NDLI: Inbreeding and caste-specific variation in immune defence in the ant Formica exsecta

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Vitikainen, Emma Sundström, Liselotte
Copyright Year	2010
Abstract	Social insects are a widespread and ecologically dominant group. Reproductive division of labour among the females in the colonies is a key trait for their success, but at the same time, it creates dense aggregations of relatives which may promote the spread of disease in the colonies. Hence, the appropriate regulation of immune defence is crucial for the well-being of a colony. Inbreeding may disturb this process through reduced resistance or by impairing the colony’s ability to regulate the responses. We tested the effect of inbreeding and the within-colony differences in the encapsulation response between the two female castes of the ant Formica exsecta. New reproductive females (gynes) born in more inbred colonies, and being more inbred themselves, showed an elevated immune response whereas inbreeding had no effect on worker response. Furthermore, the immune response exhibited by gynes was lower than that of workers and was not dependent on their body size whereas the worker response increased with body size. The elevated response is likely to reflect genetic stress caused by inbreeding, which in turn may compromise colony founding and longevity. Indeed, eliciting a high immune response in itself might not be adaptive. Our results show that the regulation of the expression of immunity differs between female castes despite their similar genetic make-up.
Starting Page	899
Ending Page	907
Page Count	9
File Format	PDF
ISSN	03405443
Journal	Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Volume Number	65
Issue Number	5
e-ISSN	14320762
Language	English
Publisher	Springer-Verlag
Publisher Date	2010-11-05
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Inbreeding Social insects Caste Immune defence Encapsulation Zoology Behavioural Sciences Evolutionary Biology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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Data from: Natal dispersal, mating patterns, and inbreeding in the ant Formica exsecta (Dataset)

Seasonal nestmate recognition in the ant Formica exsecta

Resource supplements cause a change in colony sex-ratio specialization in the mound-building ant, Formica exsecta

Individual variation in immune function in the ant Formica exsecta; effects of the nest, body size and sex

Colony take-over and brood survival in temporary social parasites of the ant genus Formica

Reproductive specialization in multiple-queen colonies of the ant Formica exsecta

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Inbreeding and caste-specific variation in immune defence in the ant Formica exsecta

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Data from: Natal dispersal, mating patterns, and inbreeding in the ant Formica exsecta (Dataset)

Seasonal nestmate recognition in the ant Formica exsecta

Resource supplements cause a change in colony sex-ratio specialization in the mound-building ant, Formica exsecta

Individual variation in immune function in the ant Formica exsecta; effects of the nest, body size and sex

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Reproductive specialization in multiple-queen colonies of the ant Formica exsecta

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Inbreeding and caste-specific variation in immune defence in the ant Formica exsecta