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A. K. BK, George EA, Brockmann A. Tropical and montane Apis cerana show distinct dance-distance calibration curves. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247510. [PMID: 38853597 PMCID: PMC11418176 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Social bees have evolved sophisticated communication systems to recruit nestmates to newly found food sources. As foraging ranges can vary from a few hundred meters to several kilometers depending on the environment or season, populations of social bee species living in different climate zones likely show specific adaptations in their recruitment communication. Accordingly, studies in the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, demonstrated that temperate populations exhibit shallower dance-calibration curves compared with tropical populations. Here, we report the first comparison of calibration curves for three Indian Apis cerana lineages: the tropical Apis indica, and the two montane Himalayan populations Apis cerana cerana (Himachal Pradesh) and Apis cerana kashmirensis (Jammu and Kashmir). We found that the colonies of the two montane A. cerana populations show dance-distance calibration curves with significantly shallower slopes than those of the tropical A. indica. Next, we transferred A. c. cerana colonies to Bangalore (∼ 2600 km away) to obtain calibration curves in the same location as A. indica. The common garden experiment confirmed this difference in slopes, implying that the lineages exhibit genetically fixed differences in dance-distance coding. However, the slopes of the calibration curves of the transferred A. c. cerana colonies were also significantly higher than those of the colonies tested in their original habitat, indicating an important effect of the environment. The differences in dance-distance coding between temperate and tropical A. cerana lineages resemble those described for Apis mellifera, suggesting that populations of both species independently evolved similar adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Kumar A. K.
- National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India
- Department of Apiculture, University of Agricultural Sciences - GKVK, Bengaluru 560065, India
| | - Ebi Antony George
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Axel Brockmann
- National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India
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Ke H, Chen Y, Zhang B, Duan S, Ma X, Ren B, Wang Y. Odorant Receptors Expressing and Antennal Lobes Architecture Are Linked to Caste Dimorphism in Asian Honeybee, Apis cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3934. [PMID: 38612745 PMCID: PMC11012130 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Insects heavily rely on the olfactory system for food, mating, and predator evasion. However, the caste-related olfactory differences in Apis cerana, a eusocial insect, remain unclear. To explore the peripheral and primary center of the olfactory system link to the caste dimorphism in A. cerana, transcriptome and immunohistochemistry studies on the odorant receptors (ORs) and architecture of antennal lobes (ALs) were performed on different castes. Through transcriptomesis, we found more olfactory receptor genes in queens and workers than in drones, which were further validated by RT-qPCR, indicating caste dimorphism. Meanwhile, ALs structure, including volume, surface area, and the number of glomeruli, demonstrated a close association with caste dimorphism. Particularly, drones had more macroglomeruli possibly for pheromone recognition. Interestingly, we found that the number of ORs and glomeruli ratio was nearly 1:1. Also, the ORs expression distribution pattern was very similar to the distribution of glomeruli volume. Our results suggest the existence of concurrent plasticity in both the peripheral olfactory system and ALs among different castes of A. cerana, highlighting the role of the olfactory system in labor division in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoqin Ke
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Baoyi Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Shiwen Duan
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Xiaomei Ma
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Bingzhong Ren
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yinliang Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
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Couto A, Arnold G, Ai H, Sandoz JC. Interspecific variation of antennal lobe composition among four hornet species. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20883. [PMID: 34686710 PMCID: PMC8536693 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00280-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is a crucial sensory modality underlying foraging, social and mating behaviors in many insects. Since the olfactory system is at the interface between the animal and its environment, it receives strong evolutionary pressures that promote neuronal adaptations and phenotypic variations across species. Hornets are large eusocial predatory wasps with a highly developed olfactory system, critical for foraging and intra-specific communication. In their natural range, hornet species display contrasting ecologies and olfactory-based behaviors, which might match to adaptive shifts in their olfactory system. The first olfactory processing center of the insect brain, the antennal lobe, is made of morphological and functional units called glomeruli. Using fluorescent staining, confocal microscopy and 3D reconstructions, we compared antennal lobe structure, glomerular numbers and volumes in four hornet species (Vespa crabro, Vespa velutina, Vespa mandarinia and Vespa orientalis) with marked differences in nesting site preferences and predatory behaviors. Despite a conserved organization of their antennal lobe compartments, glomeruli numbers varied strongly between species, including in a subsystem thought to process intraspecific cuticular signals. Moreover, specific adaptations involving enlarged glomeruli appeared in two species, V. crabro and V. mandarinia, but not in the others. We discuss the possible function of these adaptations based on species-specific behavioral differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Couto
- Laboratory Evolution Genomes Behavior and Ecology, CNRS, University Paris-Sud, IRD, Université Paris Saclay, 1 avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Gérard Arnold
- Laboratory Evolution Genomes Behavior and Ecology, CNRS, University Paris-Sud, IRD, Université Paris Saclay, 1 avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hiroyuki Ai
- Department of Earth System Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
| | - Jean-Christophe Sandoz
- Laboratory Evolution Genomes Behavior and Ecology, CNRS, University Paris-Sud, IRD, Université Paris Saclay, 1 avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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Morris BJ, Couto A, Aydin A, Montgomery SH. Re-emergence and diversification of a specialized antennal lobe morphology in ithomiine butterflies. Evolution 2021; 75:3191-3202. [PMID: 34383301 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
How an organism's sensory system functions is central to how it navigates its environment. The insect olfactory system is a prominent model for investigating how ecological factors impact sensory reception and processing. Notably, work in Lepidoptera led to the discovery of vastly expanded structures, termed macroglomerular complexes (MGCs), within the primary olfactory processing centre. MGCs typically process pheromonal cues, are usually larger in males, and provide classic examples of how variation in the size of neural structures reflects the importance of sensory cues. Though prevalent across moths, MGCs were lost during the origin of butterflies, consistent with evidence that courtship initiation in butterflies is primarily reliant on visual cues, rather than long distance chemical signals. However, an MGC was recently described in a species of ithomiine butterfly, suggesting that this once lost neural adaptation has re-emerged in this tribe. Here, we show that MGC-like morphologies are widely distributed across ithomiines, but vary in both their structure and prevalence of sexual dimorphism. Based on this interspecific variation we suggest that the ithomiine MGC is involved in processing both plant and pheromonal cues, which have similarities in their chemical constitution, and co-evolved with an increased importance of plant derived chemical compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Billy J Morris
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Antoine Couto
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Asli Aydin
- School of Medicine, Koc University, Rumelifeneri Yolu, Istanbul, Turkey
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Mariette J, Carcaud J, Sandoz JC. The neuroethology of olfactory sex communication in the honeybee Apis mellifera L. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:177-194. [PMID: 33447877 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03401-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The honeybee Apis mellifera L. is a crucial pollinator as well as a prominent scientific model organism, in particular for the neurobiological study of olfactory perception, learning, and memory. A wealth of information is indeed available about how the worker bee brain detects, processes, and learns about odorants. Comparatively, olfaction in males (the drones) and queens has received less attention, although they engage in a fascinating mating behavior that strongly relies on olfaction. Here, we present our current understanding of the molecules, cells, and circuits underlying bees' sexual communication. Mating in honeybees takes place at so-called drone congregation areas and places high in the air where thousands of drones gather and mate in dozens with virgin queens. One major queen-produced olfactory signal-9-ODA, the major component of the queen pheromone-has been known for decades to attract the drones. Since then, some of the neural pathways responsible for the processing of this pheromone have been unraveled. However, olfactory receptor expression as well as brain neuroanatomical data point to the existence of three additional major pathways in the drone brain, hinting at the existence of 4 major odorant cues involved in honeybee mating. We discuss current evidence about additional not only queen- but also drone-produced pheromonal signals possibly involved in bees' sexual behavior. We also examine data revealing recent evolutionary changes in drone's olfactory system in the Apis genus. Lastly, we present promising research avenues for progressing in our understanding of the neural basis of bees mating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Mariette
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Julie Carcaud
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Sandoz
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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Guignard Q, Bouwer M, Slippers B, Allison J. Biology of a putative male aggregation-sex pheromone in Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244943. [PMID: 33382841 PMCID: PMC7775065 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A putative male-produced pheromone has recently been described for the global pest of pines, Sirex noctilio, but field-activity has not been demonstrated. This study aimed to investigate the pheromone biology of S. noctilio in more detail. Specifically, we i) analysed effluvia and extracts for additional compounds by gas chromatography coupled with electro-antennographic detection (GC-EAD), mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and two dimensional time of flight mass spectrometry (GC X GC TOF MS), ii) conducted dose-response experiments for putative pheromone components, iii) determined the site of synthesis/ storage of the putative pheromone and iv) determined the release rate of the putative pheromone from males and three types of lures. A blend of four compounds was identified, including the previously described (Z)-3-decenol and (Z)-4-decenol, and two new compounds (Z)-3-octenol and (Z)-3-dodecenol. All compounds elicited a response from both male and female antennae, but the strength of the response varied according to sex, compound and dose tested. (Z)-3-Decenol and (Z)-3-octenol at lower and higher doses, respectively, elicited larger responses in males and females than the other two compounds. (Z)-3-Octenol and (Z)-4-decenol generally elicited larger female than male antennal responses. The site of synthesis and/or storage in males was determined to be the hind legs, likely in the leg-tendon gland. The relative release rate of the major compound by male wasps was shown to be 90 ± 12.4 ng/min, which is between 4 and 15 times greater than that observed from typical lures used previously. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that these compounds may mediate lek formation in S. noctilio males and lek location in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Guignard
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marc Bouwer
- Department of Chemistry, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Bernard Slippers
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jeremy Allison
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Characterization of the olfactory system of the giant honey bee, Apis dorsata. Cell Tissue Res 2019; 379:131-145. [PMID: 31410628 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-019-03078-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Apis dorsata is an open-nesting, undomesticated, giant honey bee found in southern Asia. We characterized a number of aspects of olfactory system of Apis dorsata and compared it with the well-characterized, western honeybee, Apis mellifera, a domesticated, cavity-nesting species. A. dorsata differs from A. mellifera in nesting behavior, foraging activity, and defense mechanisms. Hence, there can be different demands on its olfactory system. We elucidated the glomerular organization of A. dorsata by creating a digital atlas for the antennal lobe and visualized the antennal lobe tracts and localized their innervations. We showed that the neurites of Kenyon cells with cell bodies located in a neighborhood in calyx retain their relative neighborhoods in the pedunculus and the vertical lobe forming a columnar organization in the mushroom body. The vertical lobe and the calyx of the mushroom body were found to be innervated by extrinsic neurons with cell bodies in the lateral protocerebrum. We found that the species was amenable to olfactory conditioning and showed good learning and memory retention at 24 h after training. It was also amenable to massed and spaced conditioning and could distinguish trained odor from an untrained novel odor. We found that all the above mentioned features in A. dorsata are very similar to those in A. mellifera. We thereby establish A. dorsata as a good model system, strikingly similar to A. mellifera despite the differences in their nesting and foraging behavior.
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