SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
Our research examines the genes, gene networks and physiological processes underpinning social behavior in honey bees and other social insects. We have examined the molecular mechanisms underlying the production of and response to pheromones, demonstrating that there was considerable variation in these processes. Moreover, this variation followed the predictions of inclusive fitness theory, serving to support either direct indirect fitness outcomes. In our current studies, we are evaluating the proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying intragenomic conflict in honey bees, and the role that intragenomic conflict plays in shaping individual variation in behavior. We found strong support for the kin selection theory of intragenomic conflict in honey bees, where patrigenes are hypothesized to support “selfish” behaviors, such as worker reproduction, while matrigenes are hypothesized to support “altruistic” behaviors, such as tending the queen. We are exploring the role of intragenomic conflict in other behaviors, investigating the epigenetic mechanisms underlying parent-specific gene expression, and evaluating how small changes in allelic expression can result in large changes in phenotypes.
Relevant publications
Galbraith, D.A., Ma, R. and C.M. Grozinger. “Tissue specific transcription patterns support the kinship theory of intragenomic conflict in honey bees (Apis mellifera)” Molecular Ecology 30 (4), 1029-1041 https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15778 (2021).
Wu, X., Galbraith, D.A., Jeong, H, Chatterjee, P., C.M Grozinger, and S.V. Yi. “Lineage and parent-of-origin effects in DNA methylation of honey bees (Apis mellifera) revealed by reciprocal crosses and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing”. Genome Biology and Evolution, evaa133, https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaa133. (2020)
Galbraith, D.A., Kocher, S.D., Glenn, T., Albert, I., Hunt, G.J., Strassmann, J.E., Queller, D.C., and C.M. Grozinger. "Testing the kinship theory of intragenomic conflict in honey bees (Apis mellifera)." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113(4):1020-1025 (2016).
Galbraith, G.A., Wang, Y., Page, R.E., Amdam, G. and C. M. Grozinger. "Reproductive physiology mediates honey bee (Apis mellifera) worker responses to social cues" Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 69 (9): 1511-1518 (2015).
Ma, R., Rangel, J., and C.M. Grozinger. “Honey bee (Apis mellifera) larval pheromones may regulate gene expression related to foraging task specialization” BMC Genomics 20(1): 592 (2019)
Rittschof, C.C., Coombs, C.B., Frazier, M., Grozinger, C.M., and G.E. Robinson. "Early-life experience affects honey bee aggression and resilience to immune challenge" Scientific Reports 5: 15572 (2015).
LeBoeuf, A. and C. M. Grozinger. "Me and we: the interplay between individual and group behavioral variation in social collectives." Current Opinion in Insect Science 5: 16-24 (2014).
Toth, A.L., Tooker, J.F., Radhakrishnan, S., Minard, R., Henshaw, M.T., and C.M. Grozinger. “Shared genes related to aggression, rather than chemical communication, are associated with reproductive dominance in paper wasps (Polistes metricus)” BMC Genomics 15(1): 75 (2014).
Manfredini, F., Riba-Grognuz, O., Wurm, Y., Keller, L., Shoemaker, D.D., and C.M. Grozinger. "Sociogenomics of cooperation and conflict during colony founding in the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta" PLoS Genetics 9(8): e1003633 (2013).