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Chakroborty NK, Leboulle, Einspanier R, Menzel R. Behavioral and genetic correlates of heterogeneity in learning performance in individual honeybees, Apis mellifera. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304563. [PMID: 38865313 PMCID: PMC11168654 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Learning an olfactory discrimination task leads to heterogeneous results in honeybees with some bees performing very well and others at low rates. Here we investigated this behavioral heterogeneity and asked whether it was associated with particular gene expression patterns in the bee's brain. Bees were individually conditioned using a sequential conditioning protocol involving several phases of olfactory learning and retention tests. A cumulative score was used to differentiate the tested bees into high and low performers. The rate of CS+ odor learning was found to correlate most strongly with a cumulative performance score extracted from all learning and retention tests. Microarray analysis of gene expression in the mushroom body area of the brains of these bees identified a number of differentially expressed genes between high and low performers. These genes are associated with diverse biological functions, such as neurotransmission, memory formation, cargo trafficking and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neloy Kumar Chakroborty
- Institute Biology, Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin Luisestr, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leboulle
- Institute Biology, Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin Luisestr, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralf Einspanier
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Oertzenweg, Berlin, Germany
| | - Randolf Menzel
- Institute Biology, Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin Luisestr, Berlin, Germany
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2
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Vernier CL, Nguyen LA, Gernat T, Ahmed AC, Chen Z, Robinson GE. Gut microbiota contribute to variations in honey bee foraging intensity. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae030. [PMID: 38412118 PMCID: PMC11008687 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Gut microbiomes are increasingly recognized for mediating diverse biological aspects of their hosts, including complex behavioral phenotypes. Although many studies have reported that experimental disruptions to the gut microbial community result in atypical host behavior, studies that address how gut microbes contribute to adaptive behavioral trait variation are rare. Eusocial insects represent a powerful model to test this, because of their simple gut microbiota and complex division of labor characterized by colony-level variation in behavioral phenotypes. Although previous studies report correlational differences in gut microbial community associated with division of labor, here, we provide evidence that gut microbes play a causal role in defining differences in foraging behavior between European honey bees (Apis mellifera). We found that gut microbial community structure differed between hive-based nurse bees and bees that leave the hive to forage for floral resources. These differences were associated with variation in the abundance of individual microbes, including Bifidobacterium asteroides, Bombilactobacillus mellis, and Lactobacillus melliventris. Manipulations of colony demography and individual foraging experience suggested that differences in gut microbial community composition were associated with task experience. Moreover, single-microbe inoculations with B. asteroides, B. mellis, and L. melliventris caused effects on foraging intensity. These results demonstrate that gut microbes contribute to division of labor in a social insect, and support a role of gut microbes in modulating host behavioral trait variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassondra L Vernier
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Lan Anh Nguyen
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Tim Gernat
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Amy Cash Ahmed
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Zhenqing Chen
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61810, United States
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
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3
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Uy FMK, Jernigan CM, Zaba NC, Mehrotra E, Miller SE, Sheehan MJ. Dynamic neurogenomic responses to social interactions and dominance outcomes in female paper wasps. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009474. [PMID: 34478434 PMCID: PMC8415593 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions have large effects on individual physiology and fitness. In the immediate sense, social stimuli are often highly salient and engaging. Over longer time scales, competitive interactions often lead to distinct social ranks and differences in physiology and behavior. Understanding how initial responses lead to longer-term effects of social interactions requires examining the changes in responses over time. Here we examined the effects of social interactions on transcriptomic signatures at two times, at the end of a 45-minute interaction and 4 hours later, in female Polistes fuscatus paper wasp foundresses. Female P. fuscatus have variable facial patterns that are used for visual individual recognition, so we separately examined the transcriptional dynamics in the optic lobe and the non-visual brain. Results demonstrate much stronger transcriptional responses to social interactions in the non-visual brain compared to the optic lobe. Differentially regulated genes in response to social interactions are enriched for memory-related transcripts. Comparisons between winners and losers of the encounters revealed similar overall transcriptional profiles at the end of an interaction, which significantly diverged over the course of 4 hours, with losers showing changes in expression levels of genes associated with aggression and reproduction in paper wasps. On nests, subordinate foundresses are less aggressive, do more foraging and lay fewer eggs compared to dominant foundresses and we find losers shift expression of many genes in the non-visual brain, including vitellogenin, related to aggression, worker behavior, and reproduction within hours of losing an encounter. These results highlight the early neurogenomic changes that likely contribute to behavioral and physiological effects of social status changes in a social insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floria M. K. Uy
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Jernigan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Natalie C. Zaba
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Eshan Mehrotra
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Sara E. Miller
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Sheehan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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4
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Peng T, Derstroff D, Maus L, Bauer T, Grüter C. Forager age and foraging state, but not cumulative foraging activity, affect biogenic amine receptor gene expression in the honeybee mushroom bodies. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 20:e12722. [PMID: 33325617 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Foraging behavior is crucial for the development of a honeybee colony. Biogenic amines are key mediators of learning and the transition from in-hive tasks to foraging. Foragers vary considerably in their behavior, but whether and how this behavioral diversity depends on biogenic amines is not yet well understood. For example, forager age, cumulative foraging activity or foraging state may all be linked to biogenic amine signaling. Furthermore, expression levels may fluctuate depending on daytime. We tested if these intrinsic and extrinsic factors are linked to biogenic amine signaling by quantifying the expression of octopamine, dopamine and tyramine receptor genes in the mushroom bodies, important tissues for learning and memory. We found that older foragers had a significantly higher expression of Amdop1, Amdop2, AmoctαR1, and AmoctβR1 compared to younger foragers, whereas Amtar1 showed the opposite pattern. Surprisingly, our measures of cumulative foraging activity were not related to the expression of the same receptor genes in the mushroom bodies. Furthermore, we trained foragers to collect sucrose solution at a specific time of day and tested if the foraging state of time-trained foragers affected receptor gene expression. Bees engaged in foraging had a higher expression of Amdop1 and AmoctβR3/4 than inactive foragers. Finally, the expression of Amdop1, Amdop3, AmoctαR1, and Amtar1 also varied with daytime. Our results show that receptor gene expression in forager mushroom bodies is complex and depends on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianfei Peng
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dennis Derstroff
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lea Maus
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Timo Bauer
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christoph Grüter
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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5
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Zhang X, Hu H, Han B, Wei Q, Meng L, Wu F, Fang Y, Feng M, Ma C, Rueppell O, Li J. The Neuroproteomic Basis of Enhanced Perception and Processing of Brood Signals That Trigger Increased Reproductive Investment in Honeybee ( Apis mellifera) Workers. Mol Cell Proteomics 2020; 19:1632-1648. [PMID: 32669299 PMCID: PMC8014994 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra120.002123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuronal basis of complex social behavior is still poorly understood. In honeybees, reproductive investment decisions are made at the colony-level. Queens develop from female-destined larvae that receive alloparental care from nurse bees in the form of ad-libitum royal jelly (RJ) secretions. Typically, the number of raised new queens is limited but genetic breeding of "royal jelly bees" (RJBs) for enhanced RJ production over decades has led to a dramatic increase of reproductive investment in queens. Here, we compare RJBs to unselected Italian bees (ITBs) to investigate how their cognitive processing of larval signals in the mushroom bodies (MBs) and antennal lobes (ALs) may contribute to their behavioral differences. A cross-fostering experiment confirms that the RJB syndrome is mainly due to a shift in nurse bee alloparental care behavior. Using olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex, we show that the RJB nurses spontaneously respond more often to larval odors compared with ITB nurses but their subsequent learning occurs at similar rates. These phenotypic findings are corroborated by our demonstration that the proteome of the brain, particularly of the ALs differs between RJBs and ITBs. Notably, in the ALs of RJB newly emerged bees and nurses compared with ITBs, processes of energy and nutrient metabolism, signal transduction are up-regulated, priming the ALs for receiving and processing the brood signals from the antennae. Moreover, highly abundant major royal jelly proteins and hexamerins in RJBs compared with ITBs during early life when the nervous system still develops suggest crucial new neurobiological roles for these well-characterized proteins. Altogether, our findings reveal that RJBs have evolved a strong olfactory response to larvae, enabled by numerous neurophysiological adaptations that increase the nurse bees' alloparental care behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufeng Zhang
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Horticultural Research, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Han Hu
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Han
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiaohong Wei
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lifeng Meng
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Fang
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mao Feng
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Ma
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Olav Rueppell
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Jianke Li
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
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6
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Aoued HS, Sannigrahi S, Hunter SC, Doshi N, Sathi ZS, Chan AWS, Walum H, Dias BG. Proximate causes and consequences of intergenerational influences of salient sensory experience. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 19:e12638. [PMID: 31943801 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Salient sensory environments experienced by a parental generation can exert intergenerational influences on offspring. While these data provide an exciting new perspective on biological inheritance, questions remain about causes and consequences of intergenerational influences of salient sensory experience. We previously showed that exposing male mice to a salient olfactory experience, like olfactory fear conditioning, resulted in offspring demonstrating a sensitivity to the odor used to condition the paternal generation and possessing enhanced neuroanatomical representation for that odor. In this study, we first injected RNA extracted from sperm of male mice that underwent olfactory fear conditioning into naïve single-cell zygotes and found that adults that developed from these embryos had increased sensitivity and enhanced neuroanatomical representation for the odor (Odor A) with which the paternal male had been conditioned. Next, we found that female, but not male offspring sired by males conditioned with Odor A show enhanced consolidation of a weak single-trial Odor A + shock fear conditioning protocol. Our data provide evidence that RNA found in the paternal germline after exposure to salient sensory experiences can contribute to intergenerational influences of such experiences, and that such intergenerational influences confer an element of adaptation to the offspring. In so doing, our study of intergenerational influences of parental sensory experience adds to existing literature on intergenerational influences of parental exposures to stress and dietary manipulations and suggests that some causes (sperm RNA) and consequences (behavioral flexibility) of intergenerational influences of parental experiences may be conserved across a variety of parental experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadj S Aoued
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Soma Sannigrahi
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sarah C Hunter
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Nandini Doshi
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Zakia S Sathi
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Anthony W S Chan
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Hasse Walum
- Division of Autism and Related Disabilities, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Brian G Dias
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
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7
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Ma R, Rangel J, Grozinger CM. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) larval pheromones may regulate gene expression related to foraging task specialization. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:592. [PMID: 31324147 PMCID: PMC6642498 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5923-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Foraging behavior in honey bees (Apis mellifera) is a complex phenotype that is regulated by physiological state and social signals. How these factors are integrated at the molecular level to modulate foraging behavior has not been well characterized. The transition of worker bees from nursing to foraging behaviors is mediated by large-scale changes in brain gene expression, which are influenced by pheromones produced by the queen and larvae. Larval pheromones can also stimulate foragers to leave the colony to collect pollen. However, the mechanisms underpinning this rapid behavioral plasticity in foragers that specialize in collecting pollen over nectar, and how larval pheromones impact these different behavioral states, remains to be determined. Here, we investigated the patterns of gene expression related to rapid behavioral plasticity and task allocation among honey bee foragers exposed to two larval pheromones, brood pheromone (BP) and (E)-beta-ocimene (EBO). We hypothesized that both pheromones would alter expression of genes in the brain related to foraging and would differentially impact brain gene expression depending on foraging specialization. Results Combining data reduction, clustering, and network analysis methods, we found that foraging preference (nectar vs. pollen) and pheromone exposure are each associated with specific brain gene expression profiles. Furthermore, pheromone exposure has a strong transcriptional effect on genes that are preferentially expressed in nectar foragers. Representation factor analysis between our study and previous landmark honey bee transcriptome studies revealed significant overlaps for both pheromone communication and foraging task specialization. Conclusions Our results suggest that, as social signals, pheromones alter expression patterns of foraging-related genes in the bee’s brain to increase pollen foraging at both long and short time scales. These results provide new insights into how social signals and task specialization are potentially integrated at the molecular level, and highlights the possible role that brain gene expression may play in honey bee behavioral plasticity across time scales. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5923-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Ma
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Chemical Ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Juliana Rangel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Chemical Ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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8
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Sequence and structural properties of circular RNAs in the brain of nurse and forager honeybees (Apis mellifera). BMC Genomics 2019; 20:88. [PMID: 30683059 PMCID: PMC6347836 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5402-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The honeybee (Apis mellifera) represents a model organism for social insects displaying behavioral plasticity. This is reflected by an age-dependent task allocation. The most protruding tasks are performed by young nurse bees and older forager bees that take care of the brood inside the hive and collect food from outside the hive, respectively. The molecular mechanism leading to the transition from nurse bees to foragers is currently under intense research. Circular RNAs, however, were not considered in this context so far. As of today, this group of non-coding RNAs was only known to exist in two other insects, Drosophila melanogaster and Bombyx mori. Here we complement the state of circular RNA research with the first characterization in a social insect. Results We identified numerous circular RNAs in the brain of A. mellifera nurse bees and forager bees using RNA-Seq with exonuclease enrichment. Presence and circularity were verified for the most abundant representatives. Back-splicing in honeybee occurs further towards the end of transcripts and in transcripts with a high number of exons. The occurrence of circularized exons is correlated with length and CpG-content of their flanking introns. The latter coincides with increased DNA-methylation in the respective loci. For two prominent circular RNAs the abundance in worker bee brains was quantified in TaqMan assays. In line with previous findings of circular RNAs in Drosophila, circAmrsmep2 accumulates with increasing age of the insect. In contrast, the levels of circAmrad appear age-independent and correlate with the bee’s task. Its parental gene is related to amnesia-resistant memory. Conclusions We provide the first characterization of circRNAs in a social insect. Many of the RNAs identified here show homologies to circular RNAs found in Drosophila and Bombyx, indicating that circular RNAs are a common feature among insects. We find that exon circularization is correlated to DNA-methylation at the flanking introns. The levels of circAmrad suggest a task-dependent abundance that is decoupled from age. Moreover, a GO term analysis shows an enrichment of task-related functions. We conclude that circular RNAs could be relevant for task allocation in honeybee and should be investigated further in this context. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-5402-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Friedman DA, Pilko A, Skowronska-Krawczyk D, Krasinska K, Parker JW, Hirsh J, Gordon DM. The Role of Dopamine in the Collective Regulation of Foraging in Harvester Ants. iScience 2018; 8:283-294. [PMID: 30270022 PMCID: PMC6205345 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Colonies of the red harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) differ in how they regulate collective foraging activity in response to changes in humidity. We used transcriptomic, physiological, and pharmacological experiments to investigate the molecular basis of this ecologically important variation in collective behavior among colonies. RNA sequencing of forager brain tissue showed an association between colony foraging activity and differential expression of transcripts related to biogenic amine and neurohormonal metabolism and signaling. In field experiments, pharmacological increases in forager brain dopamine titer caused significant increases in foraging activity. Colonies that were naturally most sensitive to humidity were significantly more responsive to the stimulatory effect of exogenous dopamine. In addition, forager brain tissue significantly varied among colonies in biogenic amine content. Neurophysiological variation among colonies associated with individual forager sensitivity to humidity may reflect the heritable molecular variation on which natural selection acts to shape the collective regulation of foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Friedman
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Anna Pilko
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences (QCB), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk
- Shiley Eye Institute, Richard C. Atkinson Lab for Regenerative Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Karolina Krasinska
- Stanford University Mass Spectrometry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jacqueline W Parker
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Jay Hirsh
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Deborah M Gordon
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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10
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Pomaville MB, Lent DD. Multiple Representations of Space by the Cockroach, Periplaneta americana. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1312. [PMID: 30104993 PMCID: PMC6077775 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
When cockroaches are trained to a visual–olfactory cue pairing using the antennal projection response (APR), they can form different memories for the location of a visual cue. A series of experiments, each examining memory for the spatial location of a visual cue, were performed using restrained cockroaches. The first group of experiments involved training cockroaches to associate a visual cue (CS—green LED) with an odor cue (US) in the presence or absence of a second visual reference cue (white LED). These experiments revealed that cockroaches have at least two forms of spatial memory. First, it was found that during learning, the movements of the antennae in response to the odor influenced the cockroaches’ memory. If they use only one antenna, cockroaches form a memory that results in an APR being elicited to the CS irrespective of its location in space. When using both antennae, the cockroaches resulting memory leads to an APR to the CS that is spatially confined to within 15° of the trained position. This memory represents an egocentric spatial representation. Second, the cockroaches simultaneously formed a memory for the angular spatial relationships between two visual cues when trained in the presence of a second visual reference cue. This training provided the cockroaches an allocentric representation or visual snapshot of the environment. If both egocentric and the visual snapshot were available to the cockroach to localize the learned cue, the visual snapshot determined the behavioral response in this assay. Finally, the split-brain assay was used to characterize the cockroach’s ability to establish a memory for the angular relationship between two visual cues with half a brain. Split-brain cockroaches were trained to unilaterally associate a pair of visual cues (CS—green LED and reference—white LED) with an odor cue (US). Split-brain cockroaches learned the general arrangement of the visual cues (i.e., the green LED is right of the white LED), but not the precise angular relationship. These experiments provide new insight into spatial memory processes in the cockroach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Pomaville
- Department of Biology, California State University, Fresno, CA, United States
| | - David D Lent
- Department of Biology, California State University, Fresno, CA, United States
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11
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Berens AJ, Tibbetts EA, Toth AL. Cognitive specialization for learning faces is associated with shifts in the brain transcriptome of a social wasp. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 220:2149-2153. [PMID: 28615487 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.155200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The specialized ability to learn and recall individuals based on distinct facial features is known in only a few, large-brained social taxa. Social paper wasps in the genus Polistes are the only insects known to possess this form of cognitive specialization. We analyzed genome-wide brain gene expression during facial and pattern training for two species of paper wasps (P. fuscatus, which has face recognition, and P. metricus, which does not) using RNA sequencing. We identified 237 transcripts associated with face specialization in P. fuscatus, including some transcripts involved in neuronal signaling (serotonin receptor and tachykinin). Polistes metricus that learned faces (without specialized learning) and P. fuscatus in social interactions with familiar partners (from a previous study) showed distinct sets of brain differentially expressed transcripts. These data suggest face specialization in P. fuscatus is related to shifts in the brain transcriptome associated with genes distinct from those related to general visual learning and social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali J Berens
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Tibbetts
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.,Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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12
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Li L, Su S, Perry CJ, Elphick MR, Chittka L, Søvik E. Large-scale transcriptome changes in the process of long-term visual memory formation in the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. Sci Rep 2018; 8:534. [PMID: 29323174 PMCID: PMC5765018 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18836-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Many genes have been implicated in mechanisms of long-term memory formation, but there is still much to be learnt about how the genome dynamically responds, transcriptionally, during memory formation. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to examine how transcriptome profiles change during visual memory formation in the bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). Expression of fifty-five genes changed immediately after bees were trained to associate reward with a single coloured chip, and the upregulated genes were predominantly genes known to be involved in signal transduction. Changes in the expression of eighty-one genes were observed four hours after learning a new colour, and the majority of these were upregulated and related to transcription and translation, which suggests that the building of new proteins may be the predominant activity four hours after training. Several of the genes identified in this study (e.g. Rab10, Shank1 and Arhgap44) are interesting candidates for further investigation of the molecular mechanisms of long-term memory formation. Our data demonstrate the dynamic gene expression changes after associative colour learning and identify genes involved in each transcriptional wave, which will be useful for future studies of gene regulation in learning and long-term memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK.
| | - Songkun Su
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
| | - Clint J Perry
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Maurice R Elphick
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Lars Chittka
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
- Institute for Advanced Study, Wallotstrasse 19, D-14193, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eirik Søvik
- Department of Science and Mathematics, Volda University College, 6100, Volda, Norway
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13
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Cervoni MS, Cardoso-Júnior CAM, Craveiro G, Souza ADO, Alberici LC, Hartfelder K. Mitochondrial capacity, oxidative damage and hypoxia gene expression are associated with age-related division of labor in honey bee ( Apis mellifera L.) workers. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:4035-4046. [PMID: 28912256 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.161844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
During adult life, honey bee workers undergo a succession of behavioral states. Nurse bees perform tasks inside the nest, and when they are about 2-3 weeks old they initiate foraging. This switch is associated with alterations in diet, and with the levels of juvenile hormone and vitellogenin circulating in hemolymph. It is not clear whether this behavioral maturation involves major changes at the cellular level, such as mitochondrial activity and the redox environment in the head, thorax and abdomen. Using high-resolution respirometry, biochemical assays and RT-qPCR, we evaluated the association of these parameters with this behavioral change. We found that tissues from the head and abdomen of nurses have a higher oxidative phosphorylation capacity than those of foragers, while for the thorax we found the opposite situation. As higher mitochondrial activity tends to generate more H2O2, and H2O2 is known to stabilize HIF-1α, this would be expected to stimulate hypoxia signaling. The positive correlation that we observed between mitochondrial activity and hif-1α gene expression in abdomen and head tissue of nurses would be in line with this hypothesis. Higher expression of antioxidant enzyme genes was observed in foragers, which could explain their low levels of protein carbonylation. No alterations were seen in nitric oxide (NO) levels, suggesting that NO signaling is unlikely to be involved in behavioral maturation. We conclude that the behavioral change seen in honey bee workers is reflected in differential mitochondrial activities and redox parameters, and we consider that this can provide insights into the underlying aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário S Cervoni
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos A M Cardoso-Júnior
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovana Craveiro
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anderson de O Souza
- Departamento de Física e Química, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciane C Alberici
- Departamento de Física e Química, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Klaus Hartfelder
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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14
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Kamhi JF, Sandridge-Gresko A, Walker C, Robson SKA, Traniello JFA. Worker brain development and colony organization in ants: Does division of labor influence neuroplasticity? Dev Neurobiol 2017; 77:1072-1085. [PMID: 28276652 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Brain compartment size allometries may adaptively reflect cognitive needs associated with behavioral development and ecology. Ants provide an informative system to study the relationship of neural architecture and development because worker tasks and sensory inputs may change with age. Additionally, tasks may be divided among morphologically and behaviorally differentiated worker groups (subcastes), reducing repertoire size through specialization and aligning brain structure with task-specific cognitive requirements. We hypothesized that division of labor may decrease developmental neuroplasticity in workers due to the apparently limited behavioral flexibility associated with task specialization. To test this hypothesis, we compared macroscopic and cellular neuroanatomy in two ant sister clades with striking contrasts in worker morphological differentiation and colony-level social organization: Oecophylla smaragdina, a socially complex species with large colonies and behaviorally distinct dimorphic workers, and Formica subsericea, a socially basic species with small colonies containing monomorphic workers. We quantified volumes of functionally distinct brain compartments in newly eclosed and mature workers and measured the effects of visual experience on synaptic complex (microglomeruli) organization in the mushroom bodies-regions of higher-order sensory integration-to determine the extent of experience-dependent neuroplasticity. We demonstrate that, contrary to our hypothesis, O. smaragdina workers have significant age-related volume increases and synaptic reorganization in the mushroom bodies, whereas F. subsericea workers have reduced age-related neuroplasticity. We also found no visual experience-dependent synaptic reorganization in either species. Our findings thus suggest that changes in the mushroom body with age are associated with division of labor, and therefore social complexity, in ants. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 1072-1085, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Frances Kamhi
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215.,Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
| | - Aynsley Sandridge-Gresko
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138
| | - Christina Walker
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
| | - Simon K A Robson
- Zoology and Ecology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - James F A Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215.,Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
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15
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Shpigler HY, Saul MC, Murdoch EE, Cash-Ahmed AC, Seward CH, Sloofman L, Chandrasekaran S, Sinha S, Stubbs LJ, Robinson GE. Behavioral, transcriptomic and epigenetic responses to social challenge in honey bees. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2017; 16:579-591. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- H. Y. Shpigler
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - M. C. Saul
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - E. E. Murdoch
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - A. C. Cash-Ahmed
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - C. H. Seward
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - L. Sloofman
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - S. Chandrasekaran
- Harvard Society of Fellows; Harvard University; Cambridge MA USA
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences; Harvard University; Cambridge MA USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge MA USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - S. Sinha
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Department of Computer Science; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Department of Entomology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - L. J. Stubbs
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Neuroscience Program; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - G. E. Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Department of Entomology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Neuroscience Program; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
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16
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Van Nest BN, Wagner AE, Marrs GS, Fahrbach SE. Volume and density of microglomeruli in the honey bee mushroom bodies do not predict performance on a foraging task. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 77:1057-1071. [PMID: 28245532 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The mushroom bodies (MBs) are insect brain regions important for sensory integration, learning, and memory. In adult worker honey bees (Apis mellifera), the volume of neuropil associated with the MBs is larger in experienced foragers compared with hive bees and less experienced foragers. In addition, the characteristic synaptic structures of the calycal neuropils, the microglomeruli, are larger but present at lower density in 35-day-old foragers relative to 1-day-old workers. Age- and experience-based changes in plasticity of the MBs are assumed to support performance of challenging tasks, but the behavioral consequences of brain plasticity in insects are rarely examined. In this study, foragers were recruited from a field hive to a patch comprising two colors of otherwise identical artificial flowers. Flowers of one color contained a sucrose reward mimicking nectar; flowers of the second were empty. Task difficulty was adjusted by changing flower colors according to the principle of honey bee color vision space. Microglomerular volume and density in the lip (olfactory inputs) and collar (visual inputs) compartments of the MB calyces were analyzed using anti-synapsin I immunolabeling and laser scanning confocal microscopy. Foragers displayed significant variation in microglomerular volume and density, but no correlation was found between these synaptic attributes and foraging performance. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 1057-1071, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron N Van Nest
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.,Wake Forest School of Medicine, Neuroscience Program, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.,Center for Molecular Communication and Signaling, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Ashley E Wagner
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
| | - Glen S Marrs
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.,Wake Forest School of Medicine, Neuroscience Program, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.,Center for Molecular Communication and Signaling, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Susan E Fahrbach
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.,Wake Forest School of Medicine, Neuroscience Program, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.,Center for Molecular Communication and Signaling, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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17
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Becker N, Kucharski R, Rössler W, Maleszka R. Age-dependent transcriptional and epigenomic responses to light exposure in the honey bee brain. FEBS Open Bio 2016; 6:622-39. [PMID: 27398303 PMCID: PMC4932443 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Light is a powerful environmental stimulus of special importance in social honey bees that undergo a behavioral transition from in-hive to outdoor foraging duties. Our previous work has shown that light exposure induces structural neuronal plasticity in the mushroom bodies (MBs), a brain center implicated in processing inputs from sensory modalities. Here, we extended these analyses to the molecular level to unravel light-induced transcriptomic and epigenomic changes in the honey bee brain. We have compared gene expression in brain compartments of 1- and 7-day-old light-exposed honey bees with age-matched dark-kept individuals. We have found a number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), both novel and conserved, including several genes with reported roles in neuronal plasticity. Most of the DEGs show age-related changes in the amplitude of light-induced expression and are likely to be both developmentally and environmentally regulated. Some of the DEGs are either known to be methylated or are implicated in epigenetic processes suggesting that responses to light exposure are at least partly regulated at the epigenome level. Consistent with this idea light alters the DNA methylation pattern of bgm, one of the DEGs affected by light exposure, and the expression of microRNA miR-932. This confirms the usefulness of our approach to identify candidate genes for neuronal plasticity and provides evidence for the role of epigenetic processes in driving the molecular responses to visual stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Becker
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology Biozentrum University of Würzburg Germany
| | - Robert Kucharski
- Research School of Biology The Australian National University Acton Australia
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology Biozentrum University of Würzburg Germany
| | - Ryszard Maleszka
- Research School of Biology The Australian National University Acton Australia
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18
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Khamis AM, Hamilton AR, Medvedeva YA, Alam T, Alam I, Essack M, Umylny B, Jankovic BR, Naeger NL, Suzuki M, Harbers M, Robinson GE, Bajic VB. Insights into the Transcriptional Architecture of Behavioral Plasticity in the Honey Bee Apis mellifera. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11136. [PMID: 26073445 PMCID: PMC4466890 DOI: 10.1038/srep11136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee colonies exhibit an age-related division of labor, with worker bees performing discrete sets of behaviors throughout their lifespan. These behavioral states are associated with distinct brain transcriptomic states, yet little is known about the regulatory mechanisms governing them. We used CAGEscan (a variant of the Cap Analysis of Gene Expression technique) for the first time to characterize the promoter regions of differentially expressed brain genes during two behavioral states (brood care (aka “nursing”) and foraging) and identified transcription factors (TFs) that may govern their expression. More than half of the differentially expressed TFs were associated with motifs enriched in the promoter regions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), suggesting they are regulators of behavioral state. Strikingly, five TFs (nf-kb, egr, pax6, hairy, and clockwork orange) were predicted to co-regulate nearly half of the genes that were upregulated in foragers. Finally, differences in alternative TSS usage between nurses and foragers were detected upstream of 646 genes, whose functional analysis revealed enrichment for Gene Ontology terms associated with neural function and plasticity. This demonstrates for the first time that alternative TSSs are associated with stable differences in behavior, suggesting they may play a role in organizing behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah M Khamis
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adam R Hamilton
- Departments of Entomology and Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL 61801; and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Yulia A Medvedeva
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tanvir Alam
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Intikhab Alam
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Magbubah Essack
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Boris Umylny
- Lumenogix Inc., 2935 Rodeo Park Drive East, Santa Fe NM, 87505, USA
| | - Boris R Jankovic
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nicholas L Naeger
- Departments of Entomology and Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL 61801; and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Makoto Suzuki
- DNAFORM Inc., Leading Venture Plaza-2, 75-1, Ono-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0046, Japan
| | - Matthias Harbers
- 1] DNAFORM Inc., Leading Venture Plaza-2, 75-1, Ono-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0046, Japan [2] RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Departments of Entomology and Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL 61801; and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Vladimir B Bajic
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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19
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Castillo P, Pietrantonio PV. Differences in sNPF receptor-expressing neurons in brains of fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) worker subcastes: indicators for division of labor and nutritional status? PLoS One 2013; 8:e83966. [PMID: 24376775 PMCID: PMC3869854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, the neuronal and molecular mechanisms related to worker division of labor are poorly understood. Workers from different subcastes (major, medium and minors) perform different tasks, which are loosely associated with their size. We hypothesized that the short neuropeptide F (sNPF) signaling system (NPY-like) could be involved in mechanisms of worker division of labor and sensing or responding to colony nutritional requirements. Thus, we investigated the expression of the short neuropeptide F receptor (sNPFR) in the brain and subesophageal ganglion (SEG) of workers from colonies with and without brood. Across worker subcastes a total of 9 clusters of immunoreactive sNPFR cells were localized in the brain and the subesophageal ganglion (SEG); some of these cells were similar to those observed previously in the queen. Worker brain sNPFR cell clusters were found in the protocerebrum near mushroom bodies, in the central complex and in the lateral horn. Other sNPFR immunoreactive cells were found at the edge of the antennal lobes. Across subcastes, we observed both a constant and a differential pattern of sNPFR clusters, with a higher number of sNPFR cells found in minor than in major workers. Those sNPFR cells detected in all worker subcastes appear to be involved in olfaction or SEG functions. The differential expression of clusters in subcastes suggests that sNPFR signaling is involved in regulating behaviors associated with specific subcastes and thus, division of labor. Some sNPFR cells appear to be involved in nutrient sensing and/or brood care, feeding behavior and locomotion. In colonies without brood, workers showed a lower cluster number, and an overall reduced sNPFR signal. Our results suggest the sNPF signaling system is a candidate for the neurobiological control of worker division of labor and sensing brood presence, perhaps correlating with protein requirements and availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Castillo
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Patricia V. Pietrantonio
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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20
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Lutz CC, Robinson GE. Activity-dependent gene expression in honey bee mushroom bodies in response to orientation flight. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 216:2031-8. [PMID: 23678099 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.084905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The natural history of adult worker honey bees (Apis mellifera) provides an opportunity to study the molecular basis of learning in an ecological context. Foragers must learn to navigate between the hive and floral locations that may be up to miles away. Young pre-foragers prepare for this task by performing orientation flights near the hive, during which they begin to learn navigational cues such as the appearance of the hive, the position of landmarks, and the movement of the sun. Despite well-described spatial learning and navigation behavior, there is currently limited information on the neural basis of insect spatial learning. We found that Egr, an insect homolog of Egr-1, is rapidly and transiently upregulated in the mushroom bodies in response to orientation. This result is the first example of an Egr-1 homolog acting as a learning-related immediate-early gene in an insect and also demonstrates that honey bee orientation uses a molecular mechanism that is known to be involved in many other forms of learning. This transcriptional response occurred both in naïve bees and in foragers induced to re-orient. Further experiments suggest that visual environmental novelty, rather than exercise or memorization of specific visual cues, acts as the stimulus for Egr upregulation. Our results implicate the mushroom bodies in spatial learning and emphasize the deep conservation of Egr-related pathways in experience-dependent plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia C Lutz
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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21
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McDonnell CM, Alaux C, Parrinello H, Desvignes JP, Crauser D, Durbesson E, Beslay D, Le Conte Y. Ecto- and endoparasite induce similar chemical and brain neurogenomic responses in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). BMC Ecol 2013; 13:25. [PMID: 23866001 PMCID: PMC3725162 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6785-13-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Exclusion from a social group is an effective way to avoid parasite transmission. This type of social removal has also been proposed as a form of collective defense, or social immunity, in eusocial insect groups. If parasitic modification of host behavior is widespread in social insects, the underlying physiological and neuronal mechanisms remain to be investigated. We studied this phenomenon in honey bees parasitized by the mite Varroa destructor or microsporidia Nosema ceranae, which make bees leave the hive precociously. We characterized the chemical, behavioral and neurogenomic changes in parasitized bees, and compared the effects of both parasites. Results Analysis of cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) showed changes in honey bees parasitized by either Nosema ceranae or Varroa destructor after 5 days of infestation. Levels of 10-HDA, an antiseptic important for social immunity, did not change in response to parasitism. Behavioral analysis of N. ceranae- or V. destructor- parasitized bees revealed no significant differences in their behavioral acts or social interactions with nestmates. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis of parasitized honey bee brains demonstrated that, despite the difference in developmental stage at which the bee is parasitized, Nosema and Varroa-infested bees shared more gene changes with each other than with honey bee brain expression gene sets for forager or nurse castes. Conclusions Parasitism by Nosema or Varroa induces changes to both the CHC profiles on the surface of the bee and transcriptomic profiles in the brain, but within the social context of the hive, does not result in observable effects on her behavior or behavior towards her. While parasitized bees are reported to leave the hive as foragers, their brain transcription profiles suggest that their behavior is not driven by the same molecular pathways that induce foraging behavior.
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22
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Zayed A, Robinson GE. Understanding the relationship between brain gene expression and social behavior: lessons from the honey bee. Annu Rev Genet 2012; 46:591-615. [PMID: 22994354 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-110711-155517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Behavior is a complex phenotype that is plastic and evolutionarily labile. The advent of genomics has revolutionized the field of behavioral genetics by providing tools to quantify the dynamic nature of brain gene expression in relation to behavioral output. The honey bee Apis mellifera provides an excellent platform for investigating the relationship between brain gene expression and behavior given both the remarkable behavioral repertoire expressed by members of its intricate society and the degree to which behavior is influenced by heredity and the social environment. Here, we review a linked series of studies that assayed changes in honey bee brain transcriptomes associated with natural and experimentally induced changes in behavioral state. These experiments demonstrate that brain gene expression is closely linked with behavior, that changes in brain gene expression mediate changes in behavior, and that the association between specific genes and behavior exists over multiple timescales, from physiological to evolutionary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amro Zayed
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada.
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23
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New meta-analysis tools reveal common transcriptional regulatory basis for multiple determinants of behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:E1801-10. [PMID: 22691501 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1205283109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental problem in meta-analysis is how to systematically combine information from multiple statistical tests to rigorously evaluate a single overarching hypothesis. This problem occurs in systems biology when attempting to map genomic attributes to complex phenotypes such as behavior. Behavior and other complex phenotypes are influenced by intrinsic and environmental determinants that act on the transcriptome, but little is known about how these determinants interact at the molecular level. We developed an informatic technique that identifies statistically significant meta-associations between gene expression patterns and transcription factor combinations. Deploying this technique for brain transcriptome profiles from ca. 400 individual bees, we show that diverse determinants of behavior rely on shared combinations of transcription factors. These relationships were revealed only when we considered complex and variable regulatory rules, suggesting that these shared transcription factors are used in distinct ways by different determinants. This regulatory code would have been missed by traditional gene coexpression or cis-regulatory analytic methods. We expect that our meta-analysis tools will be useful for a broad array of problems in systems biology and other fields.
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Greenberg JK, Xia J, Zhou X, Thatcher SR, Gu X, Ament SA, Newman TC, Green PJ, Zhang W, Robinson GE, Ben-Shahar Y. Behavioral plasticity in honey bees is associated with differences in brain microRNA transcriptome. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2012; 11:660-70. [PMID: 22409512 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2012.00782.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Small, non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in many biological processes, including the development of the nervous system. However, the roles of miRNAs in natural behavioral and neuronal plasticity are not well understood. To help address this we characterized the microRNA transcriptome in the adult worker honey bee head and investigated whether changes in microRNA expression levels in the brain are associated with division of labor among honey bees, a well-established model for socially regulated behavior. We determined that several miRNAs were downregulated in bees that specialize on brood care (nurses) relative to foragers. Additional experiments showed that this downregulation is dependent upon social context; it only occurred when nurse bees were in colonies that also contained foragers. Analyses of conservation patterns of brain-expressed miRNAs across Hymenoptera suggest a role for certain miRNAs in the evolution of the Aculeata, which includes all the eusocial hymenopteran species. Our results support the intriguing hypothesis that miRNAs are important regulators of social behavior at both developmental and evolutionary time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Greenberg
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Dobrin SE, Fahrbach SE. Rho GTPase activity in the honey bee mushroom bodies is correlated with age and foraging experience. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2012; 58:228-234. [PMID: 22108023 PMCID: PMC3256268 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2011] [Revised: 11/08/2011] [Accepted: 11/09/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Foraging experience is correlated with structural plasticity of the mushroom bodies of the honey bee brain. While several neurotransmitter and intracellular signaling pathways have been previously implicated as mediators of these structural changes, none interact directly with the cytoskeleton, the ultimate effector of changes in neuronal morphology. The Rho family of GTPases are small, monomeric G proteins that, when activated, initiate a signaling cascade that reorganizes the neuronal cytoskeleton. In this study, we measured activity of two members of the Rho family of GTPases, Rac and RhoA, in the mushroom bodies of bees with different durations of foraging experience. A transient increase in Rac activity coupled with a transient decrease in RhoA activity was found in honey bees with 4 days foraging experience compared with same-aged new foragers. These observations are in accord with previous reports based on studies of other species of a growth supporting role for Rac and a growth opposing role for RhoA. This is the first report of Rho GTPase activation in the honey bee brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott E Dobrin
- Neuroscience Program, Wake Forest University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
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