RESUMEN
To investigate the effects of two nectar nonprotein amino acids, ß-alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), on Osmia bicornis survival and locomotion, two groups of caged bees were fed with sugar syrup enriched with ß-alanine and GABA, respectively. A further control group was fed with sugar syrup. Five behavioural categories were chosen according to the principle of parsimony and intrinsic unitary consistency from start to end, and recorded by scan sampling: two states (remaining under paper or in tubes) and three events (walking on net, feeding from flower and flying). We also analysed the amino acid content of haemolymph sampled from an additional 45 bees fed the same diets (15 per diet type). Bees fed with ß-alanine had a significantly shorter survival time than those fed with the control and GABA diets. The GABA diet induced higher levels of locomotion than ß-alanine. The former nonprotein amino acid was only detected in the haemolymph of bees fed GABA. The results suggest that insects consuming nonprotein amino-acid-rich diets absorb and transfer these substances to the haemolymph and that nonprotein amino acids affect survival and locomotion. Ecological consequences are discussed in the framework of plant reproductive biology.
Asunto(s)
Abejas/fisiología , Locomoción , beta-Alanina/fisiología , Ácido gamma-Aminobutírico/fisiología , Animales , Femenino , Hemolinfa/metabolismo , MortalidadAsunto(s)
Anticuerpos Monoclonales/inmunología , Desmogleína 1/metabolismo , Enfermedades de los Caballos/patología , Inmunohistoquímica/veterinaria , Pénfigo/veterinaria , Animales , Biopsia/veterinaria , Western Blotting/veterinaria , Desmogleína 1/inmunología , Desmogleína 1/aislamiento & purificación , Enfermedades de los Caballos/diagnóstico , Enfermedades de los Caballos/inmunología , Caballos , Inmunohistoquímica/métodos , Pénfigo/diagnóstico , Pénfigo/inmunología , Pénfigo/patología , Piel/inmunología , Piel/patología , Especificidad de la EspecieRESUMEN
The expression of chemosensory proteins (CSPs) and odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) in individuals of different castes and ages have been monitored in three species of social hymenopterans, Polistes dominulus (Hymenoptera, Vespidae), Vespa crabro (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) and Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae), using PCR with specific primers and polyclonal antibodies. In the paper wasp P. dominulus, OBP is equally expressed in antennae, wings and legs of all castes and ages, while CSP is often specifically present in antennae and in some cases also in legs. In the vespine species V. crabro CSP is antennal specific, while OBP is also expressed in legs and wings. The three CSPs and the five OBPs of A. mellifera show a complex pattern of expression, where both classes of proteins include members specifically expressed in antennae and others present in other parts of the body. These data indicate that at least in some hymenopteran species CSPs are specifically expressed in antennae and could perform roles in chemosensory perception so far assigned only to OBPs.
Asunto(s)
Himenópteros/genética , Receptores Odorantes/genética , Avispas/genética , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Secuencia de Bases , Clonación Molecular , Cartilla de ADN , Femenino , Masculino , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa , Receptores Odorantes/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Alineación de Secuencia , Homología de Secuencia de AminoácidoRESUMEN
1. Eight new proteins have been identified and purified from the nasal tissue of the old-world porcupine. 2. All of them show good binding activity to tritiated 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine. 3. They show values of molecular mass, in denaturing conditions, between 18 and 23 kDa, and of isoelectric points between 4.2 and 4.6. 4. This represents the first example of more than two odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) found in the same animal species and could support a discriminating function of these proteins in the process of odour perception.