S. O'Donnell

Regulated apoptosis is a conserved mechanism pausing female reproduction and contributes to establishing the sterile worker caste in the eusocial wasp, Polistes.

Female reproduction is an energetically expensive process, so species evolve to balance survival with reproductive output. Many female organisms can temporarily pause their reproduction, including egg development, in response to physiological stress. The cellular mechanisms initiating and maintaining a stress-induced p...