摘要：SummaryIn many organisms, circadian rhythms and associated oscillations in gene expression are controlled by post-translational modifications of histone proteins. Although epigenetic mechanisms influence key aspects of insect societies, their implication in regulating circadian rhythms has not been studied in social insects. Here we ask whether histone acetylation plays a role in adjusting circadian activity in the antTemnothorax longispinosus. We characterized activity patterns in 20 colonies to reveal that these ants exhibit a diurnal rhythm in colony-level activity and can rapidly respond to changes in the light regime. Then we fedT. longispinosuscolonies with C646, a chemical inhibitor of histone acetyltransferases, to show that treated colonies lost their circadian rhythmicity and failed to adjust their activity to the light regime. These findings suggest a role for histone acetylation in controlling rhythmicity in ants and implicate epigenetic processes in the regulation of circadian rhythms in a social context.Graphical AbstractDisplay OmittedHighlights•Colony-level activity shows diurnal rhythmicity inTemnothorax longispinosus•T. longispinosuscolonies adjust their activity in response to a new light regime•Colonies treated with an inhibitor of histone acetylation lose their rhythmicity•Our findings suggest an epigenetic regulation of circadian rhythms in antsEntomology; Molecular Biology; Molecular Mechanism of Behavior
