Metabolomics,Unknown,Transcriptomics,Genomics,Proteomics

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Transcription profiling of honey bee queens treated with carbon dioxide and physical manipulation vs virgin controls

ABSTRACT: Mating is a complex process that causes many behavioral and physiological changes, but the factors triggering these changes and the underlying molecular processes are not well characterized. Honey bee queens provide a convenient system for dissecting these factors (e.g., physical manipulation, insemination volume, insemination substance) via instrumental insemination. We examined the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2), a commonly used anesthetic in instrumental insemination that causes changes similar to those observed after mating, and physical manipulation, which presumably mimics the act of copulation, on the brain transcriptional changes in honey bee queens. We found significant gene overlap between our study and previous mating studies in honey bee queens and Drosophila. This suggests that molecular pathways regulating the mating process are conserved across different mating regimes of honey bees as well as across insect orders.

ORGANISM(S): Apis mellifera

SUBMITTER: Elina Lastro

PROVIDER: E-MEXP-2646 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Social insects, such as honey bees, use molecular, physiological and behavioral responses to combat pathogens and parasites. The honey bee genome contains all of the canonical insect immune response pathways, and several studies have demonstrated that pathogens can activate expression of immune effectors. Honey bees also use behavioral responses, termed social immunity, to collectively defend their hives from pathogens and parasites. These responses include hygienic behavior (where workers remove diseased brood) and allo-grooming (where workers remove ectoparasites from nestmates). We have previously demonstrated that immunostimulation causes changes in the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of workers, which results in altered worker-worker social interactions. Thus, cuticular hydrocarbons may enable workers to identify sick nestmates, and adjust their behavior in response. Here, we test the specificity of behavioral, chemical and genomic responses to immunostimulation by challenging workers with a panel of different immune stimulants (saline, Sephadex beads and Gram-negative bacteria E. coli). RESULTS: While only bacteria-injected bees elicited altered behavioral responses from healthy nestmates compared to controls, all treatments resulted in significant changes in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Immunostimulation caused significant changes in expression of hundreds of genes, the majority of which have not been identified as members of the canonical immune response pathways. Furthermore, several new candidate genes that may play a role in cuticular hydrocarbon biosynthesis were identified. Finally, we identified common genes regulated by pathogen challenge in honey bees and other insects, suggesting that immune responses are conserved at the molecular level. CONCLUSIONS: These studies suggest that honey bee genomic responses to immunostimulation are substantially broader than expected, and may mediate the behavioral changes associated with social immunity by orchestrating changes in chemical signaling.

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Transcription profiling of honey bee queens treated with carbon dioxide and physical manipulation vs virgin controls

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