Meeting Abstract
Social insects rely heavily on their ability to decode specific olfactory cues, particularly cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). CHCs are critical for the maintenance of complex caste systems and dictating social behaviors such as nestmate recognition, coordinated foraging, and queen-only reproduction; all major factors in the success of the colony. For primitive eusocial organisms, such as our model ant Harpegnathos saltator, there are complex behaviors such as flexibility within the caste, that therefore require diverse detectors to discriminate a multitude of different signals. To better assess the effects of molecular evolution on olfactory sensitivity, due to the constant evolutionary pressure these CHC receptors are under, we will investigate the 9-exon subfamily of odorant receptors that has undergone a rapid expansion in ants and other social insects. By expressing target olfactory receptor genes of Harpegnathos saltator in Drosophila melanogaster, we will be able to characterize pheromonal sensitivity of three specific subgroups of 9-exon olfactory receptors, previously recognized as CHC detectors, using a panel of diverse CHCs. These findings will contribute to a greater understanding of olfactory receptor functional evolution in this communication system, and provide insight for further studies regarding structural differences in where CHC recognition is taking place in these olfactory receptors of eusocial insects.
