Title: | "Expression profile of the sex determination gene doublesex in a gynandromorph of bumblebee, Bombus ignitus" |
Author(s): | Ugajin A; Matsuo K; Kubo R; Sasaki T; Ono M; |
Address: | "Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Zoology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, 6-1-1, Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo, 194-8610, Japan. ugajin@agr.tamagawa.ac.jp. Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Zoology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, 6-1-1, Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo, 194-8610, Japan. Honeybee Science Research Center, Tamagawa University, 6-1-1, Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo, 194-8610, Japan" |
DOI: | 10.1007/s00114-016-1342-7 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1432-1904 (Electronic) 0028-1042 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Gynandromorphy that has both male and female features is known in many insect orders, including Hymenoptera. In most cases, however, only external morphology and behavioral aspects have been studied. We found a gynandromorph of bumblebee, Bombus ignitus, that showed almost bilateral distribution of external sexual traits, with male characters observed on the left side and female characters on the right side. This individual never exhibited sexual behavior toward new queens. The dissection of the head part showed that it had bilaterally dimorphic labial glands, only the left of which was well developed and synthesized male-specific pheromone components. In contrast, the gynandromorph possessed an ovipositor and a pair of ovaries in the abdominal part, suggesting that it had a uniformly female reproductive system. Furthermore, we characterized several internal organs of the gynandromorph by a molecular biological approach. The expression analyses of a sex determination gene, doublesex, in the brain, the fat bodies, the hindgut, and the ovaries of the gynandromorph revealed a male-type expression pattern exclusively in the left brain hemisphere and consistent female-type expression in other tissues. These findings clearly indicate the sexual discordance between external traits and internal organs in the gynandromorph. The results of genetic analyses using microsatellite markers suggested that this individual consisted of both genetically male- and female-type tissues" |
Keywords: | "Animals Bees/anatomy & histology/genetics/*physiology Behavior, Animal Female *Gene Expression Regulation Genes, Insect/*genetics Male Microsatellite Repeats/genetics Sex Determination Processes/*genetics Transcriptome Bumblebee Gynandromorph Haplodiploid;" |
Notes: | "MedlineUgajin, Atsushi Matsuo, Koshiro Kubo, Ryohei Sasaki, Tetsuhiko Ono, Masato eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Germany 2016/02/13 Naturwissenschaften. 2016 Apr; 103(3-4):17. doi: 10.1007/s00114-016-1342-7. Epub 2016 Feb 11" |