TY - CONF A1 - Aumont, Cedric A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter T1 - Harnessing near-chromosome level quality genomes to explore the evolution of termite immunity N2 - The phylogeny of the Blattodea boasts a wide degree of sociality spanning from solitary cockroaches to advanced ecosystem-dominating higher termite societies. The emergence of sociality in termites was associated with the acquisition of a diverse range of social structures. Previous work has found evidence for a caste-specific social defence system in termites leading to an immune system that may favour group over individual defence. While preliminary work suggests a correlation between social transitions and a reduction of immune gene family diversity, the lack of available high-quality termite genomes hampers complete knowledge of the true diversity of immune gene evolution across termite phylogeny. Here, we report on the sequencing and near-chromosome level assembly of 48 high-quality long-read-based genomes across major termite and cockroach sister-branch lineages. We investigate the diversity and evolutionary history of immune genes across genomes, focusing particular attention on correlations between immune gene evolution and transitions in sociality over termite phylogeny. T2 - Royal Entomological Society Annual Meeting - Ento23 CY - University of Exeter, Falmouth, UK DA - 05.09.2023 KW - Immune gene family KW - Termite phylogeny KW - Eusociality KW - Group defence PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58296 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Aumont, Cedric A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter T1 - Genomic innovations underlying the evolution of termite social behaviour N2 - The phylogeny of the Blattodea boasts a wide degree of sociality spanning from solitary cockroaches to advanced ecosystem-dominating higher termite societies. The emergence of sociality in the termites was associated with the acquisition of a diverse range of social structures and differential expression of specific gene network. Previous work has found evidence for a caste-specific social defence system in termites leading to an immune system that may favour group over individual defence. While preliminary work suggests a correlation between social transitions and a reduction of immune gene family diversity, the lack of available high-quality termite genomes hampers complete knowledge of the true diversity of immune gene evolution across termite phylogeny. Here, we report on the sequencing and assembly of 50 high-quality long-read-based genomes and 180 caste- and sex-specific brain transcriptomes across major termite and cockroach sister-branch lineage. We investigate the diversity and evolutionary history of immune genes across genomes, and the potential gene networks that have evolved with the emergence of termite sociality and some aspect of immune related behaviours. T2 - Invited talk at University Paris 13 CY - Villetaneuse, France DA - 27.02.2023 KW - Immune gene family KW - Gene network KW - Eusociality KW - Termite phylogeny KW - Group defence PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58300 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -