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Tadano H, Kohno H, Takeuchi H, Kubo T. Unique spatially and temporary-regulated/sex-specific expression of a long ncRNA, Nb-1, suggesting its pleiotropic functions associated with honey bee lifecycle. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8701. [PMID: 38622193 PMCID: PMC11018616 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59494-6] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Honey bees are social insects, and each colony member has unique morphological and physiological traits associated with their social tasks. Previously, we identified a long non-coding RNA from honey bees, termed Nb-1, whose expression in the brain decreases associated with the age-polyethism of workers and is detected in some neurosecretory cells and octopaminergic neurons, suggesting its role in the regulation of worker labor transition. Herein, we investigated its spatially and temporary-regulated/sex-specific expression. Nb-1 was expressed as an abundant maternal RNA during oogenesis and embryogenesis in both sexes. In addition, Nb-1 was expressed preferentially in the proliferating neuroblasts of the mushroom bodies (a higher-order center of the insect brain) in the pupal brains, suggesting its role in embryogenesis and mushroom body development. On the contrary, Nb-1 was expressed in a drone-specific manner in the pupal and adult retina, suggesting its role in the drone visual development and/or sense. Subcellular localization of Nb-1 in the brain during development differed depending on the cell type. Considering that Nb-1 is conserved only in Apidae, our findings suggest that Nb-1 potentially has pleiotropic functions in the expression of multiple developmental, behavioral, and physiological traits, which are closely associated with the honey bee lifecycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto Tadano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kohno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hideaki Takeuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Integrative Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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Kuwabara T, Kohno H, Hatakeyama M, Kubo T. Evolutionary dynamics of mushroom body Kenyon cell types in hymenopteran brains from multifunctional type to functionally specialized types. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd4201. [PMID: 37146148 PMCID: PMC10162674 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add4201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary dynamics of diversification of brain neuronal cell types that have underlain behavioral evolution remain largely unknown. Here, we compared transcriptomes and functions of Kenyon cell (KC) types that compose the mushroom bodies between the honey bee and sawfly, a primitive hymenopteran insect whose KCs likely have the ancestral properties. Transcriptome analyses show that the sawfly KC type shares some of the gene expression profile with each honey bee KC type, although unique gene expression profiles have also been acquired in each honey bee KC type. In addition, functional analysis of two sawfly genes suggested that the functions in learning and memory of the ancestral KC type were heterogeneously inherited among the KC types in the honey bee. Our findings strongly suggest that the functional evolution of KCs in Hymenoptera involved two previously hypothesized processes for evolution of cell function: functional segregation and divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayoshi Kuwabara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kohno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masatsugu Hatakeyama
- Division of Insect Advanced Technology, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, NARO, Owashi, Tsukuba 305-8634, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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3
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Matsumura Y, To TK, Kunieda T, Kohno H, Kakutani T, Kubo T. Mblk-1/E93, an ecdysone related-transcription factor, targets synaptic plasticity-related genes in the honey bee mushroom bodies. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21367. [PMID: 36494426 PMCID: PMC9734179 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23329-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Among hymenopteran insects, aculeate species such as bees, ants, and wasps have enlarged and morphologically elaborate mushroom bodies (MBs), a higher-order brain center in the insect, implying their relationship with the advanced behavioral traits of aculeate species. The molecular bases leading to the acquisition of complicated MB functions, however, remains unclear. We previously reported the constitutive and MB-preferential expression of an ecdysone-signaling related transcription factor, Mblk-1/E93, in the honey bee brain. Here, we searched for target genes of Mblk-1 in the worker honey bee MBs using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequence analyses and found that Mblk-1 targets several genes involved in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory abilities. We also demonstrated that Mblk-1 expression is self-regulated via Mblk-1-binding sites, which are located upstream of Mblk-1. Furthermore, we showed that the number of the Mblk-1-binding motif located upstream of Mblk-1 homologs increased associated with evolution of hymenopteran insects. Our findings suggest that Mblk-1, which has been focused on as a developmental gene transiently induced by ecdysone, has acquired a novel expression pattern to play a role in synaptic plasticity in honey bee MBs, raising a possibility that molecular evolution of Mblk-1 may have partly contributed to the elaboration of MB function in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Matsumura
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taiko Kim To
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takekazu Kunieda
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kohno
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuji Kakutani
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Sheng L, Shields EJ, Gospocic J, Glastad KM, Ratchasanmuang P, Berger SL, Raj A, Little S, Bonasio R. Social reprogramming in ants induces longevity-associated glia remodeling. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaba9869. [PMID: 32875108 PMCID: PMC7438095 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba9869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
In social insects, workers and queens arise from the same genome but display profound differences in behavior and longevity. In Harpegnathos saltator ants, adult workers can transition to a queen-like state called gamergate, which results in reprogramming of social behavior and life-span extension. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we compared the distribution of neuronal and glial populations before and after the social transition. We found that the conversion of workers into gamergates resulted in the expansion of neuroprotective ensheathing glia. Brain injury assays revealed that activation of the damage response gene Mmp1 was weaker in old workers, where the relative frequency of ensheathing glia also declined. On the other hand, long-lived gamergates retained a larger fraction of ensheathing glia and the ability to mount a strong Mmp1 response to brain injury into old age. We also observed molecular and cellular changes suggestive of age-associated decline in ensheathing glia in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Sheng
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emily J. Shields
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Graduate Group in Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Janko Gospocic
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Karl M. Glastad
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Puttachai Ratchasanmuang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shelley L. Berger
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arjun Raj
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shawn Little
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Roberto Bonasio
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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5
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Kumagai H, Kunieda T, Nakamura K, Matsumura Y, Namiki M, Kohno H, Kubo T. Developmental stage-specific distribution and phosphorylation of Mblk-1, a transcription factor involved in ecdysteroid-signaling in the honey bee brain. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8735. [PMID: 32457433 PMCID: PMC7250831 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65327-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In the honey bee, the mushroom bodies (MBs), a higher-order center in insect brain, comprise interneurons termed Kenyon cells (KCs). We previously reported that Mblk-1, which encodes a transcription factor involved in ecdysteroid-signaling, is expressed preferentially in the large-type KCs (lKCs) in the pupal and adult worker brain and that phosphorylation by the Ras/MAPK pathway enhances the transcriptional activity of Mblk-1 in vitro. In the present study, we performed immunoblotting and immunofluorescence studies using affinity-purified anti-Mblk-1 and anti-phosphorylated Mblk-1 antibodies to analyze the distribution and phosphorylation of Mblk-1 in the brains of pupal and adult workers. Mblk-1 was preferentially expressed in the lKCs in both pupal and adult worker brains. In contrast, some Mblk-1 was phosphorylated almost exclusively in the pupal stages, and phosphorylated Mblk-1 was preferentially expressed in the MB neuroblasts and lKCs in pupal brains. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that both Mblk-1 and phosphorylated Mblk-1 are located in both the cytoplasm and nuclei of the lKC somata in the pupal and adult worker brains. These findings suggest that Mblk-1 plays a role in the lKCs in both pupal and adult stages and that phosphorylated Mblk-1 has pupal stage-specific functions in the MB neuroblasts and lKCs in the honey bee brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitomi Kumagai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takekazu Kunieda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Korefumi Nakamura
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Matsumura
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Manami Namiki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kohno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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6
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Genetics in the Honey Bee: Achievements and Prospects toward the Functional Analysis of Molecular and Neural Mechanisms Underlying Social Behaviors. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10100348. [PMID: 31623209 PMCID: PMC6835989 DOI: 10.3390/insects10100348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The European honey bee is a model organism for studying social behaviors. Comprehensive analyses focusing on the differential expression profiles of genes between the brains of nurse bees and foragers, or in the mushroom bodies—the brain structure related to learning and memory, and multimodal sensory integration—has identified candidate genes related to honey bee behaviors. Despite accumulating knowledge on the expression profiles of genes related to honey bee behaviors, it remains unclear whether these genes actually regulate social behaviors in the honey bee, in part because of the scarcity of genetic manipulation methods available for application to the honey bee. In this review, we describe the genetic methods applied to studies of the honey bee, ranging from classical forward genetics to recently developed gene modification methods using transposon and CRISPR/Cas9. We then discuss future functional analyses using these genetic methods targeting genes identified by the preceding research. Because no particular genes or neurons unique to social insects have been found yet, further exploration of candidate genes/neurons correlated with sociality through comprehensive analyses of mushroom bodies in the aculeate species can provide intriguing targets for functional analyses, as well as insight into the molecular and neural bases underlying social behaviors.
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7
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Catae AF, da Silva Menegasso AR, Pratavieira M, Palma MS, Malaspina O, Roat TC. MALDI-imaging analyses of honeybee brains exposed to a neonicotinoid insecticide. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2019; 75:607-615. [PMID: 30393944 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxicological studies evaluating the possible harmful effects of pesticides on bees are important and allow the emergence of protection and pollinator conservation strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of exposure to a sublethal concentration of imidacloprid (LC50/100 : 0.014651 ng imidacloprid µL-1 diet) on the distribution of certain proteins identified in the brain of Apis mellifera worker bees using a MALDI-imaging approach. This technique enables proteomic analysis of tissues in situ by monitoring the spatiotemporal dynamics of the biochemical processes occurring at a specific time in specific brain neuropils. For this purpose, foraging bees were exposed to an 8-day diet containing a sublethal concentration of imidacloprid corresponding to the LC50/100 . Bees were collected on day 8 of exposure, and their brains analyzed using protein density maps. RESULTS The results showed that exposure to imidacloprid led to a series of biochemical changes, including alterations in synapse regulation, apoptosis regulation and oxidative stress, which may adversely impair the physiology of these colony bees. CONCLUSION Worker bee contact with even tiny amounts of imidacloprid had potent effects leading to the overexpression of a series of proteins related to important cellular processes that were possibly damaged by the insecticide. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline F Catae
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Anally R da Silva Menegasso
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Marcel Pratavieira
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Mario S Palma
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Osmar Malaspina
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Thaisa C Roat
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
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8
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Suenami S, Oya S, Kohno H, Kubo T. Kenyon Cell Subtypes/Populations in the Honeybee Mushroom Bodies: Possible Function Based on Their Gene Expression Profiles, Differentiation, Possible Evolution, and Application of Genome Editing. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1717. [PMID: 30333766 PMCID: PMC6176018 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mushroom bodies (MBs), a higher-order center in the honeybee brain, comprise some subtypes/populations of interneurons termed as Kenyon cells (KCs), which are distinguished by their cell body size and location in the MBs, as well as their gene expression profiles. Although the role of MBs in learning ability has been studied extensively in the honeybee, the roles of each KC subtype and their evolution in hymenopteran insects remain mostly unknown. This mini-review describes recent progress in the analysis of gene/protein expression profiles and possible functions of KC subtypes/populations in the honeybee. Especially, the discovery of novel KC subtypes/populations, the “middle-type KCs” and “KC population expressing FoxP,” necessitated a redefinition of the KC subtype/population. Analysis of the effects of inhibiting gene function in a KC subtype-preferential manner revealed the function of the gene product as well as of the KC subtype where it is expressed. Genes expressed in a KC subtype/population-preferential manner can be used to trace the differentiation of KC subtypes during the honeybee ontogeny and the possible evolution of KC subtypes in hymenopteran insects. Current findings suggest that the three KC subtypes are unique characteristics to the aculeate hymenopteran insects. Finally, prospects regarding future application of genome editing for the study of KC subtype functions in the honeybee are described. Genes expressed in a KC subtype-preferential manner can be good candidate target genes for genome editing, because they are likely related to highly advanced brain functions and some of them are dispensable for normal development and sexual maturation in honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Suenami
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoyo Oya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kohno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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9
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Kohno H, Kubo T. mKast is dispensable for normal development and sexual maturation of the male European honeybee. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11877. [PMID: 30131569 PMCID: PMC6104065 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30380-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) exhibits various social behaviors. The molecular and neural mechanisms underlying these behaviors have long been explored, but causal relations between genes or neurons and behaviors remain to be elucidated because effective gene manipulation methods in the honeybee have not been available until recently. We recently established a basic technology to produce mutant honeybee drones using CRISPR/Cas9. Here we produced mutant drones using CRISPR/Cas9 targeting mKast, which is preferentially expressed in a certain subtype of class I Kenyon cells that comprise the mushroom bodies in the honeybee brain. By immunoblot analysis, we showed that mKast protein expression was completely lost in the mutant drone heads. In addition, during the production process of homozygous mutant workers, we demonstrated that heterozygous mutant workers could be produced by artificial insemination of wild-type queens with the sperm of mutant drones, indicating that mKast mutant drones were sexually mature. These results demonstrate that mKast is dispensable for normal development and sexual maturation in drone honeybees, and allow us to proceed with the production of homozygous mutant workers for the analysis of a particular gene by gene knockout in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Kohno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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10
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Suenami S, Iino S, Kubo T. Pharmacologic inhibition of phospholipase C in the brain attenuates early memory formation in the honeybee ( Apis mellifera L.). Biol Open 2018; 7:bio.028191. [PMID: 29330349 PMCID: PMC5829494 DOI: 10.1242/bio.028191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the molecular mechanisms involved in learning and memory in insects have been studied intensively, the intracellular signaling mechanisms involved in early memory formation are not fully understood. We previously demonstrated that phospholipase C epsilon (PLCe), whose product is involved in calcium signaling, is almost selectively expressed in the mushroom bodies, a brain structure important for learning and memory in the honeybee. Here, we pharmacologically examined the role of phospholipase C (PLC) in learning and memory in the honeybee. First, we identified four genes for PLC subtypes in the honeybee genome database. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that, among these four genes, three, including PLCe, were expressed higher in the brain than in sensory organs in worker honeybees, suggesting their main roles in the brain. Edelfosine and neomycin, pan-PLC inhibitors, significantly decreased PLC activities in homogenates of the brain tissues. These drugs injected into the head of foragers significantly attenuated memory acquisition in comparison with the control groups, whereas memory retention was not affected. These findings suggest that PLC in the brain is involved in early memory formation in the honeybee. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a role for PLC in learning and memory in an insect. Summary: Intracellular signaling involved in early memory formation in insects is not fully understood. Here, we pharmacologically elucidated the role of phospholipase C in learning and memory in the honeybee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Suenami
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
| | - Shiori Iino
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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11
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Increased complexity of mushroom body Kenyon cell subtypes in the brain is associated with behavioral evolution in hymenopteran insects. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13785. [PMID: 29062138 PMCID: PMC5653845 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14174-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In insect brains, the mushroom bodies (MBs) are a higher-order center for sensory integration and memory. Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) MBs comprise four Kenyon cell (KC) subtypes: class I large-, middle-, and small-type, and class II KCs, which are distinguished by the size and location of somata, and gene expression profiles. Although these subtypes have only been reported in the honeybee, the time of their acquisition during evolution remains unknown. Here we performed in situ hybridization of tachykinin-related peptide, which is differentially expressed among KC subtypes in the honeybee MBs, in four hymenopteran species to analyze whether the complexity of KC subtypes is associated with their behavioral traits. Three class I KC subtypes were detected in the MBs of the eusocial hornet Vespa mandarinia and the nidificating scoliid wasp Campsomeris prismatica, like in A. mellifera, whereas only two class I KC subtypes were detected in the parasitic wasp Ascogaster reticulata. In contrast, we were unable to detect class I KC subtype in the primitive and phytophagous sawfly Arge similis. Our findings suggest that the number of class I KC subtypes increased at least twice - first with the evolution of the parasitic lifestyle and then with the evolution of nidification.
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12
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Yamane A, Kohno H, Ikeda T, Kaneko K, Ugajin A, Fujita T, Kunieda T, Kubo T. Gene expression and immunohistochemical analyses of mKast suggest its late pupal and adult-specific functions in the honeybee brain. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176809. [PMID: 28472083 PMCID: PMC5417555 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In insect brains, the mushroom bodies (MBs, a higher center) comprise intrinsic neurons, termed Kenyon cells (KCs). We previously showed that the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) MBs comprise four types of KCs, in addition to the previously known three types of KCs: class I large-type KCs (lKCs), class I small-type KCs (sKCs) and class II KCs, novel class I 'middle-type' KCs (mKCs), which are characterized by the preferential expression of a gene, termed mKast. Although mKast was originally discovered during the search for genes whose expression is enriched in the optic lobes (OLs) in the worker brain, subsequent analysis revealed that the gene is expressed in an mKC-preferential manner in the MBs. To gain more insights into the function of mKast in the honeybee brain, we here performed expression analysis of mKast and immunohistochemistry of the mKast protein. Prominent mKast expression was first detected in the brain after the P7 pupal stage. In addition, mKast was expressed almost selectively in the brain, suggesting its late pupal and adult specific functions in the brain. Immunohistochemistry revealed that mKast-like immunoreactivity is detected in several regions in the worker brain: inside and around the MB calyces, at the outer edges of the OL lobula, at the outer surface of and posterior to the antennal lobes (ALs), along the dorsal midline of the anterior brain and at the outer surface of the subesophageal ganglions (SOG). mKast-like immunoreactivities in the MBs, OLs, ALs and SOG were due to the corresponding neurons, while mKast-like immunoreactivities beneath/between the MB calyces were assumed to most likely correspond to the lateral/medial neurosecretory cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuhiro Yamane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kohno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsubomi Ikeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kumi Kaneko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Ugajin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Fujita
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takekazu Kunieda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Kohno H, Suenami S, Takeuchi H, Sasaki T, Kubo T. Production of Knockout Mutants by CRISPR/Cas9 in the European Honeybee, Apis mellifera L. Zoolog Sci 2017; 33:505-512. [PMID: 27715425 DOI: 10.2108/zs160043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) is used as a model organism in studies of the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying social behaviors and/or advanced brain functions. The entire honeybee genome has been sequenced, which has further advanced molecular biologic studies of the honeybee. Functions of genes of interest, however, remain largely to be elucidated in the honeybee due to the lack of effective reverse genetic methods. Moreover, genetically modified honeybees must be maintained under restricted laboratory conditions due to legal restrictions, further complicating the application of reverse genetics to this species. Here we applied CRISPR/Cas9 to the honeybee to develop an effective reverse genetic method. We targeted major royal jelly protein 1 (mrjp1) for genome editing, because this gene is predominantly expressed in adult workers and its mutation is not expected to affect normal development. By injecting sgRNA and Cas9 mRNA into 57 fertilized embryos collected within 3 h after oviposition, we successfully created six queens, one of which produced genome-edited male offspring. Of the 161 males produced, genotyping demonstrated that the genome was edited in 20 males. All of the processes necessary for producing these genome-edited queens and males were performed in the laboratory. Therefore, we developed essential techniques to create knockout honeybees by CRISPR/Cas9. Our findings also suggested that mrjp1 is dispensable for normal male development, at least till the pupal stage. This new technology could pave the way for future functional analyses of candidate genes involved in honeybee social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Kohno
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Shota Suenami
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hideaki Takeuchi
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Tetsuhiko Sasaki
- 2 Honeybee Science Research Center, Research Institute, Tamagawa University,Machida, Tokyo 194-8610, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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Mblk-1 Transcription Factor Family: Its Roles in Various Animals and Regulation by NOL4 Splice Variants in Mammals. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18020246. [PMID: 28125049 PMCID: PMC5343783 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18020246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Revised: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors play critical roles in regulation of neural development and functions. A transcription factor Mblk-1 was previously reported from a screen for factors possibly important for the higher brain functions of the honeybee. This review first summarizes how Mblk-1 was identified, and then provides an overview of the studies of Mblk-1 and their homologs. Mblk-1 family proteins are found broadly in animals and are shown to affect transcription activities. Studies have revealed that the mammalian homologs can interact with several cofactors and together regulate transcription. Interestingly, a recent study using the mouse homologs, Mlr1 and Mlr2, showed that one of their cofactor proteins, NOL4, have several splice variants with different effects on the transactivation activities of Mlr proteins. These findings suggest that there is an additional layer of the regulation of Mblk-1 family proteins by cofactor splice variants and provide novel insights into our current understanding of the roles of the conserved transcription factor family.
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Kaneko K, Suenami S, Kubo T. Gene expression profiles and neural activities of Kenyon cell subtypes in the honeybee brain: identification of novel 'middle-type' Kenyon cells. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2016; 2:14. [PMID: 27478620 PMCID: PMC4967334 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-016-0051-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
In the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.), it has long been thought that the mushroom bodies, a higher-order center in the insect brain, comprise three distinct subtypes of intrinsic neurons called Kenyon cells. In class-I large-type Kenyon cells and class-I small-type Kenyon cells, the somata are localized at the edges and in the inner core of the mushroom body calyces, respectively. In class-II Kenyon cells, the somata are localized at the outer surface of the mushroom body calyces. The gene expression profiles of the large- and small-type Kenyon cells are distinct, suggesting that each exhibits distinct cellular characteristics. We recently identified a novel gene, mKast (middle-type Kenyon cell-preferential arrestin-related gene-1), which has a distinctive expression pattern in the Kenyon cells. Detailed expression analyses of mKast led to the discovery of novel 'middle-type' Kenyon cells characterized by their preferential mKast-expression in the mushroom bodies. The somata of the middle-type Kenyon cells are localized between the large- and small-type Kenyon cells, and the size of the middle-type Kenyon cell somata is intermediate between that of large- and small-type Kenyon cells. Middle-type Kenyon cells appear to differentiate from the large- and/or small-type Kenyon cell lineage(s). Neural activity mapping using an immediate early gene, kakusei, suggests that the small-type and some middle-type Kenyon cells are prominently active in the forager brain, suggesting a potential role in processing information during foraging flight. Our findings indicate that honeybee mushroom bodies in fact comprise four types of Kenyon cells with different molecular and cellular characteristics: the previously known class-I large- and small-type Kenyon cells, class-II Kenyon cells, and the newly identified middle-type Kenyon cells described in this review. As the cellular characteristics of the middle-type Kenyon cells are distinct from those of the large- and small-type Kenyon cells, their careful discrimination will be required in future studies of honeybee Kenyon cell subtypes. In this review, we summarize recent progress in analyzing the gene expression profiles and neural activities of the honeybee Kenyon cell subtypes, and discuss possible roles of each Kenyon cell subtype in the honeybee brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi Kaneko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
| | - Shota Suenami
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
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16
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Suenami S, Paul RK, Takeuchi H, Okude G, Fujiyuki T, Shirai K, Kubo T. Analysis of the Differentiation of Kenyon Cell Subtypes Using Three Mushroom Body-Preferential Genes during Metamorphosis in the Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0157841. [PMID: 27351839 PMCID: PMC4924639 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The adult honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) mushroom bodies (MBs, a higher center in the insect brain) comprise four subtypes of intrinsic neurons: the class-I large-, middle-, and small-type Kenyon cells (lKCs, mKCs, and sKCs, respectively), and class-II KCs. Analysis of the differentiation of KC subtypes during metamorphosis is important for the better understanding of the roles of KC subtypes related to the honeybee behaviors. In the present study, aiming at identifying marker genes for KC subtypes, we used a cDNA microarray to comprehensively search for genes expressed in an MB-preferential manner in the honeybee brain. Among the 18 genes identified, we further analyzed three genes whose expression was enriched in the MBs: phospholipase C epsilon (PLCe), synaptotagmin 14 (Syt14), and discs large homolog 5 (dlg5). Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that expression of PLCe, Syt14, and dlg5 was more enriched in the MBs than in the other brain regions by approximately 31-, 6.8-, and 5.6-fold, respectively. In situ hybridization revealed that expression of both Syt14 and dlg5 was enriched in the lKCs but not in the mKCs and sKCs, whereas expression of PLCe was similar in all KC subtypes (the entire MBs) in the honeybee brain, suggesting that Syt14 and dlg5, and PLCe are available as marker genes for the lKCs, and all KC subtypes, respectively. In situ hybridization revealed that expression of PLCe is already detectable in the class-II KCs at the larval fifth instar feeding stage, indicating that PLCe expression is a characteristic common to the larval and adult MBs. In contrast, expression of both Syt14 and dlg5 became detectable at the day three pupa, indicating that Syt14 and dlg5 expressions are characteristic to the late pupal and adult MBs and the lKC specific molecular characteristics are established during the late pupal stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Suenami
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan
| | - Rajib Kumar Paul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan
| | - Hideaki Takeuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan
| | - Genta Okude
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan
| | - Tomoko Fujiyuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan
| | - Kenichi Shirai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Eisenhardt D. Molecular mechanisms underlying formation of long-term reward memories and extinction memories in the honeybee (Apis mellifera). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 21:534-42. [PMID: 25225299 PMCID: PMC4175491 DOI: 10.1101/lm.033118.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The honeybee (Apis mellifera) has long served as an invertebrate model organism for reward learning and memory research. Its capacity for learning and memory formation is rooted in the ecological need to efficiently collect nectar and pollen during summer to ensure survival of the hive during winter. Foraging bees learn to associate a flower's characteristic features with a reward in a way that resembles olfactory appetitive classical conditioning, a learning paradigm that is used to study mechanisms underlying learning and memory formation in the honeybee. Due to a plethora of studies on appetitive classical conditioning and phenomena related to it, the honeybee is one of the best characterized invertebrate model organisms from a learning psychological point of view. Moreover, classical conditioning and associated behavioral phenomena are surprisingly similar in honeybees and vertebrates, suggesting a convergence of underlying neuronal processes, including the molecular mechanisms that contribute to them. Here I review current thinking on the molecular mechanisms underlying long-term memory (LTM) formation in honeybees following classical conditioning and extinction, demonstrating that an in-depth analysis of the molecular mechanisms of classical conditioning in honeybees might add to our understanding of associative learning in honeybees and vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Eisenhardt
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute of Biology, Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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18
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Kaneko K, Ikeda T, Nagai M, Hori S, Umatani C, Tadano H, Ugajin A, Nakaoka T, Paul RK, Fujiyuki T, Shirai K, Kunieda T, Takeuchi H, Kubo T. Novel middle-type Kenyon cells in the honeybee brain revealed by area-preferential gene expression analysis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e71732. [PMID: 23990981 PMCID: PMC3749211 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The mushroom bodies (a higher center) of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L) brain were considered to comprise three types of intrinsic neurons, including large- and small-type Kenyon cells that have distinct gene expression profiles. Although previous neural activity mapping using the immediate early gene kakusei suggested that small-type Kenyon cells are mainly active in forager brains, the precise Kenyon cell types that are active in the forager brain remain to be elucidated. We searched for novel gene(s) that are expressed in an area-preferential manner in the honeybee brain. By identifying and analyzing expression of a gene that we termed mKast (middle-type Kenyon cell-preferential arrestin-related protein), we discovered novel ‘middle-type Kenyon cells’ that are sandwiched between large- and small-type Kenyon cells and have a gene expression profile almost complementary to those of large– and small-type Kenyon cells. Expression analysis of kakusei revealed that both small-type Kenyon cells and some middle-type Kenyon cells are active in the forager brains, suggesting their possible involvement in information processing during the foraging flight. mKast expression began after the differentiation of small- and large-type Kenyon cells during metamorphosis, suggesting that middle-type Kenyon cells differentiate by modifying some characteristics of large– and/or small-type Kenyon cells. Interestingly, CaMKII and mKast, marker genes for large– and middle-type Kenyon cells, respectively, were preferentially expressed in a distinct set of optic lobe (a visual center) neurons. Our findings suggested that it is not simply the Kenyon cell-preferential gene expression profiles, rather, a ‘clustering’ of neurons with similar gene expression profiles as particular Kenyon cell types that characterize the honeybee mushroom body structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi Kaneko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsubomi Ikeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mirai Nagai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sayaka Hori
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chie Umatani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroto Tadano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Ugajin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Nakaoka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rajib Kumar Paul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Fujiyuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenichi Shirai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takekazu Kunieda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Takeuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Roat TC, Carvalho SM, Nocelli RCF, Silva-Zacarin ECM, Palma MS, Malaspina O. Effects of sublethal dose of fipronil on neuron metabolic activity of Africanized honeybees. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2013; 64:456-466. [PMID: 23224048 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-012-9849-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Accepted: 11/14/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Fipronil is a neurotoxic insecticide that inhibits the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor and can affect gustative perception, olfactory learning, and motor activity of the honeybee Apis mellifera. This study determined the lethal dose (LD50) and the lethal concentration (LC50) for Africanized honeybee and evaluated the toxicity of a sublethal dose of fipronil on neuron metabolic activity by way of histochemical analysis using cytochrome oxidase detection in brains from worker bees of different ages. In addition, the present study investigated the recovery mechanism by discontinuing the oral exposure to fipronil. The results showed that mushroom bodies of aged Africanized honeybees are affected by fipronil, which causes changes in metabolism by increasing the respiratory activity of mitochondria. In antennal lobes, the sublethal dose of fipronil did not cause an increase in metabolic activity. The recovery experiments showed that discontinued exposure to a diet contaminated with fipronil did not lead to recovery of neural activity. Our results show that even at very low concentrations, fipronil is harmful to honeybees and can induce several types of injuries to honeybee physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaisa Cristina Roat
- Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, Campus de Rio Claro, UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24-A, n.1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, 13506-900, Brazil.
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20
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Uno Y, Fujiyuki T, Morioka M, Kubo T. Mushroom body-preferential expression of proteins/genes involved in endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-transport in the worker honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) brain. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2013; 22:52-61. [PMID: 23170949 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
To identify the molecular characteristics specific to the mushroom body (MB, a higher processing centre) neurones in the honeybee brain, we previously used proteomics to identify proteins that are preferentially expressed in these MBs. Here we continued our proteomic analysis to show that reticulocalbin, which is involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca(2+) transport, is also preferentially expressed in the MBs in the honeybee brain. Gene expression analysis revealed that reticulocalbin is preferentially expressed in the large-type Kenyon cells, which are MB-intrinsic neurones. In addition, the gene for the ryanodine receptor, which is also involved in ER Ca(2+) transport, was also preferentially expressed in the large-type Kenyon cells. In contrast, the expression of three other ER-related genes, protein disulphide isomerase, sec61 and erp60, was not enriched in the MBs. These findings further support the notion that the function of ER Ca(2+)-signalling, but not the mere intracellular density of ER, is specifically enhanced in the large-type Kenyon cells in the honeybee brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Uno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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21
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Calábria LK, Peixoto PMV, Passos Lima AB, Peixoto LG, de Moraes VRA, Teixeira RR, Dos Santos CT, E Silva LO, da Silva MDFR, dos Santos AAD, Garcia-Cairasco N, Martins AR, Espreafico EM, Espindola FS. Myosins and DYNLL1/LC8 in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) brain. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:1300-1311. [PMID: 21718700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2011] [Revised: 06/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/10/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees have brain structures with specialized and developed systems of communication that account for memory, learning capacity and behavioral organization with a set of genes homologous to vertebrate genes. Many microtubule- and actin-based molecular motors are involved in axonal/dendritic transport. Myosin-Va is present in the honey bee Apis mellifera nervous system of the larvae and adult castes and subcastes. DYNLL1/LC8 and myosin-IIb, -VI and -IXb have also been detected in the adult brain. SNARE proteins, such as CaMKII, clathrin, syntaxin, SNAP25, munc18, synaptophysin and synaptotagmin, are also expressed in the honey bee brain. Honey bee myosin-Va displayed ATP-dependent solubility and was associated with DYNLL1/LC8 and SNARE proteins in the membrane vesicle-enriched fraction. Myosin-Va expression was also decreased after the intracerebral injection of melittin and NMDA. The immunolocalization of myosin-Va and -IV, DYNLL1/LC8, and synaptophysin in mushroom bodies, and optical and antennal lobes was compared with the brain morphology based on Neo-Timm histochemistry and revealed a distinct and punctate distribution. This result suggested that the pattern of localization is associated with neuron function. Therefore, our data indicated that the roles of myosins, DYNLL1/LC8, and SNARE proteins in the nervous and visual systems of honey bees should be further studied under different developmental, caste and behavioral conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Karen Calábria
- Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil.
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22
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Zheng A, Li J, Begna D, Fang Y, Feng M, Song F. Proteomic analysis of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) pupae head development. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20428. [PMID: 21637821 PMCID: PMC3102718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2011] [Accepted: 04/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The honeybee pupae development influences its future adult condition as well as honey and royal jelly productions. However, the molecular mechanism that regulates honeybee pupae head metamorphosis is still poorly understood. To further our understand of the associated molecular mechanism, we investigated the protein change of the honeybee pupae head at 5 time-points using 2-D electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, bioinformatics, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Accordingly, 58 protein spots altered their expression across the 5 time points (13–20 days), of which 36 proteins involved in the head organogenesis were upregulated during early stages (13–17 days). However, 22 proteins involved in regulating the pupae head neuron and gland development were upregulated at later developmental stages (19–20 days). Also, the functional enrichment analysis further suggests that proteins related to carbohydrate metabolism and energy production, development, cytoskeleton and protein folding were highly involved in the generation of organs and development of honeybee pupal head. Furthermore, the constructed protein interaction network predicted 33 proteins acting as key nodes of honeybee pupae head growth of which 9 and 4 proteins were validated at gene and protein levels, respectively. In this study, we uncovered potential protein species involved in the formation of honeybee pupae head development along with their specific temporal requirements. This first proteomic result allows deeper understanding of the proteome profile changes during honeybee pupae head development and provides important potential candidate proteins for future reverse genetic research on honeybee pupae head development to improve the performance of related organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aijuan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture/Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
- Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Jianke Li
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture/Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Desalegn Begna
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture/Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Fang
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture/Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Mao Feng
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture/Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Feifei Song
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture/Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
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23
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Yamazaki Y, Kiuchi M, Takeuchi H, Kubo T. Ecdysteroid biosynthesis in workers of the European honeybee Apis mellifera L. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 41:283-93. [PMID: 21277979 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2010] [Revised: 01/14/2011] [Accepted: 01/18/2011] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
We previously reported preferential expression of genes for ecdysteroid signaling in the mushroom bodies of honeybee workers, suggesting a role of ecdysteroid signaling in regulating honeybee behaviors. The organs that produce ecdysteroids in worker honeybees, however, remain unknown. We show here that the expression of neverland and Non-molting glossy/shroud, which are involved in early steps of ecdysteroid synthesis, was enhanced in the ovary, while the expression of CYP306A1 and CYP302A1, which are involved in later steps of ecdysone synthesis, was enhanced in the brain, and the expression of CYP314A1, which is involved in converting ecdysone into active 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), was enhanced in the brain, fat body, and ovary. In in vitro organ culture, a significant amount of ecdysteroids was detected in the culture medium of the brain, fat body, and hypopharyngeal glands. The ecdysteroids detected in the culture medium of the fat body were identified as ecdysone and 20E. These findings suggest that, in worker honeybees, cholesterol is converted into intermediate ecdysteroids in the ovary, whereas ecdysone is synthesized and secreted mainly by the brain and converted into 20E in the brain and fat body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurika Yamazaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Kaneko K, Hori S, Morimoto MM, Nakaoka T, Paul RK, Fujiyuki T, Shirai K, Wakamoto A, Tsuboko S, Takeuchi H, Kubo T. In situ hybridization analysis of the expression of futsch, tau, and MESK2 homologues in the brain of the European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.). PLoS One 2010; 5:e9213. [PMID: 20169065 PMCID: PMC2821913 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2009] [Accepted: 01/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The importance of visual sense in Hymenopteran social behavior is suggested by the existence of a Hymenopteran insect-specific neural circuit related to visual processing and the fact that worker honeybee brain changes morphologically according to its foraging experience. To analyze molecular and neural bases that underlie the visual abilities of the honeybees, we used a cDNA microarray to search for gene(s) expressed in a neural cell-type preferential manner in a visual center of the honeybee brain, the optic lobes (OLs). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Expression analysis of candidate genes using in situ hybridization revealed two genes expressed in a neural cell-type preferential manner in the OLs. One is a homologue of Drosophila futsch, which encodes a microtubule-associated protein and is preferentially expressed in the monopolar cells in the lamina of the OLs. The gene for another microtubule-associated protein, tau, which functionally overlaps with futsch, was also preferentially expressed in the monopolar cells, strongly suggesting the functional importance of these two microtubule-associated proteins in monopolar cells. The other gene encoded a homologue of Misexpression Suppressor of Dominant-negative Kinase Suppressor of Ras 2 (MESK2), which might activate Ras/MAPK-signaling in Drosophila. MESK2 was expressed preferentially in a subclass of neurons located in the ventral region between the lamina and medulla neuropil in the OLs, suggesting that this subclass is a novel OL neuron type characterized by MESK2-expression. These three genes exhibited similar expression patterns in the worker, drone, and queen brains, suggesting that they function similarly irrespective of the honeybee sex or caste. CONCLUSIONS Here we identified genes that are expressed in a monopolar cell (Amfutsch and Amtau) or ventral medulla-preferential manner (AmMESK2) in insect OLs. These genes may aid in visualizing neurites of monopolar cells and ventral medulla cells, as well as in analyzing the function of these neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi Kaneko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sayaka Hori
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mai M. Morimoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Nakaoka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rajib Kumar Paul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Fujiyuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenichi Shirai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akiko Wakamoto
- DNA Chip Research Inc., Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Satomi Tsuboko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Takeuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Distribution of Kakugo virus and its effects on the gene expression profile in the brain of the worker honeybee Apis mellifera L. J Virol 2009; 83:11560-8. [PMID: 19726502 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00519-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously identified a novel insect picorna-like virus, termed Kakugo virus (KV), obtained from the brains of aggressive honeybee worker bees that had counterattacked giant hornets. Here we examined the tissue distribution of KV and alterations of gene expression profiles in the brains of KV-infected worker bees to analyze possible effects of KV infection on honeybee neural and physiological states. By use of in situ hybridization, KV was broadly detected in the brains of the naturally KV-infected worker bees. When inoculated experimentally into bees, KV was detected in restricted parts of the brain at the early infectious stage and was later detected in various brain regions, including the mushroom bodies, optic lobes, and ocellar nerve. KV was detected not only in the brain but also in the hypopharyngeal glands and fat bodies, indicating systemic KV infection. Next, we compared the gene expression profiles in the brains of KV-inoculated and noninoculated bees. The expression of 11 genes examined was not significantly affected in KV-infected worker bees. cDNA microarray analysis, however, identified a novel gene whose expression was induced in the periphery of the brains of KV-infected bees, which was commonly observed in naturally infected and experimentally inoculated bees. The gene encoded a novel hypothetical protein with a leucine zipper motif. A gene encoding a similar protein was found in the parasitic wasp Nasonia genome but not in other insect genomes. These findings suggest that KV infection may affect brain functions and/or physiological states in honeybees.
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26
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Ueno T, Nakaoka T, Takeuchi H, Kubo T. Differential Gene Expression in the Hypopharyngeal Glands of Worker Honeybees (Apis melliferaL.) Associated with an Age-Dependent Role Change. Zoolog Sci 2009; 26:557-63. [DOI: 10.2108/zsj.26.557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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27
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Transcriptomic profiling of central nervous system regions in three species of honey bee during dance communication behavior. PLoS One 2009; 4:e6408. [PMID: 19641619 PMCID: PMC2713418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2009] [Accepted: 06/26/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We conducted a large-scale transcriptomic profiling of selected regions of the central nervous system (CNS) across three species of honey bees, in foragers that were performing dance behavior to communicate to their nestmates the location, direction and profitability of an attractive floral resource. We used microarrays to measure gene expression in bees from Apis mellifera, dorsata and florea, species that share major traits unique to the genus and also show striking differences in biology and dance communication. The goals of this study were to determine the extent of regional specialization in gene expression and to explore the molecular basis of dance communication. Principal Findings This “snapshot” of the honey bee CNS during dance behavior provides strong evidence for both species-consistent and species-specific differences in gene expression. Gene expression profiles in the mushroom bodies consistently showed the biggest differences relative to the other CNS regions. There were strong similarities in gene expression between the central brain and the second thoracic ganglion across all three species; many of the genes were related to metabolism and energy production. We also obtained gene expression differences between CNS regions that varied by species: A. mellifera differed the most, while dorsata and florea tended to be more similar. Significance Species differences in gene expression perhaps mirror known differences in nesting habit, ecology and dance behavior between mellifera, florea and dorsata. Species-specific differences in gene expression in selected CNS regions that relate to synaptic activity and motor control provide particularly attractive candidate genes to explain the differences in dance behavior exhibited by these three honey bee species. Similarities between central brain and thoracic ganglion provide a unique perspective on the potential coupling of these two motor-related regions during dance behavior and perhaps provide a snapshot of the energy intensive process of dance output generation. Mushroom body results reflect known roles for this region in the regulation of learning, memory and rhythmic behavior.
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Roat TC, da Cruz Landim C. Temporal and morphological differences in post-embryonic differentiation of the mushroom bodies in the brain of workers, queens, and drones of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Micron 2008; 39:1171-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2008.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2008] [Revised: 05/19/2008] [Accepted: 05/21/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Ando T, Fujiyuki T, Kawashima T, Morioka M, Kubo T, Fujiwara H. In vivo gene transfer into the honeybee using a nucleopolyhedrovirus vector. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2007; 352:335-40. [PMID: 17125735 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2006] [Accepted: 11/07/2006] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The honeybee Apis mellifera L. is a social insect and one of the most industrially important insects. We examined whether a baculovirus-mediated retrotransposon is applicable to in vivo transfer of exogenous genes to the honeybees. Honeybee larvae and pupae were injected with two types of recombinant Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcNPV) vectors, one that includes the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene (egfp) as a reporter to be inserted into the honeybee genome, and another that includes the reverse transcriptase gene responsible for the insertion. Fluorescence was observed in most of the viral-injected larvae and pupae. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting confirmed egfp mRNA and eGFP expression in these honeybees, although egfp insertion into the honeybee genome was not confirmed. These results indicate that AcNPV vectors can be used for the transfer and transient expression of an exogenous gene in the larval and pupal honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Ando
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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30
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Uno Y, Fujiyuki T, Morioka M, Takeuchi H, Kubo T. Identification of proteins whose expression is up- or down-regulated in the mushroom bodies in the honeybee brain using proteomics. FEBS Lett 2006; 581:97-101. [PMID: 17182037 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2006] [Revised: 12/02/2006] [Accepted: 12/04/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
To identify protein(s) with different expression patterns in the mushroom bodies (MBs) in the honeybee brain, we compared the protein profiles of MBs and optic lobes (OLs) using proteomics. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that five and three spots were selectively expressed in the MBs or OLs, respectively. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis identified juvenile hormone diol kinase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as MB- and OL-selective proteins, respectively. In situ hybridization revealed that jhdk expression was upregulated in MB neuron subsets, whereas gapdh expression was downregulated, indicating that MBs have a distinct gene and protein expression profile in the honeybee brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Uno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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31
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Paul RK, Takeuchi H, Kubo T. Expression of Two Ecdysteroid-Regulated Genes,Broad-ComplexandE75, in the Brain and Ovary of the Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.). Zoolog Sci 2006; 23:1085-92. [PMID: 17261922 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.23.1085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that two ecdysteroid-regulated genes, Mblk-1/E93 and E74, are expressed selectively in Kenyon cell subtypes in the mushroom bodies of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) brain. To further examine the possible involvement of ecdysteroid-regulated genes in brain function as well as in oogenesis in the honeybee, we isolated cDNAs for two other ecdysteroid-regulated genes, Broad-Complex (BR-C) and E75, and analyzed their expression in the worker brain as well as in the queen abdomen. In situ hybridization revealed that BR-C, like Mblk-1/ E93, is expressed selectively in the large-type Kenyon cells of the mushroom bodies in the worker brain, whereas E75 is expressed in all mushroom body neuron subtypes, suggesting a difference in the mode of response to ecdysteroid among Kenyon cell subtypes. In the queen ovary, both BR-C and E75 are expressed preferentially in the follicle cells that surround egg cells at the late stage, suggesting their role in oogenesis. These results suggest that BR-C and E75 are involved in the regulation of brain function as well as in reproductive physiology in the adult honeybee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajib Kumar Paul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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32
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Kobayashi M, Michaut L, Ino A, Honjo K, Nakajima T, Maruyama Y, Mochizuki H, Ando M, Ghangrekar I, Takahashi K, Saigo K, Ueda R, Gehring WJ, Furukubo-Tokunaga K. Differential microarray analysis of Drosophila mushroom body transcripts using chemical ablation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:14417-22. [PMID: 16971484 PMCID: PMC1599978 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0606571103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mushroom bodies (MBs) are the centers for olfactory associative learning and elementary cognitive functions in the Drosophila brain. As a way to systematically elucidate genes preferentially expressed in MBs, we have analyzed genome-wide alterations in transcript profiles associated with MB ablation by hydroxyurea. We selected 100 genes based on microarray data and examined their expression patterns in the brain by in situ hybridization. Seventy genes were found to be expressed in the posterodorsal cortex, which harbors the MB cell bodies. These genes encode proteins of diverse functions, including transcription, signaling, cell adhesion, channels, and transporters. Moreover, we have examined developmental functions of 40 of the microarray-identified genes by transgenic RNA interference; 8 genes were found to cause mild-to-strong MB defects when suppressed with a MB-Gal4 driver. These results provide important information not only on the repertoire of genes that control MB development but also on the repertoire of neural factors that may have important physiological functions in MB plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatomo Kobayashi
- *Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Lydia Michaut
- Department of Cell Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ayako Ino
- *Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Ken Honjo
- *Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Taiki Nakajima
- *Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Yasushi Maruyama
- *Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Mochizuki
- *Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Mai Ando
- *Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Indrayani Ghangrekar
- *Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Kuniaki Takahashi
- Genetic Strains Research Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan; and
| | - Kaoru Saigo
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Ryu Ueda
- Genetic Strains Research Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan; and
| | - Walter J. Gehring
- Department of Cell Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail:
or
| | - Katsuo Furukubo-Tokunaga
- *Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail:
or
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Fujiyuki T, Takeuchi H, Ono M, Ohka S, Sasaki T, Nomoto A, Kubo T. Kakugo virus from brains of aggressive worker honeybees. Adv Virus Res 2006; 65:1-27. [PMID: 16387192 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3527(05)65001-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Fujiyuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
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34
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Hori S, Takeuchi H, Arikawa K, Kinoshita M, Ichikawa N, Sasaki M, Kubo T. Associative visual learning, color discrimination, and chromatic adaptation in the harnessed honeybee Apis mellifera L. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2006; 192:691-700. [PMID: 16425063 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-005-0091-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2005] [Revised: 12/22/2005] [Accepted: 12/22/2005] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We studied associative visual learning in harnessed honeybees trained with monochromatic lights associated with a reward of sucrose solution delivered to the antennae and proboscis, to elicit the proboscis extension reflex (PER). We demonstrated five properties of visual learning under these conditions. First, antennae deprivation significantly increased visual acquisition, suggesting that sensory input from the antennae interferes with visual learning. Second, covering the compound eyes with silver paste significantly decreased visual acquisition, while covering the ocelli did not. Third, there was no significant difference in the visual acquisition between nurse bees, guard bees, and foragers. Fourth, bees conditioned with a 540-nm light stimulus exhibited light-induced PER with a 618-nm, but not with a 439-nm light stimulus. Finally, bees conditioned with a 540-nm light stimulus exhibited PER immediately after the 439-nm light was turned off, suggesting that the bees reacted to an afterimage induced by prior adaptation to the 439-nm light that might be similar to the 540-nm light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Hori
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 113-0033 Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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35
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Koshikawa S, Cornette R, Hojo M, Maekawa K, Matsumoto T, Miura T. Screening of genes expressed in developing mandibles during soldier differentiation in the termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti. FEBS Lett 2005; 579:1365-70. [PMID: 15733842 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2004] [Revised: 01/12/2005] [Accepted: 01/13/2005] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the morphological changes accompanying soldier differentiation in the damp-wood termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti. Genes expressed in the developing mandibles, which undergo the most remarkable morphological changes during soldier differentiation, were screened using fluorescent differential display. Database searches for sequence similarities were conducted and the relative expression levels were then quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Among the identified candidate genes, 12 genes were upregulated during soldier differentiation. These included genes for cuticle proteins, nucleic acid binding proteins, ribosomal proteins and actin-binding protein, which were inferred to be involved in caste-specific morphogenesis in termites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeyuki Koshikawa
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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36
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Paul RK, Takeuchi H, Matsuo Y, Kubo T. Gene expression of ecdysteroid-regulated gene E74 of the honeybee in ovary and brain. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2005; 14:9-15. [PMID: 15663771 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2004.00524.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
To facilitate studies of hormonal control in the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.), a cDNA for a honeybee homologue of the ecdysteroid-regulated gene E74 (AmE74) was isolated and its expression was analysed. Northern blot analysis indicated strong expression in the adult queen abdomen, and no significant expression in the adult drone and worker abdomens. In situ hybridization demonstrated that this gene was expressed selectively in the ovary and gut in the queen abdomen. Furthermore, this gene was also expressed selectively in subsets of mushroom body interneurones in the brain of the adult worker bees. These findings suggest that AmE74 is involved in neural function as well as in reproduction in adult honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- R K Paul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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37
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Kunieda T, Kubo T. In vivo gene transfer into the adult honeybee brain by using electroporation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2004; 318:25-31. [PMID: 15110748 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.03.178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2004] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The honeybee, Apis mellifera L., is a social insect and they show wide variety of exquisite social behaviors to maintain colony activity. To enable the elucidation of those social behaviors at a molecular level and gene function in the nervous system, we developed an in vivo method to perform gene transfer in the adult brain of living honeybee by electroporation. When green fluorescent protein-expressing plasmid was transferred to the brain with this system, green fluorescence was observed near the anode location. The expression of transfected genes was confirmed at both transcriptional and translational levels by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot analyses. This system will facilitate the analysis of gene function and the regulatory mechanisms of gene networks in the nervous system and provide clues to clarify the relation between those genes and the complex behaviors of the honeybee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takekazu Kunieda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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38
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Fujiyuki T, Takeuchi H, Ono M, Ohka S, Sasaki T, Nomoto A, Kubo T. Novel insect picorna-like virus identified in the brains of aggressive worker honeybees. J Virol 2004; 78:1093-100. [PMID: 14722264 PMCID: PMC321398 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.78.3.1093-1100.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify candidate genes involved in the aggressive behavior of worker honeybees, we used the differential display method to search for RNAs exclusively detected in the brains of aggressive workers that had attacked a hornet. We identified a novel, 10,152-nucleotide RNA, termed Kakugo RNA. Kakugo RNA encodes a protein of 2,893 amino acid residues that shares structural features and sequence similarities with various picorna-like virus polyproteins, especially those from sacbrood virus, which infects honeybees. The Kakugo protein contains several domains that correspond to the virion protein, helicase, protease, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domains of various picorna-like virus polyproteins. When the worker bee tissue lysate was subjected to sucrose density gradient centrifugation, Kakugo RNA, except for the material at the bottom, was separated into two major peaks. One of the peaks corresponded to the position of Kakugo mRNA, and the other corresponded to the position of the poliovirus virion. These results suggest that the Kakugo RNA exists as an mRNA-like free RNA and virion RNA in the honeybee. Furthermore, injection of the lysate supernatant from the attacker heads into the heads of noninfected bees resulted in a marked increase in Kakugo RNA. These results demonstrate that Kakugo RNA is a plus-strand RNA of a novel picorna-like virus and that the brains of aggressive workers are infected by this novel virus. Kakugo RNA was detected in aggressive workers but not in nurse bees or foragers. In aggressive workers, Kakugo RNA was detected in the brain but not in the thorax or abdomen, indicating a close relation between viral infection in the brain and aggressive worker behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Fujiyuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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Kurshan PT, Hamilton IS, Mustard JA, Mercer AR. Developmental changes in expression patterns of two dopamine receptor genes in mushroom bodies of the honeybee,Apis mellifera. J Comp Neurol 2003; 466:91-103. [PMID: 14515242 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The expression patterns of two dopamine receptor genes, Amdop1 and Amdop2, in the developing mushroom bodies of the honeybee brain were determined by using in situ hybridisation. Both genes were expressed throughout pupal development, but their patterns of expression in the three major divisions of mushroom body intrinsic neurons (outer compact cells, noncompact cells, and inner compact cells) were quite distinct. Amdop1 expression could be detected in all three mushroom body cell groups throughout development. Staining for Amdop1 mRNA was particularly intense in newly born Kenyon cells, suggesting that levels of Amdop1 expression are higher in newborn cells than in more mature mushroom body neurons. This was not the case for Amdop2. Amdop2 expression in the mushroom bodies was restricted to inner and outer compact cells during most of pupal development, appearing in noncompact cells only late in metamorphosis or at adult eclosion. In contrast to the case with Amdop1, staining for Amdop2 mRNA was observed in glial cells. Expression of Amdop2 in glial cells was detected only at early stages of glial cell development, when the cells are reported to be actively dividing. This study not only implicates dopamine in the development of honeybee mushroom bodies but also suggests different roles for the two dopamine receptors investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peri T Kurshan
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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40
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Takeuchi H, Yasuda A, Yasuda-Kamatani Y, Kubo T, Nakajima T. Identification of a tachykinin-related neuropeptide from the honeybee brain using direct MALDI-TOF MS and its gene expression in worker, queen and drone heads. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2003; 12:291-298. [PMID: 12752663 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2583.2003.00414.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Using a combination of MALDI-TOF and on-line capillary HPLC/Q-Tof mass spectroscopy, we identified and determined the amino acid sequence of a novel neuropeptide in the brain of the honeybee Apis mellifera L., termed AmTRP peptide (Apis mellifera tachykinin-related peptide), related to insect tachykinin. A cDNA for a prepro-protein (prepro-AmTRP) of AmTRP was isolated and determined to encode seven AmTRPs 1-7. Northern blot analysis indicated that the prepro-AmTRP gene is expressed differentially in the nurse bee, forager, queen and drone heads. Strong expression was detected in the queen and forager heads, while weak and almost no significant expression was detected in the nurse and drone heads, respectively. These results suggest that AmTRP peptide functions as a neuromodulator and/or hormone, associated with sex-specific or age/division of labour-selective behaviour and/or physiology of the honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Takeuchi
- Bio-orientated Technology Research Advancement Institution, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Park JM, Kunieda T, Kubo T. The activity of Mblk-1, a mushroom body-selective transcription factor from the honeybee, is modulated by the ras/MAPK pathway. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:18689-94. [PMID: 12637500 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m300486200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously identified a gene, termed Mblk-1, that encodes a putative transcription factor with two DNA-binding motifs expressed preferentially in the mushroom body of the honeybee brain, and its preferred binding sequence, termed Mblk-1-binding element (MBE) (Takeuchi, H., Kage, E., Sawata, M., Kamikouchi, A., Ohashi, K., Ohara, M., Fujiyuki, T., Kunieda, T., Sekimizu, K., Natori, S., and Kubo, T. (2001) Insect Mol Biol 10, 487-494; Park, J.-M., Kunieda. T., Takeuchi, H., and Kubo, T. (2002) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 291, 23-28). In the present study, the effect of Mblk-1 on transcription of genes containing MBE in Drosophila Schneider's Line 2 cells was examined using a luciferase assay. Mblk-1 expression transactivated promoters containing MBEs approximately 2-7-fold. Deletion experiments revealed that RHF2, the second DNA-binding domain of Mblk-1, was necessary for the transcriptional activity. Furthermore, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylated Mblk-1 at Ser-444 in vitro, and the Mblk-1-induced transactivation was stimulated by phosphorylation of Ser-444 by the Ras/MAPK pathway in the luciferase assay. These results suggest that Mblk-1 is a transcription factor that might function in the mushroom body neuronal circuits downstream of the Ras/MAPK pathway in the honeybee brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Min Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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42
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Kunieda T, Park JM, Takeuchi H, Kubo T. Identification and characterization of Mlr1,2: two mouse homologues of Mblk-1, a transcription factor from the honeybee brain(1). FEBS Lett 2003; 535:61-5. [PMID: 12560079 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)03858-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
We previously identified the Mblk-1 gene in the honeybee brain, which encodes a transcription factor containing two DNA binding motifs, termed RHF1 and 2 (Takeuchi et al. (2001) Insect Mol. Biol. 121, 134-140). Here, we identified two mouse Mblk1 homologues, Mlr1 and Mlr2. Both encode proteins containing a single DNA-binding motif highly conserved with RHF2 and activate transcription mediated by a DNA element recognized by honeybee Mblk-1. Mlr1 was expressed predominantly in the spermatocytes of the testis, while Mlr2 was expressed in various tissues other than testis. Mlr1 transcripts were lost in the testis of W/W(v) mutant mice, suggesting a role in spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takekazu Kunieda
- Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN), 3-18-19, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
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43
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Malaterre J, Strambi C, Chiang AS, Aouane A, Strambi A, Cayre M. Development of cricket mushroom bodies. J Comp Neurol 2002; 452:215-27. [PMID: 12353218 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Mushroom bodies are recognized as a multimodal integrator for sensorial stimuli. The present study analyzes cricket mushroom body development from embryogenesis to adulthood. In the house cricket, Kenyon cells were born from a group of neuroblasts located at the apex of mushroom bodies. Our results demonstrate the sequential generation of Kenyon cells: The more external they are, the earlier they were produced. BrdU treatment on day 8 (57% stage) of embryonic life results, at the adult stage, in the labelling of the large Kenyon cells at the periphery of the mushroom body cortex. These cells have specific projections into the posterior calyx, the gamma lobe, and an enlargement at the inner part of the vertical lobe; they represent a part of mushroom bodies of strictly embryonic origin. The small Kenyon cells were formed from day 9 (65% stage) of the embryonic stage onward, and new interneurons are produced throughout the entire life of the insect. They send their projections into the anterior calyx and into the vertical and medial lobes. Mushroom body development of Acheta should be considered as a primitive template, and cross-taxonomic comparisons of the mushroom body development underscore the precocious origin of the gamma lobe. As a result of continuous neurogenesis, cricket mushroom bodies undergo remodeling throughout life, laying the foundation for future studies of the functional role of this developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordane Malaterre
- CNRS/NMDA, 31 Chemin Joseph-Aiguier, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20, France
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Takeuchi H, Fujiyuki T, Shirai K, Matsuo Y, Kamikouchi A, Fujinawa Y, Kato A, Tsujimoto A, Kubo T. Identification of genes expressed preferentially in the honeybee mushroom bodies by combination of differential display and cDNA microarray. FEBS Lett 2002; 513:230-4. [PMID: 11904156 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)02319-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
To clarify the molecular basis underlying the neural function of the honeybee mushroom bodies (MBs), we identified three genes preferentially expressed in MB using cDNA microarrays containing 480 differential display-positive candidate cDNAs expressed locally or differentially, dependent on caste/aggressive behavior in the honeybee brain. One of the cDNAs encodes a putative type I inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) 5-phosphatase and was expressed preferentially in one of two types of intrinsic MB neurons, the large-type Kenyon cells, suggesting that IP(3)-mediated Ca(2+) signaling is enhanced in these neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Takeuchi
- Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN), 3-18-19, Toranomon, Minato-ku, 105-0001, Tokyo, Japan
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45
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Takeuchi H, Kage E, Sawata M, Kamikouchi A, Ohashi K, Ohara M, Fujiyuki T, Kunieda T, Sekimizu K, Natori S, Kubo T. Identification of a novel gene, Mblk-1, that encodes a putative transcription factor expressed preferentially in the large-type Kenyon cells of the honeybee brain. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2001; 10:487-494. [PMID: 11881813 DOI: 10.1046/j.0962-1075.2001.00288.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Mushroom bodies (MBs) are considered to be involved in higher-order sensory processing in the insect brain. To identify the genes involved in the intrinsic function of the honeybee MBs, we searched for genes preferentially expressed therein, using the differential display method. Here we report a novel gene encoding a putative transcription factor (Mblk-1) expressed preferentially in one of two types of intrinsic MB neurones, the large-type Kenyon cells, which makes Mblk-1 a candidate gene involved in the advanced behaviours of honeybees. A putative DNA binding motif of Mblk-1 had significant sequence homology with those encoded by genes from various animal species, suggesting that the functions of these proteins in neural cells are conserved among the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Takeuchi
- Bio-orientated Technology Research Advancement Institution, Tokyo, Japan
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46
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Eisenhardt D, Fiala A, Braun P, Rosenboom H, Kress H, Ebert PR, Menzel R. Cloning of a catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase from the honeybee (Apis mellifera) and its localization in the brain. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2001; 10:173-181. [PMID: 11422513 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2583.2001.00252.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
In the honeybee the cAMP-dependent signal transduction cascade has been implicated in processes underlying learning and memory. The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) is the major mediator of cAMP action. To characterize the PKA system in the honeybee brain we cloned a homologue of a PKA catalytic subunit from the honeybee. The deduced amino acid sequence shows 80-94% identity with catalytic subunits of PKA from Drosophila melanogaster, Aplysia californica and mammals. The corresponding gene is predominantly expressed in the mushroom bodies, a structure that is involved in learning and memory processes. However, expression can also be found in the antennal and optic lobes. The level of expression varies within all three neuropiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Eisenhardt
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institut für Biologie-Neurobiologie, Koenigin-Luise-Strasse 28/30, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
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47
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Kamikouchi A, Takeuchi H, Sawata M, Natori S, Kubo T. Concentrated expression of Ca2+/ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and protein kinase C in the mushroom bodies of the brain of the honeybee Apis mellifera L. J Comp Neurol 2000; 417:501-10. [PMID: 10701869 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(20000221)417:4<501::aid-cne8>3.0.co;2-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
We have previously used the differential display method to identify a gene that is expressed preferentially in the mushroom bodies of worker honeybees and to show that it encodes a putative inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) homologue (Kamikouchi et al. [1998] Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 242:181-186). In the present study, we examined whether the expression of some of the genes for proteins involved in the intracellular Ca2+ signal transduction is also concentrated in the mushroom bodies of the honeybee by isolating cDNA fragments that encode the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and protein kinase C (PKC) homologues of the honeybee. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that the expression of these genes was also concentrated in the mushroom bodies of the honeybee brain: The CaMKII gene was expressed preferentially in the large-type Kenyon cells of the mushroom bodies, whereas that for PKC was expressed in both the large and small types of Kenyon cells. The expression of the genes for IP3R and CaMKII was concentrated in the mushroom bodies of the queen and drone as well as in those of the worker bee. Furthermore, the enzymatic activities of CaMKII and PKC were found to be higher in the mushroom bodies/central bodies than in the optic and antennal lobes of the worker bee brain. These results suggest that the function of the intracellular Ca2+ signal transduction is enhanced in Kenyon cells in comparison to other neuronal cell types in the honeybee brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kamikouchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan
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Kucharski R, Ball EE, Hayward DC, Maleszka R. Molecular cloning and expression analysis of a cDNA encoding a glutamate transporter in the honeybee brain. Gene 2000; 242:399-405. [PMID: 10721734 DOI: 10.1016/s0378-1119(99)00503-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We have cloned and characterized a cDNA encoding a putative glutamate transporter, Am-EAAT, from the brain of the honeybee, Apis mellifera. The 543-amino-acid AmEAAT gene product shares the highest sequence identity (54%) with the human EAAT2 subtype. Am-EAAT is expressed predominantly in the brain, and its transcripts are abundant in the optic lobes and inner compact Kenyon cells of the mushroom bodies (MBs), with most other regions of the brain showing lower levels of Am-EAAT expression. High levels of Am-EAAT message are found in pupal stages, possibly indicating a role for glutamate in the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Kucharski
- Visual Sciences, Research School of Biological Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra
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Reversible downregulation of protein kinase A during olfactory learning using antisense technique impairs long-term memory formation in the honeybee, Apis mellifera. J Neurosci 1999. [PMID: 10559420 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.19-22-10125.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we examined the role of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in associative olfactory learning of the honeybee, Apis mellifera. In the bee, specific interference with molecules to clarify their role in a certain behavior is difficult, because genetic approaches, such as mutants or transgenic animals, are not feasible at the moment. As a new approach in insects in vivo, we report the use of short antisense oligonucleotides. We show that phosphorothioate-modified oligodeoxynucleotides complementary to the mRNA of a catalytic subunit of PKA directly injected into the bee brain cause a reversible and specific downregulation of both the amount of the catalytic subunit and of PKA activity by 10-15%. The amounts of the regulatory subunit of PKA, as well as PKC, are not affected. The slight "knockdown" of PKA activity during the training procedure, a classical olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex, neither affects acquisition nor memory retention 3 or 6 hr after training. However, it causes an impairment of long-term memory retention 24 hr after training. Downregulation of PKA 3 hr after training has no detectable effect on memory formation. We conclude that PKA contributes to the induction of a long-term memory 24 hr after training when activated during learning. Second, we demonstrate that the antisense technique is feasible in honeybees in vivo and provides a new and powerful tool for the study of the molecular basis of learning and memory formation in insects.
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50
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Affiliation(s)
- C W Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, UK.
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