A global study of transcriptome dynamics in the venom gland of Solenopsis invicta Buren during laboratory rearing

Venom plays several important roles in the life of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Laboratory rearing significantly affected the toxin component of S. invicta. However, the molecular mechanism of the change of venomous components when kept in the laboratory is unclear. In this study, RNA sequencing technique (RNA-Seq) was performed to explore differentially expressed genes in the venom gland of S. invicta at 0, 10, and 60 days after laboratory rearing. The RNA-Seq results showed that the expression of a large number of genes changed. The DEGs were involved in multiple pathways, including proteolysis, serine-type endopeptidase, and allergen. Furthermore, RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR data revealed that the expression of some genes related to proteolysis and allergen significantly decreased. Thus, our data generated new data relating to toxin-component and the transcriptome dynamics in the venom gland of S. invicta during laboratory rearing.