TY - JOUR
T1 - Elevated expression of immune and DNA repair genes in mated queens and kings of the Reticulitermes chinensis termites
AU - Dong, Yanan
AU - Peng, Xin
AU - Hussain, Riaz
AU - Niu, Tong
AU - Zhang, He
AU - Wang, Huan
AU - Xing, Lian Xi
AU - Wang, Ruiwu
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023
PY - 2023/7
Y1 - 2023/7
N2 - Studies have identified that mating induces a series of physiological changes in animals. In this period, males tending to invest more energy, immune peptides, and other substances to reduce the cost of living for females. This results in lower survival rates in later life than females. Meanwhile, both males and females shorten lifespans due to reproduction. However, the reasons why termites' queens and kings are both extremely long-lived and highly fecund are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of mating on the expression of immune and DNA repair genes for lifespan extension in termite queens and kings. Here, we reported that mated queens show relatively higher expression of immune genes (phenoloxidase, denfensin, termicin, transferrin), antioxidant genes (CAT, SOD), detoxification genes (GST, CYP450) than virgin queens in the Reticulitermes chinensis. In addition, mated kings also highly expressed these genes, except for termicin, transferrin, GST, and CYP450. After mating, both queens and kings significantly upregulated the expression of DNA repair genes (MLH1, BRCA1, XRCC3, RAD54-like). Mismatch repair genes (MMR) MSH2, MSH4, MSH6 were considerably increased in mated queens, while MSH4, MSH5, MSH6 were upregulated in mated kings. Our results suggest that mating increases the expression of immune and DNA repair genes in the termite queens and kings, and thus possibly improving their survival during reproductive span due to the omnipresent pathogens.
AB - Studies have identified that mating induces a series of physiological changes in animals. In this period, males tending to invest more energy, immune peptides, and other substances to reduce the cost of living for females. This results in lower survival rates in later life than females. Meanwhile, both males and females shorten lifespans due to reproduction. However, the reasons why termites' queens and kings are both extremely long-lived and highly fecund are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of mating on the expression of immune and DNA repair genes for lifespan extension in termite queens and kings. Here, we reported that mated queens show relatively higher expression of immune genes (phenoloxidase, denfensin, termicin, transferrin), antioxidant genes (CAT, SOD), detoxification genes (GST, CYP450) than virgin queens in the Reticulitermes chinensis. In addition, mated kings also highly expressed these genes, except for termicin, transferrin, GST, and CYP450. After mating, both queens and kings significantly upregulated the expression of DNA repair genes (MLH1, BRCA1, XRCC3, RAD54-like). Mismatch repair genes (MMR) MSH2, MSH4, MSH6 were considerably increased in mated queens, while MSH4, MSH5, MSH6 were upregulated in mated kings. Our results suggest that mating increases the expression of immune and DNA repair genes in the termite queens and kings, and thus possibly improving their survival during reproductive span due to the omnipresent pathogens.
KW - DNA repair
KW - Immunity
KW - Lifespan extension
KW - Mating
KW - Social insect
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161298555&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112228
DO - 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112228
M3 - 文章
C2 - 37271408
AN - SCOPUS:85161298555
SN - 0531-5565
VL - 178
JO - Experimental Gerontology
JF - Experimental Gerontology
M1 - 112228
ER -