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Published on: July 25, 2013
Molecular characterization of MRJP3, highly polymorphic protein of honeybee (Apis mellifera) royal jelly
S Albert1, J Klaudiny, J Simúth
1Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic. salbert@gwdg.de
Abstract:
Major proteins of honey bee (Apis mellifera) royal jelly are members of the MRJP protein family. One MRJP protein termed MRJP3 exhibits a size polymorphism as detected by SDS-PAGE. In this report we show that polymorphism of the MRJP3 protein is a consequence of the polymorphism of a region with a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) located at the C-terminal part of the MRJP3 coding region. We present the characterization of five polymorphic alleles of MRJP3 by DNA sequencing. By PCR analyses, at least 10 alleles of distinct sizes were found in randomly sampled bees. Studies with nurse bees from a single honeybee colony revealed both Mendelian inheritance and very high variability of the MRJP3 genomic locus. The high variability and simple detection of the MRJP3 polymorphism may be useful for genotyping of individuals in studies of the honeybee.
Insights
Honey bee royal jelly
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Entomology
Background:
- Major Royal Jelly Proteins (MRJP) are key components of honey bee secretions.
- MRJP3, a specific protein, shows size variation detectable by SDS-PAGE.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic basis of MRJP3 size polymorphism in honey bees (Apis mellifera).
- To characterize the polymorphic alleles and assess the variability of the MRJP3 locus.
Main Methods:
- DNA sequencing to characterize MRJP3 alleles.
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to detect size variation in a larger bee sample.
- Analysis of inheritance patterns in nurse bees.
Main Results:
- MRJP3 polymorphism is caused by a Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (VNTR) region at the C-terminus.
- Five alleles were characterized by sequencing, and at least 10 distinct sizes were detected by PCR in sampled bees.
- The MRJP3 locus exhibits Mendelian inheritance and high variability within a single colony.
Conclusions:
- The MRJP3 protein's size polymorphism is directly linked to VNTR region variation.
- The MRJP3 locus is highly polymorphic and heritable in honey bees.
- This MRJP3 polymorphism offers a valuable tool for honey bee genotyping and population studies.
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