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A Maternal Effect on Queen Production in Honeybees
Hao Wei1, Xu Jiang He1, Chun Hua Liao1
1Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, P.R. of China.
Current Biology : CB
|June 25, 2019
Summary
Maternal effects, like egg size, significantly impact honeybee queen development. Queens lay larger eggs in queen cells, influencing queen morphology and physiology.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Insect Social Behavior
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Maternal effects are crucial for adaptive phenotypic plasticity.
- Honeybee castes (queen and worker) exhibit extreme phenotypic plasticity.
- Current understanding emphasizes environmental and dietary factors in honeybee caste determination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of maternal effects, specifically egg size, in honeybee queen development.
- To determine if egg size influences queen morphology and physiology.
- To explore the queen's active role in producing reproductive offspring.
Main Methods:
- Comparing honeybee queens developed from eggs of different sizes (queen vs. worker cells).
- Standardized rearing of larvae from different egg origins in artificial queen cells.
- Analyzing adult queen morphology (weight, ovariole number) and gene expression profiles.
Main Results:
- Queens laid significantly larger eggs in queen cells compared to worker cells.
- Adult queens originating from larger eggs (QE group) were heavier and had more ovarioles.
- Gene expression analysis revealed differential expression in genes related to hormonal signaling, development, and immunity.
Conclusions:
- Egg size is a significant maternal effect influencing honeybee queen phenotype.
- Queens actively influence gyne production by laying larger eggs in queen cells.
- This maternal provisioning impacts queen morphology, physiology, and potentially social structure.
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