Quantitation of neuroxin-1, ataxin-3 and atlastin genes related to grooming behavior in five races of honey bee, Apis mellifera L., 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), in Turkey

Year 2022, Volume: 46 Issue: 1, 3 - 11, 01.03.2022

Berkant İsmail Yıldız , Kemal Karabağ

https://doi.org/10.16970/entoted.992984

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Although many methods have been used to control Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman, 2000 (Acari: Varroidae), the satisfactory results have not yet been achieved. However, research has shown that some colonies of honey bee, Apis mellifera L., 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), exhibit higher resistance or sensitivity to Varroa mites than others. One of the resistance mechanisms based on genetics is grooming behavior and it has been promising for beekeeping. The fact that there are many unanswered questions about grooming behavior led to the idea of this study. Worker bees from five honey bee races in Turkey were individually tested for their grooming behavior in response to V. destructor mite infestation. The quantitation of the expression levels of three candidate genes (neurexin-1, ataxin-3 and atlastin) in each honey bee race with and without grooming behavior was evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Although expression levels of neurexin-1, ataxin-3 and atlastin genes showed significant differences among individuals, grooming levels of individuals were not related to the expression levels of these genes except in Syrian honeybees. Also, phenotypically no statistical differences were found among the honey bee races in terms of grooming behavior. The results show that grooming behavior may not be associated with neural gene expression alone. However, it is seen that more molecular studies related to grooming behavior are needed.

Keywords

Apis mellifera, candidate gene, grooming behavior, quantitation, Varroa destructor

Supporting Institution

Scientific Research Projects Unit of Akdeniz University

Project Number

FYL-2019-4245

Thanks

This study was financially supported by the Scientific Research Projects Unit of Akdeniz University under the project number of FYL-2019-4245.

Türkiye’deki beş bal arısı, Apis mellifera L., 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) ırkında tımar davranışı ile ilgili neuroxin-1, ataxin-3 ve atlastin genlerinin kantitasyonu

Abstract

Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman, 2000 (Acari: Varroidae) kontrolünde birçok yöntem kullanılmış olmasına rağmen, tatmin edici sonuçlar henüz elde edilememiştir. Araştırmalar, bazı bal arısı, Apis mellifera L., 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) kolonilerinin Varroa akarlarına diğerlerinden daha yüksek direnç veya duyarlılık sergilediğini göstermiştir. Genetik temele dayanan direnç mekanizmalarından birisi de tımar davranışıdır ve arıcılık için umut vericidir. Tımar davranışı ile ilgili cevaplanmamış birçok sorunun olması bu çalışmanın ortaya çıkmasına neden olmuştur. Türkiye'deki beş bal arısı ırkından işçi arıların V. destructor istilasına tepki olarak tımar davranışları test edilmiştir. Tımar davranışı gösteren ve göstermeyen her bir bal arısı ırkında üç aday genin (neuroxin-1, ataxin-3 ve atlastin) ekspresyon seviyelerinin kantitasyonu kantitatif polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu yöntemi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Neuroxin-1, ataxin-3 ve atlastin genlerinin ekspresyon seviyeleri önemli farklılıklar gösterse de Suriye ırkı haricinde tımar davranışı bu genlerin ekspresyon seviyeleri ile ilişkili bulunmamıştır. Ayrıca fenotipik olarak bal arısı ırkları arasında tımar davranışı açısından istatistiksel farklılık bulunmamıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar, tımar davranışının, tek başına nöral gen ifadeleriyle ilişkili olmayabileceğini göstermektedir. Bununla birlikte tımar davranışı ile ilgili daha fazla moleküler çalışmaya ihtiyaç duyulduğu görülmektedir.

Keywords

Apis mellifera, aday gen, tımar davranışı, kantitasyon, Varroa destructor

Project Number

FYL-2019-4245

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