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Walton A, Herman JJ, Rueppell O. Social life results in social stress protection: a novel concept to explain individual life-history patterns in social insects. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1444-1457. [PMID: 38468146 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Resistance to and avoidance of stress slow aging and confer increased longevity in numerous organisms. Honey bees and other superorganismal social insects have two main advantages over solitary species to avoid or resist stress: individuals can directly help each other by resource or information transfer, and they can cooperatively control their environment. These benefits have been recognised in the context of pathogen and parasite stress as the concept of social immunity, which has been extensively studied. However, we argue that social immunity is only a special case of a general concept that we define here as social stress protection to include group-level defences against all biotic and abiotic stressors. We reason that social stress protection may have allowed the evolution of reduced individual-level defences and individual life-history optimization, including the exceptional aging plasticity of many social insects. We describe major categories of stress and how a colonial lifestyle may protect social insects, particularly against temporary peaks of extreme stress. We use the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) to illustrate how patterns of life expectancy may be explained by social stress protection and how modern beekeeping practices can disrupt social stress protection. We conclude that the broad concept of social stress protection requires rigorous empirical testing because it may have implications for our general understanding of social evolution and specifically for improving honey bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Walton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jacob J Herman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Olav Rueppell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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2
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Quinlan GM, Grozinger CM. Evaluating the role of social context and environmental factors in mediating overwintering physiology in honey bees (Apis mellifera). J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247314. [PMID: 38516936 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
In temperate climates, honey bees show strong phenotypic plasticity associated with seasonal changes. In summer, worker bees typically only survive for about a month and can be further classified as young nurse bees (which feed the developing brood) and older forager bees. In winter, brood production and foraging halt and the worker bees live for several months. These differences in task and longevity are reflected in their physiology, with summer nurses and long-lived winter bees typically having large fat bodies, high expression levels of vitellogenin (a longevity-, nutrition- and immune-related gene), and large provisioning glands in their head. The environmental factors (both within the colony and within the surrounding environment) that trigger this transition to long-lived winter bees are poorly understood. One theory is that winter bees are an extended nurse bee state, brought on by a reduction in nursing duties in autumn (i.e. lower brood area). We examined that theory here by assessing nurse bee physiology in both the summer and autumn, in colonies with varying levels of brood. We found that season is a better predictor of nurse bee physiology than brood area. This suggests that seasonal factors beyond brood area, such as pollen availability and colony demography, may be necessary for inducing the winter bee phenotype. This finding furthers our understanding of winter bee biology, which could have important implications for colony management for winter, a critical period for colony survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela M Quinlan
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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3
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Musila J, Přidal A. Seasonal Changes in Hemolymph Protein Level and Hypopharyngeal Gland Size Depending on Age and In-Nest Location of Honeybee Workers. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:512. [PMID: 38338155 PMCID: PMC10854915 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
A honeybee colony, as a super-organism, is regulated through age-polyethism. A honeybee worker's age is considered by means of a chronological and biological approach. The biological age is estimated with physiologically related biological markers, e.g., total hemolymph protein content (THP) and hypopharyngeal gland size (HGs), which also vary seasonally. Contemporary insights into the age-related spatial workers' distribution within the hive nest space regarding biological age are insufficiently clarified. This study aimed to monitor changes in selected physiological markers during the entire season in relation to worker age and their spatial position in the hive nest. THP content and HG size analysis was performed in nine colonies for the entire season to compare the physiological markers within and among the groups of the workers whose ages were known and sampled in different hive parts. Seasonal impact on the biomarkers' development was confirmed in known-age workers. In the case of HGs, this impact was the most apparent in 4- and 5-week-old workers. For THP, the seasonal impact was the most obvious in 2-week-old workers. The highest THP was found in 1- and 2-week-old workers during the entire season. Biologically younger workers of the same age were located predominantly in upper hive parts consistently throughout the year and vice versa. These workers showed significantly higher THP in comparison with those sampled below. Regarding the chronological age, the downwards, spatially shifting mechanism of workers within the hive nest while they aged was characterized. We recommend storage of diluted hemolymph samples up to one month before performing an assay if necessary. The physiological context, relation to division of labor and benefits for beekeeping practices are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonín Přidal
- Department of Zoology, Fishery, Hydrobiology and Apidology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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4
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Starkey J, Tamborindeguy C. Family before work: task reversion in workers of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta in the presence of brood. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2379. [PMID: 36765120 PMCID: PMC9918486 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29246-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Among social insects, task allocation within its group members remains as one of the paramount pillars of social functionality. Division of labor in many eusocial insects is maintained by behavioral flexibility that can shift according to the needs of the colony they reside in. Workers typically, over time as they age, shift from intranidal nurses to extranidal foragers. If the needs of the colony change, either from the needs of the adults or the brood therein, workers shift their behavior in order to compensate for the need of a particular task to be done. This shift, either accelerating towards a behavior associated with an older worker, or regressing back into the nest, is not clearly understood in social insects outside of honeybees. In this study, evaluated how brood type affected the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, worker task reversion and acceleration. Through observation of worker behaviors performed over multiple time-points per day, we discovered that worker task reversion and acceleration does occur within this ant species. Furthermore, the type of brood influenced the rate at which this occurred, with larvae having the strongest effect of all types. Finally, there was a propensity for workers to maintain their new behavior throughout the experiment. This study shows that the needs of brood within a social insect colony can influence the behavior workers perform, reversing the age polyethism that is common among social insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Starkey
- Department of Entomology, 412 Heep Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Cecilia Tamborindeguy
- Department of Entomology, 412 Heep Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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5
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Johnson JC, Munneke AS, Richardson HM, Gendron CM, Pletcher SD. Light modulates Drosophila lifespan via perceptual systems independent of circadian rhythms. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:396-420. [PMID: 36622279 PMCID: PMC9925688 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Across taxa, sensory perception modulates aging in response to important ecological cues, including food, sex, and danger. The range of sensory cues involved, and their mechanism of action, are largely unknown. We therefore sought to better understand how one potential cue, that of light, impacts aging in Drosophila melanogaster. In accordance with recently published data, we found that flies lived significantly longer in constant darkness. Extended lifespan was not accompanied by behavioral changes that might indirectly slow aging such as activity, feeding, or fecundity, nor were circadian rhythms necessary for the effect. The lifespans of flies lacking eyes or photoreceptor neurons were unaffected by light kept at normal housing conditions, and transgenic activation of these same neurons was sufficient to phenocopy the effects of environmental light on lifespan. The relationship between light and lifespan was not correlated with its intensity, duration, nor the frequency of light-dark transitions. Furthermore, high-intensity light reduced lifespan in eyeless flies, indicating that the effects we observed were largely independent of the known, non-specific damaging effects associated with light. Our results suggest that much like other environmental cues, light may act as a sensory stimulus to modulate aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob C. Johnson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Allyson S. Munneke
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Haley M. Richardson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Christi M. Gendron
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Scott D. Pletcher
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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6
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Corby-Harris V, Snyder L, Meador C, Watkins-DeJong E, Obernesser BT, Brown N, Carroll MJ. Diet and pheromones interact to shape honey bee (Apis mellifera) worker physiology. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 143:104442. [PMID: 36195173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104442] [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: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Honey bee colony health is a function of the individuals, their interactions, and the environment. A major goal of honey bee research is to understand how colonies respond to stress. Individual-level studies of the bee stress response are tractable, but their results do not always translate to the colony level. Nutritional stress is an important factor in colony declines. Nutrition studies are typically conducted on individual nurse workers (nurses), who are primarily responsible for converting pollen into brood. Nurse physiology is sensitive to both pollen and pheromones, which communicate signals among colony members. Here, we asked whether pheromones influence nurse nutrient pathways involved in brood care, and whether diet influences colony communication. We exposed caged, nurse-aged workers to different combinations of pheromones and pollen, and measured traits related to brood care. We found that pheromones enhanced pollen-dependent processes such as hypopharyngeal gland growth and mrjp1 expression, and buffered the negative effects of starvation. Pollen also enhanced how nurse phenotypes respond to pheromones. Therefore, diet and pheromones interact to influence nurse nutritional physiology and aspects of brood care. These findings have implications for studying colony function and health in an increasingly stressful climate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucy Snyder
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | - Charlotte Meador
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | | | | | - Nicholas Brown
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | - Mark J Carroll
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
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7
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Cho S, Lee SH, Kim S. Determination of the optimal maturation temperature for adult honey bee toxicity testing. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2022; 257:109359. [PMID: 35508268 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Honey bees are exposed to various pesticides through pollinating and in-hive Varroa mite control. The most basic method for evaluating pesticide toxicity is the indoor bioassay using worker bees, in which newly emerged adults are matured in incubators for conditioning before use. However, little information is available on the optimum maturation temperature from a toxicological point of view, even though it can affect honey bee responses to pesticides. In this paper, to evaluate the optimal maturation temperature for pesticide toxicity testing, several indices related to the development, gene transcription, and toxicological properties of honey bee adults following maturation at 25, 30, and 35 °C were compared with those of field bees. The body weight and developmental state of hypopharyngeal glands were highest in the bees matured at 30 °C, and the overall transcription profiles of detoxification-related genes in the field bees were closest to those of bees matured at 30 °C, whereas immaturity and features of thermal stress were observed in the 25 °C and 35 °C bee groups, respectively. In the bioassay results, the effects of maturation temperature on the toxic response of honey bees varied significantly depending on the type of pesticide. By considering all the biological and toxicological aspects examined, we confirmed that 30 °C is a recommended maturation temperature for adult honey bee toxicity test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susie Cho
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Si Hyeock Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sanghyeon Kim
- Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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8
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Ward R, Coffey M, Kavanagh K. Proteomic analysis of summer and winter Apis mellifera workers shows reduced protein abundance in winter samples. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 139:104397. [PMID: 35537525 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Apis mellifera workers display two stages; short lived summer bees that engage in nursing, hive maintenance and foraging, and long lived winter bees (diutinus bees) which remain within the hive and are essential for thermoregulation and rearing the next generation of bees in spring before dying. Label free quantitative proteomic analysis was conducted on A. mellifera workers sampled in June and December to compare the proteomes of summer and winter bees. Proteomic analysis was performed on head, abdominal and venom sac samples and revealed an elevated level of protein abundance in summer bees. Head and abdominal samples displayed an increased abundance in cuticular proteins in summer samples whereas an increase in xenobiotic proteins was observed in winter samples. Several carbohydrate metabolism pathways which have been linked to energy production and longevity in insects were increased in abundance in winter samples in comparison to summer samples. Proteomic analysis of the venom sacs of summer samples showed an increased abundance of bee venom associated proteins in comparison to winter workers. These data provides an insight into the adaptions of A. mellifera workers in summer and winter and may aid in future treatment and disease studies on honeybee colonies. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD030483.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Ward
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Mary Coffey
- Plant Health Laboratories, Plant Science Division (Bee Health), Department of Agriculture, Celbridge, Co Kildare, Ireland
| | - Kevin Kavanagh
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
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9
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Robinson WS. Surfing the Sweet Wave: Migrating Giant Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apis dorsata) Display Spatial and Temporal Fidelity to Annual Stopover Site in Thailand. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:6414652. [PMID: 34723333 PMCID: PMC8559164 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Apis dorsata F. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), the giant honey bee of southern Asia, is an important pollinator of crops and non-cultivated angiosperms, and a producer of honey and beeswax. Its populations are in decline in many areas. Colonies migrate seasonally between highland and lowland nesting sites, taking advantage of available food sources. In 2009, a stopover site was discovered in Thailand where numerous migrating colonies bivouacked near one another. Bivouacs used the site again in 2010. I went to the site in 2016 to test the hypothesis that bees use the site regularly as part of an annual migration. I witnessed many bivouacs, spanning almost precisely the same time period and occupying the same area as in 2010. Here I describe their migratory dances in preparation for departure and their subsequent flights as well as periodic mass flight and defensive behavior. Analysis of photographs indicated that the bivouacking bees aged slowly and may thus live long enough to be capable of intergenerational transmission of migratory route knowledge. I describe attributes of the stopover site, e.g., abundant food and water availability, its location along a major river, and other possible navigational cues. Although the site is the only one of its kind so far known to researchers, such stopover sites probably exist wherever giant honey bees undertake long seasonal migrations. I recommend searching for bivouacking sites, particularly along rivers, wherever giant honey bees migrate. Stopover sites are undoubtedly essential to the life history and health of migratory bee populations, and thus warrant conservation policies.
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10
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Brown SG, Brenman-Suttner DB, McInnes AG, Lew K, Moehring AJ, Bauer JH, Simon AF. Inheritance of pheromone profiles from aged D. melanogaster. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2021; 2021:10.17912/micropub.biology.000459. [PMID: 34723148 PMCID: PMC8553430 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Through aging, D. melanogaster males and females change their social spacing. Flies are initially more social, but reduce sociability as they grow older. This preferred social space is inherited in their progeny. Here, we report that in females, the profiles of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC), which are known to promote social interaction between individuals, similarly are affected by age. Importantly, for a subset of those CHC, the progeny's CHC levels are comparable to those of their parents, suggesting that parental age influences offspring CHC expression. Those data establish a foundation to identify the relationship between CHC levels and social spacing, and to understand the mechanisms of the inheritance of complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel G Brown
- Department of Chemistry, California State University Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Dova B Brenman-Suttner
- Current: Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,
Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Abigail G McInnes
- Department of Chemistry, California State University Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Katlynn Lew
- Department of Chemistry, California State University Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Amanda J Moehring
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Johannes H Bauer
- Department of Chemistry, California State University Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Anne F Simon
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,
Correspondence to: Anne F Simon ()
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11
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Rasmussen EMK, Seier KL, Pedersen IK, Kreibich C, Amdam GV, Münch D, Dahl JA. Screening bioactive food compounds in honey bees suggests curcumin blocks alcohol-induced damage to longevity and DNA methylation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19156. [PMID: 34580381 PMCID: PMC8476562 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98614-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Various bioactive food compounds may confer health and longevity benefits, possibly through altering or preserving the epigenome. While bioactive food compounds are widely being marketed for human consumption as 'improving health and longevity' by counteracting harmful effects of poor nutrition and lifestyle, claimed effects are often not adequately documented. Using the honey bee (Apis mellifera) as a model species, we here employed a multi-step screening approach to investigate seven compounds for effects on lifespan and DNA methylation using ELISA and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). A positive longevity effect was detected for valproic acid, isovaleric acid, and cyanocobalamin. For curcumin, we found that lifespan shortening caused by ethanol intake, was restored when curcumin and ethanol were co-administered. Furthermore, we identified region specific DNA methylation changes as a result of ethanol intake. Ethanol specific changes in DNA methylation were fully or partially blocked in honey bees receiving ethanol and curcumin together. Ethanol-affected and curcumin-blocked differentially methylated regions covered genes involved in fertility, temperature regulation and tubulin transport. Our results demonstrate fundamental negative effects of low dose ethanol consumption on lifespan and associated DNA methylation changes and present a proof-of-principle on how longevity and DNA methylation changes can be negated by the bioactive food component curcumin. Our findings provide a fundament for further studies of curcumin in invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik M K Rasmussen
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Aas, Norway.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Aas, Norway.
| | - Kristine L Seier
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Aas, Norway
- Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, 3004, Drammen, Norway
| | - Ingrid K Pedersen
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Aas, Norway
- Institute for Energy Technology, 2007, Kjeller, Norway
| | - Claus Kreibich
- Faculty of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Aas, Norway
| | - Gro V Amdam
- Faculty of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Aas, Norway
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Daniel Münch
- Faculty of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433, Aas, Norway.
- Animalia - Norwegian Meat and Poultry Research Centre, 0513, Oslo, Norway.
| | - John Arne Dahl
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, 0027, Oslo, Norway.
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12
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Ortiz-Alvarado Y, Fernández-Casas R, Ortiz-Alvarado CA, Diaz-Iglesias E, Rivera-Marchand B. Behavioral flexibility in Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:16. [PMID: 34436597 PMCID: PMC8388608 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Worker division of labor is a defining trait in social insects. Many species are characterized by having behavioral flexibility where workers perform non-typical tasks for their age depending on the colony's needs. Worker division of labor and behavioral flexibility were examined in the little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863), for which age-related division of labor has been found. Young workers perform nursing duties which include tending of brood and queens, and colony defense, while older workers forage. When nurses were experimentally removed from the colony, foragers were observed carrying out nursing and colony defense duties, yet when foragers were removed nurses did not forage precociously. We also administered juvenile hormone analog, methoprene, to workers. When methoprene was applied, foragers increased their nursing and defense activities while nurses became mainly idle. The behavioral flexibility of foragers of the little fire ant may be evidence of an expansion of worker's repertoires as they age; older workers can perform tasks they have already done in their life while young individuals are not capable of performing tasks ahead of time. This may be an important adaptation associated with the success of this ant as an invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael Fernández-Casas
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Inter American University, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
| | | | | | - Bert Rivera-Marchand
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Inter American University, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
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13
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Giraldo YM, Muscedere ML, Traniello JFA. Eusociality and Senescence: Neuroprotection and Physiological Resilience to Aging in Insect and Mammalian Systems. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:673172. [PMID: 34211973 PMCID: PMC8239293 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.673172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Are eusociality and extraordinary aging polyphenisms evolutionarily coupled? The remarkable disparity in longevity between social insect queens and sterile workers-decades vs. months, respectively-has long been recognized. In mammals, the lifespan of eusocial naked mole rats is extremely long-roughly 10 times greater than that of mice. Is this robustness to senescence associated with social evolution and shared mechanisms of developmental timing, neuroprotection, antioxidant defenses, and neurophysiology? Focusing on brain senescence, we examine correlates and consequences of aging across two divergent eusocial clades and how they differ from solitary taxa. Chronological age and physiological indicators of neural deterioration, including DNA damage or cell death, appear to be decoupled in eusocial insects. In some species, brain cell death does not increase with worker age and DNA damage occurs at similar rates between queens and workers. In comparison, naked mole rats exhibit characteristics of neonatal mice such as protracted development that may offer protection from aging and environmental stressors. Antioxidant defenses appear to be regulated differently across taxa, suggesting independent adaptations to life history and environment. Eusocial insects and naked mole rats appear to have evolved different mechanisms that lead to similar senescence-resistant phenotypes. Careful selection of comparison taxa and further exploration of the role of metabolism in aging can reveal mechanisms that preserve brain functionality and physiological resilience in eusocial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ysabel Milton Giraldo
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Graduate Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Mario L. Muscedere
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - James F. A. Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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14
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Abd Al-Fattah MAAW, Yehia Ibrahim Y, Ibrahim Haggag M. Some biological aspects of honey bee colonies in relation to the age of beeswax combs. JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH 2021; 60:405-413. [DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2021.1899657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasser Yehia Ibrahim
- Department of Economic Entomology and Pesticides, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Marwa Ibrahim Haggag
- Beekeeping Division, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt
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15
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Sieber KR, Dorman T, Newell N, Yan H. (Epi)Genetic Mechanisms Underlying the Evolutionary Success of Eusocial Insects. INSECTS 2021; 12:498. [PMID: 34071806 PMCID: PMC8229086 DOI: 10.3390/insects12060498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Eusocial insects, such as bees, ants, and wasps of the Hymenoptera and termites of the Blattodea, are able to generate remarkable diversity in morphology and behavior despite being genetically uniform within a colony. Most eusocial insect species display caste structures in which reproductive ability is possessed by a single or a few queens while all other colony members act as workers. However, in some species, caste structure is somewhat plastic, and individuals may switch from one caste or behavioral phenotype to another in response to certain environmental cues. As different castes normally share a common genetic background, it is believed that much of this observed within-colony diversity results from transcriptional differences between individuals. This suggests that epigenetic mechanisms, featured by modified gene expression without changing genes themselves, may play an important role in eusocial insects. Indeed, epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs, have been shown to influence eusocial insects in multiple aspects, along with typical genetic regulation. This review summarizes the most recent findings regarding such mechanisms and their diverse roles in eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayli R. Sieber
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (K.R.S.); (T.D.); (N.N.)
| | - Taylor Dorman
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (K.R.S.); (T.D.); (N.N.)
| | - Nicholas Newell
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (K.R.S.); (T.D.); (N.N.)
| | - Hua Yan
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (K.R.S.); (T.D.); (N.N.)
- Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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16
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Majoe M, Libbrecht R, Foitzik S, Nehring V. Queen loss increases worker survival in leaf-cutting ants under paraquat-induced oxidative stress. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190735. [PMID: 33678018 PMCID: PMC7938173 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Longevity is traded off with fecundity in most solitary species, but the two traits are positively linked in social insects. In ants, the most fecund individuals (queens and kings) live longer than the non-reproductive individuals, the workers. In many species, workers may become fertile following queen loss, and recent evidence suggests that worker fecundity extends worker lifespan. We postulated that this effect is in part owing to improved resilience to oxidative stress, and tested this hypothesis in three Myrmicine ants: Temnothorax rugatulus, and the leaf-cutting ants Atta colombica and Acromyrmex echinatior. We removed the queen from colonies to induce worker reproduction and subjected workers to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress drastically reduced survival, but this effect was less pronounced in leaf-cutting ant workers from queenless nests. We also found that, irrespective of oxidative stress, outside workers died earlier than inside workers did, likely because they were older. Since At. colombica workers cannot produce fertile offspring, our results indicate that direct reproduction is not necessary to extend the lives of queenless workers. Our findings suggest that workers are less resilient to oxidative stress in the presence of the queen, and raise questions on the proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying socially mediated variation in worker lifespan. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Majoe
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns Dieter Hüsch Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Institute for Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns Dieter Hüsch Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns Dieter Hüsch Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Volker Nehring
- Institute for Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
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17
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Heinze J, Giehr J. The plasticity of lifespan in social insects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190734. [PMID: 33678025 PMCID: PMC7938164 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the central questions of ageing research is why lifespans of organisms differ so tremendously among related taxa and, even more surprising, among members of the same species. Social insects provide a particularly pronounced example for this. Here, we review previously published information on lifespan plasticity in social insects and provide new data on worker lifespan in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, which because of its relatively short lifespan is a convenient model to study ageing. We show that individual lifespan may vary within species with several reproductive and social traits, such as egg-laying rate, queen number, task, colony size and colony composition. For example, in Cardiocondyla, highly fecund queens live longer than reproductively less active queens, and workers tend to live longer when transferred into a novel social environment or, as we show with new data, into small colonies. We hypothesize that this plasticity of lifespan serves to maximize the reproductive output of the colony as a whole and thus the inclusive fitness of all individuals. The underlying mechanisms that link the social environment or reproductive status with lifespan are currently unresolved. Several studies in honeybees and ants indicate an involvement of nutrient-sensing pathways, but the details appear to differ among species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Heinze
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040 Germany
| | - Julia Giehr
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040 Germany
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18
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Hopkins BK, Chakrabarti P, Lucas HM, Sagili RR, Sheppard WS. Impacts of Different Winter Storage Conditions on the Physiology of Diutinus Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 114:409-414. [PMID: 33386734 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toaa302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Global decline in insect pollinators, especially bees, have resulted in extensive research into understanding the various causative factors and formulating mitigative strategies. For commercial beekeepers in the United States, overwintering honey bee colony losses are significant, requiring tactics to overwinter bees in conditions designed to minimize such losses. This is especially important as overwintered honey bees are responsible for colony expansion each spring, and overwintered bees must survive in sufficient numbers to nurse the spring brood and forage until the new 'replacement' workers become fully functional. In this study, we examined the physiology of overwintered (diutinus) bees following various overwintering storage conditions. Important physiological markers, i.e., head proteins and abdominal lipid contents were higher in honey bees that overwintered in controlled indoor storage facilities, compared with bees held outdoors through the winter months. Our findings provide new insights into the physiology of honey bees overwintered in indoor and outdoor environments and have implications for improved beekeeping management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hannah M Lucas
- Oregon State University, 4017 Agriculture and Life Sciences, Corvallis, OR
| | - Ramesh R Sagili
- Oregon State University, 4017 Agriculture and Life Sciences, Corvallis, OR
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19
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Koubová J, Sábová M, Brejcha M, Kodrík D, Čapková Frydrychová R. Seasonality in telomerase activity in relation to cell size, DNA replication, and nutrients in the fat body of Apis mellifera. Sci Rep 2021; 11:592. [PMID: 33436732 PMCID: PMC7803764 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79912-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In honeybees (Apis mellifera), the rate of aging is modulated through social interactions and according to caste differentiation and the seasonal (winter/summer) generation of workers. Winter generation workers, which hatch at the end of summer, have remarkably extended lifespans as an adaptation to the cold season when the resources required for the growth and reproduction of colonies are limited and the bees need to maintain the colony until the next spring. In contrast, the summer bees only live for several weeks. To better understand the lifespan differences between summer and winter bees, we studied the fat bodies of honeybee workers and identified several parameters that fluctuate in a season-dependent manner. In agreement with the assumption that winter workers possess greater fat body mass, our data showed gradual increases in fat body mass, the size of the fat body cells, and Vg production as the winter season proceeded, as well as contrasting gradual decreases in these parameters in the summer season. The differences in the fat bodies between winter and summer bees are accompanied by respective increases and decreases in telomerase activity and DNA replication in the fat bodies. These data show that although the fat bodies of winter bees differ significantly from those of summer bees, these differences are not a priori set when bees hatch at the end of summer or in early autumn but instead gradually evolve over the course of the season, depending on environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justina Koubová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michala Sábová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Miloslav Brejcha
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dalibor Kodrík
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radmila Čapková Frydrychová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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20
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Feliciano-Cardona S, Döke MA, Aleman J, Agosto-Rivera JL, Grozinger CM, Giray T. Honey Bees in the Tropics Show Winter Bee-Like Longevity in Response to Seasonal Dearth and Brood Reduction. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.571094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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21
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The honey bee (Apis mellifera L., 1758) and the seasonal adaptation of productions. Highlights on summer to winter transition and back to summer metabolic activity. A review. Livest Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2020.104011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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22
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Giehr J, Senninger L, Ruhland K, Heinze J. Ant workers produce males in queenless parts of multi-nest colonies. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2152. [PMID: 32034171 PMCID: PMC7005753 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58830-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Workers of several social insects are capable of gaining direct fitness by laying unfertilized eggs, which then develop into males. However, under queenright conditions, direct reproduction of workers is usually prevented by queen-induced regulatory mechanisms. In nature, some ant colonies inhabit multiple nests sites (polydomy). This might allow workers to escape queen control and to reproduce. However, whether worker-produced brood survives after colony reunion in seasonally polydomous species remains unclear. In several species, worker-produced eggs and male-destined larvae are selectively destroyed in queenright colonies. Here, we test whether workers discriminate between queen- and worker-produced larvae during colony reunion. We examined the reproductive success of workers in queenless subcolonies of our study species Temnothorax crassispinus. Our results show that present brood did not inhibit worker reproduction but had a positive effect on worker lifespan. Larvae produced by workers were readily integrated into queenright subcolonies during colony reunion and these larvae successfully developed into adult males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Giehr
- University of Regensburg, Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Lisa Senninger
- University of Regensburg, Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Katja Ruhland
- University of Regensburg, Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Heinze
- University of Regensburg, Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
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23
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Orlova M, Starkey J, Amsalem E. A small family business: synergistic and additive effects of the queen and the brood on worker reproduction in a primitively eusocial bee. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb217547. [PMID: 31953359 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.217547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms that maintain reproductive division of labor in social insects are still incompletely understood. Most studies focus on the relationship between adults, overlooking another important stakeholder - the juveniles. Recent studies show that not only the queen but also the brood regulate worker reproduction. However, how the two coordinate to maintain reproductive monopoly remained unexplored. Here, we disentangled the roles of the brood and the queen in primitively eusocial bees (Bombus impatiens) by examining their separated and combined effects on worker behavioral, physiological and brain gene expression. We found that young larvae produce a releaser effect on workers, decreasing oviposition and aggression, while the queen produces both releaser and primer effects, modifying worker behavior and reproductive physiology. The expression of reproduction- and aggression-related genes was altered in the presence of both queen and brood but was stronger or the same in the presence of the queen. We identified two types of interactions between the queen and the brood in regulating worker reproduction: (1) synergistic interactions regulating worker physiology, where the combined effect of the queen and the brood on worker physiology was greater than their separate effects; (2) additive interactions, where the combined effect of the queen and the brood on worker behavior was similar to the sum of their separate effects. Our results suggest that the queen and the brood interact synergistically and additively to regulate worker behavior and reproduction, and this interaction exists at multiple regulatory levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Orlova
- Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jesse Starkey
- Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Etya Amsalem
- Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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24
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Galvani GL, Soto EM, Canavoso LE, Settembrini BP. Fat body morphology, but not body size, changes in forager bees of Scaptotrigona jujuyensis (Apidae: Meliponini) during foraging season. ZOOL ANZ 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2019.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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25
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Abstract
The demonstration of life span plasticity in natural populations would provide a powerful test of evolutionary theories of senescence. Plastic senescence is not easily explained by mutation accumulation or antagonistic pleiotropy but is a corollary of the disposable soma theory. The life span differences among castes of the eusocial Hymenoptera are potentially some of the most striking and extreme examples of life span plasticity. Although these differences are often assumed to be plastic, this has never been demonstrated conclusively because differences in life span may be caused by the proximate effects of different levels of environmental hazard experienced by castes. Here age-dependent and age-independent components of instantaneous mortality rates of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) were estimated from published life tables for natural and seminatural populations to determine whether differences in life span between queens and workers and between different types of workers are indeed plastic. These differences in life span were found to be due to differences in the rate of actuarial senescence, which correlate positively with the rate of extrinsic mortality, in accordance with the central prediction of evolutionary theories of senescence. Although all three evolutionary theories of senescence could in principle explain such plastic senescence, given differential gene expression between castes or life stages, only the disposable soma theory adequately explains the adaptive regulation of somatic maintenance in response to different environmental conditions that appears to underlie life span plasticity.
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26
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Chakraborty TS, Gendron CM, Lyu Y, Munneke AS, DeMarco MN, Hoisington ZW, Pletcher SD. Sensory perception of dead conspecifics induces aversive cues and modulates lifespan through serotonin in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2365. [PMID: 31147540 PMCID: PMC6542802 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10285-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory perception modulates health and aging across taxa. Understanding the nature of relevant cues and the mechanisms underlying their action may lead to novel interventions that improve the length and quality of life. We found that in the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, exposure to dead conspecifics in the environment induced cues that were aversive to other flies, modulated physiology, and impaired longevity. The effects of exposure to dead conspecifics on aversiveness and lifespan required visual and olfactory function in the exposed flies. Furthermore, the sight of dead flies was sufficient to produce aversive cues and to induce changes in the head metabolome. Genetic and pharmacologic attenuation of serotonergic signaling eliminated the effects of exposure on aversiveness and lifespan. Our results indicate that Drosophila have an ability to perceive dead conspecifics in their environment and suggest conserved mechanistic links between neural state, health, and aging; the roots of which might be unearthed using invertebrate model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuhin S Chakraborty
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Christi M Gendron
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Yang Lyu
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Allyson S Munneke
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Madeline N DeMarco
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Zachary W Hoisington
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Scott D Pletcher
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. .,Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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27
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A mathematical model to estimate the seasonal change in apparent longevity of bee colony. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4102. [PMID: 30858492 PMCID: PMC6411913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40725-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The longevity of a honeybee colony is far more significant than the lifespan of an individual honeybee, a social insect. The longevity of a honeybee colony is integral to the fate of the colony. We have proposed a new mathematical model to estimate the apparent longevity defined in the upper limit of an integral equation. The apparent longevity can be determined only from the numbers of adult bees and capped brood. By applying the mathematical model to a honeybee colony in Japan, seasonal changes in apparent longevity were estimated in three long-term field experiments. Three apparent longevities showed very similar season-changes to one another, increasing from early autumn, reaching a maximum at the end of overwintering and falling approximately plumb down after overwintering. The influence of measurement errors in the numbers of adult bees and capped brood on the apparent longevity was investigated.
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28
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Altered pheromone biosynthesis is associated with sex-specific changes in life span and behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Mech Ageing Dev 2018; 176:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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29
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Ricigliano VA, Mott BM, Floyd AS, Copeland DC, Carroll MJ, Anderson KE. Honey bees overwintering in a southern climate: longitudinal effects of nutrition and queen age on colony-level molecular physiology and performance. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10475. [PMID: 29992997 PMCID: PMC6041268 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28732-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee colony nutritional ecology relies on the acquisition and assimilation of floral resources across a landscape with changing forage conditions. Here, we examined the impact of nutrition and queen age on colony health across extended periods of reduced forage in a southern climate. We measured conventional hive metrics as well as colony-level gene expression of eight immune-related genes and three recently identified homologs of vitellogenin (vg), a storage glycolipoprotein central to colony nutritional state, immunity, oxidative stress resistance and life span regulation. Across three apiary sites, concurrent longitudinal changes in colony-level gene expression and nutritional state reflected the production of diutinus (winter) bees physiologically altered for long-term nutrient storage. Brood production by young queens was significantly greater than that of old queens, and was augmented by feeding colonies supplemental pollen. Expression analyses of recently identified vg homologs (vg-like-A, -B, and -C) revealed distinct patterns that correlated with colony performance, phenology, and immune-related gene transcript levels. Our findings provide new insights into dynamics underlying managed colony performance on a large scale. Colony-level, molecular physiological profiling is a promising approach to effectively identify factors influencing honey bee health in future landscape and nutrition studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brendon M Mott
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Amy S Floyd
- Department of Entomology and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Duan C Copeland
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA.,Department of Microbiology, School of Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences; University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Mark J Carroll
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Kirk E Anderson
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA. .,Department of Entomology and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
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30
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Shah AK, Kreibich CD, Amdam GV, Münch D. Metabolic enzymes in glial cells of the honeybee brain and their associations with aging, starvation and food response. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198322. [PMID: 29927967 PMCID: PMC6013123 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The honey bee has been extensively studied as a model for neuronal circuit and memory function and more recently has emerged as an unconventional model in biogerontology. Yet, the detailed knowledge of neuronal processing in the honey bee brain contrasts with the very sparse information available on glial cells. In other systems glial cells are involved in nutritional homeostasis, detoxification, and aging. These glial functions have been linked to metabolic enzymes, such as glutamine synthetase and glycogen phosphorylase. As a step in identifying functional roles and potential differences among honey bee glial types, we examined the spatial distribution of these enzymes and asked if enzyme abundance is associated with aging and other processes essential for survival. Using immunohistochemistry and confocal laser microscopy we demonstrate that glutamine synthetase and glycogen phosphorylase are abundant in glia but appear to co-localize with different glial sub-types. The overall spatial distribution of both enzymes was not homogenous and differed markedly between different neuropiles and also within each neuropil. Using semi-quantitative Western blotting we found that rapid aging, typically observed in shortest-lived worker bees (foragers), was associated with declining enzyme levels. Further, we found enzyme abundance changes after severe starvation stress, and that glutamine synthetase is associated with food response. Together, our data indicate that aging and nutritional physiology in bees are linked to glial specific metabolic enzymes. Enzyme specific localization patterns suggest a functional differentiation among identified glial types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish K. Shah
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
| | - Claus D. Kreibich
- Faculty of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
| | - Gro V. Amdam
- Faculty of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Daniel Münch
- Faculty of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
- * E-mail:
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31
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Schultner E, Oettler J, Helanterä H. The Role of Brood in Eusocial Hymenoptera. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2018; 92:39-78. [PMID: 29558609 DOI: 10.1086/690840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Study of social traits in offspring traditionally reflects on interactions in simple family groups, with famous examples including parent-offspring conflict and sibling rivalry in birds and mammals. In contrast, studies of complex social groups such as the societies of ants, bees, and wasps focus mainly on adults and, in particular, on traits and interests of queens and workers. The social role of developing individuals in complex societies remains poorly understood. We attempt to fill this gap by illustrating that development in social Hymenoptera constitutes a crucial life stage with important consequences for the individual as well as the colony. We begin by describing the complex social regulatory network that modulates development in Hymenoptera societies. By highlighting the inclusive fitness interests of developing individuals, we show that they may differ from those of other colony members. We then demonstrate that offspring have evolved specialized traits that allow them to play a functional, cooperative role within colonies and give them the potential power to act toward increasing their inclusive fitness. We conclude by providing testable predictions for investigating the role of brood in colony interactions and giving a general outlook on what can be learned from studying offspring traits in hymenopteran societies.
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Hystad EM, Salmela H, Amdam GV, Münch D. Hemocyte-mediated phagocytosis differs between honey bee (Apis mellifera) worker castes. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184108. [PMID: 28877227 PMCID: PMC5587260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Honey bees as other insects rely on the innate immune system for protection against diseases. The innate immune system includes the circulating hemocytes (immune cells) that clear pathogens from hemolymph (blood) by phagocytosis, nodulation or encapsulation. Honey bee hemocyte numbers have been linked to hemolymph levels of vitellogenin. Vitellogenin is a multifunctional protein with immune-supportive functions identified in a range of species, including the honey bee. Hemocyte numbers can increase via mitosis, and this recruitment process can be important for immune system function and maintenance. Here, we tested if hemocyte mediated phagocytosis differs among the physiologically different honey bee worker castes (nurses, foragers and winter bees), and study possible interactions with vitellogenin and hemocyte recruitment. To this end, we adapted phagocytosis assays, which—together with confocal microscopy and flow cytometry—allow qualitative and quantitative assessment of hemocyte performance. We found that nurses are more efficient in phagocytic uptake than both foragers and winter bees. We detected vitellogenin within the hemocytes, and found that winter bees have the highest numbers of vitellogenin-positive hemocytes. Connections between phagocytosis, hemocyte-vitellogenin and mitosis were worker caste dependent. Our results demonstrate that the phagocytic performance of immune cells differs significantly between honey bee worker castes, and support increased immune competence in nurses as compared to forager bees. Our data, moreover, provides support for roles of vitellogenin in hemocyte activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Marit Hystad
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Heli Salmela
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gro Vang Amdam
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Daniel Münch
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
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Kuszewska K, Miler K, Rojek W, Woyciechowski M. Honeybee workers with higher reproductive potential live longer lives. Exp Gerontol 2017; 98:8-12. [PMID: 28821428 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2017.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Social insects, especially honeybees, have received much attention in comparative gerontology because of their peculiar and flexible ageing patterns that differ across genetically similar individuals. The longevity of honeybee individuals varies and depends on patterns of gene expression during development; females developing into reproductive individuals (queens) live longer than facultatively sterile workers. Here, we show that rebel workers, which develop under queenless conditions after swarming and have high reproductive potential, live approximately 4days longer in hives and approximately 3days longer in cages than individuals that develop in queenright colonies and have lower reproductive potential; this difference in longevity occurs in both free-flying and caged workers. Moreover, we show that both rebel and normal workers live longer when their ovaries contain more ovarioles. Longer-living rebel workers can benefit the colony because they can fill the generation gap that emerges between workers after queen exchange during swarming. Our findings provide novel evidence that the fecundity of workers in a social insect colony impacts their intrinsic longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Kuszewska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Miler
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Wiktoria Rojek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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34
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Locke B, Semberg E, Forsgren E, de Miranda JR. Persistence of subclinical deformed wing virus infections in honeybees following Varroa mite removal and a bee population turnover. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180910. [PMID: 28686725 PMCID: PMC5501613 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a lethal virus of honeybees (Apis mellifera) implicated in elevated colony mortality rates worldwide and facilitated through vector transmission by the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor. Clinical, symptomatic DWV infections are almost exclusively associated with high virus titres during pupal development, usually acquired through feeding by Varroa mites when reproducing on bee pupae. Control of the mite population, generally through acaricide treatment, is essential for breaking the DWV epidemic and minimizing colony losses. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of remedial mite control on clearing DWV from a colony. DWV titres in adult bees and pupae were monitored at 2 week intervals through summer and autumn in acaricide-treated and untreated colonies. The DWV titres in Apistan treated colonies was reduced 1000-fold relative to untreated colonies, which coincided with both the removal of mites and also a turnover of the bee population in the colony. This adult bee population turnover is probably more critical than previously realized for effective clearing of DWV infections. After this initial reduction, subclinical DWV titres persisted and even increased again gradually during autumn, demonstrating that alternative non-Varroa transmission routes can maintain the DWV titres at significant subclinical levels even after mite removal. The implications of these results for practical recommendations to mitigate deleterious subclinical DWV infections and improving honeybee health management are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Locke
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Emilia Semberg
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Eva Forsgren
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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35
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Démares FJ, Yusuf AA, Nicolson SW, Pirk CWW. Effect of Brood Pheromone on Survival and Nutrient Intake of African Honey Bees (Apis mellifera scutellata) under Controlled Conditions. J Chem Ecol 2017; 43:443-450. [PMID: 28455796 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-017-0840-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The influence of pheromones on insect physiology and behavior has been thoroughly reported for numerous aspects, such as attraction, gland development, aggregation, mate and kin recognition. Brood pheromone (BP) is released by honey bee larvae to indicate their protein requirements to the colony. Although BP is known to modulate pollen and protein consumption, which in turn can affect physiological and morphological parameters, such as hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) development and ovarian activation, few studies have focused on the effect of BP on nutritional balance. In this study, we exposed newly emerged worker bees for 14 d and found that BP exposure increased protein intake during the first few days, with a peak in consumption at day four following exposure. BP exposure decreased survival of caged honey bees, but did not affect either the size of the HPG acini or ovarian activation stage. The uncoupling of the BP releaser effect, facilitated by working under controlled conditions, and the presence of larvae as stimulating cues are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien J Démares
- Social Insects Research Group, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
| | - Abdullahi A Yusuf
- Social Insects Research Group, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Susan W Nicolson
- Social Insects Research Group, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Christian W W Pirk
- Social Insects Research Group, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
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36
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Yang W, Tian Y, Han M, Miao X. Longevity extension of worker honey bees ( Apis mellifera) by royal jelly: optimal dose and active ingredient. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3118. [PMID: 28367370 PMCID: PMC5372980 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, queens and workers have different longevity although they share the same genome. Queens consume royal jelly (RJ) as the main food throughout their life, including as adults, but workers only eat worker jelly when they are larvae less than 3 days old. In order to explore the effect of RJ and the components affecting longevity of worker honey bees, we first determined the optimal dose for prolonging longevity of workers as 4% RJ in 50% sucrose solution, and developed a method of obtaining long lived workers. We then compared the effects of longevity extension by RJ 4% with bee-collected pollen from rapeseed (Brassica napus). Lastly, we determined that a water soluble RJ protein obtained by precipitation with 60% ammonium sulfate (RJP60) contained the main component for longevity extension after comparing the effects of RJ crude protein extract (RJCP), RJP30 (obtained by precipitation with 30% ammonium sulfate), and RJ ethanol extract (RJEE). Understanding what regulates worker longevity has potential to help increase colony productivity and improve crop pollination efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Yang
- Apitherapy Institute, College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.,Bee Product Processing and Application Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuanyuan Tian
- Apitherapy Institute, College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.,Bee Product Processing and Application Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
| | - Mingfeng Han
- Apitherapy Institute, College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.,Bee Product Processing and Application Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqing Miao
- Apitherapy Institute, College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.,Bee Product Processing and Application Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
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37
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Traynor KS, Wang Y, Brent CS, Amdam GV, Page RE. Young and old honeybee (Apis mellifera) larvae differentially prime the developmental maturation of their caregivers. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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38
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Eyer M, Dainat B, Neumann P, Dietemann V. Social regulation of ageing by young workers in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Exp Gerontol 2016; 87:84-91. [PMID: 27865886 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Organisms' lifespans are modulated by both genetic and environmental factors. The lifespan of eusocial insects is determined by features of the division of labor, which itself is influenced by social regulatory mechanisms. In the honey bee, Apis mellifera, the presence of brood and of old workers carrying out foraging tasks are important social drivers of ageing, but the influence of young adult workers is unknown, as it has not been experimentally teased apart from that of brood. In this study, we test the role of young workers in the ageing of their nestmates. We measured the impact of different social contexts characterized by the absence of brood and/or young adults on the lifespan of worker nestmates in field colonies. To acquire insight into the physiological processes occurring under these contexts, we analyzed the expression of genes known to affect honey bee ageing. The data showed that young workers significantly reduced the lifespan of nestmate workers, similar to the effect of brood on its own. Differential expression of vitellogenin, major royal jelly protein-1, and methylase transferase, but not methyl farneosate epoxidase genes suggests that young workers and brood influence ageing of adult nestmate workers via different physiological pathways. We identify young workers as an essential part of the social regulation of ageing in honey bee colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Eyer
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3003 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Benjamin Dainat
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; Swiss Bee Health Service, Bienengesundheitsdienst, Apiservice, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Vincent Dietemann
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; Social Insect Research Group, Zoology and Entomology Department, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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39
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Lockett GA, Almond EJ, Huggins TJ, Parker JD, Bourke AFG. Gene expression differences in relation to age and social environment in queen and worker bumble bees. Exp Gerontol 2016; 77:52-61. [PMID: 26883339 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2016.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 01/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Eusocial insects provide special insights into the genetic pathways influencing aging because of their long-lived queens and flexible aging schedules. Using qRT-PCR in the primitively eusocial bumble bee Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus), we investigated expression levels of four candidate genes associated with taxonomically widespread age-related pathways (coenzyme Q biosynthesis protein 7, COQ7; DNA methyltransferase 3, Dnmt3; foraging, for; and vitellogenin, vg). In Experiment 1, we tested how expression changes with queen relative age and productivity. We found a significant age-related increase in COQ7 expression in queen ovary. In brain, all four genes showed higher expression with increasing female (queen plus worker) production, with this relationship strengthening as queen age increased, suggesting a link with the positive association of fecundity and longevity found in eusocial insect queens. In Experiment 2, we tested effects of relative age and social environment (worker removal) in foundress queens and effects of age and reproductive status in workers. In this experiment, workerless queens showed significantly higher for expression in brain, as predicted if downregulation of for is associated with the cessation of foraging by foundress queens following worker emergence. Workers showed a significant age-related increase in Dnmt3 expression in fat body, suggesting a novel association between aging and methylation in B. terrestris. Ovary activation was associated with significantly higher vg expression in fat body and, in younger workers, in brain, consistent with vitellogenin's ancestral role in regulating egg production. Overall, our findings reveal a mixture of novel and conserved features in age-related genetic pathways under primitive eusociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle A Lockett
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Life Sciences Building, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Edward J Almond
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Timothy J Huggins
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Joel D Parker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Life Sciences Building, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Andrew F G Bourke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
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40
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Wheeler MM, Ament SA, Rodriguez-Zas SL, Southey B, Robinson GE. Diet and endocrine effects on behavioral maturation-related gene expression in the pars intercerebralis of the honey bee brain. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:4005-14. [PMID: 26567353 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.119420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Nervous and neuroendocrine systems mediate environmental conditions to control a variety of life history traits. Our goal was to provide mechanistic insights as to how neurosecretory signals mediate division of labor in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Worker division of labor is based on a process of behavioral maturation by individual bees, which involves performing in-hive tasks early in adulthood, then transitioning to foraging for food outside the hive. Social and nutritional cues converge on endocrine factors to regulate behavioral maturation, but whether neurosecretory systems are central to this process is not known. To explore this, we performed transcriptomic profiling of a neurosecretory region of the brain, the pars intercerebralis (PI). We first compared PI transcriptional profiles for bees performing in-hive tasks and bees engaged in foraging. Using these results as a baseline, we then performed manipulative experiments to test whether the PI is responsive to dietary changes and/or changes in juvenile hormone (JH) levels. Results reveal a robust molecular signature of behavioral maturation in the PI, with a subset of gene expression changes consistent with changes elicited by JH treatment. In contrast, dietary changes did not induce transcriptomic changes in the PI consistent with behavioral maturation or JH treatment. Based on these results, we propose a new verbal model of the regulation of division of labor in honey bees in which the relationship between diet and nutritional physiology is attenuated, and in its place is a relationship between social signals and nutritional physiology that is mediated by JH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Seth A Ament
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Bruce Southey
- Department of Animal Sciences, UIUC, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Department of Entomology, UIUC, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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41
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Döke MA, Frazier M, Grozinger CM. Overwintering honey bees: biology and management. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2015; 10:185-193. [PMID: 29588007 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In temperate climates, honey bees (Apis mellifera) survive the winter by entering a distinct physiological and behavioral state. In recent years, beekeepers are reporting unsustainably high colony losses during the winter, which have been linked to parasitization by Varroa mites, virus infections, geographic location, and variation across honey bee genotypes. Here, we review literature on environmental, physiological, and social factors regulating entrance, maintenance, and exit from the overwintering state in honey bees in temperate regions and develop a testable model to explain how multiple factors may be acting synergistically to regulate this complex transition. We also review existing knowledge of the factors affecting overwintering survival in honey bees and providing suggestions to beekeepers aiming to improve their colonies' overwintering success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Ali Döke
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, United States.
| | - Maryann Frazier
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, United States
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42
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Holland JG, Bourke AFG. Colony and individual life‐history responses to temperature in a social insect pollinator. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob G. Holland
- School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich Research ParkNorwich Norfolk NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Andrew F. G. Bourke
- School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich Research ParkNorwich Norfolk NR4 7TJ UK
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43
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Speth MT, Kreibich CD, Amdam GV, Münch D. Aging- and task-related resilience decline is linked to food responsiveness in highly social honey bees. Exp Gerontol 2015; 65:46-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2015.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Revised: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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44
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Dixon L, Kuster R, Rueppell O. Reproduction, social behavior, and aging trajectories in honeybee workers. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2014; 36:89-101. [PMID: 23765046 PMCID: PMC3889882 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-013-9546-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2013] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
While a negative correlation between reproduction and life span is commonly observed, specialized reproductive individuals outlive their non-reproductive nestmates in all eusocial species, including the honeybee, Apis mellifera (L). The consequences of reproduction for individual life expectancy can be studied directly by comparing reproductive and non-reproductive workers. We quantified the life span consequences of reproduction in honeybee workers by removal of the queen to trigger worker reproduction. Furthermore, we observed the social behavior of large cohorts of workers under experimental and control conditions to test for associations with individual life expectancy. Worker life expectancy was moderately increased by queen removal. Queenless colonies contained a few long-lived workers, and oviposition behavior was associated with a strong reduction in mortality risk, indicating that a reproductive role confers a significant survival advantage. This finding is further substantiated by an association between brood care behavior and worker longevity that depends on the social environment. In contrast, other in-hive activities, such as fanning, trophallaxis, and allogrooming did not consistently affect worker life expectancy. The influence of foraging varied among replicates. An earlier age of transitioning from in-hive tasks to outside foraging was always associated with shorter life spans, in accordance with previous studies. In sum, our studies quantify how individual mortality is affected by particular social roles and colony environments and demonstrate interactions between the two. The exceptional, positive association between reproduction and longevity in honeybees extends to within-caste plasticity, which may be exploited for mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Dixon
- />Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1000 Spring Garden Street, 312 Eberhart Building, Greensboro, NC 27403 USA
- />Life Science Department, Winston-Salem State University, 601 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27110 USA
| | - Ryan Kuster
- />Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1000 Spring Garden Street, 312 Eberhart Building, Greensboro, NC 27403 USA
- />Bioinformatics Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Olav Rueppell
- />Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1000 Spring Garden Street, 312 Eberhart Building, Greensboro, NC 27403 USA
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45
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Münch D, Kreibich CD, Amdam GV. Aging and its modulation in a long-lived worker caste of the honey bee. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 216:1638-49. [PMID: 23596282 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.078915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Highly social animals provide alternative aging models in which vastly different lifespan patterns are flexible, and linked to social caste. Research in these species aims to reveal how environment, including social cues, can shape the transition between short-lived and extremely long-lived phenotypes with negligible senescence. Among honey bee workers, short to intermediate lifespans are typical for summer castes, while the winter caste can live up to 10 times longer. For summer castes, experimental interventions could predictably accelerate, slow or revert functional senescence. In contrast, little is known about the partic ular conditions under which periods of negligible senescence in winter castes can be disrupted or sustained. We asked how manipulation of social environment in colonies with long-lived winter bees might alter the pace of functional senescence, measured as learning performance, as well as of cellular senescence, measured as lipofuscin accumulation. We show that behavioral senescence becomes rapidly detectable when the winter state is disrupted, and changes in social task behaviors and social environment (brood) are induced. Likewise, we found that cellular senescence was induced by such social intervention. However, cellular senescence showed marked regional differences, suggesting that particular brain regions age slower than others. Finally, by preventing post-winter colonies from brood rearing, behavioral senescence became undetectable, even after transition to the usually short-lived phenotypes had occurred. We envision that social regulation of negligible functional senescence and highly dynamic accumulation of a universal symptom of cellular aging (lipofuscin) offers rewarding perspectives to target proximate mechanisms of slowed aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Münch
- Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway.
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46
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Flatt T, Amdam GV, Kirkwood TBL, Omholt SW. Life-history evolution and the polyphenic regulation of somatic maintenance and survival. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2013; 88:185-218. [PMID: 24053071 DOI: 10.1086/671484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Here we discuss life-history evolution from the perspective of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, with a focus on polyphenisms for somatic maintenance and survival. Polyphenisms are adaptive discrete alternative phenotypes that develop in response to changes in the environment. We suggest that dauer larval diapause and its associated adult phenotypes in the nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans), reproductive dormancy in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and other insects, and the worker castes of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) are examples of what may be viewed as the polyphenic regulation of somatic maintenance and survival. In these and other cases, the same genotype can--depending upon its environment--express either of two alternative sets of life-history phenotypes that differ markedly with respect to somatic maintenance, survival ability, and thus life span. This plastic modulation of somatic maintenance and survival has traditionally been underappreciated by researchers working on aging and life history. We review the current evidence for such adaptive life-history switches and their molecular regulation and suggest that they are caused by temporally and/or spatially varying, stressful environments that impose diversifying selection, thereby favoring the evolution of plasticity of somatic maintenance and survival under strong regulatory control. By considering somatic maintenance and survivorship from the perspective of adaptive life-history switches, we may gain novel insights into the mechanisms and evolution of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Flatt
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni Vienna, A-1210 Vienna, Austria.
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47
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Al Toufailia H, Grüter C, Ratnieks FL. Persistence to Unrewarding Feeding Locations by Honeybee Foragers (Apis mellifera): the Effects of Experience, Resource Profitability and Season. Ethology 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Al Toufailia
- Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects; School of Life Science; University of Sussex; Falmer UK
| | - Christoph Grüter
- Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects; School of Life Science; University of Sussex; Falmer UK
| | - Francis L.W. Ratnieks
- Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects; School of Life Science; University of Sussex; Falmer UK
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48
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Havukainen H, Münch D, Baumann A, Zhong S, Halskau Ø, Krogsgaard M, Amdam GV. Vitellogenin recognizes cell damage through membrane binding and shields living cells from reactive oxygen species. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:28369-81. [PMID: 23897804 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.465021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Large lipid transfer proteins are involved in lipid transportation and diverse other molecular processes. These serum proteins include vitellogenins, which are egg yolk precursors and pathogen pattern recognition receptors, and apolipoprotein B, which is an anti-inflammatory cholesterol carrier. In the honey bee, vitellogenin acts as an antioxidant, and elevated vitellogenin titer is linked to prolonged life span in this animal. Here, we show that vitellogenin has cell and membrane binding activity and that it binds preferentially to dead and damaged cells. Vitellogenin binds directly to phosphatidylcholine liposomes and with higher affinity to liposomes containing phosphatidylserine, a lipid of the inner leaflet of cell membranes that is exposed in damaged cells. Vitellogenin binding to live cells, furthermore, improves cell oxidative stress tolerance. This study can shed more light on why large lipid transfer proteins have a well conserved α-helical domain, because we locate the lipid bilayer-binding ability of vitellogenin largely to this region. We suggest that recognition of cell damage and oxidation shield properties are two mechanisms that allow vitellogenin to extend honey bee life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heli Havukainen
- From the Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Aas, Norway
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49
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Goblirsch M, Huang ZY, Spivak M. Physiological and behavioral changes in honey bees (Apis mellifera) induced by Nosema ceranae infection. PLoS One 2013; 8:e58165. [PMID: 23483987 PMCID: PMC3590174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2012] [Accepted: 02/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent exposure to mite pests, poor nutrition, pesticides, and pathogens threaten honey bee survival. In healthy colonies, the interaction of the yolk precursor protein, vitellogenin (Vg), and endocrine factor, juvenile hormone (JH), functions as a pacemaker driving the sequence of behaviors that workers perform throughout their lives. Young bees perform nursing duties within the hive and have high Vg and low JH; as older bees transition to foraging, this trend reverses. Pathogens and parasites can alter this regulatory network. For example, infection with the microsporidian, Nosema apis, has been shown to advance behavioral maturation in workers. We investigated the effects of infection with a recent honey bee pathogen on physiological factors underlying the division of labor in workers. Bees infected with N. ceranae were nearly twice as likely to engage in precocious foraging and lived 9 days less, on average, compared to controls. We also show that Vg transcript was low, while JH titer spiked, in infected nurse-aged bees in cages. This pattern of expression is atypical and the reverse of what would be expected for healthy, non-infected bees. Disruption of the basic underpinnings of temporal polyethism due to infection may be a contributing factor to recent high colony mortality, as workers may lose flexibility in their response to colony demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Goblirsch
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
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Sagili RR, Breece CR. Effects of brood pheromone (SuperBoost) on consumption of protein supplement and growth of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies during fall in a northern temperate climate. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2012; 105:1134-1138. [PMID: 22928289 DOI: 10.1603/ec11437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), nutrition is vital for colony growth and maintenance of a robust immune system. Brood rearing in honey bee colonies is highly dependent on protein availability. Beekeepers in general provide protein supplement to colonies during periods of pollen dearth. Honey bee brood pheromone is a blend of methyl and ethyl fatty acid esters extractable from cuticle of honey bee larvae that communicates the presence of larvae in a colony. Honey bee brood pheromone has been shown to increase protein supplement consumption and growth of honey bee colonies in a subtropical winter climate. Here, we tested the hypothesis that synthetic brood pheromone (SuperBoost) has the potential to increase protein supplement consumption during fall in a temperate climate and thus increase colony growth. The experiments were conducted in two locations in Oregon during September and October 2009. In both the experiments, colonies receiving brood pheromone treatment consumed significantly higher protein supplement and had greater brood area and adult bees than controls. Results from this study suggest that synthetic brood pheromone may be used to stimulate honey bee colony growth by stimulating protein supplement consumption during fall in a northern temperate climate, when majority of the beekeepers feed protein supplement to their colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh R Sagili
- Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
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