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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #420881
Research Project: Management of Fire Ants and Other Invasive Ants

Location: Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research

Title: Lateral flow immunoassay-based survey reveals a low frequency truncated Solenopsis invicta venom 2-like protein and unique Solenopsis invicta venom 2 protein genotypes in Solenopsis invicta

Author
item Valles, Steven
item Vander Meer, Robert
item Estep Iii, Alden

Submitted to: Frontiers in Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/2025
Publication Date: 4/7/2025
Citation: Valles, S.M., Vander Meer, R.K., Estep Iii, A.S. 2025. Lateral flow immunoassay-based survey reveals a low frequency truncated Solenopsis invicta venom 2-like protein and unique Solenopsis invicta venom 2 protein genotypes in Solenopsis invicta. Frontiers in Insect Science. 5(1527130). https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2025.1527130.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2025.1527130

Interpretive Summary: The red imported fire ant was introduced into the United States in the 1930s and currently infests about 300 million acres. It causes economic losses that exceed 8 billion dollars annually in the United States and poses a threat to human health. While developing a rapid field method to identify these ants for APHIS, unique venom proteins were discovered from the red imported fire ant. Data suggest that gene mixing between these two species has occurred earlier in the invasion than previously thought, which could impact control efforts.

Technical Abstract: Genotypic variation was discovered in the Solenopsis invicta venom 2 gene in a small number of Solenopsis invicta field colonies. Many of these unique genotypes exhibited strong identity to the Solenopsis richteri venom 2 ortholog from the congener, Solenopsis richteri. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences revealed a significant evolutionary relationship with Solenopsis richteri despite being obtained from Solenopsis invicta. A unique, truncated, Solenopsis invicta venom 2-like protein was also discovered in these colonies originating from a unique locus on chromosome 10 where multiple duplication events have apparently copied this gene. Western blotting confirmed translation of the truncated Solenopsis invicta venom 2-like transcript. Expression patterns for these venom genes was altered when the truncated form of the venom was expressed.