Disentangling the aging gene expression network of termite queens

摘要: Background Most insects are relatively short-lived, with a maximum lifespan of few weeks, like the aging model organism, fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster. By contrast, queens many social (termites, ants and some bees) can live from years to decades. This makes promising models in research providing insights into how long reproductive life be achieved. Yet, studies on insect reproductives hampered by lack quantitative data age-dependent survival time series analyses that cover whole such long-lived individuals. We studied drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus determining probabilities over period 15 performed transcriptome for known age covered their lifespan. Results The C. was 13 years, median longevity 11.0 years. Time course co-expression network gene expression patterns indicated non-gradual pattern. It characterized networks genes became differentially expressed only late life, namely after ten which associates well queens. These old-age reflect processes physiological upheaval. detected strong signs stress, decline, defense repair at transcriptional level epigenetic control as post-transcriptional changes transposable element activity proteostasis network. latter depicts an upregulation protein degradation, together synthesis folding, often down-regulated old animals. simultaneous autophagy is indicative stress-response mediated transcription factor cnc, homolog human nrf genes. Conclusions Our results show non-linear senescence rather sudden upheaval old-age. importantly, they point re-wiring stress part process queens, shortly before die.