1
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Zarate D, Mukogawa B, Kohn J, Nieh JC. Seasonal variation in defense behavior in European and scutellata-hybrid honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Southern California. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12790. [PMID: 37550348 PMCID: PMC10406949 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38153-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Nest defense in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a complex collective behavior modulated by various interacting social, environmental, and genetic factors. Scutellata-hybrid ("Africanized") honey bees are usually considered to be far more defensive than European honey bees which are therefore preferred for commercial and hobbyist beekeeping. In the most recent zone of scutellata hybridization, the southern USA, the degree to which this defensiveness differs among current strains, and the extent to which defensiveness varies across a season has not been measured. We quantified the levels of A. m. scutellata ancestry in colonies and conducted a seasonal assessment (May through November) of colony nest defensiveness in feral scutellata-hybrid and a popular lineage of European honey bee commonly used in managed environments (sold as A. mellifera ligustica) hives at two apiaries in Southern California. Standard measures of defensiveness were low in both scutellata-hybrid and European colonies during May. Defensiveness increased during the later months of the study in scutellata-hybrid colonies. Most measures of defensiveness did not increase in managed colonies. Defensiveness in the scutellata-hybrids appears lower than what has been previously documented in Brazil and Mexico, possibly due to their lower proportion of A. m. scutellata ancestry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Zarate
- Department of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., MC 0116, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0116, USA.
| | - Brandon Mukogawa
- Department of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., MC 0116, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0116, USA
| | - Joshua Kohn
- Department of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., MC 0116, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0116, USA
| | - James C Nieh
- Department of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., MC 0116, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0116, USA
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2
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Guichard M, Dainat B, Eynard S, Vignal A, Servin B, Neuditschko M. Identification of quantitative trait loci associated with calmness and gentleness in honey bees using whole-genome sequences. Anim Genet 2021; 52:472-481. [PMID: 33970494 PMCID: PMC8360191 DOI: 10.1111/age.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) is a powerful method for unravelling the genetic background of selected traits and improving early-stage predictions. In honey bees (Apis mellifera), past genetic analyses have particularly focused on individual queens and workers. In this study, we used pooled whole-genome sequences to ascertain the genetic variation of the entire colony. In total, we sampled 216 Apis mellifera mellifera and 28 Apis mellifera carnica colonies. Different experts subjectively assessed the gentleness and calmness of the colonies using a standardised protocol. Conducting a GWAS for calmness on 211 purebred A. m. mellifera colonies, we identified three QTL, on chromosomes 8, 6, and 12. The two first QTL correspond to LOC409692 gene, coding for a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10, and to Abscam gene, coding for a Dscam family member Abscam protein, respectively. The last gene has been reported to be involved in the domestication of A. mellifera. The third QTL is located 13 kb upstream of LOC102655631, coding for a trehalose transporter. For gentleness, two QTL were identified on chromosomes 4 and 3. They are located within gene LOC413669, coding for a lap4 protein, and gene LOC413416, coding for a bicaudal C homolog 1-B protein, respectively. The identified positional candidate genes of both traits mainly affect the olfaction and nervous system of honey bees. Further research is needed to confirm the results and to better understand the genetic and phenotypic basis of calmness and gentleness.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Guichard
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Bern, 3003, Switzerland.,Agroscope, Animal GenoPhenomics, Rte de la Tioleyre 4, Posieux, 1725, Switzerland
| | - B Dainat
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Bern, 3003, Switzerland
| | - S Eynard
- GenPhySE, INRA, INPT, INPENVT, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, 31320, France.,UMT PrADE, Protection des Abeilles Dans l'Environnement, Avignon, 84914, France
| | - A Vignal
- GenPhySE, INRA, INPT, INPENVT, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, 31320, France.,UMT PrADE, Protection des Abeilles Dans l'Environnement, Avignon, 84914, France
| | - B Servin
- GenPhySE, INRA, INPT, INPENVT, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, 31320, France.,UMT PrADE, Protection des Abeilles Dans l'Environnement, Avignon, 84914, France
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- Domaine de Vilvert, Bat 224, CS80009, Jouy-en-Josas CEDEX, 78353, France
| | - M Neuditschko
- Agroscope, Animal GenoPhenomics, Rte de la Tioleyre 4, Posieux, 1725, Switzerland
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3
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Calfee E, Agra MN, Palacio MA, Ramírez SR, Coop G. Selection and hybridization shaped the rapid spread of African honey bee ancestry in the Americas. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009038. [PMID: 33075065 PMCID: PMC7595643 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent biological invasions offer 'natural' laboratories to understand the genetics and ecology of adaptation, hybridization, and range limits. One of the most impressive and well-documented biological invasions of the 20th century began in 1957 when Apis mellifera scutellata honey bees swarmed out of managed experimental colonies in Brazil. This newly-imported subspecies, native to southern and eastern Africa, both hybridized with and out-competed previously-introduced European honey bee subspecies. Populations of scutellata-European hybrid honey bees rapidly expanded and spread across much of the Americas in less than 50 years. We use broad geographic sampling and whole genome sequencing of over 300 bees to map the distribution of scutellata ancestry where the northern and southern invasions have presently stalled, forming replicated hybrid zones with European bee populations in California and Argentina. California is much farther from Brazil, yet these hybrid zones occur at very similar latitudes, consistent with the invasion having reached a climate barrier. At these range limits, we observe genome-wide clines for scutellata ancestry, and parallel clines for wing length that span hundreds of kilometers, supporting a smooth transition from climates favoring scutellata-European hybrid bees to climates where they cannot survive winter. We find no large effect loci maintaining exceptionally steep ancestry transitions. Instead, we find most individual loci have concordant ancestry clines across South America, with a build-up of somewhat steeper clines in regions of the genome with low recombination rates, consistent with many loci of small effect contributing to climate-associated fitness trade-offs. Additionally, we find no substantial reductions in genetic diversity associated with rapid expansions nor complete dropout of scutellata ancestry at any individual loci on either continent, which suggests that the competitive fitness advantage of scutellata ancestry at lower latitudes has a polygenic basis and that scutellata-European hybrid bees maintained large population sizes during their invasion. To test for parallel selection across continents, we develop a null model that accounts for drift in ancestry frequencies during the rapid expansion. We identify several peaks within a larger genomic region where selection has pushed scutellata ancestry to high frequency hundreds of kilometers past the present cline centers in both North and South America and that may underlie high-fitness traits driving the invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Calfee
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | | | - María Alejandra Palacio
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Balcarce, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad de Mar del Plata, Balcarce, Argentina
| | - Santiago R. Ramírez
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Graham Coop
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
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4
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De Nardin J, Buffon V, Revers LF, de Araújo AM. Association between molecular markers and behavioral phenotypes in the immatures of a butterfly. Genet Mol Biol 2018; 41:243-252. [PMID: 29583155 PMCID: PMC5913723 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2017-0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Newly hatched caterpillars of the butterfly Heliconius erato phyllis routinely cannibalize eggs. In a manifestation of kin recognition they cannibalize sibling eggs less frequently than unrelated eggs. Previous work has estimated the heritability of kin recognition in H. erato phyllis to lie between 14 and 48%. It has furthermore been shown that the inheritance of kin recognition is compatible with a quantitative model with a threshold. Here we present the results of a preliminary study, in which we tested for associations between behavioral kin recognition phenotypes and AFLP and SSR markers. We implemented two experimental approaches: (1) a cannibalism test using sibling eggs only, which allowed for only two behavioral outcomes (cannibal and non-cannibal), and (2) a cannibalism test using two sibling eggs and one unrelated egg, which allowed four outcomes [cannibal who does not recognize siblings, cannibal who recognizes siblings, "super-cannibal" (cannibal of both eggs), and "super non-cannibal" (does not cannibalize eggs at all)]. Single-marker analyses were performed using χ2 tests and logistic regression with null markers as covariates. Results of the χ2 tests identified 72 associations for experimental design 1 and 73 associations for design 2. Logistic regression analysis of the markers found to be significant in the χ2 test resulted in 20 associations for design 1 and 11 associations for design 2. Experiment 2 identified markers that were more frequently present or absent in cannibals who recognize siblings and super non-cannibals; i.e. in both phenotypes capable of kin recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janaína De Nardin
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Buffon
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular Vegetal, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Uva e Vinho, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) Uva e Vinho, Bento Gonçalves, RS, Brazil
| | - Luís Fernando Revers
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular Vegetal, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Uva e Vinho, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) Uva e Vinho, Bento Gonçalves, RS, Brazil
| | - Aldo Mellender de Araújo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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5
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Diao Q, Sun L, Zheng H, Zeng Z, Wang S, Xu S, Zheng H, Chen Y, Shi Y, Wang Y, Meng F, Sang Q, Cao L, Liu F, Zhu Y, Li W, Li Z, Dai C, Yang M, Chen S, Chen R, Zhang S, Evans JD, Huang Q, Liu J, Hu F, Su S, Wu J. Genomic and transcriptomic analysis of the Asian honeybee Apis cerana provides novel insights into honeybee biology. Sci Rep 2018; 8:822. [PMID: 29339745 PMCID: PMC5770391 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17338-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Asian honeybee Apis cerana is one of two bee species that have been commercially kept with immense economic value. Here we present the analysis of genomic sequence and transcriptomic exploration for A. cerana as well as the comparative genomic analysis of the Asian honeybee and the European honeybee A. mellifera. The genome and RNA-seq data yield new insights into the behavioral and physiological resistance to the parasitic mite Varroa the evolution of antimicrobial peptides, and the genetic basis for labor division in A. cerana. Comparison of genes between the two sister species revealed genes specific to A. cerana, 54.5% of which have no homology to any known proteins. The observation that A. cerana displayed significantly more vigilant grooming behaviors to the presence of Varroa than A. mellifera in conjunction with gene expression analysis suggests that parasite-defensive grooming in A. cerana is likely triggered not only by exogenous stimuli through visual and olfactory detection of the parasite, but also by genetically endogenous processes that periodically activates a bout of grooming to remove the ectoparasite. This information provides a valuable platform to facilitate the traits unique to A. cerana as well as those shared with other social bees for health improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyun Diao
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10093, China
| | - Liangxian Sun
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Molecular Biology and Pharmacology Key Laboratory of Fujian Advanced Education, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou, Fujian, 362000, China
| | - Huajun Zheng
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Zhijiang Zeng
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330045, China
| | - Shengyue Wang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Shufa Xu
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10093, China
| | - Huoqing Zheng
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yanping Chen
- USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Shi
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330045, China
| | - Yuezhu Wang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Fei Meng
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Qingliang Sang
- Molecular Biology and Pharmacology Key Laboratory of Fujian Advanced Education, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou, Fujian, 362000, China
| | - Lianfei Cao
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Fang Liu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yongqiang Zhu
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Wenfeng Li
- USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA
| | - Zhiguo Li
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Congjie Dai
- Molecular Biology and Pharmacology Key Laboratory of Fujian Advanced Education, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou, Fujian, 362000, China
| | - Minjun Yang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Shenglu Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Runsheng Chen
- Bioinformatics Laboratory and National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shaowu Zhang
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, Research School of Biology, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Jay D Evans
- USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA
| | - Qiang Huang
- USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA
| | - Fuliang Hu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Songkun Su
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. .,College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
| | - Jie Wu
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10093, China.
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6
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Muñoz I, Henriques D, Jara L, Johnston JS, Chávez-Galarza J, De La Rúa P, Pinto MA. SNPs selected by information content outperform randomly selected microsatellite loci for delineating genetic identification and introgression in the endangered dark European honeybee (Apis mellifera mellifera). Mol Ecol Resour 2016; 17:783-795. [PMID: 27863055 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The honeybee (Apis mellifera) has been threatened by multiple factors including pests and pathogens, pesticides and loss of locally adapted gene complexes due to replacement and introgression. In western Europe, the genetic integrity of the native A. m. mellifera (M-lineage) is endangered due to trading and intensive queen breeding with commercial subspecies of eastern European ancestry (C-lineage). Effective conservation actions require reliable molecular tools to identify pure-bred A. m. mellifera colonies. Microsatellites have been preferred for identification of A. m. mellifera stocks across conservation centres. However, owing to high throughput, easy transferability between laboratories and low genotyping error, SNPs promise to become popular. Here, we compared the resolving power of a widely utilized microsatellite set to detect structure and introgression with that of different sets that combine a variable number of SNPs selected for their information content and genomic proximity to the microsatellite loci. Contrary to every SNP data set, microsatellites did not discriminate between the two lineages in the PCA space. Mean introgression proportions were identical across the two marker types, although at the individual level, microsatellites' performance was relatively poor at the upper range of Q-values, a result reflected by their lower precision. Our results suggest that SNPs are more accurate and powerful than microsatellites for identification of A. m. mellifera colonies, especially when they are selected by information content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Muñoz
- Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Sta. Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-855, Bragança, Portugal.,Área de Biología Animal, Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Dora Henriques
- Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Sta. Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-855, Bragança, Portugal.,Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Laura Jara
- Área de Biología Animal, Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - J Spencer Johnston
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2475, USA
| | - Julio Chávez-Galarza
- Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Sta. Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-855, Bragança, Portugal
| | - Pilar De La Rúa
- Área de Biología Animal, Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - M Alice Pinto
- Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Sta. Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-855, Bragança, Portugal
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7
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Gibson JD, Arechavaleta-Velasco ME, Tsuruda JM, Hunt GJ. Biased Allele Expression and Aggression in Hybrid Honeybees may be Influenced by Inappropriate Nuclear-Cytoplasmic Signaling. Front Genet 2015; 6:343. [PMID: 26648977 PMCID: PMC4664729 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybrid effects are often exhibited asymmetrically between reciprocal families. One way this could happen is if silencing of one parent’s allele occurs in one lineage but not the other, which could affect the phenotypes of the hybrids asymmetrically by silencing that allele in only one of the hybrid families. We have previously tested for allele-specific expression biases in hybrids of European and Africanized honeybees and we found that there was an asymmetric overabundance of genes showing a maternal bias in the family with a European mother. Here, we further analyze allelic bias in these hybrids to ascertain whether they may underlie previously described asymmetries in metabolism and aggression in similar hybrid families and we speculate on what mechanisms may produce this biased allele usage. We find that there are over 500 genes that have some form of biased allele usage and over 200 of these are biased toward the maternal allele but only in the family with European maternity, mirroring the pattern observed for aggression and metabolic rate. This asymmetrically biased set is enriched for genes in loci associated with aggressive behavior and also for mitochondrial-localizing proteins. It contains many genes that play important roles in metabolic regulation. Moreover we find genes relating to the piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway, which is involved in chromatin modifications and epigenetic regulation and may help explain the mechanism underlying this asymmetric allele use. Based on these findings and previous work investigating aggression and metabolism in bees, we propose a novel hypothesis; that the asymmetric pattern of biased allele usage in these hybrids is a result of inappropriate use of piRNA-mediated nuclear-cytoplasmic signaling that is normally used to modulate aggression in honeybees. This is the first report of widespread asymmetric effects on allelic expression in hybrids and may represent a novel mechanism for gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Gibson
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA
| | - Miguel E Arechavaleta-Velasco
- CENID-Fisiología y Mejoramiento Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias México, Mexico
| | | | - Greg J Hunt
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA
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8
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Lattorff HMG, Moritz RF. Genetic underpinnings of division of labor in the honeybee (Apis mellifera). Trends Genet 2013; 29:641-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2013.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Revised: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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9
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Abstract
William D. Hamilton postulated the existence of 'genes underlying altruism', under the rubric of inclusive fitness theory, a half-century ago. Such genes are now poised for discovery. In this article, we develop a set of intuitive criteria for the recognition and analysis of genes for altruism and describe the first candidate genes affecting altruism from social insects and humans. We also provide evidence from a human population for genetically based trade-offs, underlain by oxytocin-system polymorphisms, between alleles for altruism and alleles for non-social cognition. Such trade-offs between self-oriented and altruistic behaviour may influence the evolution of phenotypic diversity across all social animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham J Thompson
- Department of Biology, Western University, , 1151 Richmond St. North, London, Ontario, Canada , N6A 5B7
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10
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Zayed A, Robinson GE. Understanding the relationship between brain gene expression and social behavior: lessons from the honey bee. Annu Rev Genet 2012; 46:591-615. [PMID: 22994354 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-110711-155517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Behavior is a complex phenotype that is plastic and evolutionarily labile. The advent of genomics has revolutionized the field of behavioral genetics by providing tools to quantify the dynamic nature of brain gene expression in relation to behavioral output. The honey bee Apis mellifera provides an excellent platform for investigating the relationship between brain gene expression and behavior given both the remarkable behavioral repertoire expressed by members of its intricate society and the degree to which behavior is influenced by heredity and the social environment. Here, we review a linked series of studies that assayed changes in honey bee brain transcriptomes associated with natural and experimentally induced changes in behavioral state. These experiments demonstrate that brain gene expression is closely linked with behavior, that changes in brain gene expression mediate changes in behavior, and that the association between specific genes and behavior exists over multiple timescales, from physiological to evolutionary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amro Zayed
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada.
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11
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Shorter JR, Arechavaleta-Velasco M, Robles-Rios C, Hunt GJ. A genetic analysis of the stinging and guarding behaviors of the honey bee. Behav Genet 2012; 42:663-74. [PMID: 22327626 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-012-9530-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2011] [Accepted: 01/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In order to identify genes that are influencing defensive behaviors, we have taken a new approach by dissecting colony-level defensive behavior into individual behavioral measurements using two families containing backcross workers from matings involving European and Africanized bees. We removed the social context from stinging behavior by using a laboratory assay to measure the stinging response of individual bees. A mild shock was given to bees using a constant-current stimulator. The time it took bees to sting in response to this stimulus was recorded. In addition, bees that were seen performing guard behaviors at the hive entrance were collected. We performed QTL mapping in two backcross families with SNP probes within genes and identified two new QTL regions for stinging behavior and another QTL region for guarding behavior. We also identified several candidate genes involved in neural signaling, neural development and muscle development that may be influencing stinging and guarding behaviors. The lack of overlap between these regions and previous defensive behavior QTL underscores the complexity of this behavior and increases our understanding of its genetic architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Shorter
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 West State St, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA.
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12
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Abstract
Aggressive behavior is widely present throughout the animal kingdom and is crucial to ensure survival and reproduction. Aggressive actions serve to acquire territory, food, or mates and in defense against predators or rivals; while in some species these behaviors are involved in establishing a social hierarchy. Aggression is a complex behavior, influenced by a broad range of genetic and environmental factors. Recent studies in Drosophila provide insight into the genetic basis and control of aggression. The state of the art on aggression in Drosophila and the many opportunities provided by this model organism to unravel the genetic and neurobiological basis of aggression are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liesbeth Zwarts
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Developmental Genetics, K.U. Leuven Center for Human Genetics, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, Leuven, Belgium
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13
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Honey bee aggression supports a link between gene regulation and behavioral evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:15400-5. [PMID: 19706434 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0907043106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A prominent theory states that animal phenotypes arise by evolutionary changes in gene regulation, but the extent to which this theory holds true for behavioral evolution is not known. Because "nature and nurture" are now understood to involve hereditary and environmental influences on gene expression, we studied whether environmental influences on a behavioral phenotype, i.e., aggression, could have evolved into inherited differences via changes in gene expression. Here, with microarray analysis of honey bees, we show that aggression-related genes with inherited patterns of brain expression are also environmentally regulated. There were expression differences in the brain for hundreds of genes between the highly aggressive Africanized honey bee compared with European honey bee (EHB) subspecies. Similar results were obtained for EHB in response to exposure to alarm pheromone (which provokes aggression) and when comparing old and young bees (aggressive tendencies increase with age). There was significant overlap of the gene lists generated from these three microarray experiments. Moreover, there was statistical enrichment of several of the same cis regulatory motifs in promoters of genes on all three gene lists. Aggression shows a remarkably robust brain molecular signature regardless of whether it occurs because of inherited, age-related, or environmental (social) factors. It appears that one element in the evolution of different degrees of aggressive behavior in honey bees involved changes in regulation of genes that mediate the response to alarm pheromone.
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Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci and candidate genes influencing ethanol sensitivity in honey bees. Behav Genet 2008; 38:531-53. [PMID: 18661223 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-008-9218-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2007] [Accepted: 07/14/2008] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Invertebrate models have greatly furthered our understanding of ethanol sensitivity and alcohol addiction. The honey bee (Apis mellifera), a widely used behavioral model, is valuable for comparative studies. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping experiment was designed to identify QTL and genes influencing ethanol vapor sensitivity. A backcross mating between ethanol-sensitive and resistant lines resulted in worker offspring that were tested for sensitivity to the sedative effects of alcohol. A linkage map was constructed with over 500 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and sequence-tagged site (STS) markers. Four QTL were identified from three linkage groups with log of odds ratio (LOD) scores of 2.28, 2.26, 2.23, and 2.02. DNA from markers within and near QTL were cloned and sequenced, and this data was utilized to integrate our map with the physical honey bee genome. Many candidate genes were identified that influence synaptic transmission, neuronal growth, and detoxification. Others affect lipid synthesis, apoptosis, alcohol metabolism, cAMP signaling, and electron transport. These results are relevant because they present the first search for QTL that affect resistance to acute ethanol exposure in an invertebrate, could be useful for comparative genomic purposes, and lend credence to the use of honey bees as biomedical models of alcohol metabolism and sensitivity.
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Ammons AD, Hunt GJ. Characterization of honey bee sensitivity to ethanol vapor and its correlation with aggression. Alcohol 2008; 42:129-36. [PMID: 18358992 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2007.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2007] [Revised: 11/29/2007] [Accepted: 12/10/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Several candidate genes identified from quantitative trait loci (QTL) for defensive behavior in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are homologous to genes known to influence ethanol sensitivity in other organisms. To investigate this possible link between aggression/defense and ethanol sensitivity, assays were developed to evaluate ethanol vapor responses in worker bees from a low-defensive (gentle) colony and a high-defensive colony. Defensive workers exhibited characteristic signs of ethanol-induced sedation significantly faster than gentle workers upon exposure to ethanol vapor. Backcross workers displayed ethanol sensitivity intermediate to the parental defensive and gentle lines, suggesting a genetic basis for the trait. Workers were screened with sequence-tagged site markers linked to three defensive-behavior QTL and their genotypes were tested for associations with ethanol sensitivity. There were no significant associations, indicating that the defensive QTL were not having a pleiotropic effect on ethanol sensitivity. It is possible that gentle-source alleles at these QTL are dominant with respect to sensitivity, one or more of these QTL were not segregating in the backcross family, or unidentified QTL are influencing alcohol sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Ammons
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA. ammons.unlv.nevada.edu
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Uribe-Rubio JL, Guzmán-Novoa E, Vázquez-Peláez CG, Hunt GJ. Genotype, Task Specialization, and Nest Environment Influence the Stinging Response Thresholds of Individual Africanized and European Honeybees to Electrical Stimulation. Behav Genet 2007; 38:93-100. [DOI: 10.1007/s10519-007-9177-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2007] [Accepted: 10/15/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Hunt GJ. Flight and fight: a comparative view of the neurophysiology and genetics of honey bee defensive behavior. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2007; 53:399-410. [PMID: 17379239 PMCID: PMC2606975 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2007.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2006] [Revised: 01/10/2007] [Accepted: 01/16/2007] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Honey bee nest defense involves guard bees that specialize in olfaction-based nestmate recognition and alarm-pheromone-mediated recruitment of nestmates to sting. Stinging is influenced by visual, tactile and olfactory stimuli. Both quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and behavioral studies point to guarding behavior as a key factor in colony stinging response. Results of reciprocal F1 crosses show that paternally inherited genes have a greater influence on colony stinging response than maternally inherited genes. The most active alarm pheromone component, isoamyl acetate (IAA) causes increased respiration and may induce stress analgesia in bees. IAA primes worker bees for 'fight or flight', possibly through actions of neuropeptides and/or biogenic amines. Studies of aggression in other species lead to an expectation that octopamine or 5-HT might play a role in honey bee defensive response. Genome sequence and QTL mapping identified 128 candidate genes for three regions known to influence defensive behavior. Comparative bioinformatics suggest possible roles of genes involved in neurogenesis and central nervous system (CNS) activity, and genes involved in sensory tuning through G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), such as an arrestin (AmArr4) and the metabotropic GABA(B) receptor (GABA-B-R1).
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Affiliation(s)
- G J Hunt
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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Hunt GJ, Amdam GV, Schlipalius D, Emore C, Sardesai N, Williams CE, Rueppell O, Guzmán-Novoa E, Arechavaleta-Velasco M, Chandra S, Fondrk MK, Beye M, Page RE. Behavioral genomics of honeybee foraging and nest defense. Naturwissenschaften 2006; 94:247-67. [PMID: 17171388 PMCID: PMC1829419 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-006-0183-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2006] [Revised: 10/08/2006] [Accepted: 10/16/2006] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The honeybee has been the most important insect species for study of social behavior. The recently released draft genomic sequence for the bee will accelerate honeybee behavioral genetics. Although we lack sufficient tools to manipulate this genome easily, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that influence natural variation in behavior have been identified and tested for their effects on correlated behavioral traits. We review what is known about the genetics and physiology of two behavioral traits in honeybees, foraging specialization (pollen versus nectar), and defensive behavior, and present evidence that map-based cloning of genes is more feasible in the bee than in other metazoans. We also present bioinformatic analyses of candidate genes within QTL confidence intervals (CIs). The high recombination rate of the bee made it possible to narrow the search to regions containing only 17–61 predicted peptides for each QTL, although CIs covered large genetic distances. Knowledge of correlated behavioral traits, comparative bioinformatics, and expression assays facilitated evaluation of candidate genes. An overrepresentation of genes involved in ovarian development and insulin-like signaling components within pollen foraging QTL regions suggests that an ancestral reproductive gene network was co-opted during the evolution of foraging specialization. The major QTL influencing defensive/aggressive behavior contains orthologs of genes involved in central nervous system activity and neurogenesis. Candidates at the other two defensive-behavior QTLs include modulators of sensory signaling (Am5HT7 serotonin receptor, AmArr4 arrestin, and GABA-B-R1 receptor). These studies are the first step in linking natural variation in honeybee social behavior to the identification of underlying genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg J. Hunt
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Gro V. Amdam
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 87451, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501 USA
| | - David Schlipalius
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Christine Emore
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Nagesh Sardesai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Christie E. Williams
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Crop Production and Pest Control Research Unit, USDA-ARS, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
| | - Olav Rueppell
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, 105 Eberhart Bldg., Greensboro, NC 27402 USA
| | - Ernesto Guzmán-Novoa
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, N1G 2W1 Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Sathees Chandra
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL 60605 USA
| | - M. Kim Fondrk
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 87451, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501 USA
| | - Martin Beye
- Institut fuer Genetik, Heinrich-Heine Universitaet Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Robert E. Page
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 87451, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501 USA
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Abstract
Insects comprise the largest species composition in the entire animal kingdom and possess a vast undiscovered genetic diversity and gene pool that can be better explored using molecular marker techniques. Current trends of application of DNA marker techniques in diverse domains of insect ecological studies show that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), microsatellites, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), expressed sequence tags (EST) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers have contributed significantly for progresses towards understanding genetic basis of insect diversity and for mapping medically and agriculturally important genes and quantitative trait loci in insect pests. Apart from these popular marker systems, other novel approaches including transposon display, sequence-specific amplification polymorphism (S-SAP), repeat-associated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) markers have been identified as alternate marker systems in insect studies. Besides, whole genome microarray and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays are becoming more popular to screen genome-wide polymorphisms in fast and cost effective manner. However, use of such methodologies has not gained widespread popularity in entomological studies. The current study highlights the recent trends of applications of molecular markers in insect studies and explores the technological advancements in molecular marker tools and modern high throughput genotyping methodologies that may be applied in entomological researches for better understanding of insect ecology at molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanta K Behura
- Department of Entomology, 505 S Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
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20
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Mitchell
- Anne Mitchell is the clinical specialist for the medical intensive care unit and the emergency department and supervises advanced practice nurses at Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz
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Fujiyuki T, Takeuchi H, Ono M, Ohka S, Sasaki T, Nomoto A, Kubo T. Kakugo virus from brains of aggressive worker honeybees. Adv Virus Res 2006; 65:1-27. [PMID: 16387192 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3527(05)65001-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Fujiyuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
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22
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Buitenhuis A, Rodenburg T, Siwek M, Cornelissen S, Nieuwland M, Crooijmans R, Groenen M, Koene P, Bovenhuis H, van der Poel J. Quantitative trait loci for behavioural traits in chickens. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livprodsci.2004.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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23
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Guzman-Novoa E, Hunt GJ, Page RE, Uribe-Rubio JL, Prieto-Merlos D, Becerra-Guzman F. Paternal effects on the defensive behavior of honeybees. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 96:376-80. [PMID: 15743904 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esi038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The defensive behavior of 52 hybrid honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies from four sets of crosses was studied and compared with that of European and Africanized bee colonies. Colonies containing F(1) hybrid workers were obtained through reciprocal crosses between European and Africanized bees. The total number of stings deposited by workers in a moving leather patch in 1 min was recorded. In each of the four sets of crosses, bees from hybrid colonies of Africanized paternity left more stings in leather patches than bees from hybrid colonies of European paternity. Results strongly suggest paternal effects of African origin increasing the defensive behavior of hybrid colonies. Although some degree of dominance was observed for high-defensive behavior in one of the four sets of crosses involving European paternity, most of the dominance effects reported in the literature appear to be the result of paternal effects. Several hypotheses to explain this phenomenon, as well as the implications of these effects on the fitness and breeding of honeybees are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Guzman-Novoa
- Dept Environmental Biology, Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2WI, Canada.
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Lobo NF, Ton LQ, Hill CA, Emore C, Romero-Severson J, Hunt GJ, Collins FH. Genomic analysis in the sting-2 quantitative trait locus for defensive behavior in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Genome Res 2004; 13:2588-93. [PMID: 14656966 PMCID: PMC403800 DOI: 10.1101/gr.1634503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We have sequenced an 81-kb genomic region from the honey bee, Apis mellifera, associated with a quantitative trait locus (QTL) sting-2 for aggressive behavior. This sequence represents the first extensive study of the honey-bee genome structure encompassing putative genes in a QTL for a behavioral trait. Expression of 13 putative genes, as well as two transcripts that were present in a honey-bee EST database, was confirmed through reverse transcription analysis of mRNA from the honey-bee head. Whereas most transcripts exhibited little or no variation between European and Africanized honey-bee alleles, one transcript demonstrated significant nonsynonymous substitutions, deletions, and insertions. All 13 putative genes lacked similarity to known invertebrate or vertebrate proteins or transcripts. This observation may be reflective of the processes that determine the genomic evolution of an insect with social behavior and/or haplo-diploidy and are an indication of the unique nature of the honey-bee genome. These results make this sequence an invaluable research tool for the ongoing honey-bee whole-genome sequencing effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil F Lobo
- Indiana Center for Insect Genomics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
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25
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Breed MD, Guzmán-Novoa E, Hunt GJ. Defensive behavior of honey bees: organization, genetics, and comparisons with other bees. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2004; 49:271-98. [PMID: 14651465 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ento.49.061802.123155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
One key advantage of eusociality is shared defense of the nest, brood, and stored food; nest defense plays an important role in the biology of eusocial bees. Recent studies on honey bees, Apis mellifera, have focused on the placement of defensive activity in the overall scheme of division of labor, showing that guard bees play a unique and important role in colony defense. Alarm pheromones function in integrating defensive responses; honey bee alarm pheromone is an excellent example of a multicomponent pheromonal blend. The genetic regulation of defensive behavior is now better understood from the mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with variation in defensiveness. Colony defense in other eusocial bees is less well understood, but enough information is available to provide interesting comparisons between A. mellifera and other species of Apis, as well as with allodapine, halictine, bombine, and meliponine bees. These comparative studies illustrate the wide variety of evolutionary solutions to problems in colony defense in the Apoidea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Breed
- Department of Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0334, USA.
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