1
|
Siefert P, Lau H, Leutz V, Leonhardt SD, Schneider G, Klein J, Grünewald B. Acetylcholine and choline in honey bee (Apis mellifera) worker brood food are seasonal and age-dependent. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18274. [PMID: 39107404 PMCID: PMC11303543 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68650-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Nursing honeybees produce brood food with millimolar concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh), which is synthesized through head gland secretions mixed with honey stomach contents. While we previously demonstrated the necessity of ACh for proper larval development, the dynamics of ACh levels throughout ontogenesis and their seasonal variations have remained unclear until now. Our HPLC analysis reveals dependencies of choline and ACh levels on larval development days (LDDs), influenced by seasonal (April-September) variations. Median ACh concentrations peak on LDD 2, declining significantly toward cell capping, while choline levels are lowest during the initial LDDs, rising markedly toward cell capping. Seasonal patterns show peak ACh levels from April to June and a low in August, paralleling choline's peak in July and low in August. This seasonality holds consistently across multiple years (2020-2022) and colonies, despite potential variations in colony performance and environmental conditions. Our analysis found no correlation between temperature, sunshine, precipitation, or favourable foraging days and ACh/choline levels, suggesting the involvement of additional factors. These findings underscore the seasonal fluctuation of ACh levels and its potential implications for the genetic programs governing winter bee development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Siefert
- Institut für Bienenkunde, Polytechnische Gesellschaft, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany.
| | - Helene Lau
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Vivien Leutz
- Institut für Bienenkunde, Polytechnische Gesellschaft, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Plant-Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Gaby Schneider
- Institute of Mathematics, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Jochen Klein
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Bernd Grünewald
- Institut für Bienenkunde, Polytechnische Gesellschaft, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bovier M, Camenzind DW, Brown AF, Jeker L, Retschnig G, Neumann P, Straub L. Colony environment and absence of brood enhance tolerance to a neonicotinoid in winter honey bee workers, Apis mellifera. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 33:608-621. [PMID: 38780664 PMCID: PMC11252217 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02758-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
In eusocial insects, worker longevity is essential to ensure colony survival in brood-free periods. Trade-offs between longevity and other traits may render long-living workers in brood-free periods more susceptible to pesticides compared to short-lived ones. Further, colony environment (e.g., adequate nutrition) may enable workers to better cope with pesticides, yet data comparing long vs. short-living workers and the role of the colony environment for pesticide tolerance are scarce. Here, we show that long-living honey bee workers, Apis mellifera, are less susceptible to the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam than short-lived workers, and that susceptibility was further reduced when workers were acclimatized under colony compared to laboratory conditions. Following an OECD protocol, freshly-emerged workers were exposed to thiamethoxam in summer and winter and either acclimatized within their colony or in the laboratory. Mortality and sucrose consumption were measured daily and revealed that winter workers were significantly less susceptible than summer workers, despite being exposed to higher thiamethoxam dosages due to increased food consumption. Disparencies in fat body activity, which is key for detoxification, may explain why winter bees were less susceptible. Furthermore, colony acclimatization significantly reduced susceptibility towards thiamethoxam in winter workers likely due to enhanced protein nutrition. Brood absence and colony environment seem to govern workers' ability to cope with pesticides, which should be considered in risk assessments. Since honey bee colony losses occur mostly over winter, long-term studies assessing the effects of pesticide exposure on winter bees are required to better understand the underlying mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manon Bovier
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Domenic W Camenzind
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew F Brown
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Jeker
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gina Retschnig
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Science, Energy and Environment, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Rayong Campus, Rayong, Thailand.
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Morfin N, Goodwin PH, Guzman-Novoa E, Legge N, Longstaffe J. 1H NMR Profiling of Honey Bee Brains across Varying Ages and Seasons. INSECTS 2024; 15:578. [PMID: 39194783 DOI: 10.3390/insects15080578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) provide a useful model for studying aging because of the differences in longevity between the relatively short-lived summer and long-lived winter bees, as well as bees lacking signs of cognitive senescence as they age. Bee brains were dissected from newly emerged, 14-day-, and 28-day- old bees in mid- and late summer, as well as brood nest bees in fall, winter, and spring, before, during, and after overwintering, respectively. Brains were examined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to analyze their metabolome. Nine variable importance in projection (VIP) variables were identified, primarily amino acids and choline derivatives. Differences in metabolite concentrations were found with different ages of summer bees, mostly between newly emerged and 14-day- old bees, such as a decrease in phenylalanine and an increase in β-alanine, but there were also changes in older adults, such as o-phosphocholine that declined in 28-day- old bees. Differences in brood nest bees were observed, including a decline in tryptophan and an increase in β-alanine. These may provide distinct metabolomic signatures with age and season. Such research holds promise for a better understanding of the complex interplays between bee physiology, development, and aging, which has implications for improving bee health and management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Morfin
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
- The British Columbia Technology Transfer Program, British Columbia Honey Producers' Association, P.O. Box 5594, Station B, Victoria, BC V8R 6S4, Canada
| | - Paul H Goodwin
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Ernesto Guzman-Novoa
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Nicole Legge
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - James Longstaffe
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Quinlan GM, Grozinger CM. Evaluating the role of social context and environmental factors in mediating overwintering physiology in honey bees (Apis mellifera). J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247314. [PMID: 38516936 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247314] [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: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
In temperate climates, honey bees show strong phenotypic plasticity associated with seasonal changes. In summer, worker bees typically only survive for about a month and can be further classified as young nurse bees (which feed the developing brood) and older forager bees. In winter, brood production and foraging halt and the worker bees live for several months. These differences in task and longevity are reflected in their physiology, with summer nurses and long-lived winter bees typically having large fat bodies, high expression levels of vitellogenin (a longevity-, nutrition- and immune-related gene), and large provisioning glands in their head. The environmental factors (both within the colony and within the surrounding environment) that trigger this transition to long-lived winter bees are poorly understood. One theory is that winter bees are an extended nurse bee state, brought on by a reduction in nursing duties in autumn (i.e. lower brood area). We examined that theory here by assessing nurse bee physiology in both the summer and autumn, in colonies with varying levels of brood. We found that season is a better predictor of nurse bee physiology than brood area. This suggests that seasonal factors beyond brood area, such as pollen availability and colony demography, may be necessary for inducing the winter bee phenotype. This finding furthers our understanding of winter bee biology, which could have important implications for colony management for winter, a critical period for colony survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela M Quinlan
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tennakoon S, Apan A, Maraseni T. Unravelling the impact of climate change on honey bees: An ensemble modelling approach to predict shifts in habitat suitability in Queensland, Australia. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11300. [PMID: 38638367 PMCID: PMC11024685 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Honey bees play a vital role in providing essential ecosystem services and contributing to global agriculture. However, the potential effect of climate change on honey bee distribution is still not well understood. This study aims to identify the most influential bioclimatic and environmental variables, assess their impact on honey bee distribution, and predict future distribution. An ensemble modelling approach using the biomod2 package in R was employed to develop three models: a climate-only model, an environment-only model, and a combined climate and environment model. By utilising bioclimatic data (radiation of the wettest and driest quarters and temperature seasonality) from 1990 to 2009, combined with observed honey bee presence and pseudo absence data, this model predicted suitable locations for honey bee apiaries for two future time spans: 2020-2039 and 2060-2079. The climate-only model exhibited a true skill statistic (TSS) value of 0.85, underscoring the pivotal role of radiation and temperature seasonality in shaping honey bee distribution. The environment-only model, incorporating proximity to floral resources, foliage projective cover, and elevation, demonstrated strong predictive performance, with a TSS of 0.88, emphasising the significance of environmental variables in determining habitat suitability for honey bees. The combined model had a higher TSS of 0.96, indicating that the combination of climate and environmental variables enhances the model's performance. By the 2020-2039 period, approximately 88% of highly suitable habitats for honey bees are projected to transition from their current state to become moderate (14.84%) to marginally suitable (13.46%) areas. Predictions for the 2060-2079 period reveal a concerning trend: 100% of highly suitable land transitions into moderately (0.54%), marginally (17.56%), or not suitable areas (81.9%) for honey bees. These results emphasise the critical need for targeted conservation efforts and the implementation of policies aimed at safeguarding honey bees and the vital apiary industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarasie Tennakoon
- School of Surveying and Built EnvironmentUniversity of Southern QueenslandToowoombaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Armando Apan
- School of Surveying and Built EnvironmentUniversity of Southern QueenslandToowoombaQueenslandAustralia
- Institute of Environmental Science and MeteorologyUniversity of the Philippines DilimanQuezon CityPhilippines
| | - Tek Maraseni
- Institute for Life Sciences and the EnvironmentUniversity of Southern QueenslandToowoombaQueenslandAustralia
- Chinese Academy of SciencesNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesLanzhouChina
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Nguyen JB, Marshall CW, Cook CN. The buzz within: the role of the gut microbiome in honeybee social behavior. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246400. [PMID: 38344873 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246400] [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] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Gut symbionts influence the physiology and behavior of their host, but the extent to which these effects scale to social behaviors is an emerging area of research. The use of the western honeybee (Apis mellifera) as a model enables researchers to investigate the gut microbiome and behavior at several levels of social organization. Insight into gut microbial effects at the societal level is critical for our understanding of how involved microbial symbionts are in host biology. In this Commentary, we discuss recent findings in honeybee gut microbiome research and synthesize these with knowledge of the physiology and behavior of other model organisms to hypothesize how host-microbe interactions at the individual level could shape societal dynamics and evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J B Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - C W Marshall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - C N Cook
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kodrík D, Čapková Frydrychová R, Hlávková D, Skoková Habuštová O, Štěrbová H. Unusual functions of insect vitellogenins: minireview. Physiol Res 2023; 72:S475-S487. [PMID: 38165752 PMCID: PMC10861248 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.935221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Insect vitellogenins are an intriguing class of complex proteins. They primarily serve as a source of energy for the developing embryo in insect eggs. Vitellogenesis is a complex hormonally and neurally controlled process that command synthesis of vitellogenin molecules and ensures their transport from the female fat bodies or ovarial cells into eggs. The representatives of all insect hormones such as juvenile hormones, ecdysteroids, and neurohormones participate in vitellogenesis, but juvenile hormones (most insect species) and ecdysteroids (mostly Diptera) play the most important roles in the process. Strikingly, not only insect females, but also males have been reported to synthesize vitellogenins indicating their further utility in the insect body. Indeed, it has recently been found that vitellogenins perform a variety of biological functions in the insect body. They participate in defense reactions against entomopathogens such as nematodes, fungi, and bacteria, as well as against venoms such as the honeybee Apis mellifera venom. Interestingly, vitellogenins are also present in the venom of the honeybee itself, albeit their exact role is unknown; they most likely increase the efficacy of the venom in the victim's body. Within the bee's body vitellogenins contribute to the lifespan regulation as anti-aging factor acting under tight social interactions and hormonal control. The current minireview covers all of these functions of vitellogenins and portrays them as biologically active substances that play a variety of significant roles in both insect females and males, and not only acting as passive energy sources for developing embryo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Kodrík
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Zhang Y, Liu A, Kang Huang S, Evans JD, Cook SC, Palmer-Young E, Corona M, Alburaki M, Liu G, Chou Han R, Feng Li W, Hao Y, Lian Li J, Gilligan TM, Smith-Pardo AH, Banmeke O, Posada-Florez FJ, Hui Gao Y, DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Chun Xie H, Sadzewicz AM, Hamilton M, Ping Chen Y. Mediating a host cell signaling pathway linked to overwinter mortality offers a promising therapeutic approach for improving bee health. J Adv Res 2023; 53:99-114. [PMID: 36564001 PMCID: PMC10658305 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2022.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Honey bees provides valuable pollination services for world food crops and wild flowering plants which are habitats of many animal species and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. Nevertheless, the honey bee population has been declining and the majority of colony losses occur during the winter. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to understand the mechanisms underlying overwinter colony losses and develop novel therapeutic strategies for improving bee health. METHODS First, pathogen prevalence in overwintering bees were screened between 2015 and 2018. Second, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) for transcriptional profiling of overwintering honey bees was conducted and qRT-PCR was performed to confirm the results of the differential expression of selected genes. Lastly, laboratory bioassays were conducted to measure the effects of cold challenges on bee survivorship and stress responses and to assess the effect of a novel medication for alleviating cold stress in honey bees. RESULTS We identified that sirtuin signaling pathway is the most significantly enriched pathway among the down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in overwintering diseased bees. Moreover, we showed that the expression of SIRT1 gene, a major sirtuin that regulates energy and immune metabolism, was significantly downregulated in bees merely exposed to cold challenges, linking cold stress with altered gene expression of SIRT1. Furthermore, we demonstrated that activation of SIRT1 gene expression by SRT1720, an activator of SIRT1 expression, could improve the physiology and extend the lifespan of cold-stressed bees. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that increased energy consumption of overwintering bees for maintaining hive temperature reduces the allocation of energy toward immune functions, thus making the overwintering bees more susceptible to disease infections and leading to high winter colony losses. The novel information gained from this study provides a promising avenue for the development of therapeutic strategies for mitigating colony losses, both overwinter and annually.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guanzhou 510260, PR China; U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; School of Chinese Medicinal Resource, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Yunfu 527527, PR China
| | - Andrew Liu
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Shao Kang Huang
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; College of Animal Sciences (Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Jay D Evans
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Steve C Cook
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Evan Palmer-Young
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Miguel Corona
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Mohamed Alburaki
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Ge Liu
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Ri Chou Han
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guanzhou 510260, PR China
| | - Wen Feng Li
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Yue Hao
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, PR China
| | - Ji Lian Li
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, PR China
| | - Todd M Gilligan
- Identification Technology Program (ITP) Molecular Laboratory, USDA-APHIS-PPQ-Science & Technology (S&T), Fort Collins, CO 80526-1825, USA
| | - Allan H Smith-Pardo
- Identification Technology Program (ITP) Molecular Laboratory, USDA-APHIS-PPQ-Science & Technology (S&T), Fort Collins, CO 80526-1825, USA
| | - Olubukola Banmeke
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Francisco J Posada-Florez
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Ya Hui Gao
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | | | - Hui Chun Xie
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai Province, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810000, China
| | - Alex M Sadzewicz
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Michele Hamilton
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Yan Ping Chen
- U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Brejcha M, Prušáková D, Sábová M, Peska V, Černý J, Kodrík D, Konopová B, Čapková Frydrychová R. Seasonal changes in ultrastructure and gene expression in the fat body of worker honey bees. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 146:104504. [PMID: 36935036 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The anatomical, physiological, and behavioral characteristics of honey bees are affected by the season as well as division of labor. In this study, we examined the structure, ultrastructure, and gene expression of fat body cells in both long-lived winter and short-lived summer worker bees (the youngest stage of hive bees and forager bees). In contrast to hive bees, foragers and winter bees have a higher metabolism due to intensive muscle activity during their flight (foragers) or endothermic heat production (winter bees). These workers differ from hive bees in the biology of their mitochondria, peroxisomes, and lysosomes as well as in the expression of the genes involved in lipid, carbohydrate, amino acid metabolism, insulin, and TGF- β signaling. Additionally, the expression of genes related to phospholipid metabolism was higher in the hive bees. However, we found no differences between workers in the expression of genes controlling cell organelles, such as the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, nucleus, and vacuoles, as well as genes for DNA replication, cell cycle control, and autophagy. Furthermore, lysosomes, autophagic processes and lipofuscin particles were more frequently observed in winter bees using electron microscopy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miloslav Brejcha
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Daniela Prušáková
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michala Sábová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Vratislav Peska
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Černý
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dalibor Kodrík
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Konopová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radmila Čapková Frydrychová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Kohlmeier P, Billeter JC. Genetic mechanisms modulating behaviour through plastic chemosensory responses in insects. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:45-60. [PMID: 36239485 PMCID: PMC10092625 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The ability to transition between different behavioural stages is a widespread phenomenon across the animal kingdom. Such behavioural adaptations are often linked to changes in the sensitivity of those neurons that sense chemical cues associated with the respective behaviours. To identify the genetic mechanisms that regulate neuronal sensitivity, and by that behaviour, typically *omics approaches, such as RNA- and protein-sequencing, are applied to sensory organs of individuals displaying differences in behaviour. In this review, we discuss these genetic mechanisms and how they impact neuronal sensitivity, summarize the correlative and functional evidence for their role in regulating behaviour and discuss future directions. As such, this review can help interpret *omics data by providing a comprehensive list of already identified genes and mechanisms that impact behaviour through changes in neuronal sensitivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Kohlmeier
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jean-Christophe Billeter
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Shah S, Zhang SS, Elgizawy KK, Yan WH, Tang N, Wu G, Yang FL. Diallyl trisulfide reduced the reproductive capacity of male Sitotroga cerealella via the regulation of juvenile and ecdysone hormones. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 248:114304. [PMID: 36403303 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Environmental pollution and resistance in animals are major concerns for the application of synthetic pesticides. Diallyl trisulfide (DAT), an active compound in garlic essential oil, is a novel tool for active and safe control of agricultural insect pests. In this study, we analysed the effects of DAT (0.01 μL/L) on the protein content in male reproductive tissues (accessory glands, ejaculatory ducts, and testis), and juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysone titres in a highly detrimental pest of stored products, Sitotroga cerealella. Evaluation of the expression profile of JH and ecdysone pathway-related genes in various tissues indicated that the accessory gland protein and ecdysone titres were markedly decreased after DAT fumigation, whereas the testis protein content and JH titre were increased. However, the protein content of the ejaculatory ducts remained unchanged between the treated and control groups. Further investigation revealed that DAT disrupted the mRNA expression of key enzymes involved in JH and ecdysone pathways. While increased mRNA levels of juvenile hormone acid O-methyltransferase (JHMAT) and Kruppel homologue 1 (Kr-h1) were observed after 4 and 7 h of DAT fumigation, the levels of juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase (JHEH) were substantially reduced 3 h post-fumigation. mRNA levels of the ecdysone-responsive gene, FTZF1, and cytochrome P450 enzyme, CYP315A1, were notably decreased at 7 h and 4 h, respectively, post-fumigation, whereas CYP314A1 and CYP302A1 mRNA levels decreased after 3 h and 4 h, respectively. While DAT fumigation disrupted sperm number in the testis, ejaculatory ducts, and seminal vesicles, topical application of the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) analogue also lowered sperm number in the ejaculatory ducts. Topical application of methoprene, a JH analogue, increased the protein content in the testes, but not in the accessory glands or ejaculatory ducts. However, the survival rate was not affected by the topical application of methoprene or 20E. These data suggest that DAT regulates JH and ecdysone via its molecular pathway genes and modulates endocrine secretion during the male reproductive process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sakhawat Shah
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Su-Su Zhang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Karam Khamis Elgizawy
- Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Moshtohor, Toukh 13736, Egypt
| | - Wen-Han Yan
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Tang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Wu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng-Lian Yang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Harwood GP, Prayugo V, Dolezal AG. Butenolide Insecticide Flupyradifurone Affects Honey Bee Worker Antiviral Immunity and Survival. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 2:907555. [PMID: 38468795 PMCID: PMC10926552 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2022.907555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Honey bees face many environmental stressors, including exposure to pesticides and pathogens. A novel butenolide pesticide, flupyradifurone, was recently introduced to the US and shown to have a bee-friendly toxicity profile. Like the much-scrutinized neonicotinoids that preceded it, flupyradifurone targets the insect nervous system. Some neonicotinoids have been shown to interfere with antiviral immunity, which raised the concern that similar effects may be observed with flupyradifurone. In this study, we investigated how flupyradifurone and a neonicotinoid, clothianidin, affect the ability of honey bee workers to combat an infection of Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV). We exposed workers to field-realistic doses of the pesticides either with or without co-exposure with the virus, and then tracked survival and changes in viral titers. We repeated the experiment in the spring and fall to look for any seasonal effects. We found that flupyradifurone caused elevated mortality in the fall, but it did not lead to increased virus-induced mortality. Flupyradifurone also appeared to affect virus clearance, as bees co-exposed to the pesticide and virus tended to have higher viral titers after 48 hours than those exposed to the virus alone. Clothianidin had no effect on viral titers, and it actually appeared to increase resistance to viral infection in spring bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gyan P. Harwood
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Colin T, Warren RJ, Quarrell SR, Allen GR, Barron AB. Evaluating the foraging performance of individual honey bees in different environments with automated field
RFID
systems. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Théotime Colin
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Ryan J. Warren
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - Stephen R. Quarrell
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - Geoff R. Allen
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - Andrew B. Barron
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Schilcher F, Hilsmann L, Rauscher L, Değirmenci L, Krischke M, Krischke B, Ankenbrand M, Rutschmann B, Mueller MJ, Steffan-Dewenter I, Scheiner R. In Vitro Rearing Changes Social Task Performance and Physiology in Honeybees. INSECTS 2021; 13:insects13010004. [PMID: 35055848 PMCID: PMC8779213 DOI: 10.3390/insects13010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The rearing of honeybee larvae in the laboratory is an important tool for studying the effects of plant protection products or pathogens on developing and adult bees, yet how rearing under artificial conditions affects the later social behavior and physiology of the honeybees is mostly unknown. We, here, show that honeybees reared in the laboratory generally had a lower probability for performing nursing or foraging tasks compared to bees reared under natural conditions in bee colonies. Nursing behavior itself appeared normal in in vitro honeybees. In contrast, bees reared in the laboratory foraged for a shorter period in life and performed fewer trips compared to bees reared in colonies. In addition, in vitro honeybees did not display the typical increase in juvenile hormone titer, which goes hand-in-hand with the initiation of foraging in colony-reared bees. Abstract In vitro rearing of honeybee larvae is an established method that enables exact control and monitoring of developmental factors and allows controlled application of pesticides or pathogens. However, only a few studies have investigated how the rearing method itself affects the behavior of the resulting adult honeybees. We raised honeybees in vitro according to a standardized protocol: marking the emerging honeybees individually and inserting them into established colonies. Subsequently, we investigated the behavioral performance of nurse bees and foragers and quantified the physiological factors underlying the social organization. Adult honeybees raised in vitro differed from naturally reared honeybees in their probability of performing social tasks. Further, in vitro-reared bees foraged for a shorter duration in their life and performed fewer foraging trips. Nursing behavior appeared to be unaffected by rearing condition. Weight was also unaffected by rearing condition. Interestingly, juvenile hormone titers, which normally increase strongly around the time when a honeybee becomes a forager, were significantly lower in three- and four-week-old in vitro bees. The effects of the rearing environment on individual sucrose responsiveness and lipid levels were rather minor. These data suggest that larval rearing conditions can affect the task performance and physiology of adult bees despite equal weight, pointing to an important role of the colony environment for these factors. Our observations of behavior and metabolic pathways offer important novel insight into how the rearing environment affects adult honeybees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schilcher
- Biocentre, Department of Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (L.H.); (L.R.); (L.D.); (R.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-931-31-85373
| | - Lioba Hilsmann
- Biocentre, Department of Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (L.H.); (L.R.); (L.D.); (R.S.)
| | - Lisa Rauscher
- Biocentre, Department of Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (L.H.); (L.R.); (L.D.); (R.S.)
| | - Laura Değirmenci
- Biocentre, Department of Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (L.H.); (L.R.); (L.D.); (R.S.)
| | - Markus Krischke
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Julius-von-Sachs-Institute, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; (M.K.); (M.J.M.)
| | - Beate Krischke
- Biocentre, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (B.K.); (B.R.); (I.S.-D.)
| | - Markus Ankenbrand
- Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology (CCTB), Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, 97074 Würzburg, Germany;
| | - Benjamin Rutschmann
- Biocentre, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (B.K.); (B.R.); (I.S.-D.)
| | - Martin J. Mueller
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Julius-von-Sachs-Institute, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; (M.K.); (M.J.M.)
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Biocentre, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (B.K.); (B.R.); (I.S.-D.)
| | - Ricarda Scheiner
- Biocentre, Department of Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (L.H.); (L.R.); (L.D.); (R.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Robinson WS. Surfing the Sweet Wave: Migrating Giant Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apis dorsata) Display Spatial and Temporal Fidelity to Annual Stopover Site in Thailand. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:6414652. [PMID: 34723333 PMCID: PMC8559164 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Apis dorsata F. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), the giant honey bee of southern Asia, is an important pollinator of crops and non-cultivated angiosperms, and a producer of honey and beeswax. Its populations are in decline in many areas. Colonies migrate seasonally between highland and lowland nesting sites, taking advantage of available food sources. In 2009, a stopover site was discovered in Thailand where numerous migrating colonies bivouacked near one another. Bivouacs used the site again in 2010. I went to the site in 2016 to test the hypothesis that bees use the site regularly as part of an annual migration. I witnessed many bivouacs, spanning almost precisely the same time period and occupying the same area as in 2010. Here I describe their migratory dances in preparation for departure and their subsequent flights as well as periodic mass flight and defensive behavior. Analysis of photographs indicated that the bivouacking bees aged slowly and may thus live long enough to be capable of intergenerational transmission of migratory route knowledge. I describe attributes of the stopover site, e.g., abundant food and water availability, its location along a major river, and other possible navigational cues. Although the site is the only one of its kind so far known to researchers, such stopover sites probably exist wherever giant honey bees undertake long seasonal migrations. I recommend searching for bivouacking sites, particularly along rivers, wherever giant honey bees migrate. Stopover sites are undoubtedly essential to the life history and health of migratory bee populations, and thus warrant conservation policies.
Collapse
|
16
|
Jack CJ, Ellis JD. Integrated Pest Management Control of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae), the Most Damaging Pest of (Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)) Colonies. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:6. [PMID: 34536080 PMCID: PMC8449538 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Varroa destructor is among the greatest biological threats to western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) health worldwide. Beekeepers routinely use chemical treatments to control this parasite, though overuse and mismanagement of these treatments have led to widespread resistance in Varroa populations. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an ecologically based, sustainable approach to pest management that relies on a combination of control tactics that minimize environmental impacts. Herein, we provide an in-depth review of the components of IPM in a Varroa control context. These include determining economic thresholds for the mite, identification of and monitoring for Varroa, prevention strategies, and risk conscious treatments. Furthermore, we provide a detailed review of cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical control strategies, both longstanding and emerging, used against Varroa globally. For each control type, we describe all available treatments, their efficacies against Varroa as described in the primary scientific literature, and the obstacles to their adoption. Unfortunately, reliable IPM protocols do not exist for Varroa due to the complex biology of the mite and strong reliance on chemical control by beekeepers. To encourage beekeeper adoption, a successful IPM approach to Varroa control in managed colonies must be an improvement over conventional control methods and include cost-effective treatments that can be employed readily by beekeepers. It is our intention to provide the most thorough review of Varroa control options available, ultimately framing our discussion within the context of IPM. We hope this article is a call-to-arms against the most damaging pest managed honey bee colonies face worldwide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cameron J Jack
- Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - James D Ellis
- Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ortiz-Alvarado Y, Fernández-Casas R, Ortiz-Alvarado CA, Diaz-Iglesias E, Rivera-Marchand B. Behavioral flexibility in Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:16. [PMID: 34436597 PMCID: PMC8388608 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Worker division of labor is a defining trait in social insects. Many species are characterized by having behavioral flexibility where workers perform non-typical tasks for their age depending on the colony's needs. Worker division of labor and behavioral flexibility were examined in the little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863), for which age-related division of labor has been found. Young workers perform nursing duties which include tending of brood and queens, and colony defense, while older workers forage. When nurses were experimentally removed from the colony, foragers were observed carrying out nursing and colony defense duties, yet when foragers were removed nurses did not forage precociously. We also administered juvenile hormone analog, methoprene, to workers. When methoprene was applied, foragers increased their nursing and defense activities while nurses became mainly idle. The behavioral flexibility of foragers of the little fire ant may be evidence of an expansion of worker's repertoires as they age; older workers can perform tasks they have already done in their life while young individuals are not capable of performing tasks ahead of time. This may be an important adaptation associated with the success of this ant as an invasive species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael Fernández-Casas
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Inter American University, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
| | | | | | - Bert Rivera-Marchand
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Inter American University, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Villagomez GN, Nürnberger F, Requier F, Schiele S, Steffan‐Dewenter I. Effects of temperature and photoperiod on the seasonal timing of Western honey bee colonies and an early spring flowering plant. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7834-7849. [PMID: 34188855 PMCID: PMC8216905 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperature and photoperiod are important Zeitgebers for plants and pollinators to synchronize growth and reproduction with suitable environmental conditions and their mutualistic interaction partners. Global warming can disturb this temporal synchronization since interacting species may respond differently to new combinations of photoperiod and temperature under future climates, but experimental studies on the potential phenological responses of plants and pollinators are lacking. We simulated current and future combinations of temperature and photoperiod to assess effects on the overwintering and spring phenology of an early flowering plant species (Crocus sieberi) and the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera). We could show that increased mean temperatures in winter and early spring advanced the flowering phenology of C. sieberi and intensified brood rearing activity of A. mellifera but did not advance their brood rearing activity. Flowering phenology of C. sieberi also relied on photoperiod, while brood rearing activity of A. mellifera did not. The results confirm that increases in temperature can induce changes in phenological responses and suggest that photoperiod can also play a critical role in these responses, with currently unknown consequences for real-world ecosystems in a warming climate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gemma N. Villagomez
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyBiocenterUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Fabian Nürnberger
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyBiocenterUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Fabrice Requier
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyBiocenterUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
- CNRSIRDUMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et ÉcologieUniversité Paris‐SaclayGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Susanne Schiele
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyBiocenterUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Ingolf Steffan‐Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyBiocenterUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Miao J, Guo P, Li H, Wei C, Liu Q, Gong Z, Duan Y, Li T, Jiang Y, Feng H, Wu Y. Low Barometric Pressure Enhances Tethered-Flight Performance and Reproductive of the Oriental Armyworm, Mythimna separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 114:620-626. [PMID: 33449074 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toaa291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Barometric pressure is an important factor influencing several insect traits. Most studies have been conducted on the behavior of insects in relation to rapid and slight changes in pressure magnitudes or short-term pressure trends, but there is little information on the effect of long-term and large pressure variations on insect traits. Here, we assessed the effects of static low barometric pressure on the tethered flight, lifespan and reproductive performance of Mythimna separata (Walker), a long-distance migratory insect, using an apparatus simulating low barometric pressure at altitudes of 500 m above sea level. We found that both the flight distance and flight duration of M. separata moths were significantly longer under low barometric pressure conditions. Exposure to low barometric pressure conditions for 24 and 48 h significantly shortened the lifespan of female moths but had no influence on male moths. The ovaries of female moths developed earlier, and the preoviposition and oviposition periods were significantly shortened under low atmospheric pressure. Moreover, low atmospheric pressure reduced the respiration rate of female moths. However, there was an increase in the respiration rate of female moths after being returned to standard barometric pressure conditions. Our results show that the behavior and physiological traits of insects are affected by the low-pressure environment during migration. The low barometric pressure conditions at high altitudes is one of important factors accelerating reproductive behavior of M. separata after migration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Miao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Pei Guo
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Huiling Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | | | - Qihang Liu
- Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, P. R. China
| | - Zhongjun Gong
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yun Duan
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Tong Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yueli Jiang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Hongqiang Feng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yuqing Wu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Habenstein J, Schmitt F, Liessem S, Ly A, Trede D, Wegener C, Predel R, Rössler W, Neupert S. Transcriptomic, peptidomic, and mass spectrometry imaging analysis of the brain in the ant Cataglyphis nodus. J Neurochem 2021; 158:391-412. [PMID: 33704768 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility is an important cornerstone for the ecological success of animals. Social Cataglyphis nodus ants with their age-related polyethism characterized by age-related behavioral phenotypes represent a prime example for behavioral flexibility. We propose neuropeptides as powerful candidates for the flexible modulation of age-related behavioral transitions in individual ants. As the neuropeptidome of C. nodus was unknown, we collected a comprehensive peptidomic data set obtained by transcriptome analysis of the ants' central nervous system combined with brain extract analysis by Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (MS) and direct tissue profiling of different regions of the brain by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS. In total, we identified 71 peptides with likely bioactive function, encoded on 49 neuropeptide-, neuropeptide-like, and protein hormone prepropeptide genes, including a novel neuropeptide-like gene (fliktin). We next characterized the spatial distribution of a subset of peptides encoded on 16 precursor proteins with high resolution by MALDI MS imaging (MALDI MSI) on 14 µm brain sections. The accuracy of our MSI data were confirmed by matching the immunostaining patterns for tachykinins with MSI ion images from consecutive brain sections. Our data provide a solid framework for future research into spatially resolved qualitative and quantitative peptidomic changes associated with stage-specific behavioral transitions and the functional role of neuropeptides in Cataglyphis ants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jens Habenstein
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Schmitt
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sander Liessem
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alice Ly
- Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany
| | - Dennis Trede
- SCiLS, Zweigniederlassung Bremen der Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany
| | - Christian Wegener
- Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Neurobiology and Genetics, Würzburg Insect Research, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Reinhard Predel
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Neupert
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Corby-Harris V, Carroll M, Toth AL, Gage S, Watkins deJong E, Graham H, Chambers M, Meador C, Obernesser B. The Importance of Time and Place: Nutrient Composition and Utilization of Seasonal Pollens by European Honey Bees ( Apis mellifera L.). INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12030235. [PMID: 33801848 PMCID: PMC8000538 DOI: 10.3390/insects12030235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Honey bees rely on pollen and nectar to provide nutrients to support their yearly colony cycle. Specifics of the cycle differ among geographic regions as do the species of flowering plants and the nutrients they provide. We examined responses of honey bees from two different queen lines fed pollens from locations that differed in floral species composition and yearly colony cycles. We detected differences between the queen lines in the amount of pollen they consumed and the size of their hypopharyngeal glands (HPG). There were also seasonal differences between the nutrient composition of pollens. Spring pollens collected from colonies in both locations had higher amino and fatty acid concentrations than fall pollens. There also were seasonal differences in responses to the pollens consumed by bees from both queen lines. Bees consumed more spring than fall pollen, but digested less of it so that bees consumed more protein from fall pollens. Though protein consumption was higher with fall pollen, HPG were larger in spring bees. Abstract Honey bee colonies have a yearly cycle that is supported nutritionally by the seasonal progression of flowering plants. In the spring, colonies grow by rearing brood, but in the fall, brood rearing declines in preparation for overwintering. Depending on where colonies are located, the yearly cycle can differ especially in overwintering activities. In temperate climates of Europe and North America, colonies reduce or end brood rearing in the fall while in warmer climates bees can rear brood and forage throughout the year. To test the hypothesis that nutrients available in seasonal pollens and honey bee responses to them can differ we analyzed pollen in the spring and fall collected by colonies in environments where brood rearing either stops in the fall (Iowa) or continues through the winter (Arizona). We fed both types of pollen to worker offspring of queens that emerged and open mated in each type of environment. We measured physiological responses to test if they differed depending on the location and season when the pollen was collected and the queen line of the workers that consumed it. Specifically, we measured pollen and protein consumption, gene expression levels (hex 70, hex 110, and vg) and hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) development. We found differences in macronutrient content and amino and fatty acids between spring and fall pollens from the same location and differences in nutrient content between locations during the same season. We also detected queen type and seasonal effects in HPG size and differences in gene expression between bees consuming spring vs. fall pollen with larger HPG and higher gene expression levels in those consuming spring pollen. The effects might have emerged from the seasonal differences in nutritional content of the pollens and genetic factors associated with the queen lines we used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (V.C.-H.); (Mark Carroll); (E.W.d.); (H.G.); (Mona Chambers); (C.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Vanessa Corby-Harris
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (V.C.-H.); (Mark Carroll); (E.W.d.); (H.G.); (Mona Chambers); (C.M.)
| | - Mark Carroll
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (V.C.-H.); (Mark Carroll); (E.W.d.); (H.G.); (Mona Chambers); (C.M.)
| | - Amy L. Toth
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, 2310 Pammel Drive, 339 Science Hall II, Ames, IA 50011, USA;
| | - Stephanie Gage
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Physics, Howey Physics Building, 837 State Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30313, USA;
| | - Emily Watkins deJong
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (V.C.-H.); (Mark Carroll); (E.W.d.); (H.G.); (Mona Chambers); (C.M.)
| | - Henry Graham
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (V.C.-H.); (Mark Carroll); (E.W.d.); (H.G.); (Mona Chambers); (C.M.)
| | - Mona Chambers
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (V.C.-H.); (Mark Carroll); (E.W.d.); (H.G.); (Mona Chambers); (C.M.)
| | - Charlotte Meador
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (V.C.-H.); (Mark Carroll); (E.W.d.); (H.G.); (Mona Chambers); (C.M.)
| | - Bethany Obernesser
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Forbes 410, P.O. Box 210036, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Wild B, Dormagen DM, Zachariae A, Smith ML, Traynor KS, Brockmann D, Couzin ID, Landgraf T. Social networks predict the life and death of honey bees. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1110. [PMID: 33597518 PMCID: PMC7889932 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21212-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In complex societies, individuals' roles are reflected by interactions with other conspecifics. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) generally change tasks as they age, but developmental trajectories of individuals can vary drastically due to physiological and environmental factors. We introduce a succinct descriptor of an individual's social network that can be obtained without interfering with the colony. This 'network age' accurately predicts task allocation, survival, activity patterns, and future behavior. We analyze developmental trajectories of multiple cohorts of individuals in a natural setting and identify distinct developmental pathways and critical life changes. Our findings suggest a high stability in task allocation on an individual level. We show that our method is versatile and can extract different properties from social networks, opening up a broad range of future studies. Our approach highlights the relationship of social interactions and individual traits, and provides a scalable technique for understanding how complex social systems function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Wild
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - David M Dormagen
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Michael L Smith
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Kirsten S Traynor
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Global Biosocial Complexity Initiative, Arizona State University, Tempe, FL, USA
| | - Dirk Brockmann
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Iain D Couzin
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tim Landgraf
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Dostálková S, Dobeš P, Kunc M, Hurychová J, Škrabišová M, Petřivalský M, Titěra D, Havlík J, Hyršl P, Danihlík J. Winter honeybee ( Apis mellifera) populations show greater potential to induce immune responses than summer populations after immune stimuli. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb232595. [PMID: 33288532 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.232595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In the temperate climates of central Europe and North America, two distinct honeybee (Apis mellifera) populations are found in colonies: short-living summer bees emerge in spring and survive until summer, whereas long-living winter bees emerge in late August and overwinter. Besides the difference in their life spans, each of these populations fulfils a different role in the colonies and individual bees have distinct physiological and immunological adaptations depending on their roles. For instance, winter worker bees have higher vitellogenin levels and larger reserves of nutrients in the fat body than summer bees. The differences between the immune systems of both populations are well described at the constitutive level; however, our knowledge of its inducibility is still very limited. In this study, we focus on the response of 10-day-old honeybee workers to immune challenges triggered in vivo by injecting heat-killed bacteria, with particular focus on honeybees that emerge and live under hive conditions. Responses to bacterial injections differed between summer and winter bees. Winter bees exhibited a more intense response, including higher expression of antimicrobial genes and antimicrobial activity, as well as a significant decrease in vitellogenin gene expression and its concentration in the hemolymph. The intense immune response observed in winter honeybees may contribute to our understanding of the relationships between colony fitness and infection with pathogens, as well as its association with successful overwintering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvie Dostálková
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Dobeš
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kunc
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Hurychová
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Mária Škrabišová
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Petřivalský
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Dalibor Titěra
- Bee Research Institute, Libčice nad Vltavou 252 66, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Havlík
- Department of Food Quality and Safety, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamycka 129, Prague 252 63, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Hyršl
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Danihlík
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 783 71, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Koubová J, Sábová M, Brejcha M, Kodrík D, Čapková Frydrychová R. Seasonality in telomerase activity in relation to cell size, DNA replication, and nutrients in the fat body of Apis mellifera. Sci Rep 2021; 11:592. [PMID: 33436732 PMCID: PMC7803764 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79912-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In honeybees (Apis mellifera), the rate of aging is modulated through social interactions and according to caste differentiation and the seasonal (winter/summer) generation of workers. Winter generation workers, which hatch at the end of summer, have remarkably extended lifespans as an adaptation to the cold season when the resources required for the growth and reproduction of colonies are limited and the bees need to maintain the colony until the next spring. In contrast, the summer bees only live for several weeks. To better understand the lifespan differences between summer and winter bees, we studied the fat bodies of honeybee workers and identified several parameters that fluctuate in a season-dependent manner. In agreement with the assumption that winter workers possess greater fat body mass, our data showed gradual increases in fat body mass, the size of the fat body cells, and Vg production as the winter season proceeded, as well as contrasting gradual decreases in these parameters in the summer season. The differences in the fat bodies between winter and summer bees are accompanied by respective increases and decreases in telomerase activity and DNA replication in the fat bodies. These data show that although the fat bodies of winter bees differ significantly from those of summer bees, these differences are not a priori set when bees hatch at the end of summer or in early autumn but instead gradually evolve over the course of the season, depending on environmental factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justina Koubová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michala Sábová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Miloslav Brejcha
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dalibor Kodrík
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radmila Čapková Frydrychová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Saleem MS, Huang ZY, Milbrath MO. Neonicotinoid Pesticides Are More Toxic to Honey Bees at Lower Temperatures: Implications for Overwintering Bees. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.556856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
26
|
Jeon JH, Moon K, Kim Y, Kim YH. Reference gene selection for qRT-PCR analysis of season- and tissue-specific gene expression profiles in the honey bee Apis mellifera. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13935. [PMID: 32811887 PMCID: PMC7435199 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70965-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Honey bees are both important pollinators and model insects due to their highly developed sociality and colony management. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying honey bee colony management, it is important to investigate the expression of genes putatively involved in colony physiology. Although quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) can be used to quantify the relative expression of target genes, internal reference genes (which are stably expressed across different conditions) must first be identified to ensure accurate normalisation of target genes. To identify reliable reference genes in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, therefore, we evaluated seven candidate genes (ACT, EIF, EF1, RPN2, RPS5, RPS18 and GAPDH) in samples collected from three honey bee tissue types (head, thorax and abdomen) across all four seasons using three analysis programmes (NormFinder, BestKeeper and geNorm). Subsequently, we validated various normalisation methods using each of the seven reference genes and a combination of multiple genes by calculating the expression of catalase (CAT). Although the genes ranked as the most stable gene were slightly different on conditions and analysis methods, our results suggest that RPS5, RPS18 and GAPDH represent optimal honey bee reference genes for target gene normalisation in qRT-PCR analysis of various honey bee tissue samples collected across seasons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hyang Jeon
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - KyungHwan Moon
- Department of Ecological Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - YeongHo Kim
- Department of Ecological Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Ho Kim
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Ecological Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
The honey bee (Apis mellifera L., 1758) and the seasonal adaptation of productions. Highlights on summer to winter transition and back to summer metabolic activity. A review. Livest Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2020.104011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
|
28
|
Jack CJ, Dai PL, van Santen E, Ellis JD. Comparing four methods of rearing Varroa destructor in vitro. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 80:463-476. [PMID: 32249394 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00488-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The parasitic mite Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman continues to devastate western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies throughout most of the world where they are managed. The development of a method to rear Varroa in vitro would allow for year-round Varroa research, rapidly advancing our progress towards controlling the mite. We created two separate experiments to address this objective. First, we determined which of four in vitro rearing methods yields the greatest number of Varroa offspring. Second, we attempted to improve the rearing rates achieved with that method. The four methods tested included (1) rearing Varroa on honey bee pupae in gelatin capsules, (2) rearing Varroa on in vitro-reared honey bees, (3) group rearing Varroa on honey bee pupae in Petri dishes, and (4) providing Varroa a bee-derived diet. The number of reproducing females and the number of fully mature offspring were significantly higher in the gelatin capsules maintained at 75% RH than in any other method. A 2 × 3 full factorial design was used to test combinations of gelatin capsule size (6 and 7 mm diameter) and relative humidity (65, 75, or 85%) on Varroa rearing success. Varroa reproduction and survival were significantly higher in 7-mm-diameter gelatin capsules maintained at 75% RH than in those maintained in 6-mm capsules and at the other humidities. By identifying factors that influence Varroa reproductive success in vitro, this work provides an important foundation for the development of future rearing protocols.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cameron J Jack
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Steinmetz Hall, Natural Area Dr., P.O. Box 110620, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0620, USA.
| | - Ping-Li Dai
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Steinmetz Hall, Natural Area Dr., P.O. Box 110620, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0620, USA
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Edzard van Santen
- Statistical Consulting Unit and Agronomy Department, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, McCarty Hall, P.O. Box 110500, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0500, USA
| | - James D Ellis
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Steinmetz Hall, Natural Area Dr., P.O. Box 110620, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0620, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Chronic High-Dose Neonicotinoid Exposure Decreases Overwinter Survival of Apis mellifera L. INSECTS 2019; 11:insects11010030. [PMID: 31906066 PMCID: PMC7022569 DOI: 10.3390/insects11010030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Overwinter colony mortality is an ongoing challenge for North American beekeepers. During winter, honey bee colonies rely on stored honey and beebread, which is frequently contaminated with the neonicotinoid insecticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam. To determine whether neonicotinoid exposure affects overwinter survival of Apis mellifera L., we chronically exposed overwintering field colonies and winter workers in the laboratory to thiamethoxam or clothianidin at different concentrations and monitored survival and feed consumption. We also investigated the sublethal effects of chronic thiamethoxam exposure on colony pathogen load, queen quality, and colony temperature regulation. Under field conditions, high doses of thiamethoxam significantly increased overwinter mortality compared to controls, with field-realistic doses of thiamethoxam showing no significant effect on colony overwinter survival. Under laboratory conditions, chronic neonicotinoid exposure significantly decreased survival of winter workers relative to negative control at all doses tested. Chronic high-dose thiamethoxam exposure was not shown to impact pathogen load or queen quality, and field-realistic concentrations of thiamethoxam did not affect colony temperature homeostasis. Taken together, these results demonstrate that chronic environmental neonicotinoid exposure significantly decreases survival of winter workers in the laboratory, but only chronic high-dose thiamethoxam significantly decreases overwinter survival of colonies in the field.
Collapse
|
30
|
The Year of the Honey Bee ( Apis mellifera L.) with Respect to Its Physiology and Immunity: A Search for Biochemical Markers of Longevity. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10080244. [PMID: 31394797 PMCID: PMC6723739 DOI: 10.3390/insects10080244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It has been known for many years that in temperate climates the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, exists in the form of two distinct populations within the year, short-living summer bees and long-living winter bees. However, there is only limited knowledge about the basic biochemical markers of winter and summer populations as yet. Nevertheless, the distinction between these two kinds of bees is becoming increasingly important as it can help beekeepers to estimate proportion of long-living bees in hives and therefore in part predict success of overwintering. To identify markers of winter generations, we employed the continuous long-term monitoring of a single honey bee colony for almost two years, which included measurements of physiological and immunological parameters. The results showed that the total concentration of proteins, the level of vitellogenin, and the antibacterial activity of haemolymph are the best three of all followed parameters that are related to honey bee longevity and can therefore be used as its markers.
Collapse
|
31
|
Kou R, Hsu CC, Chen SC, Chang PY, Fang S. Winner and loser effects in lobster cockroach contests for social dominance. Horm Behav 2019; 107:49-60. [PMID: 30528558 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In the context of animal aggression, the winner/loser effect is a cross-taxa phenomenon. In the present study, the effect of social contest experience on winning and losing subsequent encounters was investigated in the furious male lobster cockroach, Nauphoeta cinerea. Dominant and subordinate individuals were generated as the result of an encounter between two socially naïve males (SNMs); the winner and loser were designated as 1st encounter dominants and 1st encounter subordinates, respectively. With these dominants and subordinates, three experiments were conducted: (I) the original pair met in a re-encounter, (II) the 1st encounter dominants and subordinates were paired with an inexperienced SNM, (III) the 1st encounter dominants and subordinates were paired with an experienced individual of the same rank. Each experiment was conducted at 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks and 5 weeks after the 1st encounter fight. Juvenile hormone (JH) III titer was monitored in all individuals before and after each subsequent encounter. Our results showed that, in the original pairing and in the pairing with SNMs, the probability that a 1st encounter dominant (or subordinate) would win (or lose) the subsequent encounter fit well with the 95% confidence interval of the theoretical criteria proposed by Begin et al. (1969), indicating the existence of the winning/losing effect. However, this effect was inconsistent along the five-week observation period. For all 1st encounter dominants, at each week after the 1st encounter, the before subsequent encounter JH III titers distribution was significantly different from that on the 1st encounter day; the distributions of before subsequent encounter JH III titers could be further clustered into two groups, the higher JH III group and the lower JH III group, which were significantly correlated with subsequent winning and losing, respectively. For the 1st encounter subordinates, the distributions of before subsequent encounter JH III titers were not significantly different from that of SNMs, but the titer distributions were significantly shifted to a higher level compared to the 1st encounter day. Compared with before subsequent encounter, the after subsequent encounter hemolymph JH III level was significantly increased in winners and significantly decreased in losers. From these data, we propose that instability of the winner and loser effects may occur due to physiological costs and recovery; this instability may partly explain why the social hierarchy is unstable in this cockroach species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rong Kou
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Chu-Chun Hsu
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Shu-Chun Chen
- Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Yung Chang
- Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Shu Fang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Ruedenauer FA, Wöhrle C, Spaethe J, Leonhardt SD. Do honeybees (Apis mellifera) differentiate between different pollen types? PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205821. [PMID: 30403699 PMCID: PMC6221266 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bees receive nectar and pollen as reward for pollinating plants. Pollen of different plant species varies widely in nutritional composition. In order to select pollen of appropriate nutritional quality, bees would benefit if they could distinguish different pollen types. Whether they rely on visual, olfactory and/or chemotactile cues to distinguish between different pollen types, has however been little studied. In this study, we examined whether and how Apis mellifera workers differentiate between almond and apple pollen. We used differential proboscis extension response conditioning with olfactory and chemotactile stimulation, in light and darkness, and in summer and winter bees. We found that honeybees were only able to differentiate between different pollen types, when they could use both chemotactile and olfactory cues. Visual cues further improved learning performance. Summer bees learned faster than winter bees. Our results thus highlight the importance of multisensory information for pollen discrimination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabian A. Ruedenauer
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christine Wöhrle
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Spaethe
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sara D. Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Fine JD, Shpigler HY, Ray AM, Beach NJ, Sankey AL, Cash-Ahmed A, Huang ZY, Astrauskaite I, Chao R, Zhao H, Robinson GE. Quantifying the effects of pollen nutrition on honey bee queen egg laying with a new laboratory system. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203444. [PMID: 30183759 PMCID: PMC6124782 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee populations have been declining precipitously over the past decade, and multiple causative factors have been identified. Recent research indicates that these frequently co-occurring stressors interact, often in unpredictable ways, therefore it has become important to develop robust methods to assess their effects both in isolation and in combination. Most such efforts focus on honey bee workers, but the state of a colony also depends on the health and productivity of its queen. However, it is much more difficult to quantify the performance of queens relative to workers in the field, and there are no laboratory assays for queen performance. Here, we present a new system to monitor honey bee queen egg laying under laboratory conditions and report the results of experiments showing the effects of pollen nutrition on egg laying. These findings suggest that queen egg laying and worker physiology can be manipulated in this system through pollen nutrition, which is consistent with findings from field colonies. The results generated using this controlled, laboratory-based system suggest that worker physiology controls queen egg laying behavior. Additionally, the quantitative data generated in these experiments highlight the utility of the system for further use as a risk assessment tool.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia D. Fine
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Hagai Y. Shpigler
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Allyson M. Ray
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Nathanael J. Beach
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Alison L. Sankey
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Amy Cash-Ahmed
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Zachary Y. Huang
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States of America
| | - Ieva Astrauskaite
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Ran Chao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- LifeFoundry, Inc., Champaign, United States of America
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Gene E. Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Moon K, Lee SH, Kim YH. Validation of quantitative real-time PCR reference genes for the determination of seasonal and labor-specific gene expression profiles in the head of Western honey bee, Apis mellifera. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200369. [PMID: 29985960 PMCID: PMC6037379 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee is not only considered an important pollinator in agriculture, but is also widely used as a model insect in biological sciences, thanks to its highly evolved sociality, specialization of labor division, and flexibility of colony management. For an intensive investigation of the seasonal and labor-dependent expression patterns of its genes, accurate quantification of the target gene transcription level is a fundamental step. To date, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) has been widely used for rapid quantification of gene transcripts, with reliable reference gene(s) for normalization. To this end, in an attempt to search for reliable reference genes, the amplification efficiencies of six candidate reference genes (rp49, rpL32, rpS18, tbp, tub, and gapdh) were determined. Subsequently, four genes (rpL32, rpS18, tbp, and gapdh) with PCR efficiencies of 90% to 110% were evaluated for their expression stabilities with three programs (geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper) and used for normalization of seasonal expression patterns of target genes in the forager and nurse heads. Although the three programs revealed slightly different results, two genes, rpS18 and gapdh, were suggested to be the optimal reference genes for qRT-PCR-based determination of seasonal and labor-specific gene expression profiles. Furthermore, the combined use of these two genes yielded a more accurate normalization, compared with the use of a single gene in the head of honey bee. The validated reference genes can be widely used for quantification of target gene expression in honey bee head although it is still remained to be elucidated the expression levels of the selected reference genes in specific tissues in head.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- KyungHwan Moon
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Ecology & Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Si Hyeock Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (YHK); (SHL)
| | - Young Ho Kim
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Ecology & Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
- Department of Ecological Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (YHK); (SHL)
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Huang ZY, Lin S, Ahn K. Methoprene does not affect juvenile hormone titers in honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers. INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 25:235-240. [PMID: 27763722 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Methoprene, a juvenile hormone (JH) analog, is a widely used insecticide that also accelerates behavioral development in honey bees (Apis mellifera). JH regulates the transition from nursing to foraging in adult worker bees, and treatment with JH or methoprene have both been shown to induce precocious foraging. To determine how methoprene changes honey bee behavior, we compared JH titers of methoprene-treated and untreated bees. Behavioral observations confirmed that methoprene treatment significantly increased the number of precocious foragers in 3 out of 4 colonies. In only 1 out of 4 colonies, however, was there a significant difference in JH titers between the methoprene-treated and control bees. Further, in all 4 colonies, there was no significant differences in JH titers between precocious and normal-aged foragers. These results suggest that methoprene did not directly affect the endogenous JH secreted by corpora allata. Because methoprene caused early foraging without changing workers' JH titers, we conclude that methoprene most likely acts directly on the JH receptors as a substitute for JH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Y Huang
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Stephanie Lin
- High School Honors Science Program 2007, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Kiheung Ahn
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Tibbetts EA, Fearon ML, Wong E, Huang ZY, Tinghitella RM. Rapid juvenile hormone downregulation in subordinate wasp queens facilitates stable cooperation. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20172645. [PMID: 29436498 PMCID: PMC5829203 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In many cooperatively breeding animals, subordinate group members have lower reproductive capacity than dominant group members. Theory suggests subordinates may downregulate their reproductive capacity because dominants punish subordinates who maintain high fertility. However, there is little direct experimental evidence that dominants cause physiological suppression in subordinates. Here, we experimentally test how social interactions influence subordinate reproductive hormones in Polistes dominula paper wasps. Polistes dominula queens commonly found nests in cooperative groups where the dominant queen is more fertile than the subordinate queen. In this study, we randomly assigned wasps to cooperative groups, assessed dominance behaviour during group formation, then measured levels of juvenile hormone (JH), a hormone that mediates Polistes fertility. Within three hours, lowest ranking subordinates had less JH than dominants or solitary controls, indicating that group formation caused rapid JH reduction in low-ranking subordinates. In a second experiment, we measured the behavioural consequences of experimentally increasing subordinate JH. Subordinates with high JH-titres received significantly more aggression than control subordinates or subordinates from groups where the dominant's JH was increased. These results suggest that dominants aggressively punished subordinates who attempted to maintain high fertility. Low-ranked subordinates may rapidly downregulate reproductive capacity to reduce costly social interactions with dominants. Rapid modulation of subordinate reproductive physiology may be an important adaptation to facilitate the formation of stable, cooperative groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle L Fearon
- Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ellery Wong
- Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Zachary Y Huang
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Cardoso-Júnior CAM, Guidugli-Lazzarini KR, Hartfelder K. DNA methylation affects the lifespan of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) workers - Evidence for a regulatory module that involves vitellogenin expression but is independent of juvenile hormone function. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 92:21-29. [PMID: 29157677 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The canonic regulatory module for lifespan of honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers involves a mutual repressor relationship between juvenile hormone (JH) and vitellogenin (Vg). Compared to vertebrates, however, little is known about a possible role of epigenetic factors. The full genomic repertoire of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) makes the honey bee an attractive emergent model for studying the role of epigenetics in the aging process of invertebrates, and especially so in social insects. We first quantified the transcript levels of the four DNMTs encoding genes in the head thorax and abdomens of workers of different age, showing that dnmt1a and dnmt3 expression is up-regulated in abdomens of old workers, whereas dnmt1b and dnmt2 are down-regulated in heads of old workers. Pharmacological genome demethylation by RG108 treatment caused an increase in worker lifespan. Next, we showed that the genomic DNA methylation status indirectly affects vitellogenin gene expression both in vitro and in vivo in young workers, and that this occurs independent of caloric restriction or JH levels, suggesting that a non-canonical circuitry may be acting in parallel with the JH/Vg module to regulate the adult life cycle of honey bee workers. Our data provide evidence that epigenetic factors play a role in regulatory networks associated with complex life history traits of a social insect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A M Cardoso-Júnior
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
| | - Karina R Guidugli-Lazzarini
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
| | - Klaus Hartfelder
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Neonicotinoids act like endocrine disrupting chemicals in newly-emerged bees and winter bees. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10979. [PMID: 28887455 PMCID: PMC5591280 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10489-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that neonicotinoids may have long-term adverse effects on bee health, yet our understanding of how this could occur is incomplete. Pesticides can act as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in animals providing characteristic multiphasic dose-response curves and non-lethal endpoints in toxicity studies. However, it is not known if neonicotinoids act as EDCs in bees. To address this issue, we performed oral acute and chronic toxicity studies including concentrations recorded in nectar and pollen, applying acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam to bumble bees, honey bees and leafcutter bees, the three most common bee species managed for pollination. In acute toxicity studies, late-onset symptoms, such as ataxia, were recorded as non-lethal endpoints for all three bee species. Clothianidin and thiamethoxam produced biphasic dose-response curves for all three bee species. Clothianidin and thiamethoxam were extremely toxic to winter worker honey bees prior to brood production in spring, making this the most sensitive bee stage identified to date. Chronic exposure to field-realistic levels of neonicotinoids reduced bee survival and caused significant late-onset symptoms for all three bee species. Given these findings, neonicotinoid risk should be reevaluated to address the EDC-like behavior and the sensitivity of winter worker honey bees.
Collapse
|
39
|
Hystad EM, Salmela H, Amdam GV, Münch D. Hemocyte-mediated phagocytosis differs between honey bee (Apis mellifera) worker castes. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184108. [PMID: 28877227 PMCID: PMC5587260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Honey bees as other insects rely on the innate immune system for protection against diseases. The innate immune system includes the circulating hemocytes (immune cells) that clear pathogens from hemolymph (blood) by phagocytosis, nodulation or encapsulation. Honey bee hemocyte numbers have been linked to hemolymph levels of vitellogenin. Vitellogenin is a multifunctional protein with immune-supportive functions identified in a range of species, including the honey bee. Hemocyte numbers can increase via mitosis, and this recruitment process can be important for immune system function and maintenance. Here, we tested if hemocyte mediated phagocytosis differs among the physiologically different honey bee worker castes (nurses, foragers and winter bees), and study possible interactions with vitellogenin and hemocyte recruitment. To this end, we adapted phagocytosis assays, which—together with confocal microscopy and flow cytometry—allow qualitative and quantitative assessment of hemocyte performance. We found that nurses are more efficient in phagocytic uptake than both foragers and winter bees. We detected vitellogenin within the hemocytes, and found that winter bees have the highest numbers of vitellogenin-positive hemocytes. Connections between phagocytosis, hemocyte-vitellogenin and mitosis were worker caste dependent. Our results demonstrate that the phagocytic performance of immune cells differs significantly between honey bee worker castes, and support increased immune competence in nurses as compared to forager bees. Our data, moreover, provides support for roles of vitellogenin in hemocyte activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Marit Hystad
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Heli Salmela
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gro Vang Amdam
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Daniel Münch
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
C-type allatostatins mimic stress-related effects of alarm pheromone on honey bee learning and memory recall. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174321. [PMID: 28323874 PMCID: PMC5360335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As honey bee populations worldwide are declining there is an urgent need for a deeper understanding of stress reactivity in these important insects. Our data indicate that stress responses in bees (Apis mellifera L.) may be mediated by neuropeptides identified, on the basis of sequence similarities, as allatostatins (ASTA, ASTC and ASTCC). Effects of allatostatin injection are compared with stress-related changes in learning performance induced by the honeybee alarm pheromone, isopentylacetate (IPA). We find that bees can exhibit two markedly different responses to IPA, with opposing effects on learning behaviour and memory generalisation, and that strikingly similar responses can be elicited by allatostatins, in particular ASTCC. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that allatostatins mediate stress reactivity in honey bees and suggest responses to stress in these insects are state dependent.
Collapse
|
41
|
Eyer M, Dainat B, Neumann P, Dietemann V. Social regulation of ageing by young workers in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Exp Gerontol 2016; 87:84-91. [PMID: 27865886 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Organisms' lifespans are modulated by both genetic and environmental factors. The lifespan of eusocial insects is determined by features of the division of labor, which itself is influenced by social regulatory mechanisms. In the honey bee, Apis mellifera, the presence of brood and of old workers carrying out foraging tasks are important social drivers of ageing, but the influence of young adult workers is unknown, as it has not been experimentally teased apart from that of brood. In this study, we test the role of young workers in the ageing of their nestmates. We measured the impact of different social contexts characterized by the absence of brood and/or young adults on the lifespan of worker nestmates in field colonies. To acquire insight into the physiological processes occurring under these contexts, we analyzed the expression of genes known to affect honey bee ageing. The data showed that young workers significantly reduced the lifespan of nestmate workers, similar to the effect of brood on its own. Differential expression of vitellogenin, major royal jelly protein-1, and methylase transferase, but not methyl farneosate epoxidase genes suggests that young workers and brood influence ageing of adult nestmate workers via different physiological pathways. We identify young workers as an essential part of the social regulation of ageing in honey bee colonies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Eyer
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3003 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Benjamin Dainat
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; Swiss Bee Health Service, Bienengesundheitsdienst, Apiservice, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Vincent Dietemann
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; Social Insect Research Group, Zoology and Entomology Department, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Desmedt L, Hotier L, Giurfa M, Velarde R, de Brito Sanchez MG. Absence of food alternatives promotes risk-prone feeding of unpalatable substances in honey bees. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31809. [PMID: 27534586 PMCID: PMC4989156 DOI: 10.1038/srep31809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The question of why animals sometimes ingest noxious substances is crucial to understand unknown determinants of feeding behaviour. Research on risk-prone feeding behaviour has largely focused on energy budgets as animals with low energy budgets tend to ingest more aversive substances. A less explored possibility is that risk-prone feeding arises from the absence of alternative feeding options, irrespectively of energy budgets. Here we contrasted these two hypotheses in late-fall and winter honey bees. We determined the toxicity of various feeding treatments and showed that when bees can choose between sucrose solution and a mixture of this sucrose solution and a noxious/unpalatable substance, they prefer the pure sucrose solution and reject the mixtures, irrespective of their energy budget. Yet, when bees were presented with a single feeding option and their escape possibilities were reduced, they consumed unexpectedly some of the previously rejected mixtures, independently of their energy budget. These findings are interpreted as a case of feeding helplessness, in which bees behave as if it were utterly helpless to avoid the potentially noxious food and consume it. They suggest that depriving bees of variable natural food sources may have the undesired consequence of increasing their acceptance of food that would be otherwise rejected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Desmedt
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, University of Toulouse; CNRS, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
| | - Lucie Hotier
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, University of Toulouse; CNRS, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
| | - Martin Giurfa
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, University of Toulouse; CNRS, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
| | - Rodrigo Velarde
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Grupo de Estudio de Insectos Sociales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria (C1428EHA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, University of Toulouse; CNRS, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Socially selected ornaments influence hormone titers of signalers and receivers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:8478-83. [PMID: 27402762 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1602707113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades of behavioral endocrinology research have shown that hormones and behavior have a bidirectional relationship; hormones both influence and respond to social behavior. In contrast, hormones are often thought to have a unidirectional relationship with ornaments. Hormones influence ornament development, but little empirical work has tested how ornaments influence hormones throughout life. Here, we experimentally alter a visual signal of fighting ability in Polistes dominulus paper wasps and measure the behavioral and hormonal consequences of signal alteration in signalers and receivers. We find wasps that signal inaccurately high fighting ability receive more aggression than controls and receiving aggression reduces juvenile hormone (JH) titers. As a result, immediately after contests, inaccurate signalers have lower JH titers than controls. Ornaments also directly influence rival JH titers. Three hours after contests, wasps who interacted with rivals signaling high fighting ability have higher JH titers than wasps who interacted with rivals signaling low fighting ability. Therefore, ornaments influence hormone titers of both signalers and receivers. We demonstrate that relationships between hormones and ornaments are flexible and bidirectional rather than static and unidirectional. Dynamic relationships among ornaments, behavior, and physiology may be an important, but overlooked factor in the evolution of honest communication.
Collapse
|
44
|
Corona M, Libbrecht R, Wheeler DE. Molecular mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity in social insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 13:55-60. [PMID: 27436553 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Polyphenism in insects, whereby a single genome expresses different phenotypes in response to environmental cues, is a fascinating biological phenomenon. Social insects are especially intriguing examples of phenotypic plasticity because division of labor results in the development of extreme morphological phenotypes, such as the queen and worker castes. Although sociality evolved independently in ants, bees, wasps and termites, similar genetic pathways regulate phenotypic plasticity in these different groups of social insects. The insulin/insulin-like growth signaling (IIS) plays a key role in this process. Recent research reveals that IIS interacts with other pathways including target of rapamycin (TOR), epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr), juvenile hormone (JH) and vitellogenin (Vg) to regulate caste differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Corona
- USDA Bee Research, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Building 306, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Romain Libbrecht
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Diana E Wheeler
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Wheeler MM, Ament SA, Rodriguez-Zas SL, Southey B, Robinson GE. Diet and endocrine effects on behavioral maturation-related gene expression in the pars intercerebralis of the honey bee brain. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:4005-14. [PMID: 26567353 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.119420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Nervous and neuroendocrine systems mediate environmental conditions to control a variety of life history traits. Our goal was to provide mechanistic insights as to how neurosecretory signals mediate division of labor in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Worker division of labor is based on a process of behavioral maturation by individual bees, which involves performing in-hive tasks early in adulthood, then transitioning to foraging for food outside the hive. Social and nutritional cues converge on endocrine factors to regulate behavioral maturation, but whether neurosecretory systems are central to this process is not known. To explore this, we performed transcriptomic profiling of a neurosecretory region of the brain, the pars intercerebralis (PI). We first compared PI transcriptional profiles for bees performing in-hive tasks and bees engaged in foraging. Using these results as a baseline, we then performed manipulative experiments to test whether the PI is responsive to dietary changes and/or changes in juvenile hormone (JH) levels. Results reveal a robust molecular signature of behavioral maturation in the PI, with a subset of gene expression changes consistent with changes elicited by JH treatment. In contrast, dietary changes did not induce transcriptomic changes in the PI consistent with behavioral maturation or JH treatment. Based on these results, we propose a new verbal model of the regulation of division of labor in honey bees in which the relationship between diet and nutritional physiology is attenuated, and in its place is a relationship between social signals and nutritional physiology that is mediated by JH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Seth A Ament
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Bruce Southey
- Department of Animal Sciences, UIUC, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Department of Entomology, UIUC, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Döke MA, Frazier M, Grozinger CM. Overwintering honey bees: biology and management. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2015; 10:185-193. [PMID: 29588007 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In temperate climates, honey bees (Apis mellifera) survive the winter by entering a distinct physiological and behavioral state. In recent years, beekeepers are reporting unsustainably high colony losses during the winter, which have been linked to parasitization by Varroa mites, virus infections, geographic location, and variation across honey bee genotypes. Here, we review literature on environmental, physiological, and social factors regulating entrance, maintenance, and exit from the overwintering state in honey bees in temperate regions and develop a testable model to explain how multiple factors may be acting synergistically to regulate this complex transition. We also review existing knowledge of the factors affecting overwintering survival in honey bees and providing suggestions to beekeepers aiming to improve their colonies' overwintering success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Ali Döke
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, United States.
| | - Maryann Frazier
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, United States
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Fourrier J, Deschamps M, Droin L, Alaux C, Fortini D, Beslay D, Le Conte Y, Devillers J, Aupinel P, Decourtye A. Larval Exposure to the Juvenile Hormone Analog Pyriproxyfen Disrupts Acceptance of and Social Behavior Performance in Adult Honeybees. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132985. [PMID: 26171610 PMCID: PMC4501706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Juvenile hormone (JH) plays an important role in honeybee development and the regulation of age-related division of labor. However, honeybees can be exposed to insect growth regulators (IGRs), such as JH analogs developed for insect pest and vector control. Although their side effects as endocrine disruptors on honeybee larval or adult stages have been studied, little is known about the subsequent effects on adults of a sublethal larval exposure. We therefore studied the impact of the JH analog pyriproxyfen on larvae and resulting adults within a colony under semi-field conditions by combining recent laboratory larval tests with chemical analysis and behavioral observations. Oral and chronic larval exposure at cumulative doses of 23 or 57 ng per larva were tested. RESULTS Pyriproxyfen-treated bees emerged earlier than control bees and the highest dose led to a significant rate of malformed adults (atrophied wings). Young pyriproxyfen-treated bees were more frequently rejected by nestmates from the colony, inducing a shorter life span. This could be linked to differences in cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles between control and pyriproxyfen-treated bees. Finally, pyriproxyfen-treated bees exhibited fewer social behaviors (ventilation, brood care, contacts with nestmates or food stocks) than control bees. CONCLUSION Larval exposure to sublethal doses of pyriproxyfen affected several life history traits of the honeybees. Our results especially showed changes in social integration (acceptance by nestmates and social behaviors performance) that could potentially affect population growth and balance of the colony.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Fourrier
- ACTA, ICB-VETAGROSUP, 1 avenue C. Bourgelat, 69280, Marcy l’Etoile, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Matthieu Deschamps
- ACTA, ICB-VETAGROSUP, 1 avenue C. Bourgelat, 69280, Marcy l’Etoile, France
| | - Léa Droin
- ACTA, ICB-VETAGROSUP, 1 avenue C. Bourgelat, 69280, Marcy l’Etoile, France
| | - Cédric Alaux
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, 228 Route de l'Aérodrome, CS 40509, 84914, Avignon, Cedex 9, France
- UMT PrADE, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| | - Dominique Fortini
- INRA, UE1255, UE Entomologie, Station du Magneraud, CS 40052, 17700, Surgères, France
| | - Dominique Beslay
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, 228 Route de l'Aérodrome, CS 40509, 84914, Avignon, Cedex 9, France
- UMT PrADE, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| | - Yves Le Conte
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, 228 Route de l'Aérodrome, CS 40509, 84914, Avignon, Cedex 9, France
- UMT PrADE, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| | - James Devillers
- CTIS, 3 chemin de la gravière, 69140, Rillieux La Pape, France
| | - Pierrick Aupinel
- INRA, UE1255, UE Entomologie, Station du Magneraud, CS 40052, 17700, Surgères, France
| | - Axel Decourtye
- UMT PrADE, CS 40509, Avignon, France
- ACTA, 228 Route de l'Aérodrome, CS 40509, 84914, Avignon, Cedex 9, France
- ITSAP-Institut de l’abeille, 228 Route de l'Aérodrome, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Fuller ZL, Niño EL, Patch HM, Bedoya-Reina OC, Baumgarten T, Muli E, Mumoki F, Ratan A, McGraw J, Frazier M, Masiga D, Schuster S, Grozinger CM, Miller W. Genome-wide analysis of signatures of selection in populations of African honey bees (Apis mellifera) using new web-based tools. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:518. [PMID: 26159619 PMCID: PMC4496815 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1712-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background With the development of inexpensive, high-throughput sequencing technologies, it has become feasible to examine questions related to population genetics and molecular evolution of non-model species in their ecological contexts on a genome-wide scale. Here, we employed a newly developed suite of integrated, web-based programs to examine population dynamics and signatures of selection across the genome using several well-established tests, including FST, pN/pS, and McDonald-Kreitman. We applied these techniques to study populations of honey bees (Apis mellifera) in East Africa. In Kenya, there are several described A. mellifera subspecies, which are thought to be localized to distinct ecological regions. Results We performed whole genome sequencing of 11 worker honey bees from apiaries distributed throughout Kenya and identified 3.6 million putative single-nucleotide polymorphisms. The dense coverage allowed us to apply several computational procedures to study population structure and the evolutionary relationships among the populations, and to detect signs of adaptive evolution across the genome. While there is considerable gene flow among the sampled populations, there are clear distinctions between populations from the northern desert region and those from the temperate, savannah region. We identified several genes showing population genetic patterns consistent with positive selection within African bee populations, and between these populations and European A. mellifera or Asian Apis florea. Conclusions These results lay the groundwork for future studies of adaptive ecological evolution in honey bees, and demonstrate the use of new, freely available web-based tools and workflows (http://usegalaxy.org/r/kenyanbee) that can be applied to any model system with genomic information. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1712-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary L Fuller
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Elina L Niño
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Harland M Patch
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Oscar C Bedoya-Reina
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Tracey Baumgarten
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Elliud Muli
- Department of Biological Sciences, South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU), P.O. Box 170-90200, Kitui, Kenya.
| | - Fiona Mumoki
- The International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), PO Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Aakrosh Ratan
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - John McGraw
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Maryann Frazier
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Daniel Masiga
- The International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), PO Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Stephen Schuster
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Webb Miller
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Steinmann N, Corona M, Neumann P, Dainat B. Overwintering Is Associated with Reduced Expression of Immune Genes and Higher Susceptibility to Virus Infection in Honey Bees. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0129956. [PMID: 26121358 PMCID: PMC4486728 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The eusocial honey bee, Apis mellifera, has evolved remarkable abilities to survive extreme seasonal differences in temperature and availability of resources by dividing the worker caste into two groups that differ in physiology and lifespan: summer and winter bees. Most of the recent major losses of managed honey bee colonies occur during the winter, suggesting that winter bees may have compromised immune function and higher susceptibility to diseases. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the expression of eight immune genes and naturally occurring infection levels of deformed wing virus (DWV), one of the most widespread viruses in A. mellifera populations, between summer and winter bees. Possible interactions between immune response and physiological activity were tested by measuring the expression of vitellogenin and methyl farnesoate epoxidase, a gene coding for the last enzyme involved in juvenile hormone biosynthesis. Our data show that high DWV loads in winter bees correlate with reduced expression of genes involved in the cellular immune response and physiological activity and high expression of humoral immune genes involved in antibacterial defense compared with summer bees. This expression pattern could reflect evolutionary adaptations to resist bacterial pathogens and economize energy during the winter under a pathogen landscape with reduced risk of pathogenic viral infections. The outbreak of Varroa destructor infestation could have overcome these adaptations by promoting the transmission of viruses. Our results suggest that reduced cellular immune function during the winter may have increased honey bee’s susceptibility to DWV. These results contribute to our understanding of honey bee colony losses in temperate regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Steinmann
- Agroscope—Swiss Bee Research Center—Liebefeld, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty and Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Bremgartenstr. 109a, 3001 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Miguel Corona
- Bee Research Laboratory USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, United States of America
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty and Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Bremgartenstr. 109a, 3001 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Dainat
- Agroscope—Swiss Bee Research Center—Liebefeld, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Health Service, apiservice, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Scholl C, Wang Y, Krischke M, Mueller MJ, Amdam GV, Rössler W. Light exposure leads to reorganization of microglomeruli in the mushroom bodies and influences juvenile hormone levels in the honeybee. Dev Neurobiol 2014; 74:1141-53. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Scholl
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II); Biocenter; University of Würzburg; 97074 Würzburg Germany
| | - Ying Wang
- School of Life Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe 85004 Arizona USA
| | - Markus Krischke
- Pharmaceutical Biology; Biocenter; Julius-von-Sachs-Institute for Biosciences; University of Würzburg; 97082 Würzburg Germany
| | - Martin J. Mueller
- Pharmaceutical Biology; Biocenter; Julius-von-Sachs-Institute for Biosciences; University of Würzburg; 97082 Würzburg Germany
| | - Gro V. Amdam
- School of Life Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe 85004 Arizona USA
- Department of Chemistry; Biotechnology; and Food Science; University of Life Sciences; 1432 Aas Norway
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II); Biocenter; University of Würzburg; 97074 Würzburg Germany
| |
Collapse
|