1
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Nazemi-Rafie J, Fatehi F, Hasrak S. A comparative transcriptome analysis of the head of 1 and 9 days old worker honeybees ( Apis mellifera). BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 113:253-270. [PMID: 36511774 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485322000554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The role of bees in the environment, economic, biodiversity and pharmaceutical industries is due to its social behavior, which is oriented from the brain and hypopharyngeal gland that is the center of royal jelly (RJ) production. Limited studies have been performed on the head gene expression profile at the RJ production stage. The aim of this study was to compare the gene expressions in 9 and 1-day-old (DO) honeybee workers in order to achieve better understanding about head gene expression pattern. After sequencing of RNAs, transcriptome and their networks were compared. The head expression profile undergoes various changes. 1662 gene transcripts had differential expressions which 1125 and 537 were up and down regulated, respectively, in 9_DO compared with 1_DO honey bees. The day 1th had more significant role in the expression of genes related to RJ production as major RJ protein 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9 encoding genes, but their maximum secretion occurred at day 9th. All process related to hypopharyngeal glands activities as CYP450 gene, fatty acid synthase gene, vitamin B6 metabolism and some of genes involved in fatty acid elongation and degradation process had an upward trend from 1_DO and were age-dependent. By increasing the age, the activity of pathways related to immune system increased for keeping the health of bees against the chemical compound. The expression of aromatic amino acid genes involved in Phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis pathway are essential for early stage of life. In 9_DO honeybees, the energy supplying, reducing stress, protein production and export pathways have a crucial role for support the body development and the social duties. It can be stated that the activity of honeybee head is focused on energy supply instead of storage, while actively trying to improve the level of cell dynamics for increasing the immunity and reducing stress. Results of current study identified key genes of certain behaviors of honeybee workers. Deeper considering of some pathways will be evaluated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Nazemi-Rafie
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran
| | - Foad Fatehi
- Department of Agriculture, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shabnam Hasrak
- Genome Center, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
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2
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Matsumura Y, To TK, Kunieda T, Kohno H, Kakutani T, Kubo T. Mblk-1/E93, an ecdysone related-transcription factor, targets synaptic plasticity-related genes in the honey bee mushroom bodies. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21367. [PMID: 36494426 PMCID: PMC9734179 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23329-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Among hymenopteran insects, aculeate species such as bees, ants, and wasps have enlarged and morphologically elaborate mushroom bodies (MBs), a higher-order brain center in the insect, implying their relationship with the advanced behavioral traits of aculeate species. The molecular bases leading to the acquisition of complicated MB functions, however, remains unclear. We previously reported the constitutive and MB-preferential expression of an ecdysone-signaling related transcription factor, Mblk-1/E93, in the honey bee brain. Here, we searched for target genes of Mblk-1 in the worker honey bee MBs using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequence analyses and found that Mblk-1 targets several genes involved in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory abilities. We also demonstrated that Mblk-1 expression is self-regulated via Mblk-1-binding sites, which are located upstream of Mblk-1. Furthermore, we showed that the number of the Mblk-1-binding motif located upstream of Mblk-1 homologs increased associated with evolution of hymenopteran insects. Our findings suggest that Mblk-1, which has been focused on as a developmental gene transiently induced by ecdysone, has acquired a novel expression pattern to play a role in synaptic plasticity in honey bee MBs, raising a possibility that molecular evolution of Mblk-1 may have partly contributed to the elaboration of MB function in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Matsumura
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taiko Kim To
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takekazu Kunieda
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kohno
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuji Kakutani
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Yu JX, Xiang Q, Qu JB, Hui YM, Lin T, Zeng XN, Liu JL. Octopaminergic neurons function in appetitive but not aversive olfactory learning and memory in Bactrocera dorsalis. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:1747-1760. [PMID: 35189034 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The biogenic amine octopamine (OA, invertebrate counterpart of noradrenaline) plays critical roles in the regulation of olfactory behavior. Historically, OA has been thought to mediate appetitive but not aversive learning in honeybees, fruit flies (Drosophila), and crickets. However, this viewpoint has recently been challenged because OA activity through a β-adrenergic-like receptor drives both appetitive and aversive learning. Here, we explored the roles of OA neurons in olfactory learning and memory retrieval in Bactrocera dorsalis. We trained flies to associate an orange odor with a sucrose reward or to associate methyl eugenol, a male lure, with N,N-diethyl-3-methyl benzoyl amide (DEET) punishment. We then treated flies with OA receptor antagonists before appetitive or aversive conditioning and a memory retention test. Injection of OA receptor antagonist mianserin or epinastine into the abdomen of flies led to impaired of appetitive learning and memory retention with a sucrose reward, while aversive learning and memory retention with DEET punishment remained intact. Our results suggest that the OA signaling participates in appetitive but not aversive learning and memory retrieval in B. dorsalis through OA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Xin Yu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qian Xiang
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jia-Bao Qu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Min Hui
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tao Lin
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- College of Life Sciences, Department of Biological Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xin-Nian Zeng
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jia-Li Liu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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4
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Raza MF, Ali MA, Rady A, Li Z, Nie H, Su S. Neurotransmitters receptors gene drive the olfactory learning behavior of honeybee. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2022.101818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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5
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Leipart V, Ludvigsen J, Kent M, Sandve S, To T, Árnyasi M, Kreibich CD, Dahle B, Amdam GV. Identification of 121 variants of honey bee Vitellogenin protein sequences with structural differences at functional sites. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4369. [PMID: 35762708 PMCID: PMC9207902 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Proteins are under selection to maintain central functions and to accommodate needs that arise in ever-changing environments. The positive selection and neutral drift that preserve functions result in a diversity of protein variants. The amount of diversity differs between proteins: multifunctional or disease-related proteins tend to have fewer variants than proteins involved in some aspects of immunity. Our work focuses on the extensively studied protein Vitellogenin (Vg), which in honey bees (Apis mellifera) is multifunctional and highly expressed and plays roles in immunity. Yet, almost nothing is known about the natural variation in the coding sequences of this protein or how amino acid-altering variants might impact structure-function relationships. Here, we map out allelic variation in honey bee Vg using biological samples from 15 countries. The successful barcoded amplicon Nanopore sequencing of 543 bees revealed 121 protein variants, indicating a high level of diversity in Vg. We find that the distribution of non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) differs between protein regions with different functions; domains involved in DNA and protein-protein interactions contain fewer nsSNPs than the protein's lipid binding cavities. We outline how the central functions of the protein can be maintained in different variants and how the variation pattern may inform about selection from pathogens and nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilde Leipart
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Jane Ludvigsen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
- Fürst Medisinsk LaboratoriumOsloNorway
| | - Matthew Kent
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE)Norwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Simen Sandve
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE)Norwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Thu‐Hien To
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE)Norwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Mariann Árnyasi
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE)Norwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Claus D. Kreibich
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Bjørn Dahle
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
- Norwegian Beekeepers AssociationKløftaNorway
| | - Gro V. Amdam
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
- School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
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6
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Flanigan KAS, Wiegmann DD, Casto P, Coppola VJ, Flesher NR, Hebets EA, Bingman VP. Visual control of refuge recognition in the whip spider Phrynus marginemaculatus. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2021; 207:729-737. [PMID: 34591165 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01509-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Amblypygids, or whip spiders, are nocturnally active arachnids which live in structurally complex environments. Whip spiders are excellent navigators that can re-locate a home refuge without relying on visual input. Therefore, an open question is whether visual input can control any aspect of whip spider spatial behavior. In the current study, Phrynus marginemaculatus were trained to locate an escape refuge by discriminating between differently oriented black and white stripes placed either on the walls of a testing arena (frontal discrimination) or on the ceiling of the same testing arena (overhead discrimination). Regardless of the placement of the visual stimuli, the whip spiders were successful in learning the location of the escape refuge. In a follow-up study of the overhead discrimination, occluding the median eyes was found to disrupt the ability of the whip spiders to locate the shelter. The data support the conclusion that whip spiders can rely on vision to learn and recognize an escape shelter. We suggest that visual inputs to the brain's mushroom bodies enable this ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylyn A S Flanigan
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA. .,J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA.
| | - Daniel D Wiegmann
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
| | - Patrick Casto
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
| | - Vincent J Coppola
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, USA
| | - Natasha R Flesher
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA.,J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
| | - Eileen A Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Verner P Bingman
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA.,J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
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7
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Lucas C, Ben-Shahar Y. The foraging gene as a modulator of division of labour in social insects. J Neurogenet 2021; 35:168-178. [PMID: 34151702 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2021.1940173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The social ants, bees, wasps, and termites include some of the most ecologically-successful groups of animal species. Their dominance in most terrestrial environments is attributed to their social lifestyle, which enable their colonies to exploit environmental resources with remarkable efficiency. One key attribute of social insect colonies is the division of labour that emerges among the sterile workers, which represent the majority of colony members. Studies of the mechanisms that drive division of labour systems across diverse social species have provided fundamental insights into the developmental, physiological, molecular, and genomic processes that regulate sociality, and the possible genetic routes that may have led to its evolution from a solitary ancestor. Here we specifically discuss the conserved role of the foraging gene, which encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). Originally identified as a behaviourally polymorphic gene that drives alternative foraging strategies in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, changes in foraging expression and kinase activity were later shown to play a key role in the division of labour in diverse social insect species as well. In particular, foraging appears to regulate worker transitions between behavioural tasks and specific behavioural traits associated with morphological castes. Although the specific neuroethological role of foraging in the insect brain remains mostly unknown, studies in genetically tractable insect species indicate that PKG signalling plays a conserved role in the neuronal plasticity of sensory, cognitive and motor functions, which underlie behaviours relevant to division of labour, including appetitive learning, aggression, stress response, phototaxis, and the response to pheromones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Lucas
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (UMR7261), CNRS - University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Yehuda Ben-Shahar
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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8
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Constantino PB, Valentinuzzi VS, Helene AF. Division of labor in work shifts by leaf-cutting ants. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8737. [PMID: 33888758 PMCID: PMC8062660 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88005-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Foraging rhythms in eusocial insects are determined by the colony´s overall pattern. However, in leaf-cutting ant workers, individual rhythms are not fully synchronized with the colonies' rhythm. The colony as a whole is nocturnal, since most worker activity takes place at night; however some workers forage during the day. Previous studies in individualized ants suggest nocturnal and diurnal workers coexistence. Here observations within the colony, in leaf-cutting ants, showed that workers have differential foraging time preference, which interestingly is associated to body size and differential leaf transportation engagement. Nocturnal ants are smaller and less engaged in leaf transportation whereas diurnal ants are bigger and more engaged in leaf carriage. Mechanisms underlying division of labor in work shifts in ants are still unknown but much can be extrapolated from honeybees; another social system bearing a similar pattern. A collective organization like this favors constant exploitation of food sources while preserving natural individual rhythm patterns, which arise from individual differences, and thermal tolerance, given by the size polymorphism presented by this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro B Constantino
- Department of Physiology, Instituto de Biociências da Universidade de São Paulo (IB-USP), São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil.
| | - Veronica S Valentinuzzi
- Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja (CRILAR), UNLAR, SEGEMAR, UNCa, CONICET, Anillaco, La Rioja, Argentina
| | - André F Helene
- Department of Physiology, Instituto de Biociências da Universidade de São Paulo (IB-USP), São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
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9
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Flanigan KAS, Wiegmann DD, Hebets EA, Bingman VP. Multisensory integration supports configural learning of a home refuge in the whip spider Phrynus marginemaculatus. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb.238444. [PMID: 33436366 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.238444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Whip spiders (Amblypygi) reside in structurally complex habitats and are nocturnally active yet display notable navigational abilities. From the theory that uncertainty in sensory inputs should promote multisensory representations to guide behavior, we hypothesized that their navigation is supported by a multisensory and perhaps configural representation of navigational inputs, an ability documented in a few insects and never reported in arachnids. We trained Phrynus marginemaculatus to recognize a home shelter characterized by both discriminative olfactory and tactile stimuli. In tests, subjects readily discriminated between shelters based on the paired stimuli. However, subjects failed to recognize the shelter in tests with either of the component stimuli alone. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that the terminal phase of their navigational behavior, shelter recognition, can be supported by the integration of multisensory stimuli as an enduring, configural representation. We hypothesize that multisensory learning occurs in the whip spiders' extraordinarily large mushroom bodies, which may functionally resemble the hippocampus of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylyn A S Flanigan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0001, USA.,J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0001, USA
| | - Daniel D Wiegmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0001, USA.,J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0001, USA
| | - Eileen A Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0118, USA
| | - Verner P Bingman
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0001, USA .,Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0001, USA
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10
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Peng T, Derstroff D, Maus L, Bauer T, Grüter C. Forager age and foraging state, but not cumulative foraging activity, affect biogenic amine receptor gene expression in the honeybee mushroom bodies. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 20:e12722. [PMID: 33325617 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Foraging behavior is crucial for the development of a honeybee colony. Biogenic amines are key mediators of learning and the transition from in-hive tasks to foraging. Foragers vary considerably in their behavior, but whether and how this behavioral diversity depends on biogenic amines is not yet well understood. For example, forager age, cumulative foraging activity or foraging state may all be linked to biogenic amine signaling. Furthermore, expression levels may fluctuate depending on daytime. We tested if these intrinsic and extrinsic factors are linked to biogenic amine signaling by quantifying the expression of octopamine, dopamine and tyramine receptor genes in the mushroom bodies, important tissues for learning and memory. We found that older foragers had a significantly higher expression of Amdop1, Amdop2, AmoctαR1, and AmoctβR1 compared to younger foragers, whereas Amtar1 showed the opposite pattern. Surprisingly, our measures of cumulative foraging activity were not related to the expression of the same receptor genes in the mushroom bodies. Furthermore, we trained foragers to collect sucrose solution at a specific time of day and tested if the foraging state of time-trained foragers affected receptor gene expression. Bees engaged in foraging had a higher expression of Amdop1 and AmoctβR3/4 than inactive foragers. Finally, the expression of Amdop1, Amdop3, AmoctαR1, and Amtar1 also varied with daytime. Our results show that receptor gene expression in forager mushroom bodies is complex and depends on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianfei Peng
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dennis Derstroff
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lea Maus
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Timo Bauer
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christoph Grüter
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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11
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Zhang X, Hu H, Han B, Wei Q, Meng L, Wu F, Fang Y, Feng M, Ma C, Rueppell O, Li J. The Neuroproteomic Basis of Enhanced Perception and Processing of Brood Signals That Trigger Increased Reproductive Investment in Honeybee ( Apis mellifera) Workers. Mol Cell Proteomics 2020; 19:1632-1648. [PMID: 32669299 PMCID: PMC8014994 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra120.002123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuronal basis of complex social behavior is still poorly understood. In honeybees, reproductive investment decisions are made at the colony-level. Queens develop from female-destined larvae that receive alloparental care from nurse bees in the form of ad-libitum royal jelly (RJ) secretions. Typically, the number of raised new queens is limited but genetic breeding of "royal jelly bees" (RJBs) for enhanced RJ production over decades has led to a dramatic increase of reproductive investment in queens. Here, we compare RJBs to unselected Italian bees (ITBs) to investigate how their cognitive processing of larval signals in the mushroom bodies (MBs) and antennal lobes (ALs) may contribute to their behavioral differences. A cross-fostering experiment confirms that the RJB syndrome is mainly due to a shift in nurse bee alloparental care behavior. Using olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex, we show that the RJB nurses spontaneously respond more often to larval odors compared with ITB nurses but their subsequent learning occurs at similar rates. These phenotypic findings are corroborated by our demonstration that the proteome of the brain, particularly of the ALs differs between RJBs and ITBs. Notably, in the ALs of RJB newly emerged bees and nurses compared with ITBs, processes of energy and nutrient metabolism, signal transduction are up-regulated, priming the ALs for receiving and processing the brood signals from the antennae. Moreover, highly abundant major royal jelly proteins and hexamerins in RJBs compared with ITBs during early life when the nervous system still develops suggest crucial new neurobiological roles for these well-characterized proteins. Altogether, our findings reveal that RJBs have evolved a strong olfactory response to larvae, enabled by numerous neurophysiological adaptations that increase the nurse bees' alloparental care behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufeng Zhang
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Horticultural Research, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Han Hu
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Han
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiaohong Wei
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lifeng Meng
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Fang
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mao Feng
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Ma
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Olav Rueppell
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Jianke Li
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
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12
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Genetics in the Honey Bee: Achievements and Prospects toward the Functional Analysis of Molecular and Neural Mechanisms Underlying Social Behaviors. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10100348. [PMID: 31623209 PMCID: PMC6835989 DOI: 10.3390/insects10100348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The European honey bee is a model organism for studying social behaviors. Comprehensive analyses focusing on the differential expression profiles of genes between the brains of nurse bees and foragers, or in the mushroom bodies—the brain structure related to learning and memory, and multimodal sensory integration—has identified candidate genes related to honey bee behaviors. Despite accumulating knowledge on the expression profiles of genes related to honey bee behaviors, it remains unclear whether these genes actually regulate social behaviors in the honey bee, in part because of the scarcity of genetic manipulation methods available for application to the honey bee. In this review, we describe the genetic methods applied to studies of the honey bee, ranging from classical forward genetics to recently developed gene modification methods using transposon and CRISPR/Cas9. We then discuss future functional analyses using these genetic methods targeting genes identified by the preceding research. Because no particular genes or neurons unique to social insects have been found yet, further exploration of candidate genes/neurons correlated with sociality through comprehensive analyses of mushroom bodies in the aculeate species can provide intriguing targets for functional analyses, as well as insight into the molecular and neural bases underlying social behaviors.
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13
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Hamanaka Y, Mizunami M. Tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons in the mushroom body of the field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. Cell Tissue Res 2018; 376:97-111. [PMID: 30578444 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2969-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The mushroom body of the insect brain participates in processing and integrating multimodal sensory information and in various forms of learning. In the field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, dopamine plays a crucial role in aversive memory formation. However, the morphologies of dopamine neurons projecting to the mushroom body and their potential target neurons, the Kenyon cells, have not been characterized. Golgi impregnations revealed two classes of Kenyon cells (types I and II) and five different types of extrinsic fibers in the mushroom body. Type I cells, which are further divided into two subtypes (types I core and I surface), extend their dendrites into the anterior calyx, whereas type II cells extend many bushy dendritic branches into the posterior calyx. Axons of the two classes bifurcate between the pedunculus and lobes to form the vertical, medial and γ lobes. Immunocytochemistry to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine biosynthesis, revealed the following four distinct classes of neurons: (1) TH-SLP projecting to the distal vertical lobe; (2) TH-IP1 extending to the medial and γ lobes; (3) TH-IP2 projecting to the basal vertical lobe; and (4) a multiglomerular projection neuron invading the anterior calyx and the lateral horn (TH-MPN). We previously proposed a model in the field cricket in which the efficiency of synapses from Kenyon cells transmitting a relevant sensory stimulus to output neurons commanding an appropriate behavioral reaction can be modified by dopaminergic neurons mediating aversive signals and here, we provide putative neural substrates for the cricket's aversive learning. These will be instrumental in understanding the principle of aversive memory formation in this model species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitaka Hamanaka
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto-cho, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan.
| | - Makoto Mizunami
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan
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14
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Ai H, Kumaraswamy A, Kohashi T, Ikeno H, Wachtler T. Inhibitory Pathways for Processing the Temporal Structure of Sensory Signals in the Insect Brain. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1517. [PMID: 30186204 PMCID: PMC6110935 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects have acquired excellent sensory information processing abilities in the process of evolution. In addition, insects have developed communication schemes based on the temporal patterns of specific sensory signals. For instance, male moths approach a female by detecting the spatiotemporal pattern of a pheromone plume released by the female. Male crickets attract a conspecific female as a mating partner using calling songs with species-specific temporal patterns. The dance communication of honeybees relies on a unique temporal pattern of vibration caused by wingbeats during the dance. Underlying these behaviors, neural circuits involving inhibitory connections play a critical common role in processing the exact timing of the signals in the primary sensory centers of the brain. Here, we discuss common mechanisms for processing the temporal patterns of sensory signals in the insect brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Ai
- Department of Earth System Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ajayrama Kumaraswamy
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tsunehiko Kohashi
- Neuroscience Institute, Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Ikeno
- School of Human Science and Environment, University of Hyogo, Himeji, Japan
| | - Thomas Wachtler
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
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15
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Diao Q, Sun L, Zheng H, Zeng Z, Wang S, Xu S, Zheng H, Chen Y, Shi Y, Wang Y, Meng F, Sang Q, Cao L, Liu F, Zhu Y, Li W, Li Z, Dai C, Yang M, Chen S, Chen R, Zhang S, Evans JD, Huang Q, Liu J, Hu F, Su S, Wu J. Genomic and transcriptomic analysis of the Asian honeybee Apis cerana provides novel insights into honeybee biology. Sci Rep 2018; 8:822. [PMID: 29339745 PMCID: PMC5770391 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17338-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Asian honeybee Apis cerana is one of two bee species that have been commercially kept with immense economic value. Here we present the analysis of genomic sequence and transcriptomic exploration for A. cerana as well as the comparative genomic analysis of the Asian honeybee and the European honeybee A. mellifera. The genome and RNA-seq data yield new insights into the behavioral and physiological resistance to the parasitic mite Varroa the evolution of antimicrobial peptides, and the genetic basis for labor division in A. cerana. Comparison of genes between the two sister species revealed genes specific to A. cerana, 54.5% of which have no homology to any known proteins. The observation that A. cerana displayed significantly more vigilant grooming behaviors to the presence of Varroa than A. mellifera in conjunction with gene expression analysis suggests that parasite-defensive grooming in A. cerana is likely triggered not only by exogenous stimuli through visual and olfactory detection of the parasite, but also by genetically endogenous processes that periodically activates a bout of grooming to remove the ectoparasite. This information provides a valuable platform to facilitate the traits unique to A. cerana as well as those shared with other social bees for health improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyun Diao
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10093, China
| | - Liangxian Sun
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Molecular Biology and Pharmacology Key Laboratory of Fujian Advanced Education, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou, Fujian, 362000, China
| | - Huajun Zheng
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Zhijiang Zeng
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330045, China
| | - Shengyue Wang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Shufa Xu
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10093, China
| | - Huoqing Zheng
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yanping Chen
- USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Shi
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330045, China
| | - Yuezhu Wang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Fei Meng
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Qingliang Sang
- Molecular Biology and Pharmacology Key Laboratory of Fujian Advanced Education, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou, Fujian, 362000, China
| | - Lianfei Cao
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Fang Liu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yongqiang Zhu
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Wenfeng Li
- USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA
| | - Zhiguo Li
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Congjie Dai
- Molecular Biology and Pharmacology Key Laboratory of Fujian Advanced Education, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou, Fujian, 362000, China
| | - Minjun Yang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Shenglu Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Runsheng Chen
- Bioinformatics Laboratory and National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shaowu Zhang
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, Research School of Biology, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Jay D Evans
- USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA
| | - Qiang Huang
- USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA
| | - Fuliang Hu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Songkun Su
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. .,College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
| | - Jie Wu
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10093, China.
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16
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Meng L, Huo X, Feng M, Fang Y, Han B, Hu H, Wu F, Li J. Proteomics Reveals the Molecular Underpinnings of Stronger Learning and Memory in Eastern Compared to Western Bees. Mol Cell Proteomics 2017; 17:255-269. [PMID: 29187519 PMCID: PMC5795390 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra117.000159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 11/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The eastern (Apis cerana cerana, Acc) and western (Apis mellifera ligustica, Aml) honeybee are two major honeybee species. Surprisingly, little is known about the fundamental molecular neurobiology of brain suborgans of Acc and Aml. We characterized and compared the proteomes of mushroom bodies (MBs), antennal lobes (ALs) and optical lobes (OLs) in the brain of both species, and biologically validated the functions related to learning and memory. Acc and Aml have evolved similar proteome signatures in MBs and OLs to drive the domain-specific neural activities. In MBs of both species, commonly enriched and enhanced functional groups related to protein metabolism and Ca2+ transport relative to ALs and OLs, suggests that proteins and Ca2+ are vital for consolidating learning and memory via modulation of synaptic structure and signal transduction. Furthermore, in OLs of both species, the mainly enriched ribonucleoside metabolism suggests its vital role as second messenger in promoting phototransduction. Notably, in ALs of both species, distinct proteome settings have shaped to prime olfactory learning and memory. In ALs of Acc, this is supported by the enriched cytoskeleton organization to sustain olfactory signaling through modulation of plasticity in glomeruli and intracellular transport. In ALs of Aml, however, the enriched functional groups implicated in hydrogen ion transport are indicative of their importance in supporting olfactory processes by regulation of synaptic transmission. The biological confirmation of enhanced activities of protein metabolism and signal transduction in ALs and MBs of Acc relative to in Aml demonstrates that a stronger sense of olfactory learning and memory has evolved in Acc. The reported first in-depth proteome data of honeybee brain suborgans provide a novel insight into the molecular basis of neurobiology, and is potentially useful for further neurological studies in honeybees and other insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifeng Meng
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Xinmei Huo
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Mao Feng
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Yu Fang
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Bin Han
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Han Hu
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Fan Wu
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Jianke Li
- From the ‡Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100093, China
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17
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Han B, Fang Y, Feng M, Hu H, Hao Y, Ma C, Huo X, Meng L, Zhang X, Wu F, Li J. Brain Membrane Proteome and Phosphoproteome Reveal Molecular Basis Associating with Nursing and Foraging Behaviors of Honeybee Workers. J Proteome Res 2017; 16:3646-3663. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Han
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Fang
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Mao Feng
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Han Hu
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Hao
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Ma
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Xinmei Huo
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Lifeng Meng
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Xufeng Zhang
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Jianke Li
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
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18
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Bezabih G, Cheng H, Han B, Feng M, Xue Y, Hu H, Li J. Phosphoproteome Analysis Reveals Phosphorylation Underpinnings in the Brains of Nurse and Forager Honeybees (Apis mellifera). Sci Rep 2017; 7:1973. [PMID: 28512345 PMCID: PMC5434016 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02192-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The honeybee brain is a central organ in regulating wide ranges of honeybee biology, including life transition from nurse to forager bees. Knowledge is still lacking on how protein phosphorylation governs the neural activity to drive the age-specific labor division. The cerebral phosphoproteome of nurse and forager honeybees was characterized using Ti4+-IMAC phosphopeptide enrichment mass-spectrometry-based proteomics and protein kinases (PKs) were predicted. There were 3,077 phosphosites residing on 3,234 phosphopeptides from 1004 phosphoproteins in the nurse bees. For foragers the numbers were 3,056, 3,110, and 958, respectively. Notably, among the total 231 PKs in honeybee proteome, 179 novel PKs were predicted in the honeybee brain, of which 88 were experimentally identified. Proteins involved in wide scenarios of pathways were phosphorylated depending on age: glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, AGE/RAGE and phosphorylation in nurse bees and metal ion transport, ATP metabolic process and phototransduction in forager bees. These observations suggest that phosphorylation is vital to the tuning of protein activity to regulate cerebral function according to the biological duties as nursing and foraging bees. The data provides valuable information on phosphorylation signaling in the honeybee brain and potentially useful resource to understand the signaling mechanism in honeybee neurobiology and in other social insects as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gebreamlak Bezabih
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Han Cheng
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, China
| | - Bin Han
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Mao Feng
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Yu Xue
- Department of Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Han Hu
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Jianke Li
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, 100093, China.
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19
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Mblk-1 Transcription Factor Family: Its Roles in Various Animals and Regulation by NOL4 Splice Variants in Mammals. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18020246. [PMID: 28125049 PMCID: PMC5343783 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18020246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Revised: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors play critical roles in regulation of neural development and functions. A transcription factor Mblk-1 was previously reported from a screen for factors possibly important for the higher brain functions of the honeybee. This review first summarizes how Mblk-1 was identified, and then provides an overview of the studies of Mblk-1 and their homologs. Mblk-1 family proteins are found broadly in animals and are shown to affect transcription activities. Studies have revealed that the mammalian homologs can interact with several cofactors and together regulate transcription. Interestingly, a recent study using the mouse homologs, Mlr1 and Mlr2, showed that one of their cofactor proteins, NOL4, have several splice variants with different effects on the transactivation activities of Mlr proteins. These findings suggest that there is an additional layer of the regulation of Mblk-1 family proteins by cofactor splice variants and provide novel insights into our current understanding of the roles of the conserved transcription factor family.
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20
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Brizio A, Tirassa M. Biological Agency: Its Subjective Foundations and a Large-Scale Taxonomy. Front Psychol 2016; 7:41. [PMID: 26903891 PMCID: PMC4745100 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We will outline a theory of agency cast in theoretical psychology, viewed as a branch of a non-eliminativist biology. Our proposal will be based on an evolutionary view of the nature and functioning of the mind(s), reconsidered in a radically subjectivist, radically constructivist framework. We will argue that the activities of control systems should be studied in terms of interaction. Specifically, what an agent does belongs to the coupling of its internal dynamics with the dynamics of the external world. The internal dynamics, rooted in the species' phylogenetic history as well as in the individual's ontogenetic path, (a) determine which external dynamics are relevant to the organism, that is, they create the subjective ontology that the organism senses in the external world, and (b) determine what types of activities and actions the agent is able to conceive of and to adopt in the current situation. The external dynamics that the organism senses thus constitute its subjective environment. This notion of coupling is basically suitable for whichever organism one may want to consider. However, remarkable differences exist between the ways in which coupling may be realized, that is, between different natures and ways of functioning of control systems. We will describe agency at different phylogenetic levels: at the very least, it is necessary to discriminate between non-Intentional species, Intentional species, and a subtype of the latter called meta-Intentional. We will claim that agency can only be understood in a radically subjectivist perspective, which in turn is best grounded in a view of the mind as consciousness and experience. We will thus advance a radically constructivist view of agency and of several correlate notions (like meaning and ontology).
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelina Brizio
- Faculty of Communication Science, Università della Svizzera Italiana Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Maurizio Tirassa
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Science, University of Turin Torino, Italy
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21
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Han B, Fang Y, Feng M, Hu H, Qi Y, Huo X, Meng L, Wu B, Li J. Quantitative Neuropeptidome Analysis Reveals Neuropeptides Are Correlated with Social Behavior Regulation of the Honeybee Workers. J Proteome Res 2015; 14:4382-93. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Han
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou
Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Yu Fang
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou
Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Mao Feng
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou
Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Han Hu
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou
Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Yuping Qi
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou
Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Xinmei Huo
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou
Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Lifeng Meng
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou
Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou
Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Jianke Li
- Institute of Apicultural
Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of
Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou
Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
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22
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Aversion for bitter taste reveals sexual differences in alimentation strategies in a praying mantis. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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23
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Rangberg A, Mathiesen G, Amdam G, Diep D. The paratransgenic potential of Lactobacillus kunkeei in the honey bee Apis mellifera. Benef Microbes 2015; 6:513-23. [DOI: 10.3920/bm2014.0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a domestic insect of high value to human societies, as a crop pollinator in agriculture and a model animal in scientific research. The honey bee, however, has experienced massive mortality worldwide due to the phenomenon Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), resulting in alarming prospects for crop failure in Europe and the USA. The reasons for CCD are complex and much debated, but several honey bee pathogens are believed to be involved. Paratransgenesis is a Trojan horse strategy, where endogenous microorganisms are used to express effector molecules that antagonise pathogen development. For use in honey bees, paratransgenesis must rely on a set of criteria that the candidate paratransgenic microorganism must fulfil in order to obtain a successful outcome: (1) the candidate must be genetically modifiable to express effector molecules; (2) the modified organism should have no adverse effects on honey bee health upon reintroduction; and (3) it must survive together with other non-pathogenic bee-associated microorganisms. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are common gut bacteria in vertebrates and invertebrates, and some have naturally beneficial properties in their host. In the present work we aimed to find a potential paratransgenic candidate within this bacterial group for use in honey bees. Among isolated LAB associated with bee gut microbiota, we found the fructophilic Lactobacillus kunkeei to be the most predominant species during foraging seasons. Four genetically different strains of L. kunkeei were selected for further assessment. We demonstrated (1) that L. kunkeei is transformable; (2) that the transformed cells had no obvious adverse effect on honey bee survival; and (3) that transformed cells survived well in the gut environment of bees upon reintroduction. Our study demonstrates that L. kunkeei fulfils the three criteria for paratransgenesis and can be a suitable candidate for further research on this strategy in honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Rangberg
- Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - G. Mathiesen
- Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - G.V. Amdam
- Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 874501, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - D.B. Diep
- Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway
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24
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Hawkins RD, Byrne JH. Associative learning in invertebrates. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015; 7:cshperspect.a021709. [PMID: 25877219 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a021709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This work reviews research on neural mechanisms of two types of associative learning in the marine mollusk Aplysia, classical conditioning of the gill- and siphon-withdrawal reflex and operant conditioning of feeding behavior. Basic classical conditioning is caused in part by activity-dependent facilitation at sensory neuron-motor neuron (SN-MN) synapses and involves a hybrid combination of activity-dependent presynaptic facilitation and Hebbian potentiation, which are coordinated by trans-synaptic signaling. Classical conditioning also shows several higher-order features, which might be explained by the known circuit connections in Aplysia. Operant conditioning is caused in part by a different type of mechanism, an intrinsic increase in excitability of an identified neuron in the central pattern generator (CPG) for feeding. However, for both classical and operant conditioning, adenylyl cyclase is a molecular site of convergence of the two signals that are associated. Learning in other invertebrate preparations also involves many of the same mechanisms, which may contribute to learning in vertebrates as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Hawkins
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032 New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032
| | - John H Byrne
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
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Terao K, Matsumoto Y, Mizunami M. Critical evidence for the prediction error theory in associative learning. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8929. [PMID: 25754125 PMCID: PMC4354000 DOI: 10.1038/srep08929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In associative learning in mammals, it is widely accepted that the discrepancy, or error, between actual and predicted reward determines whether learning occurs. Complete evidence for the prediction error theory, however, has not been obtained in any learning systems: Prediction error theory stems from the finding of a blocking phenomenon, but blocking can also be accounted for by other theories, such as the attentional theory. We demonstrated blocking in classical conditioning in crickets and obtained evidence to reject the attentional theory. To obtain further evidence supporting the prediction error theory and rejecting alternative theories, we constructed a neural model to match the prediction error theory, by modifying our previous model of learning in crickets, and we tested a prediction from the model: the model predicts that pharmacological intervention of octopaminergic transmission during appetitive conditioning impairs learning but not formation of reward prediction itself, and it thus predicts no learning in subsequent training. We observed such an "auto-blocking", which could be accounted for by the prediction error theory but not by other competitive theories to account for blocking. This study unambiguously demonstrates validity of the prediction error theory in associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanta Terao
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Yukihisa Matsumoto
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
- Faculty of Liberal Arts, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ichikawa 272-0827, Japan
| | - Makoto Mizunami
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
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Vorster AP, Born J. Sleep and memory in mammals, birds and invertebrates. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 50:103-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Revised: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Mitochondrial DNA integrity changes with age but does not correlate with learning performance in honey bees. Exp Gerontol 2014; 49:12-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2013.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Revised: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Felsenberg J, Plath JA, Lorang S, Morgenstern L, Eisenhardt D. Short- and long-term memories formed upon backward conditioning in honeybees (Apis mellifera). Learn Mem 2013; 21:37-45. [PMID: 24353291 PMCID: PMC3867710 DOI: 10.1101/lm.031765.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In classical conditioning, the temporal sequence of stimulus presentations is critical for the association between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (US). In forward conditioning, the CS precedes the US and is learned as a predictor for the US. Thus it acquires properties to elicit a behavioral response, defined as excitatory properties. In backward conditioning, the US precedes the CS. The CS might be learned as a predictor for the cessation of the US acquiring inhibitory properties that inhibit a behavioral response. Interestingly, behavior after backward conditioning is controlled by both excitatory and inhibitory properties of the CS, but the underlying mechanisms determining which of these opposing properties control behavior upon retrieval is poorly understood. We performed conditioning experiments in the honeybee (Apis mellifera) to investigate the CS properties that control behavior at different time points after backward conditioning. The CS properties, as characterized by the retardation or enhancement of subsequent acquisition, were examined 30 min and 24 h after backward conditioning. We found that 30 min after backward conditioning, the CS acquired an inhibitory property during backward conditioning depending on the intertrial interval, the number of trials, and the odor used as the CS. One day after backward conditioning, we observed significant retardation of acquisition. In addition, we demonstrated an enhanced, generalized odor response in the backward conditioned group compared to untreated animals. These results indicate that two long-lasting opposing memories have been formed in parallel: one about the excitatory properties of the CS and one about the inhibitory properties of the CS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Dorothea Eisenhardt
- Freie Universität Berlin, FB Biologie, Pharmazie, Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Neurobiologie, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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Nicholls E, de Ibarra NH. Pollen Elicits Proboscis Extension but Does not Reinforce PER Learning in Honeybees. INSECTS 2013; 4:542-57. [PMID: 26462523 PMCID: PMC4553503 DOI: 10.3390/insects4040542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Revised: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The function of pollen as a reward for foraging bees is little understood, though there is evidence to suggest that it can reinforce associations with visual and olfactory floral cues. Foraging bees do not feed on pollen, thus one could argue that it cannot serve as an appetitive reinforcer in the same way as sucrose. However, ingestion is not a critical parameter for sucrose reinforcement, since olfactory proboscis extension (PER) learning can be conditioned through antennal stimulation only. During pollen collection, the antennae and mouthparts come into contact with pollen, thus it is possible that pollen reinforces associative learning through similar gustatory pathways as sucrose. Here pollen was presented as the unconditioned stimulus (US), either in its natural state or in a 30% pollen-water solution, and was found to elicit proboscis extension following antennal stimulation. Control groups were exposed to either sucrose or a clean sponge as the US, or an unpaired presentation of the conditioned stimulus (CS) and pollen US. Despite steady levels of responding to the US, bees did not learn to associate a neutral odour with the delivery of a pollen reward, thus whilst pollen has a proboscis extension releasing function, it does not reinforce olfactory PER learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Nicholls
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Perry Road, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK.
| | - Natalie Hempel de Ibarra
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Perry Road, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK.
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Kaneko K, Ikeda T, Nagai M, Hori S, Umatani C, Tadano H, Ugajin A, Nakaoka T, Paul RK, Fujiyuki T, Shirai K, Kunieda T, Takeuchi H, Kubo T. Novel middle-type Kenyon cells in the honeybee brain revealed by area-preferential gene expression analysis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e71732. [PMID: 23990981 PMCID: PMC3749211 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The mushroom bodies (a higher center) of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L) brain were considered to comprise three types of intrinsic neurons, including large- and small-type Kenyon cells that have distinct gene expression profiles. Although previous neural activity mapping using the immediate early gene kakusei suggested that small-type Kenyon cells are mainly active in forager brains, the precise Kenyon cell types that are active in the forager brain remain to be elucidated. We searched for novel gene(s) that are expressed in an area-preferential manner in the honeybee brain. By identifying and analyzing expression of a gene that we termed mKast (middle-type Kenyon cell-preferential arrestin-related protein), we discovered novel ‘middle-type Kenyon cells’ that are sandwiched between large- and small-type Kenyon cells and have a gene expression profile almost complementary to those of large– and small-type Kenyon cells. Expression analysis of kakusei revealed that both small-type Kenyon cells and some middle-type Kenyon cells are active in the forager brains, suggesting their possible involvement in information processing during the foraging flight. mKast expression began after the differentiation of small- and large-type Kenyon cells during metamorphosis, suggesting that middle-type Kenyon cells differentiate by modifying some characteristics of large– and/or small-type Kenyon cells. Interestingly, CaMKII and mKast, marker genes for large– and middle-type Kenyon cells, respectively, were preferentially expressed in a distinct set of optic lobe (a visual center) neurons. Our findings suggested that it is not simply the Kenyon cell-preferential gene expression profiles, rather, a ‘clustering’ of neurons with similar gene expression profiles as particular Kenyon cell types that characterize the honeybee mushroom body structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi Kaneko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsubomi Ikeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mirai Nagai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sayaka Hori
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chie Umatani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroto Tadano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Ugajin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Nakaoka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rajib Kumar Paul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Fujiyuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenichi Shirai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takekazu Kunieda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Takeuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeo Kubo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Schulte C, Leboulle G, Otte M, Grünewald B, Gehne N, Beye M. Honey bee promoter sequences for targeted gene expression. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2013; 22:399-410. [PMID: 23668189 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The honey bee, Apis mellifera, displays a rich behavioural repertoire, social organization and caste differentiation, and has an interesting mode of sex determination, but we still know little about its underlying genetic programs. We lack stable transgenic tools in honey bees that would allow genetic control of gene activity in stable transgenic lines. As an initial step towards a transgenic method, we identified promoter sequences in the honey bee that can drive constitutive, tissue-specific and cold shock-induced gene expression. We identified the promoter sequences of Am-actin5c, elp2l, Am-hsp83 and Am-hsp70 and showed that, except for the elp2l sequence, the identified sequences were able to drive reporter gene expression in Sf21 cells. We further demonstrated through electroporation experiments that the putative neuron-specific elp2l promoter sequence can direct gene expression in the honey bee brain. The identification of these promoter sequences is an important initial step in studying the function of genes with transgenic experiments in the honey bee, an organism with a rich set of interesting phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Schulte
- Institute of Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany.
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Mushroom body extrinsic neurons in the honeybee brain encode cues and contexts differently. J Neurosci 2013; 33:7154-64. [PMID: 23616525 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1331-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Free-flying honeybees (Apis mellifera carnica) are known to learn the context to solve discrimination tasks. Here we apply classical conditioning of the proboscis extension response in restrained bees in combination with single-unit extracellular recordings from mushroom body (MB) extrinsic neurons elucidating the neural correlates of context-dependent olfactory discrimination. The contexts were light, colors, and temperatures, either alone or in combination. We found that bees learn context rules quickly and use them for better discrimination. They also solved a transwitching and a cue/context reversal task. Neurons extrinsic to the α lobe of the MB reduced the responses to the rewarded odor, whereas they increased their responses to the context. These results indicate that MB extrinsic neurons encode cues and contexts differently. Data are discussed with reference to MB function.
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Ito E, Matsuo R, Okada R. Involvement of nitric oxide in memory formation in microbrains. Neurosci Lett 2013; 541:1-3. [PMID: 23473717 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Etsuro Ito
- Laboratory of Functional Biology, Kagawa School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, 1314-1 Shido, Sanuki, Kagawa 769-2193, Japan.
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Uno Y, Fujiyuki T, Morioka M, Kubo T. Mushroom body-preferential expression of proteins/genes involved in endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-transport in the worker honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) brain. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2013; 22:52-61. [PMID: 23170949 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
To identify the molecular characteristics specific to the mushroom body (MB, a higher processing centre) neurones in the honeybee brain, we previously used proteomics to identify proteins that are preferentially expressed in these MBs. Here we continued our proteomic analysis to show that reticulocalbin, which is involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca(2+) transport, is also preferentially expressed in the MBs in the honeybee brain. Gene expression analysis revealed that reticulocalbin is preferentially expressed in the large-type Kenyon cells, which are MB-intrinsic neurones. In addition, the gene for the ryanodine receptor, which is also involved in ER Ca(2+) transport, was also preferentially expressed in the large-type Kenyon cells. In contrast, the expression of three other ER-related genes, protein disulphide isomerase, sec61 and erp60, was not enriched in the MBs. These findings further support the notion that the function of ER Ca(2+)-signalling, but not the mere intracellular density of ER, is specifically enhanced in the large-type Kenyon cells in the honeybee brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Uno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Ganeshina O, Erdmann J, Tiberi S, Vorobyev M, Menzel R. Depolymerization of actin facilitates memory formation in an insect. Biol Lett 2012; 8:1023-7. [PMID: 23075524 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, memory formation and stabilization requires polymerization of actin. Here, we show that, in the honeybee, inhibition of actin polymerization within the brain centres involved in memory formation, the mushroom bodies (MBs), enhances associative olfactory memory. Local application of inhibitors of actin polymerization (Cytochalasin D or Latrunculin A) to the MBs 1 h before induction of long-term memory increased memory retention 2 and 24 h after the onset of training. Post-training application of Cytochalasin D also enhanced retention, indicating that memory consolidation is facilitated by actin depolymerization. We conclude that certain aspects of memory mechanisms could have been established independently in mammals and insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Ganeshina
- Institute of Neurobiology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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Rangberg A, Diep DB, Rudi K, Amdam GV. Paratransgenesis: an approach to improve colony health and molecular insight in honey bees (Apis mellifera)? Integr Comp Biol 2012; 52:89-99. [PMID: 22659204 DOI: 10.1093/icb/ics089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is highly valued as a commercial crop pollinator and a model animal in research. Over the past several years, governments, beekeepers, and the general public in the United States and Europe have become concerned by increased losses of honey bee colonies, calling for more research on how to keep colonies healthy while still employing them extensively in agriculture. The honey bee, like virtually all multicellular organisms, has a mutually beneficial relationship with specific microbes. The microbiota of the gut can contribute essential nutrients and vitamins and prevent colonization by non-indigenous and potentially harmful species. The gut microbiota is also of interest as a resource for paratransgenesis; a Trojan horse strategy based on genetically modified symbiotic microbes that express effector molecules antagonizing development or transmission of pathogens. Paratransgenesis was originally engineered to combat human diseases and agricultural pests that are vectored by insects. We suggest an alternative use, as a method to promote health of honey bees and to expand the molecular toolbox for research on this beneficial social insect. The honey bees' gut microbiota contains lactic acid bacteria including the genus Lactobacillus that has paratransgenic potential. We present a strategy for transforming one Lactobacillus species, L. kunkeei, for use as a vector to promote health of honey bees and functional genetic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anbjørg Rangberg
- Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Aas, Norway
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Balfanz S, Ehling P, Wachten S, Jordan N, Erber J, Mujagic S, Baumann A. Functional characterization of transmembrane adenylyl cyclases from the honeybee brain. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2012; 42:435-445. [PMID: 22426196 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2012.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2012] [Revised: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 02/27/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The second messenger cAMP has a pivotal role in animals' physiology and behavior. Intracellular concentrations of cAMP are balanced by cAMP-synthesizing adenylyl cyclases (ACs) and cAMP-cleaving phosphodiesterases. Knowledge about ACs in the honeybee (Apis mellifera) is rather limited and only an ortholog of the vertebrate AC3 isoform has been functionally characterized, so far. Employing bioinformatics and functional expression we characterized two additional honeybee genes encoding membrane-bound (tm)ACs. The proteins were designated AmAC2t and AmAC8. Unlike the common structure of tmACs, AmAC2t lacks the first transmembrane domain. Despite this unusual topography, AmAC2t-activity could be stimulated by norepinephrine and NKH477 with EC(50s) of 0.07 μM and 3 μM. Both ligands stimulated AmAC8 with EC(50s) of 0.24 μM and 3.1 μM. In brain cryosections, intensive staining of mushroom bodies was observed with specific antibodies against AmAC8, an expression pattern highly reminiscent of the Drosophila rutabaga AC. In a current release of the honeybee genome database we identified three additional tmAC- and one soluble AC-encoding gene. These results suggest that (1) the AC-gene family in honeybees is comparably large as in other species, and (2) based on the restricted expression of AmAC8 in mushroom bodies, this enzyme might serve important functions in honeybee behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Balfanz
- Institute of Complex Systems, Zelluläre Biophysik (ICS-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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El Hassani AK, Schuster S, Dyck Y, Demares F, Leboulle G, Armengaud C. Identification, localization and function of glutamate-gated chloride channel receptors in the honeybee brain. Eur J Neurosci 2012; 36:2409-20. [PMID: 22632568 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08144.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCls) are members of the cys-loop ligand-gated ion channel superfamily whose presence has been reported in a variety of invertebrate tissues. In the honeybee, a single gene, amel_glucl, encoding a GluClα subunit, was found in the genome but both the pattern of expression of this gene in the bee brain and its functional role remained unknown. Here we localised the expression sites of the honeybee GluClα subunit at the mRNA and protein levels. To characterise the functional role of GluCls in the honeybee brain, we studied their implication in olfactory learning and memory by means of RNA interference (RNAi) against the GluClα subunit. We found that the GluClα subunit is expressed in the muscles, the antennae and the brain of honeybees. Expression of the GluClα protein was necessary for the retrieval of olfactory memories; more specifically, injection of dsRNA or siRNA resulted in a decrease in retention performances ∼24 h after injection. Knockdown of GluClα subunits impaired neither olfaction nor sucrose sensitivity, and did not affect the capacity to associate odor and sucrose. Our data provide the first evidence for the involvement of glutamate-gated chloride channels in olfactory memory in an invertebrate.
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Heuer CM, Kollmann M, Binzer M, Schachtner J. Neuropeptides in insect mushroom bodies. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2012; 41:199-226. [PMID: 22401884 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2012.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2011] [Revised: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 02/23/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Owing to their experimental amenability, insect nervous systems continue to be in the foreground of investigations into information processing in - ostensibly - simple neuronal networks. Among the cerebral neuropil regions that hold a particular fascination for neurobiologists are the paired mushroom bodies, which, despite their function in other behavioral contexts, are most renowned for their role in learning and memory. The quest to understand the processes that underlie these capacities has been furthered by research focusing on unraveling neuroanatomical connections of the mushroom bodies and identifying key players that characterize the molecular machinery of mushroom body neurons. However, on a cellular level, communication between intrinsic and extrinsic mushroom body neurons still remains elusive. The present account aims to provide an overview on the repertoire of neuropeptides expressed in and utilized by mushroom body neurons. Existing data for a number of insect representatives is compiled and some open gaps in the record are filled by presenting additional original data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten M Heuer
- Philipps-University Marburg, Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Marburg, Germany.
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Identification and characterization of a novel calcyclin binding protein (CacyBP) gene from Apis cerana cerana. Mol Biol Rep 2012; 39:8053-63. [DOI: 10.1007/s11033-012-1652-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Accepted: 04/16/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Abstract
Dendrites represent the compartment of neurons primarily devoted to collecting and computating input. Far from being static structures, dendrites are highly dynamic during development and appear to be capable of plastic changes during the adult life of animals. During development, it is a combination of intrinsic programs and external signals that shapes dendrite morphology; input activity is a conserved extrinsic factor involved in this process. In adult life, dendrites respond with more modest modifications of their structure to various types of extrinsic information, including alterations of input activity. Here, the author reviews classical and recent evidence of dendrite plasticity in invertebrates and vertebrates and current progress in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie this plasticity. Importantly, some fundamental questions such as the functional role of dendrite remodeling and the causal link between structural modifications of neurons and plastic processes, including learning, are still open.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Tavosanis
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Dendrite Differentiation Group, MPI of Neurobiology, Munich, Germany.
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Benvenuto A, Sergi F, Di Pino G, Seidl T, Campolo D, Accoto D, Guglielmelli E. Beyond Biomimetics: Towards Insect/Machine Hybrid Controllers for Space Applications. Adv Robot 2012. [DOI: 10.1163/156855309x443034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Benvenuto
- a CIR — Laboratory of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Università Campus Bio-Medico, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21-00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Sergi
- b CIR — Laboratory of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Università Campus Bio-Medico, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21-00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Di Pino
- c CIR — Laboratory of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Università Campus Bio-Medico, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21-00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Tobias Seidl
- d Advanced Concepts Team, European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - Domenico Campolo
- e CIR — Laboratory of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Università Campus Bio-Medico, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21-00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Dino Accoto
- f CIR — Laboratory of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Università Campus Bio-Medico, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21-00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenio Guglielmelli
- g CIR — Laboratory of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Università Campus Bio-Medico, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21-00128 Rome, Italy
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Klappenbach M, Maldonado H, Locatelli F, Kaczer L. Opposite actions of dopamine on aversive and appetitive memories in the crab. Learn Mem 2012; 19:73-83. [PMID: 22267303 DOI: 10.1101/lm.024430.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The understanding of how the reinforcement is represented in the central nervous system during memory formation is a current issue in neurobiology. Several studies in insects provide evidence of the instructive role of biogenic amines during the learning and memory process. In insects it was widely accepted that dopamine (DA) mediates aversive reinforcements. However, the idea of DA being exclusively involved in aversive memory has been challenged in recent studies. Here, we study the involvement of DA during aversive and appetitive memories in the crab Chasmagnathus. We found that DA-receptor antagonists impair aversive memory consolidation, in agreement with previous reports in insects, while administration of DA facilitates memory formation after a weak training protocol. In contrast, DA treatment during appetitive training was found to impair formation of long-term appetitive memory. In addition, as a first step in elucidating the neuroanatomical correlates of DA action on memory, we mapped dopaminergic neurons in the central nervous system of the crab. Results of the current study, together with those obtained in a previous work about the role of octopamine (OA), suggest that both amines (DA and OA) play a dual action in memory processes. On the one hand, DA and OA mediate the aversive and the appetitive signals, respectively, throughout training, while on the other hand, they interfere with the formation of memory of the opposite sign (DA in appetitive and OA in aversive). Our results support a new understanding about the way appetitive and aversive stimuli are processed during memory formation to ensure adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín Klappenbach
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Memoria, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, IFIBYNE-CONICET, Pabellón II, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina.
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Blenau W, Thamm M. Distribution of serotonin (5-HT) and its receptors in the insect brain with focus on the mushroom bodies: lessons from Drosophila melanogaster and Apis mellifera. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2011; 40:381-394. [PMID: 21272662 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2011.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2010] [Revised: 01/05/2011] [Accepted: 01/14/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The biogenic amine serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) plays a key role in regulating and modulating various physiological and behavioral processes in both protostomes and deuterostomes. The specific functions of serotonin are mediated by its binding to and subsequent activation of membrane receptors. The vast majority of these receptors belong to the superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors. We report here the in vivo expression pattern of a recently characterized 5-HT(1) receptor of the honeybee Apis mellifera (Am5-HT(1A)) in the mushroom bodies. In addition, we summarize current knowledge on the distribution of serotonin and serotonin receptor subtypes in the brain and specifically in the mushroom bodies of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the honeybee. Functional studies in these two species have shown that serotonergic signaling participates in various behaviors including aggression, sleep, circadian rhythms, responses to visual stimuli, and associative learning. The molecular, pharmacological, and functional properties of identified 5-HT receptor subtypes from A. mellifera and D. melanogaster will also be summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Blenau
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Germany.
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Hoff M, Balfanz S, Ehling P, Gensch T, Baumann A. A single amino acid residue controls Ca2+ signaling by an octopamine receptor from Drosophila melanogaster. FASEB J 2011; 25:2484-91. [PMID: 21478261 DOI: 10.1096/fj.11-180703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Rhythmic activity of cells and cellular networks plays an important role in physiology. In the nervous system oscillations of electrical activity and/or second messenger concentrations are important to synchronize neuronal activity. At the molecular level, rhythmic activity can be initiated by different routes. We have recently shown that an octopamine-activated G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR; DmOctα1Rb, CG3856) from Drosophila initiates Ca(2+) oscillations. Here, we have unraveled the molecular basis of cellular Ca(2+) signaling controlled by the DmOctα1Rb receptor using a combination of pharmacological intervention, site-directed mutagenesis, and functional cellular Ca(2+) imaging on heterologously expressed receptors. Phosphorylation of a single amino acid residue in the third intracellular loop of the GPCR by PKC is necessary and sufficient to desensitize the receptor. From its desensitized state, DmOctα1Rb is resensitized by dephosphorylation, and a new Ca(2+) signal occurs on octopamine stimulation. Our findings show that transient changes of the receptor's surface profile have a strong effect on its physiological signaling properties. We expect that the detailed knowledge of DmOctα1Rb-dependent signal transduction fosters the identification of specific drugs that can be used for GPCR-mediated pest control, since octopamine serves important physiological and behavioral functions in arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Hoff
- Institute of Complex Systems, Zellulaere Biophysik (ICS-4), Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich, Germany
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Abstract
Positive social contact is an important factor in healthy aging, but our understanding of how social interactions influence senescence is incomplete. As life expectancy continues to increase because of reduced death rates among elderly, the beneficial role of social relationships is emerging as a cross-cutting theme in research on aging and healthspan. There is a need to improve knowledge on how behavior shapes, and is shaped by, the social environment, as well as needs to identify and study biological mechanisms that can translate differences in the social aspects of behavioral efforts, relationships, and stress reactivity (the general physiological and behavioral response-pattern to harmful, dangerous or unpleasant situations) into variation in aging. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) provide a genetic model in sociobiology, behavioral neuroscience, and gerontology that is uniquely sensitive to social exchange. Different behavioral contact between these social insects can shorten or extend lifespan more than 10-fold, and some aspects of their senescence are reversed by social cues that trigger aged individuals to express youthful repertoires of behavior. Here, I summarize how variation in social interactions contributes to this plasticity of aging and explain how beneficial and detrimental roles of social relationships can be traced from environmental and biological effects on honey bee physiology and behavior, to the expression of recovery-related plasticity, stress reactivity, and survival during old age. This system provides intriguing opportunities for research on aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gro V Amdam
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, PO Box 874501, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA.
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Felsenberg J, Gehring KB, Antemann V, Eisenhardt D. Behavioural pharmacology in classical conditioning of the proboscis extension response in honeybees (Apis mellifera). J Vis Exp 2011:2282. [PMID: 21304470 PMCID: PMC3182661 DOI: 10.3791/2282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are well known for their communication and orientation skills and for their impressive learning capability1,2. Because the survival of a honeybee colony depends on the exploitation of food sources, forager bees learn and memorize variable flower sites as well as their profitability. Forager bees can be easily trained in natural settings where they forage at a feeding site and learn the related signals such as odor or color. Appetitive associative learning can also be studied under controlled conditions in the laboratory by conditioning the proboscis extension response (PER) of individually harnessed honeybees3,4. This learning paradigm enables the study of the neuronal and molecular mechanisms that underlie learning and memory formation in a simple and highly reliable way5-12. A behavioral pharmacology approach is used to study molecular mechanisms. Drugs are injected systemically to interfere with the function of specific molecules during or after learning and memory formation13-16. Here we demonstrate how to train harnessed honeybees in PER conditioning and how to apply drugs systemically by injection into the bee flight muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Felsenberg
- Fachbereich Bio/Chem/Pharm, Institut für Biologie-Neurobiologie, Freie Universität Berlin
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Hadar R, Menzel R. Memory formation in reversal learning of the honeybee. Front Behav Neurosci 2010; 4:186. [PMID: 21179581 PMCID: PMC3004282 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2010.00186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2010] [Accepted: 11/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In reversal learning animals are first trained with a differential learning protocol, where they learn to respond to a reinforced odor (CS+) and not to respond to a non-reinforced odor (CS−). Once they respond correctly to this rule, the contingencies of the conditioned stimuli are reversed, and animals learn to adjust their response to the new rule. This study investigated the effect of a protein synthesis inhibitor (emetine) on the memory formed after reversal learning in the honeybee Apis mellifera. Two groups of bees were studied: summer bees and winter bees, each yielded different results. Blocking protein synthesis in summer bees inhibits consolidation of the excitatory learning following reversal learning whereas it blocked the consolidation of the inhibitory learning in winter bees. These findings suggest that excitatory and inhibitory learning may involve different molecular processes in bees, which are seasonally dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravit Hadar
- Neurobiology, Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany
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