Abstract
A wide spectrum of occupied ecological niches and spectacular morphological adaptations make social insects a prime object for comparative neuroanatomical studies. Eusocial insects have evolved complex societies based on caste polyphenism. A diverse behavioral repertoire of morphologically distinct castes of the same species requires a high degree of plasticity in the central nervous system. We have analyzed the central brain neuropils and fiber tract systems of the worker of the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, a model for the study of social traits. Our analysis is based on whole mount preparations of adult brains labeled with an antibody against Drosophila-Synapsin, which cross-reacts strongly with synapses in Cardiocondyla. Neuropil compartments stand out as domains with a certain texture and intensity of the anti-Synapsin signal. By contrast, fiber tracts, which are composed of bundles of axons accompanied by glia and are devoid of synapses, appear as channels or sheaths with low anti-Synapsin signal. We have generated a digital 3D atlas of the Cardiocondyla brain neuropil. The atlas provides a reference for future studies of brain polymorphisms in distinct castes, brain development or localization of neurotransmitter systems.
Highlights
IntroductionSocial Hymenoptera (ants and many wasps and bees) are characterized by their social life style and the formation of colonies
Neuropil compartments are rich in terminal neurites bearing synapses; long fiber tracts and glial processes, which are devoid of synapses, form boundaries around compartments (Pereanu et al, 2010)
STRUCTURED NEUROPIL COMPARTMENTS OF THE CENTRAL BRAIN: MUSHROOM BODY, CENTRAL COMPLEX, AND ANTENNAL LOBE While mushroom body (MB) may display discrete anatomical differences between different insect species, homologies are detectable at many levels (Strausfeld et al, 2009)
Summary
Social Hymenoptera (ants and many wasps and bees) are characterized by their social life style and the formation of colonies Their ecological success is based on a highly elaborate division of labor between different female phenotypes or castes. In general these different phenotypes are specialized for reproduction or for non-reproductive helping. It has been proposed that the complexity of behavioral tasks associated with sociality has led to the enlargement of compartments involved in associative learning, in particular the MB. This trend has Frontiers in Neuroanatomy www.frontiersin.org
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