红火蚁的社会型及其相关基因Gp-9的研究综述

Progresses in the social organization and related gene Gp-9 in red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta

红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren的蚁巢具有2种基本的社会组织形态:单后型和多后型。蚁巢中蚁后的数量是由工蚁和蚁后的基因型共同决定的。红火蚁的Gp-9基因编码一种气味结合蛋白并控制这种社会多态性的表达。Gp-9基因的发现首次证明单个基因在昆虫复杂的社会行为中起关键的作用。从红火蚁的社会型特征、Gp-9基因与不同社会型的关系以及Gp-9基因的相关研究对该领域的研究进展进行综述。

Red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren exists in two distinct social forms： monogyne and polygyne. The number of queens per colony is determined by workers＇ and queens＇ genotypes. A gene known as Gp-9 has been found to encode an odorant binding protein and to underlie the expression of this polymorphism. The discovery of Gp- 9 is the first time to identify a single gene of major effect on complex social behavior. The present paper described the current status on the characterization of two social forms, the relationships between the social forms and Gp-9 gene, and the function of Gp-9 gene.