Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
Cell Rep. 2019 May 14;27(7):1949-1959.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.073. Epub 2019 May 2.
Systemic RNAi, initiated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) ingestion, has been reported in diverse invertebrates, including honey bees, demonstrating environmental RNA uptake that undermines homologous gene expression. However, the question why any organism would take up RNA from the environment has remained largely unanswered. Here, we report on horizontal RNA flow among honey bees mediated by secretion and ingestion of worker and royal jelly diets. We demonstrate that transmission of jelly-secreted dsRNA to larvae is biologically active and triggers gene knockdown that lasts into adulthood. Worker and royal jellies harbor differential naturally occurring RNA populations. Jelly RNAs corresponded to honey bee protein-coding genes, transposable elements, and non-coding RNA, as well as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. These results reveal an inherent property of honey bees to share RNA among individuals and generations. Our findings suggest a transmissible RNA pathway, playing a role in social immunity and signaling between members of the hive.
系统 RNAi，由双链 RNA（dsRNA）摄入引发，已在包括蜜蜂在内的多种无脊椎动物中被报道，证明了环境 RNA 的摄取会破坏同源基因的表达。然而，为什么任何生物体都会从环境中摄取 RNA 的问题在很大程度上仍未得到解答。在这里，我们报告了由工蜂和蜂王浆饮食的分泌和摄取介导的蜜蜂之间的水平 RNA 流动。我们证明，传递给幼虫的果冻分泌的 dsRNA 具有生物活性，并引发持续到成年期的基因敲低。工蜂和蜂王浆中蕴藏着不同的天然存在的 RNA 群体。果冻 RNA 对应于蜜蜂的蛋白质编码基因、转座元件和非编码 RNA，以及细菌、真菌和病毒。这些结果揭示了蜜蜂在个体和代际之间共享 RNA 的固有特性。我们的发现表明存在一种可传播的 RNA 途径，在蜂巢成员之间的社会免疫和信号传递中发挥作用。
