Data from: Hemimetabolous genomes reveal molecular basis of termite eusociality

Around 150 million years ago, eusocial termites evolved from within the cockroaches, 50 million years before eusocial Hymenoptera, such as bees and ants, appeared. Here, we report the 2-Gb genome of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, and the 1.3-Gb genome of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus. We show evolutionary signatures of termite eusociality by comparing the genomes and transcriptomes of three termites and the cockroach against the background of 16 other eusocial and non-eusocial insects. Dramatic adaptive changes in genes underlying the production and perception of pheromones confirm the importance of chemical communication in the termites. These are accompanied by major changes in gene regulation and the molecular evolution of caste determination. Many of these results parallel molecular mechanisms of eusocial evolution in Hymenoptera. However, the specific solutions are remarkably different, thus revealing a striking case of convergence in one of the major evolutionary transitions in biological complexity.约1.5亿年前，真社会性（eusocial）白蚁从蟑螂类群中演化而来，较蜜蜂、蚂蚁等真社会性膜翅目（Hymenoptera）昆虫的出现早5000万年。本研究报道了德国小蠊（Blattella germanica）2Gb的基因组（genome），以及干木白蚁（Cryptotermes secundus）1.3Gb的基因组。我们以另外16种真社会性与非真社会性昆虫为参照背景，对3种白蚁与该蟑螂的基因组和转录组（transcriptome）开展比较分析，由此揭示了白蚁真社会性演化的分子特征。信息素（pheromones）合成与感知相关基因所发生的显著适应性变化，证实了化学通讯在白蚁类群中的核心重要性。伴随这一过程的还有基因调控（gene regulation）与级型分化（caste determination）的分子演化层面的重大改变。上述诸多结果与膜翅目真社会性演化的分子机制高度相似，但具体的演化解决方案却存在显著差异，从而揭示了生物复杂性重大演化跃迁中一例极具代表性的趋同演化（convergence）案例。