Transcription Analysis Of Hexamerin In Different Development Stage Of Honeybee (Apis Mellifera)

Abstract:Hexamerin genes play a vital role in honeybee development and caste differentiation. Four hexamerin genes named as hex110, hex70a, hex70b, hex70c were screened from the honeybee genome. To study the expression pattern of in three honeybee castes, expression level of hex genes in honeybee with different developmental stages were detected and quantified by RT-qPCR method. The four genes were highly transcribed in larval, low ranscribed in pupae and adult bees. The expression was depend on the developmental stages of the bees. The expression pattern of hex70a, hex70b and hex70c are consistent in worker and drone larvae. The three genes are all reach its peak level in5-day-old feeding workers larvae and drones larvae, followed by a remarked decrease in the larvae-pupae transition. In queens, hex110and hex70c were maximal transcripted at the subsequent spinning phase (L5S). The expression of hex70a and hex70c are higher in larvae than in drone, while the expression of hex70b was slightly higher than that in worker bees with the same developmental stage. The expression of hex70b would increase significantly both in worker and drones when in pupal stage. Such a result is meaningful for understanding the biological function of hex gene in honeybee, and will play a base role for future further research.