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Related Experiment Video

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Monitoring Colony-level Effects of Sublethal Pesticide Exposure on Honey Bees

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Published on: November 15, 2017

Alteration of Bumblebee Venom Composition toward Higher Elevation.

Nezahat Pınar Barkan¹, Mathieu Chevalier¹, Jean-Nicolas Pradervand²

¹Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland.

|December 22, 2019

Summary

Bumblebee venom composition changes with elevation. Key defensive proteins like phospholipase A2 decrease at higher, colder altitudes, potentially weakening their defense mechanisms in harsh environments.

Keywords:

PLA2-like bumblebee elevation mixed-effect model shot-gun proteomics venom

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Area of Science:

Zoology
Ecology
Biochemistry

Background:

Venomous animals utilize venom for predation or defense.
Bumblebees primarily use venom for defense and exhibit unique thermoregulatory properties.
Environmental factors like elevation can influence animal physiology and defense mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the venom composition of *Bombus pascuorum* along an elevation gradient in the Swiss Alps.
To determine if bumblebee defense mechanisms vary with environmental conditions across different altitudes.
To analyze proteomic variations in venom composition in response to temperature and humidity gradients.

Main Methods:

Exploratory analysis of bumblebee venom composition using shot-gun proteomic approaches.
Sampling of *Bombus pascuorum* venom along a defined elevation gradient in the western Swiss Alps.
Correlation analysis of venom proteomic data with environmental parameters (temperature, humidity).

Main Results:

Significant changes in bumblebee venom composition were observed along the elevation gradient.
Proteomic variations included altered abundances of pain-inducing and allergenic proteins.
The abundance of phospholipase A2-like, a major venom component, decreased with increasing elevation (lower temperatures).

Conclusions:

Bumblebee venom composition is altered by elevation, indicating adaptation to environmental conditions.
Decreased levels of key venom proteins at higher elevations suggest a potential reduction in defensive capabilities.
Further research with larger datasets is recommended to validate these findings on bumblebee venom adaptation.