Concentration of hemolymph proteins during postembryonic worker development of Africanized honey bees in Brazil and Carniolans in Europe

Abstract

Summary — The profiles of hemolymph protein content during postembryonic development of honey bees (Apis mellifera) were determined for the first time. Larval and pupal worker stages of Africanized honey bees in Brazil and Carniolans in Germany were studied. A rapid increase in protein concentration was found in the late larval stages, followed by a decrease in prepupae and a minimum amount near the pupal moult period. In the early pupal stages, the protein concentration increased again, and then decreased until adult eclosion. Only the first protein peak in spinning L5 was more pronounced in the Africanized honey bees. No differences between the hemolymph protein profiles of Africanized bees and Carniolans could be detected during pupal development. The duration of several larval and pupal stages was shorter in Africanized than in Carniolan workers. The data reflect the general characteristics of the Africanized biotype reared in tropical conditions exhibiting accelerated patterns of development and lower body weight at emergence in comparison to the European Apis subspecies reared in temperate conditions. The ontogenetic patterns described for hemolymph protein concentration in preimaginal honey bee development are also discussed, specifically in regard to the regulation of metamorphosis in holometabolous insects.

Africanized honeybees are slower learners than their European counterparts

“…As previously reported (DeGrandi-Hoffman et al 2008; Michelette and Engles 1995), EHBs were significantly larger than AHBs: mean head width (3.71 mm versus 3.66 mm, n =113, 100, SE=0.0072, 0.0087; one-way ANOVA, F 1,211 =20.78, p <0.001), body weight with abdomen (0.1107 g versus 0.1098 g, n =113, 100, SE=0.0012, 0.0016; one-way ANOVA, F 1,211 =18.45, p <0.001), and body weight without abdomen (0.0506 g versus 0.0479 g, n =113, 100, SE=0.0004, 0.0004; one-way ANOVA, F 1,211 =23.13, p <0.001). However, across all bees, there was no significant correlation between learning (as percent correct PER) and body size (head size, Pearson’s correlation, r =−0.009, n =213, p =0.892; body mass, Pearson’s correlation, r =0.041, n =213, p =0.549).…”

Total antioxidant capacity of honeybee haemolymph in relation to age and exposure to pesticide, and comparison to antioxidant capacity of seminal plasma

“…In the available literature, the protein concentration of haemolymph ranges from 10 to 50 mg/mL (Fluri et al 1982;Michelette and Engels 1995) or is as low as 0.2 to 1.6 mg/mL (Eckholm et al 2015;Strachecka et al 2014Strachecka et al , 2015. Moreover, the protein concentration of honeybees fluctuates according to the postembryonic stages, age of the bee, season (summer and winter) and diets (Fluri et al 1982;Michelette and Engels 1995;De Jong et al 2009;Eckholm et al 2015).…”

Hemolymph proteome changes during worker brood development match the biological divergences between western honey bees (Apis mellifera) and eastern honey bees (Apis cerana)

“…This stronger expression in Aml suggests that their larger body size may require large amounts of protein building blocks to sustain normal organogenesis [ 39 , 40 ], which is in line with the heavier brood body weight in Aml than in Acc (Figure 1 ). Hsps also act as part of a defense mechanism, however, such as during larval and pupal infection with P. larvae or Bacillus [ 41 , 42 ]. The enhanced expression of Hsps and calreticulin in the larval hemolymph of the two bee species may indicate their involvement in the immune system activation against the invasive pathogens [ 10 , 43 ].…”