Effect of genomic imprinting on caste determination of social insects

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20380
• Project/Area Number (Other): 18H05372 (2018-2019)
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Pioneering)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund (2020); Single-year Grants (2018-2019)
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 45:Biology at organismal to population levels and anthropology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Matsuura Kenji 京都大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (40379821)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: シロアリ / エピジェネティックインヘリタンス / ゲノムインプリンティング / 社会性昆虫 / カースト

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have demonstrated for the first time that epigenetic inheritance influences caste determination in termites, and we identified candidate genes involved in this process through comprehensive methylation analysis of sperm and correlation analysis with caste differentiation. Additionally, we elucidated the mechanism of social parasitism through the theft of parthenogenetic eggs and clarified the geographical diversity in reproductive systems. These findings provide new insights into the social structure of termites and the origins of eusociality.

Free Research Field

昆虫生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

世代を超えるエピジェネティックインヘリタンスによる子のカースト決定機構を明らかにしたことは、配偶子のエピジェネティック修飾が小世代の発生に影響することを明らかにしたものであり、社会性昆虫のみならず、広く生物学におけるパラダイムシフトをもたらす重要な発見である。