Ferguson Stephen T, Bakis Isaac, Zwiebel Laurence J
Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
Insects. 2021 Mar 17;12(3):252. doi: 10.3390/insects12030252.
Over the past decade, spurred in part by the sequencing of the first ant genomes, there have been major advances in the field of olfactory myrmecology. With the discovery of a significant expansion of the odorant receptor gene family, considerable efforts have been directed toward understanding the olfactory basis of complex social behaviors in ant colonies. Here, we review recent pivotal studies that have begun to reveal insights into the development of the olfactory system as well as how olfactory stimuli are peripherally and centrally encoded. Despite significant biological and technical impediments, substantial progress has been achieved in the application of gene editing and other molecular techniques that notably distinguish the complex olfactory system of ants from other well-studied insect model systems, such as the fruit fly. In doing so, we hope to draw attention not only to these studies but also to critical knowledge gaps that will serve as a compass for future research endeavors.
在过去十年中，部分受首批蚂蚁基因组测序的推动，嗅觉蚁类生态学领域取得了重大进展。随着气味受体基因家族显著扩张的发现，人们投入了大量精力来理解蚁群中复杂社会行为的嗅觉基础。在此，我们回顾了近期的关键研究，这些研究已开始揭示嗅觉系统的发育情况，以及嗅觉刺激在周边和中枢是如何编码的。尽管存在重大的生物学和技术障碍，但在基因编辑及其他分子技术的应用方面已取得了实质性进展，这些技术显著地区分了蚂蚁复杂的嗅觉系统与其他经过充分研究的昆虫模型系统，如果蝇。通过这样做，我们希望不仅能引起对这些研究的关注，还能关注关键的知识空白，这些空白将为未来的研究工作指引方向。
