Queen mandibular pheromone: questions that remain to be resolved

Jarriault, David; Mercer, Alison R.

doi:10.1007/s13592-011-0117-6

Cited by 19 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 156 publications

(153 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Obp1 interacts with the main component of queen mandibular pheromone (QMP; Pesenti et al 2008). QMP influences the behavior and physiology of workers in several ways including delaying behavioral maturation and reducing JH biosynthesis (reviewed in Jarriault and Mercer 2012 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Architecture of a Hormonal Response to Gene Knockdown in Honey Bees

Ihle

Rueppell

Zhi

et al. 2015

Journal of Heredity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Variation in endocrine signaling is proposed to underlie the evolution and regulation of social life histories, but the genetic architecture of endocrine signaling is still poorly understood. An excellent example of a hormonally influenced set of social traits is found in the honey bee (Apis mellifera): a dynamic and mutually suppressive relationship between juvenile hormone (JH) and the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin (Vg) regulates behavioral maturation and foraging of workers. Several other traits cosegregate with these behavioral phenotypes, comprising the pollen hoarding syndrome (PHS) one of the best-described animal behavioral syndromes. Genotype differences in responsiveness of JH to Vg are a potential mechanistic basis for the PHS. Here, we reduced Vg expression via RNA interference in progeny from a backcross between 2 selected lines of honey bees that differ in JH responsiveness to Vg reduction and measured JH response and ovary size, which represents another key aspect of the PHS. Genetic mapping based on restriction site-associated DNA tag sequencing identified suggestive quantitative trait loci (QTL) for ovary size and JH responsiveness. We confirmed genetic effects on both traits near many QTL that had been identified previously for their effect on various PHS traits. Thus, our results support a role for endocrine control of complex traits at a genetic level. Furthermore, this first example of a genetic map of a hormonal response to gene knockdown in a social insect helps to refine the genetic understanding of complex behaviors and the physiology that may underlie behavioral control in general.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Architecture of a Hormonal Response to Gene Knockdown in Honey Bees

Ihle

Rueppell

Zhi

et al. 2015

Journal of Heredity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…One hypothesized benefit to the bee society from this blocking effect is the neutralization of any unpleasant perception of the high levels of QMP. This idea is supported by the observation that only very young bees are attracted to the queen, whereas older nurses and foraging individuals are repelled by QMP (Jarriault and Mercer, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Studies by Mercer and colleagues have revealed that dopamine plays a critical role in social communication via the peripheral modulation of worker bee responses to the queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) (Beggs et al, 2007; Vergoz et al, 2007). A plausible mechanism by which the queen bee influences the colony is via QMP components such as homovanillyl alcohol, which structurally resembles dopamine (Jarriault and Mercer, 2012). One hypothesized benefit to the bee society from this blocking effect is the neutralization of any unpleasant perception of the high levels of QMP.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of a Dopamine Transporter and Its Splice Variant Reveals Novel Features of Dopaminergic Regulation in the Honey Bee

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dopamine is an important neuromodulator involved in reward-processing, movement control, motivational responses, and other aspects of behavior in most animals. In honey bees (Apis mellifera), the dopaminergic system has been implicated in an elaborate pheromonal communication network between individuals and in the differentiation of females into reproductive (queen) and sterile (worker) castes. Here we have identified and characterized a honey bee dopamine transporter (AmDAT) and a splice variant lacking exon 3 (AmDATΔex3). Both transcripts are present in the adult brain and antennae as well as at lower levels within larvae and ovaries. When expressed separately in the Xenopus oocyte system, AmDAT localizes to the oocyte surface whereas the splice variant is retained at an internal membrane. Oocytes expressing AmDAT exhibit a 12-fold increase in the uptake of [3H]dopamine relative to non-injected oocytes, whereas the AmDATΔex3-expressing oocytes show no change in [3H]dopamine transport. Electrophysiological measurements of AmDAT activity revealed it to be a high-affinity, low-capacity transporter of dopamine. The transporter also recognizes noradrenaline as a major substrate and tyramine as a minor substrate, but does not transport octopamine, L-Dopa, or serotonin. Dopamine transport via AmDAT is inhibited by cocaine in a reversible manner, but is unaffected by octopamine. Co-expression of AmDAT and AmDATΔex3 in oocytes results in a substantial reduction in AmDAT-mediated transport, which was also detected as a significant decrease in the level of AmDAT protein. This down-regulatory effect is not attributable to competition with AmDATΔex3 for ER ribosomes, nor to a general inhibition of the oocyte’s translational machinery. In vivo, the expression of both transcripts shows a high level of inter-individual variability. Gene-focused, ultra-deep amplicon sequencing detected methylation of the amdat locus at ten 5′-C-phosphate-G-3′ dinucleotides (CpGs), but only in 5–10% of all reads in whole brains or antennae. These observations, together with the localization of the amdat transcript to a few clusters of dopaminergic neurons, imply that amdat methylation is positively linked to its transcription. Our findings suggest that multiple cellular mechanisms, including gene splicing and epigenomic communication systems, may be adopted to increase the potential of a conserved gene to contribute to lineage-specific behavioral outcomes.

show abstract

“…Honey bees, like many insects, employ a rich repertoire of pheromones to ensure intraspecific communication in many behavioural contexts [ 19 , 31 – 33 ]. In the context of mating, the major compound of the queen mandibular pheromone (QMP), 9-oxo-2-decenoic acid (9-ODA), which also participates in communicating the queens’ fertility within the hive [ 31 , 34 , 35 ], attracts drones over long distances [ 36 – 40 ]. It possibly acts together with secondary components also involved in the communication between queens and workers [ 41 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-specific olfactory attraction between Western honey bee drones (Apis mellifera) and its chemical basis

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

During the mating season, drones (males) of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) form congregations numbering thousands high in the air. Virgin queens arrive at these congregations after they have formed and mate on the fly with 15-20 drones. To explain the formation of drone congregations, a drone-produced aggregation pheromone has been proposed many years ago but due to the low accessibility of natural mating sites in bees, its study has progressed slowly. Recently, we used a walking simulator in controlled laboratory conditions to show that drones are indeed attracted by groups of other drones. Since these previous experiments were carried out with drones captured when flying out of the hive, it is currently unclear if this olfactory attraction behaviour is related to the drones’ sexual maturity (usually reached between 9 and 12 days) and may thus be indicative of a possible role in congregation formation, or if it is observed at any age and may represent in-hive aggregation. We thus assessed here the dependency of drone olfactory attraction on their age. First, we performed behavioural experiments in the walking simulator to measure olfactory preferences of drones in three age groups from 2-3 to 12-15 days. Then, we performed chemical analyses in the same age groups to evaluate whether chemical substances produced by the drones may explain age differences in olfactory attraction. We show that honey bee drones are attracted by conspecifics of the same age when they are sexually mature (12-15 days old) but not when they are younger (2-3 and 7-8 days old). In parallel, our data show that drones’ chemical profile changes with age, including its most volatile fraction. These results are discussed in the context of drone mutual attraction both within the hive and at drone congregations.

show abstract

Queen mandibular pheromone: questions that remain to be resolved

Cited by 19 publications

References 156 publications

Genetic Architecture of a Hormonal Response to Gene Knockdown in Honey Bees

Genetic Architecture of a Hormonal Response to Gene Knockdown in Honey Bees

Characterization of a Dopamine Transporter and Its Splice Variant Reveals Novel Features of Dopaminergic Regulation in the Honey Bee

Age-specific olfactory attraction between Western honey bee drones (Apis mellifera) and its chemical basis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About