Color learning and memory in honey bees are not affected by protein synthesis inhibition

The role of protein synthesis was tested for memory formation after color learning in honey bees. Free flying bees were trained to a feeding place. Before the color conditioning started, foragers accustomed to flying to the feeding place received an injection of either cycloheximide in bee ringer or bee ringer alone into the brain. Afterward, the animals were trained appetitively to a specific colored target by three training trials. During the test situation, two targets with different colors and no reward were presented. The choice behavior toward the two targets was evaluated. The first test immediately followed the last trial, the second test 24 h later. A comparison between cycloheximide- and ringer-injected bees showed no significant difference in choice behavior in either test. Although the injection of cycloheximide causes the inhibition of protein synthesis (> 95%) for a period of 3 h, the memory for the learned color signal is not affected. These results corroborate those found for the olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex in bees (Wittstock, Kaatz, & Menzel, 1993, Menzel, Gaio, Gerberding, Nemrava, & Wittstock, 1993).