Last summer came (through) a movie about the superhero “ant-Man” in which Paul Rudd drives the swarms (or flocks?) ants, acting on his orders. They fly around him and form bridges and break security on his command.
I will explain the physics of compression materials to quantum variables, anatomical power man and half-inch possible of the quantum world — all you ever seen in film (and if not, let’s see, I liked it), or know firsthand on our articles. But about how ant-Man could communicate with their friends arthropods, given the complex method use by ants of pheromones and other non-verbal methods of communication, you hardly know. In January a group of scientists in the journal Science laid out his vision on these processes.
Using epigenetic manipulation, Daniel Simola, Riley Graham, Shelly Berger and the other people could change the behavior of ants, so they can perform more roles than they can the nature in normal conditions. For example, ants-carpenter Camponotus floridanus, they were able to distinguish individual caste “Junior” and “senior” that perform different tasks for the colony.
Older younger bigger ants and act as soldiers of the colony. They rarely seek food. Doing it younger. They also perform the role of scouts leaving the nest in search of food before the source is sent a team of porters carrying the goods back to base. Although doing exploration as senior and Junior, at the age of 14 days younger exhibit this behavior more senior.
Observations led the research team to the conclusion that these roles were typical of the ants at the molecular level. This division of labor allows the colony to adapt to the crises, hunger or predators.
How scientists were able to change the “built-in” the behavior of ants? It is easy to just say “epigenetics”, but hardly anyone of you knows what this word means in the entity. Epigenetics is when environmental factors (environmental factors) affect DNA by altering gene expression. Imagine identical twins, but one develops cancer and the other not. What are the environmental, food and social launched this development? Epigenetics is trying to find out.
Scientists noticed that at the desire of the ants-carpenter to look for food is affected by the impact of histone proteins, which Berger calls the “packing material” for DNA. To get the information from each gene, DNA is attenuated, like a spool of thread, in the process of “acetylation”. Scientists began their experiments by feeding the ants with a component that increases the acetylation of histone H3K27ac. Obviously, after absorbing component younger ants began to look for food more than usual.
The researchers then developed a method of injection of chemicals directly into the brains of ants. Changing the dose into a more powerful component of trichostatin A, they noticed that the injection increased the ability of senior and field ants. Soldiers became farmers. Even after 30-50 days after one injection the senior continued to go fishing. But it is worth noting that such measures were effective only after exposure to very senior young ants. It speaks to the fact that with age, the ants meet their role more tightly.
Given these results, one would assume that ant-Man is likewise in control of their ants, but more complex epigenetic manner. If ant-Man did permanent injection into the brain of young ants, would they let a tiny little man to ride on his back? Possible. But Berger offers another possibility: if the man emits a smell, as Queen of an ant, controlling the physiology of the brain of each ant and telling them that “all right”. The release of Queen ants smell is the purest example of epigenetic signal.
Of course, the implications of this study go much further than just solving a mystery of the fictional superhero. Scientists believe that the results of their research can be applicable to other eusocial insects like honey bees and possibly even some mammals. But what about the people? Can chemical effects epigeneticist change our behavior?
According to Berger, the same distanceinmiles (HDACs) used in this study is already widely used in humans for treatments related to cancer and psychiatry. In the 1990s the national Institute of health (NIH) in the project scanned the brains of hundreds of people and found that they continue to develop until 25 years of age. Berger argues that the molecular nature of such development stems from epigenetic changes within the brain. Perhaps the ants have not only social roles, regulated chemicals?