Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies

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, transcrip...

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Main Authors: Zimai Li, Bhoomika Bhat, Erik T. Frank, Thalita Oliveira-Honorato, Fumika Azuma, Valérie Bachmann, Darren J. Parker, Thomas Schmitt, Evan P. Economo, Yuko Ulrich
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2023-08-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40983-7
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author Zimai Li
Bhoomika Bhat
Erik T. Frank
Thalita Oliveira-Honorato
Fumika Azuma
Valérie Bachmann
Darren J. Parker
Thomas Schmitt
Evan P. Economo
Yuko Ulrich
author_facet Zimai Li
Bhoomika Bhat
Erik T. Frank
Thalita Oliveira-Honorato
Fumika Azuma
Valérie Bachmann
Darren J. Parker
Thomas Schmitt
Evan P. Economo
Yuko Ulrich
author_sort Zimai Li
collection DOAJ
description 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.
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spelling doaj.art-935337c82c1840f3bf0c07aa1cae70a02023-11-20T09:56:38ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-08-0114111010.1038/s41467-023-40983-7Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant coloniesZimai Li0Bhoomika Bhat1Erik T. Frank2Thalita Oliveira-Honorato3Fumika Azuma4Valérie Bachmann5Darren J. Parker6Thomas Schmitt7Evan P. Economo8Yuko Ulrich9Max Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyMax Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyDepartment of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of WürzburgDepartment of Ecology and Evolution, University of LausanneBiodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityInstitute of Integrative Biology, ETH ZürichSchool of Natural Sciences, Bangor UniversityDepartment of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of WürzburgBiodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityMax Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40983-7
spellingShingle Zimai Li
Bhoomika Bhat
Erik T. Frank
Thalita Oliveira-Honorato
Fumika Azuma
Valérie Bachmann
Darren J. Parker
Thomas Schmitt
Evan P. Economo
Yuko Ulrich
Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies
Nature Communications
title Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies
title_full Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies
title_fullStr Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies
title_full_unstemmed Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies
title_short Behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies
title_sort behavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40983-7
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