RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The genetic mechanism of selfishness and altruism in parent-offspring coadaptation
JF Science Advances
JO Sci Adv
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP eaaw0070
DO 10.1126/sciadv.aaw0070
VO 6
IS 1
A1 Wu, Min
A1 Walser, Jean-Claude
A1 Sun, Lei
A1 Kölliker, Mathias
YR 2020
UL http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/1/eaaw0070.abstract
AB The social bond between parents and offspring is characterized by coadaptation and balance between altruistic and selfish tendencies. However, its underlying genetic mechanism remains poorly understood. Using transcriptomic screens in the subsocial European earwig, Forficula auricularia, we found the expression of more than 1600 genes associated with experimentally manipulated parenting. We identified two genes, Th and PebIII, each showing evidence of differential coexpression between treatments in mothers and their offspring. In vivo RNAi experiments confirmed direct and indirect genetic effects of Th and PebIII on behavior and fitness, including maternal food provisioning and reproduction, and offspring development and survival. The direction of the effects consistently indicated a reciprocally altruistic function for Th and a reciprocally selfish function for PebIII. Further metabolic pathway analyses suggested roles for Th-restricted endogenous dopaminergic reward, PebIII-mediated chemical communication and a link to insulin signaling, juvenile hormone, and vitellogenin in parent-offspring coadaptation and social evolution.