Abstract
Honeybee workers are essentially sterile female helpers that make up the majority of individuals in a colony. Workers display a marked change in physiology when they transition from in-nest tasks to foraging. Recent technological advances have made it possible to unravel the metabolic modifications associated with this transition. Previous studies have revealed extensive remodeling of brain, thorax, and hypopharyngeal gland biochemistry. However, data on changes in the abdomen is scarce. To narrow this gap we investigated the proteomic composition of abdominal tissue in the days typically preceding the onset of foraging in honeybee workers.In order to get a broader representation of possible protein dynamics, we used workers of two genotypes with differences in the age at which they initiate foraging. This approach was combined with RNA interference-mediated downregulation of an insulin/insulin-like signaling component that is central to foraging behavior, the insulin receptor substrate (irs), and with measurements of glucose and lipid levels.Our data provide new insight into the molecular underpinnings of phenotypic plasticity in the honeybee, invoke parallels with vertebrate metabolism, and support an integrated and irs-dependent association of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism with the transition from in-nest tasks to foraging.
Highlights
Many organisms undergo distinct shifts in life-history that are coupled to changes in their physiology
Two potential regulators of JH levels, juvenile hormone epoxide hydroxylase and a JH binding protein, were found at significantly lower levels in more mature bees. Since both juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase and juvenile hormone binding protein are theoretically capable of reducing circulating JH titers [53], we propose that the abdominal fat body plays a major role in regulating JH levels during the behavioral transition from nest to forager bees through JH binding and degradation
The increased lipid levels were accompanied by higher glucose levels, which are reminiscent of metabolic patterns in mice with disrupted IRS-2
Summary
Many organisms undergo distinct shifts in life-history that are coupled to changes in their physiology. Examples include changes of sex in fish [1], parasite adaptations to different hosts [2], and behavioral changes following mating in social insects [3,4]. Another prominent example is the transition from in-nest tasks to foraging in worker honeybees [5]. Thereafter, worker bees become foragers and leave the colony for daily trips to collect food [4] This behavioral change is linked to structural and biochemical alterations across the body [5]. Brain metabolism is altered in order to account for the dramatic change in task and environment [7,8,9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
