TY - JOUR
T1 - Downregulation of vitellogenin gene activity increases the gustatory responsiveness of honey bee workers (Apis mellifera)
AU - Amdam, Gro
AU - Norberg, Kari
AU - Page, Robert
AU - Erber, Joachim
AU - Scheiner, Ricarda
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Jennifer Tsuruda and M. Kim Fondrk for assistance with the bees, and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. Founding was provided by the Norwegian Research Council #157851/432 and #171958 to G.V.A., and the National Institute on Aging PO1 AG22500 to R.E.P.
PY - 2006/5/15
Y1 - 2006/5/15
N2 - In the honey bee (Apis mellifera), young workers usually perform tasks in the nest while older workers forage in the field. The behavioral shift from nest-task to foraging activity is accompanied by physiological and sensory changes so that foragers can be characterized by a higher juvenile hormone (JH) level, a lower vitellogenin protein titer, and an increased responsiveness to water and sucrose stimuli. JH was hypothesized to be the key mediator of behavioral development, physiology, and sensory sensitivity in honey bee workers. Recent research, however, has shown that JH is controlled by the hemolymph vitellogenin level, which implies that the fat body specific vitellogenin gene can be a key regulator of behavioral change. Here, we show that downregulation of vitellogenin activity by RNA interference (RNAi) causes an increase in the gustatory responsiveness of worker bees. Our observations suggest that vitellogenin is an important regulator of long-term changes in honey bee behavior.
AB - In the honey bee (Apis mellifera), young workers usually perform tasks in the nest while older workers forage in the field. The behavioral shift from nest-task to foraging activity is accompanied by physiological and sensory changes so that foragers can be characterized by a higher juvenile hormone (JH) level, a lower vitellogenin protein titer, and an increased responsiveness to water and sucrose stimuli. JH was hypothesized to be the key mediator of behavioral development, physiology, and sensory sensitivity in honey bee workers. Recent research, however, has shown that JH is controlled by the hemolymph vitellogenin level, which implies that the fat body specific vitellogenin gene can be a key regulator of behavioral change. Here, we show that downregulation of vitellogenin activity by RNA interference (RNAi) causes an increase in the gustatory responsiveness of worker bees. Our observations suggest that vitellogenin is an important regulator of long-term changes in honey bee behavior.
KW - Gustatory responsiveness
KW - Honey bee worker
KW - Juvenile hormone
KW - Sensory sensitivity
KW - Social behavior
KW - Vitellogenin gene
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.01.006
DO - 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.01.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 16466813
AN - SCOPUS:33645054569
SN - 0166-4328
VL - 169
SP - 201
EP - 205
JO - Behavioural Brain Research
JF - Behavioural Brain Research
IS - 2
ER -