| Title: | Queen pheromone modulates the expression of epigenetic modifier genes in the brain of honeybee workers |
| Author(s): | Cardoso-Junior CAM; Ronai I; Hartfelder K; Oldroyd BP; |
| Address: | "Departamento de Biologia Celular e Bioagentes Patogenicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (BEE) laboratory, University of Sydney, Macleay Building A12, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1744-957X (Electronic) 1744-9561 (Print) 1744-9561 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Pheromones are used by many insects to mediate social interactions. In the highly eusocial honeybee (Apis mellifera), queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) is involved in the regulation of the reproductive and other behaviour of workers. The molecular mechanisms by which QMP acts are largely unknown. Here, we investigate how genes responsible for epigenetic modifications to DNA, RNA and histones respond to the presence of QMP in the environment. We show that several of these genes are upregulated in the honeybee brain when workers are exposed to artificial QMP. We propose that pheromonal communication systems, such as those used by social insects, evolved to respond to environmental signals by making use of existing epigenomic machineries" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Bees/genetics Brain Epigenesis, Genetic Epigenomics *Genes, Modifier *Pheromones Social Behavior Dnmt Hat Hdac Sirt honeybee;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineCardoso-Junior, Carlos Antonio Mendes Ronai, Isobel Hartfelder, Klaus Oldroyd, Benjamin P eng England 2020/12/09 Biol Lett. 2020 Dec; 16(12):20200440. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0440. Epub 2020 Dec 9" |
