Analysis On Differentially Expressed Genes Associated With The Behavioral Transition In Apis Cerana Cerana And Apis Mellifera Ligustica Between Nurses And Foragers

Honeybee is acknowledged to be a model for studying the evolution of social behavior. Honeybee has complex division of labor, generally, honeybees take care of larva and queen in two weeks after emergence, while they start to forage nectar^ pollen and water when they are 17 days old. There are many factors which could be associated with the behavioral transition of honeybee, such as, age, physiology, gene expression and so on. We selected 22 genes that could influence the behavior transition, to find genes which may modulate the behavioral transition between nurses and foragers. Total RNA was extracted from nurses and foragers of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera, respectively. Real-time Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain (RT-qPCR) was used to detect differences in genes between nurses and foragers. The main results were summarized as follows: 1. Analysis on 22 genes expression in Apis cerana cerana between nurses and foragersWe selected randomly eight strong colonies of Apis cerana cerana, then we collected nurses and foragers from each colony. We analyzed the expression of 22 genes like mrjps from the heads of nurses and foragers by RT-qPCR. The result indicated that mrjp1、mrjp2、mrjp3、mrjp4、mrjp6、mrjp1、 Ache、Ant、LOC406114、 Hbg3、CSP3、Dop1、LOC406142、Jhe、Oal、Per、Mblk, Ef-1α-f1、TpnCⅢα、 TpnT、Wat have a significant differential expression between nurses and forages. 2. Analysis on 22 genes expression in Apis mellifera between nurses and foragersFive colonies of Apis mellifera were selected, then nurses and foragers were caught from every colony. RT-qPCR was used to detect difference in 22 genes between nurses and foragers. The results showed that mrjp1、mrjp2、mrjp3、mrjp4、 mrjp6、mrjp7、Ache、Ant、LOC406114、Hbg3、CSP3、Dop1、LOC406142、Jhe, Oa1、obp3、Per、Mblk、Ef-1α-f1、TpnCⅢα、TpnT、Wat were obviously differentially expressed between nurses and foragers 3. Comparison of 22 genes expression of heads in Apis cerana cerana and Apis mellifera between nurses and foragersOur study showed that all tested genes except obp3 had the similar expression in nurses and foragers head between Apis cerana and Apis mellifera, and the relative expression of mrjp1、mrjp2、mrjp3、mrjp4、mrjp7、Ant、Jhe、Wat were higher in nurses, while foragers have the higher expression on mrjp6、Ache、LOC406114、 LOC406142、Hbg3、CSP3、Per、TpnCⅢα、TpnT、DopI、Oal、Mblk-1、Ef-1α-f1 than nurses. And mrjp1、mrjp2、mrjp3、mrjp4、mrjp7、 Ache、Ant、LOC406114、 Hbg3、CSP3、Dop1、LOC406142、Jhe、Oal、Per、Mblk、Ef-1α-f1、TpnCⅢα、 TpnT and Wat were differentially expressed between nurses and foragers both in Apis cerana and Apis mellifera.