Data from: Experimental increase in fecundity causes upregulation of fecundity and body maintenance genes in the fat body of ant queens

In most organisms, fecundity and longevity are negatively associated and
the molecular regulation of these two life history traits is highly
interconnected. In addition, nutrient intake often has opposing effects on
lifespan and reproduction. In contrast to solitary insects, the main
reproductive individual of social hymenopterans, the queen, is also the
most long-lived. During development, queen larvae are well-nourished, but
we are only beginning to understand the impact of nutrition on the queens’
adult life and the molecular regulation and connectivity of fecundity and
longevity. Here, we used two experimental manipulations to alter
queen fecundity in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus and investigated
associated changes in fat body gene expression. Egg removal triggered
a fecundity increase, leading to expression changes in genes with
functions in fecundity such as oogenesis and body maintenance. Dietary
restriction lowered the egg production of queens and altered the
expression of genes linked to autophagy, Toll signalling, cellular
homeostasis, and immunity. Our study reveals that
an experimental increase in fecundity causes the co-activation of
reproduction and body maintenance mechanisms, shedding light on the
molecular regulation of the link between longevity and fecundity in social
insects.