Expression And Localization Analysis Of Odorant Receptor Genes AcerOr1 And AcerOrco In The Chinese Honeybee, Apis Cerana Cerana

The insect olfactory system is complicated and sensitive, which is the result of long-term evolution for insect to adapt to the complex environment. Insects seek for food, select habitat, exchange information between individuals and give birth to offspring by sensitive olfactory. Apis cerana cerana is an excellent native species in China, has the advantages of saving feed, cold-resistant and heat-resistant, resisting bee mite and American infant disease. It’s very suitable for pollinating the plants blossoming in winter and mountain areas and plays a very important role in maintaining the diversity of plants in China. Apis cerana cerana was chosen as the research material in the study, then AcerOrl and AcerOrco were researched at the level of mRNA and protein by qRT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry.Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression pattern of AcerOrl and AcerOrco mRNA in 5 tissues of nurse and forager bees.The result revealed AcerOrl, AcerOrco transcripts were detected in each tissue, but the most were in the antenna. In addition, the expression of the two genes in different tissues of forager bees is generally higher than that in nurse.Peptide segments of AcerOrl and AcerOrco were designed and synthesised based on the sequences of the two cDNA genes to make Polyclonal antibody. The relative expression of the two proteins in 5 tissues of nurse and forager bees were researched by Western-blot technology. The results showed that the protein expression of AcerOrl was the highest in the chest, while AcerOrco mainly express in head of nurse and forager.By immunohistochemical technique, cellular localization of the two odorant receptors in bee antenna was determined. The results showed that AcerOrl expressed mainly in neuronal cells of the sensilla placodea near the antennae epidermis, while the one of AcerOrco was detected both insensilla trihodea and sensilla placodea, which was relative to the role of co-receptor and its function.We focused on the research of the expression and localization of AcerOrl and AcerOrco to provide the scientific theory for the further exploration of the mechanism of olfactory receptor of the honeybee and for the revelation of the ability of searching for superior bee pollen.