Behavior and Genetics of Social Insects Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Insect Mol Biol. 2012 Dec;21(6):558-67. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2012.01159.x. Epub 2012 Sep 18.
A queen honey bee mates at ∼6 days of age, storing the sperm in her spermatheca for life. Mating is associated with profound changes in the behaviour and physiology of the queen but the mechanisms underlying these changes are poorly understood. What is known is that the presence of semen in the oviducts and spermatheca is insufficient to initiate laying, and that copulation or CO(2) narcosis is necessary for ovary activation. In this study we use real-time quantitative PCR to investigate the expression of biogenic amine receptor genes in the brain and ovarian tissue of queens in relation to their reproductive status. We show that dopamine, octopamine and serotonin receptor genes are expressed in the ovaries of queens, and that natural mating, CO(2) narcosis, and the presence of semen in the spermatheca differentially affect their expression. We suggest that these changes may be central to the hormonal cascades that are necessary to initiate oogenesis.
蜂王在 6 日龄左右交配，将精子储存在其受精囊中终生使用。交配会引起蜂王行为和生理的深刻变化，但这些变化的机制尚不清楚。已知的是，输卵管和受精囊中精液的存在不足以启动产卵，交配或 CO2 麻醉对于卵巢激活是必要的。在这项研究中，我们使用实时定量 PCR 来研究与生殖状态相关的蜂王大脑和卵巢组织中生物胺受体基因的表达。我们表明，多巴胺、章鱼胺和血清素受体基因在蜂王的卵巢中表达，并且自然交配、CO2 麻醉和受精囊中精液的存在会对其表达产生不同的影响。我们认为这些变化可能是启动卵子发生所必需的激素级联反应的核心。
