Advanced search
Start date
Betweenand
Related content
(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Vitellogenin expression in the ovaries of adult honeybee workers provides insights into the evolution of reproductive and social traits

Full text
Author(s):
Cardoso-Junior, C. A. M. [1] ; Oldroyd, B. P. [2] ; Ronai, I. [2]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Ribeir ao Preto, Dept Biol Celular & Bioagentes Patogen, Ribeirao Preto - Brazil
[2] Univ Sydney, Sch Life & Environm Sci A12, Behav & Genet Social Insects Lab, Ecol & Evolut, Sydney, NSW - Australia
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: Insect Molecular Biology; v. 30, n. 3 JAN 2021.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Social insects are notable for having two female castes that exhibit extreme differences in their reproductive capacity. The molecular basis of these differences is largely unknown. Vitellogenin (Vg) is a powerful antioxidant and insulin-signalling regulator used in oocyte development. Here we investigate how Royal Jelly (the major food of honeybee queens) and queen mandibular pheromone (a major regulator of worker fertility), affect the longevity and reproductive status of honey bee workers, the expression of Vg, its receptor VgR and associated regulatory proteins. We find that Vg is expressed in the ovaries of workers and that workers fed a queen diet of Royal Jelly have increased Vg expression in the ovaries. Surprisingly, we find that expression of Vg is not associated with ovary activation in workers, suggesting that this gene has potentially acquired non-reproductive functions. Therefore, Vg expression in the ovaries of honeybee workers provides further support for the Ovarian Ground Plan Hypothesis, which argues that genes implicated in the regulation of reproduction have been co-opted to regulate behavioural differences between queens and workers. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 17/09269-3 - Methylome analysis of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) worker ovaries in response to social condition
Grantee:Carlos Antônio Mendes Cardoso Júnior
Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
FAPESP's process: 16/15881-0 - Epigenetics and gene expression analysis of the longevity vs. reproduction trade-off in Apis mellifera L. (Apidae, Hymenoptera) queens
Grantee:Carlos Antônio Mendes Cardoso Júnior
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)