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Zhong S, Pan L, Wang Z, Zeng Z. Revealing Changes in Ovarian and Hemolymphatic Metabolites Using Widely Targeted Metabolomics between Newly Emerged and Laying Queens of Honeybee ( Apis mellifera). INSECTS 2024; 15:263. [PMID: 38667393 PMCID: PMC11050517 DOI: 10.3390/insects15040263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The queen bee is a central and pivotal figure within the colony, serving as the sole fertile female responsible for its reproduction. The queen possesses an open circulatory system, with her ovaries immersed in hemolymph. A continuous and intricate transportation and interchange of substances exist between the ovaries and hemolymph of queen bees. To determine the characteristic metabolites in the hemolymph and ovary, as well as understand how their rapid metabolism contributes to the process of egg-laying by queens, we reared Apis mellifera queens from three different age groups: newly emerged queen (NEQ), newly laying queen (NLQ), and old laying queen (OLQ). Using widely targeted metabolomics, our study revealed that the laying queen (NLQ and OLQ) exhibited faster fatty acid metabolism, up-regulated expression of antioxidants, and significant depletion of amino acids compared to the NEQ. This study revealed that the levels of carnitine and antioxidants (GSH, 2-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, etc.) in the NLQ and OLQ were significantly higher compared to NEQ. However, most of the differentially expressed amino acids, such as L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, L-aspartic acid, etc., detected in NLQ and OLQ were down-regulated compared to the NEQ. Following egg-laying, pathways in the queens change significantly, e.g., Tryptophan metabolism, Tyrosine metabolism, cAMP signaling pathway, etc. Our results suggest that carnitine and antioxidants work together to maintain the redox balance of the queen. Additionally, various amino acids are responsible for maintaining the queen's egg production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqing Zhong
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; (S.Z.); (L.P.); (Z.W.)
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Honeybee Biology and Beekeeping, Nanchang 330045, China
| | - Luxia Pan
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; (S.Z.); (L.P.); (Z.W.)
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Honeybee Biology and Beekeeping, Nanchang 330045, China
| | - Zilong Wang
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; (S.Z.); (L.P.); (Z.W.)
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Honeybee Biology and Beekeeping, Nanchang 330045, China
| | - Zhijiang Zeng
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; (S.Z.); (L.P.); (Z.W.)
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Honeybee Biology and Beekeeping, Nanchang 330045, China
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2
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Non-optimal ambient temperatures aggravate insecticide toxicity and affect honey bees Apis mellifera L. gene regulation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3931. [PMID: 36894585 PMCID: PMC9998868 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30264-0] [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: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we conducted a transcriptional analysis of five honey bee genes to examine their functional involvement vis-à-vis ambient temperatures and exposure to imidacloprid. In a 15-day cage experiment, three cohorts of one-day-old sister bees emerged in incubators, were distributed into cages, and maintained at three different temperatures (26 °C, 32 °C, 38 °C). Each cohort was fed a protein patty and three concentrations of imidacloprid-tainted sugar (0 ppb, 5 ppb and 20 ppb) ad libitum. Honey bee mortality, syrup and patty consumption were monitored daily over 15 days. Bees were sampled every three days for a total of five time points. RT-qPCR was used to longitudinally assess gene regulation of Vg, mrjp1, Rsod, AChE-2 and Trx-1 using RNA extracted from whole bee bodies. Kaplan-Meier models show that bees kept at both non-optimal temperatures (26 °C and 38 °C) were more susceptible to imidacloprid, with significantly higher mortality (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively) compared to the control. At 32 °C, no differences in mortality (P = 0.3) were recorded among treatments. In both imidacloprid treatment groups and the control, the expression of Vg and mrjp1 was significantly downregulated at 26 °C and 38 °C compared to the optimal temperature of 32 °C, indicating major influence of ambient temperature on the regulation of these genes. Within the ambient temperature groups, both imidacloprid treatments exclusively downregulated Vg and mrjp1 at 26 °C. AChE-2 and the poorly characterized Rsod gene were both consistently upregulated at the highest temperature (38 °C) compared to the ideal temperature (32 °C) in all treatment groups. Trx-1 showed no effect to both temperature and imidacloprid treatments and was regulated in an age-related manner. Overall, our results indicate that ambient temperatures amplify imidacloprid toxicity and affect honey bee gene regulation.
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3
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Han B, Wei Q, Amiri E, Hu H, Meng L, Strand MK, Tarpy DR, Xu S, Li J, Rueppell O. The molecular basis of socially induced egg-size plasticity in honey bees. eLife 2022; 11:80499. [PMID: 36346221 PMCID: PMC9747152 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproduction involves the investment of resources into offspring. Although variation in reproductive effort often affects the number of offspring, adjustments of propagule size are also found in numerous species, including the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera. However, the proximate causes of these adjustments are insufficiently understood, especially in oviparous species with complex social organization in which adaptive evolution is shaped by kin selection. Here, we show in a series of experiments that queens predictably and reversibly increase egg size in small colonies and decrease egg size in large colonies, while their ovary size changes in the opposite direction. Additional results suggest that these effects cannot be solely explained by egg-laying rate and are due to the queens' perception of colony size. Egg-size plasticity is associated with quantitative changes of 290 ovarian proteins, most of which relate to energy metabolism, protein transport, and cytoskeleton. Based on functional and network analyses, we further study the small GTPase Rho1 as a candidate regulator of egg size. Spatio-temporal expression analysis via RNAscope and qPCR supports an important role of Rho1 in egg-size determination, and subsequent RNAi-mediated gene knockdown confirmed that Rho1 has a major effect on egg size in honey bees. These results elucidate how the social environment of the honey bee colony may be translated into a specific cellular process to adjust maternal investment into eggs. It remains to be studied how widespread this mechanism is and whether it has consequences for population dynamics and epigenetic influences on offspring phenotype in honey bees and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Han
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, United States
| | - Qiaohong Wei
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Esmaeil Amiri
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, United States.,Delta Research and Extension Center, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, United States
| | - Han Hu
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lifeng Meng
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Micheline K Strand
- Biological and Biotechnology Sciences Branch, U.S. Army Research Office, DEVCOM-ARL, Baltimore, United States
| | - David R Tarpy
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, Canada
| | - Shufa Xu
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianke Li
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Olav Rueppell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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4
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Dohanik VT, Gonçalves WG, Oliveira LL, Zanuncio JC, Serrão JE. Vitellogenin transcytosis in follicular cells of the honeybee Apis mellifera and the wasp Polistes simillimus. PROTOPLASMA 2018; 255:1703-1712. [PMID: 29756169 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-018-1260-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Vitellogenin receptor (VgR) is a low-density lipoprotein receptor responsible for the mediated endocytosis of vitellogenin (Vg) during egg formation in insects. The maturing oocyte is enveloped by a follicular epithelium, which has large intercellular spaces during Vg accumulation (patency). However, Vg has been reported in the cytoplasm of follicular cells, indicating that there may be a transcellular route for its transport. This study verified the presence of VgR in the follicular cells of the ovaries of the honeybee Apis mellifera and the wasp Polistes simillimus in order to evaluate if Vg is transported via transcytosis in these insects. Antibodies specific for vitellogenin receptor (anti-VgR), vitellogenin (anti-Vg), and clathrin (anti-Clt) were used for immunolocalization. The results showed the presence of VgR on the apical and basal plasma membranes of follicular cells of the vitellogenic follicles in both species, indicating that VgR may have been transported from the basal to the apical cell domain, followed by its release into the perivitelline space, evidenced by the presence of apical plasma membrane projections containing VgR. Co-localization proved that Vg bind to VgR and that the transport of this protein is mediated by clathrin. These data suggest that, in these social insects, Vg is transported via clathrin-mediated VgR transcytosis in follicular cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virgínia Teles Dohanik
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-000, Brazil
| | - Wagner Gonzaga Gonçalves
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-000, Brazil
| | - Leandro Licursi Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-000, Brazil
| | - José Cola Zanuncio
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-000, Brazil
| | - José Eduardo Serrão
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-000, Brazil.
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5
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Aumer D, Mumoki FN, Pirk CWW, Moritz RFA. The transcriptomic changes associated with the development of social parasitism in the honeybee Apis mellifera capensis. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:22. [PMID: 29557991 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1552-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social insects are characterized by the division of labor. Queens usually dominate reproduction, whereas workers fulfill non-reproductive age-dependent tasks to maintain the colony. Although workers are typically sterile, they can activate their ovaries to produce their own offspring. In the extreme, worker reproduction can turn into social parasitism as in Apis mellifera capensis. These intraspecific parasites occupy a host colony, kill the resident queen, and take over the reproductive monopoly. Because they exhibit a queenlike behavior and are also treated like queens by the fellow workers, they are so-called pseudoqueens. Here, we compare the development of parasitic pseudoqueens and social workers at different time points using fat body transcriptome data. Two complementary analysis methods-a principal component analysis and a time course analysis-led to the identification of a core set of genes involved in the transition from a social worker into a highly fecund parasitic pseudoqueen. Comparing our results on pseudoqueens with gene expression data of honeybee queens revealed many similarities. In addition, there was a set of specific transcriptomic changes in the parasitic pseudoqueens that differed from both, queens and social workers, which may be typical for the development of the social parasitism in A. m. capensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Aumer
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 4, 06099, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Fiona N Mumoki
- Social Insect Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Christian W W Pirk
- Social Insect Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Robin F A Moritz
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 4, 06099, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Social Insect Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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6
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Cridge AG, Lovegrove MR, Skelly JG, Taylor SE, Petersen GEL, Cameron RC, Dearden PK. The honeybee as a model insect for developmental genetics. Genesis 2017; 55. [PMID: 28432809 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Revised: 01/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Honeybees are an important component of modern agricultural systems, and a fascinating and scientifically engrossing insect. Honeybees are not commonly used as model systems for understanding development in insects despite their importance in agriculture. Honeybee embryogenesis, while being superficially similar to Drosophila, is molecularly very different, especially in axis formation and sex determination. In later development, much of honeybee biology is modified by caste development, an as yet poorly understood, but excellent, system to study developmental plasticity. In adult stages, developmental plasticity of the ovaries, related to reproductive constraint exhibits another aspect of plasticity. Here they review the tools, current knowledge and opportunities in honeybee developmental biology, and provide an updated embryonic staging scheme to support future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- A G Cridge
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - M R Lovegrove
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - J G Skelly
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - S E Taylor
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - G E L Petersen
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand.,AbacusBio Ltd, Public Trust Building, 442 Moray Place, Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa-New Zealand
| | - R C Cameron
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - P K Dearden
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Genetics Otago, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, P.O. Box 56, Aotearoa-New Zealand
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7
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Kupper M, Stigloher C, Feldhaar H, Gross R. Distribution of the obligate endosymbiont Blochmannia floridanus and expression analysis of putative immune genes in ovaries of the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2016; 45:475-487. [PMID: 27664781 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The bacterial endosymbiont Blochmannia floridanus of the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus contributes to its hosts' ontogeny via nutritional upgrading during metamorphosis. This primary endosymbiosis is essential for both partners and vertical transmission of the endosymbionts is guaranteed by bacterial infestation of oocytes. Here we present a detailed analysis of the presence and localisation of B. floridanus in the ants' ovaries obtained by FISH and TEM analyses. The most apical part of the germarium harbouring germ-line stem cells (GSCs) is not infected by the bacteria. The bacteria are detectable for the first time in lower parts of the germarium when cystocytes undergo the 4th and 5th division and B. floridanus infects somatic cells lying under the basal lamina surrounding the ovarioles. With the beginning of cystocyte differentiation, the endosymbionts are exclusively transported from follicle cells into the growing oocytes. This infestation of the oocytes by bacteria very likely involves exocytosis-endocytosis processes between follicle cells and the oocytes. Nurse cells were never found to harbour the endosymbionts. Furthermore we present first gene expression data in C. floridanus ovaries. These data indicate a modulation of immune gene expression which may facilitate tolerance towards the endosymbionts and thus may contribute to their transovarial transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kupper
- Department of Microbiology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Christian Stigloher
- Division of Electron Microscopy, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Department of Animal Ecology I, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Roy Gross
- Department of Microbiology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
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8
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Ronnau M, Azevedo DO, Fialho MDCQ, Gonçlaves WG, Zanuncio JC, Serrão JE. Changes in follicular cells architecture during vitellogenin transport in the ovary of social Hymenoptera. PROTOPLASMA 2016; 253:815-820. [PMID: 26077636 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-015-0843-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Vitellogenins are the major yolk proteins, synthesized in the fat body, released into the hemolymph and captured by the developing oocytes, but the mechanisms by which these proteins cross the follicular cell layer are still poorly understood. This study describes the actin distribution in follicular cells during vitellogenin transport to the oocyte in social Hymenoptera represented by bees Apis mellifera and Melipona quadrifasciata, the wasp Mischocyttarus cassununga and the ant Pachycondyla curvinodis. In oocytic chambers of vitellogenic follicles, vitellogenin was found within the follicular cells, perivitelline space and oocyte, indicating a transcellular route from the hemolymph to the perivitelline space. The cortical actin cytoskeleton in follicular cells underwent reorganization during transport of vitellogenin across this epithelium suggesting that in the ovary of social hymenopterans, vitellogenin delivery to oocytes requires a dynamic cytoskeletal rearrangement of actin filaments in the follicular cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milton Ronnau
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
- Department of Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Palotina, PR, Brazil
| | - Dihego Oliveira Azevedo
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
- Federal Insitute of Espírito Santo, Ibatiba, ES, Brazil
| | | | | | - José Cola Zanuncio
- Department of Entomology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - José Eduardo Serrão
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
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9
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Abstract
Immune defense and reproduction are physiologically and energetically demanding processes and have been observed to trade off in a diversity of female insects. Increased reproductive effort results in reduced immunity, and reciprocally, infection and activation of the immune system reduce reproductive output. This trade-off can manifest at the physiological level (within an individual) and at the evolutionary level (genetic distinction among individuals in a population). The resource allocation model posits that the trade-off arises because of competition for one or more limiting resources, and we hypothesize that pleiotropic signaling mechanisms regulate allocation of that resource between reproductive and immune processes. We examine the role of juvenile hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, and insulin/insulin-like growth factor-like signaling in regulating both oogenesis and immune system activity, and propose a signaling network that may mechanistically regulate the trade-off. Finally, we discuss implications of the trade-off in an ecological and evolutionary context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin A Schwenke
- Field of Genetics, Genomics, and Development
- Department of Entomology
| | - Brian P Lazzaro
- Field of Genetics, Genomics, and Development
- Department of Entomology
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Field of Genetics, Genomics, and Development
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853; , ,
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10
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Wegener J, Huang ZY, Lorenz MW, Lorenz JI, Bienefeld K. New insights into the roles of juvenile hormone and ecdysteroids in honey bee reproduction. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:655-661. [PMID: 23631954 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2012] [Revised: 04/16/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In workers of the Western honeybee, Apis mellifera, juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids regulate many aspects of age polyphenism. Here we investigated whether these derived functions in workers have developed by an uncoupling of endocrine mechanisms in adult queens and workers, or whether parallels can be found between the roles of the two hormones in both castes. We looked at yolk protein metabolism as a process central to the physiology of both queens and workers, and at sperm storage as a feature of the queen alone. Queens of differing fertility status (virgin, virgin but CO2-treated, inseminated, freshly laying and 1-2 years-old) were compared regarding vitellogenin (Vg), JH and ecdysteroid-titers in their hemolymph, as well as ovarian yolk protein and spermathecal gland composition. Our results showed that hormone titres were unrelated to the composition of spermathecal glands. JH-concentrations in the hemolymph were low in the groups of queens characterized by yolk uptake into the ovaries, and high in pre-vitellogenic queens or animals that were forced to interrupt egg-laying by caging. Ecdysteroid-concentrations were higher in untreated virgins than after insemination or during egg-laying. They were not affected by the caging of queens. These patterns of hormone changes were parallel to those known from worker bees. Together, these findings suggest a conserved role for JH as repressor of vitellogenin uptake into tissues, and for ecdysteroids in preparing tissues for this process. An involvement of the two hormones in the regulation of sperm storage seems unlikely. Our results add to the view that JH and ecdysteroids act similarly on the yolk protein metabolism of both castes of A. mellifera. This may imply that it was the biochemical versatility of Vg rather than that of hormonal regulatory circuits that allowed for the functional separation of the two castes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Wegener
- Institute for Bee Research, Hohen Neuendorf, Germany.
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11
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Jarosch A, Moritz RFA. Systemic RNA-interference in the honeybee Apis mellifera: tissue dependent uptake of fluorescent siRNA after intra-abdominal application observed by laser-scanning microscopy. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:851-857. [PMID: 21439290 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2010] [Revised: 03/10/2011] [Accepted: 03/15/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference has been successfully used in adult honeybees, but there are only few reports about abdominal application of dsRNA/siRNA which have reached more distant tissues than the fat body. We studied systemic RNAi in honeybees by injecting fluorescent siRNA of the ubiquitously expressed honeybee homologue of the Glycerol-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (amGpdh) into the abdomens of adult bees and followed them by laser scanning microscopy and qPCR. The fat body was the sole tissue emitting fluorescence and showing a decreased gene expression, whereas the siRNA had apparently not reached the other tissues. Therefore, we conclude that certain genes in other tissues than the fat body cannot be easily reached by injecting siRNA into the body cavity. In particular, the lack of amGpdh knock down in ovaries after amGpdh dsRNA injection, supports that in some cases it may be particularly difficult to interfere with gene expression in ovaries by intra-abdominal injection. In these cases alternative inhibition techniques may be required to achieve an organismic non-lethal disruption of transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Jarosch
- Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 4, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
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12
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Koudjil M, Doumandji SE. Caractérisation ultrastructurale des stades ovariens de l'abeille ouvrière mellifère, Apis mellifera mellifera Linné (Hymenoptera, Apidae). C R Biol 2008; 331:185-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2008.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2007] [Revised: 12/31/2007] [Accepted: 01/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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13
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de Souza EA, Neves CA, de Oliveira Campos LA, Zanuncio JC, Serrão JE. Effect of mating delay on the ovary of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Hymenoptera: Apidae) queens. Micron 2007; 38:471-7. [PMID: 17010626 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2006.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2006] [Revised: 08/18/2006] [Accepted: 08/20/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The effect of mating delay on the ovary structure of virgin queens of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was investigated. Virgin queens 15, 20, 25 and 30 days old were dissected to analyze their degree of ovary degeneration. To verify whether the degeneration would cause permanent sterility, virgin queens of the same ages (15, 20, 25 and 30 days) were mated and accompanied for at least 14 days to verify whether there was physogastry and then dissected. The ovaries were analyzed by histology, histochemical tests and TUNEL to verify programmed cell death. The results showed that mating delay interrupted oogenesis preventing vitellogenesis. Mating delay results in ovary degeneration which increased with queen age. However, even when there was ovariole degeneration, 25-day-old virgin queens after mating presented normal ovariole activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmilson Amaral de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. P.H. Rolfs s/n, CEP 36570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil
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Corona M, Velarde RA, Remolina S, Moran-Lauter A, Wang Y, Hughes KA, Robinson GE. Vitellogenin, juvenile hormone, insulin signaling, and queen honey bee longevity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:7128-33. [PMID: 17438290 PMCID: PMC1852330 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0701909104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 417] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In most animals, longevity is achieved at the expense of fertility, but queen honey bees do not show this tradeoff. Queens are both long-lived and fertile, whereas workers, derived from the same genome, are both relatively short-lived and normally sterile. It has been suggested, on the basis of results from workers, that vitellogenin (Vg), best known as a yolk protein synthesized in the abdominal fat body, acts as an antioxidant to promote longevity in queen bees. We explored this hypothesis, as well as related roles of insulin-IGF-1 signaling and juvenile hormone. Vg was expressed in thorax and head fat body cells in an age-dependent manner, with old queens showing much higher expression than workers. In contrast, Vg expression in worker head was much lower. Queens also were more resistant to oxidative stress than workers. These results support the hypothesis that caste-specific differences in Vg expression are involved in queen longevity. Consistent with predictions from Drosophila, old queens had lower head expression of insulin-like peptide and its putative receptors than did old workers. Juvenile hormone affected the expression of Vg and insulin-IGF-1 signaling genes in opposite directions. These results suggest that conserved and species-specific mechanisms interact to regulate queen bee longevity without sacrificing fecundity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Kimberly A. Hughes
- Animal Biology, and
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Gene E. Robinson
- Departments of *Entomology
- Neuroscience Program, and
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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Guidugli KR, Piulachs MD, Bellés X, Lourenço AP, Simões ZLP. Vitellogenin expression in queen ovaries and in larvae of both sexes of Apis mellifera. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2005; 59:211-8. [PMID: 16034983 DOI: 10.1002/arch.20061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In the honeybee, Apis mellifera, vitellogenin (Vg) expression has been detected in the ovary of queens, but not in that of workers. In addition, larvae of both sexes produce Vg in significant amounts, which suggest that Vg serves for functions additional to oocyte growth and energy supply to the embryo. In vivo hormone treatment experiments suggest that the decrease of 20-hydroxyecdysone concentration occurring in previtellogenic phases allows Vg production. Southern analysis indicates that the Vg gene is present as a single copy in the honeybee genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina R Guidugli
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto-SP, Brasil
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Geva S, Hartfelder K, Bloch G. Reproductive division of labor, dominance, and ecdysteroid levels in hemolymph and ovary of the bumble bee Bombus terrestris. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2005; 51:811-23. [PMID: 15885700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2005.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2005] [Revised: 03/25/2005] [Accepted: 03/25/2005] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
To determine whether ecdysteroids are associated with reproductive division of labor in Bombus terrestris, we measured their levels in hemolymph and ovaries of queens and workers. Queens heading colonies had large active ovaries with high ecdysteroid content, whereas virgin gynes and mated queens before and after diapause had undeveloped ovaries with low ecdysteroid content. The hemolymph ecdysteroid titer was rather variable, but in a pooled analysis of mated queens before and after diapause versus colony-heading queens, ecdysteroid titers were higher in the latter group. In workers, agonistic behavior, ovarian activity, ovarian ecdysteroid content, and hemolymph ecdysteroid titers were positively correlated, and were lowest when a queen was present. In queenless workers, ecdysteroid levels were elevated in dominant workers, and were also influenced by the presence of brood and by group demography; hormone levels were higher in bees kept in larger groups. These findings are consistent with the premise that in B. terrestris the ovary is the primary site of ecdysteroid synthesis, and they show that ecdysteroids levels vary with the social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Geva
- Department of Evolution, Systematics, and Ecology, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904 Israel
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Tanaka ED, Hartfelder K. The initial stages of oogenesis and their relation to differential fertility in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) castes. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2004; 33:431-442. [PMID: 18089049 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2004.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2003] [Revised: 06/01/2004] [Accepted: 06/23/2004] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Neither the overall differences in ovariole number nor the caste-specifically modulated expression of vitellogenin can fully explain the striking caste differences in honey bee reproduction, in particular the mechanisms that block oogenesis in virgin queens and in workers kept in the presence of a queen. For this reason we investigated the initial stages of oogenesis in queens in relation to mating status and in workers exposed to different social conditions. A striking feature in ovarioles of both castes was a considerably elongated terminal filament which consisted not only of normal terminal filament cells but also contained apparently undifferentiated cells that were tentatively considered as stem cells. BrdU incorporation was detected in the upper germarium, as well as in the terminal filament. Cytoskeleton analysis by TRITC-phalloidin labeling for F-actin, and immunofluorescence detection for beta-tubulin did not reveal structural differences in the early oogenesis steps between queens and queenless workers. In contrast, queenright workers showed signs of a disorganized microtubule and microfilament system that could explain the histological evidence for progressive cell death observed in the germaria. In addition to cytoplasmic tubulin we also detected marked intranuclear foci indicating the presence of nuclear beta(II)-tubulin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica D Tanaka
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
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Hartfelder K, Engels W. Social insect polymorphism: hormonal regulation of plasticity in development and reproduction in the honeybee. Curr Top Dev Biol 1998; 40:45-77. [PMID: 9673848 DOI: 10.1016/s0070-2153(08)60364-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- K Hartfelder
- Zoologisches Institut, Universität Tübingen, Germany
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