1
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Sendinc E, Yu H, Hwang Fu YH, Santos J, Johnson Z, Kirstein JR, Niu J, Chabot MB, Cantu VA, Džakula Ž, Lam Q, Anmangandla A, Burcham TS, Davis EM, Miles ZD, Price AD, Purse BW, Gregory RI, Stengel G. Mapping multiple RNA modifications simultaneously by proximity barcode sequencing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.10.09.617509. [PMID: 39416026 PMCID: PMC11482933 DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.09.617509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2024]
Abstract
RNA is subject to a multitude of different chemical modifications that collectively represent the epitranscriptome. Individual RNA modifications including N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) on mRNA play essential roles in the posttranscriptional control of gene expression. Recent technological advances have enabled the transcriptome-wide mapping of certain RNA modifications, to reveal their broad relevance and characteristic distribution patterns. However, convenient methods that enable the simultaneous mapping of multiple different RNA marks within the same sample are generally lacking. Here we present EpiPlex RNA modification profiling, a bead-based proximity barcoding assay with sequencing readout that expands the scope of molecular recognition-based RNA modification detection to multiple targets, while providing relative quantification and enabling low RNA input. Measuring signal intensity against spike-in controls provides relative quantification, indicative of the RNA mod abundance at each locus. We report on changes in the modification status of HEK293T cells upon treatment with pharmacological inhibitors separately targeting METTL3, the dominant m 6 A writer enzyme, and the EIF4A3 component of the exon junction complex (EJC). The treatments resulted in decreased or increased m 6 A levels, respectively, without effect on inosine levels. Inhibiting the helicase activity of EIF4A3 and EIF4A3 knockdown both cause a significant increase of m 6 A sites near exon junctions, consistent with the previously reported role of EIF4A3 in shaping the m 6 A landscape. Thus, EpiPlex offers a reliable and convenient method for simultaneous mapping of multiple RNA modifications to facilitate epitranscriptome studies.
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Gibbons M, Pasquini E, Kowalewska A, Read E, Gibson S, Crump A, Solvi C, Versace E, Chittka L. Noxious stimulation induces self-protective behavior in bumblebees. iScience 2024; 27:110440. [PMID: 39104408 PMCID: PMC11298632 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been widely stated that insects do not show self-protective behavior toward noxiously-stimulated body parts, but this claim has never been empirically tested. Here, we tested whether an insect species displays a type of self-protective behavior: self-grooming a noxiously-stimulated site. We touched bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) on an antenna with a noxiously heated (65°C) probe and found that, in the first 2 min after this stimulus, bees groomed their touched antenna more than their untouched antenna, and more than bees that were touched with an unheated probe or not touched at all did. Our results present evidence that bumblebees display self-protective behavior. We discuss the potential neural mechanisms of this behavior and the implications for whether insects feel pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilda Gibbons
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- School of Biological and Behavioral Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Elisa Pasquini
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Amelia Kowalewska
- School of Biological and Behavioral Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
- Academic Training Team, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Eva Read
- Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, London School of Economics, London WC2A 2AE, UK
| | - Sam Gibson
- Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, London School of Economics, London WC2A 2AE, UK
| | - Andrew Crump
- Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, London School of Economics, London WC2A 2AE, UK
- Department of Pathobiology & Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London NW1 0TU, UK
| | - Cwyn Solvi
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province 510515, China
| | - Elisabetta Versace
- School of Biological and Behavioral Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Lars Chittka
- School of Biological and Behavioral Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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Yu J, Chen H, He J, Zeng X, Lei H, Liu J. Dual roles of dopaminergic pathways in olfactory learning and memory in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 200:105825. [PMID: 38582589 PMCID: PMC10998931 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2024.105825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) is a key regulator of associative learning and memory in both vertebrates and invertebrates, and it is widely believed that DA plays a key role in aversive conditioning in invertebrates. However, the idea that DA is involved only in aversive conditioning has been challenged in recent studies on the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), ants and crabs, suggesting diverse functions of DA modulation on associative plasticity. Here, we present the results of DA modulation in aversive olfactory conditioning with DEET punishment and appetitive olfactory conditioning with sucrose reward in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. Injection of DA receptor antagonist fluphenazine or chlorpromazine into these flies led to impaired aversive learning, but had no effect on the appetitive learning. DA receptor antagonists impaired both aversive and appetitive long-term memory retention. Interestingly, the impairment on appetitive memory was rescued not only by DA but also by octopamine (OA). Blocking the OA receptors also impaired the appetitive memory retention, but this impairment could only be rescued by OA, not by DA. Thus, we conclude that in B. dorsalis, OA and DA pathways mediate independently the appetitive and aversive learning, respectively. These two pathways, however, are organized in series in mediating appetitive memory retrieval with DA pathway being at upstream. Thus, OA and DA play dual roles in associative learning and memory retrieval, but their pathways are organized differently in these two cognitive processes - parallel organization for learning acquisition and serial organization for memory retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxin Yu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Huiling Chen
- College of Art and Design, Hunan Applied Technology University, Changde, Hunan 415100, China
| | - Jiayi He
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Xinnian Zeng
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Hong Lei
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
| | - Jiali Liu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China.
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Galante H, Czaczkes TJ. Invasive ant learning is not affected by seven potential neuroactive chemicals. Curr Zool 2024; 70:87-97. [PMID: 38476136 PMCID: PMC10926265 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoad001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Argentine ants Linepithema humile are one of the most damaging invasive alien species worldwide. Enhancing or disrupting cognitive abilities, such as learning, has the potential to improve management efforts, for example by increasing preference for a bait, or improving ants' ability to learn its characteristics or location. Nectar-feeding insects are often the victims of psychoactive manipulation, with plants lacing their nectar with secondary metabolites such as alkaloids and non-protein amino acids which often alter learning, foraging, or recruitment. However, the effect of neuroactive chemicals has seldomly been explored in ants. Here, we test the effects of seven potential neuroactive chemicals-two alkaloids: caffeine and nicotine; two biogenic amines: dopamine and octopamine, and three nonprotein amino acids: β-alanine, GABA and taurine-on the cognitive abilities of invasive L. humile using bifurcation mazes. Our results confirm that these ants are strong associative learners, requiring as little as one experience to develop an association. However, we show no short-term effect of any of the chemicals tested on spatial learning, and in addition no effect of caffeine on short-term olfactory learning. This lack of effect is surprising, given the extensive reports of the tested chemicals affecting learning and foraging in bees. This mismatch could be due to the heavy bias towards bees in the literature, a positive result publication bias, or differences in methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Galante
- Department of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Animal Comparative Economics Laboratory, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tomer J Czaczkes
- Department of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Animal Comparative Economics Laboratory, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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5
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Liu F, Zhao H, Li Q, Wu L, Cao D, Zhang Y, Huang ZY. MicroRNA ame-let-7 targets Amdop2 to increase sucrose sensitivity in honey bees (Apis mellifera). Front Zool 2023; 20:41. [PMID: 38110949 PMCID: PMC10726540 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-023-00519-7] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As an important catecholamine neurotransmitter in invertebrates and vertebrates, dopamine plays multiple roles in the life of the honey bee. Dopamine receptors (DA), which specifically bind to dopamine to activate downstream cascades, have been reported to be involved in honey bee reproduction, division of labour, as well as learning and motor behaviour. However, how dopamine receptors regulate honey bee behavior remains uninvestigated. RESULTS The expression level of Amdop2 in the brain increased with the age of worker bees, which was just the opposite trend of ame-let-7. Inhibition of ame-let-7 through feeding an inhibitor upregulated Amdop2 expression; conversely, overexpression of ame-let-7 through a mimic downregulated Amdop2. Moreover, knockdown of Amdop2 in forager brain led to significantly higher sucrose responsiveness, which is similar to the phenotype of overexpression of ame-let-7. Finally, we confirmed that ame-let-7 directly targets Amdop2 in vitro by a luciferase reporter assay. CONCLUSIONS ame-let-7 is involved in the dopamine receptor signaling pathway to modulate the sucrose sensitivity in honey bees. Specifically, it down-regulates Amdop2, which then induces higher responses to sucrose. These results further unraveled the diverse mechanisms of the dopamine pathway in the regulation of insect behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongxia Zhao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Lixian Wu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Dainan Cao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, 650224, Kunming, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zachary Y Huang
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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Komal J, Desai HR, Samal I, Mastinu A, Patel RD, Kumar PVD, Majhi PK, Mahanta DK, Bhoi TK. Unveiling the Genetic Symphony: Harnessing CRISPR-Cas Genome Editing for Effective Insect Pest Management. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3961. [PMID: 38068598 PMCID: PMC10708123 DOI: 10.3390/plants12233961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2024]
Abstract
Phytophagous insects pose a significant threat to global crop yield and food security. The need for increased agricultural output while reducing dependence on harmful synthetic insecticides necessitates the implementation of innovative methods. The utilization of CRISPR-Cas (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology to develop insect pest-resistant plants is believed to be a highly effective approach in reducing production expenses and enhancing the profitability of farms. Insect genome research provides vital insights into gene functions, allowing for a better knowledge of insect biology, adaptability, and the development of targeted pest management and disease prevention measures. The CRISPR-Cas gene editing technique has the capability to modify the DNA of insects, either to trigger a gene drive or to overcome their resistance to specific insecticides. The advancements in CRISPR technology and its various applications have shown potential in developing insect-resistant varieties of plants and other strategies for effective pest management through a sustainable approach. This could have significant consequences for ensuring food security. This approach involves using genome editing to create modified insects or crop plants. The article critically analyzed and discussed the potential and challenges associated with exploring and utilizing CRISPR-Cas technology for reducing insect pest pressure in crop plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Komal
- Basic Seed Multiplication and Training Centre, Central Silk Board, Kharaswan 833216, Jharkhand, India;
| | - H. R. Desai
- Department of Entomology, Main Cotton Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Surat 395007, Gujarat, India; (H.R.D.); (R.D.P.)
| | - Ipsita Samal
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Research Centre on Litchi, Mushahari, Ramna, Muzaffarpur 842002, Bihar, India;
| | - Andrea Mastinu
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - R. D. Patel
- Department of Entomology, Main Cotton Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Surat 395007, Gujarat, India; (H.R.D.); (R.D.P.)
| | - P. V. Dinesh Kumar
- Research Extension Centre, Central Silk Board, Hoshangabad 461001, Madhya Pradesh, India;
| | - Prasanta Kumar Majhi
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar 751003, Odisha, India;
| | - Deepak Kumar Mahanta
- Forest Entomology Discipline, Forest Protection Division, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)-Forest Research Institute (ICFRE-FRI), Dehradun 248006, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Tanmaya Kumar Bhoi
- Forest Protection Division, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)-Arid Forest Research Institute (ICFRE-AFRI), Jodhpur 342005, Rajasthan, India
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Qu H, Heifetz A, Seifan M. Batesian mimicry or general food deception? An evolutionary game between plants for pollinator services. J Theor Biol 2023; 575:111609. [PMID: 37708988 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2023.111609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Floral food deception is a well-known phenomenon which is not thoroughly understood. Particularly, it is unclear what drives a plant towards Batesian mimicry or towards generalized food deception. We analysed the evolutionary game between a Model species with nectar-secreting flowers and a Deceiver species that provides no nectar who share pollinators for reproduction. We focused our analysis on the effect of similarity of floral signals between participating plants and on costs of nectar production. We defined payoffs in the game between Models and Deceivers as the stationary visitation frequencies to participating species with different signal similarities and nectar costs. Therefore, fitness payoff of each strategy was a product of complex interactions between plant species composing the community and the pollinators visiting them. Our model provides a unified framework in which consequences of Model species interaction with different deception modes can be compared. Our findings suggest that plant-pollinator systems, like other mutualistic systems, are prone to exploitation, and that exploitation may persist at a large range of conditions. We showed that floral similarity, and thus, pollinators' ability to discriminate between Model and deceptive species, governs the stability of Batesian mimicry, while pollinator switching and sampling behaviour enables the persistence of general food deception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongchun Qu
- Institute of Ecological Safety, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
| | - Aviad Heifetz
- Management and Economics Department, the Open University of Israel, Israel
| | - Merav Seifan
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental & Energy Research, The Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 849900, Israel.
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8
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Paoli M, Lai Y, Giurfa M. Neuroethology: Perceived danger inhibits the wanting system of bees. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R407-R410. [PMID: 37220733 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
A dopaminergic wanting system drives foraging in honey bees. A new study shows that encounters with the Asian hornet, a fierce bee predator, decrease brain dopamine levels and thus foraging. Stop signals, used to terminate the waggle dances of receivers, have the same effect, showing the power of bee communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Paoli
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Yuan Lai
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Martin Giurfa
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France.
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9
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Dong S, Gu G, Lin T, Wang Z, Li J, Tan K, Nieh JC. An inhibitory signal associated with danger reduces honeybee dopamine levels. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2081-2087.e4. [PMID: 37059097 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Positive and negative experiences can alter animal brain dopamine levels.1 When first arriving at a rewarding food source or beginning to waggle dance and recruit nestmates to food, honeybees have increased brain dopamine levels, indicating a desire for food.2 We provide the first evidence that an inhibitory signal, the stop signal, which counters waggle dancing and is triggered by negative events at the food source, can decrease head dopamine levels and dancing, independent of the dancer having any negative experiences. The hedonic value of food can therefore be depressed simply by the receipt of an inhibitory signal. Increasing the brain dopamine levels reduced the aversive effects of an attack, increasing the time that bees spent subsequently feeding and waggle dancing and decreasing their stop signaling and time spent in the hive. Because honeybees regulate food recruitment and its inhibition at the colony level, these results highlight the complex integration of colony information with a basic and highly conserved neural mechanism in mammals and insects.2 VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihao Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, China
| | - Gaoying Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tao Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, China
| | - Ziqi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianjun Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, China
| | - Ken Tan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, China.
| | - James C Nieh
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Perisse E, Miranda M, Trouche S. Modulation of aversive value coding in the vertebrate and invertebrate brain. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 79:102696. [PMID: 36871400 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Avoiding potentially dangerous situations is key for the survival of any organism. Throughout life, animals learn to avoid environments, stimuli or actions that can lead to bodily harm. While the neural bases for appetitive learning, evaluation and value-based decision-making have received much attention, recent studies have revealed more complex computations for aversive signals during learning and decision-making than previously thought. Furthermore, previous experience, internal state and systems level appetitive-aversive interactions seem crucial for learning specific aversive value signals and making appropriate choices. The emergence of novel methodologies (computation analysis coupled with large-scale neuronal recordings, neuronal manipulations at unprecedented resolution offered by genetics, viral strategies and connectomics) has helped to provide novel circuit-based models for aversive (and appetitive) valuation. In this review, we focus on recent vertebrate and invertebrate studies yielding strong evidence that aversive value information can be computed by a multitude of interacting brain regions, and that past experience can modulate future aversive learning and therefore influence value-based decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Perisse
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
| | - Magdalena Miranda
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Stéphanie Trouche
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
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da Silva RC, Aguiar JMRBV, Oi CA, Batista JE, Giurfa M, do Nascimento FS. Sex and lifestyle dictate learning performance in a neotropical wasp. iScience 2023; 26:106469. [PMID: 37091245 PMCID: PMC10113769 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In contrast to extensive investigations on bee cognition, the cognitive capacities of wasps remain largely unexplored despite their key role as pollinators and predators of insect pests. Here we studied learning and memory in the neotropical wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus using a Pavlovian conditioning in which harnessed wasps respond with conditioned movements of their mouthparts to a learned odorant. We focused on the different castes, sexes, and ages coexisting within a nest and found that adults of M. cerberus learned and memorized efficiently the odor-sugar associations. In contrast, newly emerged females, but not males, were unable to learn odorants. This difference concurs with their different lifestyle as young males perform regular excursions outside the nest while young females remain in it until older age. Our results thus highlight the importance of socio-ecological constraints on wasp cognition and set the basis for mechanistic studies on learning differences across ages and castes.
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12
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Kobayashi N, Hasegawa Y, Okada R, Sakura M. Visual learning in tethered bees modifies flight orientation and is impaired by epinastine. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023:10.1007/s00359-023-01623-z. [PMID: 36930349 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01623-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Visual-orientation learning of a tethered flying bee was investigated using a flight simulator and a novel protocol in which orientation preference toward trained visual targets was assessed in tests performed before and after appetitive conditioning. Either a blue or a green rectangle (conditioned stimulus, CS) was associated with 30% sucrose solution (unconditioned stimulus, US), whereas the other rectangle was not paired with US. Bees were tested in a closed-looped flight simulator 5 min after ten pairings of the US and CS. Conditioned bees were preferentially oriented to the CS after such training. This increase in preference for CS was maintained for 24 h, indicating the presence of long-term memory. Because the total orienting time was not altered by conditioning, conditioning did not enhance orientation activity itself but increased the relative time for orientation to CS. When 0.4 or 4 mM epinastine (an antagonist of octopamine receptors) was injected into the bee's head 30 min prior to the experiment, both short- and long-term memory formation were significantly impaired, suggesting that octopamine, which is crucial for appetitive olfactory learning in insects, is also involved in visual orientation learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norihiro Kobayashi
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan
| | | | - Ryuichi Okada
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan.
| | - Midori Sakura
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan.
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Klobučar T, Fisher DN. When Do We Start Caring About Insect Welfare? NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:5-10. [PMID: 36656488 PMCID: PMC9886582 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-022-01023-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The world is facing an incoming global protein shortage due to existing malnutrition and further rapid increases in population size. It will however be difficult to greatly expand traditional methods of protein production such as cattle, chicken and pig farming, due to space limitations and environmental costs such as deforestation. As a result, alternative sources of protein that require less space and fewer resources, such as insects and other invertebrates, are being sought. The Neotropics are a key area of focus given the widespread prevalence of entomophagy and developing animal welfare regulations. Unlike vertebrate livestock however, insect "minilivestock" are typically not protected by existing animal welfare regulations. This is despite the fact that the evidence is mounting that insects possess "personalities", may experience affective states analogous to emotions and feel something like pain. In this forum article, we highlight this discrepancy, outline some of the emerging research on the topic and identify areas for future research. There are various empirical and ethical questions that must be addressed urgently while insect farming is ramped up around the globe. Finally, we describe the benefits and also potential costs of regulation for insect welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Klobučar
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, UK
| | - David N Fisher
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, UK.
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14
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Yu JX, Xiang Q, Qu JB, Hui YM, Lin T, Zeng XN, Liu JL. Octopaminergic neurons function in appetitive but not aversive olfactory learning and memory in Bactrocera dorsalis. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:1747-1760. [PMID: 35189034 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The biogenic amine octopamine (OA, invertebrate counterpart of noradrenaline) plays critical roles in the regulation of olfactory behavior. Historically, OA has been thought to mediate appetitive but not aversive learning in honeybees, fruit flies (Drosophila), and crickets. However, this viewpoint has recently been challenged because OA activity through a β-adrenergic-like receptor drives both appetitive and aversive learning. Here, we explored the roles of OA neurons in olfactory learning and memory retrieval in Bactrocera dorsalis. We trained flies to associate an orange odor with a sucrose reward or to associate methyl eugenol, a male lure, with N,N-diethyl-3-methyl benzoyl amide (DEET) punishment. We then treated flies with OA receptor antagonists before appetitive or aversive conditioning and a memory retention test. Injection of OA receptor antagonist mianserin or epinastine into the abdomen of flies led to impaired of appetitive learning and memory retention with a sucrose reward, while aversive learning and memory retention with DEET punishment remained intact. Our results suggest that the OA signaling participates in appetitive but not aversive learning and memory retrieval in B. dorsalis through OA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Xin Yu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qian Xiang
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jia-Bao Qu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Min Hui
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tao Lin
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- College of Life Sciences, Department of Biological Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xin-Nian Zeng
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jia-Li Liu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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15
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Molecular and Pharmacological Characterization of β-Adrenergic-like Octopamine Receptors in the Endoparasitoid Cotesia chilonis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314513. [PMID: 36498840 PMCID: PMC9740559 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Octopamine (OA) is structurally and functionally similar to adrenaline/noradrenaline in vertebrates, and OA modulates diverse physiological and behavioral processes in invertebrates. OA exerts its actions by binding to specific octopamine receptors (OARs). Functional and pharmacological characterization of OARs have been investigated in several insects. However, the literature on OARs is scarce for parasitoids. Here we cloned three β-adrenergic-like OARs (CcOctβRs) from Cotesia chilonis. CcOctβRs share high similarity with their own orthologous receptors. The transcript levels of CcOctβRs were varied in different tissues. When heterologously expressed in CHO-K1 cells, CcOctβRs induced cAMP production, and were dose-dependently activated by OA, TA and putative octopaminergic agonists. Their activities were inhibited by potential antagonists and were most efficiently blocked by epinastine. Our study offers important information about the molecular and pharmacological properties of β-adrenergic-like OARs from C. chilonis that will provide the basis to reveal the contribution of individual receptors to the physiological processes and behaviors in parasitoids.
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16
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Dvořáček J, Kodrík D. Drug effect and addiction research with insects - From Drosophila to collective reward in honeybees. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104816. [PMID: 35940307 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Animals and humans share similar reactions to the effects of addictive substances, including those of their brain networks to drugs. Our review focuses on simple invertebrate models, particularly the honeybee (Apis mellifera), and on the effects of drugs on bee behaviour and brain functions. The drug effects in bees are very similar to those described in humans. Furthermore, the honeybee community is a superorganism in which many collective functions outperform the simple sum of individual functions. The distribution of reward functions in this superorganism is unique - although sublimated at the individual level, community reward functions are of higher quality. This phenomenon of collective reward may be extrapolated to other animal species living in close and strictly organised societies, i.e. humans. The relationship between sociality and reward, based on use of similar parts of the neural network (social decision-making network in mammals, mushroom body in bees), suggests a functional continuum of reward and sociality in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Dvořáček
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Dalibor Kodrík
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic
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17
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Raza MF, Ali MA, Rady A, Li Z, Nie H, Su S. Neurotransmitters receptors gene drive the olfactory learning behavior of honeybee. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2022.101818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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18
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Menzel R. In Search for the Retrievable Memory Trace in an Insect Brain. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:876376. [PMID: 35757095 PMCID: PMC9214861 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.876376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The search strategy for the memory trace and its semantics is exemplified for the case of olfactory learning in the honeybee brain. The logic of associative learning is used to guide the experimental approach into the brain by identifying the anatomical and functional convergence sites of the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus pathways. Two of the several convergence sites are examined in detail, the antennal lobe as the first-order sensory coding area, and the input region of the mushroom body as a higher order integration center. The memory trace is identified as the pattern of associative changes on the level of synapses. The synapses are recruited, drop out, and change the transmission properties for both specifically associated stimulus and the non-associated stimulus. Several rules extracted from behavioral studies are found to be mirrored in the patterns of synaptic change. The strengths and the weaknesses of the honeybee as a model for the search for the memory trace are addressed in a comparison with Drosophila. The question is discussed whether the memory trace exists as a hidden pattern of change if it is not retrieved and whether an external reading of the content of the memory trace may ever be possible. Doubts are raised on the basis that the retrieval circuits are part of the memory trace. The concept of a memory trace existing beyond retrieval is defended by referring to two well-documented processes also in the honeybee, memory consolidation during sleep, and transfer of memory across brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randolf Menzel
- Institute Biology - Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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19
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Gascue F, Marachlian E, Azcueta M, Locatelli FF, Klappenbach M. Antennal movements can be used as behavioral readout of odor valence in honey bees. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2022; 12:323-332. [PMID: 35746975 PMCID: PMC9210461 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The fact that honey bees have a relatively simple nervous system that allows complex behaviors has made them an outstanding model for studying neurobiological processes. Studies on learning and memory routinely use appetitive and aversive learning paradigms that involve recording of the proboscis or the sting extension. However, these protocols are based on all-or-none responses, which has the disadvantage of occluding intermediate and more elaborated behaviors. Nowadays, the great advances in tracking software and data analysis, combined with affordable video recording systems, have made it possible to extract very detailed information about animal behavior. Here we describe antennal movements that are elicited by odor that have no, positive or negative valence. We show that animals orient their antennae towards the source of the odor when it is positive, and orient them in the opposite direction when the odor is negative. Moreover, we found that this behavior was modified between animals that had been trained based on protocols of different strength. Since this procedure allows a more accurate description of the behavioral outcome using a relatively small number of animals, it represents a great tool for studying different cognitive processes and olfactory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Gascue
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Emiliano Marachlian
- Institut de Biologie de l′Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Milagros Azcueta
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando F. Locatelli
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín Klappenbach
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina
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20
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Klappenbach M, Lara AE, Locatelli FF. Honey bees can store and retrieve independent memory traces after complex experiences that combine appetitive and aversive associations. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275573. [PMID: 35485192 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Real-world experiences do often mix appetitive and aversive events. Understanding the ability of animals to extract, store and use this information is an important issue in neurobiology. We used honey bees as model organism to study learning and memory after a differential conditioning that combines appetitive and aversive training trials. First of all, we describe an aversive conditioning paradigm that constitutes a clear opposite of the well known appetitive olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension response. A neutral odour is presented paired with the bitter substance quinine. Aversive memory is evidenced later as an odour-specific impairment in appetitive conditioning. Then we tested the effect of mixing appetitive and aversive conditioning trials distributed along the same training session. Differential conditioning protocols like this were used before to study the ability to discriminate odours, however they were not focused on whether appetitive and aversive memories are formed. We found that after a differential conditioning, honey bees establish independent appetitive and aversive memories that do not interfere with each other during acquisition or storage. Finally, we moved the question forward to retrieval and memory expression to evaluate what happens when appetitive and the aversive learned odours are mixed during test. Interestingly, opposite memories compete in a way that they do not cancel each other out. Honey bees showed the ability to switch from expressing appetitive to aversive memory depending on their satiation level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín Klappenbach
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín E Lara
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando F Locatelli
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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21
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Huang J, Zhang Z, Feng W, Zhao Y, Aldanondo A, de Brito Sanchez MG, Paoli M, Rolland A, Li Z, Nie H, Lin Y, Zhang S, Giurfa M, Su S. Food wanting is mediated by transient activation of dopaminergic signaling in the honey bee brain. Science 2022; 376:508-512. [PMID: 35482873 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn9920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The biological bases of wanting have been characterized in mammals, but whether an equivalent wanting system exists in insects remains unknown. In this study, we focused on honey bees, which perform intensive foraging activities to satisfy colony needs, and sought to determine whether foragers leave the hive driven by specific expectations about reward and whether they recollect these expectations during their waggle dances. We monitored foraging and dance behavior and simultaneously quantified and interfered with biogenic amine signaling in the bee brain. We show that a dopamine-dependent wanting system is activated transiently in the bee brain by increased appetite and individual recollection of profitable food sources, both en route to the goal and during waggle dances. Our results show that insects share with mammals common neural mechanisms for encoding wanting of stimuli with positive hedonic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingnan Huang
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zhaonan Zhang
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Wangjiang Feng
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yuanhong Zhao
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Anna Aldanondo
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Maria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Marco Paoli
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Angele Rolland
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Zhiguo Li
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Hongyi Nie
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yan Lin
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Shaowu Zhang
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, Research School of Biology, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Martin Giurfa
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.,Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Songkun Su
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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22
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Zhang Z, Mu X, Cao Q, Shi Y, Hu X, Zheng H. Honeybee gut Lactobacillus modulates host learning and memory behaviors via regulating tryptophan metabolism. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2037. [PMID: 35440638 PMCID: PMC9018956 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29760-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Honeybees are highly social insects with a rich behavioral repertoire and are a versatile model for neurobiological research. Their gut microbiota comprises a limited number of host-restricted bacterial phylotypes that are important for honeybee health. However, it remains unclear how specific gut members affect honeybee behaviors. Here, we find that antibiotic exposure disturbs the gut community and influences honeybee phenotypes under field conditions. Using laboratory-generated gnotobiotic bees, we show that a normal gut microbiota is required for olfactory learning and memory abilities. Brain transcriptomic profiling reveals distinct brain gene expression patterns between microbiota-free and conventional bees. Subsequent metabolomic analyses of both hemolymph and gut samples show that the microbiota mainly regulates tryptophan metabolism. Our results indicate that host-specific Lactobacillus strains promote memory behavior by transforming tryptophan to indole derivatives that activate the host aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Our findings highlight the contributions of specific gut members to honeybee neurological processes, thus providing a promising model to understand host-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijing Zhang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohuan Mu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Qina Cao
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Shi
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaosong Hu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China.
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23
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Visual learning in a virtual reality environment upregulates immediate early gene expression in the mushroom bodies of honey bees. Commun Biol 2022; 5:130. [PMID: 35165405 PMCID: PMC8844430 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03075-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Free-flying bees learn efficiently to solve numerous visual tasks. Yet, the neural underpinnings of this capacity remain unexplored. We used a 3D virtual reality (VR) environment to study visual learning and determine if it leads to changes in immediate early gene (IEG) expression in specific areas of the bee brain. We focused on kakusei, Hr38 and Egr1, three IEGs that have been related to bee foraging and orientation, and compared their relative expression in the calyces of the mushroom bodies, the optic lobes and the rest of the brain after color discrimination learning. Bees learned to discriminate virtual stimuli displaying different colors and retained the information learned. Successful learners exhibited Egr1 upregulation only in the calyces of the mushroom bodies, thus uncovering a privileged involvement of these brain regions in associative color learning and the usefulness of Egr1 as a marker of neural activity induced by this phenomenon.
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The short neuropeptide F regulates appetitive but not aversive responsiveness in a social insect. iScience 2022; 25:103619. [PMID: 35005557 PMCID: PMC8719019 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide F (NPF) and its short version (sNPF) mediate food- and stress-related responses in solitary insects. In the honeybee, a social insect where food collection and defensive responses are socially regulated, only sNPF has an identified receptor. Here we increased artificially sNPF levels in honeybee foragers and studied the consequences of this manipulation in various forms of appetitive and aversive responsiveness. Increasing sNPF in partially fed bees turned them into the equivalent of starved animals, enhancing both their food consumption and responsiveness to appetitive gustatory and olfactory stimuli. Neural activity in the olfactory circuits of fed animals was reduced and could be rescued by sNPF treatment to the level of starved bees. In contrast, sNPF had no effect on responsiveness to nociceptive stimuli. Our results thus identify sNPF as a key modulator of hunger and food-related responses in bees, which are at the core of their foraging activities.
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25
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Bilodeau L, Beaman L. Differential Expression of Three Dopamine Receptors in Varroa-Resistant Honey Bees. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2022; 22:9. [PMID: 35066590 PMCID: PMC8784087 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Various stocks of honey bees (Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)) employ multiple mechanisms to control varroa mite (Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Mesostigmata: Varroidae)) infestations. Identification of trait-associated genes and markers can improve efficiency of selective breeding. Dopamine receptors show promise in this regard in their association with numerous traits in honey bees, high plasticity, and indicated association with varroa resistance through QTL analysis. We assessed the relationship between exposure to mite-infested brood and gene expression of the honey bee dopamine receptors, Amdop1, Amdop2, and Amdop3, in bees and stocks with known levels of varroa resistance, in Spring 2016 (VSH vs Italian) and Summer 2019 (Pol-line vs Italian). Relative mRNA expression levels varied both by honey bee stock and before/after exposure to varroa-infested brood, in 7-, 10-, and 14-day-old bees. However, the trials revealed contrasting patterns in expression of the three dopamine receptors. In 2016, downregulation was evident in VSH bees, but varied by days post-emergence and by gene. The 2019 trial showed upregulation post-exposure in both stocks, and at all ages, for Amdop1, Amdop2, and Amdop3, with the exception of 14 d Italian bees for Amdop2 and Amdop3. Stock comparison in 2019 showed upregulation of all three dopamine-like receptors in post-exposure bees of all ages. Season and associated differences in mite loads may have contributed to the differences observed across trials. Differential expression of all three dopamine receptors suggests a role for the dopaminergic system in varroa resistance and suggests that further characterization of these receptors for breeding potential is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lelania Bilodeau
- USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA 70820, USA
| | - Lorraine Beaman
- USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA 70820, USA
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26
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Naug D, Tait C. Slow-Fast Cognitive Phenotypes and Their Significance for Social Behavior: What Can We Learn From Honeybees? Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.766414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive variation is proposed to be the fundamental underlying factor that drives behavioral variation, yet it is still to be fully integrated with the observed variation at other phenotypic levels that has recently been unified under the common pace-of-life framework. This cognitive and the resulting behavioral diversity is especially significant in the context of a social group, the performance of which is a collective outcome of this diversity. In this review, we argue about the utility of classifying cognitive traits along a slow-fast continuum in the larger context of the pace-of-life framework. Using Tinbergen’s explanatory framework for different levels of analyses and drawing from the large body of knowledge about honeybee behavior, we discuss the observed interindividual variation in cognitive traits and slow-fast cognitive phenotypes from an adaptive, evolutionary, mechanistic and developmental perspective. We discuss the challenges in this endeavor and suggest possible next steps in terms of methodological, statistical and theoretical approaches to move the field forward for an integrative understanding of how slow-fast cognitive differences, by influencing collective behavior, impact social evolution.
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27
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Howard SR, Dyer AG, Garcia JE, Giurfa M, Reser DH, Rosa MGP, Avarguès-Weber A. Naïve and Experienced Honeybee Foragers Learn Normally Configured Flowers More Easily Than Non-configured or Highly Contrasted Flowers. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.662336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Angiosperms have evolved to attract and/or deter specific pollinators. Flowers provide signals and cues such as scent, colour, size, pattern, and shape, which allow certain pollinators to more easily find and visit the same type of flower. Over evolutionary time, bees and angiosperms have co-evolved resulting in flowers being more attractive to bee vision and preferences, and allowing bees to recognise specific flower traits to make decisions on where to forage. Here we tested whether bees are instinctively tuned to process flower shape by training both flower-experienced and flower-naïve honeybee foragers to discriminate between pictures of two different flower species when images were either normally configured flowers or flowers which were scrambled in terms of spatial configuration. We also tested whether increasing picture contrast, to make flower features more salient, would improve or impair performance. We used four flower conditions: (i) normally configured greyscale flower pictures, (ii) scrambled flower configurations, (iii) high contrast normally configured flowers, and (iv) asymmetrically scrambled flowers. While all flower pictures contained very similar spatial information, both experienced and naïve bees were better able to learn to discriminate between normally configured flowers than between any of the modified versions. Our results suggest that a specialisation in flower recognition in bees is due to a combination of hard-wired neural circuitry and experience-dependent factors.
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Bennett MS. Five Breakthroughs: A First Approximation of Brain Evolution From Early Bilaterians to Humans. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:693346. [PMID: 34489649 PMCID: PMC8418099 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.693346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Retracing the evolutionary steps by which human brains evolved can offer insights into the underlying mechanisms of human brain function as well as the phylogenetic origin of various features of human behavior. To this end, this article presents a model for interpreting the physical and behavioral modifications throughout major milestones in human brain evolution. This model introduces the concept of a "breakthrough" as a useful tool for interpreting suites of brain modifications and the various adaptive behaviors these modifications enabled. This offers a unique view into the ordered steps by which human brains evolved and suggests several unique hypotheses on the mechanisms of human brain function.
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Wissink M, Nehring V. Appetitive olfactory learning suffers in ants when octopamine or dopamine receptors are blocked. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:271209. [PMID: 34357377 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Associative learning relies on the detection of coincidence between a stimulus and a reward or punishment. In the insect brain, this process is carried out in the mushroom bodies under the control of octopaminergic and dopaminergic neurons. It was assumed that appetitive learning is governed by octopaminergic neurons, while dopamine is required for aversive learning. This view has recently been challenged: both neurotransmitters are involved in both types of learning in bees and flies. Here, we tested which neurotransmitters are required for appetitive learning in ants. We trained Lasius niger workers to discriminate two mixtures of linear hydrocarbons and to associate one of them with a sucrose reward. We analysed the walking paths of the ants using machine learning and found that the ants spent more time near the rewarded odour than near the other, a preference that was stable for at least 24 h. We then treated the ants before learning with either epinastine, an octopamine receptor blocker, or flupentixol, a dopamine receptor blocker. Ants with blocked octopamine receptors did not prefer the rewarded odour. Octopamine signalling is thus necessary for appetitive learning of olfactory cues, probably because it signals information about odours or reward to the mushroom body. In contrast, ants with blocked dopamine receptors initially learned the rewarded odour but failed to retrieve this memory 24 h later. Dopamine is thus probably required for long-term memory consolidation, independent of short-term memory formation. Our results show that appetitive olfactory learning depends on both octopamine and dopamine signalling in ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Wissink
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Institute for Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Volker Nehring
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Institute for Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
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30
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Bennett MS. What Behavioral Abilities Emerged at Key Milestones in Human Brain Evolution? 13 Hypotheses on the 600-Million-Year Phylogenetic History of Human Intelligence. Front Psychol 2021; 12:685853. [PMID: 34393912 PMCID: PMC8358274 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper presents 13 hypotheses regarding the specific behavioral abilities that emerged at key milestones during the 600-million-year phylogenetic history from early bilaterians to extant humans. The behavioral, intellectual, and cognitive faculties of humans are complex and varied: we have abilities as diverse as map-based navigation, theory of mind, counterfactual learning, episodic memory, and language. But these faculties, which emerge from the complex human brain, are likely to have evolved from simpler prototypes in the simpler brains of our ancestors. Understanding the order in which behavioral abilities evolved can shed light on how and why our brains evolved. To propose these hypotheses, I review the available data from comparative psychology and evolutionary neuroscience.
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31
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Watanabe T, Sasaki K. Regulation of dopamine production in the brains during sexual maturation in male honey bees. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 132:104270. [PMID: 34175313 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To explore the physiological mechanisms that underlie age-related dopamine increases during sexual maturation in the brains of male honey bees, we focused on the expression of genes encoding the enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (Amth) and DOPA decarboxylase (Amddc), which are involved in dopamine biosynthesis in the brain. We hypothesized that juvenile hormone in hemolymph and tyrosine intake from food known as factors enhancing brain dopamine levels might both control the expression of genes related to dopamine production, and we tested this hypothesis in experiments. The brain levels of tyrosine and DOPA, which are precursors of dopamine, decreased as males aged, whereas the dopamine levels increased, suggesting active metabolism of dopamine precursors. The relative expression levels of Amth and Amddc were significantly higher in the brains of 4-day-old males compared with 0-day-old males, and the higher level of Amddc was maintained after 8 days. Topical application of the juvenile hormone analog methoprene enhanced the expression levels of Amth and Amddc in the brains according to the methoprene concentration. Oral intake of tyrosine enhanced the tyrosine, DOPA and dopamine levels in the brain, and activated Amddc expression in the brain, suggesting that tyrosine intake can increase both substrates and enzyme for dopamine biosynthesis. These results support our hypothesis that juvenile hormone and tyrosine intake may enhance the expression levels of genes encoding enzymes involved in dopamine biosynthesis in male honey bee brains during sexual maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Watanabe
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo 194-8610, Japan
| | - Ken Sasaki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo 194-8610, Japan.
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32
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Dubois T, Pasquaretta C, Barron AB, Gautrais J, Lihoreau M. A model of resource partitioning between foraging bees based on learning. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009260. [PMID: 34319987 PMCID: PMC8351995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Central place foraging pollinators tend to develop multi-destination routes (traplines) to exploit patchily distributed plant resources. While the formation of traplines by individual pollinators has been studied in detail, how populations of foragers use resources in a common area is an open question, difficult to address experimentally. We explored conditions for the emergence of resource partitioning among traplining bees using agent-based models built from experimental data of bumblebees foraging on artificial flowers. In the models, bees learn to develop routes as a consequence of feedback loops that change their probabilities of moving between flowers. While a positive reinforcement of movements leading to rewarding flowers is sufficient for the emergence of resource partitioning when flowers are evenly distributed, the addition of a negative reinforcement of movements leading to unrewarding flowers is necessary when flowers are patchily distributed. In environments with more complex spatial structures, the negative experiences of individual bees on flowers favour spatial segregation and efficient collective foraging. Our study fills a major gap in modelling pollinator behaviour and constitutes a unique tool to guide future experimental programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Dubois
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier–Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cristian Pasquaretta
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier–Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - Andrew B. Barron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jacques Gautrais
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier–Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - Mathieu Lihoreau
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier–Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
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33
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Howard SR. Wild non-eusocial bees learn a colour discrimination task in response to simulated predation events. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:28. [PMID: 34152477 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01739-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite representing the majority of bee species, non-eusocial bees (e.g. solitary, subsocial, semisocial, and quasisocial species) are comparatively understudied in learning, memory, and cognitive-like behaviour compared to eusocial bees, such as honeybees and bumblebees. Ecologically relevant colour discrimination tasks are well-studied in eusocial bees, and research has shown that a few non-eusocial bee species are also capable of colour learning and long-term memory retention. Australia hosts over 2000 native bee species, most of which are non-eusocial, yet evidence of cognitive-like behaviour and learning abilities under controlled testing conditions is lacking. In the current study, I examine the learning ability of a non-eusocial Australian bee, Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) lanarium, using aversive differential conditioning during a colour discrimination task. L. lanarium learnt to discriminate between salient blue- and yellow-coloured stimuli following training with simulated predation events. This study acts as a bridge between cognitive studies on eusocial and non-social bees and introduces a framework for testing non-eusocial wild bees on elemental visual learning tasks using aversive conditioning. Non-eusocial bee species are far more numerous than eusocial species and contribute to agriculture, economics, and ecosystem services in Australia and across the globe. Thus, it is important to study their capacity to learn flower traits allowing for successful foraging and pollination events, thereby permitting us a better understanding of their role in plant-pollinator interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scarlett R Howard
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia.
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34
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Collado MÁ, Montaner CM, Molina FP, Sol D, Bartomeus I. Brain size predicts learning abilities in bees. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201940. [PMID: 34017597 PMCID: PMC8131939 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
When it comes to the brain, bigger is generally considered better in terms of cognitive performance. While this notion is supported by studies of birds and primates showing that larger brains improve learning capacity, similar evidence is surprisingly lacking for invertebrates. Although the brain of invertebrates is smaller and simpler than that of vertebrates, recent work in insects has revealed enormous variation in size across species. Here, we ask whether bee species that have larger brains also have higher learning abilities. We conducted an experiment in which field-collected individuals had to associate an unconditioned stimulus (sucrose) with a conditioned stimulus (coloured strip). We found that most species can learn to associate a colour with a reward, yet some do so better than others. These differences in learning were related to brain size: species with larger brains-both absolute and relative to body size-exhibited enhanced performance to learn the reward-colour association. Our finding highlights the functional significance of brain size in insects, filling a major gap in our understanding of brain evolution and opening new opportunities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á. Collado
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF-UAB), Campus de Bellaterra, Edifici C, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Cristina M. Montaner
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Francisco P. Molina
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF-UAB), Campus de Bellaterra, Edifici C, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Daniel Sol
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF-UAB), Campus de Bellaterra, Edifici C, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Ignasi Bartomeus
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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35
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Kennedy A, Peng T, Glaser SM, Linn M, Foitzik S, Grüter C. Use of waggle dance information in honey bees is linked to gene expression in the antennae, but not in the brain. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2676-2688. [PMID: 33742503 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Communication is essential for social animals, but deciding how to utilize information provided by conspecifics is a complex process that depends on environmental and intrinsic factors. Honey bees use a unique form of communication, the waggle dance, to inform nestmates about the location of food sources. However, as in many other animals, experienced individuals often ignore this social information and prefer to rely on prior experiences, i.e., private information. The neurosensory factors that drive the decision to use social information are not yet understood. Here we test whether the decision to use social dance information or private information is linked to gene expression differences in different parts of the nervous system. We trained bees to collect food from sugar water feeders and observed whether they utilize social or private information when exposed to dances for a new food source. We performed transcriptome analysis of four brain parts (11-16 bees per tissue type) critical for cognition: the subesophageal ganglion, the central brain, the mushroom bodies, and the antennal lobes but, unexpectedly, detected no differences between social or private information users. In contrast, we found 413 differentially expressed genes in the antennae, suggesting that variation in sensory perception mediates the decision to use social information. Social information users were characterized by the upregulation of biogenic amine genes, while private information users upregulated several genes coding for odour perception. These results highlight that decision-making in honey bees might also depend on peripheral processes of perception rather than higher-order brain centres of information integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anissa Kennedy
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tianfei Peng
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Simone M Glaser
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Melissa Linn
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christoph Grüter
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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36
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Varnon CA, Vallely N, Beheler C, Coffin C. The disturbance leg-lift response (DLR): an undescribed behavior in bumble bees. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10997. [PMID: 33828912 PMCID: PMC8005288 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bumble bees, primarily Bombus impatiens and B. terrestris, are becoming increasingly popular organisms in behavioral ecology and comparative psychology research. Despite growing use in foraging and appetitive conditioning experiments, little attention has been given to innate antipredator responses and their ability to be altered by experience. In this paper, we discuss a primarily undescribed behavior, the disturbance leg-lift response (DLR). When exposed to a presumably threatening stimulus, bumble bees often react by lifting one or multiple legs. We investigated DLR across two experiments. METHODS In our first experiment, we investigated the function of DLR as a prerequisite to later conditioning research. We recorded the occurrence and sequence of DLR, biting and stinging in response to an approaching object that was either presented inside a small, clear apparatus containing a bee, or presented directly outside of the subject's apparatus. In our second experiment, we investigated if DLR could be altered by learning and experience in a similar manner to many other well-known bee behaviors. We specifically investigated habituation learning by repeatedly presenting a mild visual stimulus to samples of captive and wild bees. RESULTS The results of our first experiment show that DLR and other defensive behaviors occur as a looming object approaches, and that the response is greater when proximity to the object is lower. More importantly, we found that DLR usually occurs first, rarely precedes biting, and often precedes stinging. This suggests that DLR may function as a warning signal that a sting will occur. In our second experiment, we found that DLR can be altered as a function of habituation learning in both captive and wild bees, though the captive sample initially responded more. This suggests that DLR may be a suitable response for many other conditioning experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A. Varnon
- Department of Psychology, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC, United States of America
| | - Noelle Vallely
- Department of Psychology, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC, United States of America
| | - Charlie Beheler
- Department of Psychology, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC, United States of America
| | - Claudia Coffin
- Department of Psychology, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC, United States of America
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Yan J, Gangoso L, Ruiz S, Soriguer R, Figuerola J, Martínez-de la Puente J. Understanding host utilization by mosquitoes: determinants, challenges and future directions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1367-1385. [PMID: 33686781 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mosquito host utilization is a key factor in the transmission of vector-borne pathogens given that it greatly influences host-vector contact rates. Blood-feeding patterns of mosquitoes are not random, as some mosquitoes feed on particular species and/or individuals more than expected by chance. Mosquitoes use a number of cues including visual, olfactory, acoustic, and thermal stimuli emitted by vertebrate hosts to locate and identify their blood meal sources. Thus, differences in the quality/intensity of the released cues may drive host selection by mosquitoes at both inter- and intra-specific levels. Such patterns of host selection by mosquitoes in space and time can be structured by factors related to mosquitoes (e.g. innate host preference, behavioural plasticity), to hosts (e.g. emission of host-seeking cues, host availability) or to both (e.g. pathogen infection). In this study, we review current evidence, from phenomena to mechanisms, of how these factors influence host utilization by mosquitoes. We also review the methodologies commonly used in this research field and identify the major challenges for future studies. To bridge the knowledge gaps, we propose improvements to strengthen traditional approaches and the use of a functional trait-based approach to infer mosquito host utilization in natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayue Yan
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain.,Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, 1816 S Oak St., Champaign, IL, 61821, U.S.A
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain.,Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Santiago Ruiz
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 28029, Spain.,Service of Mosquito Control, Diputación Provincial de Huelva, Ctra. Hospital Infanta Elena s/n, Huelva, 21007, Spain
| | - Ramón Soriguer
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain.,CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain.,CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain.,CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 28029, Spain.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada (UGR), Campus Universitario de Cartuja, Granada, 18.071, Spain
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38
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Marachlian E, Klappenbach M, Locatelli F. Learning-dependent plasticity in the antennal lobe improves discrimination and recognition of odors in the honeybee. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:165-175. [PMID: 33511470 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03396-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Honeybees are extensively used to study olfactory learning and memory processes thanks to their ability to discriminate and remember odors and because of their advantages for optophysiological recordings of the circuits involved in memory and odor perception. There are evidences that the encoding of odors in areas of primary sensory processing is not rigid, but undergoes changes caused by olfactory experience. The biological meaning of these changes is focus of intense discussions. Along this review, we present evidences of plasticity related to different forms of learning and discuss its function in the context of olfactory challenges that honeybees have to solve. So far, results in honeybees are consistent with a model in which changes in early olfactory processing contributes to the ability of an animal to recognize the presence of relevant odors and facilitates the discrimination of odors in a way adjusted to its own experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Marachlian
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Martin Klappenbach
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular e Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando Locatelli
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular e Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Dvořáček J, Kodrík D. Drosophila reward system - A summary of current knowledge. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 123:301-319. [PMID: 33421541 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster brain is the most extensively investigated model of a reward system in insects. Drosophila can discriminate between rewarding and punishing environmental stimuli and consequently undergo associative learning. Functional models, especially those modelling mushroom bodies, are constantly being developed using newly discovered information, adding to the complexity of creating a simple model of the reward system. This review aims to clarify whether its reward system also includes a hedonic component. Neurochemical systems that mediate the 'wanting' component of reward in the Drosophila brain are well documented, however, the systems that mediate the pleasure component of reward in mammals, including those involving the endogenous opioid and endocannabinoid systems, are unlikely to be present in insects. The mushroom body components exhibit differential developmental age and different functional processes. We propose a hypothetical hierarchy of the levels of reinforcement processing in response to particular stimuli, and the parallel processes that take place concurrently. The possible presence of activity-silencing and meta-satiety inducing levels in Drosophila should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Dvořáček
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, CAS, and Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Dalibor Kodrík
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, CAS, and Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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40
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Peng T, Derstroff D, Maus L, Bauer T, Grüter C. Forager age and foraging state, but not cumulative foraging activity, affect biogenic amine receptor gene expression in the honeybee mushroom bodies. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 20:e12722. [PMID: 33325617 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Foraging behavior is crucial for the development of a honeybee colony. Biogenic amines are key mediators of learning and the transition from in-hive tasks to foraging. Foragers vary considerably in their behavior, but whether and how this behavioral diversity depends on biogenic amines is not yet well understood. For example, forager age, cumulative foraging activity or foraging state may all be linked to biogenic amine signaling. Furthermore, expression levels may fluctuate depending on daytime. We tested if these intrinsic and extrinsic factors are linked to biogenic amine signaling by quantifying the expression of octopamine, dopamine and tyramine receptor genes in the mushroom bodies, important tissues for learning and memory. We found that older foragers had a significantly higher expression of Amdop1, Amdop2, AmoctαR1, and AmoctβR1 compared to younger foragers, whereas Amtar1 showed the opposite pattern. Surprisingly, our measures of cumulative foraging activity were not related to the expression of the same receptor genes in the mushroom bodies. Furthermore, we trained foragers to collect sucrose solution at a specific time of day and tested if the foraging state of time-trained foragers affected receptor gene expression. Bees engaged in foraging had a higher expression of Amdop1 and AmoctβR3/4 than inactive foragers. Finally, the expression of Amdop1, Amdop3, AmoctαR1, and Amtar1 also varied with daytime. Our results show that receptor gene expression in forager mushroom bodies is complex and depends on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianfei Peng
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dennis Derstroff
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lea Maus
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Timo Bauer
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christoph Grüter
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Abstract
With less than a million neurons, the western honeybee Apis mellifera is capable of complex olfactory behaviors and provides an ideal model for investigating the neurophysiology of the olfactory circuit and the basis of olfactory perception and learning. Here, we review the most fundamental aspects of honeybee's olfaction: first, we discuss which odorants dominate its environment, and how bees use them to communicate and regulate colony homeostasis; then, we describe the neuroanatomy and the neurophysiology of the olfactory circuit; finally, we explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to olfactory memory formation. The vastity of histological, neurophysiological, and behavioral data collected during the last century, together with new technological advancements, including genetic tools, confirm the honeybee as an attractive research model for understanding olfactory coding and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Paoli
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, 31062, Toulouse, France.
| | - Giovanni C Galizia
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
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42
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Blenau W, Wilms JA, Balfanz S, Baumann A. AmOctα2R: Functional Characterization of a Honeybee Octopamine Receptor Inhibiting Adenylyl Cyclase Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9334. [PMID: 33302363 PMCID: PMC7762591 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The catecholamines norepinephrine and epinephrine are important regulators of vertebrate physiology. Insects such as honeybees do not synthesize these neuroactive substances. Instead, they use the phenolamines tyramine and octopamine for similar physiological functions. These biogenic amines activate specific members of the large protein family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Based on molecular and pharmacological data, insect octopamine receptors were classified as either α- or β-adrenergic-like octopamine receptors. Currently, one α- and four β-receptors have been molecularly and pharmacologically characterized in the honeybee. Recently, an α2-adrenergic-like octopamine receptor was identified in Drosophila melanogaster (DmOctα2R). This receptor is activated by octopamine and other biogenic amines and causes a decrease in intracellular cAMP ([cAMP]i). Here, we show that the orthologous receptor of the honeybee (AmOctα2R), phylogenetically groups in a clade closely related to human α2-adrenergic receptors. When heterologously expressed in an eukaryotic cell line, AmOctα2R causes a decrease in [cAMP]i. The receptor displays a pronounced preference for octopamine over tyramine. In contrast to DmOctα2R, the honeybee receptor is not activated by serotonin. Its activity can be blocked efficiently by 5-carboxamidotryptamine and phentolamine. The functional characterization of AmOctα2R now adds a sixth member to this subfamily of monoaminergic receptors in the honeybee and is an important step towards understanding the actions of octopamine in honeybee behavior and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Blenau
- Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
| | - Joana Alessandra Wilms
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-1, Research Center Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany; (J.A.W.); (S.B.)
| | - Sabine Balfanz
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-1, Research Center Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany; (J.A.W.); (S.B.)
| | - Arnd Baumann
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-1, Research Center Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany; (J.A.W.); (S.B.)
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43
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Baracchi D, Cabirol A, Devaud JM, Haase A, d'Ettorre P, Giurfa M. Pheromone components affect motivation and induce persistent modulation of associative learning and memory in honey bees. Commun Biol 2020; 3:447. [PMID: 32807870 PMCID: PMC7431541 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01183-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Since their discovery in insects, pheromones are considered as ubiquitous and stereotyped chemical messengers acting in intraspecific animal communication. Here we studied the effect of pheromones in a different context as we investigated their capacity to induce persistent modulations of associative learning and memory. We used honey bees, Apis mellifera, and combined olfactory conditioning and pheromone preexposure with disruption of neural activity and two-photon imaging of olfactory brain circuits, to characterize the effect of pheromones on olfactory learning and memory. Geraniol, an attractive pheromone component, and 2-heptanone, an aversive pheromone, improved and impaired, respectively, olfactory learning and memory via a durable modulation of appetitive motivation, which left odor processing unaffected. Consistently, interfering with aminergic circuits mediating appetitive motivation rescued or diminished the cognitive effects induced by pheromone components. We thus show that these chemical messengers act as important modulators of motivational processes and influence thereby animal cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Baracchi
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 09, France.
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano, 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
| | - Amélie Cabirol
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, I-38068, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Jean-Marc Devaud
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 09, France
| | - Albrecht Haase
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, I-38068, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, I-38123, Povo, Italy
| | - Patrizia d'Ettorre
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 09, France
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, University of Paris 13, F-93430, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Martin Giurfa
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 09, France.
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Toulouse, France.
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
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Lai Y, Despouy E, Sandoz JC, Su S, de Brito Sanchez MG, Giurfa M. Degradation of an appetitive olfactory memory via devaluation of sugar reward is mediated by 5-HT signaling in the honey bee. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 173:107278. [PMID: 32652234 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) learning induces the devaluation of a preferred food through its pairing with a stimulus inducing internal illness. In invertebrates, it is still unclear how this aversive learning impairs the memories of stimuli that had been associated with the appetitive food prior to its devaluation. Here we studied this phenomenon in the honey bee and characterized its neural underpinnings. We first trained bees to associate an odorant (conditioned stimulus, CS) with appetitive fructose solution (unconditioned stimulus, US) using a Pavlovian olfactory conditioning. We then subjected the bees that learned the association to a CTA training during which the antennal taste of fructose solution was contingent or not to the ingestion of quinine solution, which induces malaise a few hours after ingestion. Only the group experiencing contingent fructose stimulation and quinine-based malaise exhibited a decrease in responses to the fructose and a concomitant decrease in odor-specific retention in tests performed 23 h after the original odor conditioning. Furthermore, injection of dopamine- and serotonin-receptor antagonists after CTA learning revealed that this long-term decrease was mediated by serotonergic signaling as its blockade rescued both the responses to fructose and the odor-specific memory 23 h after conditioning. The impairment of a prior CS memory by subsequent CTA conditioning confirms that bees retrieve a devaluated US representation when presented with the CS. Our findings further highlight the importance of serotonergic signaling in aversive learning in the bee and uncover mechanisms underlying aversive memories induced by internal illness in invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Lai
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Elodie Despouy
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Sandoz
- Evolution, Genomes, Behavior and Ecology, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, 1 avenue de la Terrasse, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Songkun Su
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Maria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse, France.
| | - Martin Giurfa
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS, University of Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), France.
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45
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Liberti J, Engel P. The gut microbiota - brain axis of insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 39:6-13. [PMID: 32078985 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Research on the connections between gut microbes and the neurophysiology and behavior of their animal hosts has grown exponentially in just a few years. Most studies have focused on mammalian models as their relevance to human health is widely established. However, evidence is accumulating that insect behavior may be governed by molecular mechanisms that are partly homologous to those of mammals, and therefore relevant for the understanding of their behavioral dysfunctions. Social insects in particular may provide experimentally amenable models to disentangle the contributions of individual bacterial symbionts to the gut microbiota - brain axis. In this review, we summarize findings from recent research on the neurological and behavioral effects of the gut microbiota of insects and propose an integrated approach to unravel the extended behavioral phenotypes of gut microbes in the honey bee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanito Liberti
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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46
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Varnon CA, Dinges CW, Vest AJ, Abramson CI. Conspecific and interspecific stimuli reduce initial performance in an aversive learning task in honey bees (Apis mellifera). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228161. [PMID: 32097420 PMCID: PMC7041878 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether honey bees (Apis mellifera) are able to use social discriminative stimuli in a spatial aversive conditioning paradigm. We tested bees' ability to avoid shock in a shuttle box apparatus across multiple groups when either shock, or the absence of shock, was associated with a live hive mate, a dead hive mate, a live Polistes exclamans wasp or a dead wasp. Additionally, we used several control groups common to bee shuttle box research where shock was only associated with spatial cues, or where shock was associated with a blue or yellow color. While bees were able to learn the aversive task in a simple spatial discrimination, the presence of any other stimuli (color, another bee, or a wasp) reduced initial performance. While the color biases we discovered are in line with other experiments, the finding that the presence of another animal reduces performance is novel. Generally, it appears that the use of bees or wasps as stimuli initially causes an increase in overall activity that interferes with early performance in the spatial task. During the course of the experiment, the bees habituate to the insect stimuli (bee or wasp), and begin learning the aversive task. Additionally, we found that experimental subject bees did not discriminate between bees or wasps used as stimulus animals, nor did they discriminate between live or dead stimulus animals. This may occur, in part, due to the specialized nature of the worker honey bee. Results are discussed with implications for continual research on honey bees as models of aversive learning, as well as research on insect social learning in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A. Varnon
- Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Ecology, Department of Psychology, Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Christopher W. Dinges
- Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Biology, Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Adam J. Vest
- Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Biology, Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Charles I. Abramson
- Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Biology, Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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47
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Pietrantuono AL, Requier F, Fernández-Arhex V, Winter J, Huerta G, Guerrieri F. Honeybees generalize among pollen scents from plants flowering in the same seasonal period. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.201335. [PMID: 31611291 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.201335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
When honey bees (Apis mellifera) feed on flowers, they extend their proboscis to absorb the nectar, i.e. they perform the proboscis extension response (PER). The presence of pollen and/or nectar can be associated with odors, colors or visual patterns, which allows honey bees to recognize food sources in the environment. Honey bees can associate similar, though different, stimuli with the presence of food; i.e. honey bees discriminate and generalize among stimuli. Here, we evaluated generalization among pollen scents from six different plant species. Experiments were based on the PER conditioning protocol over two phases: (1) conditioning, in which honey bees associated the scent of each pollen type with sucrose, and (2) test, in which honey bees were presented with a novel scent, to evaluate generalization. Generalization was evinced by honey bees extending their proboscis to a novel scent. The level of PER increased over the course of the conditioning phase for all pollen scents. Honey bees generalized pollen from Pyracantha coccinea and from Hypochaeris radicata These two plants have different amounts of protein and are not taxonomically related. We observed that the flowering period influences the olfactory perceptual similarity and we suggest that both pollen types may share volatile compounds that play key roles in perception. Our results highlight the importance of analyzing the implications of the generalization between pollen types of different nutritional quality. Such studies could provide valuable information for beekeepers and agricultural producers, as the generalization of a higher quality pollen can benefit hive development, and increase pollination and honey production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Laura Pietrantuono
- CONICET - CCT Patagonia Norte. Av. de los Pioneros 2350, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina .,IFAB-Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche, INTA EEA-Bariloche, Modesta Victoria 4450, CC 277, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Fabrice Requier
- CONICET - CCT Patagonia Norte. Av. de los Pioneros 2350, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina.,Evolution Génome Comportement et Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91190 Paris, France
| | - Valeria Fernández-Arhex
- CONICET - CCT Patagonia Norte. Av. de los Pioneros 2350, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina.,IFAB-Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche, INTA EEA-Bariloche, Modesta Victoria 4450, CC 277, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Josefina Winter
- INTI - Sede Neuquén, Ruta 7 Km 5 Mercado Concentrador, Parque Industrial 8300, Neuquén, Argentina
| | - Guillermo Huerta
- IFAB-Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche, INTA EEA-Bariloche, Modesta Victoria 4450, CC 277, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Fernando Guerrieri
- IRBI - Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte UMR 7261, CNRS - Université de Tours, 37020 Tours, France
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48
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Shepherd S, Hollands G, Godley VC, Sharkh SM, Jackson CW, Newland PL. Increased aggression and reduced aversive learning in honey bees exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223614. [PMID: 31600283 PMCID: PMC6786539 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Honey bees, Apis mellifera, are a globally significant pollinator species and are currently in decline, with losses attributed to an array of interacting environmental stressors. Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMFs) are a lesser-known abiotic environmental factor that are emitted from a variety of anthropogenic sources, including power lines, and have recently been shown to have a significant impact on the cognitive abilities and behaviour of honey bees. Here we have investigated the effects of field-realistic levels of ELF EMFs on aversive learning and aggression levels, which are critical factors for bees to maintain colony strength. Bees were exposed for 17 h to 100 μT or 1000 μT ELF EMFs, or a sham control. A sting extension response (SER) assay was conducted to determine the effects of ELF EMFs on aversive learning, while an intruder assay was conducted to determine the effects of ELF EMFs on aggression levels. Exposure to both 100 μT and 1000 μT ELF EMF reduced aversive learning performance by over 20%. Exposure to 100 μT ELF EMFs also increased aggression scores by 60%, in response to intruder bees from foreign hives. These results indicate that short-term exposure to ELF EMFs, at levels that could be encountered in bee hives placed under power lines, reduced aversive learning and increased aggression levels. These behavioural changes could have wider ecological implications in terms of the ability of bees to interact with, and respond appropriately to, threats and negative environmental stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Shepherd
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Georgina Hollands
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria C. Godley
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Suleiman M. Sharkh
- Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Chris W. Jackson
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Philip L. Newland
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom
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49
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Marchal P, Villar ME, Geng H, Arrufat P, Combe M, Viola H, Massou I, Giurfa M. Inhibitory learning of phototaxis by honeybees in a passive-avoidance task. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 26:1-12. [PMID: 31527185 PMCID: PMC6749929 DOI: 10.1101/lm.050120.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Honeybees are a standard model for the study of appetitive learning and memory. Yet, fewer attempts have been performed to characterize aversive learning and memory in this insect and uncover its molecular underpinnings. Here, we took advantage of the positive phototactic behavior of bees kept away from the hive in a dark environment and established a passive-avoidance task in which they had to suppress positive phototaxis. Bees placed in a two-compartment box learned to inhibit spontaneous attraction to a compartment illuminated with blue light by associating and entering into that chamber with shock delivery. Inhibitory learning resulted in an avoidance memory that could be retrieved 24 h after training and that was specific to the punished blue light. The memory was mainly operant but involved a Pavlovian component linking the blue light and the shock. Coupling conditioning with transcriptional analyses in key areas of the brain showed that inhibitory learning of phototaxis leads to an up-regulation of the dopaminergic receptor gene Amdop1 in the calyces of the mushroom bodies, consistently with the role of dopamine signaling in different forms of aversive learning in insects. Our results thus introduce new perspectives for uncovering further cellular and molecular underpinnings of aversive learning and memory in bees. Overall, they represent an important step toward comparative learning studies between the appetitive and the aversive frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Marchal
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
| | - Maria Eugenia Villar
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
| | - Haiyang Geng
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France.,College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Patrick Arrufat
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
| | - Maud Combe
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
| | - Haydée Viola
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias (IBCN) "Dr Eduardo De Robertis," CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires (C1121ABG), Argentina
| | - Isabelle Massou
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
| | - Martin Giurfa
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France.,College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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50
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Groothuis J, van den Heuvel K, Smid HM. Species- and size-related differences in dopamine-like immunoreactive clusters in the brain of Nasonia vitripennis and N. giraulti. Cell Tissue Res 2019; 379:261-273. [PMID: 31440818 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-019-03079-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
An extreme reduction in body size has been shown to negatively impact the memory retention level of the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis. In addition, N. vitripennis and Nasonia giraulti, closely related parasitic wasps, differ markedly in the number of conditioning trials required to form long-term memory. These differences in memory dynamics may be associated with differences in the dopaminergic neurons in the Nasonia brains. Here, we used dopamine immunoreactivity to identify and count the number of cell bodies in dopaminergic clusters of normal- and small-sized N. vitripennis and normal-sized N. giraulti. We counted in total a maximum of approximately 160 dopaminergic neurons per brain. These neurons were present in 9 identifiable clusters (D1a, D1b, D2, D3, D4a, D4b, D5, D6 and D7). Our analysis revealed that N. giraulti had fewer cells in the D2 and D4a clusters but more in D4b, compared with normal-sized N. vitripennis. In addition, we found fewer cells in the D5 and D7 cluster of small-sized N. vitripennis compared to normal-sized N. vitripennis. A comparison of our findings with the literature on dopaminergic clusters in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the honey bee Apis mellifera indicates that clusters D2, D3 and D5 may play a role in memory formation in Nasonia wasps. The results from both the species comparison and the size comparison are therefore of high interest and importance for our understanding of the complex intricacies that underlie the memory dynamics of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitte Groothuis
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16, 6700, AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Krista van den Heuvel
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16, 6700, AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hans M Smid
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16, 6700, AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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