RNA-editing in regulation of circadian rhythms in social insects

AbstractCircadian rhythms, which respond to the day/night cycle on the earth, arise from the endogenous timekeeping system within organisms, called the biological clock. For accurate circadian rhythms, endogenous oscillations are synchronized to light and temperature. In social insects, both abiotic and biotic factors (i.e., social interactions) play a significant role in active/rest rhythm regulation. However, it is challenging to monitor individual active-rest rhythms in a colony because of the large group size and small body size. Therefore, it is unclear how social interactions coordinate each individual’s active/rest rhythms. This study developed an image-based tracking system using 2D barcodes for <I>Diacamma</I> sp. (a monomorphic ant) and measured the locomotor activities of all colony members under laboratory colony conditions. We also investigated the effect of broods on active/rest rhythms by removing all broods under colony conditions. Active/rest rhythms appeared only in solitary ants, not under colony conditions. In addition, arrhythmic active-rest rhythms were retained after brood removal. Therefore, a mixture of social interactions, not abiotic factors, induces the loss of active/rest rhythms. These results contribute to the knowledge of the diversity pattern of circadian rhythms in social insects.

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Circadian rhythms and clock in the colony of social insects.

Hikaku seiri seikagaku(Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry) ◽

10.3330/hikakuseiriseika.36.155 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 155-165

Author(s):

Taro FUCHIKAWA

Keyword(s):

Circadian Rhythms ◽

Social Insects

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Individual Ants Do Not Show Activity-Rest Rhythms in Nest Conditions

Journal of Biological Rhythms ◽

10.1177/07487304211002934 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 074873042110029

Author(s):

Haruna Fujioka ◽

Masato S. Abe ◽

Yasukazu Okada

Keyword(s):

Circadian Rhythms ◽

Social Interactions ◽

Social Insects ◽

Tracking System ◽

Small Body ◽

Biological Clock ◽

Laboratory Colony ◽

Locomotor Activities ◽

Important Time ◽

Abiotic And Biotic Factors

Circadian rhythms, which respond to the day-night cycle on the earth, arise from the endogenous timekeeping system within organisms, called the “biological clock.” For accurate circadian rhythms, daily fluctuations in light and temperature are considered one of the important time cues. In social insects, both abiotic and biotic factors (i.e., social interactions) play a significant role in activity-rest rhythm regulation. However, it is challenging to monitor individual activity-rest rhythms in a colony because of the large group size and small body size. Therefore, it is unclear whether individuals in a colony exhibit activity-rest rhythms and how social interactions regulate their activity-rest rhythms in the colony. This study developed an image-based tracking system using 2D barcodes for Diacamma cf. indicum from Japan (a monomorphic ant) and measured the locomotor activities of all colony members under laboratory colony conditions. We also investigated the effect of broods on activity-rest rhythms by removing all broods under colony conditions. Activity-rest rhythms appeared only in isolated ants, not under colony conditions. In addition, workers showed arrhythmic activities after brood removal. These results suggested that a mixture of social interactions, and not light and temperature, induces the loss of activity-rest rhythms. These results contribute to the knowledge of a diverse pattern of circadian activity rhythms in social insects.

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The Biological Clock and Sleep in the Elderly

Zeitschrift für Gerontopsychologie & -psychiatrie ◽

10.1024/1011-6877.19.1.45 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 45-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Myriam Juda ◽

Mirjam Münch ◽

Anna Wirz-Justice ◽

Martha Merrow ◽

Till Roenneberg

Keyword(s):

Circadian Rhythms ◽

Biological Clock ◽

The Elderly ◽

Early Morning ◽

Behavioral Changes ◽

Older Age ◽

Age Related ◽

Theoretical Considerations ◽

Sleep Difficulties ◽

Circadian Biology

Abstract: Among many other changes, older age is characterized by advanced sleep-wake cycles, changes in the amplitude of various circadian rhythms, as well as reduced entrainment to zeitgebers. These features reveal themselves through early morning awakenings, sleep difficulties at night, and a re-emergence of daytime napping. This review summarizes the observations concerning the biological clock and sleep in the elderly and discusses the documented and theoretical considerations behind these age-related behavioral changes, especially with respect to circadian biology.

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