Differential gene expression between urban and rural acorn ant populations

Sarah E Diamond, Lacy Chick, Eddy Dowle, Catherine McManus, Gregory Ragland, Ryan A Martin

The acorn ant, Temnothorax curvispinosus, is a model system for rapid evolution of physiological traits to urban environments. Here, we performed a transcriptome-wide comparison of changes in gene expression between urban and rural populations of acorn ants in the southeastern United States. Our analyses revealed 287 differentially expressed genes. Overrepresentation in gene ontology terms was consistent with evolved differences in whole-organism traits such as metabolism and running speed. Transcriptome-wide comparisons also implicated an important role for cuticle development, which could directly aid in maintaining water balance in urban environments, with potential indirect effects on heat tolerance.