ArticlePLoS biology2021
An oxytocin/vasopressin-related neuropeptide modulates social foraging behavior in the clonal raider ant.
Article in PLoS biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Convergent evolution of a conserved molecular network underlies parenting and sociality.Nature reviews. Genetics · 2026Review
- A reference brain for the clonal raider ant.Current biology : CB · 2026Article
- Foraging as an ethological framework for neuroscience.Trends in neurosciences · 2025Review
- Identification and Stereoselective Total Synthesis of an Insect Homosesquiterpene from the Clonal Raider AntJournal of natural products · 2025Article
- Division of labour in colony defence in a clonal ant.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2025Article
- The Molecular Substrates of Insect Eusociality.Annual review of genetics · 2024Review
- Expression patterns and behavioral effects of conopressin and APGWamide in the nudibranch Berghia stephanieae.Peptides · 2024Article
- Pheromone representation in the ant antennal lobe changes with age.Current biology : CB · 2024Article
- Pheromone representation in the ant antennal lobe changes with age.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- Conserved and differing functions of the endocrine system across different social systems - oxytocin as a case study.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2024Review
- Neuromodulators and neuroepigenetics of social behavior in ants.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2023Review
- Vasopressin as Possible Treatment Option in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Biomedicines · 2023Review
- Worker Reproduction and Caste Polymorphism Impact Genome Evolution and Social Genes Across the Ants.Genome biology and evolution · 2023Article
- DNMT1 mutant ants develop normally but have disrupted oogenesis.Nature communications · 2023Article
- Neural mechanisms involved in female mate choice in invertebrates.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2023Review
- Vasopressin-oxytocin-type signaling is ancient and has a conserved water homeostasis role in euryhaline marine planarians.Science advances · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Oxytocin/vasopressin-related neuropeptides are highly conserved and play major roles in regulating social behavior across vertebrates. However, whether their insect orthologue, inotocin, regulates the behavior of social groups remains unknown. Here, we show that in the clonal raider ant Ooceraea biroi, individuals that perform tasks outside the nest have higher levels of inotocin in their brains than individuals of the same age that remain inside the nest. We also show that older ants, which spend more time outside the nest, have higher inotocin levels than younger ants. Inotocin thus correlates with the propensity to perform tasks outside the nest. Additionally, increasing inotocin pharmacologically increases the tendency of ants to leave the nest. However, this effect is contingent on age and social context. Pharmacologically treated older ants have a higher propensity to leave the nest only in the presence of larvae, whereas younger ants seem to do so only in the presence of pupae. Our results suggest that inotocin signaling plays an important role in modulating behaviors that correlate with age, such as social foraging, possibly by modulating behavioral response thresholds to specific social cues. Inotocin signaling thereby likely contributes to behavioral individuality and division of labor in ant societies.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.