RNAdata_Common and Specific Genes

The emergence of eusociality is one of the major events in evolution. Although several previous studies have investigated the mechanism underlying caste differentiation and social behavior of eusocial insects including ants and honeybees, the molecular circuits governing the sociality of these insects remain obscure. In this study, we profiled the brain transcriptome and chromatin accessibility of all categories of adult castes: queens, males, gynes and workers in Monomorium pharaonis which is a typical caste-dependent eusocial insect. We created a comprehensive dataset including 16 RNA-seq and 16 ATAC-seq profiles from 4 biological replicates. We also demonstrated strong reproducibility of the datasets and identified specific genes and open chromatin regions in the genome that may be associated with caste differentiation. Overall, our data will be a valuable resource for further study of the mechanisms underlying eusocial insect behavior, particularly the role of brain in the control of eusociality.

真社会性（eusociality）的出现是演化历程中的重大事件之一。尽管此前已有多项研究探讨了蚂蚁、蜜蜂等真社会性昆虫的品级分化与社会行为背后的调控机制，但这类昆虫社会性的分子调控环路仍未明晰。本研究以典型的品级依赖型真社会性昆虫法老蚁（Monomorium pharaonis）为对象，对其所有成虫品级——蚁后、雄蚁、处女蚁后与工蚁的大脑转录组及染色质可及性进行了系统性谱分析。本研究构建了一套综合性数据集，包含来自4次生物学重复的16份RNA测序（RNA-seq）与16份ATAC测序（ATAC-seq）数据。研究证实了该数据集具备优异的可重复性，并筛选出了可能与品级分化相关的特异性基因及基因组开放染色质区域。综上，本数据集将为后续探究真社会性昆虫行为的调控机制，尤其是大脑在真社会性调控中的作用，提供极具价值的研究资源。