Natural larval diet differently influences the pattern of developmental changes in DNA 5-methylcytosine levels in Apis mellifera queens as compared with workers and drones

Abstract

The principal mechanism of gene activation/silencing is DNA 5-methylcytosine methylation. This study was aimed at determining global DNA methylation levels in larvae, prepupae, pupae, and 1-day-old adults of Apis mellifera queens, workers and drones. The Imprint Methylated DNA Quantification Kit MDQ1 was used. Percentages of DNA 5-methylcytosine were low and relatively similar in the larvae of all the castes until 4th day of larval development (3-5%). However, they were higher in the drone and worker larvae than in the queen larvae. Generally, the developmental patterns of changes in the DNA methylation levels were different in the queens in comparison with the drones and workers. While methylation increased in the queens, it decreased in the drones and workers. Methylated DNA methylcytosine percentages and weights in the queen prepupae (15%, 9.18 ng) and pupae (21%, 10.74 ng) were, respectively, three and four times higher than in the worker/drone brood of the same age (2.5-4%, 0.03-0.07 ng). Only in the queens, after a substantial increase, did DNA methylation decrease almost twice between the pupal stage and queen emergence (from 21% and 10.74 ng to 12% and 6.78 ng). This finding seems very interesting, particularly for experimental gerontology.

Meat and Nicotinamide: A Causal Role in Human Evolution, History, and Demographics

“…Diet (and altered nutri-microbiomes) can affect individual behaviour and increase variability within a population -striking in isogenomic social insect castes but also generally true. [89][90][91] Omnivores can use diet to self-regulate behaviour -Argentine ants change from protein-rich to carbohydrate-rich diets when they settle down and increase population size -just as we did). 92…”

Insights into the biochemical defence and methylation of the solitary bee Osmia rufa L: A foundation for examining eusociality development

“…rufa females (Fig 12) and just emerged A . mellifera queens and workers [45], it turns out that the solitary bee females are more similar to queens than to honeybee workers. It might provide evidence that the ancestors of social bees resembled today’s queens, and it was workers whose phenotype changed more in the course of evolution, whereas today’s queens are more like their ancestors.…”

“…A . mellifera , increase with age and are also dependent on castes [43–45]. Changes in the global DNA methylation level are crucial for the response of the organism to environmental pressure [43].…”

Female developmental environment delays development of male honeybee (Apis mellifera)

“…The royal jelly for queen larvae contains 1:1 watery-clear and milky-white, whereas jellies for worker and drone larvae contain 3:1 or 4:1 of these two components [ 6 ]. Moreover, sugar, vitamin, amino acid, protein and nucleic acid levels are different in their larval diets [ 6 , 8 – 11 ], which cause differences in physiology, behavior, gene expression and DNA methylation between the queen and workers [ 12 – 15 ]. The difference in their cell size also contributes to their caste differentiation [ 16 ].…”