Abstract
Bumblebees such as Bombus terrestris are essential pollinators in natural and managed ecosystems. In addition, this species is intensively used in agriculture for its pollination services, for instance in tomato and pepper greenhouses. Here we performed a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis on B. terrestris using 136 microsatellite DNA markers to identify genes linked with 20 traits including light sensitivity, body size and mass, and eye and hind leg measures. By composite interval mapping (IM), we found 83 and 34 suggestive QTLs for 19 of the 20 traits at the linkage group wide significance levels of p = 0.05 and 0.01, respectively. Furthermore, we also found five significant QTLs at the genome wide significant level of p = 0.05. Individual QTLs accounted for 7.5-53.3% of the phenotypic variation. For 15 traits, at least one QTL was confirmed with multiple QTL model mapping. Multivariate principal components analysis confirmed 11 univariate suggestive QTLs but revealed three suggestive QTLs not identified by the individual traits. We also identified several candidate genes linked with light sensitivity, in particular the Phosrestin-1-like gene is a primary candidate for its phototransduction function. In conclusion, we believe that the suggestive and significant QTLs, and markers identified here, can be of use in marker-assisted breeding to improve selection towards light sensitive bumblebees, and thus also the pollination service of bumblebees.
Highlights
Bumblebees are essential pollinators in natural and managed ecosystems [1,2]
By composite interval mapping (IM) we found 5 significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) and 83 suggestive QTLs for 19 of the 20 traits evaluated (Table 3), with the only exception being for critical light sensitivity (CLS) under UV light conditions
As UV light is important for bumblebee foraging [47] and UV receptors are present in bumblebees [48], loci linked with UV detection could be under strong
Summary
Bumblebees are essential pollinators in natural and managed ecosystems [1,2] Several bumblebee species, such as the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris L., are used worldwide in greenhouses for the pollination of different crops [3]. QTLs for Light Sensitivity and Body Size in B. terrestris intensity and spectral composition, bumblebees have troubles finding their way back to the colony and have decreased foraging activity [4,5,6,7,8]. Bumblebee performance in greenhouses with artificial light could be enhanced by selection towards more light sensitive bumblebees. Larger bumblebees have bigger eyes which should have better light perception and should be more light sensitive [9,10]. Other morphological parameters, such as larger photoreceptors (rhabdomeres), better molecular photon capture, signal transduction and neuronal composition can play a more important role in optimizing light perception [12] as has been discussed by Warrant [13] and Kapustjanskij et al [9]
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