Non-targeted lipidomics and transcriptomics analysis reveal the molecular underpinnings of mandibular gland development in Apis mellifera ligustica

Hu, Xiyi; Zhang, Weixing; Chi, Xuepeng; Wang, Hongfang; Liu, Zhenguo; Wang, Ying; Ma, Liming; Xu, Baohua

doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.07.016

Cited by 9 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…No significant change in the total abundance of lipids was detected in nutritionally stressed bees; however, an increase in unsaturations was detected in lipids of the fat bodies of malnourished bees. It seems that different stressors, such as diapause, parasitic infection and ageing can lead to an increase of unsaturation levels in insects (Hu et al, 2021; Vukašinović et al, 2013; Wang et al, 2020). An increase of unsaturations has previously been related to possible lipid mobilisation in honey bees, observed in the mandibular gland of bees during ageing (Hu et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An unbalanced diet of fatty acids also disturbs the capacity of bees to recognise unhealthy brood, which could negatively affect the hygiene and health of the colony (Bennett et al, 2022). Moreover, lipid unsaturation of membrane phospholipids changes with age and cast, although this might be linked to differential lipid uptake between casts (Hu et al, 2021; Martin et al, 2019). Hence, lipid restrictions affect the social organisation, health, hive duties and productivity of the whole colony, but bees appear to regulate their fat intake by a mechanism that is not yet completely known (Ament et al, 2010; Ament et al, 2011; Corby‐Harris et al, 2021; Stabler et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In insects, triacylglycerol lipases resemble pancreatic lipases of mammals and lipids rich in unsaturations present increased lipase activity (Hoffman & Downer, 1979; Santana et al, 2017). Furthermore, desaturase enzyme activity seems crucial in the lipolysis process of TGs stores as they are the enzymes that desaturate fatty acid chains that then attract lipases (Hu et al, 2021; Los & Murata, 1998; Wang et al, 2020). Although differential expression of some desaturase genes has been found between fasted and fed bees (Corby‐Harris et al, 2014), a change in unsaturation of lipids in response to starvation related to the expression of desaturases during starvation has not been previously reported for honey bees.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, we studied the effects of malnutrition on the lipid reserves of worker bee larvae related to unsaturation alterations in lipids. Recent lipidomic works have reported unsaturation index changes in worker bees associated with development and ageing (Hu et al, 2021; Martin et al, 2019), but not during starvation and malnutrition in the fat body and at the colony level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lipidomic features of honey bee and colony health during limited supplementary feeding

Castaños

Boyce

Bates

et al. 2023

Insect Molecular Biology

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Honey bee nutritional health depends on nectar and pollen, which provide the main source of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids to individual bees. During malnutrition, insect metabolism accesses fat body reserves. However, this process in bees and its repercussions at the colony level are poorly understood. Using untargeted lipidomics and gene expression analysis, we examined the effects of different feeding treatments (starvation, sugar feeding and sugar + pollen feeding) on bees and correlated them with colony health indicators. We found that nutritional stress led to an increase in unsaturated triacylglycerols and diacylglycerols, as well as a decrease in free fatty acids in the bee fat body. Here, we hypothesise that stored lipids are made available through a process where unsaturations change lipid's structure. Increased gene expression of three lipid desaturases in response to malnutrition supports this hypothesis, as these desaturases may be involved in releasing fatty acyl chains for lipolysis. Although nutritional stress was evident in starving and sugar‐fed bees at the colony and physiological level, only starved colonies presented long‐term effects in honey production.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Lipidomic features of honey bee and colony health during limited supplementary feeding

Castaños

Boyce

Bates

et al. 2023

Insect Molecular Biology

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Expression of honey bee (Apis mellifera) sterol homeostasis genes in food jelly producing glands of workers

Yusuf,

Pirk,

Buttstedt

2024

J Exp Zool Pt A

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Adult workers of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) acquire sterols from their pollen diet. These food sterols are transported by the hemolymph to peripheral tissues such as the mandibular and the hypopharyngeal glands in the worker bees' heads that secrete food jelly which is fed to developing larvae. As sterols are obligatory components of biological membranes and essential precursors for molting hormone synthesis in insects, they are indispensable to normal larval development. Thus, the study of sterol delivery to larvae is important for a full understanding of honey bee larval nutrition and development. Whereas hypopharyngeal glands only require sterols for their membrane integrity, mandibular glands add sterols, primarily 24‐methylenecholesterol, to its secretion. For this, sterols must be transported through the glandular epithelial cells. We have analyzed for the first time in A. mellifera the expression of genes which are involved in intracellular movement of sterols. Mandibular and hypopharyngeal glands were dissected from newly emerged bees, 6‐day‐old nurse bees that feed larvae and 26‐day‐old forager bees. The expression of seven genes involved in intracellular sterol metabolism was measured with quantitative real‐time PCR. Relative transcript abundance of sterol metabolism genes was significantly influenced by the age of workers and specific genes but not by gland type. Newly emerged bees had significantly more transcripts for six out of seven genes than older bees indicating that the bulk of the proteins needed for sterol metabolism are produced directly after emergence.

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Sterol and lipid metabolism in bees

Furse,

Koch,

Wright

et al. 2023

Metabolomics

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Background Bees provide essential pollination services for many food crops and are critical in supporting wild plant diversity. However, the dietary landscape of pollen food sources for social and solitary bees has changed because of agricultural intensification and habitat loss. For this reason, understanding the basic nutrient metabolism and meeting the nutritional needs of bees is becoming an urgent requirement for agriculture and conservation. We know that pollen is the principal source of dietary fat and sterols for pollinators, but a precise understanding of what the essential nutrients are and how much is needed is not yet clear. Sterols are key for producing the hormones that control development and may be present in cell membranes, where fatty-acid-containing species are important structural and signalling molecules (phospholipids) or to supply, store and distribute energy (glycerides). Aim of the review In this critical review, we examine the current general understanding of sterol and lipid metabolism of social and solitary bees from a variety of literature sources and discuss implications for bee health. Key scientific concepts of review We found that while eusocial bees are resilient to some dietary variation in sterol supply the scope for this is limited. The evidence of both de novo lipogenesis and a dietary need for particular fatty acids (FAs) shows that FA metabolism in insects is analogous to mammals but with distinct features. Bees rely on their dietary intake for essential sterols and lipids in a way that is dependent upon pollen availability.

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Non-targeted lipidomics and transcriptomics analysis reveal the molecular underpinnings of mandibular gland development in Apis mellifera ligustica

Cited by 9 publications

References 84 publications

Lipidomic features of honey bee and colony health during limited supplementary feeding

Lipidomic features of honey bee and colony health during limited supplementary feeding

Expression of honey bee (Apis mellifera) sterol homeostasis genes in food jelly producing glands of workers

Sterol and lipid metabolism in bees

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