Protein content and pattern during mucus gland maturation and its ecdysteroid control in honey bee drones

Autor(es)

Colonello‚ N.A. ; Hartfelder‚ K.

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Apidologie; v. 34, n. 3, p. 257-268, 2003.

Resumo

We analyzed mucus gland protein content and pattern for drones of Africanized honey bees. The effect of exogenous ecdysteroids on mucus gland maturation was judged against the endogenous ecdysteroid titer. During the first 5 days of adult life, the mucus protein content increases steeply, whereas the protein pattern becomes reduced in complexity. Subsequently, the protein content decreases, reaching a plateau level at day 8. The protein pattern of mature glands is characterized by three dominant polypeptides. Injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone into newly emerged drones abolished the normal increase in protein content and prolonged the persistence of the protein pattern typical for immature glands. Ecdysteroids thus appear to act as negative regulators in the maturation process of drone mucus glands. This hypothesis received support from analyses of the hemolymph ecdysteroid titer, which was found to rapidly decline soon after emergence. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 99/00719-6 - Abelhas africanizadas: análise integrada do processo de africanização de Apis mellifera com foco sobre determinantes da fertilidade de zangões, rainhas e operárias
• Beneficiário: Zilá Luz Paulino Simões
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 00/00960-4 - As glândulas de muco nos zangões de Apis mellifera e a função dos seus produtos na regulação da fertilidade de rainhas: há sex peptides em abelhas?
• Beneficiário: Nínive Aguiar Colonello Frattini
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado