NEUROanatomy, neurochemistry and genotype: genetic diversity and division of labour in leaf-cutting ANTs

Projektinformationen

NEUROANT

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 255463

Abgeschlossenes Projekt

Startdatum 10 Januar 2011

Enddatum 9 Januar 2013

Finanziert unter

• Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Gesamtkosten € 240 289,60

EU-Beitrag € 240 289,60

Koordiniert durch

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
United Kingdom

Ziel

The discovery and characterizations of neuromechanisms that mediate the genotypic changes in behaviour is a premier paradigm in biology today. The difficulty in finding defined answers rests in the multiplication of confounding factors (environment, individual behavioural flexibility, genotypic variation and polygenetic traits) and the limited sample size for comparison. This project will use social insect colonies to overcome these issues to answer this question. The project will use the leaf-cutting ant, Acromrymex echinatior, as the model species because this ant has recently been shown to exhibit genetic influences on caste specialization, has colonies headed by single queens mated to multiple males, thus producing genetically diverse offspring, and has colony sizes that will produce numerous individuals from each paternal line. Therefore, ants from a single colony share a common environment, the same maternal genotype on average but can differ in their paternal genotype, and are behaviourally specialized. We will use molecular techniques to characterize the genotypic variations among behaviourally specialized ants of different patrilines from single colonies. We will combine this with testing whether there are neuroanatomical and neurochemical differences between these ants to establish the neuromechanisms underpinning genetic variation in division of labour. Ant brains will be assayed utilizing serial sectioning at the light and electron microscopy levels for brain morphology and immunocytochemistry, visualized with laser confocal microscopy and HPLC for direct measurement for biogenic amine analysis. This study will provide answers to the neuromechanisms governing genotypically derived behaviours.

Wissenschaftliches Gebiet

• natural sciences › physical sciences › optics › microscopy › electron microscopy
• natural sciences › biological sciences › zoology › entomology
• natural sciences › physical sciences › optics › microscopy › confocal microscopy
• natural sciences › chemical sciences › organic chemistry › amines
• natural sciences › physical sciences › optics › laser physics

Programm/Programme

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Thema/Themen

• FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IIF - Marie Curie Action: "International Incoming Fellowships"

Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung

FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IIF
Andere Projekte für diesen Aufruf anzeigen

Finanzierungsplan

MC-IIF - International Incoming Fellowships (IIF)

Koordinator

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

Kontakt Verwaltung

William Hughes (Dr.)

• EU-Beitrag: € 240 289,60
• Adresse: WOODHOUSE LANE ; LS2 9JT Leeds ; Vereinigtes Königreich
• Region: Yorkshire and the Humber › West Yorkshire › Leeds
• Aktivitätstyp: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Gesamtkosten: Keine Daten