Humoral and cellular defense mechanisms in rebel workers of Apis mellifera

Abstrakt

The physiological state of an insect depends on efficiently functioning immune mechanisms such as cellular and humoral defenses. However, compounds participating in these mechanisms also regulate reproductive caste formation and are responsible for reproductive division of labor as well as for labor division in sterile workers. Divergent reaction of the same genotype yielding reproductive queens and worker castes led to shaping of the physiological and behavioral plasticity of sterile or reproductive workers. Rebels that can lay eggs while maintaining tasks inside and outside the colony exhibit both queen and worker traits. So, we expected that the phagocytic index, JH3 titer, and Vg concentration would be higher in rebels than in normal workers and would increase with their age. We also assumed that the numbers of oenocytes and their sizes would be greater in rebels than in normal workers. The rebels and the normal workers were collected at the age of 1, 7, 14, and 21 days, respectively. Hemolymph and fat bodies were collected for biochemical and morphological analyses. The high levels of JH, Vg, and the phagocytic index, as well as increased numbers and sizes of oenocytes in the fat body cells demonstrate the physiological and phenotypic adaptation of rebels to the eusocial life of honeybees

Autorzy

Paweł Migdał
Paweł Migdał
Karolina Kuszewska
Karolina Kuszewska
Marcin Grabowski
Marcin Grabowski
Michał Woyciechowski
Michał Woyciechowski
artykuł
Biology
Angielski
2021
10
11
1146
otwarte czasopismo
CC BY 4.0 Uznanie autorstwa 4.0
ostateczna wersja opublikowana
w momencie opublikowania
2021-11-06
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