The Transcription Factor Ultraspiracle Influences Honey Bee Social Behavior and Behavior-Related Gene Expression

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002596
• Publication Date: 2012-03-29T20:51:16Z
• Authors: Seth A. Ament; Ying Wang; Chieh-Chun Chen; Charles A. Blatti; Feng Hong; Zhengzheng S. Liang; Nicolas Negre; Kevin P. White; Sandra L. Rodrigu...; Craig A. Mizzen; Saurabh Sinha; Sheng Zhong; Gene E. Robinson
• Keywords: Gene regulatory network

Behavior is among the most dynamic animal phenotypes, modulated by a variety of internal and external stimuli. Behavioral differences are associated with large-scale changes in gene expression, but little known about how these regulated. Here we show transcription factor (TF), ultraspiracle (usp; insect homolog Retinoid X Receptor), working complex transcriptional networks, can regulate behavioral plasticity expression. We first that RNAi knockdown USP honey bee abdominal fat bodies delayed transition from hive (primarily "nursing" brood) to foraging outside. then demonstrate through transcriptomics experiments induced many maturation-related mediating responses juvenile hormone. These occurred without USP's genomic binding sites, as revealed ChIP–chip. Instead, behaviorally related expression likely determined combinatorial interactions between other TFs whose cis-regulatory motifs were enriched at sites. Many modules JH– genes co-regulated both body brain, predicting usp cofactors influence shared networks tissues. Our findings "single effects" on involve brain peripheral