About parasitism relationships in bees: omic analyzes of chemosensory genes

• Grant number: 22/13437-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Maria Cristina Arias
• Grantee: Felipe Cordeiro Dias
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/15712-8 - Application of omics tools to the study of chemosensory-related genes and the parasitism in bees, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The chemosensory system plays an important role by mediating animal behavior. The genes (called chemosensory related genes - CRGs) and their respective protein products are well described in the literature, however with incipient information for some animal groups. The contribution brought by the advancement on molecular analysis and bioinformatics tools has helped in a better understanding of the structure, function and evolution of this system. In this context, insects, especially the social ones, are good models of study due to the multiplicity of life styles (social organization) and behaviors. An intriguing social behavior is that of parasitism, which in bees is present in some species and has variation in its display. Here we highlight: the cleptobiosis observed in the highly eusocial stingless species (Meliponini) Lestrimelitta limao, which plunders the nests of other Meliponini bees, such as Tetragonisca angustula; the social parasitism observed between Bombus terrestris and B. vestalis, primitively eusocial species; and parasitism among solitary bees as observed between Coelioxoides waltheriae and Tetrapedia diversipes. CRGs certainly play a key role in the parasite/host relationship, and the present project aims to perform an extensive molecular prospection of CRGs, using genomic and transcriptomic data to address these three models of parasitism presented above. The data will allow us to carry out analyzes in the light of the parasitic mode, social organization and phylogeny, seeking to understand the evolution of the chemosensory system. Thus, it will be possible to investigate whether these evolutionary events happened in a convergent way, raise further hypotheses about possible causes and evolutionary origins of these behaviors. Also, these knowledge may contribute to better understand parasitism behaviors in other animals, helping to foster established assumptions and also postulate possible new insights into the functioning of the chemosensory system and its importance on complex behaviors.