RNAi-mediated silencing of vitellogenin gene function turns honeybee (Apis mellifera) workers into extremely precocious foragers

Autor(es)

Marco Antonio, David Santos ^[1] ; Guidugli-Lazzarini, Karina Rosa ^[2] ; do Nascimento, Adriana Mendes ^[2] ; Paulino Simoes, Zila Luz ^[2] ; Hartfelder, Klaus ^[3]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Dept Genet, BR-14049900 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Pret, Dept Biol, BR-14049900 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Dept Biol Celular & Mol & Bioagentes Patogen, BR-14049900 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN; v. 95, n. 10, p. 953-961, OCT 2008.
• Citações Web of Science: 65

Resumo

The switch from within-hive activities to foraging behavior is a major transition in the life cycle of a honeybee (Apis mellifera) worker. A prominent regulatory role in this switch has long been attributed to juvenile hormone (JH), but recent evidence also points to the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin as a major player in behavioral development. In the present study, we injected vitellogenin double-stranded RNA (dsVg) into newly emerged worker bees of Africanized genetic origin and introduced them together with controls into observation hives to record flight behavior. RNA interference-mediated silencing of vitellogenin gene function shifted the onset of long-duration flights (> 10 min) to earlier in life (by 3-4 days) when compared with sham and untreated control bees. In fact, dsVg bees were observed conducting such flights extremely precociously, when only 3 days old. Short-duration flights (< 10 min), which bees usually perform for orientation and cleaning, were not affected. Additionally, we found that the JH titer in dsVg bees collected after 7 days was not significantly different from the controls. The finding that depletion of the vitellogenin titer can drive young bees to become extremely precocious foragers could imply that vitellogenin is the primary switch signal. At this young age, downregulation of vitellogenin gene activity apparently had little effect on the JH titer. As this unexpected finding stands in contrast with previous results on the vitellogenin/JH interaction at a later age, when bees normally become foragers, we propose a three-step sequence in the constellation of physiological parameters underlying behavioral development. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 04/10836-0 - Receptor de insulina - uma peca chave potencial na integracao de vias de sinalizacao no desenvolvimento de fenotipos alternativos em abelhas.
• Beneficiário: Klaus Hartmann Hartfelder
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 05/03926-5 - Genômica funcional de Apis mellifera: busca de novos genes e redes funcionais no contexto do desenvolvimento, da diferenciação de castas e da reprodução
• Beneficiário: Zilá Luz Paulino Simões
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático