Free amino acids in the haemolymph of honey bee queens (Apis mellifera L.)

In queen honey bees the free amino acid content in the haemolymph clearly depends on the physiological function and social environment of the individual. While in drones and workers the content of free amino acids increases after emergence until it reaches a peak in 5-day-old animals and decreases afterwards, the amino acid content in queens reaches its highest level (>60 nmol/ microl haemolymph) with the onset of egg laying (10 d of age). This level is about 2.5 times more than the highest level found in workers. Queens maintain this high level also when they are older (>30 d) and continue to lay eggs in average colonies. As in drones and workers, in queens the predominant amino acid is proline, which accounts for more than 50% of the total content of free amino acids in egg-laying individuals. When 10-day-old queens are prevented from mating and do not lay eggs, their amino acid content is significantly lower compared to laying queens of the same age. Also the social environment influences the contents of free amino acids in queens. When virgin queens were kept for 6 days with 20 worker bees and sufficient honey and pollen in an incubator, they had significantly lower concentrations of amino acids than virgin queens living for the same period with about 8000 workers in a colony. Most probably, the high amino acid concentration in the haemolymph is the basis for the high protein synthesis activity of laying queens.