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 cosegregate 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 2 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 restriction site-associated DNA 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.内分泌信号传导的变异被认为是社会生活史演化与调控的核心基础，但目前学界对内分泌信号传导的遗传结构仍知之甚少。在西方蜜蜂（Apis mellifera）中，存在一类极具代表性的受激素调控的社会性状：保幼激素（juvenile hormone, JH）与卵黄前体蛋白卵黄原蛋白（vitellogenin, Vg）之间存在动态且相互抑制的调控关系，该关系可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，构成了目前研究最为深入的动物行为综合征之一——花粉贮积综合征（pollen hoarding syndrome, PHS）。工蜂体内保幼激素对卵黄原蛋白的响应性存在基因型差异，这一现象是花粉贮积综合征潜在的机制基础。本研究借助RNA干扰（RNA interference）技术，在两个经选育且对保幼激素响应卵黄原蛋白缺失存在显著差异的西方蜜蜂品系的回交后代中，下调了卵黄原蛋白的表达水平，并对保幼激素响应性与卵巢大小（花粉贮积综合征的另一关键表型）进行了量化检测。基于限制性酶切位点相关DNA标签测序（restriction site-associated DNA tag sequencing）的遗传定位分析，鉴定出了与卵巢大小及保幼激素响应性相关的潜在数量性状位点（quantitative trait loci, QTL）。我们在既往研究中针对花粉贮积综合征各类性状所鉴定到的多个数量性状位点附近区域，验证了其对这两类性状的遗传调控效应。综上，本研究结果从遗传层面证实了内分泌调控复杂性状的作用。此外，这是首个针对社会性昆虫中基因敲降后的激素响应所构建的遗传图谱，其有助于深化学界对复杂行为及一般性行为调控背后生理机制的遗传学认知。