Vitellogenin expression in the ovaries of adult honeybee workers provides insights into the evolution of reproductive and social traits.
Insect Mol Biol
; 30(3): 277-286, 2021 06.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33427366
Social insects are notable for having two female castes that exhibit extreme differences in their reproductive capacity. The molecular basis of these differences is largely unknown. Vitellogenin (Vg) is a powerful antioxidant and insulin-signalling regulator used in oocyte development. Here we investigate how Royal Jelly (the major food of honeybee queens) and queen mandibular pheromone (a major regulator of worker fertility), affect the longevity and reproductive status of honey bee workers, the expression of Vg, its receptor VgR and associated regulatory proteins. We find that Vg is expressed in the ovaries of workers and that workers fed a queen diet of Royal Jelly have increased Vg expression in the ovaries. Surprisingly, we find that expression of Vg is not associated with ovary activation in workers, suggesting that this gene has potentially acquired non-reproductive functions. Therefore, Vg expression in the ovaries of honeybee workers provides further support for the Ovarian Ground Plan Hypothesis, which argues that genes implicated in the regulation of reproduction have been co-opted to regulate behavioural differences between queens and workers.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Abelhas
/
Vitelogeninas
/
Expressão Gênica
/
Proteínas de Insetos
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Evolução Biológica
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Características de História de Vida
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Insect Mol Biol
Assunto da revista:
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Brasil
País de publicação:
Reino Unido