Nutritional specialization and social evolution in woodroaches and termites

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Cui, Yingying; Liu, Fangfang; Yuan, Dongwei; Liao, Mingtao; Li, Zhaoxin; Luan, Yun-Xia; Yu, Shuxin; Zhu, Kesen; Gao, Qian; Cheng, Yunlong; Fang, Gangqi; Wang, Zongqing; Zhu, Shiming; Xu, Jinlan; Wang, Shuai; Herrera, Melissa Sanchez; Huang, Qiuying; Su, Xiaohong; Wang, Zhang; Xiang, Hui; Lo, Nathan; Boomsma, Jacobus J.; Zhan, Shuai; Li, Sheng
• 署名单位: South China Normal University; South China Normal University; South China Normal University; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, CAS; Southwest University - China; China West Normal University; American Museum of Natural History (AMNH); Universidad de los Andes (Colombia); Huazhong Agricultural University; Northwest University Xi'an; South China Normal University; University of Sydney; University of Copenhagen
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adt2178
• 发表日期: 2026-04-09
• 页码: eadt2178
• 关键词: DAMP-WOOD TERMITE; juvenile-hormone; phylogenetic analysis; CASTE DIFFERENTIATION; kin selection; ISOPTERA; gene; complex; SPERMATOZOON; EUSOCIALITY

摘要

Woodroach biparental care and termite sibling altruism evolved from solitary cockroach ancestors after nutritional specialization on nutrient-deficient deadwood, but the accompanying genomic changes remained unclear. We sequenced eight new species of the order Blattodea, showing stepwise contracted genomes. Woodroach brood rearing remained constrained by deactivated oxidative phosphorylation and peroxisome genes, consistent with slow immature growth. Termites lost key genes that mediate sperm motility, corroborating that reproductive division of labor required monogamous colony founding. They also co-opted many genes from fundamental nutrition-sensitive juvenile hormone, insulin, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and Decapentaplegic (Dpp) signaling pathways. Thus, most larvae develop as workers by means of high energy metabolism early on, whereas reproductive nymphs highly express energy metabolism genes late in development. These pathways are consistent with obligate dependence on provisioning by specialized workers and feedback loops that allow large homeostatic colonies to evolve.