes. Genotype differences in responsiveness of JH to Vg are a potential mechanistic basis for the PHS,. Here, we reduced Vg expression via RNA-interference in progeny from a backcross between two selected lines of honey bees that differ in JH responsiveness to Vg reduction and measured JH response and ovary size, which represents another key aspect of the PHS. Genetic mapping based on RAD-tag sequencing identified suggestive quantitative trait loci (QTL) for ovary size and JH responsiveness. We confirmed genetic effects on both traits near many QTL that had been identified previously for their effect on various PHS traits. Thus, our results support a role for endocrine control of complex traits at a genetic level. Furthermore, this first example of a genetic map of a hormonal response to gene knockdown in a social insect helps to refine the genetic understanding of complex behaviors and the physiology that may underlie behavioral control in general.内分泌信号传导（endocrine signaling）的变异被认为是社会生活史演化与调控的潜在基础，但目前学界对内分泌信号传导的遗传结构仍知之甚少。蜜蜂（Apis mellifera）中存在一类受激素调控的社会性状的绝佳范例：保幼激素（juvenile hormone, JH）与卵黄原蛋白（yolk precursor protein vitellogenin, Vg）之间存在动态且相互抑制的调控关系，该关系调控工蜂的行为成熟与觅食行为。另有多项性状与这些行为表型共分离，构成了储粉综合征（pollen hoarding syndrome, PHS）——这是目前描述最为详尽的动物行为综合征之一。工蜂体内JH对Vg的响应性存在基因型差异，这可能是储粉综合征的潜在机制基础。本研究通过RNA干扰（RNA-interference）下调了两个蜜蜂选育系回交后代的Vg表达量，这两个选育系对Vg下调的JH响应性存在差异；随后我们检测了JH响应性与卵巢大小——后者是储粉综合征的另一关键特征。基于RAD-tag测序的遗传定位分析，我们鉴定出了与卵巢大小及JH响应性相关的提示性数量性状位点（quantitative trait loci, QTL）。我们在此前针对各类储粉综合征性状鉴定得到的多个QTL附近区域，验证了这两类性状所受的遗传效应。综上，本研究结果从遗传层面支持了内分泌调控复杂性状的观点。此外，本研究首次构建了社会性昆虫中基因敲降后的激素响应遗传图谱，这一成果有助于深化学界对复杂行为及普遍存在的行为调控生理学的遗传学认知。