Sirs

The review presented by Robinson, Grozinger and Whitfield1 represents the most comprehensive review of the field of sociogenomics so far, and without question, it is an excellent body of work. Furthermore, the contributions of the co-authors to the field of honeybee genomics and insect behavioural sociogenomics are truly without parallel. On reading their review, however, one might conclude that very little progress has been made in the area of termite sociogenomics. This is certainly not the case.

In their review, Robinson et al. cite only the report of Miura et al.2, which indeed was the first termite sociogenomics research to appear in the literature. However, Robinson et al. state that this report identifies genes associated with caste determination; in fact, this report unveils only a single candidate gene with caste-associated expression. Furthermore, several more sociogenomics studies have identified numerous termite genes with bona fide roles in caste differentiation.

Several studies by the authors of this correspondence, along with several colleagues, have used sociogenomic approaches to unveil dozens of genes associated with termite caste-morphogenesis/differentiation, as well as genes with caste-associated expression3,4,5. Other research efforts from the laboratory of Toru Miura (University of Tokyo, and more recently, Hokkaido University) have also revealed several caste- and differentiation-associated termite genes6. Further functional characterization of candidate genes has shed new light on poorly understood aspects of termite biology and physiology,1,7,8,9. For excellent reviews on the promise offered by termite sociogenomics research, as well as some of the outstanding problems that are commanding attention, see Miura10,11,12.

So far, sociogenomics research approaches have revealed hundreds of termite genes from various species. Several dozen of these can be considered to be solid candidate genes with key roles in defining termite sociality, both in terms of behaviour and physiology. Certainly, from the doors that have been opened by Robinson and colleagues, a new approach has emerged that will uniformly benefit the broad interests represented across the entire field of insect sociobiology. Because of sociogenomics, our understanding of termite biology is expanding rapidly, at a rate that is far in excess of that which occurred during the pre-genomic era.