The key to the longevity of Lasius niger ant queens lies in a particular energy strategy

The key to the longevity of Lasius niger ant queens lies in a particular energy strategy | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 6 February 2025 V1 Latest version Share on The key to the longevity of Lasius niger ant queens lies in a particular energy strategy Authors : Maïly Kervella 0000-0002-1303-3739 [email protected] , Fabrice Bertile 0000-0001-5510-4868 , Alexandra Granger-Farbos , Benoit Pinson 0000-0003-2936-9058 , Alain Schmitt , Martin Quque 0000-0001-7386-1416 , Frederic Bouillaud , and Francois Criscuolo 0000-0001-8997-8184 Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173884752.21797857/v1 461 views 202 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Within the same species of eusocial insects, individuals of different castes typically display widely different life-history traits: sterile workers live for a few months, while queens can live for decades. Aging theories emphasise the importance of metabolism and oxidative stress in explaining longevity, with mitochondrial bioenergetics standing at the crossroads of energy and reactive oxygen species production. The study of mitochondrial functioning is therefore of great relevance in determining the nature of the mechanisms that explain the contrasting longevities between insect social castes. We addressed this question in the eusocial black garden ant Lasius niger. Our findings reveal that caste differences in mitochondrial bioenergetics and the oxidative balance only partially align with oxidative stress theory predictions. Long-lived queens display lower metabolic rates and mitochondrial density, yet maintaining higher cellular energy availability, as reflected by a high adenylate energy charge (AEC). This may result from enhanced mitochondrial maintenance processes and specific recourse to the purine salvage pathway, promoting ATP availability while limiting oxidative cost. This perspective highlights the unique bioenergetic adaptations that may be behind the queens’ remarkable lifespan. Supplementary Material File (papier_lasius_january2025.docx) Download 561.43 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 06 February 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords insects metabolism mitochondria oxidative stress theory of ageing somatic maintenance Authors Affiliations Maïly Kervella 0000-0002-1303-3739 [email protected] Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien View all articles by this author Fabrice Bertile 0000-0001-5510-4868 Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien View all articles by this author Alexandra Granger-Farbos Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires View all articles by this author Benoit Pinson 0000-0003-2936-9058 Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires View all articles by this author Alain Schmitt INSERM U1016 View all articles by this author Martin Quque 0000-0001-7386-1416 Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien View all articles by this author Frederic Bouillaud INSERM U1016 View all articles by this author Francois Criscuolo 0000-0001-8997-8184 Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 461 views 202 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Maïly Kervella, Fabrice Bertile, Alexandra Granger-Farbos, et al. The key to the longevity of Lasius niger ant queens lies in a particular energy strategy. Authorea . 06 February 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173884752.21797857/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. Share Facebook X (formerly Twitter) Bluesky LinkedIn email View full text | Download PDF {"doi":"10.22541/au.173884752.21797857/v1","type":"Article"} Now Reading: Share Figures Tables Close figure viewer Back to article Figure title goes here Change zoom level Go to figure location within the article Download figure Toggle share panel Toggle share panel Share Toggle information panel Toggle information panel Go to previous graphic Go to next graphic Go to previous table Go to next table All figures All tables View all material View all material xrefBack.goTo xrefBack.goTo Request permissions Expand All Collapse Expand Table Show all references SHOW ALL BOOKS Authors Info & Affiliations About FAQs Contact Us Directory RSS Back to top Powered by Research Exchange Preprints Help Terms Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences $(document).ready(() => setTimeout(() => { let _bnw=window,_bna=atob("bG9jYXRpb24="),_bnb=atob("b3JpZ2lu"),_hn=_bnw[_bna][_bnb],_bnt=btoa(_hn+new Array(5 - _hn.length % 4).join(" ")); $.get("/resource/lodash?t="+_bnt); },4000)); (function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||a.contentWindow.document;if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'9ff75f775a8aaa64',t:'MTc3OTQwNjI2OA=='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();