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Comparative transcriptome analysis on the synthesis pathway of honey bee (Apis mellifera) mandibular gland secretions.

ABSTRACT: Secretions from mandibular glands (MGs) have important caste-specific functions that are associated with the social evolution of honey bees. To gain insights into the molecular architecture underlying these caste differences, we compared the gene expression patterns of MGs from queens, queenright workers (WQRs) and queenless workers (WQLs) using high-throughput RNA-sequencing technology. In total, we identified 46 candidate genes associated with caste-specific biosynthesis of fatty acid pheromones in the MG, including members of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) family and genes involved in fatty acid ?-oxidation and ?-oxidation. For further identification of the CYP450s genes involved in the biosynthesis of MG secretions, we analyzed by means of qPCR, the expression levels of six of the CYP450 genes most abundantly expressed in the transcriptome analysis across different castes, ages, tasks and tissues. Our analysis revealed that CYP6AS8 and CYP6AS11, the most abundantly expressed CYP450 genes in worker and queen MGs, respectively, are selectively expressed in the MGs of workers and queens compared to other tissues. These results suggest that these genes might be responsible for the critical bifurcated hydroxylation process in the biosynthesis pathway. Our study contributes to the description of the molecular basis for the biosynthesis of fatty acid-derived pheromones in the MGs.

SUBMITTER: Wu Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5495765 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Comparative transcriptome analysis on the synthesis pathway of honey bee (Apis mellifera) mandibular gland secretions.

Wu YuQi Y Zheng HuoQing H Corona Miguel M Pirk Christian C Meng Fei F Zheng YuFei Y Hu FuLiang F

Scientific reports 20170703 1

Secretions from mandibular glands (MGs) have important caste-specific functions that are associated with the social evolution of honey bees. To gain insights into the molecular architecture underlying these caste differences, we compared the gene expression patterns of MGs from queens, queenright workers (WQRs) and queenless workers (WQLs) using high-throughput RNA-sequencing technology. In total, we identified 46 candidate genes associated with caste-specific biosynthesis of fatty acid pheromon ...[more]

PMID: 28674395

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Project description:Reproductive division of labor is one of the defining traits of honey bees (Apis mellifera), with non-reproductive tasks being performed by workers while a single queen normally monopolizes reproduction. The decentralized organization of a honey bee colony is maintained in large part by a bouquet of queen-produced pheromones, the distribution of which is facilitated by contact among workers throughout the hive. Previous studies have shown that the developmental fate of honey bee queens is highly plastic, with queens raised from younger worker larvae exhibiting higher measures of reproductive potential compared to queens raised from older worker larvae. We investigated differences in the chemical composition of the mandibular glands and attractiveness to workers of "high-quality" queens (i.e., raised from first instar worker larvae; more queen-like) and "low-quality" queens (i.e., raised from third instar worker larvae; more worker-like). We characterized the chemical profiles of the mandibular glands of high-quality queens and low-quality queens using GC-MS and used the worker retinue response as a measure of the attractiveness to workers of high-quality queens vs. low-quality queens. We found that queen quality affected the chemical profiles of mandibular gland contents differently across years, showing significant differences in the production of the queen mandibular pheromone ("QMP") components HVA and 9-HDA in 2010, but no significant differences of any glandular compound in 2012. We also found that workers were significantly more attracted to high-quality queens than to low-quality queens in 2012, possibly because of increased attractiveness of their mandibular gland chemical profiles. Our results indicate that the age at which honey bee larvae enter the "queen-specific" developmental pathway influences the chemical composition of queen mandibular glands and worker behavior. However, these changes are not consistent across years, suggesting that other external factors may play important roles in modulating queen quality.

Dataset Information

Comparative transcriptome analysis on the synthesis pathway of honey bee (Apis mellifera) mandibular gland secretions.

Publications

Comparative transcriptome analysis on the synthesis pathway of honey bee (Apis mellifera) mandibular gland secretions.

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