| Title: | Caffeine in floral nectar enhances a pollinator's memory of reward |
| Author(s): | Wright GA; Baker DD; Palmer MJ; Stabler D; Mustard JA; Power EF; Borland AM; Stevenson PC; |
| Address: | "Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK. jeri.wright@ncl.ac.uk" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1095-9203 (Electronic) 0036-8075 (Print) 0036-8075 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Plant defense compounds occur in floral nectar, but their ecological role is not well understood. We provide evidence that plant compounds pharmacologically alter pollinator behavior by enhancing their memory of reward. Honeybees rewarded with caffeine, which occurs naturally in nectar of Coffea and Citrus species, were three times as likely to remember a learned floral scent as were honeybees rewarded with sucrose alone. Caffeine potentiated responses of mushroom body neurons involved in olfactory learning and memory by acting as an adenosine receptor antagonist. Caffeine concentrations in nectar did not exceed the bees' bitter taste threshold, implying that pollinators impose selection for nectar that is pharmacologically active but not repellent. By using a drug to enhance memories of reward, plants secure pollinator fidelity and improve reproductive success" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Bees/*drug effects/physiology Behavior, Animal/*drug effects Caffeine/analysis/*pharmacology Citrus/chemistry/*physiology Coffea/chemistry/*physiology Flowers/chemistry/physiology Memory/*drug effects Mushroom Bodies/drug effects/physiology Plant;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineWright, G A Baker, D D Palmer, M J Stabler, D Mustard, J A Power, E F Borland, A M Stevenson, P C eng 094894/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom BB/1000313/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom BB/I000968/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2013/03/09 Science. 2013 Mar 8; 339(6124):1202-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1228806" |
