Preanalytical Systems - R&D, Becton Dickinson and Co., 1 Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, NJ, 07417, USA.
Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
J Chem Ecol. 2019 Jul;45(7):588-597. doi: 10.1007/s10886-019-01086-0. Epub 2019 Jul 24.
Honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens produce pheromones responsible for mediating both male mating behavior and many critical facets of worker social organization within their colony. These pheromones are dynamic multi-component blends, allowing the communication of detailed information. Indeed, variation in the queen's mating and reproductive state is associated with significant changes in her pheromone profiles, and these different pheromone profiles elicit different behavioral and physiological responses in female workers. Here we evaluate behavioral responses of male drones to the chemical blends produced by two exocrine glands in queens, and determine if the blends and responses are altered by the queen's mating and reproductive state. We find that drone attraction to the chemical blends of mandibular glands produced by mated, laying queens versus virgin queens is reduced, suggesting that the queens produce a reliable signal of their mating receptivity. Interestingly, while the chemical blends of mating, laying queens and virgins queens largely overlap, mated, laying queens produce a greater number of chemicals and greater quantities of certain chemicals than virgin queens, suggesting that these chemicals may serve to inhibit behavioral responses of drones to mated, laying queens. Thus, our results highlight the importance of considering chemical cues and signals that serve to both stimulate and inhibit behavioral responses during social interactions in animals.
蜂王（Apis mellifera）会产生信息素，这些信息素对于调节雄蜂的交配行为以及其所在群体中工蜂的许多关键社会组织方面都起着重要作用。这些信息素是动态的多组分混合物，能够传递详细的信息。事实上，蜂王的交配和生殖状态的变化与她的信息素特征的显著变化有关，而这些不同的信息素特征会在雌性工蜂中引起不同的行为和生理反应。在这里，我们评估了雄蜂对蜂王两个外分泌腺产生的化学混合物的行为反应，并确定这些混合物和反应是否会因蜂王的交配和生殖状态而改变。我们发现，与处女王相比，雄蜂对交配、产卵的蜂王的下颚腺产生的化学混合物的吸引力降低了，这表明蜂王产生了一种可靠的交配接受信号。有趣的是，尽管交配、产卵的蜂王和处女王的化学混合物大部分重叠，但交配、产卵的蜂王产生的化学物质数量更多，某些化学物质的数量也更多，这表明这些化学物质可能会抑制雄蜂对交配、产卵的蜂王的行为反应。因此，我们的研究结果强调了在动物的社会互动中，考虑到既能刺激又能抑制行为反应的化学线索和信号的重要性。
