The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
Caregiver genotype in the clonal raider ant Ooceraea biroi is linked to larval body size by modulating an ecdysteroid neurohormonal pathway.
- Why it matters: Indirect genetic effects from parents to offspring are known to shape phenotypes, but the molecular neuroendocrine mechanisms in ants are unclear.
- What they did: Larval transcriptomics identified caregiver-genotype effects on neuropeptides and an ecdysteroid biosynthesis gene, and candidate neuropeptide receptors were found in the prothoracic gland; pharmacological tests supported a neuropeptide–ecdysone axis.
- The result: This hormonal axis also regulates lipid-binding carrier protein genes in larval fat-body cells, linking caregiver genotype to systemic growth and caste development.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.