In terms of neurobiology, ants are a model species — ScienceDaily

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Researchers from MedUni Vienna, the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen and the University of Bremen have developed a new method for studying the brains of social insects, which measure only a few millimeters in size. In the future, his approach could play a decisive role in the investigation of fundamental neurobiological processes. The method integrates three-dimensional chemical data into a high-definition anatomical model, allowing unbiased visualization of 3D neurochemistry in your particular anatomical setting. published in magazine PNAS Nexus, the study showed that some ant peptides, such as the tachykinin-related peptides TK1 and TK4, are widely distributed in many areas of the brain of both species, while other peptides, including myosupressin, are only found in particular regions. The researchers also noted differences between the two species: a large number of peptides were found in the optic lobe of L. niger, but only one (an ITG-like peptide) was identified in the same region in A. sexdens.

The key feature of the new method is that a correlative approach is used to analyze the data. This means that 3D maps of neuropeptide distribution and 3D anatomical models are accurately matched, generating two maps that help navigate the ant brains. Each map contains different information, which is essential for studying organs with high plasticity, such as the brains of social insects, which are particularly difficult to analyze due to the complex division of labor and caste system in ant colonies. Building on previous studies of MS imaging of neuropeptides in invertebrate model systems, this approach represents a promising method to study fundamental neurobiological processes by visualizing distortion-free 3D neurochemistry in its own complex anatomical environment.

“These findings have the potential to fundamentally alter the way we study complex neurobiological processes. Our method opens up new perspectives when it comes to looking at the brains of social insects more closely and better understanding the functioning of nervous systems where chemistry and anatomy are fully harmonized,” said lead author Benedikt Geier, who worked together with co-lead author Esther Gil. mansilla. “In terms of neurobiology, ants are a model species. Due to the extremely complex structures of ant colonies, this method could be applied in the future to understand various factors, including the evolution of social behavior in the animal kingdom or the biochemistry of certain hormonal systems that have evolved in a similar way. in both ants and humans,” reported Christian Gruber.