| Title: | Morphology of Nasonov and Tergal Glands in Apis mellifera Rebels |
| Author(s): | Strachecka A; Chobotow J; Kuszewska K; Olszewski K; Skowronek P; Brys M; Paleolog J; Woyciechowski M; |
| Address: | "Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Doswiadczalna 50a, 20-280 Lublin, Poland. Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-400 Lublin, Poland. Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland. Faculty of Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, Institute of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2075-4450 (Print) 2075-4450 (Electronic) 2075-4450 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Social insect societies are characterized by a high level of organization. This is made possible through a remarkably complex array of pheromonal signals produced by all members of the colony. The queen's pheromones signal the presence of a fertile female and induce daughter workers to remain sterile. However, the lack of the queen mandibular pheromone leads to the emergence of rebels, i.e., workers with increased reproductive potential. We suggested that the rebels would have developed tergal glands and reduced Nasonov glands, much like the queen but contrary to normal workers. Our guess turned out to be correct and may suggest that the rebels are more queen-like than previously thought. The tergal gland cells found in the rebels were numerous but they did not adhere as closely to one another as they did in queens. In the rebels, the number of Nasonov gland cells was very limited (from 38 to 53) and there were fat body trophocytes between the glandular cells. The diameters of the Nasonov gland cell nuclei were smaller in the rebels than in the normal workers. These results are important for understanding the formation of the different castes of Apis mellifera females, as well as the division of labor in social insect societies" |
| Keywords: | Apis mellifera Nasonov gland cells pheromones queen rebels tergal gland workers; |
| Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEStrachecka, Aneta Chobotow, Jacek Kuszewska, Karolina Olszewski, Krzysztof Skowronek, Patrycja Brys, Maciej Paleolog, Jerzy Woyciechowski, Michal eng 2014/15/B/NZ9/00425/National Science Centre (NCN) of Poland/ ZIB/S/27/2019/BIO/University of Life Sciences in Lublin/ LKZ/S/54/2021/BIO/University of Life Sciences in Lublin/ Switzerland 2022/05/28 Insects. 2022 Apr 22; 13(5):401. doi: 10.3390/insects13050401" |
