Immunochemical and electrophoretic identification of the vitellogenin proteins of the queen bee (Apis mellifera)

Abstract

1.1. Vitellogenin was localized in laying queens' and workers' ovaries and in eggs using antisera against emerging and laying queens' ovaries in double-diffusion, immunoelectrophoresis and radioimmunoelectrophoresis analyses.2.2. Vitellogenin was preparatively separated by polyacrylamide gradient (5–11%) gel electrophoresis as band X, and the eluate was used to prepare antiserum against vitellogenin.3.3. Vitellogenins were detected in the haemolymph of both laying and non-laying females of the two castes, but not in that of drones.4.4. Vitellogenin was separated by isoelectric focusing into 9 components with pI values between 5.9 and 7.2.5.5. Vitellogenin (band X) was separated into 26 components by SDS-polyacrylamide gradient (5–15%) gel electrophoresis.6.6. Female-specific proteins were present in the haemolymph of the two castes, but only a part of them were vitellogenins.7.7. Vitellogenins were found in the fat body and ovaries of laying queens, but not in those of emerging ones.8.8. No vitellogenin was found in royal jelly nor in the mid-gut of laying queens.