Brain gene expression changes elicited by peripheral vitellogenin knockdown in the honey bee

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Molecular Biology
• Neurobiology

Background:

• Vitellogenin (Vg) is recognized as a yolk protein precursor.
• Vg also regulates behavioral maturation in adult honey bee workers through unknown molecular mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which Vg influences honey bee behavioral maturation.
• To explore the relationship between Vg, juvenile hormone (JH), and gene expression in the honey bee brain.

Main Methods:

• Abdominal vitellogenin (vg) knockdown using RNA interference (RNAi).
• Brain transcriptomic profiling to analyze gene expression changes.
• Comparison of gene expression changes induced by vg knockdown with natural maturation-related differences and JH regulation.

Main Results:

• Vg knockdown led to significant gene expression changes in the bee brain, particularly in energy metabolism pathways.
• Vg knockdown affected many genes also involved in natural maturation, but without correlated directionality.
• Vg knockdown significantly correlated with JH-regulated genes in both target genes and direction of change.

Conclusions:

• The regulatory relationship between JH and Vg in honey bee behavioral maturation is evident at the genomic level.
• JH and Vg likely act through common pathways to modulate brain gene expression and behavior.
• Vg's role extends beyond reproduction, impacting complex behaviors through neurogenomic regulation.