Segmentation of the subcuticular fat body in Apis mellifera females with different reproductive potentials

The Key Role of Amino Acids in Pollen Quality and Honey Bee Physiology-A Review

When studying honey bee nutrition, it is important to pay attention not only to the quantity but also to the quality of pollen for floral visitors. The recommended way to determine the value of pollen is to determine both the protein concentration and the amino acid composition in the insect's hemolymph. In addition, the composition of pollen also includes lipids, sterols and biogenic elements such as carbon, nitrogen, etc. Very high protein concentration is observed in aloe pollen, averaging 51%. Plants with a high protein content, at the level of 27% in Europe, are rapeseed and phacelia. In turn, a plant that is poor in protein (at the level of 11%) is buckwheat. The aforementioned plants are sown over very large areas. Vast acreages in Central and Eastern Europe are occupied by pollen- and nectar-providing invasive plants, such as goldenrod. Therefore, bees are forced to use one food source-a mono diet-which results in their malnutrition. In the absence of natural pollen, beekeepers use other foods for bees; including soy protein, powdered milk, egg yolks, fish meal, etc. However, the colony is the strongest when bees are fed with pollen, as opposed to artificial protein diets. More research is needed on the relationship between bee pollen composition and nutrition, as measured by protein concentration and amino acid composition in apian hemolymph, colony strength, honey yield and good overwintering.

The Morphological Image of Fat Body and Tergal Gland Cells in Uninseminated Apis mellifera Queen Bees

The morphological changes in fat body cells, tergal gland cells, and the surface areas of the cell nuclei were determined in queen bees of the subspecies Apis mellifera carnica. This study focused on 1-, 8-, and 20-day-old uninseminated females kept in colonies, analyzing cells from three locations in the abdomen: the sternite, and tergites III and V. The oenocytes in the sternites were large, oval/circular with a centrally located nucleus, while in tergites III and V, they were small and triangular in the 1-day-old queens. During the first week of life, these cells in tergites III and V change their shape to oval and increase their sizes. The initially light yellow and then dark yellow granularities in the oenocytes of the fat body appear along with the advancing age of the queens. The trophocytes (sternites, tergites III and V) in the 1-day-old queens were completely filled with droplets of different sizes. In the 8- and 20-day-old queens, the number and size of the droplets decreased in the trophocytes of tergites III and V. The tergal gland cells had a centrally located cell nucleus in the 1-, 8- and 20-day-old queens. The dark granularities in these cells were visible only in the 20-day-old queens. Different morphological images of the fat body at the sternite, and tergites III and V, and the difference in the size of the oenocyte cell nuclei may indicate various functions of the fat body depending on its location. Characterization of the changes in the morphology of the fat body, taking into account its segmental character, and the tergal glands requires further research in older queens, e.g., one-year-old, brooding queens.

Studies on the novel effects of electron beam treated pollen on colony reproductive output in commercially-reared bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) for mass pollination applications

Commercially-reared bumblebees provide an important pollinator service that helps support food production and security. The deployment of an appropriate non-thermal disinfection technology for the bulk treatment of pollen collected from honeybees for the feeding of commercial bumblebees is important in order to mitigate against complex diseases and unwanted pathogen spillover to native bees. High level disinfection of pollen was achieved using an electron (e)-beam dose of 100 kGy that corresponded to 78 % loss of cellular viability of bee pathogens before feeding to bumblebees as measured by the novel in vitro use of flow cytometry (FCM). Novel findings showed that e-beam treated-pollen that was fed to bumblebees produced fewer females, gynes and exhibited an absence of males when compared to control bumblebee colonies that were fed untreated commercial pollen. A similar trend emerged in bumblebee colony reproductive outputs when using membrane filtered washed pollen. Proteomic analysis of bumblebees from individual colonies fed with treated-pollen revealed a differential abundance of proteins associated with stress, immunity and metabolism when compared to the untreated pollen control group. Microbiome analysis of the bumblebee gut content revealed differences in microbiota between treated and untreated pollen in bumblebee colony studies. This novel study evaluated the impact of industrial e-beam treated-pollen on complex bee disease mitigation where physically treated-pollen fed to bumblebees was shown to substantially affect colony reproductive outputs.

Workers of Apis mellifera Reared in Small-Cell Combs Show Higher Activity of the Proteolytic System in Hemolymph than Workers Reared in Standard-Cell Combs in Laboratory Cage Tests

The aim of the study was to compare the activities of proteases and their inhibitors in the hemolymph of honeybee workers reared in small-cell combs (SMC) and standard-cell combs (STC) in laboratory cage tests. The analyses conducted in laboratory conditions facilitated assessment of the impact of the comb cell width (small vs. standard) along with eliminating the influence of many environmental factors on the results. The width of the comb cells in which the workers were reared had a significant effect on the protein concentrations and proteolytic system activities in the hemolymph. Irrespective of the age of the workers, higher protein concentrations were found in the hemolymph of the SMC workers. In turn, the activities of proteases and their inhibitors in the hemolymph of 1-day-old bees were higher in the STC workers. In older bees, aged 7-21 days, activity was higher in the SMC workers. The role of the considerable cell width variability in natural combs that were built without the use of an artificially produced wax foundation is worth investigating. It is highly probable that the impact of the comb cell width on the features of workers reared in these combs modifies the age polyethism in the worker caste as well. The investigation results of one-season studies of honeybees could be seriously affected by random factors. To reduce the risk of these effects, it is advisable to continue experiments over a few consecutive years.

Do the different life history strategies of ants and honeybees determine fat body morphology?

The separation of two sister groups such as ants and bees in the Cretaceous involved the development of distinctive characteristics to occupy separate ecological niches. From the point of view of biology and ecology, it is important to see how different life history strategies affect the physiology of these insects. The fat body is the most metabolically important tissue in the organism of each insect. Therefore, we conducted a comparative analysis of the morphological image of the subcuticular fat body in different localisation/segments in Formica (Seviformica) cinerea and Apis mellifera mellifera foragers, because of the similarity of their functions in colonies. We observed that the fat bodies of ants and bees were composed of the same cell types: trophocytes and oenocytes. However, in each of the segments, the fat body cells in ants were bigger and there were fewer of them in comparison with bees. The dorsal part of the fat body of ants had a bilayer structure, where the outer layer was formed by binucleated oenocytes. Binucleated oenocytes were also found in the inner layer near the heart and tracheole. In bees, the fat body was unilayered and the trophocytes and oenocytes were present side by side. The similarities and, in particular, the differences in the structure of the fat body are the adaptation of these sister groups to life in a diverse environment.

Activities of Antioxidant and Proteolytic Systems and Biomarkers in the Fat Body and Hemolymph of Young Apis mellifera Females

Simple Summary

The proteolytic system consists of compounds that, similar to “scissors”, cut proteins found in bee cells (e.g., to activate these proteins) or released by pathogens. During these reactions, reactive oxygen species are created and then removed by antioxidants. The actions of the proteolytic and antioxidant systems are enhanced by biomarkers. These compounds are produced mainly in the fat body and then released into the hemolymph. We determined the activities of these compounds in various localizations/segments of the fat body and in the hemolymph in females with increased reproductive potential, i.e., queens and rebels, and in normal (sterile non-rebel) workers. Rebels are workers who resemble the queen in terms of anatomical, behavioural, and physiological features. It was revealed that the activities of these compounds in the rebels were between those of queens and normal workers. Normal workers had higher activities of the proteolytic and antioxidant systems in the fat body and hemolymph than the other females. These results are important for understanding the functioning of the fat body, the stress ecology, and the formation of the different castes of Apis mellifera females.

Abstract

The proteolytic and antioxidant systems are important components of humoral immunity, and these biomarkers indicate the immune status. These compounds are synthesized in the bees’ fat body and released into the hemolymph. Their functions maintain the organism’s homeostasis and protect it against adverse environmental factors (including pathogens). We determined the activities of acidic, neutral, and alkaline proteases and their inhibitors, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and the level of total antioxidant potential (TAC). These compounds were investigated in the fat body and hemolymph in the females with increased reproductive potential, i.e., queens and rebels, and in normal (non-reproductive sterile non-rebel) workers. The phenoloxidase (PO) activities were determined in the hemolymph. The normal workers had higher activities of proteases and their inhibitors, SOD and CAT, in the fat body and hemolymph, compared to the queens and rebels. The protease inhibitors were not usually active in the queens. As we predicted, the rebels revealed values between those of the queens and normal workers. The highest activities of proteases and antioxidants were identified in the fat body from the third tergite in comparison with the sternite and the fifth tergite. These results are important for oxidative stress ecology and give a better understanding of the functioning of the fat body and the division of labor in social insects.

Effect of Comb Cell Width on the Activity of the Proteolytic System in the Hemolymph of Apis mellifera Workers

Simple Summary

Honeybees are threatened by many biotic factors, e.g., microbes and parasites such as Nosema spp. and Varroa mites, or predators, as well as environmental factors such as weather conditions, pesticides, or food contaminants. Honeybee colonies have behavioral defense mechanisms against pathogens resulting from their social lifestyle. Moreover, these insects have innate immune barriers. One of the immune defense elements is the proteolytic system consisting of proteases and their inhibitors in the hemolymph (insect blood) and on the body surface. The proteolytic system is activated by both external and internal environmental factors. An important element of the nest environment is the comb. In feral bee colony nests, the bee comb cell size varies in width. In turn, bee colonies in Europe tend to be kept only on standard- (cell width approx. 5.50 mm) or small-cell (cell width approx. 4.90 mm) combs. We assessed the proteolytic system activity in the hemolymph of workers reared in a small-cell comb and a standard-cell comb in colonies kept simultaneously on standard- and small-cell combs. Simultaneous keeping of a colony on standard- and small-cell combs is a novel approach to the use of small-cell combs in beekeeping. The width of comb cells (small or standard) where workers were reared had a significant effect on the protein concentrations and the activities of proteases and protease inhibitors in hemolymph of workers. The protein concentrations in 1-day-old workers were higher in bees reared in small-cell combs than in those reared in standard-cell combs. The opposite was found in the groups of older bees (aged 7, 14 and 21 d). Moreover, the activities of proteases and their inhibitors in 1-day-old workers were always higher in bees reared in standard-cell combs, whereas opposite results were usually obtained in the group of the older workers. The differences between workers reared in the small-cell combs and those from the standard-cell combs may be associated with their different tasks. Workers reared in small-cell combs probably work outside the nest as foragers, whereas those reared in standard-cell combs work in the nest. However, this assumption requires confirmation.

Abstract

This study is a continuation of the innovative research of the impact of rearing of bee colonies simultaneously on standard- and small-cell combs on the traits of worker bees and bee colonies. Its aim was to compare the activities of proteases and their inhibitors in the hemolymph of workers reared in a small-cell comb (SMC) and a standard-cell comb (STC) in colonies kept simultaneously on standard- and small-cell combs. The width of comb cells in which workers are reared has a significant effect on the protein concentration and the proteolytic system in the hemolymph, which is reflected in the activities of proteases and their inhibitors. The protein concentrations in the 1-day-old workers were always higher (p ≤ 0.05) in the SMC than STC workers. The opposite was found in the older bee workers (aged 7, 14 and 21 d). The activities of proteases and their inhibitors in the 1-day-old workers were always higher (usually significantly at p ≤ 0.05) in STC than SMC workers, and opposite results were observed in the groups of the older workers (aged 7, 14 and 21 d). The differences between the workers from small-cell combs and those reared in standard-cell combs may be related to their different tasks. Workers reared in small-cell combs probably work as foragers outside the nest, whereas bees reared in standard-cell combs work in the nest. This hypothesis requires confirmation. To reduce the impact of accidental determinants on the results of single-season research on honeybees, it is advisable that such investigations should be conducted for several consecutive years.

Dead Brood of Apis mellifera Is Removed More Effectively from Small-Cell Combs Than from Standard-Cell Combs

Simple Summary

Honeybee workers are able to detect dead or infected brood in comb cells and remove it outside the nest before the infection spreads onto the colony. Such a phenomena is called an hygienic behaviour. Colonies with efficient hygienic behaviour are more resistant to diseases. Bee comb cells may vary in width. In Europe, standard-cell combs (cell width approx. 5.50 mm) and small-cell combs (cell width approx. 4.90 mm) are used. Typically, colonies are kept only on standard- or small-cell combs. We assessed the dead brood removal efficiency in colonies kept on both comb types. Simultaneous keeping of a colony on standard- and small-cell combs is a novel approach to the use of small-cell combs in beekeeping. The removal from small-cell combs was significantly more efficient than in the case of the standard-cell combs, which indicates that bees find dead brood in small-cell combs faster or devoted more attention to the removal. Better understanding of the effect of the simultaneous keeping of colonies on standard- and small-cell combs on the efficiency of hygienic behaviour may contribute to enhancement of the resistance of bee colonies to diseases.

Abstract

The efficiency of the hygienic behaviour in bee colonies towards dead brood was assessed in small-cell combs (SMCombs) and in standard-cell combs (STCombs). Each colony had both types of combs in the nest on a permanent basis. Simultaneous keeping of a colony on standard- and small-cell combs is a novel approach to the use of small-cell combs in beekeeping. The number of killed pupae removed within 24 h was the measure of the hygienic behaviour efficiency. Regardless of the year, the brood in the SMCombs was uncapped and removed significantly more efficient (p ≤ 0.01) than in the STCombs (number of non-uncapped cells: in 2020 SMCombs = 3.79, STCombs = 11.62; in 2021 SMCombs = 2.34, STCombs = 5.28 and completely removed cells: in 2020 SMCombs = 87.46, STCombs = 80.04; in 2021 SMCombs = 96.75, STCombs = 92.66). In colonies kept simultaneously on standard- and small-cell combs, the width of the comb cells has a significant effect on the efficiency of removal of dead brood, which is removed more efficient from small-cell combs than from standard-cell combs.

Reproductive Potential Accelerates Preimaginal Development of Rebel Workers in Apis mellifera

Simple Summary

All female honeybee larvae may develop into workers or queens, depending on the food they receive. During this period, queen mandibular pheromones (QMP) perform a regulatory function in inhibiting ovarian development in adult workers. These pheromones are transmitted (via trophallaxis) by workers to pass information to larvae on the presence or absence of the queen. Queen-less conditions are conducive to the emergence of rebel workers that are set to reproduce, and do not participate in the rearing of successive bee generations in contrast to the sterile, normal workers. We posited that rebels are not only similar to queens in some anatomical features, but also develop in a shorter time in comparison to normal workers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the duration of preimaginal development in rebel and normal workers. Our results confirmed that the workers who develop in a queen-less colony undergo a shorter preimaginal development than those in a queen-right colony.

Abstract

Rebel workers develop from eggs laid by the previous queen, before it went swarming and left the colony orphaned, until the emergence of a new queen. In contrast to normal workers developing in the queen’s presence, rebels are set to reproduce and avoid rearing of successive bee generations. They have more ovarioles in their ovaries, as well as more developed mandibular glands and underdeveloped hypopharyngeal glands, just like the queen. We posited that rebels are not only similar to queens in some anatomical features, but also develop in a shorter time in comparison to normal workers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare preimaginal development duration in rebel and normal workers. The results show that rebels, i.e., workers with a higher reproductive potential, had a significantly shorter preimaginal development period (mean ± SD, 19.24 ± 0.07 days) than normal workers (22.29 ± 0.32 days). Our result confirmed that workers who develop in a queen-less colony undergo a shorter preimaginal development than those in a queen-right colony.

Reproductive Potential Impacts Body Maintenance Parameters and Global DNA Methylation in Honeybee Workers (Apis mellifera L.)

Simple Summary

The queens and sterile workers arise from genetically identical eggs but as imagoes, they differ in their life span, DNA methylation, and their functions. In the absence of the queen, the larvae develop into rebels, i.e., workers with increased reproductive potential. We assumed that since rebels are similar to the queen in many anatomical and behavioral features, they live longer and have lower levels of global DNA methylation, even when infected, e.g., by Nosema spp. Rebels always lived longer in comparison in normal workers and unexpectedly extended longevity of normal workers when they were together, similarly as the presence of a queen did. Rebels became infected more easily but tolerated the infection better. They also had lower level of global DNA methylation than normal workers. These features expand possibilities of the use of honeybees as a model for studies on senescence, nosemosis, eusocial evolution, and epigenetics.

Abstract

The widely accepted hypothesis in life history evolution about the trade-off between fecundity and longevity is not confirmed by long-living and highly fecund queens in eusocial insects. The fact that the queens and facultatively sterile workers usually arise from genetically identical eggs but differ in DNA methylation makes them a good model for studies on senescence, eusocial evolution, and epigenetics. Therefore, honeybees seem to be especially useful here because of long living rebel-workers (RW) with high reproductive potential recently described. Longevity, ovariole number, nosema tolerance, and global DNA methylation have been assayed in normal workers (NW) versus RW in hives and cages. RW always lived longer than NW and unexpectedly extended longevity of NW when they were together, similarly as the presence of a queen did. RW lived longer despite the fact that they had higher Nosema spore load; surprisingly they became infected more easily but tolerated the infection better. Global DNA methylation increased with age, being lower in RW than in NW. Therefore, RW are queen-like considering global DNA methylation and the link between fecundity, longevity, and body maintenance. Presented features of RW expands possibilities of the use of honeybees as a model for studies on senescence, nosemosis, eusocial evolution, and epigenetics.

Effects of camptothecin on histological structures and gene expression profiles of fat bodies in Spodoptera frugiperda

Spodoptera frugiperda is a serious threat to global food production. Our previous study demonstrated that Camptothecin (CPT), a bioactive secondary metabolite from Camptotheca acuminata (Decne: Nyssaceae), exhibits adverse impact on the larval midgut of S. frugiperda and inhibits insect growth. However, effects of CPT on fat bodies of S. frugiperda larvae have not been examined yet. In the present study, we found that histological structures of fat bodies of S. frugiperda larvae were damaged in insects treated with CPT. Comparative transcriptomic analyses among different fat body samples from controls and insects treated with 1.0 and 5.0 μg/g CPT were performed. A total of 4212 and 5044 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the samples treated with 1.0 and 5.0 μg/g CPT, respectively. Our data indicated that the pathways of detoxification, immune response, fatty acids, chitin, and hormone biosynthesis in fat bodies were affected by CPT treatments based on DEGs. These results provided a comprehensive view of the damage and gene expression changes in fat bodies of S. frugiperda after CPT exposure, which shall be useful to reveal the mechanism of CPT toxicity against S. frugiperda in future.

Humoral and Cellular Defense Mechanisms in Rebel Workers of Apis mellifera

The physiological state of an insect depends on efficiently functioning immune mechanisms such as cellular and humoral defenses. However, compounds participating in these mechanisms also regulate reproductive caste formation and are responsible for reproductive division of labor as well as for labor division in sterile workers. Divergent reaction of the same genotype yielding reproductive queens and worker castes led to shaping of the physiological and behavioral plasticity of sterile or reproductive workers. Rebels that can lay eggs while maintaining tasks inside and outside the colony exhibit both queen and worker traits. So, we expected that the phagocytic index, JH3 titer, and Vg concentration would be higher in rebels than in normal workers and would increase with their age. We also assumed that the numbers of oenocytes and their sizes would be greater in rebels than in normal workers. The rebels and the normal workers were collected at the age of 1, 7, 14, and 21 days, respectively. Hemolymph and fat bodies were collected for biochemical and morphological analyses. The high levels of JH, Vg, and the phagocytic index, as well as increased numbers and sizes of oenocytes in the fat body cells demonstrate the physiological and phenotypic adaptation of rebels to the eusocial life of honeybees.