TY - JOUR
T1 - Metabolomics analysis of larval secretions reveals a caste-driven nutritional shift in a social wasp colony
AU - Bodner, Levona
AU - Jasinska, Weronika
AU - Bouchebti, Sofia
AU - Scharf, Inon
AU - Brotman, Yariv
AU - Levin, Eran
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2024/6
Y1 - 2024/6
N2 - Social wasps exhibit a unique nutritional cycle in which adults feed larvae with prey, and larvae provide adults with larval secretions (LS). LS serves as a vital nutritional source for adults, contributing to the colony's health and reproductive success. The LS nutrient composition has been previously reported in various wasp species, yet these analyses focused solely on worker-destined larvae, overlooking the potential caste designation effects on LS composition. Using metabolomics techniques, we analysed and compared the metabolite and nutrient composition in LS of queen- and worker-destined larvae of the Oriental hornet. We found that queen-destined LS (QLS) contain greater amounts of most metabolites, including amino acids, and smaller amounts of sugars compared to worker-destined LS (WLS). The amino acid-to-sugar ratio in QLS was approximately tenfold higher than in WLS. Thus, as the colony transitions from the production of workers to the production of reproductives, it gradually experiences a nutritional shift that may influence the behaviour and physiology of the adult nest population. This caste-specific metabolite profile and nutrient composition of LS reflect the differences in the diet and physiological requirements of worker- and queen-destined larvae and may play a critical role in caste determination in social wasps.
AB - Social wasps exhibit a unique nutritional cycle in which adults feed larvae with prey, and larvae provide adults with larval secretions (LS). LS serves as a vital nutritional source for adults, contributing to the colony's health and reproductive success. The LS nutrient composition has been previously reported in various wasp species, yet these analyses focused solely on worker-destined larvae, overlooking the potential caste designation effects on LS composition. Using metabolomics techniques, we analysed and compared the metabolite and nutrient composition in LS of queen- and worker-destined larvae of the Oriental hornet. We found that queen-destined LS (QLS) contain greater amounts of most metabolites, including amino acids, and smaller amounts of sugars compared to worker-destined LS (WLS). The amino acid-to-sugar ratio in QLS was approximately tenfold higher than in WLS. Thus, as the colony transitions from the production of workers to the production of reproductives, it gradually experiences a nutritional shift that may influence the behaviour and physiology of the adult nest population. This caste-specific metabolite profile and nutrient composition of LS reflect the differences in the diet and physiological requirements of worker- and queen-destined larvae and may play a critical role in caste determination in social wasps.
KW - Amino acids
KW - Carbohydrates
KW - Caste determination
KW - Colony nutrition
KW - Metabolite profile
KW - Nutrient composition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85191941238&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104128
DO - 10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104128
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C2 - 38657707
AN - SCOPUS:85191941238
SN - 0965-1748
VL - 169
JO - Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
JF - Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
M1 - 104128
ER -