Brain GABA levels in workers from two ant subfamilies: inter-specific differences and effects of queen presence/absence

• Autorzy: Wnuk A. , Kostowski W. , Korczynska J. , Szczuka A. , Symonowicz B. , Bienkowski P. , Mierzejewski P. , Godzinska E.J.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Gamma-butyric acid (GABA), a classical amino acid neurotransmitter, is implicated in the mediation of aggressive behaviour in both vertebrates and invertebrates including social insects. In social Hymenoptera queen absence usually has a suppressing effect on worker aggressiveness and may induce modifications of biogenic amine levels in worker brains. Effects of queen presence/ absence on worker brain levels of classical amino acid neurotransmitters were so far unexplored. To investigate that question and to elucidate the possible role of GABA in the mediation of ant aggressive behaviour we carried out HPLC measurements of GABA contents in individual brains of workers of two ant species, Formica polyctena (subfamily Formicinae) and Myrmica ruginodis (subfamily Myrmicinae) reared in queenright or queenless colony fragments. Immediately before killing the ants (only foragers) were tested in dyadic aggression tests consisting of an encounter with a nestmate, an alien conspecific, or a small larva of the house cricket (Acheta domesticus). In spite of significantly smaller brain weight of workers of M. ruginodis, worker brain GABA levels were significantly higher in M. ruginodis than in F. polyctena. Queen absence was associated with significantly increased brain GABA levels in F. polyctena, but not in M. ruginodis. Brain GABA levels of the tested ants did not depend on the type of the aggression test, and no significant interaction was discovered between the aggression test type and queen presence/ absence. We demonstrate for the first time that queen presence/ absence may influence not only biogenic amine levels, but also levels of classical amino acid neurotransmitters in ant worker brains. Our data also imply that not only brain levels of classical neurotransmitters, but also modifications of these levels induced by changes of social context (queen removal) may significantly differ between various ant phyla.

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis
• Rocznik: 2011
• Tom: 71
• Numer: S
• Opis fizyczny: p.44

Twórcy

autor

Wnuk A.

• Laboratory of Ethology, Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Warsaw, Poland

autor

Kostowski W.

• Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland

autor

Korczynska J.

• Laboratory of Ethology, Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Warsaw, Poland

autor

Szczuka A.

• Laboratory of Ethology, Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Warsaw, Poland

autor

Symonowicz B.

• Laboratory of Ethology, Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Warsaw, Poland

autor

Bienkowski P.

• Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland

autor

Mierzejewski P.

• Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland

autor

Godzinska E.J.

• Laboratory of Ethology, Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Warsaw, Poland

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