A Hymenoptera-restricted gene mediating ant castes co-opts deeply conserved machinery to control organ size
- 1Zhejiang University
Abstract
Lineage-specific genes are widespread and have been implicated as phenotypic innovation inducers, but how they acquire complex developmental functions remains poorly understood. Ant queens and workers develop dramatically different organ sizes from identical genomes under juvenile hormone (JH) control, yet the molecular effectors translating JH signalling into caste-specific organ growth remain unknown. Here we identify torch, a Hymenoptera-restricted gene, as the most consistently gyne-biased and JH-responsive gene across 68 ant species. Knockdown of torch in virgin queens of Monomorium pharaonis produces a worker-like, multi-organ growth-restricted phenotype. Mechanistically, torch harbours an E-box-like motif activated by the JH receptor Gce-Tai and acts as a GA-repeat-binding transcription factor that regulates Hippo signalling, the deeply conserved organ-size control pathway in animals. Expressing torch heterologously in mice and a growth-restricted Drosophila background shows that the gene retained its general growth-promoting activity across more than 700 million years of animal evolution in lineages that lack the gene, establishing that its function is mediated through conserved rather than ant-specific machinery. A lineage-specific gene can therefore acquire complex morphogenetic function by co-opting ancient organ-size circuitry, providing a general route by which novel genes can drive phenotypic innovation.
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BibTeX
@misc{li2026hymenopterarestricted,
title = {{A Hymenoptera-restricted gene mediating ant castes co-opts deeply conserved machinery to control organ size}},
author = {R. Li and S. Song and X. Zhang and R. S. Larsen and Y. Qi and Y. Li and F. Lin and J. Vizueta and Z. Xiong and J. Zhao and D. Zuo and W. Dai and J. Zheng and B. Qiu and Y. Shi and Z. Huang and J. Wang and H. Ran and Q. Li and J. J. Boomsma and X. Ma and W. Liu and G. Zhang},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.64898/2026.08.31.748196},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.748196v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A Hymenoptera-restricted gene mediating ant castes co-opts deeply conserved machinery to control organ size
AU - R. Li
AU - S. Song
AU - X. Zhang
AU - R. S. Larsen
AU - Y. Qi
AU - Y. Li
AU - F. Lin
AU - J. Vizueta
AU - Z. Xiong
AU - J. Zhao
AU - D. Zuo
AU - W. Dai
AU - J. Zheng
AU - B. Qiu
AU - Y. Shi
AU - Z. Huang
AU - J. Wang
AU - H. Ran
AU - Q. Li
AU - J. J. Boomsma
AU - X. Ma
AU - W. Liu
AU - G. Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/31
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.08.31.748196
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.748196v1
AB - Lineage-specific genes are widespread and have been implicated as phenotypic innovation inducers, but how they acquire complex developmental functions remains poorly understood. Ant queens and workers develop dramatically different organ sizes from identical genomes under juvenile hormone (JH) control, yet the molecular effectors translating JH signalling into caste-specific organ growth remain unknown. Here we identify torch, a Hymenoptera-restricted gene, as the most consistently gyne-biased and JH-responsive gene across 68 ant species. Knockdown of torch in virgin queens of Monomorium pharaonis produces a worker-like, multi-organ growth-restricted phenotype. Mechanistically, torch harbours an E-box-like motif activated by the JH receptor Gce-Tai and acts as a GA-repeat-binding transcription factor that regulates Hippo signalling, the deeply conserved organ-size control pathway in animals. Expressing torch heterologously in mice and a growth-restricted Drosophila background shows that the gene retained its general growth-promoting activity across more than 700 million years of animal evolution in lineages that lack the gene, establishing that its function is mediated through conserved rather than ant-specific machinery. A lineage-specific gene can therefore acquire complex morphogenetic function by co-opting ancient organ-size circuitry, providing a general route by which novel genes can drive phenotypic innovation.
ER -