Autor(es)

Ricardo, Paulo Cseri ; Araujo, Natalia de Souza ; Arias, Maria Cristina

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology D-Genomics & Proteomics; v. 56, p. 10-pg., 2025-12-01.

Resumo

Cleptobiosis, the act of raiding other species to obtain food or resources, is widespread among animals but rarely obligatory. The eusocial stingless bee Lestrimelitta limao is one of the few species that depend entirely on cleptobiosis, raiding other stingless bee colonies for survival. To investigate the molecular basis and putative evolutionary adaptations associated with this specialized lifestyle, we compared the transcriptomes of nonraiding foragers of L. limao and of three non-robber stingless bees - Nannotrigona testaceicornis, Scaptotrigona aff. depilis, and Tetragonisca angustula. Our analysis revealed that differentially expressed orthologs were predominantly downregulated in L. limao workers, suggesting reduced transcriptional activity during foraging in this species. These downregulated genes fall into three major functional categories potentially linked to cleptobiotic adaptations: (1) detoxification and chemoreception genes, including cytochrome P450s and odorant receptors, indicating decreased exposure to phytochemicals; (2) neuronal and synaptic genes, such as para and Dys, possibly reflecting neurophysiological modifications; and (3) mitochondrial and carbohydrate metabolism genes, suggesting lower energetic demands. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms associated with cleptobiotic behavior in eusocial bees. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 16/24669-5 - Estudos genômicos e evolutivos em abelhas
• Beneficiário: Maria Cristina Arias
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 22/09046-2 - Montagem de genomas e transcriptomas de abelhas
• Beneficiário: Paulo Cseri Ricardo
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Programa Capacitação - Treinamento Técnico
• Processo FAPESP: 19/23186-9 - Genômica funcional: bases moleculares subjacentes a comportamentos complexos e evolução em abelhas
• Beneficiário: Maria Cristina Arias
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 13/12530-4 - Estudos populacionais, evolutivos e genômicos em abelhas
• Beneficiário: Maria Cristina Arias
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular