IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v14y2023i1d10.1038_s41467-023-40983-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies

Author

Listed:
  • Zimai Li

    (Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
    ETH Zürich)

  • Bhoomika Bhat

    (Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology)

  • Erik T. Frank

    (Biocentre, University of Würzburg)

  • Thalita Oliveira-Honorato

    (University of Lausanne)

  • Fumika Azuma

    (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University)

  • Valérie Bachmann

    (ETH Zürich)

  • Darren J. Parker

    (Bangor University)

  • Thomas Schmitt

    (Biocentre, University of Würzburg)

  • Evan P. Economo

    (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University)

  • Yuko Ulrich

    (Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
    ETH Zürich
    University of Lausanne)

Abstract

In social groups, infection risk is not distributed evenly across individuals. Individual behaviour is a key source of variation in infection risk, yet its effects are difficult to separate from other factors (e.g., age). Here, we combine epidemiological experiments with chemical, transcriptomic, and automated behavioural analyses in clonal ant colonies, where behavioural individuality emerges among identical workers. We find that: (1) Caenorhabditis-related nematodes parasitise ant heads and affect their survival and physiology, (2) differences in infection emerge from behavioural variation alone, and reflect spatially-organised division of labour, (3) infections affect colony social organisation by causing infected workers to stay in the nest. By disproportionately infecting some workers and shifting their spatial distribution, infections reduce division of labour and increase spatial overlap between hosts, which should facilitate parasite transmission. Thus, division of labour, a defining feature of societies, not only shapes infection risk and distribution but is also modulated by parasites.

Suggested Citation

  • Zimai Li & Bhoomika Bhat & Erik T. Frank & Thalita Oliveira-Honorato & Fumika Azuma & Valérie Bachmann & Darren J. Parker & Thomas Schmitt & Evan P. Economo & Yuko Ulrich, 2023. "Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-40983-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40983-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40983-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-40983-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Toph Allen & Kris A. Murray & Carlos Zambrana-Torrelio & Stephen S. Morse & Carlo Rondinini & Moreno Di Marco & Nathan Breit & Kevin J. Olival & Peter Daszak, 2017. "Global hotspots and correlates of emerging zoonotic diseases," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Fran Supek & Matko Bošnjak & Nives Škunca & Tomislav Šmuc, 2011. "REVIGO Summarizes and Visualizes Long Lists of Gene Ontology Terms," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-9, July.
    3. Mark L. Blaxter & Paul De Ley & James R. Garey & Leo X. Liu & Patsy Scheldeman & Andy Vierstraete & Jacques R. Vanfleteren & Laura Y. Mackey & Mark Dorris & Linda M. Frisse & J. T. Vida & W. Kelley Th, 1998. "A molecular evolutionary framework for the phylum Nematoda," Nature, Nature, vol. 392(6671), pages 71-75, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alexander Platzer & Thomas Nussbaumer & Thomas Karonitsch & Josef S Smolen & Daniel Aletaha, 2019. "Analysis of gene expression in rheumatoid arthritis and related conditions offers insights into sex-bias, gene biotypes and co-expression patterns," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(7), pages 1-23, July.
    2. Salinas Fernández, José Antonio & Guaita Martínez, José Manuel & Martín Martín, José María, 2022. "An analysis of the competitiveness of the tourism industry in a context of economic recovery following the COVID19 pandemic," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    3. Lin Zhang & Jason Rohr & Ruina Cui & Yusi Xin & Lixia Han & Xiaona Yang & Shimin Gu & Yuanbao Du & Jing Liang & Xuyu Wang & Zhengjun Wu & Qin Hao & Xuan Liu, 2022. "Biological invasions facilitate zoonotic disease emergences," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Rachel A. Steward & Maaike A. de Jong & Vicencio Oostra & Christopher W. Wheat, 2022. "Alternative splicing in seasonal plasticity and the potential for adaptation to environmental change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    5. Matthew Gandy, 2023. "Zoonotic urbanisation: multispecies urbanism and the rescaling of urban epidemiology," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(13), pages 2529-2549, October.
    6. Yuki Furuta & Haruka Yamamoto & Takeshi Hirakawa & Akira Uemura & Margaret Anne Pelayo & Hideaki Iimura & Naoya Katagiri & Noriko Takeda-Kamiya & Kie Kumaishi & Makoto Shirakawa & Sumie Ishiguro & Yas, 2024. "Petal abscission is promoted by jasmonic acid-induced autophagy at Arabidopsis petal bases," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-24, December.
    7. Jeffrey Hadachek & Meilin Ma & Richard J. Sexton, 2024. "Market structure and resilience of food supply chains under extreme events," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(1), pages 21-44, January.
    8. Kristina M. Garske & Asha Kar & Caroline Comenho & Brunilda Balliu & David Z. Pan & Yash V. Bhagat & Gregory Rosenberg & Amogha Koka & Sankha Subhra Das & Zong Miao & Janet S. Sinsheimer & Jaakko Kapr, 2023. "Increased body mass index is linked to systemic inflammation through altered chromatin co-accessibility in human preadipocytes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    9. Mathew Pette & Andrew Dimond & António M. Galvão & Steven J. Millership & Wilson To & Chiara Prodani & Gráinne McNamara & Ludovica Bruno & Alessandro Sardini & Zoe Webster & James McGinty & Paul M. W., 2022. "Epigenetic changes induced by in utero dietary challenge result in phenotypic variability in successive generations of mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Linsan Liu & Sarah B. Jose & Chiara Campoli & Micha M. Bayer & Miguel A. Sánchez-Diaz & Trisha McAllister & Yichun Zhou & Mhmoud Eskan & Linda Milne & Miriam Schreiber & Thomas Batstone & Ian D. Bull , 2022. "Conserved signalling components coordinate epidermal patterning and cuticle deposition in barley," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, December.
    11. Sara Della Torre & Valeria Benedusi & Giovanna Pepe & Clara Meda & Nicoletta Rizzi & Nina Henriette Uhlenhaut & Adriana Maggi, 2021. "Dietary essential amino acids restore liver metabolism in ovariectomized mice via hepatic estrogen receptor α," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    12. Yuki Matsushita & Jialin Liu & Angel Ka Yan Chu & Chiaki Tsutsumi-Arai & Mizuki Nagata & Yuki Arai & Wanida Ono & Kouhei Yamamoto & Thomas L. Saunders & Joshua D. Welch & Noriaki Ono, 2023. "Bone marrow endosteal stem cells dictate active osteogenesis and aggressive tumorigenesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-23, December.
    13. Elio L Herzog & Melania Wäfler & Irene Keller & Sebastian Wolf & Martin S Zinkernagel & Denise C Zysset-Burri, 2021. "The importance of age in compositional and functional profiling of the human intestinal microbiome," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(10), pages 1-13, October.
    14. Debashis Nath & Keerthi Sasikumar & Reshmita Nath & Wen Chen, 2021. "Factors Affecting COVID-19 Outbreaks across the Globe: Role of Extreme Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-15, March.
    15. Caterina Lucarelli & Camilla Mazzoli & Sabrina Severini, 2020. "Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior to Examine Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Moderating Effect of COVID-19 Beliefs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-17, December.
    16. David R. Ghasemi & Konstantin Okonechnikov & Anne Rademacher & Stephan Tirier & Kendra K. Maass & Hanna Schumacher & Piyush Joshi & Maxwell P. Gold & Julia Sundheimer & Britta Statz & Ahmet S. Rifaiog, 2024. "Compartments in medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity are connected through differentiation along the granular precursor lineage," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    17. Reaser, Jamie & Tabor, Gary M. & Becker, Daniel & Muruthi, Philip & Witt, Arne & Woodley, Stephen J. & Ruiz-Aravena, Manuel & Patz, Jonathan Alan MD, MPH & Hickey, Valerie & Hudson, Peter, 2020. "Land use-induced spillover: priority actions for protected and conserved area managers," EcoEvoRxiv bmfhw, Center for Open Science.
    18. Camille Bellet & Lindsay Hamilton & Jonathan Rushton, 2021. "Re-thinking public health: Towards a new scientific logic of routine animal health care in European industrial farming," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, December.
    19. Aarón Ayllón-Benítez & Fleur Mougin & Julien Allali & Rodolphe Thiébaut & Patricia Thébault, 2018. "A new method for evaluating the impacts of semantic similarity measures on the annotation of gene sets," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, November.
    20. Aurélien Perrier & Nadège Guiglielmoni & Delphine Naquin & Kevin Gorrichon & Claude Thermes & Sonia Lameiras & Alexander Dammermann & Philipp H. Schiffer & Maia Brunstein & Julie C. Canman & Julien Du, 2024. "Maternal inheritance of functional centrioles in two parthenogenetic nematodes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-40983-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.