Transcriptomes of parents identify parenting strategies and sexual conflict in a subsocial beetle

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DOI

  • Darren J Parker
    University of St. AndrewsJyväskylä University
  • Christopher B Cunningham
    University of Georgia
  • Craig A Walling
    Exeter University
  • Clare E Stamper
    Exeter University
  • Megan L Head
    Exeter University
  • Eileen M Roy-Zokan
    University of Georgia
  • Elizabeth C McKinney
    University of Georgia
  • Michael G Ritchie
    University of St. Andrews
  • Allen J Moore
    University of Georgia

Parenting in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides is complex and, unusually, the sex and number of parents that can be present is flexible. Such flexibility is expected to involve specialized behaviour by the two sexes under biparental conditions. Here, we show that offspring fare equally well regardless of the sex or number of parents present. Comparing transcriptomes, we find a largely overlapping set of differentially expressed genes in both uniparental and biparental females and in uniparental males including vitellogenin, associated with reproduction, and takeout, influencing sex-specific mating and feeding behaviour. Gene expression in biparental males is similar to that in non-caring states. Thus, being 'biparental' in N. vespilloides describes the family social organization rather than the number of directly parenting individuals. There was no specialization; instead, in biparental families, direct male parental care appears to be limited with female behaviour unchanged. This should lead to strong sexual conflict.

Keywords

  • Animals, Coleoptera/genetics, Female, Gene Expression Profiling, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology, Social Behavior, Transcriptome
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)8449
JournalNature Communications
Volume6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Sept 2015
Externally publishedYes
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