Project Details
Projekt
Genomic Mechanisms of Olfactory Adaptation and Plasticity in Wasps, Ants, and Bees
Applicants
Dr. Jan Büllesbach; Dr. Barbara Feldmeyer; Privatdozent Dr. Florian Menzel; Volker Nehring, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Oliver Niehuis; Professor Dr. Thomas Schmitt
Subject Area
General Genetics and Functional Genome Biology
Term
since 2022
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 503307636
Understanding the evolution of complex communication systems requires integrating insights into both signal production and perception. In insects, cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are central to chemical communication, yet the genomic mechanisms underlying the perception of specific CHC blends remain poorly understood. A key limitation is the lack of knowledge about which odorant receptors (ORs) detect particular CHCs—especially given the large-scale expansion of the OR gene family in Hymenoptera (wasps, ants and bees), which often comprises hundreds of genes per species. Previous studies have shown that OR gene expression levels change in response to ligand binding, suggesting that expression patterns can serve as proxies for identifying ORs involved in detecting specific CHC mixtures. Building on this insight, we will analyse OR gene expression in the antennae of Hymenopteran individuals exposed to different CHC blends to identify responsive receptor sets, investigate their regulation, and compare their evolutionary dynamics across species adapted to distinct CHC profiles. This approach will allow us to address fundamental questions about the genomic basis of olfactory perception. We will assess whether OR genes associated with particular CHC compound classes are more closely related and genomically clustered than expected by chance, and whether CHC diversity corresponds to diversity of CHC-detecting OR repertoires. Furthermore, we will explore whether short-term modulation of CHC perception—mediated through changes in OR gene expression—is regulated epigenetically via DNA methylation and/or histone modification within OR gene clusters, and whether such regulatory mechanisms are evolutionary conserved. This project builds on the foundation laid during the first phase of the SPP, in which we investigated the genomic and epigenetic drivers of CHC diversity across 13 pairs of closely related but chemically divergent Hymenoptera species. From this phase, we have both a quantitative and qualitative characterization of the CHC profiles as well as high-quality genomes for 26 species — 13 of which were de novo sequenced and assembled by us. These comprehensive datasets and methodological resources uniquely position us to extend our research in the second phase of the SPP by shifting our focus to CHC chemoreception. Our study promises to yield critical insights into the genomic architecture of chemical communication.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
