Function of the Dufour’s gland in solitary and social Hymenoptera

Mitra, Aniruddha

doi:10.3897/jhr.35.4783

Cited by 58 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 132 publications

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“…Accordingly, the chemical profiles of Dufour's gland secretions of halictid bees and honeybees are very different [45,66,67,70,71,80], suggesting that the Dufour's gland may not play as important a role in reproduction in honeybees as in alkali bees. Contrary to the original support for the reproductive ground plan hypothesis in honeybees, we did not observe a significant relationship between ovarian cycle and sucrose response in alkali bees.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Support for the reproductive ground plan hypothesis in a solitary bee: links between sucrose response and reproductive status

Kapheim

Johnson

2017

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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In social bees, foraging behaviour is correlated with reproductive status and sucrose sensitivity via endocrine pathways. This association led to the hypothesis that division of labour in social insect societies is derived from an ancestral ground plan that functions to synchronize dietary preferences with reproductive needs in solitary insects. However, the relationship between these traits is unknown for solitary bees, which represent the ancestral state of social bees. We used the proboscis extension response assay to measure sucrose response among reproductive females of the solitary alkali bee ( Nomia melanderi ) as a function of acute juvenile hormone (JH) treatments and reproductive physiology. We also tested long-term effects of JH on reproductive development in newly emerged females. JH did not have short-term effects on reproductive physiology or sucrose response, but did have significant long-term effects on ovary and Dufour's gland development. Dufour's gland size, not ovary development, was a significant predictor of sucrose response. This provides support for the reproductive ground plan hypothesis, because the Dufour's gland has conserved reproductive functions in bees. Differing results from this study and honeybees suggest independent origins of division of labour may have evolved via co-option of different components of a conserved ground plan.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Dufour's gland is a highly conserved exocrine gland with a diverse set of functions, including secretion of chemicals used in oogenesis and egg laying, nest building, larval food and pheromones [45]. We therefore included measurements of this gland in our assessment of reproductive physiology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Support for the reproductive ground plan hypothesis in a solitary bee: links between sucrose response and reproductive status

Kapheim

Johnson

2017

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…The glandular source and chemical identity of signals associated with alarm pheromones [2,3], sex pheromones [4][5][6] and trail pheromones [7] are well known. By contrast, the source and identity of CHCs associated with nest-mate recognition signals are poorly understood, despite their crucial significance in maintaining the social integrity of the colony [8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Location-specific cuticular hydrocarbon signals in a social insect

Wang¹,

Goodger²,

Woodrow³

et al. 2016

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Social insects use cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to convey different social signals, including colony or nest identity. Despite extensive investigations, the exact source and identity of CHCs that act as nest-specific identification signals remain largely unknown. Perhaps this is because studies that identify CHC signals typically use organic solvents to extract a single sample from the entire animal, thereby analysing a cocktail of chemicals that may serve several signal functions. We took a novel approach by first identifying CHC profiles from different body parts of ants (Iridomyrmex purpureus), then used behavioural bioassays to reveal the location of specific social signals. The CHC profiles of both workers and alates varied between different body parts, and workers paid more attention to the antennae of non-nest-mate and the legs of nest-mate workers. Workers responded less aggressively to non-nest-mate workers if the CHCs on the antennae of their opponents were removed with a solvent. These data indicate that CHCs located on the antennae reveal nest-mate identity and, remarkably, that antennae both convey and receive social signals. Our approach and findings could be valuably applied to chemical signalling in other behavioural contexts, and provide insights that were otherwise obscured by including chemicals that either have no signal function or may be used in other contexts.

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“…Although the main compounds released by Dufour’s gland have been characterized as volatiles [10, 11], the proteins present in the gland remains poorly studied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proteomic analysis in the Dufour’s gland of Africanized Apis mellifera workers (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

et al. 2017

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The colony of eusocial bee Apis mellifera has a reproductive queen and sterile workers performing tasks such as brood care and foraging. Chemical communication plays a crucial role in the maintenance of sociability in bees with many compounds released by the exocrine glands. The Dufour's gland is a non-paired gland associated with the sting apparatus with important functions in the communication between members of the colony, releasing volatile chemicals that influence workers roles and tasks. However, the protein content in this gland is not well studied. This study identified differentially expressed proteins in the Dufour's glands of nurse and forager workers of A. mellifera through 2D-gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. A total of 131 spots showed different expression between nurse and forager bees, and 28 proteins were identified. The identified proteins were categorized into different functions groups including protein, carbohydrate, energy and lipid metabolisms, cytoskeleton-associated proteins, detoxification, homeostasis, cell communication, constitutive and allergen. This study provides new insights of the protein content in the Dufour's gland contributing to a more complete understanding of the biological functions of this gland in honeybees.

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Function of the Dufour’s gland in solitary and social Hymenoptera

Cited by 58 publications

References 132 publications

Support for the reproductive ground plan hypothesis in a solitary bee: links between sucrose response and reproductive status

Support for the reproductive ground plan hypothesis in a solitary bee: links between sucrose response and reproductive status

Location-specific cuticular hydrocarbon signals in a social insect

Proteomic analysis in the Dufour’s gland of Africanized Apis mellifera workers (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

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