Evolution and molecular mechanism of an ancient non-coding sex-determining locus in ants

Advisor: Qiaowei (Miya) Pan

Location: Max Planck Institute for Biology

Sex determination is a fundamental biological process, yet its molecular underpinnings are remarkably diverse and evolutionarily labile. Around 15% of animal species use haplodiploidy, a system in which females are diploid and males are haploid, and which has repeatedly evolved from sex chromosome systems. Despite its prevalence, the molecular mechanisms underlying haplodiploid sex determination remain largely unexplored.

A male Argentine ant (right) and a female worker (left). The two sexes differ in ploidy, but lack sex chromosomes that are inherited exclusively by one sex. (Photo © Hugo Darras, used with permission)

A male Argentine ant (right) and a female worker (left). The two sexes differ in ploidy, but lack sex chromosomes that are inherited exclusively by one sex. (Photo © Hugo Darras, used with permission)

Our recent work revealed that, in the Argentine ant and in most bees, sex is determined by allelic complementarity at the ANTSR locus, which functions through a long noncoding RNA. The mode of regulation of this lncRNA and its mechanism of mediating sex-determining signals are yet unknown.

Combining bioinformatics with biochemistry, molecular and cell biology approaches, this PhD project aims to (i) elucidate the molecular mechanism by which this non-coding locus determines sex in ants, and (ii) investigate how such a regulatory element evolves and retains its function across different evolutionary time scales.

Reference:

Yu C, Hodapp D, Moog S, Dupont S, Darrouzet E, Keller Valsecchi CI, Colgan TJ, Pan Q*, and Darras H*. (in press). Deep evolutionary conservation of a sex-determining locus without sequence homology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). (* donate equal contributions)
Pan Q, Darras H, and Keller L. (2024). LncRNA gene ANTSR coordinates complementary sex determination in the Argentine ant. Science advances. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adp1532

More information about the research of Qiaowei (Miya) Pan and a selection of her recent publications can be found on her faculty page.

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Application deadline: 19 January 2026