Brief communication. Quantitative trait loci influencing honeybee alarm pheromone levels

Hunt, Greg J.; Collins, Anita M.; Rivera, Rocio Caja; Page, Robert E.; Guzmán-Novoa, Ernesto

doi:10.1093/jhered/90.5.585

Cited by 40 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…Thus, the honeybee is an attractive model for the study of altruistic aggressive behaviors. Quantitative trait locus analysis has been used to identify the loci related to aggressive worker behaviors (11,12). The genes responsible for the aggressive behaviors, however, have not yet been identified.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Insect Picorna-Like Virus Identified in the Brains of Aggressive Worker Honeybees

Fujiyuki

Takeuchi²,

Ono

et al. 2004

J Virol

149

141

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To identify candidate genes involved in the aggressive behavior of worker honeybees, we used the differential display method to search for RNAs exclusively detected in the brains of aggressive workers that had attacked a hornet. We identified a novel, 10,152-nucleotide RNA, termed Kakugo RNA. Kakugo RNA encodes a protein of 2,893 amino acid residues that shares structural features and sequence similarities with various picorna-like virus polyproteins, especially those from sacbrood virus, which infects honeybees. The Kakugo protein contains several domains that correspond to the virion protein, helicase, protease, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domains of various picorna-like virus polyproteins. When the worker bee tissue lysate was subjected to sucrose density gradient centrifugation, Kakugo RNA, except for the material at the bottom, was separated into two major peaks. One of the peaks corresponded to the position of Kakugo mRNA, and the other corresponded to the position of the poliovirus virion. These results suggest that the Kakugo RNA exists as an mRNA-like free RNA and virion RNA in the honeybee. Furthermore, injection of the lysate supernatant from the attacker heads into the heads of noninfected bees resulted in a marked increase in Kakugo RNA. These results demonstrate that Kakugo RNA is a plus-strand RNA of a novel picorna-like virus and that the brains of aggressive workers are infected by this novel virus. Kakugo RNA was detected in aggressive workers but not in nurse bees or foragers. In aggressive workers, Kakugo RNA was detected in the brain but not in the thorax or abdomen, indicating a close relation between viral infection in the brain and aggressive worker behaviors.The European honeybee Apis mellifera L. is a eusocial insect, and the workers perform diverse tasks to maintain colony activity, such as comb-building, nursing, guarding, and foraging, according to age after eclosion (age polyethism) (36). Guard bees gathering at the entrance of the hive are highly aggressive and often scramble to counterattack natural enemies, such as hornets, to protect the colony (4, 5). The worker honeybee stinger is part of a highly modified ovipositor that evolved for defensive functions. The stinger is hooked and the worker loses it after use, resulting in the death of the bee. The advantage of losing the stinger is that the venom sac is then activated to inject additional venom after the sac detaches from the abdomen of the workers. The attacking behavior of guard bees is self-sacrificing and is therefore considered to be a typical altruistic behavior exhibited by the workers (35). Thus, the honeybee is an attractive model for the study of altruistic aggressive behaviors. Quantitative trait locus analysis has been used to identify the loci related to aggressive worker behaviors (11, 12). The genes responsible for the aggressive behaviors, however, have not yet been identified.Previously, members of our laboratories used the differential display method to identify genes expressed preferentially in the mus...

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Insect Picorna-Like Virus Identified in the Brains of Aggressive Worker Honeybees

Fujiyuki

Takeuchi²,

Ono

et al. 2004

J Virol

149

141

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“…However, ovarian follicle response results here are consistent with a number of honey bee pheromone studies showing no correlation between race-based pheromone blend and racial response to pheromones. For example, Africanized and European worker sting pheromone blends are different, but alarm and defensive behavioral responses by Africanized and European workers is not dependant on the source of the pheromone (Hunt et al, 1999(Hunt et al, , 2003. A similar phenomenon has been observed with respect to queen mandibular gland pheromone.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Africanized and European honey bee worker ovarian follicle development response to racial brood pheromone extracts

Pankiw

Garza

2007

Apidologie

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-Africanized and European worker honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) ovary follicle development response to Africanized and European larval extracts and synthetic brood pheromone were measured and modeled. Africanized workers had significantly greater baseline development than European workers. Racial extracts did not differentially affect Africanized or European follicle development. Africanized EC 50 of brood pheromone for follicle development inhibition was 16 times greater than for European workers. The higher worker reproductive ability of Africanized workers appeared intrinsic and was not explained by the racial blend of pheromone or composition of the adult rearing environment. Higher colony-level reproduction apparently extends to the individual-level in Africanized bees.Apis mellifera / brood pheromone / Africanized honey bee / ovary development

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“…Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of quantities of honey bee pheromone components extractable from the sting apparatus has demonstrated amazing complexity (Hunt et al, 1999). A mapping population was produced from hybrid backcrosses of Africanized and European subspecies of honey bees that characteristically show high and low defensive behavior, respectively (Hunt et al, 1999).…”

Section: Colony Defense Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A mapping population was produced from hybrid backcrosses of Africanized and European subspecies of honey bees that characteristically show high and low defensive behavior, respectively (Hunt et al, 1999). In general, there was little correlation between extractable quantities of alarm pheromone components and previously mapped defensive behaviors (Hunt et al, 1999;Hunt et al, 1998). Seven independent, putative QTL were identified on five different linkage groups.…”

Section: Colony Defense Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the most behaviorally significant component, IPA, four QTL were identified each on a different linkage group. Three loci were identified for n-octanol, and one locus for hexyl acetate, and potentially another for ndecyl acetate (Hunt et al, 1999). Unlinked genetic influence of alarm pheromone production on behavioral response thresholds makes biological sense.…”

Section: Colony Defense Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cued in: honey bee pheromones as information flow and collective decision-making

Pankiw

2004

Apidologie

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-Recent studies using diverse disciplines ranging from classical behavioral assays to quantitative trait locus mapping, have revealed that chemical communication in honey bees is generally complex. Pheromones that are blends of multiple components are the rule rather than the exception. Subsets of multiple component blends regulate common and different systems. Reviewed are recent studies in pheromone regulation of colony defense, foraging ontogeny, and retinue behavior. Honey bee chemical communication is discussed as an emergent property of a complex system with dynamic properties calling for a complex systems approach of analysis.Apis mellifera / pheromone / chemical communication / social regulation / emergent property / complex system

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Brief communication. Quantitative trait loci influencing honeybee alarm pheromone levels

Cited by 40 publications

References 0 publications

Novel Insect Picorna-Like Virus Identified in the Brains of Aggressive Worker Honeybees

Novel Insect Picorna-Like Virus Identified in the Brains of Aggressive Worker Honeybees

Africanized and European honey bee worker ovarian follicle development response to racial brood pheromone extracts

Cued in: honey bee pheromones as information flow and collective decision-making

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