How Ants Smell: New Gene Regulation Insights Could Advance Cancer Research
Summary
- A recent multi-institutional study involving Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center reveals a genetic mechanism in ants that could have implications for understanding gene regulation and cancer biology.
- The process that gives ants an acute sense of smell may occur in human cells, especially in cancer.
- The study also highlights how changes in chromatin can activate oncogenes or silence tumor suppressors, making this research highly relevant for cancer research.
How do ants smell?
The answer may help scientists unlock new strategies for cancer research. A recent, multi-institutional study reveals a unique genetic mechanism in ants that could have far-reaching implications for understanding gene regulation and cancer biology.
The study, co-authored by Danny Reinberg, Ph.D., a researcher at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, distinguished professor in the John T. MacDonald Department of Human Genetics and associate director for faculty training and recruitment at the Miller School, was published in Nature.
Dr. Reinberg has been studying ants for years.
“Nature can tell us a lot about how biology works at the fundamental levels,” he said.
The One-Receptor-Per-Neuron Rule
While it may seem odd to study ants for cancer research, there is a connection that could offer answers to advance what is known in basic science. That connection involves receptors and neurons.
In mammals, each olfactory sensory neuron expresses only one odorant receptor gene, chosen from a vast family of options. This one-receptor-per-neuron rule ensures that each neuron is tuned to a specific scent. In mice, this selection is random and involves complex feedback. In fruit flies, the process is more predictable, guided by developmental cues.
Ants, however, face a bigger challenge. The species Harpegnathos saltator has hundreds of odorant receptor genes, often arranged in long arrays. The Nature study explores how ants solve this problem.
Transcriptional Interference: Nature’s Solution
Using single-cell sequencing and chromatin analysis, the researchers found that ant olfactory sensory neurons activate only one promoter within an array of odorant receptor genes. This promoter produces a mature mRNA for just one receptor. However, the cellular machinery doesn’t stop at the end of the chosen gene. Instead, it reads through downstream genes, transcribing them as well. These extra transcripts are incomplete and cannot be translated into proteins.
This process, transcriptional interference, suppresses the promoters of downstream genes. The act of transcribing one gene prevents the activation of its neighbors. At the same time, antisense transcription (reading DNA in the opposite direction) silences upstream genes. The result: only the chosen gene is expressed as a functional receptor in each neuron.
By learning from these natural safeguards, we move closer to therapies that can switch off cancer’s harmful genes and restore balance, offering hope for a future where cancer can be overcome.
Dr. Danny Reinberg
That biological process is why ants are so good at sniffing out sugary treats and zeroing in on your picnic. They can lock onto the scent and follow it straight to the source.
“Our findings reveal a beautifully orchestrated mechanism in ants. This level of precision is remarkable and may teach us new lessons about gene regulation in other systems,” said Dr. Reinberg.
Why This Matters for Cancer Research
Understanding how cells choose one gene to express from a large family is a fundamental question in biology. The mechanism discovered in ants is distinct from those in mammals and flies, showing that nature has evolved multiple solutions to the same problem.
Transcriptional interference is not limited to ants. Similar processes may occur in human cells, especially in cancer, where gene regulation is often disrupted. Abnormal gene regulation can lead to uncontrolled cell growth, resistance to therapy and metastasis. By studying how ants control gene expression, scientists may gain insights into how these controls fail in cancer, Dr. Reinberg explained.
Chromatin Structure and Epigenetics
The study also highlights the importance of chromatin structure and epigenetic marks in controlling gene expression. Changes in chromatin can activate oncogenes or silence tumor suppressors, making this research highly relevant for cancer research.
“Nature’s way of controlling gene activity reminds us that precision is possible, even in complex systems,” said Dr. Reinberg. “By learning from these natural safeguards, we move closer to therapies that can switch off cancer’s harmful genes and restore balance, offering hope for a future where cancer can be overcome.”
Tags: cancer biology, cancer epigenetics, cancer research, Dr. Danny Reinberg, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, epigenetics, genetics, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center