A dietary phytochemical alters caste-associated gene expression in honey bees

Wenfu Mao; Mary A. Schuler; May R. Berenbaum

doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500795

A dietary phytochemical alters caste-associated gene expression in honey bees

Wenfu Mao, Mary A. Schuler, May R. Berenbaum

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Abstract

In the eusocial honey bee Apis mellifera, with reproductive queens and sterile workers, a female larva's developmental fate depends on its diet; nurse bees feed queen-destined larvae exclusively royal jelly, a glandular secretion, but worker-destined larvae receive royal jelly for 3 days and subsequently jelly to which honey and beebread are added. RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that p-coumaric acid, which is ubiquitous in honey and beebread, differentially regulates genes involved in caste determination. Rearing larvae in vitro on a royal jelly diet to which p-coumaric acid has been added produces adults with reduced ovary development. Thus, consuming royal jelly exclusively not only enriches the diet of queen-destined larvae but also may protect them from inhibitory effects of phytochemicals present in the honey and beebread fed to worker-destined larvae.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e1500795
Journal	Science Advances
Volume	1
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500795
State	Published - Aug 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

Access to Document

10.1126/sciadv.1500795

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'A dietary phytochemical alters caste-associated gene expression in honey bees'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this

Mao, W., Schuler, M. A., & Berenbaum, M. R. (2015). A dietary phytochemical alters caste-associated gene expression in honey bees. Science Advances, 1(7), [e1500795]. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500795

@article{b71449a160c54915af335353c5e3d0f4,

title = "A dietary phytochemical alters caste-associated gene expression in honey bees",

abstract = "In the eusocial honey bee Apis mellifera, with reproductive queens and sterile workers, a female larva's developmental fate depends on its diet; nurse bees feed queen-destined larvae exclusively royal jelly, a glandular secretion, but worker-destined larvae receive royal jelly for 3 days and subsequently jelly to which honey and beebread are added. RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that p-coumaric acid, which is ubiquitous in honey and beebread, differentially regulates genes involved in caste determination. Rearing larvae in vitro on a royal jelly diet to which p-coumaric acid has been added produces adults with reduced ovary development. Thus, consuming royal jelly exclusively not only enriches the diet of queen-destined larvae but also may protect them from inhibitory effects of phytochemicals present in the honey and beebread fed to worker-destined larvae.",

author = "Wenfu Mao and Schuler, {Mary A.} and Berenbaum, {May R.}",

year = "2015",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1126/sciadv.1500795",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "1",

journal = "Science advances",

issn = "2375-2548",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "7",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A dietary phytochemical alters caste-associated gene expression in honey bees

AU - Mao, Wenfu

AU - Schuler, Mary A.

AU - Berenbaum, May R.

PY - 2015/8

Y1 - 2015/8

N2 - In the eusocial honey bee Apis mellifera, with reproductive queens and sterile workers, a female larva's developmental fate depends on its diet; nurse bees feed queen-destined larvae exclusively royal jelly, a glandular secretion, but worker-destined larvae receive royal jelly for 3 days and subsequently jelly to which honey and beebread are added. RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that p-coumaric acid, which is ubiquitous in honey and beebread, differentially regulates genes involved in caste determination. Rearing larvae in vitro on a royal jelly diet to which p-coumaric acid has been added produces adults with reduced ovary development. Thus, consuming royal jelly exclusively not only enriches the diet of queen-destined larvae but also may protect them from inhibitory effects of phytochemicals present in the honey and beebread fed to worker-destined larvae.

AB - In the eusocial honey bee Apis mellifera, with reproductive queens and sterile workers, a female larva's developmental fate depends on its diet; nurse bees feed queen-destined larvae exclusively royal jelly, a glandular secretion, but worker-destined larvae receive royal jelly for 3 days and subsequently jelly to which honey and beebread are added. RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that p-coumaric acid, which is ubiquitous in honey and beebread, differentially regulates genes involved in caste determination. Rearing larvae in vitro on a royal jelly diet to which p-coumaric acid has been added produces adults with reduced ovary development. Thus, consuming royal jelly exclusively not only enriches the diet of queen-destined larvae but also may protect them from inhibitory effects of phytochemicals present in the honey and beebread fed to worker-destined larvae.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85027834963&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85027834963&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/sciadv.1500795

DO - 10.1126/sciadv.1500795

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85027834963

VL - 1

JO - Science advances

JF - Science advances

SN - 2375-2548

IS - 7

M1 - e1500795

ER -