Disentangling the aging network of a termite queen

We studied aging in queens of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus for queens of known age that covered their whole lifespan. Time course and co-expression network analyses of gene expression patterns over time indicated a non-gradual aging pattern, characterized by networks of genes that became differentially expressed only late in life, namely after an age of 10 years, which associates well with the median maximum lifespan for queens. These old-age gene networks reflect processes of physiological upheaval. We detected strong signs of stress, decline, defence and repair at the transcriptional level of epigenetic control as well as at the post-transcriptional level with changes in transposable element activity and the proteostasis network.